May 5, 2026 • 51 mins
What if the secret to creative success isn't perfection, but actually daring to suck? Brandon Firla, series regular on Suits and award-nominated screenwriter, reveals how embracing failure transformed his multi-faceted career spanning acting, writing, and restaurant ownership. From his breakout role as Jonathan Sidwell to co-owning a Pasadena restaurant for over a decade, Brandon shares the mindset shifts that helped him navigate uncertainty while juggling creative projects across continents. His insights about building trust on set, collaborating without ego, and finding success through incremental progress offer a refreshing perspective on sustainable creativity.
Brandon's journey from Calgary to Los Angeles wasn't just about landing roles-it was about learning to let go of perfectionism and trust the process. Whether he's punch-up writing comedy scenes, surviving restaurant challenges during COVID and the Altadena fires, or teaching sitcom writing, his approach centers on one powerful principle borrowed from Aerosmith: dare to suck. You'll discover how this counterintuitive strategy opens doors to breakthrough moments, why becoming a parent shifts your entire relationship with time, and how building genuine trust with collaborators creates space for your best work to emerge.
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Brandon's journey from Calgary to Los Angeles wasn't just about landing roles-it was about learning to let go of perfectionism and trust the process. Whether he's punch-up writing comedy scenes, surviving restaurant challenges during COVID and the Altadena fires, or teaching sitcom writing, his approach centers on one powerful principle borrowed from Aerosmith: dare to suck. You'll discover how this counterintuitive strategy opens doors to breakthrough moments, why becoming a parent shifts your entire relationship with time, and how building genuine trust with collaborators creates space for your best work to emerge.
Want to grow your podcast, land more guest appearances, and save hours every week? The Podcast Growth Partner helps podcasters, guests, and podcast teams create stronger content, prepare smarter, and grow strategically.
Start your free 3-day trial: PodcastGrowthPartner.com
Want personalized podcast strategy support? Book a free clarity call: MeetwithOlivia.me
Connect with Olivia Atkin & Achieving Success:
Website: Achieving-Success.com
Facebook Community: The Podcaster’s Powerhouse Community For Business Owners
Facebook: Olivia Atkin | Achieving Success
LinkedIn: Olivia Atkin | Achieving Success
Instagram: @_achievingsuccess
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/achieving-success-with-olivia-atkin--5743662/support.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hello everyone, Welcome to Achieving Success with Olivia Ackin. I'm
your host Olivia Acken. Each week we will discuss the
rolemap of achieving your personal and professional success. We give
you real life stories on growing personally and professionally to
achieve your life and career goals with the help of.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Some top notch guests. Today, we are speaking with actor
Brandon Furlough.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Brandon Furlaw has built a career that spans continence and
creative disciplines, from training at London's prestigious LaMDA to becoming
a series regular on hit shows like Suits, where he
brought complex character of Jonathan Sidwell to life. But here's
what makes Brandon's story particularly compelling. He didn't just succeed
(00:52):
as an actor. He's also an award nominated screenwriter who's
tackled everything from topical musicals about stars to.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Selling scripts to major networks.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
His journey from Calgary to Los Angeles represents the kind
of strategic career building that turns talent into sustainable success,
and his insights about navigating uncertainty while maintaining creative courage
are exactly what driven professionals need to hear right now.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Hello Brandon, it's fantastic having you on the show.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Hi, Olivia, thank you for having me on this. It's beautiful.
What is it Is it Monday? No, it's Tuesday today, right? Yeah, Yeah,
I've been I was back in Canada for a week,
so I'm just getting my bearings.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Yeah, thanks for having me along. How are you this morning?
Everything good?
Speaker 1 (01:42):
I'm doing well. I'm glad we get to talk. And
I've been there. There's been times I've traveled, like overseas
or long distances and you get back and then you're
just busy in that momentum as well, and you're.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Like, wait, what day is it? Is it night? Is
it morning? Because it can be crazy.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
I think I've achieved success just by managing to be
on this recording this morning, because not only did I
get the time zone wrong, I was in the mindset
of big Okay, now I've got a couple hours to
think about it, and then spoiler alert to listeners, Yeah,
I messed up the time zone.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
So here I am. But I love this because it throws.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Away any kind of the idea of being like over
prepared or preparing for something. No, just jump right in
and know that and just trust that it's gonna be great.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
The other more.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Adversity, because success is about overcoming adversity in my mind.
I have no WiFi this morning, so I'm tethered to
my phone, so I'm beating that and I'm just getting
over a cold. So it's a minor miracle that I'm here.
And thank you for the lovely intro because I feel
(03:00):
like you did all the work for me. I don't
need to say anything. People can just listen to your
intro about me, and so I feel like all the
work is done, is what I'm saying here.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yeah, we could just wrap it up right now. I mean,
we don't even we don't even kind of go any further.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Ben can just loop that intro and we're good.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
We're good.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
But you brought up some things that I want to
go a little deeper on because my first question I
always ask every guest is to start off the show,
can you tell me what success.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Means and looks like? To Brandon Furlough. So we know what.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Success looks like for you today, but overall, what does
success mean.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
It look like to you?
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Well? Yeah, so it's interesting that you say that because
I think success is kind of this ever evolving almost
indefinable thing. And when you get asked to be a
guest on a podcast that is talking exclusively about the subject,
(04:04):
it does make you think about it. And so I
thought about it. And the more you think about it,
the more LOOSEI of it becomes. So because it is,
it's inherently a subjective thing, and like I said, it's
kind of ever evolving, and so I've been I was
(04:29):
putting some thoughts together while i was away and again
this morning, and I'm just like I was basically looking
forward to this conversation to kind of complete my answer
to your question what success is, because I'm I'm still
trying to piece it together. But what I what I
(04:50):
think I've landed on is how uh not only how
subjective it is, and how one you know, one person's
success can be as another person's failure. And for me,
there's also like a sports psychology part of success that
I'm a huge basketball fan, so there's a lot of
(05:13):
I'm wearing a Boston Celtics shirt. They have Game two tonight.
Even though I'm from Canada, I should be a Raptors fan.
But come on, when I grew up, there were no
Rappers anyway. But what I think I landed on is
how success and failure, the relationship of those two things
(05:35):
and kind of the tension between them is the most
interesting aspect of success to me because i think, especially
for me, every success or perceived success that I've had
(05:55):
has come from and you know, a long line of
failures that have supported it. And this idea of embracing
failure and in learning to enjoy it as part of
the process is kind of the key to success. And
(06:20):
then within that kind of writing, this fine line of.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Not getting too high or too low.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
So when you have some wins, you're like, Okay, well
I won that one, but tomorrow's another game. Or if
you if you had had a loss to get this
setback so they didn't go your way, it's like, well,
that's just how it breaks sometimes, and.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Just got to stay on track.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
So I'm sure what I've just said made a lot
of sense, incredibly cohesive.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Here's the thing as well.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
You just showed us your which I love, is your
thought process and your journey, and I think so many
of us don't always. We think through things and we
sit on things, but we don't know how to articulate
the process from like, here's this thought to how we
got here. And there's times like I will say things
(07:23):
and I'm like to been my amazing producer, or I'll
bounce ideas off people and I'm like, this is the
concept I have, This is like the vision and I
go on this thing and I'm like, did that make
sense to you?
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Or did I just say a bunch of things? And
that's and.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
That's the lovely aspect of the journey is also being
able to communicate where you.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Are and your thought process in all of it.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
So I think that was a ma But I also
I think it's also the aspect of understanding that there
is this barrier in and barrier might not be the
right words, but this line between the fear and the
success and the the.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Losses if you want to call them, are failures and
the success.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
And I love how you brought that up as well,
and you're completely right.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
I look back on things and I'm like, Okay.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
This got created only because I went through X, Y
Z and those didn't necessarily work out the way I
thought they were going to work out, but it all
gave me this information and perspective to now be able
to build.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
This right yeah, so have I agree. I agree with that,
and then it's also kind of going back to sports
analogies that I again, because we're right, the NBA playoffs
have started, so now this is where competition and success
(09:03):
and failure and that mentality to to keep to persevere,
to keep going and knowing like a seven game series
is a great study of success and failure and how
to balance it and the idea of like margins margins
(09:24):
of victory, what's the what's the difference between like a
thirty point loss and a one point loss. It's still
a loss. It doesn't matter how much you lose by.
But if you can kind of reframe that, or same
with the if you win by thirty, if you or
if you win by one point, it's kind of a
(09:47):
there's so much in this to to unpack. I just
love that you have made me think about it like critically,
because it's it's really and it's such defining aspect of
everyone's life on a day today, because.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
We all have or we don't all have goals.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
We like to achieve on a you know, within a
certain hour or day or week. It's kind of what
everyone it's how we go through our lives day today.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
So let's talk about that for a second as well.
For you where you are now, career.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Or life all the things, how do you set goals
for yourself? Like what is that process for you? And
then how do you try to hold yourself accountable to
those goals whether they go down the path and direction
you thought initially or not.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Right, that's a very very good question, I think. I mean,
I think there's survival goals. They kind of have to
be met, whether that's through whatever financial means you need
or even relationships. Those are kind of like the base
(11:14):
life goals. And then beyond that for me creatively, I
don't know. I because I've got my I've got my
hands in a lot of a lot of different things.
I think what we haven't even touched on is another
big part of my life is I'm I'm co owner
(11:35):
of a restaurant in Pasadena, So I've got that whole
It's a creative environment as well for me an outlet,
it's incredibly rewarding and challenging. And if you want to
get into success metrics on on restaurants, that's a whole
(11:56):
other podcast. So yeah, it's creatively, I've got like it's
almost compartmentalized because I have, you know, projects that a
whole list of projects.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
That I want. I have kind of on a list
with my brother.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
I've got another writing collaborator back home in Calgary, Alberta.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
And then I've got whatever.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Just comes at me, not even knowing about the auditions
that come up and opportunities that happen that way. And
then i have my my own little theater company here
in LA where it's like, okay, well, what do we
want to do for the next year, And then then
it's and then it's a matter of just kind of
(12:44):
putting this calendar together, laying it on top of what's
happening in my personal life, and then being and then
being fully open to an opportunity to say, hey, you
need to go somewhere for a month to work on
this specific thing, so everything has to go on hold. Yeah,
(13:05):
So it's basically just being like uh uh, completely open
to anything happening.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
So that being said as someone who has to has
learned to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, and someone who
for like my whole childhood and adulthood has been very
like I have a written planner, I have my to
do list, write everything down, you know, make sure you
(13:38):
cover it, make sure I'm on top of things as
a military spouse, but also had to get and as
a business owner, learned to be like, Okay, there's just
some things like I'm gonna wake up and the whole
day can change, perspective and the whole my whole calendar
(14:00):
change and that still gets me sometimes. So for you,
how do you manage these different creative outlets, these different
things you are working on the restaurant, the projects, the flight,
the personal stuff, and be on top of it while
not stressing out the like okay, I also have to
(14:24):
just be comfortable if things pop up and be able
to change my schedule quickly.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Right. I think what I've landed on over.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
You know, several years of trying to juggle so many
things is just trusting that it's all going to work
out and try not to get wrapped up into the
it's the what I was listen actually listening to what
(14:58):
Ryan that talked about on your previous podcasts, letting go
of perfection and just just getting things done. And sometimes
that's just enough if you just it's just incremental gains.
(15:18):
Like for me, it's just making sure all boxes are
checked no matter what, and just moving forward as best
I can, and again just trusting that that you will
find a way find a way through. And that doesn't
(15:38):
mean that it's all going to be great or it's
all going to turn out the way you want it.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
It's just that.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Some things are probably not going to be exactly how
you wanted them to turn out. And that's that's usually fine.
But I think it's also I think that perspective. I
mean that, you know, the thirty year old version of
me would have a completely different answer and would be
(16:08):
freaking out and say, no, it has to be this way.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
I wake up.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
At five am, you know, I go to the gym
for an hour, and I come back and I just
kick ass until noon and then I take an you know, uh,
the perspective I have now just like.
Speaker 4 (16:29):
Don't try as hard.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Do you think there was a go Do you think
there was a moment where that shift happened for you
or do you think it was a gradual of just
like trying to push against they're like, Noah has to
be this way and being like okay, this kind of
still worked out.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
I can loosen up.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Can't really define a moment. But I think you just
you probably just reach a I think you just get exhausted.
You just get exhausted, and you don't you just let things.
You just let things go or let the pressure of
(17:13):
having to make it perfect or what your idea of
what it was.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
You just kind of like, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
Definitely being my daughter just turned sixteen. Definitely her coming
into my life.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
Change.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
I mean, yeah, becoming a parent changes your outlook on everything.
And yeah, prioritizing your time, your whole concept of time
has changed because you've given birth to o'clock and sixteen
years just has flown by.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
And yeah, she's she is.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Definitely, Yeah, just made things seem either more important or
less important, depending on how they.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
Involve her.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Yeah, you're good.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
What I will say is, I've never heard someone referred
to like having a child as you've given birth two o'clock.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
I really enjoyed that one. I mean use that like.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
People say, I'm like I'm doing I will I will say,
that's not an original furlaism.
Speaker 4 (18:45):
That was from a I don't even know the writer.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
It was a op ed piece in the New York
Times that I read almost almost sixteen years ago.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
But it did really make me think.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
I mean, that's I don't remember other specifics of the
of the piece, but it it really hit me because
it's your whole, your whole concept of time just just
is re reframed because especially early on as a parent,
you just have less time in general because you're just
(19:26):
you're not sleeping, you know that thing.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
Yeah, but you you're you know, there are.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Milestones that you set every I mean obviously with birthdays,
but yeah, it through that definitely threw me through me,
but also just yeah, the whole concept of time, I
think is also it really wrapped.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
Into what this idea of success and goals.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Because especially as you get older again going to the
sports sports mentality, when you're in the second half of
a game. No, I'm not comparing this to middle age
at all, but when you're in the second half of
a game you look up and say, oh, okay, we're
five points down, but we've got like ten minutes left,
(20:23):
is way different than being at the start of a game,
whether it's five minutes off the clock, yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
We're down ten, we have plenty of time. You just feel.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
It's impossible not to feel that feel that that aspect
of time kind of.
Speaker 4 (20:45):
Affect your.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
You know, your timeline or perceived timeline of the goals
you've said and how much time you have left on that,
and then you get more specific about what goals you
want to really chase, and that's impossible.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
You can't.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
The thirty year old version of me would not even
be thinking about that.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
So you've brought up a few I love your basketball analogies.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
As a sportsperson, I love them.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
But I am going to say this because I recently
write a book called It's About Being More Like Walt Disney.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Awesome book.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
I'm still in the middle of reading it, but it's
actually which I did not know until I started reading
the book. It was written by the founder of the
Orlando Magic. And yeah, and do you know why the
Orlando Magic is named the Magic?
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Well, I know there's some kind of obviously the Disney
and Disney World connection.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
I don't know the specifics of it, though, I'm fascinating.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
So he so in the book, he goes into how
he started looking into starting this basketball team. It was
going to be in Florida, and they decided on or Orlando,
and he just was immersed in the Orlando Disney culture
and he had always been fascinated by Walt Disney and
(22:29):
the kind of culture he created and how everyone feels
when they're in that environment and being in Orlando, and
when he was in Orlando, he's like, even outside of
Disney World, the people in the community, it like are
immersed in this feeling of community and love and.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Support and all this stuff.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
And he's like, it's magic, that magic from what Well
had created and what Disney is immersed into the community,
and it is certain magic that happened. And he's like,
so because of the magic that Well Disney World created.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
In Orlando, I named the team Magic And I'm like,
that makes one hundred sense now that you say it.
But all the years I've heard.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
The team name, I'm like, Dan connect, I'm like, oh,
that's a cool name.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
Okay, okay, it's the extension of the Magic Kingdom. I
think they should have named their team after Magic. Johnson
though they're like, we're just gonna all play like Magic
and it'll be it'll be great. But no, that yeah,
that makes some sense, although I still don't. I still
don't love it as a team name, but you know,
(23:44):
I have to cheer for I have to cheer for
Orlando right now because they're playing the Detroit Pistons, and
if they they they won the first game, which they
were not expected to, and if they beat Detroit, it
makes Boston's chances a lot, a lot better for a
Finals appearance.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
The Domino effect.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
There we go.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Yeah, So I want to go back to earlier. You
mentioned your restaurant and being a co founder of your restaurant.
So what made you decide in the mix of acting
and writing and all the things, that starting a restaurant
and co founding this restaurant was something you wanted to do.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
Well, It's something I've always been into.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Food and wine, and even starting out in Toronto or
I mean every actors the story about you know, you
were waiting tables and then you got your role and then.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
That was it. So I wanted to be that cliche.
So I was.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Working in restaurants in Toronto. But what I quickly discovered
is that I actually love the hospitality industry and there's
a lot of similarities between you know, entertaining someone for
a dinner party or at a restaurant and entertaining someone
(25:14):
on stage or on screen, and then especially and the
stories that are told through food and wine have definitely
the same They can have the same narratives as if
you look at them as an art form that translates.
(25:35):
So that's always been a huge part of my life.
Speaker 4 (25:41):
And I love to cook.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
I love yeah, I do love wine, both as a
beverage and also intellectually. And Top Chef is like my
favorite show on television and it has been for years.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
It's like the best.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
So I've always wanted I'd always had this idea, is
like I'm gonna one day, I know, I.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
Will probably you know, be a part of a restaurant.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
I had an opportunity early in Toronto to help open
a place there, but I was like, yeah, and you
know what, I'm just doing that acting thing now. I
don't need to do the the restaurant stuff. But this
one basically came out of I was just freshly separated
(26:34):
my ex and I had decided that this was probably
going to be it, and I just really needed something
to do that would get me out of the house,
engaged in a community and not just kind of waiting
around for the next acting gig. So this came around
(26:57):
and a chef I knew him, Sadena was opening a
new location and I basically said, let me help you.
And that was almost exactly eleven years ago, and now
here we are we're kind of I mean, it's always challenging,
(27:18):
but our restaurant is right on the border of Altadena,
which is where the Eaton fire was. So we lost
a huge part of our community and we haven't fully
fully rebounded since then for obvious reasons.
Speaker 4 (27:41):
So we're still right now.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Is probably the most challenging, Like for us, it's even
more challenging than.
Speaker 4 (27:48):
What we had to do to survive COVID.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
So anyway, but that's another that's another tangent. But the
decision to do it was again, it came out of
necessity and survival first and then creatively it was.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
Just like a perfect a perfect fit for me. And
it's been.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
You know I do That's where I do cabaret shows there.
I basically I produce the jazz concerts that we host.
It's an incredible creative valid for me.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
I've done.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
That's where my theater company has done productions. I do
all the marketing, which have basically it's been like a
crash course in marketing.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
I do two newsletters a week. Yeah, it's kind of.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
It's again, knowing that I wanted to do this early
on kind of made that leap easier for me. But
it is something that you cannot operating restaurants.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Something you can't do half asked.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
You have to be full ass you have to you
can't take your you can't take your eye off the
ball because it's uh, you know, in some ways, it's
it's more competitive, especially in this in this town, more
competitive than than trying to be an actor or a writer.
(29:30):
It's the same kind of thing, and it's it's it's
a relentless yeah, operation that you just need to stay
on top of. But it's a great challenge. I mean
it's been Yeah, it's been very rewarding. And because we're
a neighborhood restaurant, it's tied in with this community that
(29:52):
I've really been a part of for for a decade now.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Well, one thing you brought up as well and sharing
that was the fires and how the community has been affected.
And you can feel in everything you're talking when it becomes
to the restaurant and even other stories previously you being
very community oriented and focused in serving those individuals.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
So you know, like COVID was.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
A black Swan event, I mean I could even say
it was worse than some one, like no one could
ever that was in no one's scenario case.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
And then you come.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
Out of that in a time where any business, a
lot of businesses starting did not survive, a lot of
brick and mortar restaurant did not survive. And then a
few years later this happened and losing that community, losing
part of the business revenue. I could only imagine, you know,
(30:55):
at least some part was your mindset different in the
aspect of your like, okay, well we survived COVID, like
footstraps up, we got this. There's somewhat like if we
could do COVID, we could handle this, or like what
was your mindset as that happened, and then trying to
(31:16):
figure out that path I don't want to say necessarily
like path forward from that, but the mindset around that
to also be like yeah, okay, like bump in the road,
how what is what?
Speaker 2 (31:31):
How do we keep going?
Speaker 1 (31:32):
And how do we make sure the community knows and
the staff knows like we're good, don't overly stress.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Yeah, it's uh yeah, the initial I mean it was.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Uh, I don't even I don't even know we just
kind of we didn't have time to think in some ways.
We were down by the health department for a week
just because the water, the water in the neighborhood was
not usable or anything, so we couldn't open it until
(32:11):
they had finished that problem.
Speaker 4 (32:13):
And then it was just yeah, it's just it's.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
My business partner is very resilient and stubborn, almost to
a fault, so he just he always just kind of
finds a way to keep going. We knew it was
and it still is a very specific challenge, as specific
(32:43):
as COVID was. However, the the issue with being almost
collateral damage to the to the aftermath of the fires
is the the short short term memory of everyone. Basically,
(33:12):
you know, if you're not near those areas Altadno or
the Palisades, you wouldn't even it doesn't really affect your
day to day anymore, you know. After the first after
for you know, the first month, there was like this
flood of support. Everyone's like, we're gonna make sure you
guys get through this.
Speaker 4 (33:31):
But it's not. It's not sustainable. And we knew that.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
You know, it's like, oh man, business is booming right now,
but let's wait until summer. And see what happens and
see if if see where things are. So again, it's
just been I hate using the word pivoting because I
just think it's overused, except in basketball.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
I'm a huge fan of pivoting in basketball.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
But it's just been sometimes a week to week thing
where you just have to change things on the fly
and adapt and you know, tighten things up when you
need to. And then yeah, as a it's a small
it's a small business, and but we've somehow still.
Speaker 4 (34:23):
Found a way.
Speaker 3 (34:25):
So it's just again, yeah, keeping it calm, you know,
trying not to overreact and trusting.
Speaker 4 (34:34):
That we will find a way.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
But yeah, with COVID, it was different because everyone was
going through it with the fires. It's now it's just
the people who were directly affected who really are remembering
this and experiencing it still. I mean, we have a
lot of regulars who are just moving back to the neighborhood,
(34:59):
a lot of regulars who will not move back. They've
already you know, moved some of them out of Los Angeles.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
And also with COVID, there was a ton of government
support that helped.
Speaker 4 (35:21):
With this.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
There was a little bit and some other funds that
that that that helped, but not in the same uh,
not in the same scale. So yeah, so we're still
I mean, we're still figuring it out. And like I said,
it's almost like a week to week, week to week challenge.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
So and one thing I wanted to bring up too,
because I believe it or not, we're getting towards the
end of time.
Speaker 4 (35:50):
We haven't talked about anything.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
There's so much I do want to. I do want
to talk about your acting career a little bit. Yes,
So for you, what has.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
It been like the journey of getting different roles but
then also wearing the hat of scriptwriter and these different
and screenwriter and these different titles. Do you look at
roles you might be taking or are auditioning different or
(36:24):
when you're on set do you have a different perspective
do you think about a character.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
Than your fellow actors?
Speaker 4 (36:36):
Great question.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
I think that it's a project to project thing. And
for me, especially with comedy, I kind of evolved into
a like an on set punch up writer in a way,
(36:58):
or just.
Speaker 4 (36:59):
I'm not so I like to think of myself. I
love improv, but I'm terrible at it.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
If someone asked me, and I have friends who are
genius improvisers.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
Who asked me to do you know.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
Like you just come try it can be a guest
on my improv show, like back in Toronto, and I
was just terrible, mortifying.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
Some of the worst. You know, they're talking about failure.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
That kind of improv not good, but improv within like
a structured scene, coming up with additional lines or alternate
lines for especially with comedy, because it's just about getting
it's getting you need to get a laugh at the
end of a scene. You need a moment to go
out on, to cut away from. I probably haven't had
(37:49):
a different perspective when it comes to the onset stuff.
It's like, no, let's find the best way to end
the scene or what's the what's.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
A better.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Reaction to this this line? So yeah, it definitely has
and influenced on that with with the comedy stuff in particular,
but that also did help with.
Speaker 4 (38:21):
Some of myselff, like especially on suits.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
It's not a it was pretty much these are the words,
say them.
Speaker 4 (38:30):
Because they're well written.
Speaker 3 (38:31):
But you get into scenes with like my scenes with
Rick Hoffman, he would go off script because he's incredible,
and it's like, well, I can't just if he's going
to say that, I can't say my next line because
(38:52):
that doesn't make sense.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
I have to do something.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
So again it's it's it's finding out what the what
the what the boundaries are in any given creative environment
and playing along within those.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
And usually once you develop trust with.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
The people who are who are actually on the line
for making those decisions, then you can play a little
more or just I mean a lot of the times,
especially with suits, it's like, no, let's just the script's great,
let's just do that.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
You don't need to come up with other stuff.
Speaker 3 (39:31):
With some of the sitcoms, it's again dependent on the process.
It's like, Okay, we're gonna do one exactly what's written.
Speaker 4 (39:42):
Let's get it, cover that, and then you guys can
do whatever you want. Sometimes it's that it's specific on
day to day scene has seen stuff.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
But being a writer and also having experience doing live comedy,
I mean, I've kind of done I don't say that
I've done stand up. I did a double act with
my brother, which is like stand up with the safety
net because if something, if a joke bombs, he can
displame Oh it's his fault.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
I'm the straight man areas he's supposed to be the
funny guy.
Speaker 3 (40:22):
But having figuring that out live it helps again with
failure because the more you bomb, the more immune you
become to it, and then you just don't.
Speaker 4 (40:35):
You don't see it as like a you know, there's
something fatal.
Speaker 3 (40:41):
It's just it's just it's like, oh that that was terrible,
but I'm fine, and let's go be terrible but better
next time.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
One word you just mentioned in that story too is boundaries.
So for you, how do you communicate or understand the
boundaries of like this is where I can give some
feedback or push a little bit on making sure the
characters align hits this way, or you know, positioning whatever
(41:18):
it might be, versus going okay, I can't do this
and kind of navigating that as well, where you're like
okay I can or I can't, and honoring the boundaries
without coming off in any time of like no, like
I do this too, I know what I'm doing.
Speaker 4 (41:38):
That right, I think?
Speaker 3 (41:40):
I mean on set, it's it's purely I think a
function or defined by what role you have in there.
If you're if you're a series regular, you're given more
of a long leash. If you're if you're a guest
star coming in, you're more kind of fitting into a
(42:01):
machine that's already that's already running. And then but that
being said, it's still it all comes down to I
think just trust and if building trust with the writers
and the showrunner, and once that is established, then you
(42:28):
can really collaborate, which is like the dream kind of
environment on any set instead of have you know, because
most scenes in any given show, whether their drama or comedy,
are two handers. That's like, I don't know, eighty percent
(42:52):
of any show, it's like two characters talking and then
you have a group scene or some kind of action
sequence where there's more people or what have you, or
some event.
Speaker 4 (43:03):
But most of the time it's two hinders.
Speaker 3 (43:06):
So I have my idea of how that scene should
play out, the other actor has their idea of how
that scene should play out, The director has their idea,
and then there's the writers who came up with it.
Speaker 4 (43:22):
And I think early on.
Speaker 3 (43:24):
I I held two tightly to my version of the
scene and they're like, no, this is what I want
to do, and it wasn't as open to.
Speaker 4 (43:39):
What other people were bringing and that.
Speaker 3 (43:47):
It's great to come with as many ideas as possible,
but you also have to be open and not not
over prepared. It's almost like you need to wait and
see what everyone else brings to the party, and then
together you're you're making this thing come alive in the
(44:09):
best in the best form, because otherwise you're just and
I've had it. I remember very early on one of
the UH one of my first series in Canada, in
the first episode we were shooting, I had this this
very specific version about this performance is going to be
in this scene, and I would not let go of it,
(44:30):
and I couldn't.
Speaker 4 (44:32):
I couldn't get.
Speaker 3 (44:32):
It to where I wanted it to be, and I
actually needed to like just time out and said I
just needed to walk away for give me like two
minutes again, need to get out of my head. And
then came back and just kind of you know, you
just start actually listening to who you're in a scene
(44:55):
with and just letting it, letting it come out that way,
as opposed to forcing your your vision onto something. Yeah,
that probably made sense in some language.
Speaker 1 (45:13):
It you're not giving yourself enough credit here. All your
answers have made sentence and I love them because they
tell stories. You have tangible.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
Sorry, you're doing great, You've done great.
Speaker 4 (45:32):
Amazing well and believe it or not, you.
Speaker 1 (45:36):
Have achieved podcast podcast guests success. Say that five times fast.
And that being said, believe it or not, we're at
the end. I feel yeah, I know we can really
keep going. There's so much more I want to talk about.
Speaker 3 (45:55):
Like, I've got like five pages of notes I haven't
even touched.
Speaker 2 (45:59):
No, all my original questions, none of them were to.
Speaker 4 (46:04):
I love that. I love that.
Speaker 3 (46:06):
I mean there's oh, actually no, there is one thing.
Uh so another thing I do is I teach sitcom
writing online for Toronto Film School, and the first week
of the first course I teach, I introduced student students
to this concept of daring to suck. And there's actually
(46:30):
a book called Dare to Suck that this guy I wrote.
Speaker 4 (46:32):
I forget his name.
Speaker 3 (46:34):
I owe him a lot because I recommend his book
to everybody.
Speaker 4 (46:38):
But it was.
Speaker 3 (46:40):
Not the other way around. But it was actually the
band Aerosmith came up with this idea in their band
meetings and somehow Dan Brown, the writer of the Da
Vinci Code, had talked to Stephen Tyler about it randomly,
and Steven Tyler was talking about his process and daring
to suck and how they're they're their band would meet
(47:03):
and basically the challenge was to bring in your worst
ideas possible and we're just gonna jam and it's gonna suck.
But one there's gonna be one thing in that that
there's gonna be a dude looks like a lady that's
going to come out of that session or loving an elevator.
(47:23):
Something is going to come out of us daring to suck.
And I know that's It's also a model that some
Second City pro performers have used before they do an
improv set. So let's just stare to suck and see
what happens. So that's another key to success that I
wanted to throw in there.
Speaker 2 (47:43):
I like that.
Speaker 1 (47:44):
I mean, I'm gonna start saying that now you're getting
me putting that in there. Well, thank you Brennon for
all of your insight today.
Speaker 4 (47:54):
Yeah, you're welcome. Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1 (47:56):
It has been wonderful and a few of our key
takeaways from today conversation include trust that all is going
to work out and just get it done. Brandon brought
this up in the beginning, and I think it's really
important to identify that the end of the day it
is going to work out. It might not be as
(48:17):
Brandon said, the way you initially thought of it. It
might not be the end result you thought it was
going to be. It could end up being way better.
It could also lead you down that path to where
you're supposed to be and where you're supposed to and
how you're supposed to show up. The other thing he
brought up, which I thought was so amazing, are people
(48:40):
in your life are give you a perspective that you're
not going to get otherwise.
Speaker 2 (48:46):
Right.
Speaker 1 (48:46):
He talked about individuals, talked about his daughter and time
and life experiences and just the people he surrounds himself
with throughout different stories Brandon has shared today.
Speaker 2 (49:00):
That made me really go.
Speaker 1 (49:02):
People give us the perspective we have through communication, through
how they show up for us. That all shapes our
own perspective in life and time and what is important.
Speaker 2 (49:16):
Right.
Speaker 1 (49:17):
The comment he brought up about when you have a child,
you give birth to a ticking clock, all of that
is the perspective around time and how to utilize it
and what is important.
Speaker 2 (49:30):
And it's and I think that was so important to
not just how he shows up, but how we.
Speaker 1 (49:37):
Should all identify how we want to show up and understand.
Take note who are the people around you that are
giving you the perspective and is it the perspective you
want or are there different conversations that need to be
had as well as build trust with the people you
work with to be able to collaborate the best.
Speaker 2 (49:58):
I love how Brandon brought this up his.
Speaker 1 (50:00):
Stories about his acting experience and being on sets. It's like,
if you want to be heard in your perspective and notes,
understand the room you're in. Not every room you're in
is going to want them. But when you build relationships
and foster that relationship, you will be heard clearer and
(50:24):
you will be able to collaborate better. And lastly, I
want to challenge everyone to dare to suck. Take one
thing today this week and practice dare to suck.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
This was a.
Speaker 1 (50:39):
Great episode with our top notch guest actor Brandon Perla.
Thank you for listening and have a successful day.
Hello everyone, Welcome to Achieving Success with Olivia Ackin. I'm
your host Olivia Acken. Each week we will discuss the
rolemap of achieving your personal and professional success. We give
you real life stories on growing personally and professionally to
achieve your life and career goals with the help of.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Some top notch guests. Today, we are speaking with actor
Brandon Furlough.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Brandon Furlaw has built a career that spans continence and
creative disciplines, from training at London's prestigious LaMDA to becoming
a series regular on hit shows like Suits, where he
brought complex character of Jonathan Sidwell to life. But here's
what makes Brandon's story particularly compelling. He didn't just succeed
(00:52):
as an actor. He's also an award nominated screenwriter who's
tackled everything from topical musicals about stars to.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Selling scripts to major networks.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
His journey from Calgary to Los Angeles represents the kind
of strategic career building that turns talent into sustainable success,
and his insights about navigating uncertainty while maintaining creative courage
are exactly what driven professionals need to hear right now.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Hello Brandon, it's fantastic having you on the show.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Hi, Olivia, thank you for having me on this. It's beautiful.
What is it Is it Monday? No, it's Tuesday today, right? Yeah, Yeah,
I've been I was back in Canada for a week,
so I'm just getting my bearings.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Yeah, thanks for having me along. How are you this morning?
Everything good?
Speaker 1 (01:42):
I'm doing well. I'm glad we get to talk. And
I've been there. There's been times I've traveled, like overseas
or long distances and you get back and then you're
just busy in that momentum as well, and you're.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Like, wait, what day is it? Is it night? Is
it morning? Because it can be crazy.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
I think I've achieved success just by managing to be
on this recording this morning, because not only did I
get the time zone wrong, I was in the mindset
of big Okay, now I've got a couple hours to
think about it, and then spoiler alert to listeners, Yeah,
I messed up the time zone.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
So here I am. But I love this because it throws.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Away any kind of the idea of being like over
prepared or preparing for something. No, just jump right in
and know that and just trust that it's gonna be great.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
The other more.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Adversity, because success is about overcoming adversity in my mind.
I have no WiFi this morning, so I'm tethered to
my phone, so I'm beating that and I'm just getting
over a cold. So it's a minor miracle that I'm here.
And thank you for the lovely intro because I feel
(03:00):
like you did all the work for me. I don't
need to say anything. People can just listen to your
intro about me, and so I feel like all the
work is done, is what I'm saying here.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yeah, we could just wrap it up right now. I mean,
we don't even we don't even kind of go any further.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Ben can just loop that intro and we're good.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
We're good.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
But you brought up some things that I want to
go a little deeper on because my first question I
always ask every guest is to start off the show,
can you tell me what success.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Means and looks like? To Brandon Furlough. So we know what.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Success looks like for you today, but overall, what does
success mean.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
It look like to you?
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Well? Yeah, so it's interesting that you say that because
I think success is kind of this ever evolving almost
indefinable thing. And when you get asked to be a
guest on a podcast that is talking exclusively about the subject,
(04:04):
it does make you think about it. And so I
thought about it. And the more you think about it,
the more LOOSEI of it becomes. So because it is,
it's inherently a subjective thing, and like I said, it's
kind of ever evolving, and so I've been I was
(04:29):
putting some thoughts together while i was away and again
this morning, and I'm just like I was basically looking
forward to this conversation to kind of complete my answer
to your question what success is, because I'm I'm still
trying to piece it together. But what I what I
(04:50):
think I've landed on is how uh not only how
subjective it is, and how one you know, one person's
success can be as another person's failure. And for me,
there's also like a sports psychology part of success that
I'm a huge basketball fan, so there's a lot of
(05:13):
I'm wearing a Boston Celtics shirt. They have Game two tonight.
Even though I'm from Canada, I should be a Raptors fan.
But come on, when I grew up, there were no
Rappers anyway. But what I think I landed on is
how success and failure, the relationship of those two things
(05:35):
and kind of the tension between them is the most
interesting aspect of success to me because i think, especially
for me, every success or perceived success that I've had
(05:55):
has come from and you know, a long line of
failures that have supported it. And this idea of embracing
failure and in learning to enjoy it as part of
the process is kind of the key to success. And
(06:20):
then within that kind of writing, this fine line of.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Not getting too high or too low.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
So when you have some wins, you're like, Okay, well
I won that one, but tomorrow's another game. Or if
you if you had had a loss to get this
setback so they didn't go your way, it's like, well,
that's just how it breaks sometimes, and.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Just got to stay on track.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
So I'm sure what I've just said made a lot
of sense, incredibly cohesive.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Here's the thing as well.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
You just showed us your which I love, is your
thought process and your journey, and I think so many
of us don't always. We think through things and we
sit on things, but we don't know how to articulate
the process from like, here's this thought to how we
got here. And there's times like I will say things
(07:23):
and I'm like to been my amazing producer, or I'll
bounce ideas off people and I'm like, this is the
concept I have, This is like the vision and I
go on this thing and I'm like, did that make
sense to you?
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Or did I just say a bunch of things? And
that's and.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
That's the lovely aspect of the journey is also being
able to communicate where you.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Are and your thought process in all of it.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
So I think that was a ma But I also
I think it's also the aspect of understanding that there
is this barrier in and barrier might not be the
right words, but this line between the fear and the
success and the the.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Losses if you want to call them, are failures and
the success.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
And I love how you brought that up as well,
and you're completely right.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
I look back on things and I'm like, Okay.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
This got created only because I went through X, Y
Z and those didn't necessarily work out the way I
thought they were going to work out, but it all
gave me this information and perspective to now be able
to build.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
This right yeah, so have I agree. I agree with that,
and then it's also kind of going back to sports
analogies that I again, because we're right, the NBA playoffs
have started, so now this is where competition and success
(09:03):
and failure and that mentality to to keep to persevere,
to keep going and knowing like a seven game series
is a great study of success and failure and how
to balance it and the idea of like margins margins
(09:24):
of victory, what's the what's the difference between like a
thirty point loss and a one point loss. It's still
a loss. It doesn't matter how much you lose by.
But if you can kind of reframe that, or same
with the if you win by thirty, if you or
if you win by one point, it's kind of a
(09:47):
there's so much in this to to unpack. I just
love that you have made me think about it like critically,
because it's it's really and it's such defining aspect of
everyone's life on a day today, because.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
We all have or we don't all have goals.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
We like to achieve on a you know, within a
certain hour or day or week. It's kind of what
everyone it's how we go through our lives day today.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
So let's talk about that for a second as well.
For you where you are now, career.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Or life all the things, how do you set goals
for yourself? Like what is that process for you? And
then how do you try to hold yourself accountable to
those goals whether they go down the path and direction
you thought initially or not.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Right, that's a very very good question, I think. I mean,
I think there's survival goals. They kind of have to
be met, whether that's through whatever financial means you need
or even relationships. Those are kind of like the base
(11:14):
life goals. And then beyond that for me creatively, I
don't know. I because I've got my I've got my
hands in a lot of a lot of different things.
I think what we haven't even touched on is another
big part of my life is I'm I'm co owner
(11:35):
of a restaurant in Pasadena, So I've got that whole
It's a creative environment as well for me an outlet,
it's incredibly rewarding and challenging. And if you want to
get into success metrics on on restaurants, that's a whole
(11:56):
other podcast. So yeah, it's creatively, I've got like it's
almost compartmentalized because I have, you know, projects that a
whole list of projects.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
That I want. I have kind of on a list
with my brother.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
I've got another writing collaborator back home in Calgary, Alberta.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
And then I've got whatever.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Just comes at me, not even knowing about the auditions
that come up and opportunities that happen that way. And
then i have my my own little theater company here
in LA where it's like, okay, well, what do we
want to do for the next year, And then then
it's and then it's a matter of just kind of
(12:44):
putting this calendar together, laying it on top of what's
happening in my personal life, and then being and then
being fully open to an opportunity to say, hey, you
need to go somewhere for a month to work on
this specific thing, so everything has to go on hold. Yeah,
(13:05):
So it's basically just being like uh uh, completely open
to anything happening.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
So that being said as someone who has to has
learned to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, and someone who
for like my whole childhood and adulthood has been very
like I have a written planner, I have my to
do list, write everything down, you know, make sure you
(13:38):
cover it, make sure I'm on top of things as
a military spouse, but also had to get and as
a business owner, learned to be like, Okay, there's just
some things like I'm gonna wake up and the whole
day can change, perspective and the whole my whole calendar
(14:00):
change and that still gets me sometimes. So for you,
how do you manage these different creative outlets, these different
things you are working on the restaurant, the projects, the flight,
the personal stuff, and be on top of it while
not stressing out the like okay, I also have to
(14:24):
just be comfortable if things pop up and be able
to change my schedule quickly.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Right. I think what I've landed on over.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
You know, several years of trying to juggle so many
things is just trusting that it's all going to work
out and try not to get wrapped up into the
it's the what I was listen actually listening to what
(14:58):
Ryan that talked about on your previous podcasts, letting go
of perfection and just just getting things done. And sometimes
that's just enough if you just it's just incremental gains.
(15:18):
Like for me, it's just making sure all boxes are
checked no matter what, and just moving forward as best
I can, and again just trusting that that you will
find a way find a way through. And that doesn't
(15:38):
mean that it's all going to be great or it's
all going to turn out the way you want it.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
It's just that.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Some things are probably not going to be exactly how
you wanted them to turn out. And that's that's usually fine.
But I think it's also I think that perspective. I
mean that, you know, the thirty year old version of
me would have a completely different answer and would be
(16:08):
freaking out and say, no, it has to be this way.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
I wake up.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
At five am, you know, I go to the gym
for an hour, and I come back and I just
kick ass until noon and then I take an you know, uh,
the perspective I have now just like.
Speaker 4 (16:29):
Don't try as hard.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Do you think there was a go Do you think
there was a moment where that shift happened for you
or do you think it was a gradual of just
like trying to push against they're like, Noah has to
be this way and being like okay, this kind of
still worked out.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
I can loosen up.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Can't really define a moment. But I think you just
you probably just reach a I think you just get exhausted.
You just get exhausted, and you don't you just let things.
You just let things go or let the pressure of
(17:13):
having to make it perfect or what your idea of
what it was.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
You just kind of like, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
Definitely being my daughter just turned sixteen. Definitely her coming
into my life.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
Change.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
I mean, yeah, becoming a parent changes your outlook on everything.
And yeah, prioritizing your time, your whole concept of time
has changed because you've given birth to o'clock and sixteen
years just has flown by.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
And yeah, she's she is.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Definitely, Yeah, just made things seem either more important or
less important, depending on how they.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
Involve her.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Yeah, you're good.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
What I will say is, I've never heard someone referred
to like having a child as you've given birth two o'clock.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
I really enjoyed that one. I mean use that like.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
People say, I'm like I'm doing I will I will say,
that's not an original furlaism.
Speaker 4 (18:45):
That was from a I don't even know the writer.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
It was a op ed piece in the New York
Times that I read almost almost sixteen years ago.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
But it did really make me think.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
I mean, that's I don't remember other specifics of the
of the piece, but it it really hit me because
it's your whole, your whole concept of time just just
is re reframed because especially early on as a parent,
you just have less time in general because you're just
(19:26):
you're not sleeping, you know that thing.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
Yeah, but you you're you know, there are.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Milestones that you set every I mean obviously with birthdays,
but yeah, it through that definitely threw me through me,
but also just yeah, the whole concept of time, I
think is also it really wrapped.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
Into what this idea of success and goals.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Because especially as you get older again going to the
sports sports mentality, when you're in the second half of
a game. No, I'm not comparing this to middle age
at all, but when you're in the second half of
a game you look up and say, oh, okay, we're
five points down, but we've got like ten minutes left,
(20:23):
is way different than being at the start of a game,
whether it's five minutes off the clock, yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
We're down ten, we have plenty of time. You just feel.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
It's impossible not to feel that feel that that aspect
of time kind of.
Speaker 4 (20:45):
Affect your.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
You know, your timeline or perceived timeline of the goals
you've said and how much time you have left on that,
and then you get more specific about what goals you
want to really chase, and that's impossible.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
You can't.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
The thirty year old version of me would not even
be thinking about that.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
So you've brought up a few I love your basketball analogies.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
As a sportsperson, I love them.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
But I am going to say this because I recently
write a book called It's About Being More Like Walt Disney.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Awesome book.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
I'm still in the middle of reading it, but it's
actually which I did not know until I started reading
the book. It was written by the founder of the
Orlando Magic. And yeah, and do you know why the
Orlando Magic is named the Magic?
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Well, I know there's some kind of obviously the Disney
and Disney World connection.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
I don't know the specifics of it, though, I'm fascinating.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
So he so in the book, he goes into how
he started looking into starting this basketball team. It was
going to be in Florida, and they decided on or Orlando,
and he just was immersed in the Orlando Disney culture
and he had always been fascinated by Walt Disney and
(22:29):
the kind of culture he created and how everyone feels
when they're in that environment and being in Orlando, and
when he was in Orlando, he's like, even outside of
Disney World, the people in the community, it like are
immersed in this feeling of community and love and.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Support and all this stuff.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
And he's like, it's magic, that magic from what Well
had created and what Disney is immersed into the community,
and it is certain magic that happened. And he's like,
so because of the magic that Well Disney World created.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
In Orlando, I named the team Magic And I'm like,
that makes one hundred sense now that you say it.
But all the years I've heard.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
The team name, I'm like, Dan connect, I'm like, oh,
that's a cool name.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
Okay, okay, it's the extension of the Magic Kingdom. I
think they should have named their team after Magic. Johnson
though they're like, we're just gonna all play like Magic
and it'll be it'll be great. But no, that yeah,
that makes some sense, although I still don't. I still
don't love it as a team name, but you know,
(23:44):
I have to cheer for I have to cheer for
Orlando right now because they're playing the Detroit Pistons, and
if they they they won the first game, which they
were not expected to, and if they beat Detroit, it
makes Boston's chances a lot, a lot better for a
Finals appearance.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
The Domino effect.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
There we go.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Yeah, So I want to go back to earlier. You
mentioned your restaurant and being a co founder of your restaurant.
So what made you decide in the mix of acting
and writing and all the things, that starting a restaurant
and co founding this restaurant was something you wanted to do.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
Well, It's something I've always been into.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Food and wine, and even starting out in Toronto or
I mean every actors the story about you know, you
were waiting tables and then you got your role and then.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
That was it. So I wanted to be that cliche.
So I was.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Working in restaurants in Toronto. But what I quickly discovered
is that I actually love the hospitality industry and there's
a lot of similarities between you know, entertaining someone for
a dinner party or at a restaurant and entertaining someone
(25:14):
on stage or on screen, and then especially and the
stories that are told through food and wine have definitely
the same They can have the same narratives as if
you look at them as an art form that translates.
(25:35):
So that's always been a huge part of my life.
Speaker 4 (25:41):
And I love to cook.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
I love yeah, I do love wine, both as a
beverage and also intellectually. And Top Chef is like my
favorite show on television and it has been for years.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
It's like the best.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
So I've always wanted I'd always had this idea, is
like I'm gonna one day, I know, I.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
Will probably you know, be a part of a restaurant.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
I had an opportunity early in Toronto to help open
a place there, but I was like, yeah, and you
know what, I'm just doing that acting thing now. I
don't need to do the the restaurant stuff. But this
one basically came out of I was just freshly separated
(26:34):
my ex and I had decided that this was probably
going to be it, and I just really needed something
to do that would get me out of the house,
engaged in a community and not just kind of waiting
around for the next acting gig. So this came around
(26:57):
and a chef I knew him, Sadena was opening a
new location and I basically said, let me help you.
And that was almost exactly eleven years ago, and now
here we are we're kind of I mean, it's always challenging,
(27:18):
but our restaurant is right on the border of Altadena,
which is where the Eaton fire was. So we lost
a huge part of our community and we haven't fully
fully rebounded since then for obvious reasons.
Speaker 4 (27:41):
So we're still right now.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Is probably the most challenging, Like for us, it's even
more challenging than.
Speaker 4 (27:48):
What we had to do to survive COVID.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
So anyway, but that's another that's another tangent. But the
decision to do it was again, it came out of
necessity and survival first and then creatively it was.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
Just like a perfect a perfect fit for me. And
it's been.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
You know I do That's where I do cabaret shows there.
I basically I produce the jazz concerts that we host.
It's an incredible creative valid for me.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
I've done.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
That's where my theater company has done productions. I do
all the marketing, which have basically it's been like a
crash course in marketing.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
I do two newsletters a week. Yeah, it's kind of.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
It's again, knowing that I wanted to do this early
on kind of made that leap easier for me. But
it is something that you cannot operating restaurants.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Something you can't do half asked.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
You have to be full ass you have to you
can't take your you can't take your eye off the
ball because it's uh, you know, in some ways, it's
it's more competitive, especially in this in this town, more
competitive than than trying to be an actor or a writer.
(29:30):
It's the same kind of thing, and it's it's it's
a relentless yeah, operation that you just need to stay
on top of. But it's a great challenge. I mean
it's been Yeah, it's been very rewarding. And because we're
a neighborhood restaurant, it's tied in with this community that
(29:52):
I've really been a part of for for a decade now.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Well, one thing you brought up as well and sharing
that was the fires and how the community has been affected.
And you can feel in everything you're talking when it becomes
to the restaurant and even other stories previously you being
very community oriented and focused in serving those individuals.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
So you know, like COVID was.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
A black Swan event, I mean I could even say
it was worse than some one, like no one could
ever that was in no one's scenario case.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
And then you come.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
Out of that in a time where any business, a
lot of businesses starting did not survive, a lot of
brick and mortar restaurant did not survive. And then a
few years later this happened and losing that community, losing
part of the business revenue. I could only imagine, you know,
(30:55):
at least some part was your mindset different in the
aspect of your like, okay, well we survived COVID, like
footstraps up, we got this. There's somewhat like if we
could do COVID, we could handle this, or like what
was your mindset as that happened, and then trying to
(31:16):
figure out that path I don't want to say necessarily
like path forward from that, but the mindset around that
to also be like yeah, okay, like bump in the road,
how what is what?
Speaker 2 (31:31):
How do we keep going?
Speaker 1 (31:32):
And how do we make sure the community knows and
the staff knows like we're good, don't overly stress.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Yeah, it's uh yeah, the initial I mean it was.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Uh, I don't even I don't even know we just
kind of we didn't have time to think in some ways.
We were down by the health department for a week
just because the water, the water in the neighborhood was
not usable or anything, so we couldn't open it until
(32:11):
they had finished that problem.
Speaker 4 (32:13):
And then it was just yeah, it's just it's.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
My business partner is very resilient and stubborn, almost to
a fault, so he just he always just kind of
finds a way to keep going. We knew it was
and it still is a very specific challenge, as specific
(32:43):
as COVID was. However, the the issue with being almost
collateral damage to the to the aftermath of the fires
is the the short short term memory of everyone. Basically,
(33:12):
you know, if you're not near those areas Altadno or
the Palisades, you wouldn't even it doesn't really affect your
day to day anymore, you know. After the first after
for you know, the first month, there was like this
flood of support. Everyone's like, we're gonna make sure you
guys get through this.
Speaker 4 (33:31):
But it's not. It's not sustainable. And we knew that.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
You know, it's like, oh man, business is booming right now,
but let's wait until summer. And see what happens and
see if if see where things are. So again, it's
just been I hate using the word pivoting because I
just think it's overused, except in basketball.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
I'm a huge fan of pivoting in basketball.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
But it's just been sometimes a week to week thing
where you just have to change things on the fly
and adapt and you know, tighten things up when you
need to. And then yeah, as a it's a small
it's a small business, and but we've somehow still.
Speaker 4 (34:23):
Found a way.
Speaker 3 (34:25):
So it's just again, yeah, keeping it calm, you know,
trying not to overreact and trusting.
Speaker 4 (34:34):
That we will find a way.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
But yeah, with COVID, it was different because everyone was
going through it with the fires. It's now it's just
the people who were directly affected who really are remembering
this and experiencing it still. I mean, we have a
lot of regulars who are just moving back to the neighborhood,
(34:59):
a lot of regulars who will not move back. They've
already you know, moved some of them out of Los Angeles.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
And also with COVID, there was a ton of government
support that helped.
Speaker 4 (35:21):
With this.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
There was a little bit and some other funds that
that that that helped, but not in the same uh,
not in the same scale. So yeah, so we're still
I mean, we're still figuring it out. And like I said,
it's almost like a week to week, week to week challenge.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
So and one thing I wanted to bring up too,
because I believe it or not, we're getting towards the
end of time.
Speaker 4 (35:50):
We haven't talked about anything.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
There's so much I do want to. I do want
to talk about your acting career a little bit. Yes,
So for you, what has.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
It been like the journey of getting different roles but
then also wearing the hat of scriptwriter and these different
and screenwriter and these different titles. Do you look at
roles you might be taking or are auditioning different or
(36:24):
when you're on set do you have a different perspective
do you think about a character.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
Than your fellow actors?
Speaker 4 (36:36):
Great question.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
I think that it's a project to project thing. And
for me, especially with comedy, I kind of evolved into
a like an on set punch up writer in a way,
(36:58):
or just.
Speaker 4 (36:59):
I'm not so I like to think of myself. I
love improv, but I'm terrible at it.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
If someone asked me, and I have friends who are
genius improvisers.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
Who asked me to do you know.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
Like you just come try it can be a guest
on my improv show, like back in Toronto, and I
was just terrible, mortifying.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
Some of the worst. You know, they're talking about failure.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
That kind of improv not good, but improv within like
a structured scene, coming up with additional lines or alternate
lines for especially with comedy, because it's just about getting
it's getting you need to get a laugh at the
end of a scene. You need a moment to go
out on, to cut away from. I probably haven't had
(37:49):
a different perspective when it comes to the onset stuff.
It's like, no, let's find the best way to end
the scene or what's the what's.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
A better.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Reaction to this this line? So yeah, it definitely has
and influenced on that with with the comedy stuff in particular,
but that also did help with.
Speaker 4 (38:21):
Some of myselff, like especially on suits.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
It's not a it was pretty much these are the words,
say them.
Speaker 4 (38:30):
Because they're well written.
Speaker 3 (38:31):
But you get into scenes with like my scenes with
Rick Hoffman, he would go off script because he's incredible,
and it's like, well, I can't just if he's going
to say that, I can't say my next line because
(38:52):
that doesn't make sense.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
I have to do something.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
So again it's it's it's finding out what the what
the what the boundaries are in any given creative environment
and playing along within those.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
And usually once you develop trust with.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
The people who are who are actually on the line
for making those decisions, then you can play a little
more or just I mean a lot of the times,
especially with suits, it's like, no, let's just the script's great,
let's just do that.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
You don't need to come up with other stuff.
Speaker 3 (39:31):
With some of the sitcoms, it's again dependent on the process.
It's like, Okay, we're gonna do one exactly what's written.
Speaker 4 (39:42):
Let's get it, cover that, and then you guys can
do whatever you want. Sometimes it's that it's specific on
day to day scene has seen stuff.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
But being a writer and also having experience doing live comedy,
I mean, I've kind of done I don't say that
I've done stand up. I did a double act with
my brother, which is like stand up with the safety
net because if something, if a joke bombs, he can
displame Oh it's his fault.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
I'm the straight man areas he's supposed to be the
funny guy.
Speaker 3 (40:22):
But having figuring that out live it helps again with
failure because the more you bomb, the more immune you
become to it, and then you just don't.
Speaker 4 (40:35):
You don't see it as like a you know, there's
something fatal.
Speaker 3 (40:41):
It's just it's just it's like, oh that that was terrible,
but I'm fine, and let's go be terrible but better
next time.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
One word you just mentioned in that story too is boundaries.
So for you, how do you communicate or understand the
boundaries of like this is where I can give some
feedback or push a little bit on making sure the
characters align hits this way, or you know, positioning whatever
(41:18):
it might be, versus going okay, I can't do this
and kind of navigating that as well, where you're like
okay I can or I can't, and honoring the boundaries
without coming off in any time of like no, like
I do this too, I know what I'm doing.
Speaker 4 (41:38):
That right, I think?
Speaker 3 (41:40):
I mean on set, it's it's purely I think a
function or defined by what role you have in there.
If you're if you're a series regular, you're given more
of a long leash. If you're if you're a guest
star coming in, you're more kind of fitting into a
(42:01):
machine that's already that's already running. And then but that
being said, it's still it all comes down to I
think just trust and if building trust with the writers
and the showrunner, and once that is established, then you
(42:28):
can really collaborate, which is like the dream kind of
environment on any set instead of have you know, because
most scenes in any given show, whether their drama or comedy,
are two handers. That's like, I don't know, eighty percent
(42:52):
of any show, it's like two characters talking and then
you have a group scene or some kind of action
sequence where there's more people or what have you, or
some event.
Speaker 4 (43:03):
But most of the time it's two hinders.
Speaker 3 (43:06):
So I have my idea of how that scene should
play out, the other actor has their idea of how
that scene should play out, The director has their idea,
and then there's the writers who came up with it.
Speaker 4 (43:22):
And I think early on.
Speaker 3 (43:24):
I I held two tightly to my version of the
scene and they're like, no, this is what I want
to do, and it wasn't as open to.
Speaker 4 (43:39):
What other people were bringing and that.
Speaker 3 (43:47):
It's great to come with as many ideas as possible,
but you also have to be open and not not
over prepared. It's almost like you need to wait and
see what everyone else brings to the party, and then
together you're you're making this thing come alive in the
(44:09):
best in the best form, because otherwise you're just and
I've had it. I remember very early on one of
the UH one of my first series in Canada, in
the first episode we were shooting, I had this this
very specific version about this performance is going to be
in this scene, and I would not let go of it,
(44:30):
and I couldn't.
Speaker 4 (44:32):
I couldn't get.
Speaker 3 (44:32):
It to where I wanted it to be, and I
actually needed to like just time out and said I
just needed to walk away for give me like two
minutes again, need to get out of my head. And
then came back and just kind of you know, you
just start actually listening to who you're in a scene
(44:55):
with and just letting it, letting it come out that way,
as opposed to forcing your your vision onto something. Yeah,
that probably made sense in some language.
Speaker 1 (45:13):
It you're not giving yourself enough credit here. All your
answers have made sentence and I love them because they
tell stories. You have tangible.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
Sorry, you're doing great, You've done great.
Speaker 4 (45:32):
Amazing well and believe it or not, you.
Speaker 1 (45:36):
Have achieved podcast podcast guests success. Say that five times fast.
And that being said, believe it or not, we're at
the end. I feel yeah, I know we can really
keep going. There's so much more I want to talk about.
Speaker 3 (45:55):
Like, I've got like five pages of notes I haven't
even touched.
Speaker 2 (45:59):
No, all my original questions, none of them were to.
Speaker 4 (46:04):
I love that. I love that.
Speaker 3 (46:06):
I mean there's oh, actually no, there is one thing.
Uh so another thing I do is I teach sitcom
writing online for Toronto Film School, and the first week
of the first course I teach, I introduced student students
to this concept of daring to suck. And there's actually
(46:30):
a book called Dare to Suck that this guy I wrote.
Speaker 4 (46:32):
I forget his name.
Speaker 3 (46:34):
I owe him a lot because I recommend his book
to everybody.
Speaker 4 (46:38):
But it was.
Speaker 3 (46:40):
Not the other way around. But it was actually the
band Aerosmith came up with this idea in their band
meetings and somehow Dan Brown, the writer of the Da
Vinci Code, had talked to Stephen Tyler about it randomly,
and Steven Tyler was talking about his process and daring
to suck and how they're they're their band would meet
(47:03):
and basically the challenge was to bring in your worst
ideas possible and we're just gonna jam and it's gonna suck.
But one there's gonna be one thing in that that
there's gonna be a dude looks like a lady that's
going to come out of that session or loving an elevator.
(47:23):
Something is going to come out of us daring to suck.
And I know that's It's also a model that some
Second City pro performers have used before they do an
improv set. So let's just stare to suck and see
what happens. So that's another key to success that I
wanted to throw in there.
Speaker 2 (47:43):
I like that.
Speaker 1 (47:44):
I mean, I'm gonna start saying that now you're getting
me putting that in there. Well, thank you Brennon for
all of your insight today.
Speaker 4 (47:54):
Yeah, you're welcome. Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1 (47:56):
It has been wonderful and a few of our key
takeaways from today conversation include trust that all is going
to work out and just get it done. Brandon brought
this up in the beginning, and I think it's really
important to identify that the end of the day it
is going to work out. It might not be as
(48:17):
Brandon said, the way you initially thought of it. It
might not be the end result you thought it was
going to be. It could end up being way better.
It could also lead you down that path to where
you're supposed to be and where you're supposed to and
how you're supposed to show up. The other thing he
brought up, which I thought was so amazing, are people
(48:40):
in your life are give you a perspective that you're
not going to get otherwise.
Speaker 2 (48:46):
Right.
Speaker 1 (48:46):
He talked about individuals, talked about his daughter and time
and life experiences and just the people he surrounds himself
with throughout different stories Brandon has shared today.
Speaker 2 (49:00):
That made me really go.
Speaker 1 (49:02):
People give us the perspective we have through communication, through
how they show up for us. That all shapes our
own perspective in life and time and what is important.
Speaker 2 (49:16):
Right.
Speaker 1 (49:17):
The comment he brought up about when you have a child,
you give birth to a ticking clock, all of that
is the perspective around time and how to utilize it
and what is important.
Speaker 2 (49:30):
And it's and I think that was so important to
not just how he shows up, but how we.
Speaker 1 (49:37):
Should all identify how we want to show up and understand.
Take note who are the people around you that are
giving you the perspective and is it the perspective you
want or are there different conversations that need to be
had as well as build trust with the people you
work with to be able to collaborate the best.
Speaker 2 (49:58):
I love how Brandon brought this up his.
Speaker 1 (50:00):
Stories about his acting experience and being on sets. It's like,
if you want to be heard in your perspective and notes,
understand the room you're in. Not every room you're in
is going to want them. But when you build relationships
and foster that relationship, you will be heard clearer and
(50:24):
you will be able to collaborate better. And lastly, I
want to challenge everyone to dare to suck. Take one
thing today this week and practice dare to suck.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
This was a.
Speaker 1 (50:39):
Great episode with our top notch guest actor Brandon Perla.
Thank you for listening and have a successful day.
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