Photo provided by Ahmet Yalcinkaya, Unsplash

It’s Oscar night. The night when Hollywood’s biggest stars gather together to salute the year’s biggest moments in film.

I look forward to the Oscars, and all of the big award shows, the way some people look forward to the Super Bowl. Why? It’s the night when creative artists achieve their dreams. And we, as viewers, get an insider’s look at all the preparation that goes into creating a role, script or film.

Films like La La Land, Hidden Figures or Lion are so captivating it’s easy to forget about all of the time, resources and people it takes to produce it.

As visionaries, entrepreneurs can get overwhelmed when beginning a creative project like launching a podcast or online course. All of the questions pop up: How do I start?; What do I need?; How long will it take?

Hollywood writers and directors begin a film with a simple concept. It’s only then that they can create a timeline, budget and team to bring it to life.

Whether you want to create a film or podcast and whether or not you have a million dollar budget, there are 5 key things you can learn from Hollywood’s biggest night.

Dreams Need Teams

During their acceptance speeches, actors rattle off all list of names of people who have helped them during their careers. That list includes acting coaches, agents, wardrobe and make-up teams, fellow actors, production crew members, writers and more.

Dreams needs teams. Who do you have on your team? Who would you like to add – virtual assistants, bookkeepers, marketing agencies, web and graphic designers or customer service representatives?

Who can you add to your team this year to help you achieve your goals?

Never Stop Learning

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling took dance lessons for their roles in La La Land. Lucas Hedges worked with a dialect coach to perfect his Boston accent in Manchester by the Sea.

Actors enhance their skills from physical fitness, to learning a new language or accent, or learning to dance and sing.

What skills can you improve this year? There are many areas entrepreneurs can improve from writing blog posts or marketing copy ; improving networking skills to build relationships or perhaps a technical skill like editing video or audio for a podcast.

Success is an Iceberg

What you see on the big screen is the result of months, and sometimes years, of work. It takes years of writing, casting, filming, producing and editing to take a film from concept to the movie theater. What is left out of the final edit of a film are all of the set backs and challenges from delays in production, budget issues, casting changes, location and weather issues among others.

It’s easy to watch others succeed and fall into a trap of “compare and despair”, especially when you’re not reaching your goals, or they’re taking longer than you planned. Like an award winning film, remember you’re only seeing the finished product. Look below the surface and remember all of the work it took to get there.

Success Doesn’t Happen Overnight

Great actors have a way of making acting look easy. Flawless even. However, even stars like Meryl Streep and Denzel Washington have to work to perfect their craft. Some actors never win an award, despite being nominated, and others take years to win Oscar gold. Leonardo Dicaprio received his first Oscar nomination for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape in 1994. Twenty-two years and four nominations later, he won Best actor for his role in The Revenant in 2016.

Enjoy the Journey

“It’s an honor just to be nominated.” How many times have you heard an actor say those words? Whether or not they are disappointed by not winning, many would continue to be an actor for the pure joy of it. How many working actors are there who are not household names, never get to wear the fancy dresses or grace the cover of the magazine? Yet they continue to work as professional actors.

With 2017 in full swing, I know you have big dreams you want to achieve. Take a cue from the Oscars and you’ll be on your way to many golden moments!

What idea do you want to bring to life? Begin today by scheduling a complimentary strategy call.