I know each actor has a different relationship with their manager but Zach always enjoys going to see his manager. We first met her when Zach and I visited Los Angeles in August of 2011. We were with a group of actors from Minneapolis (long story...Hi Craig! Hi Leah!) visiting various agents and managers to get a better idea of how the business worked.
DL (his manager) was the first person "in the biz" that we met on the trip. We landed at LAX on a Wednesday morning. We checked into our hotel and started our journey. The first stop was DL's office for a chat with the group and some insights into being a working actor.
She took notice of Zach and talked to me after the session. DL told me she was interested in talking to Zach one on one and that he should come meet with her if we decided to make the move to Los Angeles.
I thanked her for the kind words about Zach but I didn't think too much about it. It's not like we were really going to uproot our lives and move to Los Angeles.
Flash forward to 5 months later (January 2012) and Zach signed with her management firm.
Flash forward (again) to 2019 and our annual meeting with DL.
The meetings have evolved over the years:
- The first few years were all about getting Zach out there and established as an actor
- The next few years were focused on using the connections he built to continue his success
- Last year was focused on balancing his youthful look (Disney/Nick look) with the desire to move beyond that arena
- Build his social media following - If you are so inclined, you can check him out at:
- https://twitter.com/zachlouis4sale,
- https://www.instagram.com/zachlouis4sale/
- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA7aUdiBGf8_4l7cJJYYE2w
- Work on writing packets for specific TV shows
- Prepare for a (hopefully) busy pilot season
- Get a plan together for comedy clubs he has not been able to play in the past because he was not 21 years old
- Follow-up on an opportunity with a NBC show that premieres later this year
The meeting last week was our 8th official planning session with his manager. We chat a lot during the year and touch base on various issues but it is always nice to sit down and make a focused plan for the year ahead. It's also great to look back at the past year and see where we stuck to the plan and when we went in a different direction (as well as how that turned out for Zach).
He is excited for the challenges of this year. His manger is excited about the plans that are being put in motion. I am excited that I get to be part of the evolution of his career.
I am also looking forward to sharing his success stories with you in 2019.
