So I put some “early” pictures up online for this week’s “Throwback Thursday” of a few (sillier) ads I did when I first started out in this business.

People had some laughs, asked some questions, and I found myself really having some fun with it too.

There are so many stories about how people break into this business, phenomenal stories about people walking down the street or finishing a workout and immediately getting spotted and discovered by some key ingredient to what became their successful careers. For me, um, not so much. I’d had some small early breaks on TV but wasn’t sure what to do with it, how to parlay that into other opportunities, how to go get some fancy agent that would be like “YES! CAHH WILL DO THA PIC-CHA” (my imaginary agent early on was always from Boston, because an agent from Boston? Who’s is more of a straight shooter than that?) so, being in a business I knew very little about and was learning on the fly, I did realize I needed to “expand the brand” a bit. That it may be easier to get something made if I was out there working, rather than holding out and sitting on my couch, waiting for my conference call (that never came) with my imaginary Bostonian agent (his name would be Connor Michael O’Flannery) and Martin Scorcese who wanted me for “MEAN STREETS 2” (Marty Scorcese if you’re reading this, and I like to think that you are, MEAN STREETS 2, SERIOUSLY. I see Harvey Keitel in the Village in NYC sometimes, I can pitch it to him)

So my first deal that I signed, wasn’t necessarily a “film” deal or even a “acting” deal, but it WAS a deal that would allow me to expand the brand a little bit, maybe get my profile up just a little bit higher to eventually get into the things I wanted to get into. So off I went. Around this time, other folks that’d signed deals were doing GREAT. Todd General ended up being crowned MR NORTH AMERICA, Kim O signed a deal and immediately got to Europe and a TV deal and BOOM. Some success story named Carli was OWNING the scene, she sort of was everywhere and had more buzz than a bee hive. I got the ads above. Now I know these ads are for laughs, but I’m eternally grateful to all for making this function, here’s why:

1. Did it “expand the brand”? Honestly I don’t know. I had a real “Don’t I know you from some sort of thing I saw somewhere about something” going on (I happily STILL have that going) and that definitely helped it along
2. Broke as a joke. This business will pay, sometimes it takes a VERY long time to get one of those checks. This gig was recurring for about 2 years, and around that time I lived in an apartment that measured from here I-------------------à to here-àI (Actual size)
3. Where these folks were doing marginally higher profile things, I was able to have a marginally “recurring” thing which also keeps the agents that were wonderful to give me that deal, happy

That said, at those fancy parties everyone would be like “CARLI congratulations on conquering the world!” “Kim what are you wearing to the Daytime Emmys?” “Todd are you actually lifting weights at this party?” (yes he was, I may be joking. I’ll never tell) and “Tim, um, nice farty catalog about farts, fart machines, good and services related to farts and OF COURSE, those farting shirts.”

When I look back on these things for stuff like THROWBACK THURSDAY. I look back on all of it fondly, that entire path took me to this moment, and this moment, I’m working on quite possibly my best work, and a really fruitful time for ideas, writing, developing and I’m inspired by how well some of this is turning out to be. 2013 was a big year for me to get out of the front of the camera and behind it and behind the scenes, and develop some things, some fun stuff for myself, my colleagues and talented folks out there. It’s been really great, working behind the scenes has charged my batteries and given me the energy to put my head down, shut up and get right back to what I really enjoy doing, and that’s getting stories out to folks to enjoy.

So with that, I look at Tim in that photo, and want to let him know he may not think it at the moment, but, buck up chap, it’s all going in the right direction.

Take care and be good,
Tim