The Momager: Advise to New Parents in the Entertainment Industry

All parents are their children’s managers in some aspect. Technically, the definition of a Momager is, “the mother of a famous person who is also their manager.”

See: Kris Jenner

But, this new terminology can also be attributed to mothers in any industry whether it be athletics, modeling, acting… even “stay at home” moms are momagers.

Although we have been in the talent industry for less than a year, I’d like to share what I’ve learned for any new parents interested in joining this lifestyle.

First of all, my son has a real “manager” (not just mom), several agents in the Miami area; and one exclusive who specializes in the Orlando/Tampa market with access to Atlanta and LA. While signing with an agent and/or manager is very exciting, this does not guarantee any work.

I’ve compiled a list of things I’ve learned since starting this journey to help the newbies on their path.

1. Casting calls are not a popularity contest. I sit at castings and listen to these mothers in shock.  I’ve been interrogated with a barrage of questions from other mothers: What was his last job? How many castings does your agent send him on a week? How much did he make on his last booking? “What… HE got a call back for that?” So-on and so-on.   When we signed the contract with our manager, another mother, who I didn’t know, gave me the low-down. She quite bluntly said “Ohhhh they’re gonna hate you in Miami, be prepared.” I didn’t know this woman, but I took her advise, and decided to just mind my own business…The kids go into the casting room and have a blast together, they become friends. But… the moms are left alone in a room to brag about their children’s accomplishments, as if it’s hierarchy of talent. Ultimately, we don’t know what the casting director wants. Experience, “who you know,” and who your agent is, “may” have absolutely nothing to do with who they pick. Stay humble, always.
2. “Beauty” has nothing to do with who gets a gig. This is so important to remember. They could be looking for a kid with features that match the two “pretend” parents they have chosen for an ad. They usually don’t want perfect angelic-looking children, they’re looking for REAL faces to represent REAL life. So often though, I hear parents acting as if this is a beauty contest… it’s not. Please do not put those insecurities onto your child. It’s a game of hit or miss, plain and simple.
3.  People are not simply “discovered,” it doesn’t work that way. I’ve come to realize a whole new respect for the acting world. They didn’t just walk into a soda-shop and get discovered. Nopez. People have NO IDEA the amount of work that goes into this lifestyle before so-called “fame.” The hours driving back and forth? The hours sitting at a casting in a small room. The cranky children and tantrums? The competitive moms trying to brag. The producers having schedules that in no way bend to your needs. This job is A LOT of hard work and dedication from an entire family unit…. No one sees the behind-the-scenes work before the actual “booking.” AND, each booking is an “ending!” There is no guarantee there will EVER be another job (hence the phrase “out of work actor”). The elusive “fame,” is far away from this equation, just HAVE FUN!
4.  Your kid IS special… but so are the other 200 kids auditioning When your kid signs with an agent, you feel on top of the world. But, that’s only the entrance-way to a very large underground ant-hill. Getting your foot in the door is amazing, but what happens afterwards sometimes feels like cattle-herding. They slap a number-sticker on your kid, measure them, take a quick pic and send you on your way. Sometimes, we drive 5 hours each-way, (10 hours in total) just for a 10 minute in-and-out looksee. Sometimes… that scenario happens two or three times a week. And, MOST times, you never get a callback at all; you’re just stuck in some kind of limbo. No one cares about how far you traveled, or how much you spent to get there. Your kid is special, but not THAT special in their mind.
5.  Sure I’d love to have lunch on Wednesday, but… It’s a very anxiety-ridden place to be. Typically we don’t care about NOT getting the gig, but being able to live our lives with some semblance of a schedule would be nice. I think the main thing for ME, as a mom… is the inability to make set-plans, like, ever. “Can we go to lunch next Wednesday?” Well, the only answer I can give from now on, is a very firm… “Maybe.” This is the sacrifice we make, though, and we love the excitement of it all.
6. “He LOVES his job!” Yup.. I ask my son if he would rather be a “normal” kid?” His answer is always “No!” It’s true when they say “child actors don’t have a normal childhood,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are missing out… it’s just different from their peers. I can see where my son misses-out on some things, but… he also says he prefers working instead. Know why? Because it’s FUN! He comes off a job with a glimmer in his eye, a huge smile, and ready for more. Child actors enjoy the best of both worlds. He gets time for “sleep-overs,” when we are in town… but he also gets to learn a skill while earning a paycheck. I always give HIM the choice of working, or attending a birthday party… and he ALWAYS “chooses” work.
7.  Castings are so last minute. At any given time I can get a text asking us to be in Miami in 5 hours… and we live 4 1/2 hours away. But, when Tommy Hilfiger is on the line, you go! This is a huge part of the business that I was blissfully unaware of. Call it naive, but when we signed-up, our Miami manager asked me if 5 hours was too far to drive. I said, “NO WAY, I love to drive.” But what I didn’t realize was how often this would happen, and how random the castings are. You can’t schedule a casting two weeks from now with time to buy an outfit, or get a haircut. NOT EVER GONNA HAPPEN. These things pop up daily.  DAILY.  Keep a bag packed in your car with snacks and a change of clothes.
8. People act differently Typically, his closest friends don’t really care what is happening in my sons life. They treat him the same as they always have, and to be honest he rarely even talks about it. But, acquaintances can be vicious. He is 13. Is it jealousy? I have no idea. This lifestyle has really made us see who our true friends always are. Set boundaries. “Notice the people who are happy for your happiness, and sad for your sadness. They are your true friends.”  Never. Forget. That. Saying!
9. You will hear rumors about yourself. This is a tough one to swallow. Simply because you are moving forward with your life; you are following your child’s dreams, people will gossip. I have heard everything from “she’s pushing him to be famous,” to “who does she think she is?”   I say this… I’m extremely proud of my sons accomplishments and if I’m talking to you about it, it’s not bragging, it’s pride. If I had a hectic week and I’m telling you how tired I am, there is not some hidden bragging-agenda... I’M TELLING YOU ABOUT OUR LIVES. I am just as happy to hear about your kids baseball game or cheer-leading competition. Why is our life considered “bragging?”
10. Some people wish to see you fail. Recently, someone went to extremes to try to humiliate my son.  They took time out of their lives to write a fake letter from Volcom, asking to sponsor my son (he’s a surfer). On first sight, it was very exciting. But, quickly we realized it was obviously written by someone with poor writing skills. They used letterhead with the Volcom logo, and even gave a somewhat-legit phone number/ address to a California store (although, not their headquarters). What this says to me, is that there are bullies, haters, and mean-spirited people out there who wish to see my son fail.  Who ever created this fake letter, fully intended to embarrass my son if he posted it on Instagram.  The sole purpose was to humiliate him… take that in. There are SICK people in this world. In this business, you must stay strong, positive and not stoop to their level by engaging.  Live YOUR best life. Keep moving forward.
11. Instagram is life, but it’s also VERY scary. In order to network in this business, you need an Instagram page. My son started this entire –>journey simply because “Sunny D” producers saw him on Instagram; our lives were forever changed (Thanks Greg). But… with a social media following comes a lot of other complexities, some of which are pretty terrifying. I’ve written an article about pedophiles who stalk my son. It is real, it is relentless, and it is scary. There is a fine-line we need to walk. I keep my sons account private; MANY people in the industry understand that, and ask for access if needed. No amount of “followers,” are important enough to expose my son to creeps. Be smart. Followers are NOT a bragging point.    You can read about it —> HERE.
12. The actors lifestyle is expensive. I’m not talking about fake schools from the mall who promise to “teach you” the industry. Or modeling “classes,” which cost thousands of dollars. No. Any good agency would never take your money, they pay YOU.  But… with that said, head-shots cost anywhere from $50 to great-ones at $680.  And, you are supposed to update them every six months (especially for kids). Acting coaches/casting classes could cost anywhere from $100- $1,000+ a month. I’m finding out quickly that my son has a huge disadvantage, because I’m spending money for gas and hotels to get to the castings. I don’t have the extra-cash for his acting coach, which he really needs. It’s not easy putting-out all this money with paychecks being sporadic.  Be prepared for some MAJOR expenses.
13. Scheduling is INSANE. Sometimes, I’m thankful for my past managerial experience. Keeping track of my sons schedule is a FULL-TIME JOB. This is no joke; you should see my calendar.  Everything is so last-minute. Each casting has “other” scheduling obligations such as call-backs, fittings, then ultimately a booking. You are required to set aside each of those dates for the directors/ producers. It’s MIND-BOGGLING trying to schedule all these appointments. During “high-season,” I can’t even imagine having a 9-5 job, or a kid who goes to school. It’s impossible.
14. Jobs do not equal fame. Sure this lifestyle can be exciting and fun, but lets be honest, there are literally thousands of kids in the industry. The chances of becoming “famous,” are slim. I tell my son to simply take each job as just that… a job. It’s college money, it’s saving for his first car, it’s vacation money… that’s all. A successful career in acting (or modeling) takes time, and A LOT of rejection. No one knows what the future brings, and no one knows where this path will lead. Right now, he thinks it’s fun to see himself in commercial/ads.  Nothing more, nothing less.
15. “STAY HUMBLE!” A little secret about me is that although I was not “directly” involved in the entertainment industry, I was closely surrounded by it for nearly 20 years. I’ve learned that the people who brag most, are involved the least. As my child’s manager, I’ve learned that it’s super important to remain humble, stay away from “stage-moms,” and teach your child to be polite and respectful. On a recent commercial, my son was praised for folding his clothes, and always saying “please and thank you.” He treated the make-up lady with the exact same respect as the producer, and it was noticed. On the same shoot, a little girl acted like a spoiled little DIVA to the make-up artist, but kissed the producers booty. Trust me when I say, good AND bad behavior is absolutely reported to your agent. Just sayin. Producers chat with your agents; kindness and respect go a long way, TRUST ME. The last thing you want is bad a reputation. Stay kind, and don’t be annoying.
16. Don’t talk about the industry much. As my son wrapped up his last commercial shoot, he said “well this is the saddest thing ever.” Spending a few days with the cast and production crew creates friendships and memories that only YOU will understand. When a job ends, you drive home to your friends and family. But, they didn’t share that experience with you. It’s so important to make time for the people in your life who truly love you; the people you trust. For us, we keep business at the door, it keeps you grounded, and helps others not feel like “you’ve changed.” My son says that he has this “secret life,” which he enjoys only for himself. Reach out to the people and places that ground you. This whirlwind may not last forever, and you will need a dose of normalcy.
17. Do NOT try to save money on Head-Shots. I cant stress this enough. If you’re going to spend money on ANYTHING in this business, let it be for the BEST head-shots you can afford. Put it this way, I’m a Journalist/Blogger/Social Media Manager. I take photos for a living. I have an OK camera, and my photos have ended up on the front page of newspapers. THIS DOES NOT MAKE ME A GOOD HEAD-SHOT PHOTOGRAPHER. Do not ask Uncle George to take a pic and then you try to edit and crop it. THEY WILL KNOW. I have scrimped by for the last year on a few head-shots that I’m well aware are not up to par. Now that he has made some money, I found a woman named Beverly Brosius in Orlando to do his head-shots… Game Changer!

Officially, my title among friends has become “MOMAGER,” and I love it. I love my job.  But… it. is. a. lot. of. hard. work.

Don’t listen to the haters. Be kind, be authentic and put your child’s best interest first.  Most importantly, HAVE FUN.  When it’s no longer fun for your kids, then you run the risk of becoming that stage-mom everyone already “thinks” you are. Ha!

My son, Cairo, for Tupperware 2019

My son. Cairo, for Tupperware 2019