Slate It Till You Make It

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Are you putting in the work but still wondering why your acting career isn't moving forward? Are your materials actually helping you get hired? And how do you know whether you need a new strategy, better materials, or a mindset shift?

In this episode of Slate It Till You Make It, host, Catherine Donnelly, interviews actor and acting career consultant Jen DiBella to break down the business side of building a sustainable acting career. After moving to Los Angeles from New York without representation, Jen landed her first five television network credits—including a recurring role on Grey's Anatomy and appearances on 9-1-1 and Station 19—through her own networking. Now in her sixth year as a career consultant, she's helped hundreds of actors sign with representation.

We get into what actually moves the needle, how to make your materials work for you, what reps are looking for, and how to stop spending time and money on things that aren't moving your career forward. Jen shares her perspective on networking, branding, strategic outreach, and the difference between being busy and being intentional about your next steps.

We also dig into the mindset challenges that come with this industry: navigating rejection, staying motivated when you're not booking, avoiding comparison, and learning to pursue your goals without tying your self-worth to the outcome.

Whether you're trying to sign with your first agent, level up your existing career, or figure out why you've hit a plateau, this episode will help you think more strategically about your next move.

If you're ready to stop guessing and start making more intentional moves, this episode is for you.

Connect with Jen:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdactingconsultant/

Website & Consulting: https://www.jenniferlaurendibella.com/consulting

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What happens when you decide to pursue a dream that requires you to start over? And how do you keep your self-worth intact when you're constantly putting yourself out there, facing rejection, and waiting to be chosen?

In this episode of Slate It Till You Make It, I'm joined by Ranela Kaligithi, a South Asian and Filipina actor, coach, therapist, and content creator, for an honest conversation about navigating the emotional side of an acting career. We dive into the challenges of pivoting into a new career after establishing yourself in another field, embracing the discomfort of being a beginner, and learning to separate your identity from your achievements.

Whether you're starting over, feeling behind, questioning your path, or struggling to stay grounded in the uncertainty of this industry, this episode is a reminder that you can want something deeply without allowing it to define you.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Navigating identity shifts and having the courage to start over

• Embracing the discomfort of being a beginner again

• Balancing ambition with mental health and self-worth

• Separating external validation from your identity as an artist

• Applying the principles of detachment in dating and auditions

• Handling rejection without letting it define your potential

• Building a fulfilling life while pursuing a big career

• Learning to trust yourself before the industry gives you a reason to

Because you can be ambitious, want the job, and work relentlessly toward your dreams without abandoning yourself in the process.

Connect with Ranela:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithranela/

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Joy Lofton is back on Slate It Till You Make It! You may remember Joy from Season 1, where we talked about her journey and career in the commercial world. If you haven’t heard that episode yet, go give it a listen — but this time, we’re skipping the origin story and getting straight into the WORK.

Joy brings a uniquely valuable perspective to commercial actors: she’s not only a successful commercial actor herself, she’s also a session director who has been on the other side of the camera watching auditions move from first calls to callbacks to selects.

In this episode, we’re getting technical. We break down what casting is actually watching in the first few seconds of an audition, how to make “sell lines” feel natural, the importance of pace, timing, eyelines and reactions, how to create meaningful variation between takes, and what actors can do to make their self-tapes stronger.

Plus, Joy shares what she wishes every commercial actor knew from the other side of the camera and how actors can identify the specific skills they actually need to train.

If you want to stop guessing and start getting more intentional about your commercial auditions, this episode is for you.

Connect with Joy + Audition Lab LA:

🎬 Audition Lab LA: auditionlabla.com
📸 Audition Lab LA on Instagram: @auditionlabla
🌬️ Joy Lofton on Instagram: @takeabreathjoy

As someone who’s booked over 50 national commercials and has spent the last decade deep in the trenches of commercial casting, it’s taken me a long time to learn one thing:
you are almost never the reason you don’t get a callback.

Most of the time it has nothing to do with you, your talent, or your tape.
It’s the chaos behind the curtain — the brand, the agency, the director, the client’s cousin, the storyboard artist, the budget, the weather, Mercury retrograde… all of it.

So today, I’m breaking down the 25 reasons you didn’t get a callback — even though your tape was absolute fire.

In this episode, host Catherine Donnelly sits down with Beth Fraser (Elizabeth Nicole Fraser), an actor and former broadcast journalist whose career spans commercials, television, and film. Originally from Douglas, Georgia, Beth grew up in Sarasota, Florida, and earned her degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Florida before beginning her on-camera career as a model for the Home Shopping Network in Tampa.

After moving to Los Angeles, Beth met her husband, filmmaker Johnny Fraser, in 2008, and together they have a daughter, Ondine. Her sister, Brinson, is a storyboard artist on the hit animated series Family Guy.

Beth has appeared in numerous national commercials—including a four-year run as the spokesperson for Nasacort—and in award-winning long-form projects for Apple. Her television and film credits include 9-1-1, Loot, and Baby Daddy. She also stars in the short film Code Red, currently making its way through the 2025–26 festival circuit, including a recent selection at the San Diego International Film Festival.

In this conversation, Catherine and Beth dive into the art of being a great co-star, the importance of having an opinion in the room, being strategic about casting workshops, and how to bring authenticity and confidence to every audition—from commercials to spokesperson roles.

@iambethfraser@slateitpod

In this episode, Catherine Donnelly unpacks the major shift at Casting Networks — namely, the new paid subscription model for all U.S.-based agents and managers, beginning January 1, 2026. We walk through exactly what the new tiered fees are, why Casting Networks says it’s doing this, and how actors who depend on CN for commercial auditions should plug the gaps. (Source: Casting Networks Support, “Talent Representatives: What Should I Know About the New Subscription Model”)

Then we zoom out and take a look at the big picture: how private equity ownership is impacting casting tech. In July 2022, RedBird Capital Partners, along with StepStone Group, acquired a majority stake in Talent Systems — the parent company behind Casting Networks, Casting Frontier, Spotlight, and more. (Source: Business Wire / RedBird press release, 2022)

Throughout the episode, we stay grounded in what you can do now: talking to your reps, updating your profiles, saving your media, and keeping your eyes open for alternate platforms like Casting.com. This is a moment of disruption — but also of opportunity for actors who stay informed.

In this episode of Slate It Till You Make It, host Catherine Donnelly sits down with recurring guest John Fulton, a multi-talented comedian, musician, and actor, to discuss his top ten commercial booking tips.

From his early days as a basketball team captain in Topsfield, MA, to DJing a jazz show at the University of Rhode Island, and eventually hosting Must Love Cats on Animal Planet, John’s career has seen plenty of twists and turns. Now, he's thriving in the world of commercials and TV, and is a member of the comedy band Camp Friends, who just released their new album “Seriously?”

John Fulton

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What does it really take to stand out, book more work, and build a sustainable acting career in today’s rapidly shifting industry? In this episode of Slate It Pod, host, Catherine Donnelly, sits down with Murisa Harba — award-winning actress, director, and founder of About The Work, a Hollywood-based acting studio she launched in 2013.

Murisa has coached thousands of actors across five continents using her signature body-based methods, helping them break out of their heads, connect more deeply to their emotions, and bring undeniable authenticity into the audition room. Her students don’t just feel more confident — they also book more consistently.

Murisa opens up about her own journey from performer to teacher, the challenges and triumphs of creating her own studio, and why she believes actors must lean into their humanity to remain indispensable — especially as AI continues to reshape the industry.

Whether you’re feeling stuck in your auditions, craving more authentic performances, or wondering how to stay competitive in 2025 and beyond, this episode is packed with tools, insights, and encouragement.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How Murisa’s body-based approach helps actors break out of their heads and into authentic performance

• Why connecting to your physical instrument changes everything in auditions and on set

• The biggest misunderstandings actors have about what casting and directors really want

• How to know when it’s time to upgrade your training or pivot to the right class

• Practical tools to prepare before every audition

• Strategies for resilience, longevity, and staying grounded in a volatile industry

📌 Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Learn more about Murisa Harba → www.murisaharba.com

• About The Work Studio → www.about-the-work.com

• Free Guide: The Six Keys

• Instagram → @aboutthework

• Facebook → AboutTheWork

What does it take to build a thriving career in commercials — and keep your sanity while doing it? In this episode of Slate It Till You Make It, host, Catherine Donnelly sits down with Stuart K. Robinson, CEO of Brady, Brannon & Rich Talent (BBR) — one of the top commercial agencies in Los Angeles. Stuart’s career spans decades as an actor, Broadway performer, motivational speaker, voice artist, and Fruit of the Loom icon, and now he’s a powerhouse leader helping actors navigate the ever-changing entertainment industry.

They cover it all — from what agents really look for when signing talent, to why detaching from audition outcomes might be the most powerful shift you can make. Stuart opens up about the spark that led him from stage to CEO, shares insider perspective on today’s commercial landscape, and gives practical strategies for standing out authentically in a competitive market.

Whether you’re brand new to commercials or deep into your acting career, this episode is packed with wisdom you can use immediately — and mindset tools that will serve you far beyond the audition room.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• The biggest shifts shaping the commercial industry in 2025

• The difference between agents and managers — and when you need which

• What makes an actor stand out when seeking representation

• How to gather “evidence of your greatness” and show up authentically

• Proactive career strategies you can implement today

• Why Stuart swears by “Kairos vs. Chronos” time — and how it changes your relationship to auditions

• The importance of detaching from outcomes and focusing on what you can control
  

Stuart is also the author of It All Begins With I, a powerful guide to mindset, empowerment, and taking ownership of your career.

On this episode of Slate it Till You Make It, host Catherine Donnelly takes a deep dive with Lindsay Bronson of AHC Casting, one of the most successful commercial casting offices in the country. With decades of experience and a client list that spans major global brands, Lindsay brings unmatched insight into what it really takes to book work in today’s evolving commercial industry.

We dive into:

• Families & kids in commercials — what casting directors look for in child actors and “real families,” plus advice for parents just starting out.
  

• Self-tape secrets — Lindsay’s biggest pet peeves, the mistakes that get you skipped, and what makes a tape stand out.
  

• Getting seen — the best way to get on AHC Casting’s radar and what keeps an actor getting called in again and again.

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