Think Bigger Actors Podcast with DaJuan Johnson

Showrunner Shaz Bennett (Queen Sugar, Bosch) reveals what makes a self-tape stand out—and what casting is really looking for. A must-listen for actors who want to stop guessing and start booking.

Casting Network:

For a limited time, Casting Networks is offering our listeners $65 off a Premium Annual membership when you use the code "THINKBIGGER" at checkout, and start submitting to casting calls right away. Terms and conditions apply.

Visit https://www.castingnetworks.com/promo-codes/ to learn more.

CONNECT WITH ME:

Instagram: @thinkbiggercoaching

WHO IS THIS GUY? Check me out at: www.thinkbiggercoaching.com

CONNECT WITH SHAZ

Instagram: @shazbennett

Before booking recurring roles on Criminal Minds and The Rookie, Jon Snow spent hours in the audition room as a reader for a casting director.

In this episode, Jon shares what that experience taught him—why the actor who's most present often stands out, how over-rehearsing can kill a moment, and the small shifts that can make a performance land. He also pulls back the curtain on what casting is actually paying attention to, the choices that quietly take you out of the running, and how shifting his perspective changed everything about the way he auditions.

Casting Network:

For a limited time, Casting Networks is offering our listeners $65 off a Premium Annual membership when you use the code "THINKBIGGER" at checkout, and start submitting to casting calls right away. Terms and conditions apply.

Visit https://www.castingnetworks.com/promo-codes/ to learn more.

CONNECT WITH ME:

Instagram: @thinkbiggercoaching

WHO IS THIS GUY? Check me out at: www.thinkbiggercoaching.com

CONNECT WITH JON

Instagram: @the_jon_snow

Once you have an acting coach, you then have to learn how to work with one. Don't worry, I'll tell you how to do it in this episode.

CONNECT WITH ME:

Instagram: @thinkbiggercoaching

WHO IS THIS GUY?

Check me out at: www.thinkbiggercoaching.com

One day, she's crying in her car after bombing an audition. The next? Recurring roles on NCIS: Los Angeles and Bosch: Legacy.

In this episode, Denise Sanchez shares the raw truth behind her rise—how burnout almost made her quit, what pulled her back in, and the mindset shift that changed everything. This one's for any actor who's ever felt like giving up... but didn't.

Casting Network: For a limited time, Casting Networks is offering our listeners $65 off a Premium Annual membership when you use the code "THINKBIGGER" at checkout, and start submitting to casting calls right away. Terms and conditions apply. Visit https://www.castingnetworks.com/promo-codes/ to learn more.

CONNECT WITH ME:

Instagram: @thinkbiggercoaching

WHO IS THIS GUY?

Check me out at: www.thinkbiggercoaching.com

CONNECT WITH DENISE:

Instagram: @denisegsanchez

You write it. You star in it. It wins awards… and still, they only see you as "the writer."

In this episode, actor and creator Luke Barnett gets brutally honest about what it's like to break through—and still be overlooked. We talk about identity, resilience, and what it really takes to carve out a place in Hollywood when the industry has other plans.

This one's for the actors building something real—even when it feels invisible.

Casting Network:

For a limited time, Casting Networks is offering our listeners $65 off a Premium Annual membership when you use the code "THINKBIGGER" at checkout, and start submitting to casting calls right away. Terms and conditions apply.

Visit https://www.castingnetworks.com/promo-codes/ to learn more.

CONNECT WITH ME:

Instagram: @thinkbiggercoaching

WHO IS THIS GUY? Check me out at: www.thinkbiggercoaching.com

CONNECT WITH LUKE:

Twitter (X): @LukeBarnett

She booked it! In this episode, I sat down with a Think Bigger Coaching client who just booked a role on the same Disney show I recur on. We talk about what it's like working together on set, how she landed the role, and the truth about self-taping in today's industry. This is what I mean when I say #SeeYouOnSet—it's not just a phrase. It's the whole mission.

Grab the Self Tape Playbook!

http://www.selftapeplaybook.com/

CONNECT WITH ME:

Instagram: @thinkbiggercoaching

WHO IS THIS GUY?

Check me out at: www.thinkbiggercoaching.com

Success doesn't silence self-doubt.

In this powerful episode, Hacks and Pose star Johnny Sibilly gets honest about what happens after the big break. From the pressure to represent entire communities to the toll of always having to "be on," Johnny shares the side of success most actors never hear about. If you've ever felt like rest isn't an option, or visibility comes at a cost—you need this conversation.

Plus, I kick things off with some real talk about showing up in uncertain times, a wild email I got about L.A., and why our work as artists has never been separate from the world around us.

Casting Network:

For a limited time, Casting Networks is offering our listeners $65 off a Premium Annual membership when you use the code "THINKBIGGER" at checkout, and start submitting to casting calls right away. Terms and conditions apply.

Visit https://www.castingnetworks.com/promo-codes/ to learn more.

CONNECT WITH ME:

Instagram: @thinkbiggercoaching

WHO IS THIS GUY? Check me out at: www.thinkbiggercoaching.com

CONNECT WITH Johnny:

Instagram: @johnnysibilly

Season 6 - Don't Move to L.A.

Grab the Self Tape Playbook!

http://www.selftapeplaybook.com/

CONNECT WITH ME:

Instagram: @thinkbiggercoaching

WHO IS THIS GUY?

Check me out at: www.thinkbiggercoaching.com

Actor, writer, and voice of The Simpsons' first gay Cuban character, Tony Rodriguez, joins me to talk about taking creative risks, breaking barriers—and how one self-tape he posted for fun led to the role of a lifetime.

This is what happens when you stop waiting for permission and just put the damn tape out.

Casting Network:

For a limited time, Casting Networks is offering our listeners $65 off a Premium Annual membership when you use the code "THINKBIGGER" at checkout, and start submitting to casting calls right away. Terms and conditions apply.

Visit https://www.castingnetworks.com/promo-codes/ to learn more.

CONNECT WITH ME:

Instagram: @thinkbiggercoaching

WHO IS THIS GUY? Check me out at: www.thinkbiggercoaching.com

Secure your spot for the 2025 Retreat: https://thinkbiggercourses.com/actors-retreat2025/

CONNECT WITH TONY:

Instagram: @thetonyrodrig

Season 6 - Finding your wolfpack!

Grab the Self Tape Playbook!

http://www.selftapeplaybook.com/

CONNECT WITH ME:

Instagram: @thinkbiggercoaching

WHO IS THIS GUY?

Check me out at: www.thinkbiggercoaching.com