The economy shattered Hollywood. Screenwriters exited their cubicles and set their laptops to hibernate indefinitely. Television shows halted production which left everyone out of work from the food caterers to the production assistants. After working three years at a top talent agency, I was laid off. I was lost, scared, and surprisingly excited. I was handed the job straight out of college, but I always knew in the back of my mind, I wasn’t a suit (no matter how good I looked in one). I had to build a new life.

We learn early in the Stylelife Academy training that you are not what you do, but rather you are what you enjoy. I love going out, mixing cocktails, and connecting with new people. It was a no brainer that becoming a bartender was the next step in my growth that I could enjoy and make a living with.

I hunted endlessly after this epiphany. Well surprise… Hollywood clubs look for two things: experience and fake chested blondes. I didn’t fulfill either. Much like social debriefs after a weekend in the field, I dissected my interviews to improve for the next. My results? I wasn’t peacocked like a hired gun, I wasn’t thinking like a hired gun. Owners want a charismatic lady slayer that could seduce women to drink more and push desperate men into buying shots.

The next interview I was hired… as a maitre d’. WTF? I accepted the job because I was on my last pack of top ramen. The set was opened. I came in below the radar without any service experience, but my cocky funny energy intrigued the owner to give me a shot. The bar manager then became my target. She was a slightly tan, brunette firecracker with almond eyes and a soccer body that could seduce any man. She was older; I could see the party girl she used to be. Years ago, she became a bartender in her hot prime and kept getting promoted and locked into that job. I needed to bring her flair and edge. I instituted indirect game. I wasn’t gaming for a roll in the sheets, but to get a well sought after job at Hollywood’s most premiere celebrity hotspots. What was going to make me stand out and be the exception?

In business and networking, it’s not about who you know, but it’s about who knows you. Like sarging any venue, you talk with the bouncers, DJ, and everyone, building value. Or in this case, I talked with the servers, chefs, and managers. I played flash game to the bar manager and I made it impossible for her not to open me. I introduced myself and the seed was planted. As weeks passed, I rocked my best self to the entire staff and it left the staff and management missing me on my days off.

About a month later, a bartender was fired. I didn’t know this until the very moment I was hired to become the new bartender. The sexy bar manager came to me and offered me the job without any interview or resume requests. She completely ignored the tall stack of qualified applicants. I had a positive, infectious energy that she felt would complement the bar perfectly. I accepted with nonchalant enthusiasm.

Strategize.

Execute.

Learn.

Repeat.

Follow these steps and anything is possible.