Author: Candy Washington

I first fell in love with Minnie Driver when she played Benny in Circle of Friends, and then the love affair as a riveting actress to watch was solidified with her portrayal of Skylar in Good Will Hunting. With an impressive resume that spans nearly 20 years, I was lucky enough to sit-in on our her career retrospective talk this past weekend. I knew she was very smart, grounded, and witty. If you haven’t seen her on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, then I highly recommend that you YouTube it. True to form, she was open, warm,…

With pilot season just around the corner, I wanted to share with you all my Pilot Season Survival Guide and Checklist. I booked a pilot for MTV last season but it didn’t get picked up and I’m more determined now than ever to book another one that sticks. I hope my guide and checklist below is helpful to you as well on your journey to taking pilot season by storm! Pilot Season Guide and Checklist Get your mind right: Make sure that your head is in the game and that you’re focused. I recommend meditating, doing yoga, pilates, and working…

Since pilot season is just around the corner, for the past month, I have been caught up in the rat race of trying to lockdown a new manager. And not just any manager, but a manager that is the perfect fit for me – driven, intelligent, respectful, connected – and most of all – passionate about me and my potential to break through in Los Angeles. After securing nearly a dozen meetings, I’ve learned a few things about how to make the most of these meetings and forming lasting relationships, whether or not I sign with them. So if you…

I’ve officially been in Los Angeles for 3 months and as I reflect on my time here, I chuckle at how intimidated I was before making my big move. You hear all of those horror stories about how cut-throat Hollywood is and it’s a ‘dog-eat-dog’ world. But that actually couldn’t be further from the truth. Especially when you meet those special people like Lena Waithe. Lena is a pretty impressive force, she’s a television writer for Fox’s Bones, was recently named one of Variety’s Top 10 Comics to Watch, is developing a pilot for BET based on her YouTube series…

I recently interviewed the lovely Torrei Hart of VH1’s Atlanta Exes and ex-wife of actor and comedian Kevin Hart and learned how to rock reality TV the right way. So if you are like many actors who are hesitant to go the reality TV route, here are some insights from my interview with the reality starlet before taking the reality leap. How to Build Your Empire:Insights on how to rock reality TV Insight #1: Use reality TV in a positive way If you’re going to take the leap into the reality TV pond, be sure to stay positive and have…

Fellow Georgetown Hoya, and empire-builder, L.A. Ross has been making a name for herself in the entertainment industry through hard work, taking risks, and by keeping her eye on the prize. She’s worked for TheWrap, FOX News, 20th Century Fox, and Lionsgate, and she’s just getting started. Below she shares with us who inspires her, how she’s paving her way in the entertainment industry by following her passions, working with James Franco, what we can learn from her experiences, and how Robin Williams was her most memorable interview. Hi L.A., thank you for speaking with us, can you tell…

We all know that social media can be a beautiful thing for creating relationships, finding new opportunities, and just having fun. However, social media can also backfire on you, ruin careers, destroy relationships, and make you into the laughing stock of all GIFs. I’m usually a social media maven, but last week I broke the Golden Rule of Social Media: never engage with crazy! Responding to negative comments only fuels the fire of the other person finding “keyboard courage” to give “anonymous” criticism behind the safety of the glow of their computer screens. If you follow me, @CandyWashington, you may…

You know those weeks where you are booked back-to-back? When squeezing in a moment of downtime seems impossible? Those weeks can be taxing, but also exhilarating, exciting, and when you feel the most productive. But what about those weeks when the phone isn’t ringing and your calendar is as open as a 24/7 7-11? Fret not, below I give you a list of things to do when you have nothing to do that will excite and fulfill you just as much as those jammed-packed weeks. #1 Read for fun: With all of the books we have to read for marketing,…

Back in April I did a YouTube video on how to start a blog and keep it fresh. Below are the insights from the video, so whether or not you want to start a blog, or breathe some new life back into your current blog, check out my 5 easy ways to start a blog and keep it fresh. TIP #1: WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU LOVE AND WHAT YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT. For me, this makes creating content easy and fun. I’m more inclined to spend my time, energy, and focus, writing and talking about subjects that I’m naturally drawn…

Last week I wrote a personal and true story about the tweet that healed my heart and it was one of the most clicked on and read articles in the history of my blog. I wanted to share my story with you all since I believe the steps I went through to heal my heart are similar to what we as a creative professionals go through on our journeys as well. The secret ingredient to all of these steps is ownership because at the end of the day, the only person that is truly responsible for your career and more…

I wanted to share with you all my three C’s on how to unleash your inner hot girl – and why it has nothing to do with your looks. While we are out there kicking butt and building our empires we can’t forget to take care of ourselves, value who we are, and not be afraid to embrace and showcase our inner hot girl. The 3 Hot Girl C’s of being the hottest version of you – and why it has nothing to do with your looks: The Hot Girl C #1: Confidence: Walk into every room and own it.…

After a productive trip to Los Angeles (more on that later in an article to come), I was on the hunt for some guidance, inspiration, and direction. I decided to read through some old notebooks and came across some notes from a SAG-AFTRA Conversations series, which are evenings with screenings and Q&A sessions with established actors. This particular night’s event was with famed Martha Plimpton from “Raising Hope” and “The Goonies.” After reading through the notes from the session, I found the inspiration that I was looking for and wanted to share her words of wisdom with you all. Hope…

 Now that I’m all settled in Atlanta and officially splitting my time between here and New York City, I am on my journey to creating relationships and meeting awesome people down here in the ATL. If you’re like me, “breaking into” a new market might seem overwhelming, but don’t fret, I compiled my core tips on connecting with casting directors and a list of the top casting directors in “The New Hollywood.” Enjoy Atlanta: Hollywood’s New Frontier, Part 1: Casting Directors and let me know if you find the tips helpful. Taking a bit of my own advice from the…

We all know how fast-paced the entertainment industry can be, so when you finally get the sides to an audition for a network pilot, you’re on it. Only problem is, you are based in New York and they are casting out of LA, you need to get them the audition ASAP and its too late to book a time at a production company or book a slot with my acting coach. So, what did I do? I asked every friend I could think of to help me self-tape, even my neighbor whom I casually wave ‘hi’ to on the weekends. As amazing as my friends are,…