Author: Candy Washington

I recently wrote an article, New York Fashion Week Survival Guide, which served as the inspiration for this article. As I was writing it up, it occurred to me that there were a lot of similarities between surviving Fashion Week and surviving your next audition. Have extra resumes and head-shots handy: You never know when the casting director, producer, or director will ask for an extra photo or the casting office will have a dropbox where actors can leave their photos and resumes. Don’t forget your business cards: This isn’t so much for the casting director but for the fellow…

Right before the holidays I was fortunate enough to book a pilot for a new TV show on MTV. I say fortunate as though I had no control over it, because I didn’t, but what I did have control over was creating the circumstances to book the role, making the most of my time on-set, and leveraging the booking post-filming. I wanted to share with you my tips and tricks to booking the role and beyond. Tip #1: Cultivate key relationships I had auditioned a few times for the casting director that was overseeing the casting for the MTV project.…

One of my personal icons and true empire builder is Wendy Williams. She’s conquered almost every form of media from radio, television, film, books, to theatre and she does it her way. I wrote an article on 5 Lessons You Can Learn from Wendy Williams and wanted to share the top lessons and insights with you all. Lesson #1: Be authentic – stay true to who you are Authenticity maybe a media buzzword this year, but Williams is the living and breathing example of what it means to truly embody your brand’s purpose in an authentic way. Love her or…

The other week I attended an evening of cocktails and conversations hosted by the New York Women in Film & Television, an organization that supports, mentors, and guides the careers of women in film, television, and digital media. I was lucky enough to encounter Anita Katzen, a charismatic woman with an infectious laugh. Little did I know that The New York Enterprise Report named her the best accountant of 2013. Her specialty? Entertainment, of course. She is literally a gold mine of knowledge of how to make the most of your money and how to manage it for your future…

I recently wrote an article on Insights for Launching Your Own Site, so I figured the logical follow-up would be to share some key strategies to making money off of the content that you create. Making money and losing sight of your creativity and integrity do not have to go hand-in-hand. The trick is to implement a few key tips and tricks while staying true to yourself. Money-making Strategy #1: Affiliate links Partnering with brands and companies that offer affiliate programs is a great way to earn some extra income. Commission-based affiliate programs works in a way that if one…

I recently attended the Simply Stylist Fashion and Beauty Conference hosted by Catt Sadler of E! News and had an array of panelists and guests from Lo Bosworth from The Hills, Mr. Jay Manuel from America’s Next Top Model, to Ashlee White from Bravo’s Princesses: Long Island, and it was an awesome event. I met some pretty cool people and had an interesting conversation with a beauty advertising executive and after talking about what we both did, she asked, “Wow, when do you find the time to sleep?” I had never really thought about it but I guess I do…

Last week I landed an awesome meeting that could potentially lead to me realizing one of my ultimate goals. Awesome, right? The meeting went well, I did my follow-up, and now, I wait. The tick-tock of the clock, every beep of my cell phone, every email, I hold my breath and say a little prayer and hope it’s them. Alas, a week has passed, and in the normal world, that’s not a lot of time, but in the entertainment world, that’s a lifetime. I haven’t heard no, but I haven’t heard yes. Dealing with the waiting, the unknown, the never…

I feel like I have just given birth. I’m exhausted and elated all at the same time. So like any savvy babe with a blog my goal is to of course, monetize it. This means taking not only the content but also the design of my site to the next level. So after a few weeks of updating copy, refreshing content, tweaking photos, importing blog posts, hours of tech support, and crafting my core offering, my new online destination Candy Washington: Pop culture with style was born. To make sure that my labor pains weren’t all in vain, I want…

In the spirit of full transparency, I want to share with you all a true story that happened to me. On a lazy Sunday afternoon I did a quick video exercise aimed at helping you upping your game professionally. I took notes during the exercise and thought it would be great to share with others. I whipped up an article about it, submitted it, and thought nothing of it. But thank goodness for having a strong Ms. In the Biz team around me.  I hadn’t properly credited the creator of the video/exercise in my article. Although completely unintentional – it…

I recently had an ah-ha moment when heard these words, “Inner chaos creates outer chaos,” and did the exercise below from a video by the amazing Marie Forleo. Top insight I learned?  As Marie states “If we can’t clear the clutter from within how can we expect to see positive and lucrative results in our lives and businesses?”  I felt that this lesson was something all Ms. In The Biz readers should hear so I’ve broken Marie’s video down for you all! Marie Forleo’s 3 Easy Steps to Overcoming Overwhelm … so you can clear the way to get down to business.…

The life of an entrepreneur is anything but predictable. Hopefully with some key insights from Mihae Mukaida, co-founder of RockPaperRobot (featured in AMEX Open, The New York Times, and WIRED)- an engineering boutique specializing in the innovation and fabrication of high-end kinetic furniture and lighting – balancing life and your business might just get a little bit easier. While speaking with Mihae on her and co-founder Jessica Banks’ journey from working for others to working for themselves, I uncovered multiple parallels between their journey and the journey of any creative professional trying to pave their own way. The connective tissue that ties…

So the first tip on how to harness the power of co-branding you should have learned by just reading the title of this article. Always be sure to use the name of the brand that you are partnering with in the title of articles, posts, tweets, etc., for higher visibility and an increased likelihood of your content getting picked up in searches. As an added tip, be sure to lead with the brand name since most people will read up to a certain extent and you can catch their attention early on, and at this stage we are most likely…

The word “networking” is often viewed as a dirty and slimy word. Who wants to feel like they are being networked? More often than not you leave a “networking” event feeling like you need a shower and wondering, “Well what was the point of that?” If you have ever felt that way then fret not! Below are my top five tips on how to stop networking and start cultivating meaningful relationships to take your career to the next level. Tip #5: Be interested (and listen). I have found that they best way to connect with people is to be genuinely…

Let’s face it, becoming a mogul, juggling multiple jobs, and keeping some sanity (and fun) in your life can get overwhelming. So with this being my first article for my Ms. in the Biz column, “How to Build Your Empire,” I thought it was only appropriate to start off on the importance of creating professional and personal goals for yourself, your career, and your peace of mind. The reason why setting specific goals for yourself is so powerful is because it creates a framework and foundation for your ultimate career success. Think of it like pruning a tree – you…