What was it like auditioning for SNL?

Heyy, ya Babe!

I heard some genius advise this weekend from an unexpected source and couldn’t wait to write this little “love note” to share it and pour into your cup.

If you’re in the thick of building something BIG, and the pressure feels like more than you can handle, or have those moments where it feels like someone smarter, or stronger, or more capable, or more experienced should be at the helm-I have great news you’re NOT crazy. Thats exactly how it feels when you’re DOING legendary shit.

A year or two ago my daughter, Naveya, got into watching Saturday Night Live. As someone who at her core considers herself goofy, it makes me so happy seeing grown adults put on wigs, and costumes and create silly characters. This past weekend Naveya and I watched an interview of a panel of current and past SNL cast members. They talked about the audition process and what it was like accomplishing the biggest career goal of their lives. Some of the things they said will stick with me for a long time because I’ve felt the exact same way as an entrepreneur….

“You’d never know if a sketch would really hit until you did it live.”

“Will Ferrell and I had an agreement that if we ever bombed we’d embrace it. I saw this Japanese business school that taught we need to treat winning and failing with the same intensity. We BOMBED a sketch and acted like it was the best thing that ever happened to us.”

“I never, in all my years on the show, opened my mouth to say my first line with the confidence that words would come out.”

“They passed on my audition tape the first time. I cried and then decided I’m going to work on my characters for the next 5 years and I’d be back.” (This ended up happening!! Molly Shannon, the actress from Superstar, worked on her craft and was hired on SNL 5 years after her first audition.)

“I used to cold call a list of people to come watch my show when I did standup to fill seats [before anyone knew who I was.]”

“It’s so much pressure. It’s just the only thing you’ve ever wanted and then you get it and you feel like you’re going to vomit on stage and wonder if you’re going to survive.”

I may not step on a stage to act in front of a room of people (never say never I guess) but I can see myself in so much of the stories they shared. Going for a big goal that has an impact that is so much bigger than you.

We BECOME that smarter, stronger, more experienced and capable person by taking the next step before we feel ready. We won’t really know if something is going to work until we TRY IT. We learn so much faster and have so much more fun when we surround ourselves with people who are also in the game. Failures are just as worthy of celebration as wins, maybe even more so because we learn so much more from failures. It’s going to take years of “cold calling”…showing up on social media daily to hear crickets, releasing podcast episodes consistently to 15 listeners, and literal cold calling to make sales, fill seats at your event, and book guests for your podcast…to one day have the impact, community, and size of business you dream about.

It’s in the uncomfortable “I feel like I’m gonna vomit but I know I’m meant to do it” leaps of faith moments that a star is born. So many of these lessons hit home for me and were such permission givers to take the next step scared and thats actually a sign you’re creating something epic.

The “show” doesn’t go on because it’s ready, the show will go on because we know we can’t sit on our hands and wait our way to a bigger life.

I’m so glad to have a friend in you who is also in the game, taking those “I might puke” leaps of faith. Celebrating our failures and wins as we build our biggest dreams.

Always.

Brianne

Ps…if you want to watch the SNL interview, here it is!