Welcome back to the Dearing Acting Studio Teen Podcast! In this episode we have special student guests, Barbro Checkett and Riley Meyer, with our host Brian Sweeney and producer, Joey Sweeney. Barbro and Riley have two very different stories on how they found Dearing and why they are here, but they both have similar reasons for why they keep coming back!

The Trials are the Story

Barbro's dream is to be a female sportscaster. Her story is incredible, as she was home bound due to illness for most of middle school. She was outgoing, loved playing soccer, and was deeply involved in her community at school before her life took a sudden left turn. Funny enough Joey had a very similar experience going through the thick of his illness in middle school. She talks about what it was like to be isolated, feeling alone, and left out when she would see her old friends having fun without her. This experience took a toll on her and gave her the strength to do what some see as impossible now of days and get rid of all social media. This is where she found her love for watching sports, and really analyzing the game on a deeper level.

Maturing through the Program

Riley's nickname at the studio is Smiley Riley. She has been in the program for five years now and has made leaps and bounds of improvement since she started. Her journey here was learning how to become a more mature human being. She was very open to taking about her flaws in the beginning. She was not a happy person when she first started. Once she overcame that, she talks about fighting through social anxiety through our coaching. Five years is a long time, but getting to watch the growth from the dedication to craft is so amazing. 

The Power of Focus is becoming a superpower. In this episode Matthew Dearing and Joey Sweeney of Dearing Acting Studio talk about the power of protecting your time and zoning in to one thing at a time. Matthew Dearing explains these concepts in detail through his book Acting Is My Day Job: Seven Strategies to Market and Make Money as an Actor. In the book we give specific directions on how to organize your life, track your time and most importantly focus on what's important. 

Celebrate the wins in life

Matt and Joey also talk about funny moments that have helped to shape who they are today. We teach people in our acting classes and professional development courses to celebrate the wins in life. Of course you should be striving to go next level in everything you do but it's also essential to celebrate the small wins along the way. The key is to celebrate where you are, learn from past mistakes and then find ways to grow.  

Focus on the good and good things happen

This simple concept will quite literally change your life. The truth is that what you focus on will become your reality. So do yourself a favor and focus on the good no matter what the circumstance and good things will tend to follow. There are always opportunities to become better and stronger no matter where you are on your journey. A great example of this idea can be found on the Dearing Acting Studio Stories page. Here we discuss how training has impacted our student's lives outside of acting. These stories are all very inspiring and show amazing people from all walks of life finding a way to celebrate where they are while remaining focused on getting better.

To see the full live video go to this Facebook Link.

-Now- Let's get real here. Hanna had no idea who she came to play with when she entered into the Dearing Studio. She had no idea she would fall victim to Shea's ridiculous habbit of nicknaming everyone who walks through the door AND on top of that, she let it slip that her alma mater is none other than the University of Arizona.

If you didnt know, we are a Devil house around here and really into Arizona Sunde football. ( Cue Matt throw up the fork sign )
Fun Fact: We even have a button on our sound board that so beatifully exclaims: "GOOOOOOOOOO DEVILS".

Anyway, let's get into our chat with "Hanna with no "H"".

Topics include:

• Background of Phoenix Theatre (Coming up on their Centennial year!)
• The age of Theatre and where it's headed.
• Hanna and her many hats. (P.S. She got her start selling concessions and is now the powerhouse Director of Summer Programs at PT)
• Dedication to an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for children of all abilities.
• Can you guess what style of Dance Hanna trained in throughout her formative years?!

Signing off with Devil pride,

The Dearing Team

This week was all about perspective and the power that saves you when you choose to claim it.

Quote of the week:
"You are where you are right now, and that's the truth.....and you own it, you deliver and say "here I am"."

Below is an inside look at our discussion:

-The Dearing Team cannot all be healthy at one time. Like, ever.
-Deflating the power of negativity.
-Culture is everything. Atmosphere is everything.
-Finding power in honesty and accountability.
-The evolution of master coaching.
-Making the choice to find "light"