Natural Networking: The doctor, the barber and my first job in Hollywood

"...in the service of your fellow beings...." Mosiah 2:17- Book of Mormon

I didn’t move to Hollywood with fancy connections, but I had a grandfather who was a natural networker and served the needs of all kinds of people in whatever ways he could. He lived the often quoted Book of Mormon scripture “when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17.) As a bonus, his service to others actually served my needs and got me my first job at the William Morris Agency. Win-Win-Win!

My grandfather is not a Spielberg, Scorsese or Clooney. He wasn’t born in L.A. and he didn’t work in entertainment. He lived in the Coachella Valley (before it was cool) and everyone knew Dr. Parkinson. They usually called him by a nickname like “Dr. Parky,” “Parky” or “Grandpa Doc.”

Grandpa Doc loved to help all kinds of people. In his 80s, he opened a free clinic behind the Coachella “One Stop” convenience store to treat prostitutes and the homeless. He administered to inmates in Riverside County jail in Indio where he earned another nickname: “Jailhouse Doc.” I think he loved that role best, not only because he was helping people, but because he got a front row seat to some interesting storytelling. Grandpa Doc was a colorful man himself (more on that in other posts) and was always curious about what made people tick. By listening carefully to details; he picked up on ways to help. His intention was to find what he could give people, not to discover what he could get from them. Making lifelong friends was his specialty.

One of these lifelong friends was his barber of 40 years, Victor Honig. Victor used to cut hair at the Hollywood studios before he retired to the desert. He even cut the hair of Ronald Reagan before the actor left California for the Oval Office. As the story goes, when Victor passed away (having no children or family living nearby), Grandpa Doc immediately contacted Victor’s nephew Richard Rosenberg who lived in L.A., and offered help with the funeral arrangements. In accordance with Victor’s Jewish tradition, my grandfather moved quickly to ensure proper burial. Grandpa Doc’s care was appreciated by the family and another lifelong friendship was born.

When I graduated from college and moved to L.A without a job or a real plan, Grandpa Doc thought Richard could give me some advice. He arranged for me to call Richard’s longtime assistant, Diana, to set an informational meeting so I could learn about about entertainment business. Richard worked in music at the legendary talent agency, William Morris (now called WME.) I was unfamiliar with William Morris. I didn’t know what a talent agent did and I had no idea how important Mr. Rosenberg was. I quickly learned that my grandfather introduced me to a music industry titan! He was not only an agent, but he ran the entire music dept and he was even on the board. Talk about a super VIP! I’m glad I didn’t know any of this before I walked in because I probably would have been really intimidated (remember, this was pre-internet.)

We spoke for about 20 minutes in his Beverly Hills office. Mr. Rosenberg asked me what I wanted to do for a career and I told him that I wanted to do voice over work.

“Well, has anyone besides your mother told you that you have talent?” he asked.

I thought about it.

“Hmm, not really.”

“Okay. Why don’t you work here. If you hate it in three months, quit. By that time, you should have made enough connections and you’ll figure it out from there.”

He sent my resume to Human Resources. I had an official interview and a few weeks later, my 23-year-old self got hired to work as a temp at one of the most iconic talent agencies in the business!

I built up my network over the years and used my social and professional capital to pay forward what Grandpa Doc and Mr. Rosenberg did for me so many years ago. I helped my cousin get her first job in LA at The Hollywood Reporter. I helped my brother with his first job as a production assistant on a reality show. I used it when I was a talent agent to get jobs for my clients. I still use it everyday as I help 20-somethings around the country get hired in Hollywood. Creating a solid network is the foundation to success in any field, especially entertainment. They say “it’s not what you know, but who you know.” That’s only part of it. I’d say, it’s not what you know, but who you know and how you help them that sows the seeds of success.