In a former life I was an assistant at a pretty high profile talent agency in Beverly Hills.
(If you watch the HBO series “Entourage” I was ‘Lloyd’s’ character)
And like any ambitious entertainment industry hopeful, I read up on all the legends of the biz, hoping to glean some knowledge of how these icons made it to the top.
So I researched industry moguls like Lew Wasserman, Michael Ovitz, Barry Diller, Bernie Brillstein, and Sumner Redstone.
But one of the most fascinating stories of pure determination, boldness, and success came from Steven Spielberg.
By the time he was 12 or 13, Spielberg already knew that he wanted to be a director.
His life was forever transformed at the age of 17 when he took a tour of Universal Studios one afternoon. Since the tour didn’t quite reach the soundstage where all the action was, Steven snuck off by himself to watch the taping of a real film.
He also began chatting up the head of Universal’s editorial department who assumed that Spielberg worked there, and expressed interest in the young man’s films.
Cool story, right?
Wouldn’t that have been a great experience for an ambitious young man?
Well the best part is yet to come.
While most people might have taken that experience and left it at that, Spielberg went back the next day dressed in a suit, brought his father’s suitcase (which only had a sandwich and 2 candy bars), and strode onto the lot as if he belonged there.
Literally, he walked past the security guard like it was the most natural thing in the world, and the guard didn’t so much as give him a second look.
He found an abandoned trailer on the lot, and using some plastic letters he found, put “Steven Spielberg, Director” on the door.
For the rest of the summer he took meetings with directors, writers, and editors, absorbing as much information as he could about the profession he desired.
By the ripe old age of 20, Spielberg was a regular on the lot.
When the time was right he showed Universal a modest film he had put together, and the studio immediately offered him a 7 year contract to direct a television series.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
These kinds of stories make us feel good because it’s the classic “home grown boy makes good” kind of tale.
But the truth is, Spielberg took bold, decisive action towards a very clear goal.
Do you think this was beneficial to his career?
By the age of 36 he had already directed 4 of the top 10 grossing films of all time.
Success isn’t just given to you.
But bold, decisive action towards a clearly defined goal can greatly improve your chances of success in any area of life.
-James D. Lee
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