We had the good fortune of connecting with Mike Pointer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mike, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I first started doing commercials I was really successful at it in a short period of time. I started booking commercials within the first few months of moving to Hollywood. Because I was booking big national commercials, people were beginning to recognize me in public. At my church they would even comment on the commercials they had just seen me in that morning before the service. Then my Wife and I started booking commercials together. We booked 5 big national commercials as a Husband and Wife team. I found myself teaching mini lessons on street corners and office buildings about how to start a career in tv commercials. One day my Mother-In-Law suggested that I should teach an actual course on the subject to those that were really interested in it. I was terrified at the thought of teaching at first because I felt like an imposter asking people to pay me for what I was giving away freely. I also thought people would not take me seriously as an “acting coach” that just moved to Hollywood. But, as I kept thinking about it for a week so my excitement grew. It took me only a week to create my course on my dining room table. I bought a camera and the other necessary equipment, set a start date, ran some ads, and the terrifying feeling returned! I stalled starting the course for 1 year (1999). Finally my Wife gave me the pep talk I needed to get serious and start my first class. It’s been amazing since. That was March 3rd, 2000. I’ve enjoyed the feeling for the last 21 years of helping others book hundreds of commercials.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’ve always took a lot of pride in under promising but over serving. I’ve made it a practice to go above and beyond when it comes to helping actors reach their goals. I call myself a 24/7 Coach. My business and personal lines are always open to actors when they are not in an actual session with me in studio. What has propelled my business success over the years is a simple question-‘How can I may things better?” I’m always on a mission to find was to make my coaching practice more valuable. I’ve created numerous business tools and services that other coaches simply don’t offer. This has helped my business grow tremendously. Even during the recession of 2008 and now recently the pandemic. My business thrived during those dark seasons because of the strategic business foundations that I set in place the first few years of opening my business.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Monday/Boa Steak House, Sunset Blvd.. I’ve had some great times there with my family. Tuesday/Long Beach. I love Ocean Park Blvd. and the San Pedro Pier.
Wednesday/Universal Studios. A Los Angeles Landmark everyone should visit Great movie history and great family times.
Thursday/Manhattan Beach. I love the boardwalk and clean Ocean atmosphere.
Friday/Disneyland. Great memories from when I was 6 years old to taking my Daughter for the first time when she was 8. A must visit for everyone.
Saturday/Venice Beach. Although it has it’s challenges these days, it’s still a must visit. I’ve been going to Venice since 1980.
Sunday/A site-seeing drive all through the City of LA. From Pasadena, to Long Beach to LA, then Malibu.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have to say my Wife. She supported me and my business ideas from the beginning. She let me have the freedom work and build my company. She gave me 3 beautiful children (all in their 20’s now) that have me the inspiration and drive to want to provide for them so they can live a good life, serve others and prosper.

Website: www.heyisawyourcommercial.com

Instagram: @heyisawyourcommercial

Facebook: Mike Pointer

Image Credits
My son took the photos and has released full rights for me to use.

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