“Should I Move To L.A?”

I’m often asked, “Should I move to Los Angeles?”

Of course not. The odds are horrible and getting worse and everyone’s leaving. It’s expensive to live there, A.I. will take everyone’s job and there’s just less and less being made.

At least that’s what you’ll hear. But the cherry-picked negativity of the sour-grapes haters is only the first hurdle for the ready and willing to leap over if they are ever going to take a shot at working and living among the best of the best.

It may be true that now is a bad time to move to Los Angeles in a generic or statistical sense. A wager most should avoid.

But was L.A. ever a good bet for most? The majority of actors have always been out of work. Technological disruptions have been steady and accelerating since the invention of film and sound. And yes, the cost of living continues to climb, but L.A. is still a city where someone who is very good at what they do can earn a good living having fun. Even a very good living.

I would guess that most who forged a good living in Hollywood started out rather improbably with poor prospects at the start. Isn’t each success story a defiance of the “rules” of how poorly things are supposed to go?

I’ve always found the “horrible odds” warning about moving to Los Angeles uncompelling. Such statistics don’t adjust for the talent and strategy of the player as well as other important factors.

Framing moving to a big city like L.A. as a game of chance (rather than a game of skill and talent) presents following ambition as simply a matter of luck- rolling the dice. Just numbers. The double misdirect here implies that anyone can take a shot and success involves nothing more than luck. “Everyone can do it and no one should try it.” Neither of these are true.

Yes, Vegas is like L.A. in that most play for the thrill but few play to win. Most leave Vegas with less money than they arrived with.

Vegas gaming is ruled by statistics and if you pay attention to that you might walk away with a win. Playing craps, for instance, is a simple matter of luck and avoiding the dumb bets long enough to hit your points a few times then walk away when you’re ahead.

But Los Angeles is a different depth of game play altogether. You must assess your capacities and take a hard look at the landscape before you leap.

Sure, those that make it through the gauntlet of the City of Angels are few. And yes, most who move to L.A. probably don’t do well or don’t do well for very long. They flame out or bail, some before anything ever gets going. It’s too much effort or it stops being fun. Years of effort and money never pay off. Ah, well.

But I would say, an honest assessment of those who “make it” and those who don’t reveals much more than luck is in play in L.A. Oh, luck is important- there is more opportunity per square food in LA than elsewhere- that’s why so many move here- a higher density of “luck.”

But what contributes to being ready to swing big and connect when those lucky balls fly over your plate?

1. Unique talent

2. Experience

3. Your personality and attitude, optimism

4. Your self image and how you view others

5. Business sense

6. Persistence, ambition

8. Your support network (if you have one)

8. How long your financial “count down clock” allows you to keep up your efforts until you find traction

9. Luck

10. Training

11. Personal connections, social web or tribe

12. Dedication and flexibility

13. A tendency to learn from rejection, adversity and change. Obstacles are opportunities.

14. Patience and an extended timeline of expectation.

15. Ability to collaborate, take direction and course correct.

16. The trajectory of who you hang with

17. A habit of collaborative creativity fueled by love not money.

18. Stress management tools

19. Tenacity and resilience

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but for those who show up in the Big City with only one or two of these, they will probably find a frustrating slog and a waste of time and money.

You will need most or all of these to gain footing, survive and thrive in L.A. Take an honest look at yourself. Where do you stand on these? What confirmation do you have of your self-assessment?

You don’t come to L.A. to learn- you come to affirm.

This is why I recommend gaining as much well-rounded experience and confidence and confirmation of your talent in a smaller market as possible before moving to a larger one, like Los Angeles.

In La La Land you face much challenge and competition in the context of an ever-changing market. You will need every advantage to have a shot at setting up shop and enduring. So learn elsewhere first.

Now- even if you feel you have much on this list going for you, is it still worth moving to this expensive scramble of a megalopolis- with all the churn and industry disruption- from A.I., for instance?

For the right person, I offer a tentative “yes.”

I have a friend who has most of what’s on this list who asked me if they should move to L.A, I pointed out that they have already visited for shorter stays, maybe a week or few over the past few years and every time they seemed to find connections, magnetize advocates and colleges and opportunities and generate enthusiasm. Each time my friend tried to make the most of their time by proactively approaching companies and professionals they wanted to work with. They would connect with people they met at a coffee shop or workout gym. After each relatively short visit to L.A., it felt that they had moved the ball of their career a bit further down the field. And it was an enjoyable effort. This feeling of progress was a pattern.

Does L.A. like you?

You may like your idea of L.A. But do you really like L.A? As important, does L.A. like you? This is the kind of affirmation to look for- to see if this city is right for you, if your energy meets and matches this ecosystem, its people and its industry. What is the cumulative response?

Sometimes a personality just isn’t a good fit for L.A. Do you inspire confidence and generate the positive vibe of someone skilled yet fun to work with? Are you a good problem solver who is moving their own ideas and talents forward with purpose? Are you selfish or a team player? Do others find your talent and energy contagious? Do you inspire trust in others? Can you make people laugh? Do you believe in yourself and wear that with pride not arrogance? Do you like “going for it” even when it’s tough? Would a business person (such as an agent) resonate with your goals and plans? How do you handle stress and rejection and setbacks? Are you a positive, smart, curious magnet that draws others to you? Do you feel you just have to do this because this is who you are- and others seem to agree?

Some just have this. Some are on their way but not quite there yet. Some try but will never have enough to make it work. Some are too timid to try. Some are wildly talented but too much of a mess otherwise to stay on the road.

If you’re deficient in any of these areas it could be a major obstacle or at least an area to work on and improve before heading to L.A. You don’t want to be learning basics there- a much more advanced school is in session.

If you feel or suspect you have much or most or all of what’s on my list this going for you, maybe consider some exploratory visits to L.A.

Los Angeles is where top creatives are still drawn despite the tumult and disruption. They find each other, combine their energies and good things start to happen… With the right combination of luck and talent and all the rest, the earthquake you find may be the good kind.

The top talent, top story telling engines and top facilities are still in Los Angeles, which is why pros like it. And I can tell you, those are good people to know and work with. You meet them, engage and connect with them face to face– not over Zoom.

So- should you move to L.A? I’d say not— unless you’ve most of what a creative talent needs to establish themselves and compete in a restless and highly challenging market of the highest professional standards.

Maybe for the right person a trip or two is called for to begin to see if you like the real L.A. as much as you like the idea of L.A. — and also to see if L.A. likes you. Try on that suit before you buy it.

Please: Don’t move to L.A. Unless…