Rob Earnshaw's Story
- Author:
- Rob Earnshaw
- Business:
- Rob Earnshaw Ltd / Inter - Acting
- Published:
- 18/05/2009 09:34:00
I was born in Hexham and have lived in Acomb for most of my life. When I was 17 I became a member of the National Youth Theatre (NYT), a registered charity committed to the creative, personal and social development of young people through the creative arts.
It was fantastic for me and I enjoyed some amazing experiences including playing a part in ‘Much ado about nothing’ In teh Hackney Empire.
However during my time as a member of NYT I realised that there was a common problem. There was no clear way for unknown talented actors to get in touch with casting directors.
Watching bad actors on TV, knowing that I had friends that were better annoyed me. I saw a gap in the market and opportunity for a business that I was passionate about.
At the age of 18 I decided not to go to Uni and invest my time into becoming a casting director. I started my career scouting actors for leading casting directors working on many popular TV shows and feature films and embarked on doing my market research. For six months I soaked up as much as I could about the entertainment industry from business people, struggling actors to casting directors.
In 2005 I created The Casting Website - a directory of up and coming actors looking for work. The website is aimed at being a unique resource to aid young talented actors get into the profession and find work as an actor, model or supporting artist.
The site now boasts 30,000 members. Not only has it had a great response from the performers but I have also established good relationships with thousands of youth theatres and casting directors.
Since its launch the business has opened up so many doors. I’ve written a forward for a book, asked to do lectures about the entertainment industry and most recently established my first office.
In 2008 my efforts in helping new talent get discovered was recognised by my inclusion in The Observer’s ‘The Future 500 list of rising stars’. I’ve also had a lot of interest from investors and have just secured £100,000 from an external party.
We have also have deals in place with a card manufacturer to create a new method of payment through credit for actors models and musicians. The card also offers them the benefit of VIP treatment in top bars and clubs and deals on tickets for shows, concerts and training.
People say it must be brilliant being your own boss. With any business I’d say you only get out of it what you’ve put in. Although the flexibility at times is great, I’ve found it hard to balance my work and social life. During big projects I am working 12 hours a day on regular basis. When it does calm down working in the entertainment industry does have its perks…needless to say there are a fair share of parties!
I love meeting new people, including some really big names in entertainment. However I’d say having a successful business isn’t down to ‘who or what you know’ but ‘who knows about you’.
I would say the secret to my success has been my genuine approach to helping people find good solutions to their problems. I’ve also not gone all out to get as many clients as possible. I’d rather have one extremely happy client who tells his piers about me than going out there and trying to get a shed load of clients and not doing as a good job.
Regarding mistakes, I don’t think I’ve made any big ones. I would say that at times I have been slightly naïve. Nowadays, if I’m committing to something I make sure I know exactly what I’m doing and what I’m committing to. I once hired someone who wasn’t at the level of the business and definitely learnt from that.
If I was to give some advice to anyone considering running a business I’d say don’t go into it thinking I’d like to make loads of money. You need to have a passion for what you do and have the confidence in your idea, knowledge of your market and know exactly what you are talking about. I’d also say don’t impose your ideas on customers and clients but genuinely look for good solutions to the problems they have.