Interview with Eric Artell – The Secrets of Improv

In this episode, Nikou speaks to actor, comedian, host and voice-over artist Eric Artell who shares his empowering story of failing forward to get where he is in life today.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Actors have experienced more failure than anyone else you've ever met. Imagine if 99% of the times you've tried to do something you've been told “no”. That's what being an actor is like.
• I have friends that are massive stars who appear on busses and billboards, and they are not satisfied. You would think that whatever line of work you're in the pinnacle would be to be the star of the movie, having your own show, being the Supreme Court Justice. A lot of people who achieve this need something else on the side to satisfy themselves.
• When I was young, I thought I wanted to be a lawyer, but certain things happened in my life that I believe steered me to what I'm doing now. For example, I was told being a lawyer was all about reading not convincing a judge and jury that my client was innocent.
• I then chose economics because I like playing with numbers, then I started interviewing with consulting firms and investment banks and realised it was not what I wanted to do. Money doesn't motivate me that much. It didn't justify the terrible journey that was laid out in from of me.
• Sometimes the perception of the acting world is it's full of terrible people and it'll chew you up and spit you out. I thought, who says you can't be a good person and an actor?
• It's not a failure if you don't use your degree. Gaining the degree still taught you something and gave you tools that will help you excel in whatever you go on to do.
• Discovering improvisation was a big thing for me as well, not just as an actor but as a person. It can help in work, business and in relationships as well.
• Improve is the study of creation, it's not just acting without a script or making something up on the spot. It's the study of development and construction.
• “Yes, and…” is a lifechanging principle when you apply it to your life. It means you accept what has been offered to you and then you constructively add to it. The opposite is “no, but…” which derails the conversation.
• Don't immediately shoot down an idea, say “yes, and we can put this on top of it” and then someone else can “yes, and…” it. This works in business and relationships too, not just in improvisational comedy.
• Where the magic happens is that as you start doing this you condition you brain to be constructive, which relates so well to failing forward because when you apply the principle of “yes, and …” to a situation where you feel like you've failed you accept it and then ask what you can now do from there rather than deny it.
• When it comes to making genuine relationship, you should be respectful of others and cultivating those relationships in a genuine way. Being that way has had a huge effect on my journey.
• Some people don't realise they're burning bridges. You can see it happen sometimes in the way they treat others. No one will want to work with that person again and you never know where those people who you're disrespecting will end up. Treat everyone with respect and be enjoyable to work with because you never know when that will help you further down the path.
• Something else you learn in improv is just jumping in and doing it. We lose your sense of wonder and play as we grow out of childhood and we started to question and doubt ourselves and improv brings that playfulness back.

BEST MOMENTS

‘Failing is one of my favourite topics to talk about!'

‘Life is so little bout the destination and so much about the journey.'

‘One of the most basic, fundamental principles of improv is “Yes, and…”'

‘Using improv trains your brain to react to things in the same way as training your body to react to physical things.'

ABOUT THE GUEST

Eric Artell is an actor, comedian, and host from New Jersey. After studying Economics, the acting bug was too strong, and he began acting professionally while in Salt Lake City. His first professional job came with a role in the independent feature "Net Worth" opposite Daniel Baldwin. Since making the move to Los Angeles, he's guest starred on a variety of TV shows (Scrubs, Monk, Zoey 101) and starred in dozens of national commercials (and even hugged Smokey Bear). Eric has also been the Host for numerous shows, including America's Funniest Videos' (AFV) digital series "Have You Seen This" and PBS' Emmy-Award-winning science show "DragonFly TV".

Off-camera Eric has lent his voice to video games, radio and TV spots, and animated shows. He's also been teaching and performing improv comedy for over a decade after studying with LA's the Groundlings.

He resides north of Los Angeles with his family, and he enjoys in his free time (if he ever has any!) playing sports (basketball, golf, tennis, softball, soccer, ping pong, you name it), reading, and napping.

GUEST RESOURCES

Website: https://improvwizards.com/ https://school.improvwizards.com/course?courseid=yesandyourself

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Email: nikoulohse@gmail.com
Instagram: @nikoulohse
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Elev8ted Tribe LIVE & on demand workouts/community:

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Gut Reset program details (email me nikoulohse@gmail.com if would like to join next group, or for more information to start today on self-guided course!)

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ABOUT THE HOST

Nikou Lohse is a mom of three, wife to former MLB pitcher Kyle Lohse, Master Pilates instructor, yoga teacher, and lover of all things MOVEment, MINDFULness, and commUNITY.

Nikou is a serial entrepreneur. She started her first company at 21 doing sales & marketing for Fortune 500 companies, made her first million at 24, and decided to exit at 30 in order to pursue her passion for helping others. She became a yoga, Pilates, barre, and mindfulness instructor, but her own struggle with SIBO and postpartum depression led her to redefine the way she took care of her body. Now, as a holistic health coach, she is on a mission to empower women and help them heal their gut through nutrition, movement, mindfulness, and spirituality.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: nikoulohse@gmail.com

Podcast Description

Failing forward is about the successes we find after enduring failure. Each episode is an opportunity to hear interviews and stories from professional athletes, entrepreneurs, executives, doctors, and loved ones who have fallen down, struggled, and transformed.

They'll be sharing how they got to where they are today, and the lessons they learned along the way. We'll be covering topics in entrepreneurship, careers, relationships, holistic wellness, mindfulness, gut health, and finding your competitive edge. With raw human moments and empowering information, this podcast is here to inspire you, remind you of your greatness, and give you the knowledge to up-level in every area of your life.

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