EP 21: Kirbi Jo Long – Frontwoman, Actor, Model on You Booked It podcast!
EP 21: Kirbi Jo Long
IG: @kirbijolong
Episode Transcript (autogenerated)
Dane Reis: [00:00:00] You booked it. Episode 21. Hey, entertainers and performers of the world. I’m your host, Dane Reis, and welcome to you. Booked it. Where I chat with inspiring entertainers, seven days a week by digging into their journey. We’re going to discover everything you need to do to be a successful entertainer. You know, cause training usually skips that part about how to actually make your skills work for you in the real world.
[00:00:32] Fellow entertainers. My drive here at UBC did is to share the inspiring and incredible journeys of successful entertainers. We are here to support your journey. So go to you. Youbookeditpodcast.com and join the, you booked it. Email unity, where we dig deep into truly, actually noble things you can be doing right now to help you book that next audition, submission or gig.
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[00:01:22] Let’s do this. Okay. Let’s get started. I am excited to introduce my guest today. Kirby long. Are you ready for this Kirby?
[00:01:34] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:01:34] I am ready, Dane. Let’s do this
[00:01:36] Dane Reis: [00:01:36] one. All right. Kirby is a Los Vegas based singer, actor and runway slash print bottle. Best known for her leading roles in Jubilee, Vegas, the show divas three and the touring company of West ends Abba mania.
[00:01:51] Making television appearances on extreme makeover home edition. And NBCs the winner is Kirby moved to Las Vegas in 2012 after landing a role in Jubilee and subsequently starring in Vegas. The show at planet Hollywood as Cher and Kelly Smith. Kirby has fronted numerous top 40 bands with Hinckley productions in New York city that has toured with the USO show troop since 2010, with whom she opened for Katy Perry and Tim McGraw took the main stage at the time squares new year’s Eve celebration and perform the national Anthem at Yankee stadium.
[00:02:29] You can see Kirby sailing the seas as a solo guest entertainer on numerous cruise lines, as well as touring regularly with divas three, starring as Anita in the national tour of Abba mania, and one of the Carter sisters in the man in black. Kirby. That is a quick intro of who you are and what you’ve done, but why don’t you tell us a little bit more about yourself, fill in the gaps, who you are, where you’re from, where you’re currently calling home and a little bit about what you do as a professional in the entertainment industry.
[00:03:03] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:03:03] Yeah, of course. so I was raised in Omaha, Nebraska, and was involved in music from a very young age. I started in a church choir, I think when I was four and, just kind of stayed in choirs, growing up and, went to the university of Nebraska and, Got my, funnily enough, I got my degree in business administration and, and minored in, in music, in vocal performance.
[00:03:28]but yeah, I just, I started in the Midwest where, you know, a lot of performers when they come from there. It’s kind of a struggle to know where to go. Cause we weren’t. Anywhere near Broadway or any of that. So I did what a lot of my Midwestern friends did and, started at an amusement park and sang in an amusement park.
[00:03:48] That was my first real gig ever when I was 20, 21. And, and from there, and this is literally every person I know from Nebraska as a performer had to kind of the exact same experience, went to worlds of fun amusement park. And then from there, after I graduated, from the university, I. I went to a cruise ships.
[00:04:08] I started working on cruise ships as a production singer, and my career just kind of took off from there. I guess that’s a big step. Yeah. Stone for a lot of, a lot of singers, in our industry. And I, you know, from there move to New York, as you said, worked for the USO, traveled. Entertaining the military there and, booked Jubilee there and moved to Vegas, drove cross country.
[00:04:33] And I’ve been living here ever since. That was in 2012. And. Now I would consider myself a touring performer. I don’t work as much in Vegas as I used to. I, I work with about three different shows touring, so I’m gone a lot of the year, with that, but I’m also a mom. So, trying to balance that and work.
[00:04:53] It’s a little tricky, but that’s a little bit more about me. any, anything else I missed?
[00:04:59] Dane Reis: [00:04:59] Yeah, that’s great. And you know, you mentioned. Cruise ships. And how you, from there, you said your career just kind of took off. And I find that what’s really good about ships is that everyone you’re working with is from somewhere else.
[00:05:11] It’s such a eclectic and diverse group of people just within production casts in general. which I think is really great. Cause we have, you know, we become friends with all of our cast mates and you get to learn about all the different opportunities that exist around the world and the other things that people have already done in their careers.
[00:05:30] And it kind of. Opens up your eyes to what is available to you?
[00:05:36] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:05:36] Wait, I mean, my first contract was on carnival cruise lines and I think I was one of like two Americans in the cast. yeah, it’s pretty incredible. And, and you’re right. I think everybody. In those CAS has totally different experience than you.
[00:05:52] And so it really does open up your eyes to different opportunities that you wouldn’t have known about it, you know, for networking purposes, it’s kind of the best way to start. I think if you’re going to go into this industry, and also just the experience of traveling and all that, it’s, it’s fantastic as well.
[00:06:06] So.
[00:06:07] Dane Reis: [00:06:07] Yeah. It’s loads of fun. I think sometimes I think of cruise ships. It’s weird to me that people sometimes still give them a bad rep, but the thing is, I think they’re brilliant and they really are. In a lot of ways, a crash course into discovering of if this industry is actually for you.
[00:06:24] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:06:24] Yes, absolutely.
[00:06:25] I think I worked for carnival and then I went with, and, worked with Gina and Ryan productions after that. and I worked for crew on cruise ships for about five years on and off. And it really does give you a feel for the industry. It also gives you a lot of stage experience that you wouldn’t get.
[00:06:41] I mean, if I had gone straight to New York and been auditioning, it probably would have taken me 10 years, you know, and the amount of time to get that amount of experience. Seeing in singing lead on stage. there would be no way I could gotten that amount of, of time, honestly, on, on a stage in New York at that young of an age.
[00:07:00] So I am very grateful for that, for that experience on ships, for sure.
[00:07:05] Dane Reis: [00:07:05] Absolutely. And I also love that you mentioned, you know, you’re, you’re very much a touring performer. Now you’re here, they’re everywhere. Touring for different shows, different gigs and things like this. And I want to bring that to how Vegas is kind of.
[00:07:20] A really great city to call home or to be a hub to travel out of. Can you talk about that a little bit?
[00:07:27] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:07:27] Yeah. so I work, like I said, I worked with different touring shows, all over. We we’ve mainly tour the U S but. Being in Vegas, you can kind of go anywhere really quickly from here. So touring from Vegas is actually really easy.
[00:07:42] If I, if I lived back in Nebraska, it would be a little trickier in terms of flights, but, but yeah, Vegas is a fantastic place to call home. It’s it’s relatively inexpensive to live here. there’s quite a bit of opportunity in town if you want to gig as well. so if I’m, if I’m between, you know, dates that I’ve been touring with, I can easily find.
[00:08:01] Work here as, I know you mentioned in my resume print model and stuff like that, there’s a lot of, you know, industries that are very related to ours, like modeling and runway and such, but you can find, you know, gigs between gigs here. So. I really like living here and, you know, our experience in Jubilee that we both share.
[00:08:23]yeah, it’s been pretty vital. Yeah. In the networking process. I think in terms of gigging here, that’s the main reason I’m able to do it is because I have such a fantastic network of performers and friends who, who do what I do, and we just kind of help each other out. It’s a pretty fantastic industry to be a part of.
[00:08:43] You’re very tight, tight knit people. Absolutely.
[00:08:47] Dane Reis: [00:08:47] Absolutely. All right. Well, let’s move on to the next section and look, I am a sucker for a good quote. What is your favorite quote that you’d like to share with everyone?
[00:08:59] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:08:59] I am. I’m also a sucker for quotes and it was hard to pick one. I, I love that commencement speech that Jim Carrey gave.
[00:09:08] Have you seen that? I
[00:09:09] Dane Reis: [00:09:09] think I’ve only seen a few clips of that.
[00:09:11] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:09:11] Okay. If you have a chance to watch it from like the beginning to the end, it’s pretty great. But he says, he says in the speech, you can fail at what you don’t want. So you might as well take the chance of doing what you love. And I think that’s just so applicable to our industry.
[00:09:29] I mean, I know I’ve many times I wanted to give up because it’s just very hard. Sometimes it’s so competitive and you get a whole lot more nos than you do yeses, but. You know, remembering that this is my passion and that this is what I’ve always wanted to do since I was a little girl. You know, I think that quote is so applicable.
[00:09:49] Anyways. I just, I really love that because he was talking about basically his father and that his father was a fantastic comedian and could have been very successful and decided when he had a family that he needed to stop. That stop his passion of comedy and just get a safe job. And so he did, and then he was fired from that job a few years later and they struggled for years to, to support themselves and, and, you know, it’s just, it goes to show you, you can fail at performing.
[00:10:20] You can fail at accounting, you can fail at any of these things. So you might as well just take a shot and do what you’ve always wanted to do. You got one life,
[00:10:29] Dane Reis: [00:10:29] right? Absolutely. I couldn’t agree more. Yeah. Well, let’s move on. So Kirby of course, you’re an entertainer, I’m an entertainer. And I think that you would agree that this entertainment industry is one of the most subjective, brutally, honest, personally emotional industries.
[00:10:49] And you know, is well as I, that to create and to have a successful career in this industry. Like you’re having now, it takes a lot of dedication and hard work and. While, of course, yeah, there is going to be an outrageous amount of fun, excitement being an entertainer being on that stage. There are also our fair share of obstacles, challenges.
[00:11:12] Isn’t failures that we’re going to experience inevitably, and we’re going to have to move forward through them. Tell us what is one key challenge, obstacle or failure you’ve experienced in your career? And how did you come out the other side better
[00:11:29] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:11:29] because of it? No, there’s a few obstacles I’ve experienced.
[00:11:34]I think just on a broad, broader level, just to nos, as I talked about earlier, just the no’s that you get, auditioning are they, they build your character, you know, and you stop taking things so personally, and it makes you stronger. So in that, in that regard, I think just. Getting nos constantly is really important if you’re going to be successful because you have to know, you know, how to keep going and push forward and believe in yourself.
[00:12:03] But recently my biggest obstacle, I would say, Challenge. I don’t know if it’s necessarily an obstacle, but challenge is being a mom, after I had, and I know your wife and I have discussed this, but after I had, Corbin, my, getting back into the business was very difficult. I’ve also noticed this industry kind of looks, looks at you a little differently once you become a mother or some of the opportunities I had prior to becoming a mom were plentiful and then, you know, hours after you have it.
[00:12:37] And all of a sudden those, those opportunities kind of disappear and people stopped calling. and so I think making yourself, reinventing yourself, I guess, as a. As a singer, as a performer, after becoming a mother was a very challenging time for me. I, I had a really hard time with it. it took me about a year to get back into performing after I had my son.
[00:13:02]as you know, Dane, he had some medical challenges that also, increase that time, that, you know, didn’t allow me to get back as soon as I would have liked, however, Tell me about a year to get back into it. And it’s been kind of a slow and steady pace since I’m only in this past, you know, 2019, was it really starting to pick up again, to, to a pace that it was at prior to my having my son.
[00:13:27] So I think becoming a parent in general is, is challenging. It kind of. Makes you reprioritize, you know, what’s important and, your time, so a lot different, you don’t have as much time to commit. So marketing yourself and auditioning and all the things you were able to do. So, so easily prior to it’s, it’s a challenge, but it’s doable.
[00:13:49] I think if any of us are planning on being parents and you’re not a parent yet it’s doable. It does take a lot of effort though. That’s, that’s definitely the biggest challenge recently.
[00:13:58] Dane Reis: [00:13:58] For sure. I can absolutely empathize with them.
[00:14:01] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:14:01] Yeah.
[00:14:03] Dane Reis: [00:14:03] But it’s great. You’re right. It’s, it’s a complete switch of the way you view and prioritize time.
[00:14:10] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:14:10] Yes.
[00:14:12] Dane Reis: [00:14:12] All right. Well, let’s move on to a time that I like to call your spotlight moment. That one moment in time you realized yes. I am going to be an entertainer for a living or maybe it was, yes. I need to be doing this as an entertainer. Tell us about that.
[00:14:32] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:14:32] You know, when I was, I talked about this earlier, but when I was working at the amusement park in Kansas city, I was on stage doing the, I think we did the show 250 times that summer, like, we worked really hard and it was really, really hard work.
[00:14:49] And I think we barely got paid anything. It was basically just. Working for free, but it was then that I realized I really wanted to do this, that I would be willing to work as hard as I did and make barely anything. I was so happy and I don’t think I had a choice at that point. I think I realized that.
[00:15:11] If I was going to be happy in my life, I, I had to be performing, you know, I always knew I wanted to perform as a, as a very young child. I knew that I had the talent to do it. but it wasn’t until that summer that I, I realized that I could actually do it. For living, you know, very modest living in, but, yeah.
[00:15:31] Yeah. I think that was a collection of moments, I guess that summer that made me realize, yeah, this is really what I, what I want to be doing. It made me so incredibly happy to be on stage. And, and when I left the stage professionally, when I was going back to college and that, that next, that next year.
[00:15:50] And it wasn’t performing. As often as I was that summer, I was kind of sad. It made me sad. And I think that was kind of the realization that I needed to make the jump into doing this professionally. Yeah.
[00:16:03] Dane Reis: [00:16:03] I love that. Well, let’s piggyback on that question quickly and let’s talk about your number one.
[00:16:10] Booked it moment. Walk us through that day, the auditions and call backs. If those happen to be a part of it, what was going on in your life? And what about that moment makes it your favorite moment?
[00:16:24] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:16:24] You know, this is kind of a strange one because I didn’t book it, but I do want to talk about this because I think it’s important, to realize how important auditioning in general is, when I was living in New York city.
[00:16:36] I have booked the USO show troops. So I was, I was working, quite, quite a lot, for very little money again, I loved it, but I was auditioning for the voice and I went into the audition room. It went, well, I didn’t book it. And I came out of the audition and there was a girl standing there. and she said, Hey, I heard your audition.
[00:17:00] What’s your name? And we started talking. And she said, I’d like you to come in and audition for this cover band that I performed with. It’s a, it’s a collection of, of corporate bands and they need singers. I said, okay, cool. So I did, I went into, into that audition and I booked that and I was doing that along with the, alongside the USO.
[00:17:23] When I lived in New York and it’s supported me, I never had to work as a waiter. when I worked there, cause I had this corporate band gig and I had the USO. And that same thing, the voice audition that I didn’t book, I got at an email, the following year asking me if I would like to audition for a different show that these producers from the voice were doing.
[00:17:43] And I said, well, sure. And I booked it. I booked the show and I was on NBC. And, it was a show called the winter is, it was, it was interesting experience to say the least. but. You know, and from there, I obviously, I booked other things and I’m here now in Vegas. So obviously I had some success in auditions, but I guess my point is just because you don’t book and audition doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.
[00:18:09] Do it and doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put yourself out there because a lot of opportunities will come just from the process of auditioning. I remember in college, a girl had auditioned for Scarlet and cream singers. It was the university’s show choir at the time. I was a part of it. And I went to the audition as well, and I, and I booked it and she didn’t, and I remember how sad she was.
[00:18:32] And I was working in a country band at the time and I was leaving the band to go work on cruise ships and I called them her up and I said, Hey, I saw your audition a year ago. I saw you audition for Scotland cream. I think you’d be a great replacement for me cause you have a great country voice, you know, and.
[00:18:51] And she worked with that band for five years. So I guess it’s just important to remember that putting yourself out there will always get you somewhere, even if you don’t book it that day. If that makes sense.
[00:19:02] Dane Reis: [00:19:02] Absolutely. I think that is incredible advice for everyone young and experienced in this industry.
[00:19:09] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:19:09] Absolutely. I think it’s the most important advice. Honestly, if you want it, stick with it and you want to do what you, what you love, you have to be willing to, to take those nos and recognize that eventually you will get yeses in places you never expect from places you never expected. You know?
[00:19:24] Dane Reis: [00:19:24] Absolutely. Well, let’s take a moment to talk about the present. What are you working on now? What are you looking forward to? And of course being amidst this global pandemic, how do you see the industry moving forward in the next couple of years?
[00:19:41] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:19:41] Well, I’m still working with, divas three. It’s a show that tours regularly on, on ships.
[00:19:49] Yes, but actually more prevalently recently in performing arts centers. So I’m still touring with them. However, most of our dates have been pushed to next year, as I mentioned, I also work with a Johnny Cash tribute band called the man in black. the lead singer is Shawn Barker. He’s a fantastic Johnny Cash.
[00:20:07] He’s amazing. He’s just incredible. So I work with them as well, singing, singing, backup for that band. And it’s fantastic. We’ll be touring again and in Canada next year and all over the States. And I’m also a still, still on. We’ll see if it stays, but. My national tour of Abba mania that I sing a lead in the role of I’m still on for this tour.
[00:20:31] I’m hoping it will happen given the pandemic, but that’s in January, February and March of next year. So that’s kind of my current projects. I’m, I’m personally definitely working on an, on a new album, that I’m hoping to release in the next couple of months. I still have my Christmas, as well that I put out there every, every December.
[00:20:53] So that’ll be a project for me. In December. And in terms of the, the industry, it’s really hard to say, I’m, I’m an optimistic person. and I, and I do believe the industry will come back. I know it’s kind of on hold right now for all of us. I think once a vaccine comes, it’s going to be a whole lot easier for that to happen.
[00:21:17] I think some advice I’ve given myself is to, you know, continue being creative, and try to find opportunities that might be related to the industry, but things that I was interested in. As well, you know, just, just try to stay busy, doing things that might not necessarily book me right now, but will, will keep me going.
[00:21:42] And, and that’s, I don’t know what to say about the industry itself of where it’s going to be in an, in a year. I think it’s all very, reliance, I guess, on, on this vaccine and what’s going to happen with this pandemic. It’s it’s, it’s a strange time for sure.
[00:21:59] Dane Reis: [00:21:59] Absolutely. Well, let’s move on to one of my favorite sections in the interview.
[00:22:05] It’s the grease lightning round. I’m going to ask you a handful of questions. I want you to answer them as quickly and concisely as possible one after another. Are you ready?
[00:22:18] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:22:18] Let’s do this. Okay.
[00:22:20] Dane Reis: [00:22:20] First question. What was the one thing holding you back from committing to a career as an entertainer?
[00:22:27] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:22:27] Money money.
[00:22:33] Dane Reis: [00:22:33] Second question. What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
[00:22:39] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:22:39] It is what it is. My old choir director would say that to me. And I think it’s so simple, but it’s definitely how I live my life.
[00:22:48] Dane Reis: [00:22:48] Yeah. In what can you expand on that a little bit?
[00:22:52] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:22:52] And it’s kind of like what you’re talking about with the nose.
[00:22:54] I think life hands you, things that you didn’t expect. And instead of dwelling on the negative, you just have to accept it and stay positive and move on and just make the best of it. He used to say that constantly. And I didn’t really grasp. I was like, this sounds so simple and it’s actually not, you know, but it’s a much deeper meaning by saying that, but yeah, it is what it is.
[00:23:18] I say that all the time now, and now it makes sense. Now that I’m a little older, but John Bernard, if you’re listening, he knows, you knows what I’m talking about.
[00:23:27] Dane Reis: [00:23:27] Third question. What is something that is working for you now? Or if you’d like to go pre COVID, what was working for you before our industry went on?
[00:23:38] Pause.
[00:23:42] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:23:42] Networking is really important. And it’s always worked for me. It’s worked, it’s working for me now. It worked for me pre COVID, but just making sure that I reach out to friends, who are in the same industry, and getting advice from them. It’s always, it’s always led me to new opportunities by just staying in touch with people who I respect in this industry and just.
[00:24:04] Making sure that I acknowledge them all the time and, maintaining those friendships. It’s it’s for me the most important thing to be successful in this, in this entertainment industry. For sure.
[00:24:18] Dane Reis: [00:24:18] Similarly, I think, I think networking and relationships are their most important. I mean, they’re always important, but they’re most important if you want to have any sort of longevity in this career.
[00:24:30] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:24:30] Yes. I absolutely agree. I think it’s easy to want to get there fast. but as you and I both know, it takes a lot of time to be successful, especially in our industry and excuse me. And I think the relationships are honestly the only reason I am where I am and I’m very grateful for all of them, so, yeah.
[00:24:51] Dane Reis: [00:24:51] Wonderful. And the fourth question. What is the best resource, whether that’s a book, a movie, a YouTube video, a podcast, some piece of technology that you found is helping your career right now.
[00:25:06] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:25:06] You know, honestly, having a Mac book pro is, is where it’s at. Like before I had this computer, I was struggling, but it comes with, for a singer, it comes with garage band.
[00:25:19] It comes with I movie. and if you’re not. Technologically savvy. I, I would consider myself kind of technical technological, yes. Savvy. But in terms of editing, it makes it really easy for a beginner. So if you’re going to invest in anything to make this easier on you, you’re going to need to learn how to edit video.
[00:25:37] You’re going to need to learn how to edit audio. having a Mac book pro is for me, it’s vital. to being, to being able to market myself. my, my website is completely done by me. I use wix.com, but there’s also Squarespace and all these other, you know, great, template websites that you can build a website on.
[00:25:56] But, Having a Mac book pro I would say just, if you don’t have one in, you’re trying to go cheaper, I would just get one because it’s, it’s made my life so much easier.
[00:26:07] Dane Reis: [00:26:07] Absolutely. I mean, I’ve been a Mac fan boy for quite a while now, and I love everything about them, to be honest.
[00:26:13] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:26:13] Yes. Yes. It’s been fantastic.
[00:26:16] I love mine.
[00:26:19] Dane Reis: [00:26:19] If you had to start your career from scratch, but you still had all the knowledge and experience you’ve collected from your career in the entertainment industry, what would you do or not do? Would you do anything differently or keep it the
[00:26:34] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:26:34] same? Keep it the same. I think that my career has. Gone the way it’s gone.
[00:26:42] Like I said, because of the relationships I’ve, I’ve built and if I had done it any differently, I wouldn’t have met some of the most amazing people I have met and I, I really wouldn’t change anything. Are there, are there mistakes I’ve made along the way? Yes, but. I think it’s important that you do make those mistakes and you’re able to learn from them.
[00:27:04]you know, you can give somebody as much advice as you want, but they’re not really gonna know unless they’ve experienced it themselves. So I, I haven’t do it all the same, you know, maybe make millions of dollars more doing it, but that’s, you know, really proud of where my career has, has. Gone and where I’ve come from.
[00:27:25] And I’m proud of the fact that I’ve made the mistakes that I haven’t learned from them. And, yeah, I do it the same. I
[00:27:32] Dane Reis: [00:27:32] love that. And the last question, what is the golden nugget knowledge drop you’ve learned from your successful career in this industry that you would like to leave with our listeners?
[00:27:47] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:27:47] Know, something I wish someone had told me in the beginning, is that casting has nothing to do with how talented you are, how talented you are. obviously talent will get you somewhere. But I learned this in New York and it was at one audition I’d been to, and I hadn’t. I hadn’t grasped, I guess, casting until this one I’ve finished.
[00:28:14]I was at an audition for it. Andrews sisters show of some sort. and that was kind of my thing at the time. Cause I was working for the USO doing Andrew sisters type material. So I was like, Oh, I got this, you know, I’m perfect for this. And I go into the, and they narrowed it down from, you know, 60, 70 girls to six of us.
[00:28:34] And I was like, yeah, in the bag, knew it, you know, not getting, I really lucked out that confidence. I knew that I, you know, this was my niche. I, this is what I, what I’ve been doing for the past couple of years in New York. And I felt good about it. And they narrowed it down to six of us. And obviously the Andrews sisters were three sisters.
[00:28:51] So I knew it was going to be three of us. And I got grouped with, two other girls who were my height and they had us sing together. And then the other group of girls were probably four or five inches shorter that they had chosen. They grouped them together. And the three of us sang the three of them saying, and it was very obvious that the three of them blended and sounded so much better than the three of us.
[00:29:20] And. Obviously they booked the job and they got it and I didn’t. but that experience was like, so enlightening to me because I was like, there’s nothing I could have done differently here. I did my best. I showed up. I, I had a great audition. I got to the final callbacks, but I wasn’t right for the part.
[00:29:42] And, It seems so simple, but you do have to experience it yourself. So I would just say, don’t get discouraged. If you don’t book something, you will book something. If you keep going, it’s just, you have to wait for the right part. And sometimes it’s based on your height, how, you know, the other people who are auditioning.
[00:30:02] As well. I mean, if those girls were cause I was the other girl’s height, I probably would have booked it, but it’s, there’s just so many factors involved in casting and you just can’t take it personally. You got to go in, you got to get a thick skin and just, you know, Do it do your thing and you’ll book you’ll book.
[00:30:19] The part that you’re meant for.
[00:30:21] Dane Reis: [00:30:21] Absolutely. I think that is fantastic advice. And to wrap this interview up, it is time for you to give yourself a plug. Where can we find you? How do our listeners connect with you? And is there anything you’d like to promote?
[00:30:37] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:30:37] Yeah, thank you. yeah, you can go to my website.
[00:30:39] It’s Kirby, Jo long.com. I’ll spell that cause everybody wants to spell my name with a Y it’s actually Kirby with an I. So it’s K I R B I J O L O N g.com. You can find all of my dates on there that are currently still happening. We’ll see if they, it still happened, but you can find all my dates on there.
[00:31:01] You can, Buy my Christmas album that’s on there. You can also find that on Spotify in any of them use it platforms it’s it’s on any of those. So feel free to, to listen into that. And I also have physical copies. If you’d like me to send you one, I can autograph that. like I said, I’m going to be putting out my own album here in the next couple of months.
[00:31:21] So keep an eye out for that. I’ll post that on my website as well. I’m also on Facebook saying Kirby, Joe Long. You can follow me on there and like my page, I’m also on Instagram, so friend, but yeah, just keep an eye on my day and I’ll let you know if there happened and hope to hope to see on one of my tours in the coming
[00:31:39] Dane Reis: [00:31:39] future.
[00:31:41] Absolutely. Well, Kirby, thank you so much for joining us today.
[00:31:45] Kirbi Jo Long: [00:31:45] Well, thank you Dan, for having me. I’m super excited. We got to do this. It’s so great to talk to you.
[00:31:51] Dane Reis: [00:31:51] You as well, take care. Thank you so much for joining us today. My one call to action for you is to go to youbookeditpodcast.com and join our free email community.
[00:32:04] Where we dig deep into a continually growing resource of truly actionable things you can be doing right now to help you advance your entertainment career. Don’t miss an episode. We have a new guest, seven days a week search for you, booked it on Apple podcast or your favorite podcast app and subscribe today.
[00:32:27] All the best to you. We’ll see you tomorrow.