⚠️ATTENTION IATSE BROTHERS AND SISTERS:
WARNING: This Briefing Requires a Winning Profile. (Read This Before You Judge Our BOP)
Look, I’m going to cut straight to the chase because we’ve all had enough smoke blown up our behinds over the last two years.
I know exactly where a lot of you are at right now. The industry has been a ghost town. Work dried up. Many of us have been sitting on the bench, watching our savings dwindle, stressing over mortgages, car payments, and the terrifying prospect of bankruptcy. You’ve been beaten up, exhausted, and pushed to the brink through no fault of your own. I see you, I hear you, and I feel that pain deeply.
But because you’ve been in survival mode for so long, a dangerous thing happens: your guard goes up, cynicism sets in, and you start shooting down lifelines because you mistake them for threats.
Before you skim this, roll your eyes, or hit the back button because you think you already know what a "BOP" (Business Opportunity Presentation) is, I need you to pause. I want to talk about the two distinct profiles that show up whenever someone in our industry is presented with a new path: a winning profile and a losing profile.
🟢 The Winning Profile
When a brother or sister with a winning profile hears new information—even if it’s outside of the entertainment industry or contrary to what they’ve always done—they keep their mind open long enough to evaluate it intelligently. They ask:
“How can I use this to get my family out of this hole?”
“Where does this fit into my life, and can I implement it while waiting for the next gig?”
“What part of this can protect my hard-earned money tax-free so I’m never vulnerable like this again?”
They look for leverage. They look for ways to make it work for them.
🔴 The Losing Profile
The losing profile does the exact opposite. When someone has been beaten down by life, they become timid, terrified of making another mistake, and deeply afraid of looking foolish in front of their crew. To protect their ego, they put maximum effort into discounting anything new. Their internal dialogue sounds like:
“I tried a side hustle once, it didn’t work.”
“If I haven’t heard of this on set, it must be a scam.”
“What will my union friends think if they see me doing this?”
“I’d rather run to Google, find a negative review written by a stranger who has never built a business in their life, and use it as an excuse to do nothing.”
Instead of asking how something could work, they immediately list reasons why it won’t. They filter life through a lens of cynicism to avoid the pain of disappointment.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth: For a long time… that was me. I operated from that losing profile. Not because I wasn't smart, but because I was conditioned to avoid pain. The human brain is wired to avoid pain 10 times more than it desires success. Most people would honestly rather stay comfortably broke and stuck than risk trying something new and looking wrong.
A Reality Check for the Crew
Think about this for a second: We have gladly given 60, 80, 100+ hours a week on set. We have wrecked our backs, sacrificed our sleep, missed holidays, and skipped our kids' birthdays to make Steven Spielberg’s dreams come alive. We put that staggering amount of work ethic into someone else’s vision, only to be left high and dry when the industry halts.
If you can give that much of your life to build a studio’s empire, why wouldn’t you invest a small fraction of that time and energy into creating your own vision for your family’s future? Right now, you are facing a massive crossroads. The reality for many in our local is that the old options are running out. Houses are on the line. Futures are at stake. Don't judge a financial vehicle you think you understand but actually don't.
Every single day, regular people—including union members, teachers, and tradespeople—are using these exact strategies to build a tax-free, risk-managed financial life. For what equates to the cost of a cheap dinner, anyone with a bit of heart, humility, and the ability to follow a blueprint can build an asset that they own. We partner with massive, time-tested institutions like Nationwide, Ethos, John Hancock, and Prudential. This isn't theory; it’s experience-tested.
We Aren't Here to Convince You
Let me be completely direct (in the spirit of true transparency): We are not in the convincing business. I am completely out of practice trying to "sell" this to skeptics, and I won't do it.
We don’t chase cynics. We don’t debate closed minds. If you want to stay in your comfort zone, even if that zone is currently burning down around you, that is your choice. No hard feelings.
But if you are honest with yourself in the quiet moments—when the lights are off and you're staring at the ceiling wondering how you're going to pay the bills next month—you know something has to change.
In this business, we see big, tough, confident grips and riggers who look like they could take a punch from a gorilla. But you ask them to step outside their comfort zone, learn a new skill, or face a little bit of rejection on the phone, and they wilt.
On the flip side, we see single moms and folks who have been totally wiped out financially who have absolute, unbreakable mental toughness. Why? Because their "WHY" is bigger than their fear. They are doing it so their kids never have to worry about a roof over their heads again.
Your "WHY" is the only thing that matters. Is your reason for wanting a better, safer, recession-proof life bigger than your fear of trying something new?
Your Moment of Decision
You can look at our BOP through the losing profile—looking for a safe exit so you don't have to challenge yourself.
Or, you can look at it through the winning profile—looking for leverage, looking for a lifeline, and choosing to fight for your future.
When you’re ready to put your work ethic to work for yourself, grab a pen, some paper, and hit play on the video below. Once you're done, request some time on our schedule to get your questions answered by a licensed member of our team.
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