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Career coach teaches how to find your

“competitive edge”
By Ashley Whillans

hanks to lady luck and good timing,

Barbara Deutsch, a former Broadway

actor, singer, writer and now career coach
has taken time out of her busy schedule to share
a few words of wisdom on career success and
happiness with The Other Press.

Barbara Deutsch is a career coach. But
not only that, she is a role model. In a society
which often tells us that it is easier to chase
money than to chase our dreams Barbara defies
social expectation. From secretary to Broadway
performer, singer, actor and finally career coach,
Barbara knows not only what it feels like to
be working a ho-hum or dead end job, but also
knows the joys associated with finding that
“dream job,” a job that no matter how many
times you pinch yourself, you can’t believe you
are getting paid for!

Choosing a career path isn’t easy, and even
Barbara, at first, did not know what her “it” job
was. In fact, it took working many different
jobs in many different industries to find her
niche. As a young woman she decided to take
a type writing course. Soon after graduation
she began working as a secretary for all the
staff songwriters at the famous Columbia
and Epic Records in New York City. It was
while working at Columbia that Barbara’s life
changed dramatically. While entertaining her
fellow secretaries at the lunch table, she was
accidentally “discovered” by Clive Davis. He
was not amused with her antics, but recognizing
raw talent, uttered the words which would
change her life forever: “Either fire her or sign
her.”

Luckily for her they decided the latter. She
recorded the single “Across the Universe” by
Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and soon
after auditioned for and won a role in the first
national touring company of the Broadway
show Godspell. Needless to say, after these two
surprising turns of events Barbara was “No more
a secretary.” However, after taking a workshop
in passion, only to discover hers was helping
others, not performing, Barbara’s profession
changed yet again.

Today Barbara teaches workshops all over
North America in Los Angeles, Vancouver,
Toronto, Baltimore and Chicago helping
performers and professionals alike to realize
their innate gifts, their so-called “competitive
edge” (what makes them unique and their
unique strengths) and most importantly how
to enjoy themselves while at the same time
building a lucrative and successful career. What
she offers is advice for performers. But it isn’t
just for actors. In today’s competitive business
market, her advice is useful for just about every
profession and she has clients ranging from
hairstylists, to businessmen, nurses and teachers.

“The work I do has all to do with finding
your competitive edge: what it is about you that
nobody can compete with so that you never sell
out on yourself and get results painlessly. | work
with teachers, hairdressers, lawyers, therapists
and real estate brokers and it never seems to be
any different than an actor’s issue. Everyone

12

needs to communicate effectively without
withholding, withdrawing, know[ing] what to
ask for and when to ask,” she said.

Sometimes individuals need the
encouragement Barbara’s group-focused
workshops provide, and sometimes they simply
need to readjust their dreams, she adds. Such
was the case of her favourite success story Mark
Allen. Mark Allen was a struggling actor in Los
Angeles when he attended one of Barbara’s
workshops.

“Mark Allen came to me three years ago
a fledgling actor/singer/dancer. Nothing was
happening and nothing was working no matter
how he tried. He is one of the loveliest human
beings I’ve ever met,” she said.

When Barbara asked him what he did to
make ends meet, while waiting for his “big
break,” he shocked her by responding not with
the name of a restaurant, but with his true
calling: kids parties. Allen hosted little kid’s
birthday parties on the weekends! After seeing
the look of pride on his face, Barbara told him
to create something for kids. Faced with doubts,
as he didn’t believe working with kids was an
appropriate “adult career,’ Allen grudgingly
obeyed. Three years later and he has just
returned back from his second tour with a show
called The Party Animals, a children’s rock and
roll group that entertains military families. He
also has a TV animation show and CDs and is
currently working towards a feature film.

The moral of the story and Barbara’s main
message is to listen to what your heart is saying
and follow it. Regardless of whether your ideas
seem trivial or “inappropriate” Barbara reminds
us that they could be the key to both financial
success and happiness. Remember, as Barbara
advocates, “a dream has a chance to come true if
there are consistent actions towards it.” Barbara
advises to work towards being “an influence
rather than be influenced” by other people and
to have courage to think outside of the box, to
follow your dreams, and of course, have some
fun doing it!

For more information about Barbara
Deutsch, go to www.bdapproach.com.

Sree eM IER COTM Teenie g
workshops from September 18'"—21",
PAU

 

 

 

ORK THIS,

Rosie’s On Robson

 

 

By Jay Schreiber, Arts Editor

It’s playoff season, and after a long game of twirling a towel
and shouting at the top of your lungs, food and a refreshing
beverage are most definitely in order.

So, with spirits high and the economy low where would
the best possible spot be to sink your teeth into a delicious
meal without feeling too bad about the hundreds of dollars it
cost to see your Canucks?

Rosie’s On Robson is a medium-sized bar and grill that
never seems to be too busy or too out of the way. Rosie’s
is located at 298 Robson Street, just up from BC Place
Stadium and across from the Vancouver Public Library. With
everything from lunch specials to post-game parties, Rosie’s
is both a versatile restaurant and a rowdy party place.

Large boards with happenings at local venues adorn
the east side of the bar that will keep you up to date on all
the events that shape this city. At a convenient location,
the stadiums are down the street, the shopping district is
the opposite direction and Yaletown is a short block away.
SkyTrain is convenient as always so that stumble home
is never too out of reach for those of us who are having a
really good night.

In addition to traditional pub fare, Rosie’s has been
known to offer specialty meals and signature foods. For a
while, Rosie’s was the only place in all of Vancouver to get
decent mozza ball soup. Some of the club sandwiches and
burger platters are to die for, not to mention the delicious
fries.

Enjoy either an eat-in meal or call ahead from the game
to order your post-victory snack. Rosie’s is technically
classified as a pub and thus you will need to be 19 years of
age to sit in the general seating zone, but there is a family
friendly area in case Junior needs to eat too.

For those who wish to wind down after a game and
mingle with fellow Canucks, this place is for you.

Four forks out of four

Fork This

ryt