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Inspired by @johnzaozirny's thread, here's my path to becoming a manager. I decided to moved to LA summer of 2013 after undergoing chemo, radiation, and surgery for Stage 4 NHL. I had one friend who was on the periphery of the industry at the time send my resume to Benderspink.
The position was an unpaid internship. I had just turned 27 but was eager to take any opportunity to help move me forward - especially since I hadn't attended film school. I was hired to intern and they asked where else I was working/interning. They sent me to Vertigo Ent at WB.
This is where I met @GavinDorman13, who was working there as an exec. I interned at both places for 3 months before expressing that I wanted agency experience. JC Spink arranged for me to meet at several agencies while I managed to leverage those meetings into additional ones.
I took another internship at Resolution when a position opened up in the mailroom. I had hoped to land at the likes of a WME, but the eariest start date was months down the line. My interview with a senior partner had gone well, but I was 27, poor, and not connected.
Jeff Portnoy helped me land the position in the mailroom at Resolution and it was a cautionary tale of what not to do. I was quickly promoted to assistant to a talent agent. He left the company a month later. I had always wanted to do lit and convinced another agent to take me on
It went well but the agency folded mere months later. I was severly underpaid and thought about quitting days before its demise. My boss went to Verve but I thought I should work for someone more senior. A friend submitted my resume to CAA and I was quickly hired.
CAA was the opposite of Resolution in most respects, but incredibly stressful. I made a few friends pretty quickly and generally enjoyed the experience as my boss was a good, smart guy. I didn't keep my mouth shut when I should have but otherwise made a good impression.
He knew I wanted to be a literary manager so after awhile, he made a few calls on my behalf and set up meetings. I landed at Writ Large first as an assistant but then as a coordinator where I started to bring in clients.
It was a great learning experience with some truly quality people. One of my coworkers was responsible for me meeting my wife. I got there a bit early for someone as ambitious as myself, but overall it was a good company.
I decided to leave WL after my three year cancer checkup in an effort to see what else I wanted to do with my life. I spent the rest of that year doing consulting work and coaching sports teams for sick children. It was a good reset.
I eventually took a day job where I more than doubled my salary. I served as a project manager for a trade association. It was a swift reminder of what I didn't want to do with my life. After a year, my boss was let go and my position was eliminated.
A good friend set me up with a full time consulting job in the original film division of Netflix. I got to vet super high level projects and give notes on drafts that were heading toward production. A very cool job but wasn't going to lead to anything of great note.
Gavin had approached me a few times to work with him over the years, but the timing never was right. Finally it made sense and we decided to work together. It's been nearly two years and this is the most at peace I've felt about any job over the past seven years.
