About The Empowered Actor Initiative
From the Kennedy Center to Coaching Glory
The moment I walked onto the stage at the John F. Kennedy Center in D.C., something clicked. It wasn't just the applause or the bright lights — it was the culmination of a journey that began at 18, tracing through the rigorous training grounds of Wright State University's Professional Actor Training Program and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Landing this role wasn't just a career highlight. It was a pivot point that made my future clear as day.
Fast forward to 2005, I found myself giving workshops in Washington, D.C., not just teaching actors, but truly connecting with them. We delved into mastering auditions, nailing cold readings, and building dynamic characters. Yet, while I saw eyes light up and minds expand, I couldn't shake the feeling — I needed to give more.
So, I created handy-dandy handouts, guides the workshop participants could take with them with key pointers as reminders. Still not enough. I actually nabbed a toll-free number so actors could get their problems addressed in the moment. (Remember, this was only the first decade of the 21st century.) Soon, The Empowered Actor Initiative emerged. Suddenly, my coaching wasn't confined to a studio. Via email and phone, advice, tweaks, and confidence-boosting strategies flowed directly from my experiences to theirs. And with each success story, I knew it was more than just a business. It was a calling.
Here's the lesson, and listen closely.
It's not about what you achieve for yourself. Jazzed as I was for my own spotlight at the Kennedy Center, it paled in comparison to helping others find theirs. That's the beauty of passion — it doesn't peak; it morphs, grows, and gives back.
Now, I'm offering you the same transformation: the lifeline that turns fear into finesse, the tools to go from overlooked to fully booked. Are you shackled by the dread of cold readings? I've been where you are, and I've shouldered the same fears. With The Empowered Actor Initiative, our one-on-one coaching isn't just about reading lines. It's about rewriting your future, erasing the fears that drown out your talents, and spotlighting the actor you're destined to be.
I'm not just a coach — I'm your bridge from 'what if' to 'what is'.
So, if you're ready to ditch the anxiety, if you're done being the actor who could have been, let's work together. This isn't just another class or workshop. It's a one-on-one blueprint to the confident, commanding professional you can be, ensuring every audition is an opportunity, not an obstacle.
Let's turn those stage lights back on, for you this time.
Your coach in the wings,
Tom Brooks
The Empowered Actor Initiative
Certified by the International Authority for Professional Coaching & Mentoring
The moment I walked onto the stage at the John F. Kennedy Center in D.C., something clicked. It wasn't just the applause or the bright lights — it was the culmination of a journey that began at 18, tracing through the rigorous training grounds of Wright State University's Professional Actor Training Program and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Landing this role wasn't just a career highlight. It was a pivot point that made my future clear as day.
Fast forward to 2005, I found myself giving workshops in Washington, D.C., not just teaching actors, but truly connecting with them. We delved into mastering auditions, nailing cold readings, and building dynamic characters. Yet, while I saw eyes light up and minds expand, I couldn't shake the feeling — I needed to give more.
So, I created handy-dandy handouts, guides the workshop participants could take with them with key pointers as reminders. Still not enough. I actually nabbed a toll-free number so actors could get their problems addressed in the moment. (Remember, this was only the first decade of the 21st century.) Soon, The Empowered Actor Initiative emerged. Suddenly, my coaching wasn't confined to a studio. Via email and phone, advice, tweaks, and confidence-boosting strategies flowed directly from my experiences to theirs. And with each success story, I knew it was more than just a business. It was a calling.
Here's the lesson, and listen closely.
It's not about what you achieve for yourself. Jazzed as I was for my own spotlight at the Kennedy Center, it paled in comparison to helping others find theirs. That's the beauty of passion — it doesn't peak; it morphs, grows, and gives back.
Now, I'm offering you the same transformation: the lifeline that turns fear into finesse, the tools to go from overlooked to fully booked. Are you shackled by the dread of cold readings? I've been where you are, and I've shouldered the same fears. With The Empowered Actor Initiative, our one-on-one coaching isn't just about reading lines. It's about rewriting your future, erasing the fears that drown out your talents, and spotlighting the actor you're destined to be.
I'm not just a coach — I'm your bridge from 'what if' to 'what is'.
So, if you're ready to ditch the anxiety, if you're done being the actor who could have been, let's work together. This isn't just another class or workshop. It's a one-on-one blueprint to the confident, commanding professional you can be, ensuring every audition is an opportunity, not an obstacle.
Let's turn those stage lights back on, for you this time.
Your coach in the wings,
Tom Brooks
The Empowered Actor Initiative
Certified by the International Authority for Professional Coaching & Mentoring
What You Should Know about Tom Brooks
My "syndrome" might be your asset
I’ve got this itch. Scratch that — it’s more like an insatiable excitement for something that many in my craft dread: auditions. I know, it sounds like I've got an illness, perhaps some hyper-involuntary panic-stress tension syndrome — if that’s even a thing.
Let me take you back. Growing up, I was dodging bullies and slaying class clowns purely by harnessing the art of performance. To me, acting was not just about drawing laughs, it was my stylish shield and unique strategy for survival. But you see, despite all this, I was remarkably unremarkable at sports. The most I could boast about was my uncanny ability to spell 'badminton'... Well, okay. Truth be told, that was a feat I only achieved in adulthood.
Now, about singing. Let's just say I preferred hiding under a table, laid flat across chairs, to attempt it. Feels safer, though it doesn’t enhance the pitch. But when it comes to auditions, believe it or not, I'm in control. Yeah, totally. Even with my turbo-charged hyperactivity that doesn't require any artificial high.
Picture this: high school...a dude walks up and asks if I’m on something because I'm bouncing off the walls. Nope, I’m naturally running on a hyperdrive — no drugs needed. You see, some folks want that kick to chill. Me? I've got enough chill to nearly blind an acting classmate with an airborne pen propelled by sheer excitement. Sorry, Brandon, wherever you are.
Coaching actors, directing, cracking the acting code...man, that’s where I live, right behind cherishing familial bliss in West Virginia amid an ensemble of four-legged creatures and a resilient turtle.
Why am I sharing this? Because here’s where it links back to you and the transformative power of The Empowered Actor Initiative. My so-called "control" over the unpredictable realm of auditions? It’s a skill, a methodology that's been honed, refined, and ready to be deployed in your favor.
Struggling with cold readings? I broke through that barrier. And now I craft pathways for others to navigate through these often crippling, career-stalling auditions. I turn cold sweat blind readings into booked gigs. I can help you not only face the teleprompter but own it.
The Empowered Actor Initiative is about brushing up your acting chops — if that’s where you're stuck. But for a few of you, it’s about digging deep into the treacherous fears of reading aloud, identifying the root of that block, and then systematically uprooting it. I'm here to ensure you gain complete mastery over those pages that are handed to you sight unseen, and effectively over your future in the audition room.
With our one-on-one actor coaching, we don't just aim for "good" — we make sure you walk out great, and with the reinvented confidence to get fully booked... commandeering every cold read that gets tossed your way. It’s your turn to find the exhilaration in what terrifies you.
Ready to transform your auditions from feared obstacles to anticipated triumphs? Your leap from nauseated to nominated starts with one simple, brave step. A step towards me, your personal pathfinder.
Let’s turn that audition room into a stage where you perform, not just with skill, but with an infectious zest that can only be mirrored from someone who truly loves what they do.
Dream big, read bold. Get in touch and lock in the performance of a lifetime — one audition at a time.
Center stage awaits,
Tom Brooks
I’ve got this itch. Scratch that — it’s more like an insatiable excitement for something that many in my craft dread: auditions. I know, it sounds like I've got an illness, perhaps some hyper-involuntary panic-stress tension syndrome — if that’s even a thing.
Let me take you back. Growing up, I was dodging bullies and slaying class clowns purely by harnessing the art of performance. To me, acting was not just about drawing laughs, it was my stylish shield and unique strategy for survival. But you see, despite all this, I was remarkably unremarkable at sports. The most I could boast about was my uncanny ability to spell 'badminton'... Well, okay. Truth be told, that was a feat I only achieved in adulthood.
Now, about singing. Let's just say I preferred hiding under a table, laid flat across chairs, to attempt it. Feels safer, though it doesn’t enhance the pitch. But when it comes to auditions, believe it or not, I'm in control. Yeah, totally. Even with my turbo-charged hyperactivity that doesn't require any artificial high.
Picture this: high school...a dude walks up and asks if I’m on something because I'm bouncing off the walls. Nope, I’m naturally running on a hyperdrive — no drugs needed. You see, some folks want that kick to chill. Me? I've got enough chill to nearly blind an acting classmate with an airborne pen propelled by sheer excitement. Sorry, Brandon, wherever you are.
Coaching actors, directing, cracking the acting code...man, that’s where I live, right behind cherishing familial bliss in West Virginia amid an ensemble of four-legged creatures and a resilient turtle.
Why am I sharing this? Because here’s where it links back to you and the transformative power of The Empowered Actor Initiative. My so-called "control" over the unpredictable realm of auditions? It’s a skill, a methodology that's been honed, refined, and ready to be deployed in your favor.
Struggling with cold readings? I broke through that barrier. And now I craft pathways for others to navigate through these often crippling, career-stalling auditions. I turn cold sweat blind readings into booked gigs. I can help you not only face the teleprompter but own it.
The Empowered Actor Initiative is about brushing up your acting chops — if that’s where you're stuck. But for a few of you, it’s about digging deep into the treacherous fears of reading aloud, identifying the root of that block, and then systematically uprooting it. I'm here to ensure you gain complete mastery over those pages that are handed to you sight unseen, and effectively over your future in the audition room.
With our one-on-one actor coaching, we don't just aim for "good" — we make sure you walk out great, and with the reinvented confidence to get fully booked... commandeering every cold read that gets tossed your way. It’s your turn to find the exhilaration in what terrifies you.
Ready to transform your auditions from feared obstacles to anticipated triumphs? Your leap from nauseated to nominated starts with one simple, brave step. A step towards me, your personal pathfinder.
Let’s turn that audition room into a stage where you perform, not just with skill, but with an infectious zest that can only be mirrored from someone who truly loves what they do.
Dream big, read bold. Get in touch and lock in the performance of a lifetime — one audition at a time.
Center stage awaits,
Tom Brooks
Mission
To champion the integrity and empowerment of every actor to achieve audition superiority, leading to rehearsal freedom, resulting in acting excellence.