Today’s profile subject is a current (January 2012) nominee for the Writer’s Guild of America Award for Animation for an episode of ”Futurama” he wrote as an assignment while he was a writer’s assistant on the show. He was not new to “Futurama,” though, nor was he new to the television business, and his path to becoming staffed on a TV show demonstrates just what kind of trial and error (not to mentione perseverance) can be involved in getting one of these coveted spots.

Current position:  Staff Writer, “Futurama”

Hometown:  Middletown, Ohio

College/Degree:  Miami University in Oxford, Ohio/English Literature

Did you… Read the rest of this entry »

In spite of being a writer, Executive Producer, and actor on one of the top half-hour comedies on network television, “The Office,” Mindy Kaling is near the beginning of her entertainment career. Unlike “Stories I Only Tell My Friends,” in which actor Rob Lowe chronicles his 30-plus years in showbiz or “Bossypants,” whose author, Tina Fey, has 15 years of professional experience, Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) (affiliate link) gives equal coverage to the pre-making-a-living-at-showbiz years as it does to “The Office” and everything… Read the rest of this entry »

The career of today’s profile subject seems almost preordained when you find out about his childhood. Parents with an interest (and background, in the case of his mother) in the film business coupled with an inexplicable early sense that China would becoming a dominant force in the world seem to be the key ingredients to what Robert Cain is doing now. His company name, Pacific Bridge, could actually be his job title. Read on to find out about how his internships helped pave the way and about how his… Read the rest of this entry »

The inspiration for the Mogul Mindset eblasts (the name of our weekly newsletter) came from the Richard Branson autobiography, “Losing my Virginity.” This compelling story contained many lessons which anyone who aspired to achieve big things in any field, including entertainment, could apply to their own career paths. Richard Branson has a way of thinking – strategic, methodical, and expansive - which seems to define his work style and decision-making. Four key characteristics were explained in this post.

Last year, Jay Z was added to the Your Industry Insider honorary board of… Read the rest of this entry »