Accepting the Steady Hustle to Success
“we have very different, complex stories that are meant to be heard. Yes, these people are talented, but so are you.”
In this week’s episode, I’m so excited to introduce you to Ashlei Shyne, an LA-based comedy writer, actress, filmmaker and activist. She is best-known for playing Josephine Baker in the new sketch comedy tv series “The Book of Queer" now streaming on Discovery+.
She created, wrote and directed the web series “#TMI” and also created, wrote and directed a short film called Sia. As a writer, Ashlei is passionate about writing character-driven comedies centered around love, Black women and the LGBTQIA+ community.
In this episode we talk about how Ashlei surrounds herself with people who make her level up, the real struggles about living in LA and some advice for people who want to move there, how she writes characters who are based off of her life, but are still authentic in their own right, and she looks back to her younger self and gives her some advice and encouragement for her journey.
If you enjoy this episode, share it on Instagram and tag us (@levelupwithshay and @ashleishyne) on Instagram!
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Ashlei Shyne’s Links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleishyne/
Website: https://www.ashleishyne.com/
IMDb: https://imdb.to/3xSeWaA
The Book of Queer: https://bit.ly/3MTRPRk
Tribe Writers: https://www.besuperspecial.com/tribe
Start with 8: https://www.startwith8.com/
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Timestamps
4:27 - Surround yourself with people who help you level up
7:09 - Leveling up through mentorship
13:58 - Believe you are wonderful
17:48 - Don’t be afraid to start your career locally
21:31 - Ashley’s first big project as a film maker
26:07 - Why you should have a deep appreciation for every aspect of the filming process
31:35 - How to turn a loaf of Wonder Bread into a TV show character
36:32 - How Ashlei is telling the story of often forgotten voices
44:15 - The time Ashlei almost quit
47:43 - How Ashlei levels up
51:56 - What Ashlei would tell her past self
Transcription
Shay 0:00
(Intro) Hello and welcome to Level Up! With shay. I'm so excited to introduce you to today's guest, Ashlei Shyne. Ashlei is an LA based comedy writer, actress, filmmaker, and activist. She is best known for playing Josephine Baker in the new sketch comedy TV series The Book of Queer now streaming on Discovery Plus. After years of studying and performing comedy in Los Angeles, Ashlei realized there was a lack of BIPOC and LGBTQIA plus representation within the comedy community and mainstream media. So, she decided to make her own stuff. She created, wrote, and directed the web series #TMI. She also created, wrote, and directed a short film called Sia. As a writer, Ashlei is passionate about writing character driven comedies centered around love, black women, and the LGBTQIA+ community. In this episode, we talk about how Ashlei surrounds herself with people who make her level up, the real struggles about living in LA, some advice for people who want to move there, how she writes characters who are based off of her life but are still authentic in their own right, and she looks back to her younger self and gives her some advice and encouragement for her journey. It's a tearjerker. We held the tears back the best we could. Please welcome to Level Up! With Shay, Ashlei Shyne. Hello, everybody, and welcome to Level Up! With Shay. I am so excited to get to talk to an old friend that I made in LA. So funny, so talented. And I can't wait to hear about everything she's done over the past few years and everything she's doing now. So, welcome Ashlei Shyne.
Ashlei Shyne 1:53
Yay, thank you Shay.
Shay 1:56
Yeah, so happy to have you here. We did improv together, we were in Rainbow Bright Comedy for a little bit in LA from UCB and all that. It kind of feels like a different life to be honest.
Ashlei Shyne 2:11
(laughs)
Shay 2:11
Maybe it's because I'm out of LA right now. But, great times, and I'm excited to know more about what you've been doing. Actress turned filmmaker is what I saw on your website. So, I know, you've been getting really into making your own stuff lately, which is so cool.
Ashlei Shyne 2:32
Yes, um, I think you have to, I don't think that if you are a woman in comedy, and a person of color, you definitely have to create your own opportunities. I don't want to say stepped out on my own, because I brought a lot of people from the improv community, and it was like, "Hey, who knows how to record? Who knows how to do sound? Who knows this, who knows that." And a little bitty sketch that I had, that was three minutes, turned into a whole web series, because it was so addictive to be in that atmosphere where you're having fun, and you're playing a role that you see yourself on television playing. But I had to write and create that role for myself. So, I think definitely the community around me is really important and always has been important and finding people that also want to level up with you. It has changed my life. So, it wasn't just me and my mindset trying to level up, it was the people that I networked across the board to my left and my right, that helped me level up.
Shay 3:59
Wow, I love that and I kind of want to ask about that. How did your community level you up? Because you wrote these things. So, you're bringing all of these people in and that's awesome. And you want to help level them up, bring their skills to the table and everything. But how did other people level you up?
Ashlei Shyne 4:27
So, UCB was very unique in the community because we were, I will say UCB and Second City, we were being trained by people that were actually working in the industry. I remember having a conversation with Nicole Byer and she was just like, "That's a great idea. Why don't you pitch that?" And then I met my now mentor, Amy Aniobi, who was the EP on Insecure and I remember when we were performing for Rainbow Bright, and we did the Glenn Close. I met her there. I didn't realize who she was, but I was terrified to perform that night. And she came up to me and made me feel seen and made me feel like, okay, I wasn't alone in this sphere that I had. So, when I'm watching Insecure one day, I'm like, "Oh my God." I literally had a freakout moment with this woman. And then I ended up messaging her, telling her how I started following her career and her advice, and every podcast she was on. And then I was able to do a mentorship with her for a whole year, which also has led to now being interviewed to do shows for HBO. It's so surreal, but I think that's the way you level up is because you want to be around people that have that same passion and energy. And when you see someone else that's already accomplished where you're trying to be, and they take the time to really hone your skills, it is life changing. So, I definitely hope that I can be in a position to continue to level up and be able to bring the people that have supported my career up as well. And I try to give back as much as I can, if it's a donation to anybody's projects I'm the first one to be like, "I support you. I don't have a lot of money, but I do support you." I hope that as my bank account continues to grow, that I'm able to do the same that people have done for me.
Shay 6:59
Yeah, I love that. And what was the woman's name? Who you did a mentorship with?
Ashlei Shyne 7:05
Amy Aniobi, it's the Tribe writer's mentorship.
Shay 7:10
Okay, and can you talk about that a little bit? Because I think some people can go through any type of training. I mean, people can read a book and not take any action, not actually do anything with it. So, can you talk about how specifically that mentorship helped you level up? Did it get rid of fears? Did it make you take ten times the action or whatever it took? What was that experience like?
Ashlei Shyne 7:41
I think that everyone in the industry is a little bit afraid. Let's just be honest, when you're creating your own work, and you're thinking, "Oh my god, I spent 10k on this project." Well, think what happens when you have executives giving you millions of dollars and then the expectation of "you need to get these views". So, I feel like there's always a level of fear no matter which level you're at. What I will say is it did sharpen my skills, I know how to do a general meeting, I know how to follow up with people. I know how to start networking in a different way than before. And I know how to continue to put myself out there even though it scares me as an introverted person, even though I'm a performer, and it gave me a community to really work with because a lot of the people that I was in the Tribe writers group with, they were on my web series, they work behind the scenes on Sia, they donated to the project. We're always sharing film festival codes.
Shay 9:04
Gotta save that money.
Ashlei Shyne 9:05
(laughs) I'm like, "Should I be really saying this out loud? Oh, well." But it's all of those things that if you meet a writers group, they're not going to "Yes, and" me in a way. They're going to be honest and blunt on giving me notes about my script. I don't want people that are going to be like, "Yes, this was great." I want people that are going to challenge me and give me another set of eyes to be better.
Shay 9:37
I love that. I haven't done a mentorship like that but just from hearing what you're saying, recommend that for people who are wanting to get in the industry. Because it's not like, "Oh, sometimes we talk about just getting rid of fear." Like you said, everybody's scared or, "This is how you reach out to somebody." But that mentorship sounds super specific, having a general meeting like that is so important because that is the actual day to day of somebody in the industry. It's not just like, "Let's hop on a zoom." It's not like that, right?
Ashlei Shyne 10:19
I mean, it did happen for me like that. They did email me and say, "Let's hop on a zoom." And I was like, "Is this serious?" But the fact that I did that mentorship and was able to be prepared for a meeting like that, because you do need to be prepared for a meeting like that. Also, I want to shout out Start With Eight, the woman of color united group is a great resource. So, if you are women, or non-binary, it is a great resource for you to have two mentors within the industry and it's a free program. And they started that in 2020 and I have another mentor who is really amazing. She has worked on a lot of my favorite shows. And I love the fact that Bree has read like several of my scripts and been able to give me notes. That's imperative.
Shay 11:26
So important. I love that. I'll look them up and I'll put them in the show notes. And I kind of want to go back. So, what year did you move? I know you're from Ohio. You went to the University of Toledo. Did you study acting or writing?
Ashlei Shyne 11:45
I did. I studied theater there. It was a really difficult experience being at the University of Toledo. Just because it was almost like a preview of Hollywood pre-2020. I think now everyone is like, "Diversity and let's change things and let's level up." But it was very much old school Hollywood and, "You should be happy we're doing this play." But I'm like, "This play is racist. Can we do something else?" It was just one of those experiences where I couldn't wait to get out of there. So, I basically moved to LA, I think it was 2006. So, just for your audience perspective, I have a television show called The Book of Queers that is out right now. I have a short film that's out. I did a mentorship. This overnight success looks like an overnight success. But that is 16 years of me, finally seeing the fruits of my labor.
Shay 13:04
Yes, totally. And I was looking at your reels that you have on your website, even the commercials that you're in just a few seconds, it's so funny. I just, I love it. So, you said you moved out to LA in 2006. I saw one of your earliest reels was uploaded was in 2013. So, I don't know if it was that long until you had made an actual real, but I want to know some advice that you would give to someone just moving out there. What should they be focusing on? What type of mindset should they be kind of cultivating? And were there any mistakes that you feel like you made that, not necessarily that you would go back and change or anything, but you just kind of realized looking back?
Ashlei Shyne 13:58
Well, I think everyone wants to move to LA. I get it. I understand. It is very expensive here. The biggest mistake I made was coming out here with a few $100 and a credit card and no car. You have to have a car, you have to have a savings, you have to feel confident in who you are, and know that you definitely are going to change within the industry. I think I was very green and even last year, I remember, in the Tribe writer's program, we got to speak to Steven Canals, who is one of the creators of Pose, and I was like, "Oh, I got the first question." And I was like, "Oh my God, oh my God." (pauses) I just couldn't get the words out. And I remember emailing my mentor and telling her how important being able to see someone like him in such an iconic show that seemed impossible being on the air, because once you figure out how many steps it is to get an actual show on television, is incredible. But I remember her saying, "He is wonderful, but so are you." And that ended me putting people on a pedestal. And I think that would be the biggest, hugest suggestion I could possibly give people. The people in the industry, you can admire them. But make maybe a list of the things that you admire, because everyone on this planet is uniquely coded and have very unique perspectives. Like we're both queer, but we have different backgrounds, which means we have very different complex stories that are meant to be heard. Yes, these people are talented, but so are you. Definitely come out here with a job, because you want to be able to support your acting career or writing career, writing classes. UCLA Extension right now is almost $800 for 10 weeks. That's probably the cheapest writing class where you're getting feedback, which I highly suggest, and you're actually with different professionals that are also on television, are taking a class to hone their skills. Acting classes, five to $1,000 a month. Improv classes, around that same. IMDb, $19.99 a month. LA Casting, $25.99 a month. Actors Access, I think it's like $200 a year. Do you see what I'm doing here people? It adds up and I haven't even got to headshots.
Shay 17:43
Or rent or parking.
Ashlei Shyne 17:48
And parking isn't even that bad, because now we're on self-tape. But then you got to pay for a backdrop. That's like $120. Lighting, clothes, new hairstyles. If you're a black woman, wigs. So, what I'm saying is you need something that is able to fund this because not everybody comes from money. My parents did very well for themselves living in Ohio. This is not Ohio. Also, don't be afraid to start where you are. I wish I would have started in a smaller market like Chicago and then moved to LA. And now Dayton, Ohio, is building a humongous film studio in my hometown. So, Hollywood is everywhere. Don't be afraid to start locally. If you're a writer, and you want to be a writer in Hollywood, you're definitely going to need to move out here. If you're an actress, definitely start local, do improv classes, home, just anything, and just continue to save your money. And when you're ready to make that big leap, then you will know.
Shay 19:16
Yeah, I love that. I came out to LA with about $1,000 and went through that real quickly. So, it definitely is expensive. And I think one of the important things that you said is honing your skills because the people who are at the top, who are really good, it's because they're really good. People don't make it to the top by accident, by surprise. It's because they continuously hone their skills, and you can do that anywhere. You can do that with people who are just a little bit better than you.
Ashlei Shyne 19:54
Yeah, exactly. I'm not gonna lie, I'm gonna just tell your audience, I sucked at improv, I was horrible. I was not good at all. My first show was so bad. I still have it on video just to keep myself humble. But I was just like, "Oh, this is something that I want to do." It can be taught to me. I feel like writing and structure are things that can be taught and then the essence of you as a creative, those are pieces that can't be taught. Your perspective, you're, as we say in improv, your specifics.
Shay 20:45
Yeah, totally. I love it. Thank you for that advice. It's hard. It's really hard. I totally get that. Yes, would I have tried to save up more money before coming out would have made life there a little bit easier, I think. So, totally get it. And from moving from actress to filmmaker, what pushed you into filmmaking? You wanted to make your own stuff. So, I know that that was a big thing, and you could talk about that more. But I want to know, what skills do you feel you already had to become a filmmaker? And what did you really have to learn making that transition?
Ashlei Shyne 21:31
So, I'll just break it down in the series of things. So, for me, I felt as though I was in Rainbow Bright Comedy, I wanted to do sketch, and do it digitally. And everybody was like, "Oh, that's gonna be a lot of time and stuff." So, I was just saying, "Okay, well, what do I want?" And I definitely wanted to do it digitally. So, Danzo, who also was in Rainbow Bright Comedy was like, "Yeah, I'll do this role." And it became episode three of my web series. And I remember the other person on Rainbow Bright Comedy, he did a whole bunch of social media stuff. So, he did this clip for us. And I was like, "Why was that so fun? Why did that bring me so much joy? But also, why was the production not at his best?" So, then I was just like, "Okay, I kind of want to do a web series. I don't know what to do." So, I just posted on the UCB Board, because I heard my mentor, well she wasn't my mentor then, but I heard her be like, "You need to network across, and Isa really didn't know." So, I was just like, "Alright. Isa also didn't know these things. Now look where she is. So, let me just leap." So, then I asked people, and I was like, "I don't have a lot of money. But it definitely can give you a real." And I definitely know that the bisexuals are the largest in the queer community. But there are so many movies and shows on how to be a lesbian or queer, but I don't see a bisexual show specifically. And I was just like, "Okay, I'm going to do this." And it was hard. The skills that I had was I knew how to act and I took sketch writing. And because I watched a lot of TV, I knew naturally how act breaks and things and the feel and tone of the show should be. But there's so many things I would do differently with the with the knowledge that I have now, just with filmmaking, it is trial and error, and I definitely had to do a reshoot which was an expensive error because that was an extra $1,000. And because I wasn't paying the actors on #TMI, I did have to work around people's schedules. So, I had to work very quickly, and I didn't have the luxury of Hollywood and being like, "We're going to do 20 takes, 50 takes." We're going to do the retakes and then we need to move on because someone needs to go to an improv graduation.
Shay 24:57
(laughs)
Ashlei Shyne 24:58
But it was that type of pressure. I think when you have money, filmmaking is definitely a lot easier. But I stand behind my first big project. It was fun. It was very queer. It was very me. But my writing style has, of course, changed in. And even my directing style when I look at Sia, and then I look at #TMI. I'm like, "This is like a world of difference."
Shay 25:35
Yeah. And I've talked about this before of maybe myself creating social media videos. And I can't get to the number 20 social media video, I can't get to that quality, unless I start with number one. Right, So, it's like, yes, you have that first web series under your belt, and you learned a lot. And you didn't stop yourself by it not being perfect.
Ashlei Shyne 26:07
I didn't, I submitted it to a contest, and I was very shocked. I'm actually really shocked, I always say I got lucky because I didn't know what I was doing. I hadn't taken a formal writing class, I just knew television and read some books, and then ordered Masterclass. That's not enough, Masterclass is not enough. You definitely need feedback from people. So, definitely seeing the outcome of it. And also, when you are a multi-hyphen and you're acting and directing, and you're doing costume design and set design, I did so much that by the time I got to my short film, I was like this, "These are my strengths and I need help." And I was able to pay the cast and crew for Sia, which I was super happy about because we're in a pandemic, still. And it was really important to compensate people for their talent because lighting is a talent that makes my storytelling look flawless. Everyone's job is to support the story in the overall feel. So, I just look at when I step on sets, I'm so grateful because I have a new understanding outside of just acting on how much work, time, effort in all the things that are part of making production great. I have a better understanding.
Shay 28:05
Yeah, totally. And I want to talk about your writing in #TMI. So, like you said, you write these characters, these stories from your own experience. So, #TMI, based on Aaliyah, being an out and proud bisexual woman, which you are and struggles to find love, acceptance, and career success, which that sounds like most people in LA, right? With an oversharing problem, which is very funny, but how do you find taking your own experiences, and then also creating a character? That's not exactly that, right? Like, I'm sure Aaliyah is not exactly you. But it's another person. So, how do you expand that character? What makes it fun for you? How do you do that? Because I want to write my own stories. And I'm in the middle of creating a couple of my own stories. I'm just curious on how do you keep it with your own authentic experience, but also make them their own person?
Ashlei Shyne 29:15
Well, I feel like I've lived so many different lives, because I've had so many different survival jobs. So, when people are talking about like, "Oh, you remember when Eddie Murphy or somebody was so great, back in the day." I'm like, "Well, they're out of the world. They're rich. They're not having these lived experiences anymore." And that was why their stuff was so funny in the beginning, because they were coming from a real place. Some of these people are characters that I create, they're friends, they're things that are similar to myself, but I think when people get specific, it's just like any character development, you want to really get specific. For instance, I have a character in this sketch that I wrote, and he is Wonder Bread. He's literally the bread from the grocery store. But what made that funny was different aspects that I can bring about Wonder Bread. What's his personality like? And so, I was like, "Okay, I've been flexing since 1940 something. I got that NASCAR money. If that's true, what else is true for this character?" And I think that makes things really funny. I was just like, "If he has a lot of bread, money. What else is true for this character?" So, then I would think, "Okay, what are the other things that you would find in the kitchen? Peanut butter and jelly? What if we said that peanut butter and jelly were his baby mamas. And they had children and their children live in the freezer, because they're the Smucker's uncrustables." I literally did a whole Mari episode on this situation.
(laughs) Yeah.
Because to me, that's funny. It's a relatable situation that humanizes them. But, also, the specifics that make it funny are the specifics of how they were recreated. The Smucker's and Wonder Bread don't hold the same nutritional value. All of these things make characters funny because they're specific. I'm reading this book about how you can also start from a character's childhood. For me, I started from my character and the things that I struggled with, coming out coming into acceptance with myself, and how is my character doing that now? Is she still coming to terms with that? As queer people, especially ones that allegedly pass because everyone keeps telling me I look straight, I constantly am coming out. So, with that, how does that character feel about having to do that all the time? Or there's different stigmas against bisexuals. That they're greedy, that they haven't chosen if they're going to be gay or straight, or that they can't be monogamous. So, what does that look like when she tells people? I remember one scene in #TMI, she is introduced to the sky is going great. But her ex-girlfriend is also in the room, and she starts flirting with this girl. And then he notices, and he doesn't know that she's bisexual. And then he wants to know, on a scale, which way, how much are you lesbian compared to your straight side? And she gets really furious about that. And then for him, he's like, "Oh, what did I say wrong? Was that offensive?" And then proceeds to ask another character, "You two don't happen to be bisexual by chance?" And they say, "We're queer." And he's like, "Queer? Queer? What is that?" And what made that funny is he's at a queer celebration and he's the only straight man. And everybody at the party is queer. But oftentimes, the queer people are the ones that are the outcasts and feeling like, "oh," and now I flip the script of that world. So, I think if you can get specific on putting characters in situations that will cause them to react. Very important. And also digging deep into that characters' history, so that nothing seems abnormal to this character's personality, it is based on where they are right here in life. And then as the series goes on, you can see the progression because that's what we do in everyday life.
Shay 35:11
Yeah, I love that. Because that is so real. Because every decision we make now is because of something, we don't do something just randomly. There's a reason whether we know it or not.
Ashlei Shyne 35:27
Right.
Shay 35:27
Yeah, so that makes it very real. I love the specifics, though. If this, then what? I took a script writing class a few weeks ago, and there's 100 questions that you can ask for your character. Where do they go to get their hair cut? There's really specific stuff that you can get into to make it, "Okay, this is why this character would make this choice." So, I love that. Yeah, thank you. So, I want to talk about Sia for a minute. Now, are we able to see #TMI or see it anywhere?
Ashlei Shyne 36:06
#TMI, I will be releasing it to the world at the end of June. I'm no longer gonna hold on to this project. I'm finally gonna release it.
Shay 36:19
Awesome. Okay, because I was looking, I was like, "Man, I can't see any of this. I'm just reading about it." But okay, cool. So, Sia is in festival process right now.
Ashlei Shyne 36:32
Yes, it's been accepted into two festivals, one I cannot name. It's a beautiful project. It is very political. So, I know that right now, not to be like serious on your podcast, I know that right now, people want to act like COVID isn't a thing. Social justice, like we've moved on, we really want to turn up this summer and have fun, I get all that. But, for America, we are still dealing with COVID, and we are leading the world in deaths. For a place that has access to not one but multiple vaccines, it's really sad. So, I had no intention of actually shooting this. But when people read it, they were like, "It puts a perspective on the pandemic, and a face for the pandemic, of two black queer women fighting for their livelihoods." One lost their job. The other one is a nurse. And there's just a lot of people who aren't here that, and there was a lot of stuff that happen in 2020, that I don't think people realize were happening. Legislation that was being passed, when you have something like this that is so life threatening. Our environments play a huge role, our diets play a huge role. And it's just unfortunate the negligence that the U.S., at that time, played. I can't speak on now because we have so many resources and different things to fight this pandemic. But people still are dying of COVID. So, I just really wanted to put a face to, I feel like oftentimes when there is a historic moment that women are left out of the conversation, and LGBTQ people, and BIPOC people definitely are just left out. So, I did the hard thing of trying to find a completely BIPOC crew. And what was surprising to me is everyone kept being like, "No, no, no." And I was like, "If there is this person, and they are white, and they have this access, I know that we can find a person of color who will understand the story, and are just as talented. But maybe their resume isn't as impressive as this other person who's had access." So, 98% of our cast and crew were BIPOC and LGBTQ+.
Shay 39:47
That's awesome.
Ashlei Shyne 39:48
And the women. The women were the head of all the departments, which is rare.
Shay 39:56
Yeah, and it is really the understanding of the story that, like you said, I think is so important. When you're especially when you're telling a story like Sia, with BIPOC people, with queer characters, you don't just want people on the sidelines, behind the scenes, just there for equipment work ,or there for the job. You want them there for the story, for the project.
Ashlei Shyne 40:26
Yeah, and you can tell the difference. The Book of Queers, we also did that, that was the largest LGBTQ cast and crew in the history of television. And being an actress, stepping on set, and seeing family everywhere. I didn't feel weird about sharing pronouns are messy. remember studying just so I made sure that I got everybody's pronouns and name right. But it was just really refreshing that there was black makeup artists, and they were queer. I don't know if I'll ever have that same experience. I pray to God that I do. But I told Eric, who is the creator of the Book of Queer, that he definitely changed my life because I thought when I was shooting Sia, and auditioning for the Book of Queer at the same time, that I would never find a professional space like that, besides the one that I was trying to create. And I see that we also are creating a world where we feel safe on set. It's a lot, and it means a lot.
Shay 41:56
Yeah, I love that. You're feeding into each other. The Book of Queer and Sia both have an impact on each other. So, I love that. So, I'm excited to see that, all of this is behind festival doors, but I'm excited to see both of these. So, looking ahead, I'm curious, what do you want more of? What are you excited about? Looking ahead, because it seems like, you're living and creating your life. You're like, "Hey, I want more of this. I want more queer and BIPOC people working with me." And that's what's happening. "I want to create more of my own stuff, write my own stuff." So, is there something that you want more of moving ahead and what are you excited about?
Ashlei Shyne 42:46
I always say that I really love Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, and Issa Rae's careers. I feel as though they've been in front of the camera, but they've also given so many opportunities to people behind the camera. And I would love to be the queer version of that. I want to be able to choose when I am in the front of the camera, I would love a big production company. And I would love to continue making funny, dope things. That would be my only wish for the future. And I can finally afford a house in LA.
Shay 43:29
To when you can finally afford a house? Or are you saying now you can?
Ashlei Shyne 43:33
Oh, I have a four-year plan. I'm on the journey of buying my dream. So, yeah, I'm one month in.
Shay 43:44
Okay, I love it.
Ashlei Shyne 43:46
Three years and 11 months later.
Shay 43:49
Yeah, well, I'm excited. We're gonna have you back on, set the timer on my phone. So. what does that process look like? You say you have a four-year plan. What does that look like? Manifesting? Do you write down goals? What are some kind of actions that you take to bring that into your life?
Ashlei Shyne 44:16
So, in July, I'm cutting out the world, because I want to focus on really getting my pilots really tight. Continue networking, continue trying to get into a writer's room. I want to sell projects. I want to be able to continue acting. And yes, I have done dream boards, set intentions, lit candles. I'm not going to I'm not even going to lie. I literally almost gave up on my dream before the Book of Queers, because I was just like, "I'm getting older, I need to get serious about my life, I don't have a house and all these other things." I put so much pressure on myself. And then when this booking came, it just ignited my dream all over again. Because it is very tough to live out here and be out here and to feel like I should. And I think if you can get out of what you should be doing and setting goals and intentions that are true to yourself versus traditionally what we should have by this age or that we should be here. No, things happen at the divine timing. And I think people should, I don't like to say should, but I think that we should give ourselves grace on being kinder to ourselves and letting energy flow, but also doing the work and the discipline to get your dreams accomplished.
Shay 46:03
Well, thank you for sharing that with us. I'm sure a lot of people have felt like giving up. But it does, in a lot of instances, seem, because sometimes even for myself I'm sure I've felt that way, of the universe then gives you a little spark, right? And then you're like, "Oh, wait, no, I actually love this thing. I'm actually working for something, working for your life's purpose, for having joy in your life, etc."
Ashlei Shyne 46:38
Yeah, and recently the universe has just been allowing these, because I've been in the game for so long, now things are just being invited into my life. I'm not technically, auditioning, it's like, "Oh, we already saw her portfolio for this for commercial stuff. Let's just see one take and see if she nails it." And then I'm on set. So, it's great to finally be in that position. That definitely takes a long time for people to usually get there.
Shay 47:19
And it has. Like you said, you planted the seeds. Now you're reaping the harvest. I love that. Well, I'm excited for the next four years for you. I'm excited for other stuff, too. But a couple more questions. What are you doing these days to level up?
Ashlei Shyne 47:43
I am getting back into acting classes because I feel as though that's really important. And I'm also investing in my writing classes because I also think that's important. When I realized that so and so has this long resume and they're taking writing classes, just to brush up on their skills. That's what I'm doing. I'm also being more social, which is very hard for an introvert. But I am out here. And I don't like to say it's networking. I'm out here genuinely getting to know people in their journey and having a conversation kind of like we're having a conversation of, "What did it take for you to get there? What do you like to do in your free time?" I'm also just trying to find hobbies to do outside of the creative, because that's important too, to have a break. This is no longer just a hobby for me. I make money from it, it is my career. So, I need to find hobbies that just bring me joy because it's really important to have that downtime for yourself.
Shay 49:07
Yeah, that's super interesting because we do our day jobs, right, starting out, we do our day jobs, and then we act, and then we do our art outside of that. So, that's kind of our hobby, right? But we're working towards making money from it. And then when it becomes something full-time, then it's like, "Oh, wait, I need to pause and not do this all of the time. Since I'm not working my day job now, I'm doing this all the time and find hobbies." I love that. So, one more question, but before that, where can we find you on social media and how can we support you?
Ashlei Shyne 49:46
I am not very creative in this way I don't have the swagger of like cool name. So, it's just @ashleishyne on all social medias.
Shay 49:56
Easy to find.
Ashlei Shyne 49:58
Yes, I'm going to try to get a tick tock going on right now for the kids. A little dancing, do some sketches like you do sketches, just to have fun.
Shay 50:18
It's good practice to and just being silly. Even if it's not for writing, it's just like, "Oh, I can be silly and do whatever" It's not strict at all, you know?
Ashlei Shyne 50:29
I love that.
Shay 50:32
Okay, so @ashleishyne on all the socials, I will post all of your socials in the show notes so people can find you and go there.
Ashlei Shyne 50:40
And if you need me on my website is ashleishyne.com.
Shay 50:44
Perfect. Well, last question. We talked about this a little earlier of like, when you move to LA, what was some advice that you would give to people just moving out there? I'm curious, what advice would you give to yourself? If you were to go, if you were you now, to go back to that younger self? What kind of encouragement would you give her and tell her in the hard moments, in the good moments, whatever?
Ashlei Shyne 51:16
Gosh, I almost want to cry. I would hug her and tell her, "You're going to be amazing and don't take yourself so seriously." To have fun, I will tell her, "It is not going to be easy and the things that you suck at are things that you can be taught." I would just tell her that, "There's gonna be some very rough days. But at the end of the day, you are all that you need." And I would also tell her that, "You are uniquely, fabulously divine. And when you get over your own homophobia, and not trying to appease the world, but also live in your truth, your life will unfold, and it's gonna be better than you ever dream of."
Shay 52:30
I don't know if you can see me, but I was about to cry.
Ashlei Shyne 52:35
I looked at you and I was like, "Oh, I cannot, Shay." I am glad that this is the one podcast that I was on that I didn't screw up and I didn't say the wrong network and I didn't cry. But, yeah, I think folks need to just, this is a marathon and not a sprint. They're the rare folks like Brad Pitt that just get discovered at their job. And then there's others that you just got to do the work. I mean, Leonardo DiCaprio was acting for a very long time before he blew up.
Shay 53:26
Well, thank you for sharing your advice to your younger self. Because I mean, you just also gave us so much great, actionable stuff too throughout the podcast. So, I definitely wanted to like end it on something kind and supportive. So, thank you for sharing that.
Ashlei Shyne 53:44
Of course.
Shay 53:45
Thank you for being on here.
Ashlei Shyne 53:47
Yeah, this was fun. It's been years so it's nice to actually see you outside of your little square I see you on, typically.
Shay 53:55
(outro) Right? Exactly. Well, thank you to everyone else who is listening. This is Level Up! With Shay and we will see you next week. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode. If anything that Ashlei said today resonated with you, please share this episode on Instagram and tag me at @levelupithshay and tag Ashlei at @ashleishyne. You can find Ashlei on social media, or her website and all the links are in the description. Subscribe to Level Up! With Shay wherever you get your podcasts. Again, thank you so much for being here. It's time to level up.
