Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Brayden.
Hi Mike, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My wife and I were actors and filmmakers when we were younger before we started a family. I became an acting coach for youths/teens part-time at a local camera acting studio. Fast-forward – my wife and I have two boys and the pandemic hits, and we suddenly found ourselves in a fortunate situation where we were offered an opportunity to take over the studio as its new owners. That was nearly 5 years ago and the studio is thriving. Our students who are already acting professionally are regularly booking. Our students who attend just for fun are learning life skills without even knowing it. And we cultivate an atmosphere that is conducive to creativity, friendship and comfort. Our two boys take classes with Coach Aimee on Wednesdays and my wife, in addition to helping behind the scenes, also does all of the artwork on the walls in the studio.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are always bumps when you are a small business owner. This is something that I learned while figuring it out along the way! While I had already been an acting coach for years and knew a lot about that side of things, when we started this journey we knew nothing about the business-owner side of things. One of the struggles has been and continues to be, finding the right balance between work and home. There’s no clocking out at the end of the day, there’s always something to do, a long to-do list. And at times it’s hard to turn that off and focus on family.
But truthfully we are very fortunate. I wouldn’t think to complain about how we got where we are or where we’re going.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We teach camera acting to young performers (ages 4-18) – scene study for Film/TV, acting for Commercials, auditioning professionally and beginning/building a career in the entertainment industry. But we also create strong-willed, confident speakers who aren’t afraid to own a room and speak about themselves or stand up for others. We create a space where students feel safe and heard and are able to express themselves along with like-minded kids their own age, creating friendships and a support system. And most of them don’t even know this is what’s happening! For the kids, they’re just coming to acting class, and for many of them it’s a favorite time of the week.
Group class is where most begin, but we also offer private coaching, recording services including help with self-taped auditions and demo content, summer camps, workshops, seminars for parents and more.
We’re proud of how our studio teaches acting in a way that creates good acting habits and strong actors who are good listeners, are comfortable with improv, who understand the differences in performance per genre/style, actors who are confident and comfortable to put themselves out there and can handle rejection and keep going, loving it the whole time. We put an emphasis on making sure our studio is a place where acting is fun, while also teaching the craft in a way that truly helps in the real world. And I believe we succeed at both of those endeavors.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Acting class is great for anyone. You don’t have to want to have a career in acting to get value out of classes. Our program is designed for beginners and working actors and everyone in between.
Pricing:
- FREE GROUP CLASS TRIAL – for those who read this article. Promo Code – VOYAGER25
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bbactingstudios.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbactingstudios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BBActingStudios
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bbactingstudios
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bb-acting-studios-san-diego-2?osq=BB+Acting+studios
