WHETHER YOU'RE A DIRECTOR, ACTRESS, OR ENGINEER, MAKING PEOPLE YOUR PRIORITY IN YOUR WORK WILL BUILD A SUCCESSFUL CAREER. NEED PROOF? ASK TINA FEY.
Vanessa Lachey wanted to be an engineer as a kid, specifically an architectural engineer, but like many of us her path diverged. After winning Miss Teen USA, the always talkative and energetic Lachey found herself quite at home in front of the camera. She quickly landed a gig as a host on MTV’s Total Request Live (TRL) from 2003 until 2007 while she simultaneously served as a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight in New York.
Though she did some major modeling campaigns and numerous hosting gigs (she married fellow entertainer Nick Lachey in 2011), she was always drawn to working in film and television. The natural (not to mention stunning) comedian quickly began booking prominent spots on TV series including Psych, Hawaii 5-0 and How I Met Your Mother. But the one gig that especially influenced her was when she guest-starred on 30 Rock starring and written by and produced by the amazing Tina Fey. {Click to Tweet} Here are a few career tricks she picked up from spending some time by Fey’s side.
PUT PEOPLE AT EASE
Though Fey is über successful, Lachey never felt she couldn’t be herself or make a mistake (as producer and writer, Fey was truly the boss on 30 Rock). ”The moment I met her I felt like I’d known her. I felt like I could ask her for anything,” says Lachey, “You can mess up and it’s okay and you can just kind of hang with her in between takes.”
REMEMBER YOU'RE HUMAN
Lachey says it’s Fey’s ability to be relatable that also makes her a great boss: “She is one of the most amazing, talented women I have ever met in this industry and I’ve met a lot of them. What I love about her is her tangibility.”
Though both women have extraordinary jobs with often glamorous perks, Lachey appreciated how casual and normal Fey was...just another working mom showing up and doing her job.
SHOW UP AND DO YOUR JOB
Though both women have extraordinary jobs with often glamorous perks, Lachey appreciated how casual and normal Fey was. She was just another working mom showing up and doing her job. That normalcy was what Lachey paid attention to as a working mother of two young children, Camden and Brooklyn.
“While we are lucky enough to be in this industry, we’re all human and we put our pants on one leg at a time,” says Lachey, “Just cause we get to be TV or partner with Popsicle, it doesn’t mean that we are any better than another working mom out there. [Fey] is as relatable as you can get. It was endearing to see and it constantly reminds [me] to be like that.”
Fey’s example helped her tremendously as she went on to star on the FOX sitcom Dads and this fall’s Truth Be Told with Mark Paul Gosselar. On top of her busy acting career, the actress, host and DIY lover was also selected by Popsicle to front their first-ever official comic book and new Avengers popsicle. She loves the brand because it is so supportive of working parents.
VANESSA'S OWN ADVICE
Though she says the career path she ended up on wasn’t planned, it’s clear she wanted to go for something great. {Click to Tweet} Her advice to aspiring actresses, hosts or broadcasters is simple, like Fey’s: “It sounds cheesy but don’t give up. If your heart is really in it and you’re passionate then don’t give up.”
Sounds good to us, Vanessa.
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Let's turn the tables. What advice would you give to Vanessa or Tina? Share with us in the comments.
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