We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Phil Hyland a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Phil, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
From my parents without a doubt. The definition of optimism in the Oxford dictionary is, “hopeful and confident about the future”.
The message in my home growing up was there is opportunity out there in the world, you just have to uncover it and broadcast your desires and intentions. My father was a sportswriter for the Times-Dispatch and my mother was a theatre critic on WRVA radio in Richmond VA so they both possessed a love of the written and spoken word. I remember my mother training me on how to call people on the telephone and speak with them properly. When you answered the telephone in our house you always said, “Hyland residence, may I ask who is calling?”. Kinda funny and perhaps a bit old-school/formal, but it helped me and my brother learn basic communication skills and have a sense of decorum. My parents received a fair amount of work-related calls to the house so that had something to do with it as well.
The takeaway for me is to not be afraid to reach out and communicate with people. That is where you uncover gems and learn from others simply by communicating with them. Even when I go through rough patches in life, I know it is only temporary and I am hopeful about the future.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Growing up I wanted to be a marine biologist and oceanographer. I loved the TV show The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau and the way Jacques narrated this series was unique. He was so soft-spoken and it worked well with the intrigue and mystery of the ocean. I wanted to study at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, however, my career path changed after a neighbor suggested I audition for a local play in my hometown. I got the lead role in a regional production of Neil Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and I fell in love with acting. I learned a lot about discipline doing that show which was very physical (memorizing all those lines, learning the craft, and showing up on time for each performance). I was 16 or 17 when I got that role and was very much your typical teenager who liked to sleep in until 1:00 pm. I went on to do more shows and tours and then made my TV debut on a CBS Schoolbreak Special in the early 1990s. This led to me living in New York City for a decade where I pursued my craft and also became a singer-songwriter and co-founder of the band Girlfriend.
I co-wrote and toured an album with Girlfriend. We were an indie band so it was all DIY. We hired our producers, photographers, and graphic designers and booked our festival and college tours without the aid of a major label or management team. I learned a lot about PR simply by being in a band. Being in a band you are constantly communicating and scheduling with others so my parents certainly were correct in training me on my phone skills!
And as we all know, when you are an actor, you’re doing a lot of other odd jobs when you are not on a set or stage. I worked as a photographic assistant, roadie, and stage rigger to make ends meet,
My career took me to Hollywood where I segued into production work, specifically, scheduling and managing the logistics as part of the corporate logistics and traffic team at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank CA. I worked on major TV and film productions as a logistician making sure assets were delivered and in place for shoots around the world.
Today, I am most excited about being the co-host of Josh Wilhelm’s, “Judged by the Cover” podcast! Josh has designed several of my album covers and we both love design and music so it is the perfect platform to share and learn more about creative media. I enjoy sharing my experiences in the industry with our listeners and discovering new music and ways artists are creating engaging visuals to draw their audiences in.
You can listen to “Judged by the Cover” on all streaming platforms or at jwcreates.com/judgedbythecover.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
First and foremost, learning how to communicate in both a natural and professional way. Knowing how to switch between both modes. This goes back to my parents, teaching me this basic quality at a young age.
Learning acting skills (and taking a lot of acting and improv classes) helped me overcome my fear of public speaking. I learned how to project my voice to the back of the room when addressing a large audience.
Listening. I am still working on this quality even at this stage of my career. I can easily forget how imperative it is to listen to another person I am having a conversation with. Let them speak, let them tell me their story, without me interrupting them. Listening is a key skill to acquire.
Advice…surround yourself with people who are good at what they do. You can learn so much from them and when you collaborate, 9 times out of 10, your project is better because of it.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
Professionally, I am challenged with being a freelancer or gig worker, as they say. When I left my corporate job at Warner Bros. the transition was a bumpy ride. I sought jobs in the logistics industry which found me working briefly at American Airlines, then as a freight broker at a 3PL (third-party logistics provider) then as a freight forwarder, and most recently delivering for FedEx Ground.
I find this current job market hard to navigate especially trying to land meaningful employment that I enjoy.
To overcome this challenge I have used my professional experience to become a guest commentator on the freight industry show, “What the Truck” produced by Freightwaves.com. This has been a creative way for me to use my on-camera skills coupled with my logistics industry expertise as it applies to the entertainment industry. I enjoy being on the show. It is similar to my experience co-hosting “Judged by the Cover”. I get to share and learn at the same time!
Being a gig worker has opened my schedule up to opportunities working as an actor again on the true crime shows, “Snapped” (on Oxygen Network) and “Fatal Attraction” (TVOne network). Being a gig worker has reignited my NYC hustle!
Contact Info:
- Website:philhyland.com
- Instagram: @philhyland
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philhyland/
- Youtube: @PhilHyland
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/phil-hyland
Image Credits
Dale May
