Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ricky Bartlett. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Ricky, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
This is a question I am often asked. You would think growing up in poverty, experiencing continued physical and sexual abuse, and the loss of both my legs to flesh-eating disease would mean that I would live in a depressed mental state as an adult. Yet, it is quite the opposite.
My “OPTIMISM” comes from my mother, Donna. She was the positive force who shaped me. My parents divorced when I was 5 years old, after the death of my brother Thomas, who was 2 years younger. When my father left, I watched my mother stand up and decide she would do anything for her family. She worked three (3) jobs to support us. I watched her set aside her educational goals to raise me. She tabled her pride to accept charity from others so I wouldn’t go hungry. I watched a strong woman create a positive world for her child, even in the projects, by never complaining about our situation. She even went so far as to never say a negative word about my father in front of me so that I could form my own opinions. Donna shaped my optimism, as well as that of others in my life.
As an adult, I lead my life with the foundation my mother raised me with, the mentality that things could always be worse; that someone else’s situation is far worse than mine. So I am always pulling up my bootstraps and moving on with life by telling myself to stop complaining. And with that, I continue this view of the world with the wonderful people in my life: my wife, Jennifer, and our daughter, Jaclyn, as we are all pushing each other to fulfill our individual potentials. I also have a strong relationship with others in my family who bring that same positive influence.
I would also say that former listeners of my morning radio show bring positivity and optimism. Even to this day, I am still contacted by them.
In short, I am reminded daily that optimism can inspire and create a lasting, positive legacy.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Now this is a fun question! I love working in the arts. It’s freeing, and it has a structure of purpose. This is actually surprising because my original career path was to go to medical school and become a country doctor who makes house calls. But that time has passed, and I truly love what I do.
I have been in broadcasting since the 1990s. In the beginning, I worked in ‘behind-the-scenes’ technical positions at several television news stations in my hometown of Columbus, Georgia. Then I heard a sales position was open at the radio station across the street. I applied and landed the job. I was in that position for roughly 2 weeks before I was pulled aside and asked if I wanted the late-night on-air shift for their country station. Not only that, but I actually said “No,” but later took it, as they told me my personality was too big for sales. I became the midnight-6AM on-air host for WKCN Kissin’ 99.3FM. I even changed my name to ‘Rick Hunter’ on ‘The Late Night Show with Ricky.’ That was my FIRST on-air radio job, and I fell in love!
Fast-forward to September 2019 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where my first professional acting job began. But let’s step back first.
I was sitting behind the microphone at KMRY 93.1FM, and thinking I should get a voiceover agent, given I was only roughly 4 hours from Chicago. I made as many contacts as I could, but all said Chicago was not a lucrative market for VO work. Then one agency asked me to come in to talk about on-camera work. I didn’t want to do that, but I took the meeting anyway. “NEVER BURN BRIDGES,” as my mother would say.
I visited the agency on September 9, 2019, and had a monologue ready at their request. As I finished my scene, which was the ending to ‘Forrest Gump,’ I looked up, and both owners of the agency were in tears. One agent stood up, walked around the corner, and came back with a folder. I was signed that day.
The next day, September 10, 2019, I was called in for two auditions: ‘Chicago PD’ & ‘Chicago Fire.’ I found out a few days later that I landed ‘Chicago PD.’
On September 18, 2019, I traveled back to Chicago for a wardrobe fitting and paperwork. Then, on September 19, 2019, I was on-set acting in my FIRST professional acting job on a hit NBCUniversal TV show! I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t delusional or dreaming! In the span of only ten (10) days, I went from auditioning for a Chicago agency to landing a role on a major television series.
Simply…. INCREDIBLE!
Since then, I audition, audition, audition! While I have mostly been working on radio and voiceover projects, I still miss the on-screen work. More recently, I moved back to the South, which was a positive choice, as I was in Georgia filming for the Hulu TV series ‘Murdaugh: Death in the Family,’ where I play Mark Altman, a fellow disabled parent. What a wonderful experience.
I see more to come!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I like this question, as there are many avenues for success. Let’s start with:
SURVIVAL SKILLS:
Knowing your environment is crucial to survival in business and a lasting career. When first starting, you need to start with the basics:
1.) Ask yourself, “What knowledge-based skills do I need to learn to step into this particular career stage?”
2.) Find your learning space, whether online videos, instructor-led classes, an apprenticeship, etc., whatever it takes to learn your craft.
3.) Reach out to others who are in the same industry. I am a strong believer in the power of LINKEDIN. By associating with career-similar professionals, you learn from them, network with them, and continue your growth through their success stories.
FLEXIBILITY or ‘PREPARE FOR THE UNEXPECTED’:
I don’t care how much planning and strategizing you do; there is always an unexpected rock in the road. So, what do you do? “Have a contingency plan for a contingency plan for a contingency plan…”, as my wife Jennifer would say.
While I know this sounds like extra planning for something you wouldn’t think to be an adversity, it will save you countless hours, days, and weeks of stress. Simply have a ‘WHAT IF?’ folder. I have one I call ‘KORBEN DALLAS,’ after Bruce Willis’ character in ‘The Fifth Element.’ He is constantly thrown into situations after situations that are completely unexpected, despite his plan of simply working as a cabby.
POSITIVITY:
I know, I know, I can just hear someone saying, “What does that have to do with business?”. EVERYTHING! I have to note that positivity is dependent on the person’s wants, needs, and experiences. I pull my positivity from my rough past with the mentality of “I am in a better place. I survived.”
Positive thinking opens your mind to new possibilities and helps with problem-solving. Having a positive outlook influences others’ moods and views of you, which can put you at the front line for promotions and career advancements.
2. Positive thinking aids problem-solving.
Positive thinkers cope with stress better, which enables them to work more effectively. A main element of problem-solving is the ability to approach situations from a mindful and clear-headed perspective. If you’re too stressed out, it might be difficult to solve business problems, especially creative dilemmas.
3. Positive thinkers have more energy.
A personality trait called ‘dispositional affect’ states that people with a positive ‘dispositional affect’ have more energy and enthusiasm than those who have a more negative affectivity.
4. Positive thinking helps you seize the day.
An employee who embraces a positive outlook optimizes their potential for success.
5. Positive people are more resilient.
Studies have shown that being positive in the face of adversity can make you more battle-ready and work through problems more efficiently.
6. Positive people are healthier.
The happy disposition of positive people leads to having a lower risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, and better blood sugar levels. Many studies have shown that positive individuals have strong immune systems and have fewer sick days. A default state of productivity also leads to reduced levels of chronic stress.
7. Positive thinking improves decision-making.
If you’re in a negative frame of mind, you’re less likely to make decisions that have a positive impact.
8. Positive thinking improves how we handle emotions.
Feeling positive and optimistic helps you handle your emotions better in the workplace.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
I have never liked ‘MICRO-MANAGERS’. Having worked with micro-managing clients in the past, I always had the thinking of, “If you have time to micro-manage, then you have time to do it yourself”.
I was once a morning on-air host for a radio station that had a client who thought her longevity as an advertiser with the station meant she owned the station and its people, especially the on-air talent. She was extremely confrontational and would threaten to discontinue her advertising with us if we didn’t like what she had to say. We felt her criticism every day to the point that she would criticize my Southern accent. She would tell me I was saying words the wrong way. I’m from Georgia. I say “IN-surance” not “inSURE-ance”, but she kept telling me I was ignorant and didn’t know radio. She was constantly micromanaging everyone, and the station owner allowed this behavior until we all walked out. She was eventually fired as a client.
The point of this story is that clients who do not micromanage nor feel superior because of their budgeting power will listen to the very professionals they contract with and understand that we are all working as a TEAM. These are the ideal clients for me.
I have always believed in this mentality:
“WHEN YOU HIRE PROFESSIONALS. TREAT THEM PROFESSIONALLY.”
Contact Info:
- Website: http://studiobvox.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rickybartlettofficial
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickybartlett/
- Other: http://imdb.me/ricky
Image Credits
Savannah Gessner (Blake), Studio b.Vox
