Angela J. Williams - My Child is Going to be Rich and Famous: How to Successfully Balance Family, Parenting and Entertainment

My Child is Going to be Rich & Famous

How to Successfully Balance Family, Parenting and Entertainment

Angela J. Williams

All rights reserved.

Copyright 2015 by Angela J. Williams

My Child is Going to be Rich & Famous:
How to Successfully Balance Family, Parenting and Entertainment

Printed and bound in the United States of America, First Edition, 2015

TGBTG Publishing

Jacket Cover Photo Paul Smith

Jacket Cover Design Allison Dayka

Edited by Jonathan Widran

Author Photo by Paul Smith

International Standard Book Number 978-1-4951-6557-3

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Although the author and publisher have exhaustedly researched all sources to ensure the accuracy and completeness of information contained in this book, we assume no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or any inconsistencies herein. Any slight of people, places, or organizations are unintentional.

Mental Health, Legal and Financial Disclaimer

The author of this book does not dispense medical, legal or financial advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, medical, legal or financial problems, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your journey for well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself or others, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

To my sons

Tyler, you make me proud because you are wise.

Tyrel, you bring me joy because you are kind.

Tylen, you make me smile because you are genuine.

Jeremiah 29:11

I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you; to give you hope, and a future.

In memory of my Mother, my Mentor, my Moses - Angela Upshur

In honor of the greatest daddy a little girl could ever ask for - James C. Upshur

That little girl still thinks you are superman! I love you!

Table of Contents

Preface

I wrote My Child Is Going To Be Rich & Famous as a guide and a resource for parents. It is written for the benefit of the children who will be involved, inspired, affected or infected by experiences in the entertainment industry. The insights I share in this book can be applied to all stages of a childs creative development and discovery in the arts, and for all areas of entertainment, including sports, music, modeling and other creative endeavors. That being said, the focus of this book is on the commercial, print, theater, film and television worlds. I will be speaking to you from a mothers perspective, not to discourage or impress you or your children, but to inform you and help you make better decisions. I have never embraced the label stage-mom and I do not live vicariously through my children, although I spend a lot of quality time with them. For reasons that I will elaborate upon later, I am not my sons talent momager, manager or agent. I am their mother. However, I am also the creative, business, personal and financial overseer of their lives, businesses and careers.

Although I am their parent, I (along with my husband) found purpose in raising them to know that they matter. Just like any other child, they have unique thoughts, great ideas, dreams, feelings, fears, flaws, positive and negative qualities, doubts and questions. All of these things matter deeply, and as a parent, I wanted to respect that. The goal was never to be a perfect mother or to raise perfect children. Nevertheless, I am and will always be their mother first. So I chose to be present, aware, discerning, hands on and involved with all areas of their lives because I love them. I have great confidence in them and I want them to accomplish all that they are purposed to achieve. However, I also have a life outside of overseeing my childrens lives and what they do for a living. This life does not include striving to be a super-star, socialite, or actress, although I consider myself to be a closeted character actor. I am a Christian Minister (by calling), a personal/business manager (by experience), a writer/producer (by profession), and a life coach/spiritual parent and mentor (by purpose). I have a Bachelors Degree in Business Management and a Masters in Psychology. As a family, all of our many responsibilities keep us very busy, but the key is finding the balance we need to accomplish everything, collectively and individually. Sometimes discovering that balance means shifting from what worked just a few months ago, to finding a new way forward, but the adjustments are always worth it in the end. By achieving this careful balance, my sons have the opportunity, within reason, to use their individual voices to make choices that help them exercise certain areas of leadership related to and concerning their careers, businesses and lives (according to what is age appropriate for the situation, of course). This helps us all to keep a clear focus on what our responsibilities are and it allows us to stay in our respective lanes, so to speak.

Throughout the last 18 years (at the time of writing this book) in the entertainment industry with my sons, many parents have asked me countless questions about my experiences. Some genuinely wanted advice. Others desperately wanted to learn about the business. Some wanted to take advantage of my freedom to share and others wanted me to guide their childs career. Nevertheless, it is an honor to now share the many things I have learned. One of my greatest desires is to help parents to understand what is possible. Still, most parents will discover on their own, and very quickly that every childs journey is unique. There are certain paths along the way that most parents will obviously take. However, the roads begin to splinter and become more specific for that childs path when doors begin to open or close. This book will serve as a potent dose of reality (good, bad, crazy, funny, adventurous, exciting and sad) for some. For others, it will be a much needed resource guide and source of assistance. It will challenge yet others to assess motives, ethics, integrity, parenting skills or styles as they proceed forward with their lives and the quest for riches and fame.

Introduction

M y Child is Going to be Rich & Famous is meant to enlighten, teach and educate you. The root of all of the great lessons I have learned (and am still learning), the survival skills and strategies, and the principles that have ensured that my family succeeds are biblically based and extremely effective if applied diligently, consistently, and deliberately. This root has been a constant source of peace of mind and balance for my family and me. It has helped me keep my sanity, avoid booby-traps and landmines, maintain communication in my household and keep my family focused on our purpose for working in the entertainment industry. This journey can be an exciting experience, and of course along the way, there are many distractions. However, some of these are easier to recognize than others. I am convinced that my children may not have reached certain levels of personal and professional growth had it not been for them being grounded, discerning and disciplined in the life applications of certain biblical principles. As they are becoming and growing into young men and maturing adults, I believe that as long as they continue to follow these applications they will be just fine, no matter how life unfolds for them.