I recently went one on one with actor and director James Pratt.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your development and success?

A very real quote for me in life is — “The bigger the obstacle, the bigger the triumph.” The biggest obstacles in the past have always generated the biggest outcomes. After finishing NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Arts), I lived in a small country town in outback Australia for one and a half years. I experienced floods, droughts, isolation, and breath-taking beauty in the wheat fields. Most of my family had moved to America by that point. I had no lifelines and didn’t know anyone. 

When I left, I newly appreciated life, friends, and was thankful for what I had. It’s funny, I did nothing with film until I was about to leave. I made a $200 short film which ended up a finalist at the NBCUniversal Short Festival competition in America. I then signed a deal with NBC Universal. Ironically, for almost two years living in the outback, I believed there was nothing but wheat fields until I welcomed my surroundings. 

Adam: What is the most surprising thing about being an actor?

You learn who you are, and what you want from a psychology perspective. It’s a blessing. Often other professions have a more B to B formula and don’t get the chance to learn about themselves.

The best actors have either had challenging life experiences or are struggling financially to make ends meet. If the on-screen character is more exciting than real life, actors dive deep to play that role and stay committed to hide from reality. However, if reality is comfortable and luxurious, actors are often less committed to plunge into a character. 

Movies can also be entertainment to take someone’s mind off their worries and have a laugh. I starred, directed, and wrote the buddy comedy Malibu Crush. The story follows two friends from California, pretending to be renowned film school students to win over an ex-girlfriend living in Sydney, Australia. They get into Dumb and Dumber situations throughout their journey. Not every movie has to be serious for it to be considered quality. 

Adam: What is the most surprising thing about being a director? 

The less glamorous side. Be prepared to have a mountain of creative differences and work under pressure.

I developed the mindset to perform in tough situations. Technically, the director follows instructions from the producers on top or deals with creative people with different visions and egos. The director often loses their vision when filming the movie in the edit suite. Some of the worst movies released are frequently not the director’s cut.

You also need to be prepared for the unexpected. We were at the end of pre-production of my feature film Malibu Crush when COVID-19 hit. I accepted the challenges of Zoom rehearsals. When restrictions eased, we filmed the comedy scenes at Bondi Beach’s spectacular backdrops. Malibu Crush was one of the few feature films shot in America and Australia during the pandemic. It was a joy to showcase Los Angeles and Bondi Beach because I have family from both. 

Adam: In your experience, what are the common qualities among those who have been able to enjoy success in the entertainment industry? What advice do you have for those either trying to break in or advance?

James: Most times, the people that work hard and treat people with respect have a successful career in the entertainment industry. I enjoy working with Academy award-nominated producer Cindy Cowan through Mogul Productions, a decentralized film financing (DeFiFi) and movie-based NFT platform.

Cindy once said, “Treat everyone with respect from day one in Hollywood. People at the bottom move up and people at the top move down.” 

That was brilliant advice. If you are intending to be in the game long term, change happens. Enjoy what you’re doing and be thankful for the ride. Hollywood is like high school with great publicists. It’s your journey. Stop comparing yourself to others. Often, they are doing the same.

Adam: What are the best lessons you have learned through your career in entertainment that are applicable to those who will never earn a living in front of or behind the camera?

James: There are terrific crossovers between the entertainment industry and others away from the camera. For example, being smart and networking with the right people rather than meeting as many as possible and hoping someone feels the void needed in your business. 

Valuing talent is another. If you’re serious about business, you want the smartest person in the room to be working for your company. It’s the same with the entertainment industry. Yes, there are exciting movie premieres and lots of media highlighting celebrity lifestyles. As a business, you want the best director or producer, not the person with the most influencers online. To make at least three times the profit, choose talent over ego.

For Malibu Crush, the reason I had the opportunity to spotlight Bondi Beach and Sydney to the rest of the world was because of the people who got behind it and went above and beyond to make it happen. I’m humbled and thankful. Without them, Malibu Crush wouldn’t have been the only independent Australian feature film to secure USA distribution in the last 12 months.

Adam: Who are the best leaders you have been around and what have you learned from them?

James: I absolutely love self-growth, learning, and maximizing my time around prominent leaders.

Through working in luxury real estate and as a founder of JPA (James Pratt Auctions) Group, I grew strong relationships with high-net-worth people and public figures. However, I learned the most from my role as Film Executive at Mogul Productions from being in a room with powerful people across the globe, including the advisory board.  

A key common trait amongst leaders is effective communication. Influential leaders are excellent communicators. This allows for people to finish a job more efficiently, colleagues feeling comfortable to share ideas, and getting to the point in meetings. Be decisive and have a clear aim. Once the goal is achieved, move on.

Work ethic starts at the top. If the person in charge is driving a car at 40 miles an hour, the employees will follow. Strong leaders set the tone to maximize opportunities. 

Generosity is the other trait I’ve noticed amongst top tier leaders, whether financial or with their time. 

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

James: Leaders should be willing to keep learning and get better. When making big budget films and the industry changes, the business, directors, co-founders, and producers need to upskill. There’s a difference between a business and an individual growing. Tenacity and perseverance take leaders to the next step. I’m inspired by people not affected by adversity. The press shows the glamor in films but not the creative differences, firing, and over-budgeting issues.

Integrity is tremendously undervalued. Many leaders, especially in the public eye, look good because of their publicist, yet are not respected by peers. To be regarded, there must be a level of integrity and decency.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?

James: 

1. Get good at performing when it’s uncomfortable. The best athletes, CEOs, and actors live unpredictably. Kelly Slater is the greatest surfer of all time, although some might be more technically skilled. However, Kelly excels at performing at peak performance, traveling 11 months of the year even with a new hotel every second week, and flight delays. Roger Federer accomplishes the same in tennis and is resilient with jetlag, hot temperatures, and long-distance relationships.

2. It’s better to have a small group of real and supportive friends than a big network keeping you mediocre. Your sphere of influence is everything. If your friends don’t encourage you to be ambitious and peruse your passion in life, they’re like an anchor on a ship. An entrepreneur or someone wanting more in life will jump off that cliff at some point and can’t please everyone.

3. Be good to less fortunate people and don’t talk down to anyone. In the past, I realized I could do an introduction to help or know someone who can. It all comes back to you.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

James: It’s hard to narrow down to one. Friends in Los Angeles shared an analogy 10 years ago, which has stuck with me: Life is like a marathon. You begin at the start line running with the same people, just like high school. Then some people peel off to the left, others stop running, or start walking. Keep running at your pace. When you reach the finish line, and you look back — that’s your life. Don’t run someone else’s race.


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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