Have you ever encountered a real $%@#^*& who stood in the way of you achieving your dreams?

Before I tell you about the standoff heard 'round the world, staged by my personal favorite actress Greta Garbo, I would like to ask you: How did handle the last @#%@$%& that came across your path? What worked? 



What went down: 
When Garbo became a sensation she was still grossly underpaid, especially compared to male actors in her category. 

So, Garbo and her agent Harry Edington took Louis B. Mayer, notorious MGM studio chief, to task. 

Mayer told her:"If you don't accept my terms I'll have you deported." 

Garbo responded: Try, but before you can I'll marry John Gilbert for citizenship.

Mayer ran a look-alike contest to replace Garbo. The press flipped out. No one can replace our Garbo.

Mayer then warned Garbo he would put her in minor roles. 

Garbo: Fine, I won't show up to work. 

Mayer then tried to find another actress for Garbo's next movie. 

Fine. But they both knew that Mayer would make more money with Garbo in the lead role. 

Garbo faked an appendix problem to create more delays. Bags of fan mail continued to arrive every day addressed to Miss Greta Garbo.

Mayer was losing more and more money as the start-date for her next movie was pushed back. 

AND HE CAVED. 

Garbo got a huge increase in her salary and a new contract. She went on to be the highest paid screen actress of her generation.

Passionate Class Lesson #13:
Know your boundaries and stick to them no matter what. 

Garbo was clear: she was not going to settle for unequal treatment. She ran the numbers: Mayer and MGM were grossly underpaying her and making incredible profits from her talent. They were quicker to give male actors raises. Why? Garbo didn't waste time thinking about that. With Swedish pragmatism she simply said NO. No way. She knew her value and simply stayed firm. 

And calm. Mayer was known as the best actor at the studio: he would cry, beg, joke, threaten -- whatever it took to break an actor down. Garbo sat with a stony face and let Mayer go through his rants. 

Then left the office with barely a word. In another contract negotiation she simply said: "I think I'll go home now." 

And grabbed the next boat to Sweden! She came back when she got her way. 

Not saying a word gave Garbo an upper hand in contract negotiations again and again and AGAIN. 

Try it sometime. 

How about you? 
How have you handled a $#^@%^ -- a real handful? What have been effective? 

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Gertrude Lawrence was mostly known on Broadway, but certainly made a stop over in Hollywood throughout her career. She also had a close working relationship with Noel Coward. 


Her story brings to mind a question for you:

How much risk are you willing to take to achieve your dreams?

What went down: 

As a young girl, it was apparent that Gertrude Lawrence was naturally talented, so she was awarded a scholarship to study with Italia Conti. Noel Coward was also a student. 

Gertrude's mother, however, was vehemently against the idea of her becoming a full-time performer. It was no surprise that eventually, after Gertrude's persistent passion, her mother revealed that Gertrude's estranged father was a performer who just happened to have a show in town. Gertrude saw her chance. She only had minimal experience in the theater except for training and a few local plays. But at thirteen-years-old she knew what her dream was: to be an actress. 

So, Getrude packed her few belongings, placed her mother and stepfather a farewell note on the kitchen table, grabbed her newly printed cards  -- "Little Gertie Lawrence: Child Actress and Danseuse" -- and marched over to the theater that housed her father's show. She told the stage doorman to relay the message that Gertie was there to see Mr. Lawrence. Her father had never met her and was confused by who she was. She simply handed him the card, and told him she was there to stay. 

And it worked! He decided on the spot to take her touring with him. This began her theatrical career that spanned decades and included award-winning performances. No surprise that her pluck continued to serve her throughout and became one of her most profitable assets. 


Passionate Class Lesson #12:
Big risks lead to big rewards.

Gertrude could have written her father a letter, asked her mother for permission -- she could have done many things that would have encompassed less risk. However, Gertrude took quick, effective action. She knew who the ultimate decision maker was (her father) and what she wanted (to go on tour). By directly going to that level and making it plain what she was after she was rewarded. She saw the most direct way to force decision: showing up in person ready to leave. 

How about you? 
Have you ever stuck your neck out for your dreams? If so, what were you results? 

What went down: 


John Gilbert was the highest paid actor in Hollywood in his generation. 

He was a star, and also a rebel in his own right: he consistently made choices that caused  MGM Studio chief Louis B. Mayer to declare war on him. Mayer would have loved to fire John, if John wasn't such a large a box office draw. 

John never relented to Mayer. Ever. No matter what the cost, John Gilbert never bit his tongue when Mayer acted unjustly. 

One particular incident of note....

One evening John attended an exclusive gathering of distributors, who essentially ensured the success of his movies. Mayer had concocted an after-dinner performance. Skimpily clad young actresses skipped out, each pushing a cart with a huge gift-wrapped box. Out of each box popped another young actress, who each put the skant in clad ; the “gifts” were naked girls. Each starlet-in-training then descended upon a previously assigned distributor. 

John was shocked, not because of the prostitution element -- he frequented high-end brothels -- but because he knew those girls were doing this with the intention of a better chance for a significant screen role. Now everyone knew that this was not the case, except for the starlets, and certainly no one was going to tell them while they were naked and laid prone on their laps. 

Horrified, John stormed out and Mayer tried to stop them. Don’t you know that this is essential for business? Leave and you'll be finished! John pushed passed Mayer and left the party.  

John then retreated to his ex-wife’s house where he relayed the story in earshot of his daughter, who eventually included this story in her biography about her star father called "Dark Star."  


What the Passionate Class of 2013 can learn from John Gilbert: 

Integrity. 

When you look in the mirror you have to deal with what you see...

And how can you respect that image if you gave up your integrity?  

John was right: the girls who thought they could sleep their way to a stardom were woefully misguided. As Fredrica Sagor Maas, a screenwriter of that era, wrote in her autobiography "The Shocking Miss Pilgrim,"  many aspiring actresses thought they could use the casting couch to win parts. It never worked. Ever. Except for Joan Crawford. (There are exceptions to every rule. )

Now this is not the same as using your sensuality for competitive advantage. In fact, it is exactly the opposite. 

Owning your sensuality (or "sensual sense" as I call it) is an empowering act. It shows that you own your worth, your power, and your intent. 

When you do anything that you feel sacrifices your integrity -- steal, barter sex, lie -- you effectively communicate to yourself and the people around you that you are are not worthy of what you are gaining in the transaction. You are surrendering your power to the highest bidder. 

Now some Old Hollywood history buffs might counter with: "Well, John stood up for those girls, kept his integrity intact, but made a worse enemy out of Louis B. Mayer who later ruined his career. Where did integrity get him?" 

Let's look at John's legacy.  What he left behind most important: a daughter that knew that despite his father's flaws, he never once used or took advantage of anyone to gain success. He was remembered by her and everyone who knew him as a man of utmost integrity. 


And isn't that something to aspire? 

Tallulah, Tallulah, Tallulah


What went down: 
Tallulah Bankhead was one of the most notorious actresses of her generation.


Mostly because her off-screen presence was beyond imagination. 


Tallulah had a penchant for debauchery, and enough sexual forthrightness to make the most macho man blush.

After becoming successful on London’s West End, Tallulah turned up in Hollywood. She didn’t have success right away, and largely found movie-making to be boring. 

And Tallulah was not a woman to settle for a boring life. 

So she took action....and threw  a party. 

Not just any soiree, but some of the wildest parties in town. 


Now, Old Hollywood parties could be unruly but Tallulah made sure hers defied conventional expectations of behavior. 


Sometimes, Tallulah answered the door naked and often she made it quite plain to the guest of her choice that she would go to bed with him or her that night.  


For her candor she became an inspiration. The movie “The Girls About Town” was apparently inspired by these evenings. 


Why didn't Tallulah just leave Hollywood? Why did she spend time in a place she considered rather dull?  


Tallulah was no dope -- she knew she could make a lot of money from the films.  Theater was -- as is now -- not as lucrative as the screen. 

So while she bided her time for the right film project Tallulah made sure she never had a dull moment. 

And because she had such a good time waiting, the right film project did come. 

What the Passionate Class of the 21st Century can learn from Tallulah: 

• There are no dull moments, only dull people. 

• If you are truly yourself, opportunities will present themselves which will align with your purpose. They have to -- the strength of your spirit will attract them. Lean into your authenticity -- whether you are a nerd, a party girl, or a jock --and life will unfold naturally. Be that what you are to the hilt -- to the nth degree! It sends out a spark which will only reverberate into the world and blaze the trail ahead of you.

How about you?  
Have YOU ever changed a sour situation into a fun opportunity? 

Have YOU ever acted with full authenticity? If so, what was the reaction? 

What went down: 

Mae West was a force in the film industry and on Broadway as an actress, producer, and writer. These days, it seems that every actress is creating their own vehicles. In Mae’s this was unheard of. 

Mae knew how to deftly use controversy to advance her career. She also was a free creative spirit and wrote under a pen name “Jane Mast,” so that she could be as risque as she dared. One of her scripts brought her first leading role in a Broadway show. The play opened in 1926. It was called “Sex.” Critics paned it, but audiences loved it. She simultaneously began development for a drag queen play called “The Drag,” which she planned to bring to Broadway.  The Broadway elite finally had enough of her controversial plays and complained to the police. In 1927 city officials raided “Sex” and threw Mae in jail. Mae was thus sentenced to ten days in prison. She took the sentencing in stride: she earned two days off for good behavior, spent most evenings dining with the warden and his wife, and upon exiting told reporters that she wore her silk panties the whole time.  

The “Sex” scandal brought Mae incredible attention and launched her Hollywood career. She later said: “I believe in censorship I made a fortune out of it.”  




What this means for the Passionate Class of the 21st Century: 

Note what Mae did NOT DO when she exited prison and spoke to the press:  

She did not show her panties to the press, 
sell them to the highest bidder, 
or galavant around town wearing them -- she simply made a suggestion that she wore silk panties while in prison. 

Why? 

Because showing herself in that way would be cheapen her message.

And because she knew that it would piss off her detractors, which in turn would create more press. 

The more press that existed about her unyielding character, the more she built her brand. 

Mae used her sensuality to navigate the Broadway environment and later Hollywood, but she never, under no uncertain terms, cheapened what she had. She used her intelligence, while being comfortable and confident in what she had to offer. She wasn't the prettiest or most talented. No matter, it was her confidence and swagger that  made people respect her. Mae was never out-of-control (drunk, raging mad) and she was always calculating, plotting her next move. 

Mae was a voluptuous woman and a powerful force, and she cast her self in those roles in her own projects. She created her own brand this way. 

And for this, Mae became a star. 

And through this, we can assure ourselves that IT IS POSSIBLE to create an empowering career, life, or dating world without loosing ourselves in the process. Intelligence, confidence, and classy authenticity are what you need to place yourself in the world in the most powerful way possible. 


What about you?
Have you ever had a success in garnering attention and notice for your ideas? How did you do it? 

Leave your comments and thoughts in the comments below! 

Norma Shearer was an A-List actress of the 1920s. 

And she knew how to WORK IT, before that became a catchphrase! 

While she was an actress on the East Coast, Norma Shearer married one of the most successful producers of all time: Irving Thalberg. When he first brought her to Hollywood, Thalberg cast her playing good women who could do no wrong.

Norma thought: BORING!
 
When the script for the siren vehicle The Divorcee went into production, Thalberg didn’t think that his wife had the sensuality to play the lead. He insisted: "I just don't see you as a sexy vamp." 

Norma fiercely disagreed.

And she took action. Norma conspired with photographer George Hurrell to on a set of shots featuring her seductive qualities.

One morning at breakfast, Norma dropped the most sultry photographs of the series in front of her husband. He almost choked on his cereal.

He was convinced. 

Thus over toast and tea, Thalberg decided that his wife had swagger and shine.

Norma got what she wanted -- to star in The Divorcee, as a woman who uses sex as a means to revenge her husband’s infidelity.

This has a ironic relevance to real life: their marriage was a lavender one. 

HERE IS HOW THIS APPLIES TO US: 

Do you feel reluctant to let your inner seductress or seducer out because it might be too much? You don't want to be that person? And maybe I'm not really that sexy so why should I pretend I'm something that I'm not? It might get weird!

Right?!

Wrong.

Everyone has an inner diva or don. Everyone. 

Let me repeat. 

EVERYONE HAS AN INNER DIVA OR DON. 

Your subconscious can act like an inner Thalberg: You just don't have what it takes. 

And you play that thought over and over and over again. 

The only person playing that tape is you. You reflect it to the world and in turn, you opinion is validated when that thought is reflected back. 

All it is an old tape that you play for yourself. Instead of "I'm Too Sexy" you play "I'm NOT Sexy."

And how unsexy is that? 

Rewrite your tapes. Try affirmations. Try mantras. Try pedicures. Try ANYTHING, as long as you believe that you got it, we will, too! 

MOST IMPORTANT: WHAT DO YOU THINK? 
Have you ever felt hesitant to create an opportunities for yourself?

Do you feel resistant to defying others expectations of you? . 

Leave us a comment below!