Before he owned Hollywood's number one, cutting-edge self-tape and demo reel facility, ​Hot Shots Self Taping​, Jonathan Stanley danced for tips. A true rags-to-riches story, full of grit and drama, he clawed his way out of Detroit and into Hollywood by making a semi-autobiographical film about his lean years, and then putting his hard-fought lessons in marketing to the task by piggybacking on the success of Magic Mike to sellout multiple theaters in Las Vegas and make a splash...

As a business owner, his continual rise, after three full years of losing money has been amazing to witness. What started as putting actors on tape in a broom closet in 2014 has evolved into a full-blown mini-studio where he shoots short films, creates demo reels for actors from around the world on his self-built sets of a gas station, a private plane, a bar, a jail cell, interrogation room, you name it, he shoots it. His Instagram feed is fully engaged and his classes are fully packed.

But all of it is in service of his 10,000 NOs journey: a sideline business built to accompany and support his acting career that now out-earns even successful actors. He is the embodiment of our philosophy to stop waiting and start creating. His stories are colorful and raw, his gratitude is infectious, and his story will both inspire and entertain you.

If you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you think you’d benefit from being part of conversations like this every week with a group of fellow artists, consider joining our Working Actors Community. Find out more by CLICKING HERE.

And remember: “failure” is just opportunity in disguise. You can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.

SHOW LINKS:

10,000 NOs: THE BOOK

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR (WEEKLY) NEWSLETTER

FOLLOW MATT ON SOCIAL

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE WORKING ACTORS COMMUNITY

“It’s all the same source. And the source in everything that you do, whether you’re taking a photograph or you’re playing music or you’re acting... is you. It’s all you.”

I sat down with friend and fellow actor, Yul Vazquez , this summer, and he blew me away on multiple levels...

Not only does he have awesome stories from the seemingly endless amounts of elite films, TV shows and plays he's done over the past decades, but I got to ask him about the fact that he's also an accomplished musician, painter and photographer. With incredible charm and simplicity, he beautifully articulates some philosophies that I've been trying to grasp since this podcast began...

So, yes, you'll hear personal stories about Philip Seymour Hoffman , Sam Rockwell , Ben Stiller , and many others, but what will really inspire you is this: if, like me, you are drawn to more than just one art form or possess both artistic and entrepreneurial interests, Yul empowers you to trust that your talent and perspective in multiple fields is not a conflict. It's something to embrace and celebrate.

And he just lays it all out in such a plain-spoken, cool-as-shit way that you can't help but love him for his honesty, vulnerability and wisdom that he's picked up along his journey. He made me laugh a lot, but he also reminded me that I wasn't wrong when I titled this podcast 10,000 NOs. Here are his words about the crazy journey of a life in show business, "if not the most important of all is, how much can you withstand? What are you made of? What's your mettle? Because if you crumble, you're done."

If you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you think you’d benefit from being part of conversations like this every week with a group of fellow artists, consider joining our Working Actors Community. Find out more by CLICKING HERE.

And remember: “failure” is just opportunity in disguise. You can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.

SHOW LINKS:

10,000 NOs: THE BOOK

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR (WEEKLY) NEWSLETTER

FOLLOW MATT ON SOCIAL

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE WORKING ACTORS COMMUNITY

Today's guest, ​David H. Lawrence XVII​, is a prime example of someone who decided to control his own destiny while still pursuing his dream, by combining his experience in technology with his love of storytelling to serve others by giving them tools and a path to success.

His combo of service and entrepreneurial prowess is the special sauce many performers seek: how to have staying power in show business without riding such a scary rollercoaster. His extremely successful ​VO Heroes​, ACX Masterclass, and Narrate Your Own Book courses and communities have helped thousands of artists make a living from home.

Lately, it seems like everyone, not just actors, is working harder and harder for less and less reward...

Between AI and diminishing opportunities, not being resourceful enough to create additional revenue streams no longer seems like an option if you want to get ahead, or even just have some certainty. Watch or listen to this conversation if you want inspiration to make it happen for yourself.

Braun Strowman (Won the Arnold Amateur Strongman World Championships, WWE Champion, Entrepreneur and Now Host of EVERYTHING ON THE MENU) sat down on 10,000 NOs with Matthew Del Negro podcast…

He doesn’t just flex his muscles…

He drops some legit, hard-earned, plain-spoken KNOWLEDGE BOMBS full of wisdom on us!!

#braunstrowman #matthewdelnegro #10000nospodcast #wwechampion #everythingonthemenu

Welcome to 10,000 NOs with Matthew Del Negro — a channel for actors, filmmakers, writers, creatives, and entrepreneurs navigating the ups and downs of building a career.

Through honest conversations with working artists, storytellers, and industry professionals, we explore the realities of rejection, persistence, and what it really takes to succeed in entertainment and creative business.

If you’re chasing a creative career or building something of your own, remember: every “no” can bring you closer to your next “yes.”

Sign up for our Newsletter by emailing: info@10000nos.com with "Newsletter" in the Subject Line

SHOW LINKS:

Working Actors Community

10,000 NOs Book

Follow Matt on Instagram

Follow 10,000 NOs on Instagram

VIDEO CHAPTERS:

00:00 INTRO

01:55 WHO IS BRAUN STROWMAN

07:00 SECOND CHANCES

10:46 STRONG MAN

18:59 GET THESE HANDS WWE

26:00 CATCH THE AUDIENCE

29:00 LEARN A SKILL/TRADE

33:00 BEING A GOOD STUDENT DOESN’T PAY OFF

36:00 MANIFEST IT!

40:00 EVERYTHING ON THE MENU

46:57 WHY BRAUN STROWMAN?

“I dropped my accent immediately. I said, ‘Bro, listen… I’m an actor. I’m just acting, alright? I’m not a gang member. I’m not even from this country!”

In today’s episode, Matt sits down with actor Tobi Bamtefa, whom you may recognize as Bunny, the gangster kingpin at the heart of Paramount +’s Mayor of Kingstown. The conversation dives deep into Tobi’s intricate character development with Bunny as well as his departure from his path to becoming a lawyer to pursue stage and screen, eventually working across from stars like Jeremy Renner, Bryan Cranston and Tim Roth, among others.

Actors will particularly enjoy this conversation as they spend some time demystifying audition preparation, creating a character and their specific self-tape practices.

If you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you think you’d benefit from being part of conversations like this every week with a group of fellow artists, consider joining our Working Actors Community. Find out more by CLICKING HERE.

And remember: “failure” is just opportunity in disguise. You can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.

Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.

SHOW LINKS:

10,000 NOs: THE BOOK

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR (WEEKLY) NEWSLETTER

FOLLOW MATT ON SOCIAL

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE WORKING ACTORS COMMUNITY

"Self-reflection is often saying ‘I wish I had done something differently’, and that to me can sound like lack of gratitude, but also these things are true”.

In today’s episode, Matt sits down with his Mayor of Kingstown colleague and celebrated American Actress and singer, Laura Benanti. Renowned for her extensive Broadway Career, Laura is a Tony Award Winner and five time nominee.

She has also won a Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and been nominated for a Saturn Award, among others. The conversation covers her meteoric path to Broadway dominance, the side-effects of rising so quickly while still finding one's self, and a deep dive into her powerful role on Season 4 of Mayor Kingstown.

10,000 NOs is here to inspire you and help you realize you are not alone if you’re battling to overcome rejection in your career or life.

So, if you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you like what you hear in the snippets from our Working Actors Community zooms enough to want to be a part of it, CLICK HERE.

Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.

SHOW LINKS:

10,000 NOs: THE BOOK

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR (WEEKLY) NEWSLETTER

FOLLOW MATT ON SOCIAL

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE WORKING ACTORS COMMUNITY

"It took me until 53 to learn this lesson…"

In today’s episode, Matt sits down to talk about confronting the self-limiting beliefs that can make us feel embarrassed or ashamed—especially when it comes to asking for help. You hear the saying all the time: “Making a movie takes a village,” and it truly does.

As we say goodbye to 2025 - with all the ups and downs it brought - we want to thank you for your continued support of 10000No’s and for helping turn MICKEY BRASCH into a reality.

Stay tuned in the new year - there are a lot of amazing things coming your way!

Happy Holidays and Thank you for your continued support

10,000 NOs is here to inspire you and help you realize you are not alone if you’re battling to overcome rejection in your career or life.

So, if you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you like what you hear in the snippets from our Working Actors Community zooms enough to want to be a part of it, CLICK HERE.

Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.

“The root of all bad acting is the thought: I’m not enough.”

In today’s episode, Matt sits down with veteran actor and recently published author, Josh Pais (Lose Your Mind: The Path to Creative Invincibility). You may know Josh from projects like Joker, Ray Donovan, Law & Order, A Man in Full or over 150 other credits. Today, he dishes advice on how to keep your composure and your creative juices flowing in a long career. Or just in life.

As the founder of Committed Impulse, he has trained Navy SEALs, Oscar winners, and startup founders to turn rejection, fear, and failure into high-performance fuel. His new book, Lose Your Mind: The Path to Creative Invincibility (Hay House, Sept 2025), offers deeply personal lessons and practical tools for staying present through the unknown.

Josh grew up in a household where his dad worked with Einstein and later became a counterculture icon - and his own life has been a study in navigating uncertainty and rejection in Hollywood and beyond!

10,000 NOs is here to inspire you and help you realize you are not alone if you’re battling to overcome rejection in your career or life.

So, if you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you like what you hear in the snippets from our Working Actors Community zooms enough to want to be a part of it, CLICK HERE.

Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.

SHOW LINKS:

10,000 NOs: THE BOOK

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR (WEEKLY) NEWSLETTER

FOLLOW MATT ON SOCIAL

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE WORKING ACTORS COMMUNITY