When I’m dropping the kids off at school in the morning, I try not to take any business calls. That’s our time to catch up, goof off, and sing along with the radio. (I dare you to have a bad morning after singing along with Kids’ Place Live on Sirius XM with a five year old.) Last Monday morning, I had no choice. I had to make one business call to a client. And, I was about to make a call at 7:48am! No one wants to hear from their representative at that time. My plan was to use Sly Dial (yes, I’m revealing a trick of the trade) to go straight to the client’s voicemail – thereby, not disturbing her. Sly Dial somehow failed and she actually picked up the phone. I think she was as surprised to get a call from me that early in the morning as I was that she had actually picked up.

By the way – if you ask Justin, there is one rule in my car: “When daddy’s on the phone, be quiet.” He is fantastic about that and this was no different. He quietly sat in the car as I drove and spoke with the client.

I apologized for calling the client (we’ll call her “JT”) that early in the morning, but wanted to let her know that I was talking to a casting director/producer the previous Friday about her for a project. After we hung up, she sent me an appointment for JT on a different project. I quickly reviewed the elements of the project, the dates, and who else was doing the project. I rarely pass without speaking to a client first, but in this case…I felt confident that the client would not want to participate in this project.

So, while on this call, I explained to the client that I had passed on a project on her behalf three days prior and I wanted to let her know about it should someone ever confront her and ask, “Why didn’t you do this?” I explained to her that A) it was a play in a small theater, B) it was scheduled to have rehearsals and performances in the middle of pilot season, C) the star of the play had a history of substance abuse (and even though he was clean now, anything could happen considering he would be “revisiting past behaviors” on stage every night), and FINALLY D) she would have to appear naked.

Once I said the word “naked,” Justin exploded into hysterical laughter. His laughter was so loud, that the client heard him and she began to laugh as well. (It’s good to know that we were all being professional about this!) I must have said the word “naked” a second time because Justin burst into hysterics again…laughing and laughing, all the while I can hear JT laughing in my earpiece as well. Thankfully, JT was in complete agreement with me that this was a “pass.”

As a male representative, I’m always uncomfortable having the “nudity conversation” with any client. I used to have a female partner and I would delegate those conversations to her. But, now I have a new way to have those conversations – I’m going to have Justin make the call!