When Howard Lockie (Kogod/BS ’83), quit his full-time marketing job to become an actor, he never dreamed he’d also pursue entrepreneurship. But the two are one-in-the-same, he soon discovered, if you want to build a successful career in the performing arts.
Only 2 percent of actors make a living from their craft alone, according to a recent study. This means a staggering majority of performers piece together multiple gigs to make ends meet—an approach Lockie sees as a unique business opportunity.
“We can and should stretch the boundaries of what it means to be an entrepreneur,” says Lockie. “It doesn’t matter which industry or area you’re focused on; it always comes back to business.”
Now an accomplished actor based in Los Angeles, Lockie balances different arts-related roles to create a career that’s uniquely his own. He’s an on-screen actor—recent credits include roles in Netflix’s “Colin in Black and White” and “The Saint of Second Chances,” as well as AMC’s “Millennials”—and performs regularly on-stage with live theatre groups.
He’s also a certified life coach for both individuals and teams, a part of his business he calls the “healing arts.”
“It’s about the collective greater good, and bringing things to light,” he says.