LEARNING CURVE: KIDS HOLLYWOOD CONNECTION : Role Model : Work Kept Acting Consultant Going

Phyllis Henson had single-handedly run a child acting consulting firm for 10 years when doctors told her she had breast cancer. Since then she has learned how to keep her business afloat while focusing on her personal life. Henson was interviewed by Karen Kaplan.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago and I’ve been in remission for three years now. When they told me, it was the most devastating thing in my life.

I worked the whole time I was on chemotherapy and radiation. I went to work every single day and would leave around 3 p.m. to get my injections, then go home and pass out. The only time I missed was one week for surgery.

I kept going in to work because the office was my life, my livelihood. I was so worried about my business, something inside of me kept telling me that I didn’t want my clients to think I wasn’t here caring for them. Plus I had the drive to live. I had to keep going, and I had to keep the business together with everything I could muster.

I cut back a little bit and scheduled fewer consultations with clients. I hired a couple of part-time employees to cover for me. My two daughters also helped me with my business.

From day one I don’t think I ever let my business leave my head. If I didn’t have that, I might have wanted to just take the plug out of my arm.

I got into this business when some people came to my children’s school and talked to parents about having them be in a commercial. Soon it became a full-time job managing my three kids. Once they got over the age of 6, they all got very, very busy.

It was so lucrative. My kids were making so much money it was too good to stop. The money went into college savings and into a condo in Hawaii.

I started doing this for a living 14 years ago, when I found myself divorced with three kids to raise. I had made a lot of foolish mistakes when I was doing this with my own kids. We went to the wrong people and they took financial advantage of us. Through trial and error, I eventually found the good agents and figured out who had the most professional photographers and workshops. So when I needed a job, I didn’t know what else to do except to go into business helping other parents.

I have placed over 8,000 children with agents. Today I work with about 40 of Hollywood’s top Screen Actors Guild agents and I get eight to 15 new clients a week.

When you’re in business for yourself, there are many days when you think, “Do I really want to keep doing this?” There are good days and bad days, and you have to get through them the best way you know how. You have to laugh every day. You can’t just lie down and let it get to you.

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On why she continued to work . . .

“I kept going in to work because the office was my life, my livelihood. . . . Something inside of me kept telling me that I didn’t want my clients to think I wasn’t here caring for them.”

On reorganizing her company . . .

“I cut back a little bit and scheduled fewer consulta- tions with clients. I hired a couple of part-time employees to cover for me. My two daughters also helped me with my business.”

On making it through the bad days . . .

“You have to laugh every day. You can’t just lie down and let it get to you.”

AT A GLANCE

Company: Kids Hollywood Connection

Owner: Phyllis Henson

Age: Early 40s

Nature of Business: Helps child actors find talent agents.

Location: Newport Beach

Number of employees: 1

Annual sales: $110,000