--- description: 3 tips from manager/producer Emily Gipson that will help you help them title: A Hollywood Talent Manager on How to Foster Talent image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltab8c0eeefeda3d30/69887f860b72e3c7676e856b/entertainment-industry-foster-talent.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [motto](/tag/motto/) ## motto Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # A Hollywood Talent Manager on How to Foster Talent by [Emily Gipson](/author/emily-gipson/) ## Emily Gipson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 1, 2016 1:00 PM CUT  Tree in a pot casting a heart shaped shadow on a table Tree in a pot casting a heart shaped shadow on a tableGetty Images by [Emily Gipson](/author/emily-gipson/) ## Emily Gipson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 1, 2016 1:00 PM CUT I’ve been working in entertainment for the past 10 years, and a big part of my job is spotting and fostering celebrity talent. I also make an effort to support the people I work with and do whatever I can to set them up for success. Here are the best tips I’ve picked up along the way on how to help the people in your life learn and grow. **1\. Encourage them to step outside of their comfort zone**When you’re working with someone, you should really try to encourage them to keep pushing themselves forward, never stay stagnant and always challenge themselves. One of the things I love about guiding others is that you have the opportunity to give them an outside perspective. I’ll say, “I’ve seen you do X project, X project and X project. What I’d really like to see you do is something like _this_. Is this something you’d like to try, as well?” Or, “What if we try this other thing? We might fail, but if we do make it work, then it’s something you’ve never done before—and how exciting is that?” Being able to provide this third-party perspective and encourage someone to keep growing and learning is so important—it’s a big reason why we all need mentors. _Here’s how to find motivation, whether you’re a manager or the one being managed:_ **_Read more:_** [_Why You Should Take Your Personal Life As Seriously As Your Career_](http://motto.time.com/4190933/maggie-murphy-personal-career-life/?iid=sr-link5 "undefined") **2\. Don’t be afraid to provide honest feedback**Not everything is going to pan out perfectly for you or the person whose talent you’re fostering. At the end of the day, if you’re providing honest feedback and you’re doing what you can to help this person achieve their goals, then you’re doing a good job. I’ve definitely given feedback to people I’ve met who are a little timid, for example, and I always encourage them to get over their shyness so people can see who they really are—and they can maximize their odds of success. **_Read more:_** [_Jenna Lyons’ Secrets to Impressing Your Boss_](http://motto.time.com/4190491/jenna-lyons-impress-your-boss/?iid=sr-link1 "undefined") **3\. …But also give compliments when they’re due**So many people go through their careers without being told when they’re doing a great job, and I think that’s a shame. I firmly believe that, when someone does something that’s worth praising, you should compliment them—it’s the best way to support anyone. I’ve seen talent in many of the assistants I’ve had over the years. Even when I don’t know whether they want to stay in the field, I always support and encourage them—so they’ve at least had a chance to hear that they’re good at what they do. After that, it’s up to them to decide how to utilize their talents. _Emily Gipson is a producer/manager with I Can and I Will Productions and Primary Wave Entertainment._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4236165/be-better-boss-foster-talent/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4236165/be-better-boss-foster-talent/"},"headline":"A Hollywood Talent Manager on How to Foster Talent","datePublished":"2016-03-01T13:00:27.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:01:54.510Z","description":"3 tips that will help you help them","url":"https://time.com/4236165/be-better-boss-foster-talent/","keywords":["motto","Television","movies","entertainment"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltab8c0eeefeda3d30/69887f860b72e3c7676e856b/entertainment-industry-foster-talent.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Emily Gipson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/emily-gipson/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltab8c0eeefeda3d30/69887f860b72e3c7676e856b/entertainment-industry-foster-talent.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"548298855","caption":"Getty Images","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4236165/be-better-boss-foster-talent/","name":"A Hollywood Talent Manager on How to Foster Talent"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"How to Find Motivation in Music","description":"","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/LCpXYXxf/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-01-07T18:56:28.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/LCpXYXxf.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4236165/be-better-boss-foster-talent/","duration":"PT1M23S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4236165/be-better-boss-foster-talent/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```