Best known for his portrayal as Dr. Josh Madden in the long-running soap opera 'All My Children,' as well as 'Auggie Kirkpatrick' in The CW's teen rendition of 'Melrose Place,' Collin Egglesfield joins Greg DeKalb to share how he’s transitioned from acting to business and how he likens those experiences to building relationships.
Growing up with a father who’s a gynecologist obstetrician, Collin recalls watching his dad deliver a baby and deciding it wasn’t for him.
"I think we all know in our heart, if something is right or not, but at 17, 18, 19 years old, how do you know what to do with that? Not knowing, without having really had much experience in life, I think is kind of crazy that we expect kids at such a young age to decide what they're going to do for the rest of their lives."
With his younger brother becoming a pilot, Collin recognized that finding your passion early in life was lucky. Yet to discover his own, Collin remembers driving home one day, while waiting tables, that would put him on the path to finding his identity.
“I was a waiter at the University of Iowa Athletic Club. I hated my job, I hated my boss. I was driving home one night, at like 10 30, with ketchup and frickin’ gravy on my shirt. It was the middle of February and was probably like five degrees below zero… and I heard on the radio: ‘Do you want to travel the world, work in Europe, do runways with Giorgio Armani and make really good money? Come to the model search at the Devonport Holiday Inn next Tuesday night at seven o'clock.’”
That would be the catalyst that would launch Collin’s modeling and career, that included working with and meeting Georgio Armani himself.
With years of experience in Hollywood and television, Collin understands that chemistry is key to producing a moment worthy of others’ attention. He shares his insight on how acting is comparable to real life relationships.
“What pulls us in, not just with acting, but with anyone in life is whether it’s business or a personal relationship. When we watch a TV show, we can tell if the actor is really listening to the other actor or if they're in their own little world; when their response is not authentic to what the other actor is saying.
What acting taught me is that you've got to really get laser focused in who that person is across from you, because they are your fuel. They are your inspiration. You're co-creating something that is magical.”
Tune in to hear more on Collin’s journey that led him from Hollywood, back to Chicago, sharing what he’s learned along the way in his new book and series.
Originally from Centralia in Southern Illinois, Greg DeKalb has become quite the mover and shaker in Chicago focused on launching start-ups. After receiving his B.S. from Eastern University and an MBA from DePaul, Greg followed his entrepreneurial passion creating his own company, AppointmentsIQ, an on-demand sales and recruitment firm aimed at humanizing the process and encouraging engagement amongst decision makers.
Together with his long-time friend, Tony Paoella, he co-founded Tony P's Networking Events planning and executing energetic networking experiences all over Chicago that give professionals an opportunity to meet and make meaningful connections. Proven to be wildly successful, even if you haven't met Greg personally, chances are you've been to a Tony P event. While expanding the reach and depth of Tony P's to other networking groups like Green in Chi, he's also been busy scaling his solutions thus far nationwide by building a proprietary SaaS Digital Marketing Platform technology.
While he's not busy launching start-ups or spending time with his kids, Greg makes it a priority to give back to the Chicago community. He's currently a board member for St. Jude's Global Warriors and A Boy and His Dream Foundation. A big believer in the values that were instilled in him by his parents, Greg is committed to serve as an inspiration to his own kids reminding them to stay true to themselves, stay focused, and always create.
