Beat Of Your Own Drum

There is some odd notion that this is what you should do in life because, hey...it's your life.
People who never make it in Hollywood work at their own pace. This is wrong.
People who are ambitious need to work at others' pace. Though this sounds like regimented bullshit, it's really about being taken seriously.
This may explain why so many people fail in Hollywood. They don't even know they've failed before failing. See, working in Hollywood is about entrenching yourself into something you're good at, bonus if you like the gig, then doing your best. What I see are people who get in, then do THEIR best. Which is often for shit.
The problem? Most are "artists" who have lost the fundamentals of life...
...show up on time and be a person of your word.
This is the most basic, simplest thing MOST people who enter this arena forget. Because it's a burden to be disciplined. It goes against every slovenly approach about their lives because they are slackers to begin with. And the put THEIR agenda before anyone else's. Being selfish works only in the small things such as...don't hurt yourself over a project. The rest...
...look I had a conversation about this with a friend, who rarely asks my opinion about how to survive comfortably in Hollywood. Which is why I can think about it a little and offer it here...
to SURVIVE in Hollywood, you need to get the thought out of your head that you are too good for things. The young people I see, unbeknownst to them, do this. They will not take a gig at Popeye's chicken or refuse to work anywhere but on college campus. You don't observe life in an institution of higher learning. You are insulated there.
Recently I got a random guy whom I did a small project for a job at my company. Know why? I can tell he would hustle. You can tell people who will hustle (move) and those who would skate. Ambitious people without deviance is the recipe for success in the film business.

The other thing is being a good person. You can't go to the beat of your own drum without ignoring others' unique qualities. Regardless of being contradicted here, which some believe I do, it is the person who graciously accepts words of advice or asks for help. The ones who I've seen suffer in town, are ones whose pride undercut their efforts. I've asked for plenty of help. The idea of "going your own way" should be the goal, not when you're starting out. Or not even moving. I can't imagine how some of these people would act if they were handed success early (child actors).

You are NOT on your own schedule. Repeat that. You are NOT on your own schedule.
The industry is built on servitude. Sorry, it is. We are in the service industry to the very end. You cannot be a person who thinks everyone needs to follow them. That's for later. For now, you need to figure the system out. If you think you will change it, save that for later. Too many people do the DUMBEST things and expect the business to follow them. Or worse, follow their own trend. There is no trend. Also, depending on where you want to go in Hollywood. If you want fame and fortune, you need to learn to swallow your pride and study how to be the person everyone can rely on. If you show up late when you say you'll be there at a certain time...you're unreliable. Regardless of what event this is. These are just good practice to do things right.
That way, you never have to think about them and just do it. Too many scumbags coming from scumbag families can't figure this one out, because they were taught to look out for number one and everyone will screw them. NOT TRUE!
You typically screw yourself by screwing others first before they screw you. And that sums up the person who walks to the beat of their own drum. Works for some, but this is (by nature) not the norm.