Today we’d like to introduce you to Debra Stipe.
Debra, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
“Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all.” Helen Keller. I’ve never wanted to regret not pursuing my dreams. And with some Enneagram 3 focus, some faith based courage, and supportive people I’m grateful that I ‘went for it!’ to become a professional actor, business owner and entrepreneur. One of 7 children, my father was a musician and school principal, and my mother a teacher, writer and artist. Generous of heart, strong in faith, our home was filled with creativity, living room sketches, recitals and shows. So when tasked with the journaling assignment, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” by my favorite creative writing teacher I thought,“Oh, this will be easy!” and without hesitation, I began my write. “I want to be a mix of Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett.” I continued to expand on my dream of becoming an actress one day. Mind you, nowhere in this journal entry did I mention a desire to be a Girl Boss. And yet today I find myself privileged to not only be a professional actor, but also the co-owner of two businesses, and a writer/producer of an original webseries. Along with my daughter Sarah, we run Stipe Studio, an Acting Studio that equips actors for the booming Atlanta film and television industry. And together with my husband Greg, we run StayDahlonega in North Georgia, offering beautiful properties, both homes and treehouses, through Airbnb, providing Superhost hospitality to our guests. And the creative journey of writing and producing an original comedy series, entitled, Life@Stipe, with Sarah has been a deeply satisfying endeavor. Finally, in tandem with my talent agents, I act as the chief “boss’ of my personal career as a film and television actress.
How did I get here? I’m a firm believer that nothing we experience is ever wasted. And I believe a strong education, key people, and a commitment to bravely doing the ‘next right thing’ got me to where I am today.
After studying theatre and voice at Northwestern University, I moved to Los Angeles and established myself as a working actor, recurring on TV shows like Full House, as Cindy, (Danny’s favorite girlfriend), Pat Day opposite Bubba on ‘In the Heat of the Night,’ and working with actors like Bruce Willis, Angela Lansbury, Ellen DeGeneres, and Julia-Louis Dreyfus. But after marrying my husband Greg, and having our daughter Sarah, my priorities began to shift. An opportunity came along for Greg and I to move to Atlanta, affording us the chance to live by his family. So we moved south y’all! Who knew that Atlanta would become the Hollywood of the South! I’ve enjoyed opportunities like a recurring role as Dr. Raston on the Tyler Perry’s series, If Loving You is Wrong, playing Terry Bradshaw’s wife in the feature film, Father Figures, (with Ed Helms and Owen Wilson) and guest spots on Queen Sugar, and BET’s The Quad. From northern Yankee to California girl, to southern belle, the move to Georgia has proved to be a good one!
Being in front of the camera is one of my ‘happy places’, but inspiring students has always been in my blood. As the creative mom of our two children, Sarah and Walker, sharing my love of theatre and music was a given. So when Sarah asked if we could cast the neighborhood kids in a production of The Wizard of Oz, I immediately said, ‘Yes! Let’s do it!’ Putting Flyers in mailboxes with 12-year-old Sarah was essentially the catalyst for what is now Stipe Studio. We specialize in equipping talent for the booming Atlanta market, opening doors to professional opportunities right here in our own backyard. We created Life@Stipe, an original Comedy Series, so as to give our students invaluable on-set experience and professional credits. We are in the midst of shooting episode 4 right now! Co-writing this project with Sarah along with casting, costuming and crafting characters, has been the best of journeys!
StayDahlonega has been an endeavor born out of our love of renovating homes. Greg and I, along with our stellar design team, had been flipping houses for years. And having navigated our families’ two major house fires, the process of remodeling and putting a house together became almost second nature to us. I began to get curious about the short term rental platform, Airbnb. After exploring the idea and weighing the risks, we decided to put up our first listing! And here we are, six houses and two Treehouses later! That’s right, Treehouses! The charming town of Dahlonega, along with North Georgia’s reputation for waterfalls, wineries and wedding venues, provides the perfect spot for adventuring! And with over 400 reviews, I am officially a Superhost! I only wear my cape on special occasions. By offering inviting, high design escapes to our guests, we hope to play our part in encouraging guests to ‘Choose Adventure’ and create lifelong memories.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
‘Goals on the road to achievement cannot be achieved without discipline and consistency.’ Denzel Washington.
As an Actress: Do the Work! The road to becoming a professional actor is both exciting and relentless. The opportunities can be very thrilling, but a thick skin and resiliency is critical. Rejection is par for the course. But if you see each audition as an opportunity to present what you do…not simply to get a job, then you’re in the right mindset. You have to love it. You have to believe in yourself. You have to do the work. There are not any sustainable shortcuts here. Like any craft, skill or sport, doing it well takes training. The great actors make it look effortless, but it’s a beautiful studied craft.
As a Studio Owner: Cultivate your Team! Running Stipe Studio has been a most rewarding experience, but with a healthy learning curve. A Creative like me is best inspiring students, bringing out their best selves, creating a safe, encouraging environment to learn, and sharing my experience in the industry. Accounting, organizing schedules… there are plenty of folks out there that love that lane! So cultivating a team with varied skills, with each of us operating in our strengths, is always the goal. People sitting in the ‘right seats on the bus’.
As an Airbnb Superhost: Remain Teachable! A perk of our StayDahlonega Airbnb business is that we always get reviewed. A ‘perk’ you may ask? That’s right! This feedback affords us the knowledge to always be improving. A great part of our success is the benefit we’ve had of guests that took the time to share specific things they liked about our properties, as well as ways we could improve. We strive to quickly adjust to requests and it’s made the difference. No matter your business, listen to your customers and remain teachable.
Any advice for other women, particularly young women who are just starting their journey?
If I could leave you aspiring young girl bosses with some advice, I’d say
- Get Smart! Start gaining the knowledge you need for what you’re dreaming about! And there are more resources than ever online.
- Just Start! Not everything has to be perfect. It takes courage, but start stepping out. Clarity comes from engaging and taking that class, having that meeting, making that request, trying something out. Oh…and read ‘Everything is Figureoutable‘, by Marie Forleo. Great stuff!
- Connections! Who can help you? There are folks out there that want to open doors for you. Or friends that want to be your cheerleader. Reach out. Make that call. Whether you need people that can open doors, or a tribe of supportive friends, in the end, we need each other.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
*Debra Stipe: Actress Credits https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0762017/
Known for her performances in Full House, Father Figures and If Loving You is Wrong.
*Stipe Studio: Equipping talent for Stage & Screen. https://www.stipestudio.com/ Actors training ground for the Film and Television industry. Known for guiding actors into the professional TV & Film market.
*StayDahlonega: Choose Adventure! https://www.airbnb.com/users/56281008/listings Airbnb short term rentals in North Georgia, including homes and Treehouses. Known for inviting, 4.9 rating getaways, an hour north of Atlanta.
Life@Stipe: an Original Comedy Series. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10192554/ Living their best life running a performing arts studio, this girl-boss Mother-Daughter duo set out to launch their students’ dreams and a few of their own!
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
As a Human: The Bible will always be my most recommended book for wisdom, encouragement and soul-filling goodness.
As an Actress:
The Actor’s Art and Craft: by William Esper & Damon DiMarco
Acting in Film, An Actor’s Take on Movie Making, by Michael Caine
It’s A Slate of Mind: Podcast, with Alison Haseldon
Actor Minute Mondays: Instagram sessions with Rhavynn Drummer
As an Airbnb Superhost: Building a Story Brand: Donald Miller. All his materials on marketing are top-notch.
As a Girl Boss: Everything is Figureoutable: by Marie Forleo.
Contact Info
- Website: www.stipestudio.com www.staydahlonega.com
- Email: debrastipe@stipestudio.com
- Instagram: debrastipe, staydahlonega, stipestudio, life@stipe
- Facebook: Debra Stipe, Stipe Studio
- Twitter: @DebraStipe
Image Credit:
Getty Images ABC Archives, Sailix, Justin Sterner
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