These are the things the internet cares about

This post is part of our Letters from Lisa series. Letters from Lisa are published every Friday for Blue Mala Members. Subscribers to the free newsletter receive it once a month.

From Lisa Jakub, CEO
October 22, 2021

Hi friends,

This week on social media, I posted a silly photo of one of my residual checks. I’ve posted things like this before and I’m always surprised by the reaction I get. It turns out, people are interested in money.

Huh. Who knew?

I always feel a little funny posting about my checks. I don’t want to give the impression that I’m ungrateful — because honestly receiving any amount of money for something I did 20+ years ago is a lovely thing. Even when that check is less than a dollar, which it frequently is.

(At this moment, I also need to show gratitude for mobile banking because when I used to take a 37 cent check INTO THE BANK, I got sad looks from the tellers.)

But I also like to post these checks because I enjoy being my own little Myth Busters: Hollywood Edition.

So here’s how movie money works.

You get paid to do the job and then afterward, residual checks show up randomly. They are based on how often people watch/rent/buy movies. The math behind the exact amount is mysterious and confusing and it decreases over time. But generally, you should know that if you watched Independence Day in July, I got half a penny in September and so thank you.

Sometimes I get a check every couple of weeks, sometimes there isn’t one for months. They range from less than the cost of a stamp to something that would cover a nice dinner out with friends.

Often, people assume that because I was in a few movies that did well at the box office, that I am set for life. It doesn’t work that way. I got paid well to do those films but it wasn’t life-changing money. And I had a lot of expenses as a kid. Flying back and forth between L.A. and my home in Canada. Living part-time in L.A. isn’t cheap. I was paying for earthquake insurance at age 15 — not buying Louboutins — but that money still goes fast.

I like to share those checks to burst this Hollywood bullshit bubble just a bit. Of course there are some folks who make great gobs of cash. But for those of us who were working actors, the work was unstable. We’d go through long periods of unemployment, never knowing when the next paycheck would arrive.

Just like so many other non-actor people.

It’s tempting to decide that others have it better and easier and that life is simple for them. It’s easy to equate happiness and success with money and fame.

All of that is an illusion.

I am not raking in the cash as an author and founder of my own startup. And I am so much happier and more fulfilled than I used to be. My definition of success is not about income, and I like that.

One in four workers quit their job this year. COVID reminded us of the fleeting nature of life and as a consequence, many of us have reassessed our priorities. I hope this is a trend that continues as we mindfully create the lives we really want to be living.

So when my next big check comes in, I’m taking us all to the Dollar Store.

Here’s what else happened this week:

What I’m reading

“What happens inside a person’s head can have damaging effects throughout the body, as well as the other way around.”

The Devastating Ways Depression and Anxiety Impact the Body

This is an important article about the mind-body connection and why we all need to be taking our mental wellness seriously.

What I found fascinating/cute/gross

OK, this is an echidna which is an anteater and that pasty blob in the middle is her baby which is called a puggle.

I have so so many feelings about all of this.

What I’m watching

“I was making art with a gun against my head.” - Iliana

Speaking of money and its ability to fuck people up, we just watched LuLaRich (Amazon Prime) the documentary on the multi-level-marketing clothing company. Wow. Just. Wow. It’s well done and pretty horrifying.

What I recorded

I was interviewed on the podcast Inappropriate Questions: Should we ask “where are they now?”

It just makes me so happy that anyone is even considering the fact that “where are they now??” might be an uncomfortable question to ask. This interview gets into new territory for me and I loved it. Plus @Rivkahreyes is awesome.

What else I recorded

I love meditation. I love swearing. I combined both of them for you.

This is officially a collection of meditations for Veterans, but it’s appropriate for anyone who enjoys a little irreverence in their mindfulness.

I recorded two brand new meditations this week so, whenever you’re interested in sitting your ass down to find some stillness — you can do that here.

And finally, your moment of Zen

I went to an ax-throwing party last weekend. I decided that a hot pink wig and cat ears were in order.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for being part of this community.

Wishing you a weekend full of wigs and puggles,

Much love,
~Lisa

Age, net worth, feet