Here is an opportunity to get to know Becky Murdoch, who is The Greenhouse’s Director of The Greenlight Exchange, a grassroots fund for the arts.
Q: Why did you decide to come tOhollywood?
A: I have always wanted to live in Los Angeles, at least since I was old enough to know what Los Angeles was. My Barbies always lived in Hollywood or Beverly Hills, and they were always married to Kirk Cameron. I have always loved anything “celebrity” and wanted to be part of it in some way. I have no idea how to explain it except that I do think it is something that God put on my heart when I was very young. I seriously doubt that God wanted me to go as far as plastering my wall with posters from Bop or Teen Beat, but that’s how it started. I honestly don’t think my mom has ever purchased a copy of People Magazine, and my parents are not big movie goers. Since I was an only child and fairly sheltered, it’s a miracle that I knew as much about Hollywood as I did… I’ve always thought that it had to be God.
As you’ve heard in the movies, moving to — and living in — a big city is very difficult. However, as much as I could complain about the lows, I could talk just as much about the good stuff. Who wouldn’t love the constant sunshine and beaches? Not that I ever see the beach… but that’s a different story, for another time…
My career in the entertainment industry actually started with music. I worked in Nashville doing radio promotions and marketing for a few different indie labels and distribution companies. I loved it, and even though I knew I would be in L.A. one day, I never thought I would leave Nashville altogether. At this point, I have been in L.A. for five years, and every day thought that I wanted to leave.
Back to the point: I moved ouThere because I really felt that God placed it on my heart tOhelp fund films. I really had no idea what that meant when I set out to do this! But I sold my house and eventually made my way out tOhollywood. I started working with a film festival and realized how much I loved my job because I was raising money and working on films!
I thought that this was satisfying the “fund films” call I felt God had for me. Little did I know He had another idea. When I moved to L.A. I got connected with an organization called The Greenhouse, the parent organization for The Greenlight Exchange. After talking with the leaders, we felt that my funding idea would work well with the funding ideas they had been brainstorming for The Greenhouse, so we decided to partner together. Pretty awesome stuff, huh?
I am currently working for a property management company — it’s so much different than what I thought it was going to be! At one point last year, I was working three jobs and working on The Greenlight Exchange. In fact, it’s typical to work jobs that are completely unrelated to entertainment. Since moving to L.A. I have worked for a film festival, a production company, a salon that does eyelash extensions, and a children’s store.
Though it’s difficult and I often think of the good old days in Nashville where my rent wasn’t pushing $1000 a month, my heart for L.A. has grown deeper each day. I really wanThelp those who live outside L.A. know and see first hand that there are so many people living here in Los Angeles that are creating incredible life-changing content that will inspire the world to move in a direction of peace and redemption!
So that’s a bit of my story, and hopefully it gives you a small taste of the heart I have for this blog and especially in showing the world what amazing people are living in Hollywood. We all have different journeys and different trials. We are all at different levels in our careers. I hope you join us as we journey into the life of an artist.
Q: What are you reading, watching, and listening to right now?
A: Right now, I’m reading a social media marketing book called The Social Media Management Handbook by Nick Smith & Robert Wollan, and I just finished Jesus Is… by Judah Smith.
I’m binge-watching Gilmore Girls right now. It’s great; I can’t believe I never watched it when it was on. I kind of love television and normally have it on in the background when I’m working: Friends, The Office, Fraiser. I love cop shows like Criminal Minds and Blue Bloods. I haven’t been watching a ton of movies lately. I saw The Man From U.N.C.L.E. last weekend and enjoyed it.
Music… that’s a hard one. I don’t know. My standbys are Jars of Clay & The Barenaked Ladies. I love Caro Emerald; she has a modern big band sound. I listen to the radio a lot, normally rock or pop. I think there’s a lot of great music out now… I just don’t know the names of the bands I like. I need to find some new music.