Kelly Frye on Texas Roots, Hollywood Success on Criminal Minds and The Flash, and Reinvention as an Entrepreneur and Arts Advocate
Are you afraid to start over? Do you feel like it’s too late to pursue a creative passion or pivot your career because you didn't start young enough? Whether you are navigating a competitive industry, recovering from a personal setback, or simply feeling the itch to try something new, this episode of No Boxes, Just Verses is your blueprint for resilience. We go beyond the bio to explore how to embrace being a beginner, how to navigate life's sinking canoes and why your 10,000 hours of hard work will always pay off.
Kelly Frye is a dynamic actress, producer, and director known for her roles in Disney's Secrets of Sulphur Springs, Criminal Minds, The Flash, and Rake. A Houston native and Loyola Marymount University graduate, Kelly is a lifelong learner who trained at the famed Second City. Beyond the screen, she is a multifaceted entrepreneur: she co-runs the Campbell Art Collective, hosts immersive "Bite" dinner series, and recently launched her own line of upcycled, artist-collaborative handbags, the Kelly Campbell Collection.
Watch on YouTube:
Key Takeaways:
Embrace Being a Beginner: From joining her high school golf team with zero experience to launching a handbag line during a Hollywood strike, Kelly proves that success comes from the willingness to be a beginner and put in the work.
Learn the Rules to Break Them: Kelly shares a critical lesson for any creative or professional: you must master the technical scaffolding of your craft before you can successfully improvise and add your own unique jazz hands.
The Canoe Theory of Relationships: In a powerful analogy about navigating toxic relationships, Kelly explains how to recognize when you are in a sinking canoe and why you must have the courage to jump out and swim, rather than drowning trying to fix holes others are poking.
Track Your Wins in the Desert: When you are in a wilderness season or feeling stuck, Kelly recommends keeping a physical list of every small win. Reviewing this list when you feel lost helps you see that you are actually moving forward, even if you can't see the forest through the trees.
Pivot with Purpose: Learn how Kelly turned an 8-month industry strike into an opportunity to launch new businesses, proving that versatility and the ability to pivot are essential tools for long-term success.
Are you ready to jump off the mountain and see if the parachute opens? Kelly’s story is a reminder that you don't have to fit into one box—you can be an actress, a realtor, an entrepreneur, and an art lover all at once. If this episode inspired you to start your own list of wins, share it with us!
Don't forget to subscribe to No Boxes, Just Verses on your favorite platform so you never miss a leadership playlist.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review the podcast!
CONNECT WITH KELLY FRYE:
Kelly Campbell Collection Instagram
CONNECT WITH SHANNON:
LinkedIn Shannon | LinkedIn NBJV
Theme Song: No Boxes Just Verses by Thane Kreiner (Suno)
How to Be Brave, Pivot, and Build a Life You Love: Lessons from Kelly Frye
Introduction
Have you ever wanted to try something new but felt too scared to start? Maybe you think you are too old, or you missed your chance because you didn't start when you were a kid. It is easy to feel stuck when you look at successful people and think they just got lucky. But the truth is, most success comes from being brave enough to look like a beginner. In this article, we are going to learn some powerful life lessons from actress and entrepreneur Kelly Frye. She went from knowing nothing about golf to being a team captain, and from a struggling actor to a successful business owner. Her story proves that you can pivot, learn new things, and build a life that makes you happy, no matter where you start.
Step 1: Be Okay with Being a Beginner
Most people never start their dream because they are afraid of looking silly. You might think everyone else already knows what they are doing, so you shouldn't even try. This is a big mistake! If you wait until you are an expert to start, you will never start at all. The secret is to just jump in and admit you don't know everything yet. When Kelly Frye was in high school, she joined the golf team without even knowing what a "birdie" was. She literally wrote on her test that she didn't know the answers but was a "quick learner" and a "great teammate." Because she wasn't embarrassed to be a beginner, she learned fast and eventually became the team captain. You have to be willing to be the new kid and ask questions.
Recap:
Don't let the fear of looking like a newbie stop you. Everyone starts at zero.
Jump in: Join the team, the class, or the project even if you don't know the rules yet.
Be honest: It is okay to say, "I don't know, but I can learn".
Put in the work: Kelly practiced every single day to get better.
Ignore the embarrassment: Being a beginner is a superpower, not a weakness.
Step 2: Learn the Rules Before You Break Them
Sometimes creative people just want to "go with the flow" and skip the boring stuff. You might want to be an amazing painter, writer, or actor immediately without learning the basics. But if you don't build a strong foundation, your work will fall apart when things get hard. You need to learn the technical skills—the "scaffolding"—of your craft first. Kelly studied acting for years to learn script analysis and technique. Once she knew exactly how a scene worked, she could add her own personality and "jazz hands" to it. You have to respect the craft enough to learn how it works before you try to change it.
Recap:
mastery gives you the freedom to be creative.
Study hard: Take the time to learn the boring basics of your hobby or job.
Build the frame: Think of skills like the frame of a house; you need them before you can decorate.
Add your flavor: Once you know the rules, you can break them in a way that makes your work special.
Be patient: It takes time to get good enough to improvise.
Step 3: Count Your Wins When You Feel Lost
There will be times when you feel like you are failing. Maybe you didn't get the job, or you feel like you are working hard but going nowhere. Kelly calls this being "in the desert." When you are in this lonely place, your brain plays tricks on you and tells you that you are wasting your time. To fight this, you need to write down every single win, no matter how small. Kelly kept a list of every audition she got, even if she didn't get the part. When she felt sad, she looked at her list and realized she was actually moving forward. You need to see the progress you are making, even if it feels slow.
Recap:
Your brain will forget your success, so you have to write it down.
Make a list: Write down every small victory in a journal.
Redefine winning: Even getting an interview or a chance to try is a win.
Check the map: Use your list to remind yourself that you are halfway through the forest, not lost in it.
Keep going: Use these wins as fuel to keep moving when you want to quit.
Step 4: Don't Stay in a Sinking Canoe
Relationships and jobs can sometimes feel like a boat ride. A good partnership is like a sturdy canoe where everyone is paddling together. But sometimes, you end up in a canoe with someone who is poking holes in the bottom. You might spend all your energy trying to fix the leaks and save the boat, but you are just exhausting yourself. Kelly shared a powerful story about being in a "sinking canoe" relationship where she spent all her time in "triage mode" trying to keep them afloat. She realized she had to jump out and swim to save herself. You have to be brave enough to leave a bad situation, even if it means swimming alone for a while.
Recap:
You cannot save a boat if the other person keeps breaking it.
Check your boat: Is your partner or job helping you float or making you sink?.
Stop fixing holes: Don't waste your energy trying to fix a disaster that someone else is creating.
Jump out: It is better to be alone and safe than drowning in a bad relationship.
Swim to shore: You are strong enough to make it on your own.
Step 5: Pivot and Try Something New
Just because you are good at one thing doesn't mean you can't do something else too. You don't have to stay in one box forever. When the acting industry went on strike, Kelly didn't just sit around and wait. She used that time to start a handbag business called the Kelly Campbell Collection. She had an idea to make bags out of art canvases, and she just went for it. She didn't know how to sew perfectly, but she figured it out. Life is long, and you have time to explore different passions. If one door closes for a while, look for a window to climb through.
Recap:
You can be more than one thing.
Use your downtime: If one part of your life slows down, use that time to build something else.
Start small: You don't need a million dollars; you can bootstrap your idea.
Follow the wave: When an idea feels right and the timing is good, ride that wave.
Mix your interests: Kelly combined her love for art and fashion to create something unique.
Article Conclusion
The biggest lesson from Kelly Frye is that you are never truly stuck. Whether you are learning a new sport in high school, acting in Hollywood, or starting a business from your kitchen table, the secret is simply to start.
Here is your plan to succeed:
Be a beginner: Raise your hand and try, even if you don't know the answers.
Learn the craft: Study the rules so you can eventually break them with style.
Track the wins: Keep a physical list of your progress to beat discouraged feelings.
Leave the sinking boat: Don't stay in toxic situations that drain your energy.
Pivot freely: Don't be afraid to start a new chapter or business when the opportunity arises.
Go find your own "canoe," paddle hard, and enjoy the ride!