Podcast #37: Overcoming Adversity for the Dream with Actress Jannica Olin

This episode I'm chatting with actress Jannica Olin. 

Born and raised in Sweden, Jannica has travelled extensively and been lucky to, over the past ten years, call Melbourne, London, New York and Los Angeles her home.

Jannica is an actress and received her professional training at the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. She has appeared on stage in New York, Sweden and London.

Now based in Los Angeles, Jannica is creating new opportunities that have grown out of her struggle with losing all her hair due to the autoimmune condition Alopecia.

Her new found sense of who she gets to create herself to be has led to new ventures, such as developing the documentary series “Welcome To My New Normal” , the short film “Rebirth” and a sci-fi web series.

Jannica came to Los Angeles on an 01 Artist Visa about 4 years ago. She sought out professional guidance from a lawyer (Jannica highly recommends getting a lawyer). The fees included an filing fee of $325, a peer group consultation of $250, and lawyer fees that could range from $4,000 to $10,000. You can also pay $1200 to expedite the process.

Jannica has also heard that it is better to file on the east coast (like New York), rather than Los Angeles because the number of applicants in Los Angeles is so high, that they are more strict here.

The 01 Visa is for 3 years, and after it's granted, you can apply for your Social Security number, and you can't start working until after you have that number.

Usually you will get 2 of the 3-year visas, granting you 6 years in the United States, and then you can apply for your Green Card once you have more work on your resume, or perhaps you find love and get married!

While Jannica has been here in Los Angeles, she suffered through Alopecia, where she lost all of her hair. We mentioned a video that she recorded: 

To keep up with Jannica's work, including the art piece where Jannica shaves her head, you can visit her website here.