"It is such a cut throat industry where you get knocked down so much and get rejected so much. If you do not back yourself up, no one else is going to so you really need to learn to get up, shake the sand off your chest and keep going"

In this quote, star Alex O'Loughlin is describing the severe truth of the show business. He uses the expression "cut throat" to communicate the extreme competition and continuous pressure to prosper. O'Loughlin acknowledges that rejection and failure are inescapable in this market, but highlights the value of believing in oneself. He prompts people to not let the continuous knocks and rejections bring them down, however instead to pick themselves up and keep pressing forward. The expression "shake the sand off your chest" signifies the requirement to let go of past dissatisfactions and concentrate on the future. O'Loughlin's message is clear: in order to prosper in this market, one must have strength and self-belief.