Meet Claudia Balthazar

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Claudia Balthazar. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Claudia , thank you so much for making time for us. We’ve always admired your ability to take risks and so maybe we can kick things off with a discussion around how you developed your ability to take and bear risk?

I was born and raised in an environment where taking risks was a way of life. Attempting to live an everyday life within an unpredictable society was a way of resistance, but it carried the risk of one becoming a victim of urban violence. At the age of 23, I relocated to the United States, where, motivated by the comparatively modest crime rate, I took risks, and, at times, found myself in situations that were quite unsafe for a young woman, a recent immigrant to this country. Reflecting on that time, it is clear that risk-taking had turned to recklessness . Thankfully. the passing years brought me a greater balance, and risk-taking took on, again, a different meaning. Most recently I risked leaving behind a well-paid, secure job as a healthcare provider to finally pursue my lifelong dream of acting. As a mature woman who’s lived life striving for financial wellness, I embarked, wholeheartedly, on an artist’s journey, a risk that was taken for a more significant cause, which is honoring my life purpose. For that, I’m grateful to all the risks I’ve taken in life for fostering the courage to change my life.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I was born in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While growing up, I aspired to be in the performing arts, but becoming an artist was not feasible considering life circumstance. The theatre became a distant hobby, and instead, I became the first in my family to graduate from college with a degree in physical therapy. At 23, I had the opportunity to come to the United States with a work visa. I had been hired to work as a physical therapist at a hospital in Miami, Florida, which was an incredible opportunity for someone from my background, the first in my family to fly in an airplane! Working as a physical therapist was an enriching experience. I worked in various clinical settings, such as hospitals, outpatient clinics, and nursing homes. I also took care of patients in their homes. I later became Board-certified as a geriatric specialist and moved to Academics, where I served as a professor and clinical education director for a physical therapist assistant program. Throughout the decades, the burning desire to act would sometimes visit me. At one time I even moved to New York City to take classes at schools such as the American Academy of Dramatic, the H.B. Studio, and the Lee Strasberg Institute. For a period, I lived a double life, rehabilitating the range of motion after patients’ total knee replacements during the day while working on scene study in my classes in the evenings. My patients did not know about my dreams of acting, and my scene partners never knew what I did for a living. Soon it became too much for me, and I sacrificed my acting, delved deeper into physical therapy, and pursued a doctorate degree. Acting was left behind until 2019, when significant life changes forced me to look deeper into the desires of my soul. I began organizing the practical aspects of life while, little by little, learning about the business aspects of acting, taking classes, and beginning to network. The pandemic brought me losses that cemented within me the certainty that ignoring what I feel is my life purpose was no longer an option. Since then, I have made great strides towards living the life I aspire to. I’m now a working actor with excellent talent agents. I’ve been busy doing commercials while exploring the independent film scene. It has been wonderful to learn that there are great opportunities for mature women in this industry, and the confident, self-aware, and tough-skinned gal that I have become can navigate this crazy business with the certainty I am at the right place at the right time.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Some of the things that were important in my journey as I transitioned to the life of an artist was financial literacy, which allowed me to embark on this life free from debts and have savings that would cover at least six months of expenses. Also, having the lifelong desire to learn about my own self, work on past trauma, and have the courage to work off character flaws. Another quality I have is the curiosity to seek new knowledge constantly. That enhances my creative process while deepening the art I create.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Dave Ramsey’s “Total Money Makeover” was the first book I read on financial literacy. It was clear to me that to dream of leaving a well-paying full-time job to pursue my dream of acting, I needed to be, at a minimum , debt-free. I followed the steps recommended in the book and eventually paid off my debts. I then learned about the F.I.R.E. movement (Financial Independence Retire Early). As I was not retiring per se, I learned about different lifestyles and the possibility of working remotely to make the transition more smooth. I also learned about the basics of investing. I applied the principles I was learning, and in November 2022, I quit my full-time job and have been dedicating primarily to my acting career ever since.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: claudia_balthazar1

Image Credits

Headshot: Michelle Nicole
Filme clip (with hat): Sarah Rhye
Film clip (with dress): Barbara Saraiva