Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Daniel Juarez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Daniel, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I get my resilience from my mother. As a hispanic women, she understands the setbacks that come with the corporate world. She started out as a receptionist and worked her way up to a Director position. She was the only women to do so. In a workplace full of powerful men, she did not give up. In fact, I believe it fueled her to consistently work even harder than her male counterparts. She had a lot of setbacks that made it easy to give up. Like mental health issues, multiple counts of sexual harassment, divorce, and the guilt of not spending enough time with her children. Though my mother and I disagree on a plethora of issues, we both can agree that I get my resilience from her. The way I bounce back from a trauma, spin a negative situation into a positive one, or continue to pursue a career in acting in the midst of a pandemic is all because she raised me.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I started acting as a kid when I was just 8 years old. I was on a Spanish Christian tv show for kids. I had a few lines and everything! I instantly knew that this was what I wanted to do with my life. Over the years I have studied the craft and have a profound appreciation for it. As an actor, everyday on set is different. I think that is what partly drew me to this career as an adult. The 9-5 work life did not seem like it was ever in the cards for me.
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?
The first skill is to be nice and courteous to everyone. It is very hard to do, hence why it is a skill. Being on set isn’t always fun. There are long days and anything that can go wrong, surely will. Continuing to be nice to the cast and crew is a good way to ensure being called back for future projects.
The second skill you should harness is networking. I cannot tell you how many gigs I have landed simply because a friend I had thought of me. Last month I booked a hand modeling gig through a friend of a friend. In this industry, it’s all about who you know.
This industry is tough. No matter how thick your skin is there will always be a moment when you ask yourself if this dream is still worth pursuing. The third skill I would say was the most impactful in my journey is my ability to keep going. I have friends that move out of Los Angeles every year because they feel like they are failures. The truth is they are, but only because they gave up. They say it takes ten years. So I promised myself I would give it a full ten years. Then and only then, may I allow myself to pursue another dream.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
Over the last twelve months I went back to school. I decided to take one class a month. I finished my last class around New Years. I am officially a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. I think this will open so many more doors for me in the future. Especially if I ever decided to pursue another career.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/GeminiBoyfriend
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edanieljuarez/
