We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Richard Turrentine a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Richard, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
“Whether you’re going through a tough time now or you want to be prepared for future challenges, I’ve learned to build resilience by first having a great example in my mother. As a single mother, she displayed to my sister and I the importance of finding purpose, believing in yourself, establishing goals, and taking action. All of which I continue to live by today as a man.”
“I was fortunate in being able to find my purpose early in life. It’s like it came to me from outer space or something. A huge turning point in my young life and it felt amazing. To become a serial entrepreneur within the entertainment and tech space. I knew I wanted to make movies and build businesses that would help others. This purpose was the foundation that made the other steps within the process of resilience possible. Remember everything and everyone has a purpose. Find yours.”
“Confidence and that competitive spirit is something I’ve always had. I grew up playing organized sports, usually, the youngest in my childhood friend groups and the neighborhood I grew up in all helped me in believing in myself. I always focused on my strengths but was never insecure about my weaknesses. Success is what fueled and gave me more confidence. Today in business when I get good client reviews for my property or new user sign-ups with Screen Indie it’s a huge confidence booster that stems from my belief I could do it. I can really do anything I put my mind to!”
“Being organized and setting goals are important because without it your resilience path has no direction. I mean you’re essentially working backward if you don’t set goals. Set the goal and stick with it no matter what. Remember baby steps are steps to just as long as you’re stepping to them goals.”
“Founding Screen Indie has been my most recent test of resilience. It’s the first tech company that I’ve founded, I don’t always have the answers to things, self-funding, and pitch after pitch. I formed the business in 2018 and launched the site in 2021. It’s been a very tough journey but the purpose to help others, support, and the long-term vision I have for the company keeps me going. My teammates and users motivate/inspire me every day to keep pushing!” My goal is for Screen Indie to become the most recognized social streaming platform for indie filmmakers. A platform that will be at the forefront of film technology and innovation!”
“I don’t need to give a deep dive on the action because you’ll miss the point. Just do… less talk and more doing!”
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’m from Washington DC and attended Howard University. At Howard is where I honed my skills in directing/cinematography. I was exposed to so many opportunities to film on and off campus. If I wasn’t filming videos for different campus organizations, I was shooting music videos for a local artist. I was approached by Angelica Lee who at the time was chair of Howard Homecoming to produce all the visuals for homecoming.”
“This opportunity was huge! It allowed my work to be displayed in front of the entire university. From that, I knew I’d gain more opportunities. During this time, I met Edward Underwood who’s a very known wedding and lifestyle photographer in Washington DC. He hired me to film weddings he booked and later became my mentor. I remember that time in my life as really busy. I was booked every weekend and sometimes book during the weekdays. Immediately after graduating, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue filmmaking but I had no idea was more in store.”
“As I worked in Hollywood my interest in the Entertainment business expanded. I purchased two properties and converted them into creative spaces for creators to shoot music videos, movies, commercials, and more. I later founded a streaming social service called Screen Indie in which you can engage beyond the movie viewing experience. Again, my goal is for Screen Indie to become the most recognized social streaming platform for indie filmmakers. A platform that will be at the forefront of film technology and innovation!”
“My day to day is interesting. I’m either on a film set directing or dp, at the film lot with a client, or working on Screen Indie operations. I absolutely love that no day is the same and that I’m able to remain creative in these different spaces.”
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 three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in my journey were being open in learning to pivot, having discipline, always be punctual. All these skills/qualities has helped me in during my journey. I’m obsessed in always wanting to perfect my abilities in each of these skills and qualities.”
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
“Yes, sometimes, life feels like a never-ending to-do list. I ask myself, why do I feel so overwhelmed? Am I doing too many things? Am I doing the wrong things? Am I in a busy season? I think recognizing you’re overwhelmed is the first step. I also learned to say no to opportunities. I often get away from business completely and do things I like to do such as spend time with friends, ride dirtbikes, gun range, hike, and try out new restaurants. It balances me out and I’m far more effective in business.”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.screenindie.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/screenindie/
- Other: IG/Website @turrentinestudios www.turrentinestudios.com @screenindie www.screenindie.com Book rental space here: https://giggster.com/listing/5-acre-desert-land
