Meet David Soop

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful David Soop. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with David below.

David, so great to have you sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our readers and so let’s jump right into one of our favorite topics – empathy. We think a lack of empathy is at the heart of so many issues the world is struggling with and so our hope is to contribute to an environment that fosters the development of empathy. Along those lines, we’d love to hear your thoughts around where your empathy comes from?

My self-esteem and confidence are really the natural outcome of the foundation my mother gave me from the moment my sister, my brother, and I were born. She was the opposite of a helicopter parent. She instinctively understood that children will protect and look out for themselves.
Because of that, she allowed us to explore freely, even at a very young age; riding our bicycles through farmland and rural neighborhoods. That freedom gave me both independence and trust in my own abilities.

Another early influence came when I was about five years old. My parents enrolled my sister and me in a summer gymnastics course. When I returned to school, I realized I had an advantage in physical education and quickly became the best in my class. From then on, I always stayed motivated to maintain that position. That drive to excel, first in sports, became a habit that carried into other areas of my life. I could not be more grateful.
Later, when I expressed my desire to pursue the arts, my mother recognized that it was aligned with my personality and very naturally normalized it, no matter how difficult the path might be. By treating my ambitions as just as valid and attainable as any other goal, she made what could have seemed impossible feel natural. After all, leaving Belgium, adapting to a foreign culture, mastering its language, and one day becoming an actor on international screens isn’t something most children growing up in the farmlands would even dare to dream of.
My father supported this upbringing in his own way. He only needed to tell me once that if I chose to be an athlete or become an actor in Hollywood, I had to take care of myself; eat healthy, avoid alcohol, and stay away from cigarettes. That guidance stuck with me for life.
Of course, this kind of growth only flourishes when the adults around you encourage it. I was very fortunate to have supportive parents, a loving family, and teachers who nurtured my drive. If there were naysayers, I hardly noticed them, my belief in myself was so strong that any negative words had no real impact.
Now, as an adult, I recognize how essential encouragement is. That’s why I’ve dedicated my life to supporting and inspiring young people. It isn’t something I chose as an obligation or promise, it’s simply what I love most and what feels most natural to me.

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 love being an actor and a body double to the stars ( DavidFrison.com ), but with so much film and commercial production moving out of California, my focus has shifted. It’s given me the chance to dedicate myself more fully to a documentary I’ve been producing for years.

At the same time, I’ve built a life where I get to live my passion every day: educating children through physical activity. Both worlds, education and entertainment, inspire me, and documenting them feels like a natural extension of who I am.

The documentary is now in its final stages. You can already see trailers at www.theoriginalmusclebeach.com
At this point, I’m reaching out for support: securing rights for a few pieces of archival footage, covering the cost of professional sound and color correction, and compensating my friend who will compose the score.

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?

1. THE GOLDEN RULE.
Before I knew there was a name for it, my Mom told me all about how to treat others. In turn, it serves me very well as those who appreciate my respect for them, return it to me.

2. Knowing my goal in life.
Although it was a stroke of luck to know it early in childhood, it allowed me to assess the steps to get there. Not looking too far ahead allowed me to not be overwhelemed, and go one step at a time.

3. Enjoying the moment, the journey.
Quality of life is most important to me, it’s finding pleasure in what I do and in the surprises of life. When one could be seen a “bad surprise”, I remember that I will overcome it as usual AND I will learn a lesson from it.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

First, I would work on my documentary more www.TheOriginalMuscleBeach.com , I’m in the editing phase now. I would make sure to finish it so I could share with the world as I truly believe it will contribute to make the world a better place.
Then I would start traveling, that is something I never do. I want to see the Pyramids of Giza, Tokyo, Fiji maybe, and more. I love learning from people who are different than me, travelling I am sure will serve me heaps of lessons, lol.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.TheOriginalMuscleBeach.com www.DavidFrison.com
• Instagram: Soop518