Dania Denise shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Dania, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I’m doing a bit of both. I’ve always known the path I wanted to walk would be the one less traveled but I also know that things don’t always go according to plan. Giving myself the freedom to wander every now and then is a positive way of taking risks, while at the same time giving myself grace when things don’t turn out the way I had hoped. I’m not a fan of routine so combining my desire to have a path to follow in general with the option of wandering as needed gives me the best of both worlds. It’s all about balance.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a multi-hyphenated self-employed entrepreneur. I’ve been in front of the camera as an actor, voice-over artist, and host/emcee for nearly 30 years and I’ve been behind the camera wearing the hats of writer, director, producer, editor, and creative director for almost 10 years. Being a workaholic is in my DNA, as is being a storyteller. Since founding my company, Runaway Mill Productions LLC, in April of 2021, I’ve been fortunate to combine my years of experience into creating a work environment where fellow creatives are positioned for success and able to showcase their talents in a community-based way.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Communication and vulnerability is what both breaks and restores bonds between people. We live in such a reactionary time where people are quick to judge, cancel, and ghost others when all that’s really required is a courageous conversation. I find it ironic that in a world where we can contact each other in a million different ways across the globe, we continue to fail spectacularly at fostering basic communication and allow misunderstandings without clarification to rule the role certain people play in our lives.
There’s nothing wrong with being vulnerable and leading with empathy. Instead of treating others the way we want to be treated, we need to rewrite that narrative to how to treat others how THEY want to be treated. If more people took time to sit with their feelings and really process the story they’re telling themselves versus how the other person is perceiving things, that reflection can completely shape how you end up communicating and moving forward (or not) with the other person.
We also need to learn to pick our battles and which ones we feel comfortable walking away from. You can’t keep pouring into people who have no intention of pouring back into you. It’s wasted effort at that point and life’s too short to fight those types of battles.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
Getting into screenwriting became absolutely cathartic for me. Losing my dad and my half-brother within months of each other back in 2019 devastated me. It still does to this day. But using my talents for writing and creating stories where I’m able to process my grief and build characters audiences can resonate with temporarily fills the void I know will always be there.
Understanding people, human nature, and the power of conversations gives my screenwriting projects life in a way that doesn’t require much effort. My favorite compliment I’ve gotten for my writing is how “real” it feels when people not only read my work but bring it off the page and in front of the camera.
Processing raw emotions, including the positive ones, reminds me every day of the blessings I experience in abundance with each day I’m allowed to be on this earth. And that makes me feel powerful. The influence and inspiration my writing has on others also makes me feel like I can accomplish anything because I’m in the ideal position to not only succeed but help others do so as well.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
As an actor, I used to subscribe to the belief that acting is a great way to disappear and “pretend to be someone else.” But after working with Howard Fine, he completely turned that concept on its head. By bringing a piece of ourselves to every character/role, it allows for an authenticity that doesn’t require pretending. That allowed me permission to never judge a role, even if on the surface it seems completely opposite of something I would play.
I love damaged, disturbed, quirky, and unconventional roles where I play against type. Those opportunities give me a chance to merge with a character in a way I wouldn’t be able to experience in real life. There’s something beautiful about deconstructing a character so I can more easily walk in their shoes. Acting is an extended case study of human nature and that’s a challenge I’m always up for.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people have at least one fond memory and/or conversation with me that they’ll remember forever. I hope that at the end of the day they talk about how I made them feel and I would hope it was for the better.
I don’t aspire to change the world, I want to inspire change in the world. I feel that has much more far reaching effects than one individual is capable of accomplishing alone. One of my favorite indirect compliments I’ve gotten from people I’ve coached/mentored is that they’ll stop and ask themselves, “What would Dania do?” And that’s powerful and extremely humbling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.daniadenise.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniadenise/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniamallette/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dania.denise1/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/daniadenise
- Other: www.runawaymillproductions.com
www.daniadee.com
Image Credits
Steadfaster Media
Hollow Doubt Photography
Will Bucquoy Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
