We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cai Ranáe a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Cai, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
When I first hit the record button, everything just clicked for me and in that moment, I knew why I was here.
I found my purpose on this earth in 2023 and it is simple – to tell the stories of others with a video camera in my hand. If you were to tell me 2 years ago that I would have my own docuseries, I wouldn’t have believed it. My journey to becoming a filmmaker was an unexpected one but to be honest, I can’t even picture myself doing anything else with my life. I took photos for over a decade but that never took off the way I had hoped. I became discouraged for a few years wondering what I was doing wrong and if I was chasing something unattainable. School was never my thing so I dropped out of college and chose to find my path through real world life experiences – the best classroom there is if you ask me. I always knew I thought differently and saw the world differently than most, which is why I had such an open mind when it came to my career path and what I wanted to do. At first, my camera was just a hobby for me. I didn’t actually see it as something more than that until I started filming. A year into it, I was let go unexpectedly from my full time job and was forced to scramble to find something else. I didn’t have much in savings and I felt as if everything was crumbling around me. It was during that time, my docuseries TETHERED was born. I created a series that highlights and amplifies the personal journeys of various women while showing that even though our stories are different, we are connected through our strength and resiliency. I’ve always had a heart for helping people, especially other women and what better way to do that than give them a voice and a safe space to be vulnerable and share their stories with the rest of the world. The series has become part of me and has furthered my passion for filming, editing, directing and storytelling. It has forced me to push my creativity beyond what I thought was even possible. Episodes are currently playing on Youtube and Vimeo @tetheredtheseries and I know one day, people will be able to stream it on their favorite platform.
For now, I will continue to learn and grow and pick up my camera to do what I love most – document the world around 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 am a filmmaker and I have a passion for capturing moments and storytelling through video! I have always had such a unique perspective of the world and that translates into my work. I see angles and visualize shots in ways that most people don’t. Something like that can’t be taught, I’d like to think I was born with that superpower. Even when I don’t have a camera in my hand (which is rare) my eyes are my lenses and I see things in a way that makes me appreciate them more than the average person. I’m most proud of myself for bringing my docuseries to life. It’s been a lot of hard work from storyboarding to filming to post production to then marketing it but I’ve loved every moment. It has taught me so much about myself and I’ve had the privilege of meeting some incredible and resilient women. I believe in this project and know that one day soon, it’ll be on some sort of streaming platform for the world to see!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, three things made the biggest difference in my journey: authenticity, empathy and boldness.
Early on, I stopped trying to sound like everyone else or go after what I thought people wanted. When I leaned into who I actually was – my voice, my taste, my perspective – things started to click. People don’t connect well with perfection, they connect well with authenticity.
Learning how to truly listen to others and even myself, changed everything. Empathy helped me build trust, create better work, and navigate relationships with more patience and clarity. It is also how my series TETHERED came to be!
Lastly, progress started to come when I took risks before I felt fully confident by putting my work out there and saying yes to opportunities and also myself. I was only a year into filming when my series came to life. Most people wait nearly a lifetime to do what I have done these last couple of years. If you don’t do it, someone else will!
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?
I would spend my last 10 years of life bringing TETHERED to new heights. I would meet as many women as I could and tell their stories through film. In the time I had left, I would do everything I could to continue living in boldness, authenticity and empathy. I plan to leave something behind that can be seen and appreciated by the generations to come.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cairanae.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tetheredtheseries
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TETHEREDTHESERIES
Image Credits
Caleb Maymi
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
