We recently connected with Cassano David and have shared our conversation below.
Cassano, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
First let me say, your effectiveness and success starts BEFORE you step in the room.
Now…when you say “looks like you”, I assume you mean race or color?
Well in my case, from what I’ve learned, there were several ancestors before me that were part of a slave trade. What they produced through their genes was resilience and endurance, thus passing it on to me. Some hundred years later we gained resistance and intelligence. MLK, Huey P. Newton, Dick Gregory to name a few, who not only fought for freedom but fought for you to UNDERSTAND you are free. Another way to define freedom: access and opportunity. They fought for access and opportunity. Instead of trying to go back in time and rewrite history or redo what they’ve already succeeded in, I’ve chosen to pick up where they left off, with the benefits I’ve inherited from them (access, opportunity, mental, and spiritual consciousness) and be an even better version of effective and successful.
How great is one’s sacrifice if you don’t realize that they sacrificed anything…for you?!
With all these genetic and psychological prerequisites, here I stand today.
That is the root of my effectiveness; inheriting access and opportunity, in turn I will be successful at anything.
Now if you weren’t talking about race, then let’s start here, my mindset.
If you are distracted by being “the only one in the room that looks like you” then you will miss the opportunity to be successful.
When I walk in a room, my concern is what my goal was before I even stepped in the room, before I saw anyone, before I saw any obstacle.
I have already imagined how this moment in time will go, who I will meet, what I will say, what it will feel like, smell like, sound like, taste like. I do this to the point where this moment, me walking in the room, is already done before I physically do it. What I’ve done is mentally prepared my mind and physically prepared my body to feel the future of this moment exactly how I want it to be.
Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, and looked how that turned out!
When I step into the room I ask myself:
Why am I here?
What am I looking to accomplish?
Is what I am about to say necessary?
Am I speaking with purpose or am I trying to prove a point?
Who should I connect with in this room?
And remember this, if you are in the room you are already equal and just as qualified as anyone else in the room…that’s WHY you’re in that room!
Some call it prayer some call it meditation, whatever you call it it is simply tapping into your mind and a greater version of you that already exists. The “you”, you are looking for with the knowledge, the success, is already inside you, you just have to unlock it by believing you are already that person.
And to enlighten you, I am always “the only person” in the room, I am performing for an audience of “ONE”.
The only thing stopping you…is YOU.
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 am the owner of Cassanova Productions LLC. We specialize in short films, live broadcasts, show creation, and commercials. If you want to make a show or film, we can advise you on your production idea and educate on next steps.
I specialize in training in TV/Film production. It’s my passion to teach. We have some successful interns working with us this summer. They will help me complete a film, and other video productions this season and each of them will get to operate in the position they desire.
This is our 4th wave of interns and students in the past 6 years. Some graduated interns still work with me on a daily basis, some of them have gone to start their own business and partner with Cassanova Productions LLC.
There will be an invitation for new interns to join us in the fall.
ALSO shout out to one of my interns Ms. Tiara Kittelberger VOTE FOR HER She WILL be Miss Maryland 2023.
https://www.pageantplanet.com/choice-award/miss-maryland-2023/cXFmNnlEZ1lDM0R6bmVxZ1NkL0FnZz09/NFRpS0E2a3NzRUVOTk5LY0I0ZTIrUT09
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
*Volunteer- your greatest opportunities will come from willingness to help and pure passion. Also, not many people will turn down you working for free. This is one of the easiest ways to get in the field you desire with little to no experience and you may potentially find a mentor.
*Self-Control- Simply put, WATCH YOUR MOUTH. Do not complain about your work experience, do not post any disgruntled messages or videos online. Be mindful of what causes you represent or protest against. Do not talk about someone who is not present or say anything about someone you wouldn’t want getting back to them. Do not catch an attitude with anyone, especially the person in charge. You will make a lasting impression of negativity which ultimately will result in word traveling for you to not be contacted in that community. Word travels fast.
*Consistency- In your craft, whatever you are studying, do it everyday. This will start to reprogram your mind and undo bad habits. Read books, find videos, visit museums, anything you can get your hands on about this subject.
This also corresponds with new contacts. Don’t stalk, but be sure to contact a mentor or person of interest periodically to take advantage of any opportunities they may have. If you’re a new contact to someone, a good email will suffice. If they are of a higher status, get to know their assistant, and be ready for a window of opportunity.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Holding on too tight to what is dead. Sometimes I give too many chances to relationships that are not working. I’m now learning that it’s not that I consciously hold myself back, but the environment of my past makes this behavior seem like the “right-thing-to-do”. “Don’t forget where you come from, give them another chance, don’t make the mistakes they did”. These phrases are true but have been misconstrued to relay that holding on to the past will somehow help you. And with relationships, I’m not just talking about people, I’m talking about my habits. Imposter syndrome, procrastination, complaining, fear of failure, doubt, reminiscing, talking about it but not taking action and following through. I’m learning to forget parts of myself or “where I came from” to make space for something new. I’m giving some people a chance to find their own way instead of me trying to pull them along. However, though I can find new things, cut people off, and find ways of escape… if I don’t CHANGE MY MIND, nothing will come to fruition. Nothing will change.
“Life is a series of moments and maturation is pruning anything of one’s self that does not produce.”
-Cassano David
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cassanovaproductions.com/
- Instagram: @cassanovaproductions
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2Cassanova
- Youtube: youtube.com/2cassanova
Image Credits
https://www.instagram.com/lightfilledphotography/ https://www.shotbysummer.com/
