We were lucky to catch up with Frederick Stella recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Frederick, 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?
Much of what I am today is the result of my family. My father and some of his brothers were involved in a restaurant equipment/design company in Detroit. I saw 1st hand the challenges of running a small business; the late paying customers, human resources issues, poor economies and everything else that comes with having your name on the door.
But there was never a question of going anywhere other than forward. It inspired me to commit to my word being my bond, and making sure I completed whatever project was put in front of me. Of course, there are times in life where one has to make hard decisions about what to take on and what to leave behind. But leaving people in the lurch due to me just dropping the ball is not an option.
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?
What I love about my life is the variety of experiences available to me depending on the day and what hat I am wearing.
If it’s the Commercial Actor hat, one could find me preparing for an audiobook recording. This means researching all the words and names that will come up. Those of us in the biz are sticklers for making sure that pronunciation is spot on. Then, of course, one would find me in the studio doing the actual narration. Folks can find the majority of the books I’ve narrated or directed by searching my name on Audible.
I’m also the corporate spokesman for Audio Advisor, a high-end audio/home theatre distributor. So I could be in their studio getting taped for their You Tube channel as I explain the intricacies of the various components they sell.
And plenty of other acting opportunities come my way as well.
If I’m wearing my Interfaith Activist hat, I could be attending a conference, engaging with community members in support of a specific issue or (my favorite) interviewing an academic, author or some other interesting person in the field of religion/spirituality. For 27 years I have been the host of Common Threads: An Interfaith Dialogue, a program that airs on our local NPR affiliate (WGVU-FM) here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We have very wide parameters for the subjects we tackle, and that includes exploring the tensions between faiths as well as the dark side of religion and cults. The show is also available as a podcast on all platforms.
And speaking of religion, that plays a significant role in my life as well. For the past 15 years I have served the West Michigan Hindu Temple as a Pracharak (Outreach Minister). Most of my work here involves bringing the temple into the community and the community into the temple. I lecture at schools, churches (liberal ones that are curious about different traditions), civic groups and such. I also counsel devotees along their spiritual journey.
I am also a member of the National Leadership Council of the Hindu American Foundation, an org dedicated to advocating on behalf of…wait for it…Hindu Americans. This has offered me the privilege of traveling nationally and internationally to attend conferences and lecture.
For most of my adult life I’ve had a passion for working in some capacity for nonprofits. It is not rare for a typical week to include more hours spent on such than engaging in efforts that will result in a paycheck. Thankfully, I started saving & investing in my 20s, allowing me a bit more flexibility in my old age. Besides what I’ve mentioned otherwise, I am currently the vice-president of the board for American Nepali Students & Women Educational Relief (ANSWER). Our mission is to provide high quality schooling for children in Nepal..
Oh, I’m also a neighborhood Block Captain. I’m sure that matters to you.
One fun fact is that my wife Teresa is in the entertainment & media field. Due to her work she has to spend a chunk of her time in Los Angeles. 10 years ago we agreed to rent living quarters there. So this past decade has seen us collect a gazillion airline miles as we both traverse the country back & forth. While we do miss each other when life keeps us separated for more than a couple of weeks, we have grown to love having our permanent residence in a much less frenetic town such as Grand Rapids, but also enjoy the fun of having a footprint in LA.
About 2 months from this writing we will be giving up our apartment in LA and start using AirB&Bs or other such accommodations. I’m proud to say that Teresa’s accomplishments over the years (including having co-written 2 Hallmark movies!) have put her in a position where she feels she doesn’t have to have her boots on the ground there as often as she had to when she began this journey.
As of this writing I am 70 years old. I have no intention of retiring, which is normal for actors. As long as I have my health and can remember my lines, I’m in. The same goes for all the other extracurricular activities. I feel blessed to be able to engage with life on so many levels.
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 capacity to engage with others holding an honest curiosity. I developed this when I started working in news/talk radio. I found that I really like asking a lot of questions when meeting people, and in most cases, people like answering them. This works on a couple of different levels. Yes, people may end up liking you more, but beyond that, you occasionally find some element of their lives that intersects with yours and can prove to be beneficial in a business, social or personal capacity. Naturally, one must be restrained, not seeming to be unduly nosy.
2. Investing. From the youngest possible age, save and invest. Save and invest. I personally can’t give specific financial advice. I have always had professionals guide my strategies. But as I mentioned elsewhere, it has allowed me a sense of financial freedom later in life.
3. Theatre Training. It has been shown in quite a few studies that people who take theatre/performance classes in high school, college or after have a bit of a leg up on their peers. Whether we are talking about improving skills such as collaboration, improv (thinking on your feet), role playing, public speaking or simply knowing how to PLAY, this sort of education brings a lot to the table I often say that theatre training can guarantee success in any field…except theatre, of course.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
I have had a few mentors in my life. In terms of developing my spiritual side, in 1980 I met George Johnston, who led the meditation group that I now lead here in Grand Rapids. Sharing a meal while peppering him with questions on the Hindu/Yoga tradition, was like “church” in the best sense of the word.
In the field of audiobook recording I have to pay homage to several directors who helped mold me into the performer I am today. These days, most narrators record by themselves, taking the roles of actor, engineer and director. I was fortunate to begin my career a couple of decades ago when the model for narration was different.
The same can be said for my growth as a stage/film actor. While some credit is due to my instructors at the University of Detroit, I learned even more from very talented directors who demanded much more than hitting my marks and memorizing my lines.
In terms of just living life, as mentioned elsewhere, my family had a great deal to do with my formation. Besides my parents and brother, my aunts, uncles and cousins played significant roles. We have always been a close knit Italian-American family.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wgvu.org/common-threads/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/radiothreads/
- Twitter: @radiothreads
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@commonthreadsaninterfaithd1748
Image Credits
Dan Irving
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