Meet HT

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to HT. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

HT, 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?

I work to improve at this each day. I think controlling the narrative/focus is essential. I come in focused on producing results, so anyone with aligning priorities is naturally inclined to be more cooperative. This makes collaboration easier and helps fight the feeling of “isolation.” I’ve learned if I stay focus on the end goal, I can negate the negative aspects of the experience. I hope to continue improving this delicate balance of meeting people where they’re at and retaining an unwavering sense of self.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m a bay area storyteller that specializes in writing and creative producing. I believe my work is trademarked by our ability to maximize resources through efficient, creative collaboration. Our production model is heavily influenced by the principles of the historic “third cinema” movement of Latina America. It’s a movement that gave indigenous people a voice, and I believe its principles can be used to empower communities. I’ve written, directed, and produced 2 feature length films based in Northern California. These films feature diverse arrays of local cast, crew, locations, and soundtrack artists that root the project in the communities they’re created in and/or about. Our current project, Disciples of a Craftsman, is set to release in mid-late 2026. It is an example of my borderline excessively collaborative style because the film credits 3 directors and nearly a dozen writing contributors.

Outside of his personal art, I founded Hatching Chick Media Group with the goal of supporting Northern California’s independent creatives and community empowerment through empowering those young and old to be storytellers. Representation alone isn’t empowerment, empowered people/communities have the ability to tell their own narratives. I want to change the world through creating stories and platforms for media to be used as a tool of education, expression, and revolution.

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?

Solution Oriented Approach: If you list all of the things working against you in a. situation, you’ll be defeated before you’re done counting. Determine the goal, the path to the goal, and identify any obstacles. Then make a plan to overcome or compensate for the obstacles, but once an obstacle has been identified, it can no longer be used as an excuse. The less excuses we give ourselves when we plan, the more success we will see.

Being informed by precedent, not controlled by it: let’s use writing as an example. Writing has conventions. In school you’re told to follow them, but it seems the masters pick and choose when they obey these rules. It’s because the conventions aren’t meant to be strictly followed, they’re meant to force one to justify breaking them. Breaking a convention has an impact that can be used strategically. Now instead of writing apply this to any project. We should be informed by the standard ways of doing things, not to conform to the system, but to be sure we break them with purpose and precision. We can’t be controlled by the template that’s been placed in front of us, but ignoring it would be wasting the resource.

Being okay not knowing everything: one of the keys to doing something the best is to be sure that you aren’t missing any steps. We misstep in all walks of life due to inexperience. Once we acknowledge and accept this inexperience, we can compensate for it by being more alert towards our weaknesses. People who feel the need to know (or appear to know) everything, miss most of their chances to learn.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

Our biggest current challenge is a lack of capacity. Our team is small, and most of us aren’t full time creatives yet, so there’s a limit to how much time the team as a whole can devote to our projects. One way (which used to be the main way) that I overcome this is simply working harder. There comes a time in each project when there’s no “is there time to get this done”, there’s only completing the task or failure. And failure isn’t an option.
The other, more sustainable, way I overcome this is through effective collaboration. Through designing projects and roles to maximize our team members’s skills and interest, I ensure that the collaboration will be mutually beneficial. This makes it easier to get a larger team invested while still valuing everyone’s time and commitment. It’s a great way to combat a bad system because it’s not just productive, but it provides opportunities and builds community.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/HatchingChickMedia
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HatchingChickMedia
• Other: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm15040668/?ref_=tt_ov_1_3

Image Credits

Sammy Jimenez