Meet John F. Thomas

 

We recently connected with John F. Thomas and have shared our conversation below.

John F., looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

I’d have to say, I get my strong work ethic from my father. Both of my parents are hard-working and they’ve received various awards and accolades reflecting that (my father a recipient of Disney’s American Teacher Award, and my mother a winner of the Boys & Girls Club Woman of the Year Award).

Growing up, I not only saw them work their primary jobs, but looked for ways to maximize the most out of their careers. Although they were extremely focused on doing their best, they also took time out of their busy schedules to help others. They constantly give back and rarely complain about having a charitable spirit.

As I got older, I realized I shared their same spirit. I’m always strategizing and trying to figure out ways to get the most out of my career. If I see that no one is going to assist me in certain areas or spare the time to help me level up, I find a way to get there on my own. If something costs too much, then I’ll either save money, work extra hours at my job, or creatively think of a solution to help me obtain what I’m looking for.

Many get stuck when they don’t have enough funds, resources, or assistance, and I completely understand that. But in that situation, I keep going by researching, studying, and evaluating how to overcome the obstacle in front of me.

When I wrote my Sci-Fi short film, “Emotical”, I didn’t have a big budget to work with that films in that genre typically require. But through strategic planning, brilliant ingenuity, and a strong desire to see it through, we finished the film and it won six awards and received seven nominations!

Success comes to those who dare to dream, work hard, and don’t give up. I sincerely believe that my parents taught me all of this, not only through their actions, but also with their words, and I thank them for that.

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Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

What I am pursuing professionally is a career in film and TV. Not just in front of the camera, but behind the camera as well, having worked as an actor, producer, and writer. So far, I’ve won the “Best Actor” award for my multi-award winning short film “Emotical”, and have been nominated in the “Best Supporting Actor” category for my work in another award-winning film, “Curtain Call”. As a producer, I’ve been awarded multiple times which has helped me gain recognition and ascend higher in the entertainment industry, being considered as a producer on various projects due to my keen insight and continuous success.

That has propelled me to act in numerous short films, comedic sketches/skits, and music videos. I also made my mark in several feature films and have been a consistent actor in countless episodes at Dhar Mann Studios, being a lead or strong supporting actor in most of them. Now, because of my work with Dhar Mann Studios, I am elated and honored to say that I have been seen all around the world, with the episodes being viewed over 66 million times and counting!

The awards I’ve received are nice, but to hear people consistently state that they love my work, and how I bring characters to life, it reminds me why I wanted to get into this industry. I want my work to inspire people to think in ways they haven’t before, move their hearts to open a little wider, and expand their minds to take in ideas they might otherwise shun or dismiss. I love when fans all over the world reach out to me and engage with one another to talk about my work or how it made them feel. That lets me know I’m on the right path.

I aspire for my brand to continue growing to levels I haven’t even seen yet where I bring value and authenticity to not only multimedia companies, but to those watching worldwide. I aim to inspire riveting discussions amongst viewers who watch my stories and characters living vividly and fully on-screen.
As far as what fans and viewers can expect from me moving forward: you can expect more acting, major commercials, and personal projects that I’ll be producing and writing that will be released soon. I have so many amazing things in store for those who are following along in my journey.

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Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Willingness to “learn and listen”: If you think you know everything, no one will be able to impart any useful information to you, no matter how much they want to help you. I’ve worked with people before who felt as though they knew it all. Because of that, they limited themselves by blocking opportunities, relationships, and their own personal growth. They would vent to me about things not going the way they want, but failed to move out of their own way in order to achieve true success. Also, there is a difference between criticism and critique. Criticism is often something that is aimed at you that has a high potential of tearing you down. There will be people who don’t and probably never will like you – and that’s okay. You have to be comfortable with that idea in order for you to move forward, in spite of what they say or think. But know that critique is vastly different. It’s when someone sees something that you did incorrectly, but they’re informing you about it so that you can learn from it. If they are genuine in their concern and inform you where you messed up, listen and learn from it. They are likely trying to get you to become better because they can “see” better from you. Get your pride and ego out of the way, and rise to the level they are pushing you toward. Success will be yours for the taking if you master this sooner, rather than later.

2. Remember to “stay humble”: We can become so full of ourselves after winning awards. It can lead to our egos being inflated, so much so that we forget why we originally started pursuing our passion. When it becomes more about you than it does the work and when you lose sight of giving back, that’s when you know you’re on the wrong track. There’s nothing wrong with getting our flowers from those who love giving them, but also remember that at the end of the day, we’re all human. We all have lives, families, joys, fears, etc. Never treat someone as if they’re beneath you and don’t think too highly of yourself. Someone will always be watching, and that can end up becoming your downfall. Conversely, how you treat others can be the trumpet call to how good, kind, and generous of a person you are behind closed doors.

3. “Practice patience”: Thanks to technology, we live such a fast-paced lifestyle that we often forget to stop and smell the roses. We want things done so quickly, that we miss out on enjoying the journey that we’re on and the invaluable lessons that can be gained along the way. If you build your house too fast, the foundation will be sloppy, and it will fall just as quickly as you built it. Be patient, be present, and be thankful – even for the small wins because the smaller wins lead to much bigger wins in your journey of life. Appreciate the things you often overlook, and you’ll see that you’ll have a better outlook on life. This will, in turn, lead to you being more positive toward your career, and more doors will start opening because you can see things more clearly. And to think – all of that comes from just being patient.

I’ll be honest, all three areas of advice I have offered you are truly hard things to master, but once you’ve mastered them, you will become unstoppable. If I implemented these ideas earlier in my career, I know I would be much further along than I am now.

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What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

Everyone gets overwhelmed. No matter how high they are on the ladder, or how low they are on the rung. From the wealthiest, to the poorest, they all experience being overwhelmed. It doesn’t discriminate.

A practice I do, no matter how my life ebbs and flows, is making time to do the things I love or training my brain to focus more on the things I’m appreciative of: life, health, family, etc.

Life can get really busy for a lot of people, myself included. But every once in a while, I force a break into my schedule or I start telling people “no,” as much as it pains me to do so at times, in order for me to refill my cup. I can’t pour into others if my cup is empty. It’s like constantly running on fumes – it’s just bad for you mentally, physically, and spiritually. Carving out this time for yourself won’t be perfect, but make sure you set aside time for yourself when you can. “You” are important, too. If you don’t treat yourself like you matter, why should anyone else?

Regarding being more appreciative, the majority of us never really sit down and consider how blessed we are to have the simplest of things like running water, transportation, a roof over our heads, good health, family, etc. If you make a list of all the good things you have in your life, you’ll realize that your list of complaints are much smaller than your long list of appreciations.

These things aren’t easy to master, but just keep at it. Even if it doesn’t feel like it’s working – it is. Just like working out in the gym, you’re not going to see massive progress in mere minutes or days. Just stay focused, remember the “why” of the goal you’re pursuing, and things will fall into place. No matter your pace, stay in the race. Keep building your foundation and make it strong – brick by brick.

Contact Info:

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Image Credits

Davon Williams

Omari Washington

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