We recently connected with JOSE W. BYERS and have shared our conversation below.
JOSE W., we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I found my purpose in church when I was doing theater. Prior to that in my mind I had always thought I was going to be a bodybuilder. The whole reason for me doing theater was to get over my fear of being on stage in front of people. I never made a dime bodybuilding and it cost me so much money. But with acting I took to it like a duck to water and I’ve even made money from it! Funny how things changed from what I thought I was going to do. Even though I still love working out bodybuilding is in my far rear view and acting has become my purpose and calling.
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?
My journey started off in the fitness industry. I was a personal trainer for 6 years earing two personal training certifications (ISSA and AFFA) – I started bodybuilding in 2008 and competed in the ONBF (Ohio Natural Bodybuilding Federation) from 2009-2010. The year prior (2008) I joined my local church theater team called “The Grape Nut Players” There I did theater for about 6 years and got hit with the acting bug. In 2009 I signed with Heyman Talent Agency and started doing commercials a long with magazine print ads. I also landed a couple movie roles (Captain America The Winter Solider & I AM WRATH) In 2010 I met my best friend and now business partner Derek Talib who helped train me for my bodybuilding show in 2010. In 2012 Derek and I started I71movies here in Columbus, Ohio shooting short films. In 2016 we did our first feature film (Dark Iris) and this past year we finished the first two volumes of our Tv series ” St. Gabriel” Both projects and available for streaming on Tubi.
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?
I think my best three qualities that helped me on my journey are:
1. My strong faith in Jesus
2. My wiliness to always learn something from my mistakes.
3, My drive to never give up on myself or my dreams no matter what.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I am feeling overwhelmed I always take a moment and pray and ask God for guidance. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in whatever situation we are facing we forget to take a moment to sit back take a breath and reflect on how to deal with it. Not every situation will always work out in our favor, but if we can humble ourselves to the best our abilities then we can look forward to a better outcome.
Contact Info:
- Website: i71movies.com
- Instagram: @jbyers78
- Facebook: Jose W Byers
- Twitter: @josewbyers
Image Credits
Arron Farrier (featured photo)
