We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kent Burns. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kent below.
Kent, 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.
My purpose is creation. Creating stories, creating connection, creating a legacy of love and light that inspires all people to strive for a more magical future — this is my purpose. It took a great deal to find my way to my purpose. Growing up as a military kid, you are only in one place for a year generally; so, I found two constants that I could hold onto — myself and story. Both of which are ever evolving concepts of creation. We as beings are constantly reinventing ourselves and crafting narratives for ourselves and the world around us as we navigate through this wild thing called “life”. As a non-binary person, there is no road map to find your place in the world. There are not enough examples of success for young people to see, so it becomes our job to create the life, the career, and the image of what is possible for those yet to come. I feel the responsibility to myself to create a life that is as full of abundance as possible. To dare to dream bigger, so we can create an even bigger garden where everyone can receive their flowers.
It was from this place that I began to create stories. Ever since I was young, and lucky enough to have supportive parents, I would be alone in my room with my Winx Club dolls and my Monster High dolls enacting stories. There would be full seasons of television happening on playsets all around my room. My mom would come in and start to move things back where they were and I would stop her because those dolls had now traveled from the dresser to the nightstand– which was a big deal character wise for them. Of course, now I am lucky enough to be living in Los Angeles and creating stories through producing, acting, writing, and working in marketing/media that have impact. Again my purpose is to create stories that inspire belief in a better more magical tomorrow; and, I have crafted teams, relationships, and partnerships that allow me to do just that. No one can do it alone, nor should they. Because, the joy of creation is that it is a collective effort and there is always more to do.
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?
I’m a multi-disciplinary entertainment professional whose work spans producing, acting, writing, modeling, and marketing/media. What drives me most is the impact of storytelling – using entertainment as a vehicle for positive change and authentic representation.
My journey began with a deep love for performance, studying at institutions like Carmel Academy of Performing Arts and training with renowned vocal coach Robert Edwards. After earning my Bachelor’s Degree in Drama with Honors in Musical Theatre and performing everywhere from an original work off-Broadway to the London 2012 Olympic Games, When the Pandemic hit, a dear friend asked me a crucial question that changed my life: What do you want your legacy to be?
That question became my catalyst. I moved to Los Angeles, went back to school and subsequently graduated with distinction from UCLAx in Business and Management of Entertainment, equipping myself with the business acumen to be the change I wanted to see in the industry. This foundational duality in artistry and business strategy has allowed me to thrive. I can dream up compelling character driven stories and then bring them to life!
My latest project, “Riders & Roses,” exemplifies this. “Riders & Roses” is my most ambitious venture yet, as I created, wrote, produced, co-directed, and starred in this queer-positive period romance drama. The story follows Lord Aidan Antony when his former lover returns as his best friend’s husband — now he must persevere in a world where every desirous glance, every forgotten letter, and every buried secret threatens to unravel everything. This stunning short film was made possible by the incredible team behind the scenes including, three-time Emmy award winnning hair and make up artist, Glen Alen; Emmy-nominated costume designer, Kristin Dangl; and, in front of the camera, Golden Globe nominee, Joely Fisher, graces the story as our Marchioness — the highest of high society in our world. It was an honor to create such wonderful. We are now in post-production, so please stay tuned as this project begins to blossom and bloom.
I also workin media at Mr Warburton Media, where I have played integral roles on a plethora of projects. From producing and writing the inaugural Gurus Awards, now streaming on KNEKTTV, with presenters including Emmy Award Winner Niecy Nash-Betts and Netflix’s Mary & Romain Bonnet to impactful initiatives like #30Voices30Days Pride campaign in partnership with GLAAD, where we launched a different magazine cover daily throughout June 2024, it has been a worthwhile whirlwind. Throughout my time I have gotten to interview. write, styling, and graphic design covers, feature stories, and more for incredible talent like Oscar Winner, Patricia Arquette; Golden Globe Winner, Chris Colfer; and Emmy Winner, Laverne Cox — to name a few.
Additionally, I made my network television debut this year on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills helping bring fan-favorite, Sutton Stracke’s, sustainable fashion show to life!
Looking ahead, I’m expanding my production slate — as we are currently fundraising for our next short film, called “That’s the Gift” talking about processing grief set against the backdrop of the Surrealist Ball — check it out!
Overall, my commitment to storytelling and creating lived in worlds with authentic connections through my community is what makes my success continue to grow. That’s the magic!
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?
Just three? Okay let’s break it down:
1) It’s okay to say “I don’t know” as long as it is followed up with “but I’m going to find out!” My first job was working at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and this is something they instilled in everyone. In such a vast aquarium where you have a million guests coming through the doors and more than 80,000 animals and plants on exhibit — there is no way you are going to be able to answer every question and/or handle every situation. And that’s okay. It’s okay not to know everything, because you can use the resources around you to get the information you need. To get the help you need. There is a lot of power in humility plus helpfulness.
2) Grace. I was practically born and raised in a dance studio — even training in the Royal Academy of Dance program in high school — and one of the major things you learn is grace. There is beauty in letting things flow. You turns might not happen that day. Or your splits were not as low as they were yesterday. But, if you are kind to yourself — give yourself that grace — and keep pushing forward then you can achieve anything.
3) Lastly, an area of knowledge that has made a massive impact on my life is law. I was priveldged enough to study under Dan Lifschitz esq. and learn entertainment law. This area of expertise has made me more valuable in the entertainment space than multiple other arenas combined. To be able to read my own contracts cover to cover and fully understand them to the point where I can rewrite clauses is a gift. I believe everyone should take law classes to improve their overall life navigation skills.
So, with all of that said, my advice to those on the journey would be give yourself some grace, it’s okay not to know everything, and then take a law class in your field to better yourself for all the “next times” to come your way.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
First, I take stock of my self talk. How am I treating myself? What words am I using? Is it kind? From there I look at what media — especially music — I’m consuming. That generally holds a lot of useful information for me in terms of realizing where I am at when I’m overwhelmed. I can then use music to slowly but surely transition myself into a healthier and clearer headspace. More often than not my overwhelmed doesn’t look erratic, it looks catatonic. So, on the outside it looks like I become less motivated and lethargic, when really on the inside there is so much to do/going on — I just shut down. So, to combat this I use music to transition out of this headspace. Using artists like Anaïs Mitchell and Emily King to then raise the vibration to artists like Florence Welch and Morgan Clae, which will then get me out steadily, so then I can get back to high life of artists like Lady Gaga and Cher!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.redpearlprince.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redpearlprince/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kent-burns/
- Other: We are currently fundraising for our next short film, “That’s the Gift” – check it out here: https://www.thatsthegiftfilm.com/
Image Credits
Lead Photo – Photographer: Matt Kallish, MUA: Kristine Lisman
“Riders & Roses” Character Still – Photographer: Kelly Balch
Tabletop Photo – Photographer: Matt Kallish, MUA: Kristine Lisman
Raining Rose Petals Photo – Photographer: Josh Fogel, Photographer’s Assistant: Christian Raices, MUA: Kristine Lisman, Styled by Kristin Dangl
Black Suit Gown Photo – Photographer: Josh Fogel, Photographer’s Assistant: Christian Raices, MUA: Kristine Lisman, Styled by Kristin Dangl
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