We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kevin Ha. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kevin below.
Hi Kevin, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
My work ethic is deeply rooted in my upbringing. My parents, immigrants from Vietnam, worked very hard to build a life here in the United States. Every morning, they left for work and never complained. They simply did what needed to be done to provide for the family. Watching their quiet perseverance taught me that resilience isn’t about never struggling; it’s about showing up, day after day, no matter how hard things get.
That same mindset was reinforced later in my career by my mentor and colleague, Dale Keano. He once told me something that has stuck ever since: “You can either sit there and complain, or you can get up and do something about it.” Simple words, yet they have carried incredible weight through the years. Whenever the odds feel stacked against me, I think back to that lesson. It reminds me that I have the power to figure things out, to keep moving, and to turn challenges into opportunities.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
From a young age, cameras and music were always a huge part of my life. My dad had a collection of film cameras, camcorders, record players, CD albums, etc. However, he was purely just an enthusiast, using the cameras for home videos and listening to those vinyls and CD’s on the weekends. Little did he know at the time that his hobbies would have such a life-changing impact on me.
When I look back at my teenage years, I was always the friend with a little compact digital camera making videos or taking photos. There was even a point in time when my friends and I tried making music but on a complete amateur level. We were recording our vocals through a Rock Band microphone with a sock over a hollowed-out Pringles lid as a pop filter, using the VirtualDJ software on a computer running on Windows 98.
Fast forward to today and I found myself a career as a full-time creative. I’m blessed to have found myself a creative role in the corporate realm while also being part of Burgundy Suite, a recording studio & production company led by director Dale Keano, where I’ve been able to DP for large scale video productions here in the Bay Area and across the country.
I also found that if you hang out with Dale enough, you will also become a music artist just like him. We both share the same love for video production & music, specifically Spanish music.
Since Burgundy Suite is also a professional recording studio, one day Dale asked me “hey, you wanna hop in the booth?” From there, Dimelo Chino was created. Ethnically, I am not Latino or Hispanic but I have always admired and appreciated the language, culture & music. I don’t claim it as my own, I just hope to contribute something that honors it’s beauty and energy. The majority of my catalogue is Spanish music, with “Tu Ritmo” coming out sometime after this interview.
When I think about where it all started, I always come back to my dad. He never set out to be a filmmaker or musician, he just loved capturing moments and surrounding himself with music. But those little moments of curiosity I witnessed growing up became the foundation of everything I do today. His simple love for creating, even without realizing it, planted the seed that grew into my career and passion. In many ways, every frame I shoot and every song I make is a quiet homage to him.
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?
Looking back, the three qualities that have shaped my journey most profoundly are curiousity, adaptability, and genuineness.
Curiousity and adaptability often go hand in hand. Both stem from a willingness to learn. You can’t master your craft without being open to exploration and growth. Ask questions. Seek guidance. Stay hungry to understand not only how things work, but why they do. The moment you stop learning, you stop evolving.
Adaptability, in particular, is a lesson I credit to one of my former managers. She indirectly taught me that real growth begins the moment you step outside your comfort zone. Sometimes, what’s best for you lies beyond what feels familiar, and embracing that uncertainty is what allows you to reach new horizons.
Finally, in the entertainment industry, relationships are everything. It’s no secret that some people will engage with you for personal gain but it’s essential not to become one of them. Be genuine. Build authentic connections. Protect your integrity, and never burn bridges. Over time, you’ll develop the discernment to know which relationships are rooted in authenticity and which aren’t.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
It’s easy for any creative to feel overwhelmed, especially when juggling mutiple projects at once. One approach that’s always helped me is to step back from the macro view and focus instead on the micro, the smaller, actionable steps within the bigger picture.
When you view an entire project as one massive task, it can feel impossible to tackle. But once you break it down to smaller, organized goals, it becomes far more manageable and achievable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://burgundysuite.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k3vinhahaha/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dimelochino
Image Credits
Gabbi Z, Josh Bonzo
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
