Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Manny Gonzalez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Manny, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I would say I’ve been looking for my purpose since I began to consider a career in high school. I always knew I had the work ethic, intelligence, and perseverance to be successful at whatever I wanted to do, but I felt unsure when it came to solidifying and confirming a career.
In an age where the public expects the youth to have an idea of what they want to do for the rest of their life, I always felt like an imposter when I would claim to want to pursue a career path or business project that I knew wasn’t right for me. The thing was, from an early age, I noticed how far confidence and logical thinking could get me. I was good at assimilating, leading, and even finishing projects successfully. Therefore, I would always find myself leading groups, receiving work, and finding jobs that could lead to prosperous careers, but at the end of the day, I was never fully content and passionate about what I was doing. Something was missing.
For 4 years in college, I took every chance to learn about new industries and get my foot in new doors in hopes of discovering a passion that could fuel me for decades. After falling in love with photography, I turned a newfound skill into a consistent, evolving hobby.
For years, I would take jobs for money and business purposes, but I only found true pleasure and purpose in trying to create stills and films for friends. Unfortunately, as a first-generation Latino student, I was always pushed to take a safe and/or proven career route because any other career, especially in the arts, would be foolish. For years, I dealt with an imposing duality between the conventional and unconventional.
At some point, my life took a turn, and I found myself down South in LA. I had a lot of business plans on standby, but since I had ended up in the city of dreams, I decided to take the risk for a year and go all-in in my photo and motion picture career. After a gruesome year of financial struggles, imposter syndrome, doubt, and more, I finally felt like I had discovered my passion and purpose for living.
I would say I am still developing and fine-tuning my purpose, but I can now confidently point to a foundation I have created and confirm that I am where I need to be: creating and aiding films that can one day change the world and how people think and feel.
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 help create, shoot, and light movies, films, commercials, music videos, and more. At the moment, I am mostly focused on crafting my lighting skills as a lighting designer and lighting technician; but when it comes to my business, I offer pre-production, production, and post-production help. To keep things simple, I bring value to film projects of all kind for clients like Nike and Vogue to Indie Films projects and aspiring or famous artists. My goal is to become an expert at what I do in this industry so I can take my skills and aid projects that are changing the way people feel and think.
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 would narrow it down to humility, diligence, and perseverance. Without any of these qualities, I don’t think I would have gotten anywhere close to where I am now. For those who want to make it in a cutthroat industry, or even in life, and they don’t know where their path is, always stay humble enough to ask questions, learn, and be curious, work harder than everybody around you, and never give up, even through the trials and tribulations; and all your dreams will come true. And remember, it’s easier said than done!
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
This question is huge for me because I wouldn’t be who I am without them. I spent most of my childhood at my parents’ business location, helping them with work, seeing their work ethic, and being inspired by their goals, perseverance, and success. Overall, the fact that my parents cared enough about my brother and me to bring us to everything they did impacted me, my character, and my qualities the most.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://itsnova.com/manny-gonzalez
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mannygonzalez_
