Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tony Lopez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Tony, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Thank you for having me, I appreciate the question.
For me, I’ve developed my confidence & self-esteem through resilience & work ethic stemming from my family upbringing & lived experiences. My personal development has shaped me into the man I am today.
That said, it’s a constant thirst for progression with faith in myself that drive me. Belief in the decisions I’m making are not coming from a place of greed & self gratification but choices made for the greater good of my family & circle, with the intent for everyone around me to be well & winning.
By understanding my priorities & keeping the main the main thing, I do my best to not dwell on things outside my control that are trying to tear me down. By not giving doubt & anxiety the energy it needs to fester & grow, I can focus my energy on things that are productive.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Well, I’m a jack of all trades but master of one thing; living my best life. I like to be creative & collaborate. Everyday, I wake up & grind to grow my core businesses with my partners.
On a daily basis, you’ll catch me developing business strategies & managing marketing initiatives for our clients with our digital agency, Executive Digital, or shooting music videos or commercials for artists & brands through our content development company, Hangout Creations. Coming up with new ideas to expand the footprint of our Miami International Fitness Expo with new sporting events & strategic partnerships; or creating new merch drops plus painting canvases & walls with our lifestyle brand History Makers.
Everyday is a new adventure & it’s a blessing to work on my own time doing things I enjoy with people I care about.
Every week there seems to be something going on. You’ll likely find us doing pop-ups & painting murals at events like Florida Groves, Cinco De Dade, M.I.F.E & 710 Dab Day; shooting visual content at events like the Stanley Cup for Florida Panthers & the Morgan Wallen concert at the iThink Financial Amphitheatre or hosting artists & musicians at our History Makers Gallery & Boutique in Miami. We love to collab, especially when people have positive vibes and are on a similar wave as us.
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?
For me, I would say gumption, tenacity & perseverance. Probably more cunning than I am smart. I’m quick on my feet & always ready for action. I trust my gut & I don’t back down. Everything I’ve ever earned has always come down to those things. When it was time to start my businesses, while other people had the same opportunities as me to act; they sat around talking about the challenges while I went & met them head on.
I may have not had all the answers at those moments where I took leaps of faith but I wasn’t gonna wait around for someone to tell me. I went & figured it out. Took some lumps along the way, but they were invaluable learning experiences because I didn’t let them crush me. I learned from them & used them to my future advantage.
My ultimate piece of advice for people is to not be scared of the unknown. Life is scary, it can definitely be hard, but why make it more difficult by immobilizing yourself with fear, anxiety or laziness? It’s never made sense to me to dwell; get over it, get over yourself & move on, move forward, get it going. Eventually the pieces fall into place.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
Stay in motion but control your actions by slowing yourself down. Allow yourself time to think, recalculate, focus.
When I was younger, I used to be a bull in a china shop. When I would get overwhelmed, I would anxiously work toward a solution or try to be the answer to a problem, that I would just make things worst.
So I started to think of overwhelming situations as quicksand. We all know that in quicksand, the more you move, the more you panic, the faster you sink and eventually drown. That said, the only way to get out of quicksand is with movement. But controlled, slow movements where you solidify the ground bit by bit to eventually be able to crawl yourself out.
So when the shit is hitting the proverbial fan, I just slow myself down to a stroll. I’m still in motion, I’m still making things happen, but I’m in control & giving myself the necessary time to pivot into a proper plan. By clearing my mind to work out the solution & only taking action when I’m ready. I’m not moving at a panic & running around with no clear path.
People want everything now, in an instant & because of that, time becomes their enemy when it can truly be their ally; because only time reveals all truths.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.executive-
digital.com, www. historymakers02.com, www. miamifitexpo.com, www. hangoutcreations.com - Instagram: @tonesetter @executivedigital @historymakers02 @fitlife_productions @hangoutcreations
Image Credits
William Yakwii @2nycelive Solid Vibez @solidvibez
