We recently connected with Yves Beneche and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Yves with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I definitely got my work ethic from my parents. They’re both college educated professionals who came to the United States at very young ages. The immigrant mentality is to get a good education, and work hard to support you family financially while “hoping” to move up at your place of employment. This mentality was ingrained in me as well. Failure was never an option. Getting bad grades and not working to my fullest potential in academia was never acceptable.
While I believe a strong work ethic is noble and a positive trait in today’s society, I do believe there are unhealthy practices, mindsets, and attitudes tied to having a “strong work ethic”. After earning my bachelors and my masters by 25, I entered the crazy and toxic workforce of Hollywood. While I was blessed to have worked on hit TV series’ and work with some phenomenal people, I realized that the grind was starting to take it’s toll on my mental and physical health. I needed to take back control of my life. I’ve worked to hard to allow my destiny to be in the hands of people who don’t have my best interest at heart. Only I have that power. After making the decision to not take any more assistant jobs in Hollywood, I started creating my own projects, networking with fellow independent filmmakers, and took back control of both my mental and physical health. People say “its all about balance”, but I use myself, and many people around me as examples of the fact that “balance” is sometimes just a myth. People are working themselves to the bone, and become unhappy and unhealthy.
I notice that with my parents, who are in their 60s with various health issues, but are still working day in and day out. Whether it be school, jobs, etc., they’ve been working for decades non-stop. Not many vacations, etc. That was an example of both a healthy and toxic work ethic for me. After I turned 30 and realized that I wanted to try working for myself, I took the time to travel the world. 2023 was a time of self-reflection and education through travel. And I needed it. It re-energized me.
And now in 2024, I am ready to get back to the grind in cultivating my art, while also being mindful of my physical and mental health. Maybe my resolution is to make the myth of “healthy work, life balance” an actual reality in my life. Haha
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 writer/director based here in Los Angeles. I moved to LA almost 9 years ago (wow time flies) to get my masters in film from USC, and this city has been home ever since. I spent the past year traveling the country to promote the latest narrative film I wrote and directed about the Haitian Revolution called “Bwa Kayiman”, which screened at film festivals across the country. I also tapped into the documentary filmmaking space this past year with my travels throughout the Deep South producing my first feature length documentary focusing on the lives of NFL players, and directed my own documentary in Puerto Rico about men’s mental health. Lastly, I ended 2023 signing 2 contracts: the first was a shopping agreement for one of my projects with a production company, and the second was a development contract for a docu-series.
Looking towards 2024, I’m excited to see the seeds I planted in 2023 grow and blossom. 2023 was the first full year of working for myself as a creator. I wrote, directed, produced, and networked, and this allowed me the ability to work and grow as a creator. Now, I spend the majority of my time working on the projects I’m contracted to write, while also writing my own projects that I intend to direct or pitch to the market, and still looking for more freelance opportunities to write, direct, producer, and work with other fellow creators.
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?
Being friendly to everyone. Never stop creating. Never stop learning.
These are 3 things that have been most impactful in my journey. At first, I was going to say “be outgoing”. That’s my go to as a native New Yorker. We’re loud, we’re outgoing, we speak our minds. I never met so many introverts until I moved to L.A! Then I realized you can still be introverted and still succeed (haha). It doesn’t matter if you’re outgoing or if you’re a quieter person, what matters is that you’re a FRIENDLY person. And a friendly person to everyone. When you walk into a room, greet the people you know and don’t know. Don’t just talk to the people you think can “advance your career”. Albert Einstein once said “I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.” I can’t believe I just quoted Einstein, but that spoke to me. You don’t have to kiss everyone’s butt, but you should treat everyone with respect. And that’s something that is sorely lacking in the industry I work in.
Never stop creating. Sometimes stress, family, work, life, etc. gets in the way of your creativity, and it’s hard to write. We tend to be hard on ourselves when we’re not actively creating everyday. But sometimes creating doesn’t mean putting pen to paper, so to speak. Traveling, binge watching movies, having conversations with people can be a way to “create”, because those experiences can spark a lightbulb and drive your creativity. There’s many ways to be “creative”.
Never stop learning. After graduating from film school at 25, I thought I knew everything there was to know about writing and directing and producing. Why wouldn’t I? I got my degree from the best film school in the country. I was humbled very quickly. I entered the real world, worked on TV sets and writers’ rooms, and each day was another learning experience. My desire to learn even more intensified as I wanted to push myself to become a better creator. I bought a subscription to Master Class and consistently watch the videos on directing, writing, and entrepreneurship.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
I feel overwhelmed a lot. I struggle with anxiety and occasional bouts of depression. These stem from professional and societal pressures as a creator working in Hollywood, as a Black man in this country, and personal issues. I go to therapy once a week which is always a great hour to just vent all my frustrations and get professional advice. I also like to go to the gym. That’s my favorite thing to do and is my own personal therapy. It’s an hour to myself each day where I can zone out mentally and make myself stronger physically. It’s a win win. Also, talking to my wife, family, and friends. I’m blessed to have a strong support system to turn to when I’m feeling overwhelmed. I implore people to think about those folks in their lives who have been there for them, and turn to them when they need it. And if not, there are great support groups to turn to as well. There will always be someone out there to listen if you need an ear.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yvesbeneche
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yves-beneche-19726b62/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/YvesBeneche
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34dAvoWbR1E
