Calixto Chinchilla Hispanic Heritage and Finding Purpose S1E1

[00:00:00] Hi, I'm Vergi Rodriguez and welcome to A Race Of Your Own where we will discuss

[00:00:05] insights on inspiration and resilience. And today's guest I'm really excited to

[00:00:12] have here is he has three Emmy nominations. He has an Imaheng Award

[00:00:20] nomination as well for Best Commercial from the Imaheng Foundation. We're gonna

[00:00:27] be exploring and talking also about Hispanic Heritage Month and I'm here to

[00:00:31] like really highlight those people in the community that are you know change makers,

[00:00:36] trendsetters leading the way. One more point that I want to make because we're

[00:00:42] gonna discuss a bunch of points but he also founded the New York Latino

[00:00:45] Film Festival back in 1999 but really kind of came together in 2000 and I'm

[00:00:50] excited to have Mr. Calixto Chinchilla.

[00:00:52] Thank you. Good to be here. Good to be your first guest. I'll be the guinea pig for this

[00:01:00] interview experience. And that wasn't the intention. The intention was just

[00:01:04] because you were here and I was like he's in Los Angeles, yes. And it's hot so

[00:01:09] pardon. I came off the plane straight here for those of you who see this

[00:01:15] whatever we're in the heatwave it's a hundred plus degrees and I didn't

[00:01:20] expect that. I sort of say off the plane I didn't I guess I didn't check the

[00:01:24] weather but I didn't expect a hundred and change degrees so pardon yeah I had a whole

[00:01:30] other outfit for you. No it's all good. This is my off the plane attire for you.

[00:01:35] And I'll take it because you're a busy man so for me just the fact that you

[00:01:40] are here and like gracing my presence and giving me the time I really

[00:01:43] appreciate it. It's a pleasure. So thank you. So you know I kind of delved in

[00:01:48] here and like what we're gonna be talking about and really I just you have

[00:01:52] such a like nice rounded background and and you've always had to me you've

[00:01:58] always been that changemaker you've been that inspirational voice in for Latinos

[00:02:02] for the black culture African-American culture. Tell me a little bit more about

[00:02:07] yourself what sparked that what what wanted to make you kind of get into

[00:02:11] entertainment but also like it's not so much entertainment to really be a

[00:02:14] changemaker for the culture. I never thought of it that way. I think a lot of

[00:02:20] it was you know I've always wanted to work in entertainment since I was a kid

[00:02:24] I've always wanted to be a filmmaker first since I was a child you know and

[00:02:29] everyone has like you know you know love Steve was fieldwork so it's like

[00:02:35] yes I you know I remember my first ET experience or first seeing that and

[00:02:40] that blew my mind away and I was like I want to I like this world of make

[00:02:45] believe and I like going to theater like watching musicals and I like the

[00:02:50] escapism and you know I grew up in the projects so anything outside the walls

[00:02:57] whatever you know is what I really appreciated and I was fortunate

[00:03:02] because I grew up on those projects that they're behind Lincoln Center which

[00:03:06] are not you know they're the basic buildings compared to other situations

[00:03:12] but being blessed to be behind Lincoln Center which is like the mecca of culture

[00:03:17] particularly in New York but you know kind of globally as well you know that

[00:03:23] that gave me further inspiration and insight I was like wow this is this

[00:03:28] is interesting and this is what I think I want to do and so it started from

[00:03:34] there as a child and that must be where we connect because one of my favorite

[00:03:38] movies is the Goonies and and somebody told me oh I know why you like the Goonies

[00:03:44] and I was like Spielberg like I don't know like what what is it and they were

[00:03:47] like you like you like magic and I was like there's something about this

[00:03:52] magic and you're saying escapism you know I went to LaGuardia high school

[00:03:55] which is oh yeah right right behind I was in the building right next to

[00:04:01] LaGuardia

[00:04:04] yes right in those same projects yes right next to LaGuardia you know it we

[00:04:10] grew up in a space that was just rock you know it's concrete you know New York

[00:04:15] City is a concrete city you see and all kinds of stuff every day so I think

[00:04:18] movies that Spielberg would do like ATE and all these we just it was escapism

[00:04:24] that there's something beautiful about that and so did what do you remember

[00:04:29] the defining moment like do you remember like what an ET made you be like that

[00:04:33] because I remember that for me like for me it wasn't a Spielberg movie it was

[00:04:36] West Side Story when I saw West Side Story I was like I want to do that I

[00:04:40] didn't see West Side Story until later and you know a little bit I mean it came

[00:04:42] to me a little bit later but I you know that moon moment that bike moment and

[00:04:49] you know the ending and all of that just like I was just wow by it but I

[00:04:54] don't know what kid was it I like I mean so even to this day like it's

[00:04:58] still you know practical effects at all it's still it still holds up right but

[00:05:03] for me it just I was like I want I want to work in the movies I want to find a

[00:05:08] way and I studied that man like even like when I was in fifth grade where I

[00:05:13] wrote like a book report of this man you dare do remember do you still have

[00:05:17] that book report or no I don't know probably the teacher does but you know

[00:05:21] I I was like really curious about I was like yeah it's like you found that

[00:05:27] you found that thing that gave you that spark that that kind of was like

[00:05:30] he was on make believe you know overdrive and you know readers all of that

[00:05:35] stuff yeah I mean that's right readers all of it and so I was just

[00:05:40] fascinated by it and you know it's crazy is that my childhood best friend

[00:05:43] was also into film and also but from an acting point and it's crazy as God

[00:05:49] would have it you know we're both working in the entertainment as

[00:05:53] adults only God could write that right so what how has God played in your life

[00:06:00] like that have there been moments where there was like these little miracles

[00:06:02] that happen along the way that you were like I'm on the right path everything

[00:06:07] everything I think he's everything and I think when you look back on it now

[00:06:16] you know you get to reflect on moments that you're like wait a minute this is

[00:06:23] my I get this is my purpose but I didn't think about it right and so you're like

[00:06:30] what and there's too many instances that I could reflect now that I'm still

[00:06:38] on I try not to look back but I could reflect now it's like if I didn't do

[00:06:42] this if I didn't go to this room if I didn't meet this person if I didn't

[00:06:47] think of this or whatever it would have happened but only God could write that

[00:06:52] narrative only God could write that book right and there's too many

[00:06:56] coincidence in my life that I'm like oh shoot you know I mean and so recently

[00:07:03] I had an experience with somebody you know there's a whole to do but like

[00:07:08] really got reflective on me and I was like you realize it in bits of moments

[00:07:12] but then there's some moments where you're in stillness and you're like it

[00:07:16] comes to you and so the best you can do is to continue to live in that purpose

[00:07:25] humbly and you know keep pushing ahead keep pushing ahead lift others in the

[00:07:32] process yeah in finding your purpose because that's that was a road for me

[00:07:37] as well like it took me a second again I keep stressing like a race of your own

[00:07:40] you're literally in this race on your own right like if you if you're not you're

[00:07:45] gonna come across there's gonna be tumbleweed sometimes there's gonna be

[00:07:48] hills is gonna be valleys right and like remembering your purpose through that

[00:07:52] through the obstacles through the tumbleweed times right is there

[00:07:57] something definitive that happened to you at a point where that that

[00:08:02] purpose became so clear to you that now like you can look back but you know when

[00:08:08] you're growing up and you're living through it and you go to purity and

[00:08:10] all you're like you're in certain moments happy you're like wait a minute

[00:08:14] this happened at this time because I was maybe I was ready for it or whatever

[00:08:18] you know you think about tumbleweeds it's like you know I didn't grow up

[00:08:21] in Hollywood I didn't grow up at any of this stuff and so but you dreamt

[00:08:26] about it right and so for me it's like I still remember my very first

[00:08:29] trip out here and what that meant and all those things right and so again you

[00:08:35] know as a New Yorker I was a lot you know growing up the way did yeah like it

[00:08:43] you remember those struggles and like can I do it so so and at the same time

[00:08:48] you remember your parents discouraging you not to do it like to do the safe

[00:08:52] zone and then do something else right and so and this is where purpose

[00:08:58] sets in and you're like no I think I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna roll this

[00:09:05] dice I think I'm gonna go on this road and I think that there's a certain

[00:09:08] moment so yeah when maybe there is that I think maybe after college or whatever

[00:09:13] there was that moment where I was like I'm I'm gonna do this and I remember I

[00:09:19] was working two jobs or the school trying to raise money for a project

[00:09:25] whatever and that's when the idea for the film festival kind of came along and

[00:09:31] you know I was I went through exhaustion I was in the hospital I was like I had to

[00:09:35] choose what I was gonna do I said I think this is the road maybe I think this

[00:09:40] is it you know that's what I did and when it comes to purpose again there's

[00:09:44] a lot of like parallels here that we're talking about because I kind of

[00:09:46] feel I've come across my purpose as well right and part of it is speaking

[00:09:50] is getting these voices out right that are just these people that I just

[00:09:55] know even in my life you've given me an opportunity with my short film back in

[00:09:59] 2021 and that to me was was a big deal because it was my first time just

[00:10:05] getting my feet wet trying to be a filmmaker right I didn't I didn't know

[00:10:09] I was very blindly submitting to festivals and not not knowing and so

[00:10:14] when it comes to that and people kind of look at you as like this leader and

[00:10:18] this you know this person that gives opportunity you know how does that feel

[00:10:22] like that's part of your purpose right like me looking at you I can I that's

[00:10:27] how I look at it like wow is that did he realize that that was part of his

[00:10:31] purpose you know I wish I could say I thought different but no I don't like

[00:10:35] for me I did it you know sometimes success sometimes success means you

[00:10:41] more vulnerable you know I mean and like you know I constantly I don't

[00:10:48] need a valid I know what it is now I think there's a moment where you have to

[00:10:52] validate yourself as like wait a minute I belong to be in these rooms I belong

[00:10:57] in these rooms I know I need to meet this person or I know I need to be in

[00:11:02] this situation and like we didn't know those words then we didn't know

[00:11:07] belong like we did yeah it was it was in the dictionary but like it didn't

[00:11:11] have a different meaning the meaning that it weighs now right and so or you

[00:11:16] know I hate the word imposter syndrome it's that's not me I don't like those

[00:11:21] words but that sense of belonging yeah you know I think I've come to you know I

[00:11:29] had a fight through that and sometimes success can amplify that and like

[00:11:33] magnify it you know they amplify my magnify it but so I constantly now

[00:11:41] more self-aware you know but sometimes you also have to check yourself it's

[00:11:45] like wait a minute this is not a dream this reality and sometimes that happens

[00:11:49] when I don't get caught up anymore I've been blessed to meet almost every

[00:11:55] celebrity on the block for the most part you know I mean but I don't I doesn't

[00:12:00] mean it the people are people so that it's not that but in me I'm still that

[00:12:05] kid in the projects I'm still that kid who grew up dreaming that person still

[00:12:10] exist in me money success none of those things change that it could change some

[00:12:16] people it doesn't change me and so that's the difference and so that's where you

[00:12:21] want to lean into faith that you want to lead in the humility because

[00:12:26] everything can be taken away you could be whatever and like you want to lean

[00:12:31] into your purpose and serving a purpose right because the moment when

[00:12:36] we do that you betray your purpose you betray the blessing when you

[00:12:39] start acting extra and doing that you know I mean and like I don't I think that's

[00:12:45] when yeah but that's when God tests you I believe that that's when you get

[00:12:49] tested okay fine if you get this how you're gonna respond to it how you

[00:12:53] go to respond to people how you're gonna move in life when you finally get

[00:12:57] the things that you want and so for me it's like no I double down like I'm

[00:13:03] cool I'm still I'm still walking the walk and that's you know I'm grounded I'm

[00:13:09] so grounded to really three things you're saying so I heard like acceptance I

[00:13:14] heard humility and then grounded like those three things are so big and in

[00:13:18] accepting who we are and then our culture right leading into Hispanic

[00:13:22] Heritage Month and all this stuff that's coming up and how how important

[00:13:27] is that in all of this right like our heritage and I know it's only a month

[00:13:31] that we celebrate and we talked about this before but like you know the

[00:13:35] importance of that because I it's almost like Latinos were proud like everywhere

[00:13:39] we go we will say where we're from what country you know so you know how does

[00:13:49] that you know play into you know what's the importance for you with

[00:13:55] celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month but then like continuing that

[00:13:58] conversation right not stopping at the month I mean the point of the festival

[00:14:02] we didn't get into that just yet but the festival really started from that that

[00:14:06] curiosity because you realize there's so many things that are not taught in our

[00:14:14] public schools there's so many things about us that we don't know there's

[00:14:18] so many things that we've kind of had to kind of figure out by ourselves and

[00:14:24] and so for me like doing the doing the New York Latino film festival has been

[00:14:28] like really just life-changing and such a learning experience for me and you know

[00:14:34] I'm second-gen I don't speak the best Spanish I like a good Spanish track and

[00:14:38] all of that doesn't make me less than right or any of that but there was a

[00:14:43] moment where there was an error people like now you're not lying enough or

[00:14:46] you're not this enough or whatever and I'm pretty sure you've heard it

[00:14:49] you know bello malo but a one and all those like things and like it's now

[00:14:56] you're black read out there it's like right and so and but this is sometimes

[00:15:01] been generational stuff that we've had a harbor and I get it but now you have

[00:15:06] you know there's so much of a learning and we're redefining culture

[00:15:11] and this generation is totally redefining culture and that changes how

[00:15:16] people consume the culture and so for me all of this continues to be you know a

[00:15:22] learning experience and particularly for me I learned so much in doing this part

[00:15:29] you know then doing the film festival and everything that I've been in

[00:15:33] everything I've worked in is is culture spaces and who knew that that was

[00:15:39] going to be the case I didn't know that what do you what do you feel

[00:15:43] like Gen Z specifically like what do you feel like Gen Z is doing that maybe we

[00:15:47] didn't do before and they're doing a great job at it and that they're kind of

[00:15:50] getting it inside and that because they can amplify it quicker everything is

[00:15:55] quick we don't have a quick no no we literally were saying everything's

[00:15:59] right and it's viral and it's whatever right and so yeah it's quick we

[00:16:08] didn't have a quick we work twice as hard for it we did we were literally

[00:16:11] sending letters like and sending faxes not to be at all there's something

[00:16:21] specifically you do to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month or you know I'm

[00:16:25] different because I celebrate 24 7365 I'm the same way like when it comes around

[00:16:31] I'm always like the festival like I always remember I'm like okay that's

[00:16:34] the festival is happening new york Latino film festivals happening but then

[00:16:37] I'm also like okay that's cool there's gonna be some like cool parties

[00:16:40] some cool stuff but yeah I don't like I feel like I celebrate it all the time as

[00:16:45] well I don't stop because I'm tired we got half a month we have to have some two

[00:16:51] months like it doesn't make sense I don't know how we got out of all the

[00:16:55] months who decided out of every heritage for some reason somebody in

[00:17:00] DC or whoever came up you know I think it's a DC thing that came up with

[00:17:05] these months but I don't know how we ended with you know September 15

[00:17:09] two halves of a month it doesn't make sense to me yeah it's not it's not a full month

[00:17:15] I don't yeah I don't get it either like I don't I don't understand why that is

[00:17:20] it is what it is but so for me no I'm 365 like it doesn't yeah it doesn't stop

[00:17:28] yeah no and there's another thing there's another point that I found as

[00:17:33] researching you I like to say that entrepreneur magazine called you or

[00:17:38] recognize you as the one to watch you know I feel like that hasn't stopped like

[00:17:45] you continue to like every time I see that you're doing something new you're

[00:17:51] something you know and I know we can talk about this now but like time time

[00:17:56] magazine yeah time magazine has also recognized you which is a really big

[00:18:01] deal you know when it happens kind of all of a sudden and you know again as

[00:18:07] like influential Latino Hispanic Heritage Month celebrating our culture where we

[00:18:12] come from where we've been and you saying I can like see that little kid that's

[00:18:16] still like I'm Calixto and I just have this dream and I just want to do this

[00:18:19] thing what did that feel like when you got that call from time it's crazy

[00:18:26] because of entrepreneur that's crazy because I hated the word entrepreneur

[00:18:29] but ever everybody's an entrepreneur now I get it but he's so quitted to be

[00:18:33] broke so I was like I'm not an entrepreneur I heard you say that

[00:18:37] before you know I mean like I have this title and this is the time and I don't use

[00:18:40] you know executive director but I don't use I'm not big on the word founder for

[00:18:46] some reason and never really been big on the word entrepreneur I just feel like

[00:18:53] you I look at the company I say yeah it's an entity that I work for which

[00:18:58] technically is I work for this company just like everyone else or whatever and

[00:19:02] so I look I operate from that lens that I'm working for this for this entity and

[00:19:10] so I respected enough to give it that service so I don't look at myself as

[00:19:14] an entrepreneur so per se so when that happened it was it was mind-blowing

[00:19:19] it's crazy and it was even more crazier is you know this is this is

[00:19:30] popular and I forgot forgive me for last name is Gabrielle but what's her

[00:19:35] Gabrielle Bernstein Gabrielle Bernstein is a big guru spiritual guru she's been

[00:19:41] on Oprah whatever nice it's Gabrielle Bernstein that she said she's a

[00:19:45] republicist and she's the and she's the one who put me on like she's the one

[00:19:50] who got that who got that happen shout out to Gabrielle but you know that was

[00:19:58] mind-blowing I didn't expect that and you know again being like you know being

[00:20:04] that whatever being a kid in my mind like that still blows away so when time

[00:20:11] magazine it happens you know that blew me away and those are moments where you

[00:20:18] know I just I teared up I was like this is insane yeah so I'm still yeah I

[00:20:25] still wide-eyed about it about everything that happens or whatever yeah I think

[00:20:31] maybe because I'm just so focused on what we do and focus on the work that when

[00:20:37] you put in situations where somebody you know wants to cover do anything on your

[00:20:42] whatever it is or recognizes you you know I accept it I accept it humbly

[00:20:49] yeah but I accept it nonetheless yeah I mean that's you know again it's it's

[00:20:57] changemaker I keep saying that and I keep saying it over over and over again

[00:21:01] and it's only because like there's not a lot of people that you know are leading

[00:21:05] the way in that sense and and if you've gotten kind of we get we were

[00:21:10] shouting out Gabrielle but you know you know you gotta shout out everyone

[00:21:13] who puts you like it takes a village right it does take a village so many

[00:21:16] people who have lifted me that got me anything yeah and so you don't forget the

[00:21:22] people who helped of lift you I whether you're in my life still or not I still

[00:21:29] gotta give you the credit you know and I feel like I see that in you too like

[00:21:33] you reach back you got it right yeah back and I just don't you know and I

[00:21:39] really want to kind of like as much as I want to explore and I'm exploring in

[00:21:42] this and that's a choice that's the choice of how you operate how you choose

[00:21:47] to operate because people forget you don't forget I can't forget but that's a

[00:21:53] choice and so these blessings keep coming because of that right is it is

[00:21:58] you feel like you you walk in your purpose you know you're accepting of

[00:22:02] who you are you have this little Calyxto inside screaming like we gotta do

[00:22:08] this stuff you know and and and you're still plugging away and you're chugging

[00:22:14] away and then who time magazine is like hey we want to feature you you're doing

[00:22:19] something I mean it's a that feels like wow I'm being recognized at this level

[00:22:23] you know I must be doing something right you know I must I gotta continue

[00:22:28] this race I can't stop so I thought it was one of three in the nation that's

[00:22:33] crazy that's amazing though I mean you know patting yourself on the back to

[00:22:39] it just just like recognizing you didn't get there because you didn't follow your

[00:22:44] dream you got there because you did right and and you stayed in that race

[00:22:49] you continued you didn't give up on yourself right I just I just feel

[00:22:56] like we sometimes don't we don't give ourselves enough credit you know we

[00:23:01] sit in our own kind of like oh I gotta do this there's so much work that's got to

[00:23:07] be done I know I do that all the time and I and I can't sometimes figure out a

[00:23:13] way yeah and I'm pushing too hard until I like step back and let it kind of

[00:23:17] figure itself out but that's just to me something that I feel like is it is

[00:23:25] amazing and it's part of like what you keep saying which is like the

[00:23:28] blessings the acceptance and purpose in finding your purpose too I'm trying to

[00:23:37] see like trying to get more stuff out of you like what like where do you see

[00:23:41] Calyxo in 10 years where do you see what do you see Calyxo doing is he gonna

[00:23:46] run for mayor or something politics not up not really kind of something you're

[00:23:53] buying for at all what where do you see like where we or where would you

[00:23:57] like to see a word you'd like to see kind of like Hispanic heritage once in

[00:24:00] that sense or like he's funny dad Latinidad as a whole I mean we just want

[00:24:05] to grow you know we you know continue to grow the brand I mean right now we're

[00:24:13] going on tour this six different cities and then we're launching a unit of

[00:24:17] Puerto Rico this year yeah talk to us about that wait what do you mean you're

[00:24:22] like yeah I'm going on tour then you know we're watching Puerto Rico and

[00:24:25] then you're taking the festival to Puerto Rico yeah yeah wow okay so what was

[00:24:30] that tell us that to wait you can't just throw that out there Calyxo and then

[00:24:36] wait what yeah so it's grown to the point where you took it out of New York

[00:24:41] it's still in New York but you're taking a piece of it and moving it to

[00:24:44] Puerto Rico too so will you all this that is different cities and you know

[00:24:47] again we do work for different studios okay we have an agency division and you

[00:24:52] know just really kind of just opening up our toolkit for you know for me if we

[00:24:58] know the top creatives globally if we have access to content and creatives we

[00:25:02] have this creative and cultural intelligence then how do we move it to

[00:25:07] brands how do we move it you know to to our existing partners and and really

[00:25:13] give that equity and opportunity to the people that are on our radar and so

[00:25:19] that's what we've been doing is kind of just expanding our reach in that way

[00:25:24] but that's then that that's where every nominations came from it's amazing and

[00:25:29] then the Puerto Rico the Puerto Rican part or in Puerto Rico of the film festival

[00:25:33] is that specific to just Puerto Rican filmmakers or is it is so it's open

[00:25:38] it's open it'll be different yeah I mean we're still trying to figure it out

[00:25:42] to be honest but it would be different and this will be your first year when

[00:25:44] is that the end of October is what 2024 is the first year you're gonna do it

[00:25:49] yeah amazing and then I mean this is you know there's some things I can't really

[00:25:54] speak on sorry but yeah it'll be here first yeah but you how many

[00:26:00] submissions do you get each year hundreds hundreds I mean close to a

[00:26:06] thousand I wish there was hundreds of thousands but close to a thousand

[00:26:09] okay globally wow so from all over the world about a thousand submissions

[00:26:13] we have a whole team a whole programming team people that sift through

[00:26:16] everything and and put it together yeah I kind of how they watch it you know but

[00:26:25] I don't I really don't watch much but there's a whole team that really is

[00:26:29] just dedicated the amazing the amazing I love my team I love everybody my team

[00:26:34] like they they really hold me up but they hold each other up and that's a

[00:26:38] bit more better they hold each other accountable and I know that the

[00:26:41] you know when you get recognized like that I know some people are like oh it's

[00:26:44] not about the award it's about the nomination you know and and some people

[00:26:48] say hey that you know but you know and I can keep I don't want to keep asking

[00:26:52] like well how did that feel well of course it feels great to be recognized

[00:26:55] right but like it is when you go into what you did that campaign that you

[00:27:00] did that you got that nomination for that there was two PSAs and then one

[00:27:05] commercial campaign right you know is that in the back is it in the back

[00:27:10] of your head is that what you're thinking or you're just like no I just

[00:27:12] really want to do that because this PSA is it's like pretty deep no I don't know I

[00:27:16] mean I didn't know you don't think any of that you just want to do good work

[00:27:21] and you know obviously somebody recognizes it so you get you're like okay

[00:27:27] and then you're like in a Emmy you know campaign the crazy thing is when

[00:27:31] you hear it on TV and you're like when you see it on TV and you see the

[00:27:36] nominations and someone put me on the like you know you should watch it and I

[00:27:41] was like nah I'm not gonna watch it though like you know you should watch it so I

[00:27:45] got up early in the morning and I and I saw it and you know when your name

[00:27:49] gets read on that card you're like what wow oh what what what what is gonna

[00:27:56] happen and so and then you know you make the call of army you know I mean

[00:28:02] that's okay I'm gonna call my grandmother I'm gonna do all of

[00:28:06] that yeah it's crazy and both your parents from Puerto Rico yeah my mom is

[00:28:14] but they split they they they so I grew up on my mother so when you're growing up

[00:28:18] with your mom in the projects in Manhattan what you know how did she first

[00:28:23] take to like what you were saying about what you wanted to do and your ideas

[00:28:26] and your creativity you know I mean I think she was supportive to a certain

[00:28:32] extent but you know to tell you the truth my mother didn't know what I

[00:28:35] was doing and so she saw it on TV and by then it was too late so I kept it really

[00:28:41] secret like things that I you know about the festival and the whole thing with

[00:28:46] HBO and all of that other stuff but like all of that was secret even for my

[00:28:51] friends from everyone you just was it a superstitious kind of thing it was

[00:28:55] you know I just think that sometimes parents mean well with advice and I

[00:29:00] get it you know I mean but sometimes you know the slice advice can change the

[00:29:05] trajectory of how you're thinking and what you feel and for me I was really

[00:29:08] vulnerable that I didn't need to hear a no a no or thought like for me I thought

[00:29:16] I was crazy as it is so I don't need someone to justify that crazy or like

[00:29:21] whatever right and I was like I was just in a in a mode and I was like I

[00:29:27] just got to go quiet and just move and like if it happens or whatever then it's

[00:29:34] gonna happen but I needed to be really quiet about it and then when she saw it

[00:29:39] on on TV she was like what what is this so what is like she was this dumbfounded

[00:29:43] and I said well this this is what it is and I'm moving out and then you moved

[00:29:49] out oh my god that's amazing talk about just like talk about like putting on

[00:29:56] your wings and be like okay see you later mom was she but all that happened at

[00:30:00] like 21 22 was she devastated no I mean she was like yeah okay no I mean she was

[00:30:06] shocked and then you know people in the neighborhood started stopping her and

[00:30:13] like she gets a lot of that yeah then it became that that's amazing no sweet

[00:30:21] it is so sweet she must have been like oh my god my baby yeah and then you know

[00:30:28] do you go do you go back to Puerto Rico a lot that was my first trip that's my

[00:30:35] first trip really yeah when I went like we were doing site visits and it was my

[00:30:40] first trip wow do you still have family there on the island not many not really

[00:30:44] no more like my grandmother's really the anchor yeah but a lot of people have

[00:30:48] some cousins and stuff like that but I really I mean I you know I was there

[00:30:53] another business so it's really hard for me to say everyone I want to get it all

[00:30:56] that here but it was like it I really didn't have much time but now I want to

[00:31:00] do it more time and now take the time to go when I need to take the time period

[00:31:03] to go away so it's not just Puerto Rico just you know I just need a break well

[00:31:07] just because I feel like for those of us that kind of first or second

[00:31:11] generation and like our families I mean I come from a big family like on my

[00:31:14] mother's side right and so anytime I like people like oh well do you see your

[00:31:18] family and I'm like well yeah but it's like they're just so far away right like

[00:31:23] there cuz it's it's this there's like a like we know our culture we know who we

[00:31:27] are we know all that but then there's also this like disconnect and I felt

[00:31:31] that way a lot because my brother and I are gap kids right it's only youngest

[00:31:35] and we're you know he's right eight nine years apart from me so it's I go

[00:31:41] by myself a lot of time you know he left he left out I was a starting

[00:31:45] junior high school was out the house so it was different yeah yeah so I just

[00:31:50] sometimes feel like even just in celebrating our Latina that and stuff

[00:31:54] there's this like you know interesting as much as we love our countries and where

[00:31:59] we're from and our cultures there's also this and in New York though I mean

[00:32:02] there's so many Puerto Rican Dominican yeah I've been at the hour I go to the

[00:32:05] hour a little bit more often because this you know I'm more involved in the

[00:32:08] film business out there right talk to us about that you know just really just

[00:32:14] as a as you know just D.R. like Puerto Rico has as you know the strength has

[00:32:20] really been on their film commission and like you know they had a president in

[00:32:24] a Fernandez who really saw a film as an economic engine that can help the

[00:32:30] country and so you know what he did was he you know he put up the studio and

[00:32:35] he started building studios and then Pinewood Studios moved into the area

[00:32:39] and then they started training technicians and now they have a film law

[00:32:44] and now there's Hollywood stuff that shoots there there's independent stuff

[00:32:47] that shoots there but you know film is big right now in the Dominican

[00:32:51] Republic where there was a time when nobody was touching film and nobody

[00:32:55] was whatever and now you have so many things that are getting shot there

[00:33:00] and you know co-productions there's so many there's so many films I get

[00:33:05] you know a US or local stateside you know tax break and then they'll get the

[00:33:10] island incentive and so I've spoken there a lot when those things were kind of

[00:33:15] coming into development and all of that so I met with the president a couple

[00:33:20] of times on it nice and you know again it just feels good as a Dominican too

[00:33:24] like to hear that to hear that like yeah there's people like you that know

[00:33:28] what you're talking about and you're like and you like you know

[00:33:32] the people that trust you yeah yeah people that trust you and like you know

[00:33:36] the business to the point where you're like well if you do this and this and

[00:33:39] that and that you help kind of shape shape that world so to speak and I'm

[00:33:44] excited I'm gonna be excited to see like what you do even in Puerto Rico because

[00:33:47] it sounds like this will be your first right because the first yeah this will

[00:33:50] be I'm excited to see what comes of it too but I think we you know there's a

[00:33:53] good team local side you know putting it together you know we'll be at

[00:33:57] the T-Mobile district the T-Mobile Center out there and you know again I'm

[00:34:04] you know you're just happy that there's people that you know like the brand and

[00:34:07] like when it take us places and whatever and it you know again like being in

[00:34:14] those rooms where you meet with the president like a crap lotus secret

[00:34:17] service or that's crazy but you know those are like internal

[00:34:22] pinch me moments that you don't you say face do you have that moment where

[00:34:25] you're sad and they're like how do I end up in this how do I get in this room like

[00:34:30] I'm in but I'm in it but I deserve is the acceptance I deserve to be in this

[00:34:34] room but then you're also like how did I get here right and then you start to

[00:34:40] think of all the other work that you've done all the stuff that that led you

[00:34:43] about it but yeah I mean yeah but you know just comes in waves and like

[00:34:48] you know it's funny you know I somebody reminded me of something we did

[00:34:54] you know whoopie gober had given us a a shout out and I remember when we became

[00:34:59] a hot topic and I didn't expect it on the view on the view

[00:35:04] and what we go with it what and I was brushing my teeth like watching it just

[00:35:08] like everyone else and I knew she was been around or whatever I

[00:35:11] as she got to the festival yeah okay um and she was like on the view

[00:35:19] you got to go to this thing like a full-on what

[00:35:24] endorsement you're like and I'm brushing my teeth

[00:35:27] and I'm watching just like everyone else and I'm like what

[00:35:31] like folding my mouth and I'm like what what the what

[00:35:35] and yeah so those are pitch-pick moments and then

[00:35:38] right and then like what do you what do you do

[00:35:41] like choke on the floor what do you do at that point do you go hey what do

[00:35:46] you do want it like no I had my phone calls like this and like I was like I

[00:35:51] don't I don't know I don't know what happened just happened right now

[00:35:56] I yeah I still got the clip though that's best believe and you I'm sure

[00:35:59] I'm sure you do and that's she's a she's a she's wonderful she's

[00:36:03] supportive right she supports the festival yeah you know you know it's

[00:36:07] yeah she's true New Yorker like they yeah yeah and Spike you said you've

[00:36:13] worked with him before or you worked with him no I met him

[00:36:15] early I met Spike when I was 14 okay and has he been ever to the festival

[00:36:20] came out huh I'll do the right thing okay right thing has he been to the

[00:36:23] festival or no yeah he's been I think maybe once or something like that

[00:36:26] yeah okay I kind of I could have sworn you said that he was but

[00:36:30] yeah no no no it's funny you know I you know I met him as a kid I have an

[00:36:37] original do the right thing poster that he signed for me when I was the kid

[00:36:41] do you have that framed like of course I do I do that I do but who knew iconic

[00:36:48] who know that is iconic at the time we didn't know you just wanted to get it

[00:36:53] signed well not even that you know you don't realize as an adult you're gonna

[00:36:57] right but I'm gonna I'm gonna call you or whatever it is you know I mean I'm

[00:37:02] gonna be in your space so now wow that's you know that's amazing

[00:37:06] you know I feel like we've talked about so many different things we've

[00:37:09] hit so many different points is there anything like kind of like if you was

[00:37:12] like one lasting thing for people that are like either in the industry or in a

[00:37:16] race of their own and whatever they're doing that you would kind of say is

[00:37:19] like an overall overarching piece of advice

[00:37:25] stayed the course and I and people say that but it really mean it like stay

[00:37:31] the course because yeah you'll be tested and all of that but again

[00:37:39] you'll be tested even when the success comes I think you'll be tested along the

[00:37:42] way period but also I think for me

[00:37:50] since things started out for me really young

[00:37:56] um I had to really trust in in the things that I know

[00:38:04] and I think that there's sometimes when you have vulnerability

[00:38:07] some people can take advantage of that and run it to the bank and use you whatever it is

[00:38:14] and that's that yes I've stumbled like I had those moments and this is when I

[00:38:22] realized no I'm smarter than I know like I know what I'm doing I know

[00:38:27] you know what I'm doing if I didn't know what I'm doing you wouldn't

[00:38:30] you wouldn't be talking to me or whatever the case is but I think for

[00:38:34] me when you grow up against those odds or whatever you're living in

[00:38:39] you know you you kind of question yourself there's some and some people who take

[00:38:43] that vulnerability and again they'll run it and so you have this is where you have to

[00:38:47] double down and really believe in yourself pray up you know the answers you know what it is

[00:38:55] you know what it is but some people will test you and that's the thing and and you know

[00:39:01] and I'm talking from experience there's plenty of times where I like I should have listened

[00:39:08] I knew this sometimes we don't listen to the voice we betray the voice

[00:39:15] listen you don't have to make a decision right away you don't got to make fast moves

[00:39:20] literally what's for you trust is for you and and and walk with it sometimes we get in

[00:39:30] patience sometimes we get in our own way and I've learned to like and and even more so even you know

[00:39:38] the bigger decisions the more I have to like even for myself I have to stop and listen

[00:39:45] and and that's that's daily practice so I'm not just saying that you know I mean like

[00:39:51] no I haven't overcome this you it's there's certain things that will live for the rest of

[00:39:56] life that you have to continue to practice and continue to live by

[00:40:01] is there something you do to tune into that sometimes like that if because you have

[00:40:06] you're such you're constantly going like is that do you do is there's something you do like

[00:40:11] are you like I take five minutes to meditate or like I should meditate more I pray a lot I do

[00:40:16] pray every night nice sometimes I'll just need to walk around the park and just rethink and

[00:40:21] just like be still sometimes I just like to like write things down

[00:40:28] there's a there's a there's a lot of power when you write things down don't write it on a mobile

[00:40:34] don't write it on text write it with your own hand yeah see like I literally write it with your hand

[00:40:39] there's a lot of power that comes from when what's coming out of your mind and what is

[00:40:44] right it was written by you physically nothing electronically and I've seen that for real

[00:40:50] and so I'm learning like to write a little bit more

[00:40:57] it just journals but like just like what I think or things that I want to accomplish

[00:41:01] or things I want to do and so I try to lean into that to those things

[00:41:10] yeah and I kept hearing you when you're talking about like all the stuff that you're doing

[00:41:14] it's like influence like true influence like influence are so loosely used you know these days

[00:41:20] but like true influence which is actually getting out there doing the work inspiring people to aspire

[00:41:27] to do better and I just kind of you exemplify that to me for sure just from what I've known

[00:41:34] what I've seen what I've experienced but also what I'm what I'm hearing you say you always go back

[00:41:39] to that point you know and then which helps you keep inspired yeah it keeps me centered too

[00:41:47] for sure yeah so thank you for for being here giving me some of your time in this heat wave

[00:41:52] it is hot and I'm wearing a jacket but thank you for giving me so much of your time Calyx

[00:41:59] so I really appreciate it good luck on everything good luck on all your nominations yeah I'll see

[00:42:04] you know we have an awards this weekend so yeah so we'll see what we'll see what happens

[00:42:09] I'm rooting for you you know yes yes definitely and I'm Virgie Rodriguez for A Race of Your Own

[00:42:15] remember to subscribe and stay tuned