WHAT I LEARNED: Creating something personal is unbelievably rewarding. I grew up in a violent household dealing with my father’s PTSD from Vietnam. So, I finally wrote a script based on events from my childhood. It was extremely cathartic. Not to mention, my son played one of the characters and I got to watch him grow and chase his dream of becoming an actor.

Many films and discussions center around our veterans, but they rarely discuss how their trauma is infused into their families bloodstream to be passed down for generations. I think the film turned out great and we are currently submitting to film festivals.

To watch the trailer - CLICK HERE

WHAT I LEARNED: If you didn’t invest money, you don’t get a say. In my experience, sweat equity only goes so far. If you don’t invest money, then you don’t really have skin in the game.

There are creators and there are business people and I’m a little bit of both. I love to create, but I also love to make money for myself, my partners, my clients, and my employers. Because when you make money, you get to create more.

How To Get a Gig is a class I produced with Jonna Volz, an actress and acting coach. Jonna coached Cailee Spaeney, who is from Branson, MO. Cailee has quietly put together a nice resume with roles in PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING, BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYAL and ON THE BASIS OF SEX. Our goal is to show people how to get a job in the film industry even when you have very little experience.

To Visit the Webpage - CLICK HERE

To see a Trailer - CLICK HERE

WHAT I LEARNED: I like multiple revenue streams. If you can create something that can be used to make money in multiple ways, then you are lowering your risk in the investment.

When I approached investors for The Land of Milk and Honey, I packaged their deals to also include a BTS (Behind The Scenes) class on how we made the film. Therefore, it gave them an opportunity for two revenue streams with the same investment.

The BTS class is called Indie for Real. We want to show people how they can make independent films in a small community and how we did it. We are still in the editing stage and are planning on launching the class in 2023. Our goal is to have the film show in some film festivals and then launch the class soon after.

To see the promos - CLICK HERE

WHAT I LEARNED: Growth doesn’t always equal profit.

I could fill the Pacific Ocean with what I learned from running my own business, mostly what not to do.

To quote Keanu Reeves in the underrated 80’s gem PARENTHOOD, “you need a license to buy a dog. You need a license to drive a car. Hell, you even need a license to catch a fish. But they’ll let any butt-reaming asshole be a father.”

Well, you should have to get a license to learn how to run a business. There are just too many potholes to avoid to be great at it and not let it consume your life.

That said, I was successful for 4 years and then the 5th year hit and within 6 months of the first problem, we were closed. It was like someone lit a match and I was standing on gasoline soaked newspapers.

Part of my blog will be discussing all the pitfalls that can come up when you are a small business owner. I mean, $15,000,000 a year isn’t small, but you know what I mean. I will be telling the story of how a few simple mistakes wound up with me losing millions of dollars, getting sued by the Missouri AG and investigated by the FBI. When I tell you how the legal system really works and how big businesses can destroy a small business with a snap of their fingers, I think you will be shocked. I was. I’m still living with the after effects and I think my psyche might be permanently damaged!

I closed the business in 2019 and I haven’t missed it one bit.

WHAT I LEARNED: That I can sell. I can really sell.

I started in October of 2006. At the time, the monthly max bonus level was $175,000. That’s where you made 15%. My first month, I wrote $327,000. People were astonished. I wrote 87% above max bonus! I was completely unaware that this was a big deal, but it was and it blew the doors open for growth from that point on. The new line had been drawn.

After that, we started recruiting every top car guy in Springfield to come down. We took that location from doing $38,000,000 a year to $87,000,000 in two years.

I became a manager and had the number one team for two years.

I ALSO LEARNED: That I’m not flashy.

When I became a manager with Wyndham, they spent a lot of time pushing me to buy a BMW and get a Rolex. The VP even had his “Rolex Guy” show up at the resort to show me his inventory. Yes, he had a Rolex guy.

I had no desire to own a Rolex. And instead of purchasing a BMW, I purchased a brand new Nissan Altima, with great gas mileage. It wasn’t a popular decision. I still don’t own a Rolex and I don’t think I ever will.

WHAT I LEARNED: How to ask for the money.

I almost starved my first two months on the floor. I had never sold before and I was terrible at it.

Then one day, my Director of Sales told me a phrase that he believed in. He saw that I was struggling. I knew the product and I knew the process, but I hadn’t sold anyone. He said:

“Earn the right to ask for their business.”

That made all the sense in the world to me. I knew the product better than anyone there. I liked helping the customer. So if I do a great job for them, then I should have enough self respect to ask them to buy the product and most importantly to buy it from me.

So, this is when I created The Magic Formula.

5 months later I was selling twice as many cars as most of my co-workers. Sales is about having self-respect and earning it. Anyone can be lazy and fall into a deal from time to time. But when you earn it, your pride grows and you become more and more consistent.

Within the year, I was promoted to Finance Manager and was lucky enough to attend the Van Tuyl School of Finance. The Van Tuyl’s were known across the US for their sales training in finance. It was a big deal at the time and very impactful to me.

WHAT I LEARNED: Networking is EVERYTHING and I missed some amazing opportunities.

I worked as the APOC (Assistant Production Office Coordinator) on the $3,000,000 film, “KILLER DILLER.”

Tricia Brock was the writer and director of this film. She was great friends with Kate Capshaw who was married to Steven Spielberg and so, naturally, I thought I was going to meet the family.

I could tell this movie wasn’t very good while we were shooting it and there is the lesson. Not everything is great, but the people that you are working with will keep going and keep getting better. Tricia has gone on to direct 64 episodes on television shows like Bridgerton, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead.

Other Fun Facts from this experience:

1. Fred Willard was hilarious on the screen. But I was in charge of getting him to his physical. He was always on the move and in different productions and each time he had to do a physical for insurance. And I guess, he was tired of it and so he never showed up. And each time I went to get him, he would tell me to go to the car and he’d meet me there and then he’d ditch me. I eventually got him there!

2. I helped John Michael Higgins with a self tape and when I drove him to the St. Louis airport, he shared with me his love for music and that Parker Posey can’t sing.

3. Jason Clark, the producer, took me to a Willie Nelson concert at The Blue Note in Columbia. Afterwards, we went to a late night breakfast and he asked me what I wanted to do. I told him that I wanted to be a producer. He told me that I wasn’t ready to be a producer. When I asked why, he said everything in producing is selling. Could I walk into a person’s house and ask for $1,000,000? I immediately knew that at that moment, I could not. I needed to learn how to sell. Jason has gone on to make Ted, Orville and 42.

4. I had to pick up Mary Kay Place and take her to the set. She had been in one of my favorite movies of all time, “THE BIG CHILL” And yes, I told her and thank god she was so nice about it.

5. Matthew Jensen was the Director of Photography and like Tricia, was working on his first bigger project. I went to lunch with him a couple of times and he was great to talk to about film. He hasn’t done much except, of course, to go on and become the cinematographer for Wonder Woman, Game of Thrones, Fantastic Four and The Mandalorian. No big deal.

BOTTOM LINE: Networking matters.

Also, I never met Steven Spielberg, but I do have a lot of variations floating around in my head on how that could have happened.

WHAT I LEARNED: a small project completed is better than a large project never completed.

I could have written a short film with one or two actors in one location. But I didn’t. I wrote a full length feature with 4 leads and a character who was a rock star that had to sing in front of a large crowd.

To get the concert shot, my friend who worked at The Field House in Columbia allowed me to shoot during the day (Thank you, Cedar Bargen!) How did I get hundreds of extras to show and not pay them? I paid for three kegs of beer, advertised free alcohol and passed it out between takes. It wasn’t long before I realized that I was running out of time before I was going to lose control of the crowd.

We got the whole film shot, but when I went back to look at the footage, I found out that my sound guy didn’t know what he was doing and you can’t fix everything in editing.

I still have all the original footage and someday I’m going to pull it back out for fun!

WHAT I LEARNED: Not everyone sees what I see, but they want to, they just want to move slower.

I really wanted to do a film festival in Columbia. It was called “THE KINDRED INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL.” We showed over 100 films in 10 locations with 30 bands throwing concerts. It was great.

But I made one huge mistake. There was a well established, independent theater there and they were really the ones that needed to lead the charge and I didn’t go to them first. This was when small theaters with couches were becoming the thing. They were Rag Tag Cinema and I loved what they were doing. I went there all the time. But I didn’t get them involved first and by the time I got to them, they were out. And when they left, I lost the city, the Budweiser Distributor and the radio stations. Once they found out I didn’t have Ragtag on board, they immediately pulled back.

I still had The University of Missouri, another larger theater and 8 different bars and restaurants for music venues, but it could have been so much bigger and better.

HUGE LESSON: When you have an established company there, get them on board first.

I ALSO LEARNED: that packed smaller venues would have been a better experience than, thinned out large venues.

The best part about it was that a production company that was coming into town to shoot a $3,000,000 production had heard about me and reached out to see if I wanted to join the team. Rag Tag has gone on to create their own film festival called True/False Film Fest.

WHAT I LEARNED - That when you start off with a 1.5 GPA, it’s a large hole to climb out of. Start strong and it’s easier to finish strong.

I would love to go back to college now. I would knock it out of the park. I finished with a 2.8 GPA, but that feels ridiculous now. I tell my kids that going to class is 80% of the battle. Adulting is way harder than going to class.

WHAT I LEARNED: To respect what my father went through even though he never spoke of it. And that I hated the gas chamber.

Growing up with a father with PTSD is probably the single biggest thing that has affected my life. It is with me everyday. My father and I are on good terms today and I love him, but we had to really find our way back.

I’m very proud of him for going to therapy and learning that many veterans were going though it and he didn’t have to do this alone. Mental health is very important to me and I think that men feel shame if they need it. They shouldn’t. Life is hard and I would argue that we could all use a little therapy.

WHAT I LEARNED: To ask questions and fight for what you believe in.

The Missouri Review was run by Dr. Speer Morgan. My job was to go through piles of scripts and read, read, read. And there were a lot of scripts - mostly bad. One time, I found a short story that I really liked. I fought for it and got a few others to support it. Then I got my Associate Editor on board which allowed me to present it at the weekly meeting.

Dr. Morgan had read it and he said, “it feels too read. Do you know what I mean?”

I said, “Yes.” I thought he said it was too “RED” and I had no idea what that meant, but I didn’t want to look ridiculous in front of him, so I acted like it made perfect sense. For years, I have gone back to that moment trying to figure out what he meant by “too red.” I went through every metaphor and meaning that RED could possible stand in for. Nothing. It wasn’t until a few years ago, when I suddenly, out of the blue, realized that he said, “too READ.” If only I had asked, I would have relieved myself of years of frustration.

In 1986, I received 1st place in the Central Ozark Conference with my Poem and my Pantomime, and a 2nd Place finish in Comedy duet. So I always have that!

WHAT I LEARNED: There is no better feeling in this world than winning in a competition. It is addicting. Also, I was so dramatic in 8th grade.

THE BALLET

Surprise, Surprise

Guilt dances in your eyes

Like a ballerina on stage

At an early age.

Please breathe and take it in!