What do you need to be an entrepreneur?
I had a strong desire to pursue my passion
seriously and the notion that I could achieve my goals.
What inspired you to start your business?
I started Del Valle Productions after
writing a pilot. It was over 16 years ago. I wanted to shoot it and I wanted
the protections and benefits that were offered by a corporate status.
How did you finance it?
I filed the corporation documents myself.
The fees were minimal. I used my savings accrued from working as a commercial
actress to fund my projects.
Does being Hispanic/Latina have any
influence on your business?
I find being Latina has more and more of an
impact on my business as time goes by. I didn’t begin my journey with a mission
to create Latino work and represent the culture, my mission was more personal…but
as a Latina I found that representing myself became symbolic of my culture and
gender. My industry quickly told me the
need for Latina leadership…I used all of my strengths to find a niche. For me
that was the understanding of my own culture, my industry and the Spanish
language.
In the face of adversity, how do you decide
to drive ahead?
I remember where I came from and how far I
have come. I remember that every opportunity is a gift and that no matter what
the outcome— a learning experience exists within every scenario. Your critics
might make you upset, but once you get over that, you can look at their
critiques more objectively and that ends up helping your process, much more
than hurting it. I use rejection as incentive to better myself.
What is the biggest challenge
your business has faced?
Each part of my business has
its own challenges.
When it comes to casting and
production the biggest challenge is getting through the door, getting new
clients to use my casting and or production services. I find it easy to
maintain clients because I pride myself on delivering the best experience at competitive
prices.
With production, the biggest
challenge was handed to me when a producer I teamed with failed to meet their
responsibilities…It set me back many months in revenue as I felt that I had to
compensate for their failure—I would not let the Del Valle Productions name be
associated with failure to compensate its independent contractors in a timely
manner. I learned lots from that experience—perhaps most that I need to control
the finances and hiring when it comes to production.
If you could change one thing
about your business. What would it be?
There’s nothing I could think
to change that I am not actively working toward.
What was your childhood
ambition?
My childhood ambition was to
be a lawyer. I wanted to be defending the right side, making an impact on my
community.
Tell us about three entrepreneurs that you
admire.
Oprah Winfrey because she built an empire,
is an absolute female FORCE and continues to help others to grow.
My husband, Al Eskanazy because I watched
him grow his business and always do what was right for the company and its
employees. He leads with pragmatism, kindness and intelligence. He writes
everything down, keeping a diary of every conversation so his recollection of
meetings and the fulfillment of specific goals is impeccable.
Elisabeth Kleinhans, the owner of 59E59
Theaters because late in life she fell in love with theater and decided to
dedicate her life to helping stage plays be off Broadway. 59E59 Theaters is the
best 501c3 theater company I have known…it does so much for playwrights and
artists.
For business meetings, which do you prefer:
breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
It’s not the time of day that matters to
me, but rather the place. I prefer to meet at my Private Arts Club in
Manhattan. It's a beautiful private arts club (with membership offered to
people in the arts and entertainment industry) housed within a Manhattan
townhouse. The club has a fantastic ambiance, mission, staff, owner and chef.
It's comfortable, hospitable, relaxed, quiet and impressive. I find it a
conducive environment to building long lasting relationships.
What sacrifices in your personal life did
you have to make in order to become successful in your business?
For me,
the biggest sacrifice is time with my family…I am always working. I love my
work and so I don’t suffer from it but my family does. I try to pick up the
phone every time my daughter calls but I find I am always in the middle of
something and can’t focus on her needs as much as I would like to. I was never
the Mom who coddles. I feel it has made my daughter self sufficient and shown
her that she too can accomplish anything within her vision. She is now a
college graduate who owns her own business.
All of my prep is done from my home office
but when I am on site during a production or casting, I am the first one in and
the last one out…my husband understands that but is happy when the production
is complete. I make sure not to fill my calendars in the days that follow that,
so I can make more time for my family and home responsibilities as a wife and
homemaker. When I give myself the day
off, I say “Today I am Mrs.”. It is a life that I enjoy and appreciate.
What is your favorite quote?
It’s from Margaret
Thatcher “Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a
day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's a day you've had everything to
do and you've done it.”
Is it difficult to be
unconventional?
I
have never thought of myself as conventional or unconventional. I grew up as a
Latina in Brownsville Brooklyn. I never fit in, ANYWHERE. My mother was one of
11 children, they were each unique, yet similar, and acted as a very strong
UNIT. As a result of that, I am able to adapt to any setting and feel
comfortable and strong in my own skin. I have learned that I can trust my gut,
and adapt without losing myself. I know my presence is strong.
Biggest mistake made?
Too many to mention. Personal and professional.
One of the biggest was never finishing college. I didn’t know enough to believe
in myself. Where I was raised graduating High School was a big deal and so my
bar was set too low. I work hard to raise the bar for myself, my family and
community now. There is no limit to what we can accomplish.
Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?
No. My colleagues treat me as if I am an
innovator, but I feel that I am an example of a regular person working to meet
their own potential. I hope that when people look at my accomplishments they
see them as possible and probable and that they, too, can accomplish their
dreams. One foot in front of another. Begin and never stop…no matter where you
get, you are further along than where you started.
About the Company:
About the Company:
Del
Valle Productions Inc. is a full service, bilingual film production and casting
company that offers services from concept to delivery. Our mission is to
infuse entertainment with Female and/or Latino driven truths, insights and
perspective, through original programming and its use of talent in front of and
behind the camera.
We
cast and or produce commercials, theater, print, voice over, web series, live
events and film.
Web:
www.delvalleproductions.com
www.delvallecasting.com
Social
Twitter @brownsvillebred
Instagram @delvalleproductions
Facebook @Del Valle Productions and Casting
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