Meet Lou Paoletti | Filmmaker | Actor | Podcast Host

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lou Paoletti and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lou, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I come from the business world. Putting my professional energy toward creating is fairly new to me; I only moved to Los Angeles to pursue this less than two years ago.

When I worked in finance, there was no work life balance. All of my energy went toward making money and moving up and everything else was an afterthought; Work was the focus of my life. After some life events and changes, I realized I was miserable and didn’t want to live like that anymore. So I decided to chase the dream I always had.

Now that I’m in the creative space, my work life balance is a top priority and I can say that I’m in a much better place mentally because of it. I don’t think people understand just how quickly and easily you can burnout with work. You need constant recharging, you need constant time to partake in things that bring you joy. Otherwise, what’s the fucking point?

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Last year, I made my first short film titled “In Different Rooms.” I wrote, directed, produced and starred in it. Making that film was the hardest thing I’ve ever done professionally. It was also the most fulfilling, and it’s not even close.

I had never created anything before; I had no idea what I was doing. And after it was done, I didn’t know if it was any good. But, as time went on we got into a bunch of festivals and won a lot of awards including Best Short Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Music Score and were finalists in many other categories as well.

My mission in my new profession is to create things that make you feel things. And that’s it. In fact, that’s the slogan of my production house, Pineapple Bear Studios. I want to tell stories that are relatable to the human experience.

That’s the same goal we have on Secondhand Therapy. Our goal is to take the stigma away from men going into therapy. We try really hard to be vulnerable every week so you can see that it’s okay to want to be better. And it’s not easy. And you’re not alone.

Regardless of what project I’m working on, the best tip I can give you is this… surround yourself with people who give a fuck about what you’re doing. Don’t go with the cheapest people, don’t go with whomever has the best equipment. Go with the people that want to be a part of the project because they feel something around it. That’s the best way to get the end result you’re hoping for.

Being a creative is not an easy path by any means. Money is always tight and you never feel like the project is done. But I promise it’s better than sitting at a desk and making someone else 1000x more money than you’re getting paid.

What do I want the world to know about me or my brand? I don’t know. I guess that I work hard and I give a fuck. I just hope I keep finding people that care about those things.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am the worst person you could possibly ask for this! I am such a homebody. But I guess I would take them to some museums; I really like the Broad. And LA has great food everywhere. I’d probably get breakfast burritos at Wake & Late or Cafe Los Feliz and pizza at Prince Street. I really like Summer Buffalo for Thai. If you can’t tell. I like to eat.

Honestly I’m more about the hang. I couldn’t care less what we’re doing as long as the hang is dope. Let’s have some laughs and some good conversation. Who gives a fuck what the surroundings are? I’m so boring.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I don’t want to dedicate this to anyone. No offense, but it’s just an interview; it’s not that serious.

However, I would like to thank my buddy, Michael Malone. We started a podcast called Secondhand Therapy together and it has really taken off very quickly; more than either of us could have imagined. And there would be no show without Malone. I’m very grateful that he has taken the time to create this with me.

Website: secondhandtherapypod.com

Instagram: @itsloubear

Youtube: YouTube.com/@secondhandtherapypod

Other: My short film “In Different Rooms” will be released online publicly for the first time December 2023. It’s a story about grief and friendship. It’s based on things I went through. Please watch it.

Image Credits
my headshot is credited to Nogen Beck