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

Hi Lisa, how do you think about risk?
On a layover in Vegas with a friend once, I put a quarter in the slot machine in the airport. I won two quarters back and walked away as a “winner”. My friend asked if I was afraid of risk. “Afraid of risk?”, I thought. My entire career has been about risk. My work day is a slot machine. I just never know what my return will be.

When I was suddenly laid off from my NY based film/publishing agency job less than a year after having opened up an office in LA for them, I was at a total loss as to what to do. I was in a new town with only a small list of writers and a good reputation for my taste in writers/movies/books as my assets. But, before I could take those assets to get a job anywhere, I had to suddenly launch my own film and tv agency because I was required to be licensed by the state of California to represent the writers under the Writers Guild of America rules. I was 26 years old, hard to bond because I didn’t own a home, and had to use the very last of my savings to buy letterhead. But, I succeeded and I spent the next 30 years working on commission, paying employees, and funding a Beverly Hills office in an ever expanding and then contracting Hollywood. I trusted my taste in film, books, filmmakers, and colleagues and as a result, most years that paid off. MOST years.

In 2019 I felt that the business had shifted enough away from Boutique Agencies that it was time for me to move into producing. I decided that I wanted to move consciously into the risk this time around and began to limit clients and build a business plan for the new endeavor. I leaned into my clients who were writing for the musical stage (talk about risky) and launched a film/tv/theater production company that would also offer corporate storytelling workshops. That was in January of 2020 and by March Hollywood, Broadway, and everything else had closed down due to the Pandemic. To add risk to risk, what followed as the world began to go outside again was a writers’ strike and an actors’ strike. I can’t say I wasn’t frustrated that even when I sought to avoid risk, risk seemed to follow me.

But, risk is a great teacher. I believe it has taught me that flexibility is King; diversifying is smart; pivoting is a skillset. And it above all it taught me that no matter how much you plan, growth IS risk.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In addition to working as a producer/manager, I am a story consultant that works with both within the film community and outside it. One of the biggest challenges I’ve had recently was going from artist representation which is being 100 percent behind the client, pushing THEM forward, to being the face of my business. I’m also (occasionally) a professional photographer, so the dynamic of being behind the camera and shining a light on the subject I am shooting is similar. But, now it’s MY skills, knowledge and experience that is being promoted. It’s a paradigm shift that I’m still finding courage around after years of putting others in the light.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The number one thing to do for me in LA is The Hollywood Bowl. It’s an absolutely dreamy night and doing a picnic before hand is a must for the full experience.

As a Hollywood geek, I’d also make sure my friends took in some shows at the historic theaters: Pantages, El Capitan, The Egyptian, etc. I’d suggest a hike up to the Hollywood sign and a trip to The Observatory. While in that area, please take in Griffith Park.

When you take a drive down the coast to Huntington Beach to surf or walk the beaches, stop in Long Beach for great food. Be sure to try Ellie’s Chef Witzl’s homemade pasta and his divine handling of “heat”; Wild Chive for great Vegan food; Sake Secret to do a tasting; Heritage for Michelin star food from Chef Petty and the fantastic array of ‘dive bars’ from Joe Jost to Baby Gee to The Hawk).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many colleagues in Hollywood who supported my business over and over again. But, ten years ago a screenwriter and (at that time) President of California State University Domingues Hills, Dr. Willie Hagan, offered me a chance to create a pilot film program at the University. It was an exciting challenge to design classes, which in turn led to me teaching. But, my favorite was a special storytelling class that I call “Finding Your Voice, Telling Your Story”. I’ve taught it inside and outside of the University for the past decade. It allows participants to define and discover their own voices by exploring their own stories. Eventually what I learned from doing that became the basis of my TEDx talk. Dr. Hagan offered me an opportunity that became an extension of “story” in my career. I’ll be forever grateful.

Website: www.storyandvoicestudio.com (coming soon)

Instagram: storyandvoice_studio

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisacallamaro/

Other: TEDx Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/lisa_callamaro_story_as_a_superpower_use_yours_to_create_change?subtitle=en

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