Meet Connie Jo Sechrist: Actress & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Connie Jo Sechrist and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Connie Jo, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
I feeling like quitting all the time. It’s a battle I struggle with everyday and I constantly wonder if I pursued something different what my life would look like. But, I know I’m doing what I was meant to do; because whenever I want to walk away, a door opens. It won’t let me give up.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Filmmaking is extremely rewarding; but it’s not an easy road and it’s not all glitz and glamour. I never thought I would be an actor/producer. I wanted to be an investigator for the FBI. That was my dream since I was 13 years old. Then, during a really low point in my life I was given the opportunity to try acting. I was an assistant stage manager for the play “Romeo and Julie” my sophomore year in high school. An actor playing the role of Gregory, one of Capulet’s servants got super sick with food poisoning a few hours before the doors opened. My theater director and drama teacher Mr. Jeff Bengford finds me backstage and says he needs me to take over the role. “MEEE!!!” I replied. Deer in headlights. “I’ve never acted before and its Shakespeare!!!”. But he believed in me. He knew that I was the only person that could do it. So, with only 2 hours to prepare I went up on stage for the first time and my whole life changed in a flash. From that moment I pursued acting and producing and I haven’t looked back. There have been a lot of ups and downs. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication and most importantly passion to be in this industry. I’m really lucky that I can pursue this career. I have to remind myself of that everyday. Through film, I hope to communicate and inspire others by touching on their feelings, emerging them into a story and challenging their viewpoints on important issues.

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’m an outdoor person. So we would definitely go to the beach and do some hiking.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I probably wouldn’t be where I am today or the person I am today without the love and support of my family and friends. I cannot thank them enough for all the love and support I have received over the years going through this crazy life as a filmmaker. It’s really important to me to constantly surround myself with a strong network of supportive people in your life.

Website: https://www.conniejosechrist.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conniejosechrist/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConnieJSechrist

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConnieJoSechrist

Other: https://vimeo.com/conniejosechrist