Meet Deon Lucas | Actor and entrepreneur

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

Hi Deon, 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 prefer to use the term “pivot”, as opposed to give up. Knowing when to throw in the towel and pivot is an extremely difficult and personal decision. For me, I strive to maintain preparedness for such pivots, which seem inevitable.
I was running my brick and mortar store in Sherman Oaks for almost 3 years when I decided the time was ripe to pivot into another direction. My plate was full, my personal life was in shambles because I rarely had time for anything outside of work, and the business wasn’t turning enough profit to cover overhead expenses, staff salaries, and personal expenses like apartment rent and car insurance. I believe each person will know in their heart when the time is right to move on from an endeavor. One way to know for sure is if the passion wanes and work begins to feel too laborious and not gratifying.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My artistry as actor is a passion that I hold close to my soul. What mainly sets me apart from other artists would be my spirituality and integrity for any work I’m involved in. I have a clear understanding of who I am, both as an individual and artist, and simply won’t do a job just for the paycheck. I have to believe in the project to support it. It wasn’t easy, but rather a journey of self discovery and a walk with God. One of the artistic projects I’m most proud of is a western horror film noir that I filmed throughout Texas. I learned a lot of interesting skills during that project such as riding a horse, studying a new accent, and behind the scenes politics/etiquette. The world should know that I’m dedicated to seeing as much of this world as possible while meeting as many people as possible and collaborating with as many artists as possible. The world is my playground.

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?
The first place I would take my friend is to my apartment. I’ve created such a curated sanctuary space that I enjoy hosting friends. We would then get dressed in our best 60s/70s clothes and swing by The Aviator restaurant on Melrose. The Aviator is a retro airport themed restaurant with an amazing cuisine. A visit to LA wouldn’t be complete without a visit to some of the beaches like Venice, Malibu, and Huntington. Some of the most interesting and exciting people are the ones who are comfortable in their own skin and genuinely enjoy meetings/interactions with others.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m beyond blessed to have a close knit circle of friends that are extremely supportive. One specific friend, Chuck Maldonado, was very instrumental in word of mouth marketing that brought several new clients to the business. Chuck owns a dance studio in Burbank and would even advertise for my business at his studio.

Website: @LucasRagsNRiches

Instagram: @LucasRagsNRiches @artist_deon

Yelp: Https://m.yelp.com/biz/lucas-rags-n-riches-san-fernando-valley

Image Credits
Deon Lucas