Meet Joe Barbagallo | Owner of BarBHouse Productions and Producer

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

Hi Joe, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Entrepreneurial Journey

Thought Process Behind Starting a Business:
The drive to start a business was always inherent, sparked by an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age. Initially, an actor and a creative, the fascination with the behind-the-scenes production processes ignited a broader interest. The journey involved various side hustles and ventures that supported an acting career, ultimately leading to the establishment of BarBHouse. The focus has always been on self-employment, serving others, especially in creative fields, and fostering a team culture. The entrepreneurial journey is underscored by a deep care for helping others navigate the often ambiguous path of creative careers, leveraging personal experiences and mistakes as valuable lessons.

Social Impact:
The business aims to inspire people to explore new ideas and foster creativity, drawing on the power of storytelling in filmmaking to educate and expand perspectives. The personal drive to help others, sometimes even prioritizing it over self-interest, aligns with the goal of making a meaningful impact through storytelling. This mission includes producing content that challenges viewers to think differently and care more about each other, aiming to improve humanity through the medium of film.

Risk-Taking

Perspective on Risk-Taking:
Risk-taking has been a significant component of the journey, from leaving a stable job to pursue acting in New York to starting a production company. Embracing risks that align with one’s heart and passion is seen as crucial, with a belief that such risks are often rewarded by the universe or a higher power. The philosophy is to live life fully, without regrets, and to always bet on oneself, highlighting the importance of taking risks, especially early in one’s career.

Parental Aspirations

Aspirations for Future Children:
Coming from a conservative background, the aspiration is to instill confidence and intuition in future children, encouraging them to pursue their passions while providing a supportive environment to explore various interests. This approach aims to cultivate resilience and self-belief in children, allowing them to follow their hearts and intuition confidently.

Success Factors

Key to Success:
Resiliency stands out as the most crucial factor behind success, with the ability to learn from failures and adapt direction being pivotal. Continuous self-improvement, embracing challenges, and the importance of surrounding oneself with a strong support system of mentors and a competent team are highlighted as essential elements. The ability to be wrong, learn from diverse perspectives, and focus on the collective strength of a team contributes significantly to achieving and sustaining success.

Work-Life Balance

Managing Work-Life Balance:
Over time, there’s been a shift towards more efficient productivity, prioritizing meaningful work over sheer volume, and allowing time for rest and personal well-being. The approach includes prioritizing tasks that have the most significant impact, taking breaks, and reducing the number of meetings to prevent burnout. This balanced approach emphasizes the importance of focusing on what truly matters, both professionally and personally.

Happiness and Creative Pursuit

Finding Happiness:
Happiness is found in teamwork, collaboration, and the process of creating something meaningful. Personal joy also comes from spending time with loved ones and appreciating the simple things in life. The emphasis is on the choice to be happy, finding joy in positive stories, and the role of media in fostering a happier society by focusing on uplifting content.

Pursuing a Creative Career:
A creative and artistic career was always a calling, influenced by early interests in storytelling, film, and acting. Despite starting in different circles, the passion for creative expression and the arts became a defining part of the journey, leading to a dedicated pursuit of acting and filmmaking. This path was fueled by a desire to inspire and make a difference through creative work.

Definition of Success

Evolving Definition of Success:
Success is defined not just in personal achievement but in the ability to positively impact others, help them achieve their dreams, and inspire through creative output. Success encompasses fostering a supportive, like-minded community, achieving personal and collective growth, and maintaining a balanced, fulfilling life with loved ones. It’s about making a difference, providing for others, and living a life aligned with one’s values and passions.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
**Our Story: The Essence of BarBHouse**

**The Birth of a Vision**
From a tender age, my life has been a testament to pursuing dreams beyond the conventional. This journey, richly woven with threads of acting, storytelling, and an unyielding entrepreneurial spirit, led to the inception of BarBHouse. Our foundation was built on a profound fascination with the unseen magic of production and a yearning to merge creativity with impactful narratives. Transitioning from actor to entrepreneur was not a deviation but an expansion of my artistic journey. I utilized a tapestry of experiences to serve and uplift others in creative realms, cultivating an environment of resilience, teamwork, and mutual growth.

**Our Mission and Drive**
At the heart of BarBHouse lies a mission transcendent of mere entertainment—our goal is to inspire, educate, and catalyze transformation through storytelling. We strive to craft narratives that captivate and encourage our audience to view the world with empathy and understanding. This commitment stems from a personal ethos to effect positive change, often placing the needs of the mission above personal gains. We are firm believers in the power of film to forge connections, challenge perspectives, and elevate humanity, one story at a time.

Our path has been anything but conventional, marked by daring leaps from the security of known paths into the exhilarating uncertainty of acting and film production. Guided by the conviction to follow our hearts and passions, we’ve viewed risk-taking as essential for growth and fulfillment. This belief, supported by faith in the universe’s benevolence, has illuminated our journey, teaching us the value of betting on ourselves and embracing the unknown, particularly at the nascent stages of our careers.

We (I) are deeply committed to nurturing a future where children are empowered to chase their dreams with confidence and resilience. We aim to create a nurturing environment that celebrates curiosity, fostering a spirit of innovation and self-assurance in the next generation.

Our voyage to success is paved with resilience, continuous learning, and the invaluable support of our community. The lessons learned from overcoming challenges and adapting to failures have been instrumental. We’ve learned the importance of a supportive network, the power of collective endeavor, and the balance between professional ambitions and personal life. Each setback and failure has been a stepping stone, offering rich lessons and reinforcing the belief that life’s regrets are not in the risks we’ve taken but in the opportunities we’ve let pass by.

One of the most profound lessons learned is the significance of mentorship and community. The lone wolf journey proved challenging, but it was through the strength and support of a like-minded community that we found our stride. Early risk-taking, when stakes felt lower, taught us the value of seizing opportunities for exponential growth and learning.

BarBHouse is a beacon for those daring to dream, take risks, and live passionately. We are here to make an indelible impact, to inspire through our stories, and to connect on a deeper level with humanity. This journey, marked by its highs and lows, has been a crucible for learning and growth. We invite you to join us on this remarkable adventure to be part of a story that seeks to entertain, enlighten, and inspire a global community.

In sharing our story, we open our hearts to the world, showcasing our dedication to making a difference, fostering creativity, and living a life rich with purpose and passion. BarBHouse is more than a brand; it’s a living testament to the beauty of pursuing dreams with conviction and courage.

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?
So I was just in LA 4 weeks ago and will give you a condensed itinerary. I don’t know LA that well, but here it goes.

Saturday
Morning: start with a visit to Bodega Wine and Coffee.
Mid-morning to Early Afternoon: head to the Los Liones Trail in Pacific Palisades
This trail offers stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and Santa Monica Bay.
Lunch: drive over to Honey Hi** in Echo Park for lunch.
Evening: The Rooftop by JG** at The Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills.
This rooftop lounge offers some of the best views in LA alongside an exquisite selection of cocktails and small plates.

Sunday
Brunch: The Tower Bar** at the Sunset Tower Hotel.
After, go to Santa Monica Beach, get some sun, and walk around.
Then a drink to cap off day in Santa Monica at The Bungalow

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’d like to give a shout-out to my friends and mentors, Greg Boyd, Dr. Rob Rosenbaum, Mayor Anthony Fanucci, Brian Meece, and my wife, Melissa Barbagallo. Without any of these people, I wouldn’t be where I am now. Some of my favorite books are

Website: https://www.barbhouse.com

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

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joe.barbagallo.98/

Image Credits
Photo by Cindy Ord – © 2022 Getty Images