Meet Nicole Lenora | Retrofit Media Founder & Creative Director

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

Hi Nicole, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
When I was younger, I considered myself to be pretty “safe.” Even though I was always a creative person, went to creative schools and worked on very creative projects, I was never that “daredevil.” The spice and weirdness stayed in my screenplays. But after working in the corporate world for so long and understanding what a 9-5 life is and what it entails, I realized that it wasn’t for me or for folks that share the same personality archetype as myself. So for me, risk was something that appeared in my life as a necessity in order to live a happy life. For instance, I quit the corporate world and started my own company, Retrofit Media, on a prayer, self belief and just a baby lump of cash. Every path is rocky before it grows legs and my story is no different. I experienced naysayers from folks who I never thought would be that way in addition to receiving praise for bravery from strangers and from folks that I didn’t immediately think were going to be supportive.

But now more than ever I see that if I didn’t take that initial risk and go through the bumps, there’s no way that I would be where I am today which is happy and working hard on projects that I’m passionate about and truly believe in.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I’m not a fan of using “cards” but some things are just innate and are completely worth mentioning because they happen to be fact. I love the film industry but sometimes it still feels like a boy’s club. There are far more females now than ever before which I’m so excited about but some things I see are still tough.

For example, I’ve seen a talent talk down to one of my absolutely amazing female DP’s for no reason. I’ve also seen a less experienced crew member talk down to one of the most experienced female sound engineers I’ve ever known – again – for no reason. In both cases, I addressed the situations and found peace for both parties but it was still a bit gut-wrenching to see because I know that these amazing women received flack just because they are female.

As the director and owner of Retrofit Media, people who know this don’t cross that line with me because I hired them for instance; but when I work on a friend’s set with folks who don’t know me, it’s interesting to see how some folks change their tone and demeanor because – well – I actually don’t know why.

But what I’ve learned is that it takes all kinds to make a world and I’m truly grateful for the folks and the men who are part of the example and when they see these things, they’re not afraid to say something and confront a situation when injustice is taking place. It’s these people, the ones that continue to stand-up for the underdog and underrepresented, that will make the industry more and more inclusive and unnecessary micro-aggression on-set will become a thing of the past.

Alright, so let’s jump right in! 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 a person, group, organization, book, etc. that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? Who else deserves a little credit and recognition in your story?  
I consider myself to be a very lucky person because my parents were and are always by my side cheering me on. It was very clear from a young age that I was going to have a career in the arts and unlike some of my colleagues who have horror stories about their parents trying to steer them in a different direction, that wasn’t my reality growing up. Both my mom and dad encouraged my artistic talents, fostered my self-confidence and opened me up to opportunities, projects and schools that would ultimately give me the skills and network to be able to create.

Additionally, sometimes days on set are tough and hard and during these times, my crew always knows how to lift me up. There’s a psychic connection that happens with film crews when we all sense when someone’s moral is dipping and the way that we all work together to lift that energy back up is still one of the most magical things I’ve ever experienced in life. One that I’m truly grateful for.

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Image Credits
Danielle Mathias