We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kyle Shaw. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kyle below.

Kyle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I made the decision to leave my hometown and move to Atlanta to seriously pursue film.

It wasn’t easy. I gave up my apartment and slept on a mattress in a living room just to save money and make it happen. I took every acting job I could—no matter the pay—while also doing DoorDash to stay afloat.

But I knew I had outgrown my environment. I didn’t want to be a big fish in a small pond—I wanted to be surrounded by great artists, pushed to grow, and get comfortable being uncomfortable.

So far, the journey has been worth it. I’ve signed with a great agency, auditions have been coming in consistently, and I’ve already booked two TV shows.

Grateful for the progress, and even more motivated for what’s next.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

For a while, I gave a pretty cookie-cutter answer about how I got into this industry—but that’s far from the truth.

A week before my first acting class, my bonus mom passed away from a drug overdose. I had to stand there and hear the nurse say, “We have to pull the plug.” That moment broke me. I was in a very dark place, and on top of that, I had just ended a three-year relationship.

That acting class—held in a hot basement in Columbus, Ohio—changed everything. It took me from being a factory worker, selling marijuana on the side, to someone who truly cares about his craft, his mental health, and the impact he has on the world.

I try to bring raw, uncut authenticity into everything I do. I bleed for my art because I want the people who follow me to see that I’m healing from the same wounds they are.

As cliché as it might sound, the people who rock with me really are family—and we ride for each other until the wheels fall off

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Something that happened recently really tested me.

I had a week filled with some of the biggest auditions of my life. But in that same week, my mom called me after a serious back surgery and said, “I can’t feel my legs. I don’t know what my life is going to be like now.”

I got off the phone and broke down. I was crying, punching my steering wheel so hard I thought I broke my hand.

A lot of my life has been about trying to give my mom the life she always deserved—because life hasn’t always dealt her the best cards. That moment hit me hard.

But through it all, I kept my head down and kept working. Momma didn’t raise a quitter.

And by the grace of God, she’s walking again—and I’m hungrier than ever.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One thing I had to unlearn was using “dark motivation” as my fuel source. It can be powerful in the beginning—it gets you moving. But after a while, running on anger and frustration will burn you out.

I learned that the hard way. One of my most profitable months as an actor also ended up being one of my lowest points mentally.

I had to change my fuel source. Now I operate from a place of gratitude and happiness—and because of that, my productivity and work ethic have actually increased.

I don’t beat myself up for how I used to be. At one point, that mindset served its purpose. But I’ve grown, and I’ve switched gears.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: kyleshaw740
• Facebook: Kyle Shaw

Image Credits

Shannon Ahlstrand

Dom Martinez

Chana Jones