We recently connected with Anthony Hadley Jr. and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Anthony , thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I arrived at the decision to pursue each element of my creative path early on. Since I was a child, I possessed a large and vivid imagination, and I have always been an introvert. So early on, writing became a form of expression that I excelled at. It began with poetry, then expanded to short stories. Eventually, those evolved into scripts and screenplays, and I continue to work on that craft today.

Earlier than that, I found myself enamored with cinema for its ability to transport me to different worlds. I remember being probably five years old, my mom taking me to Blockbuster Video, and the excitement I felt about having so many proverbial worlds at my fingertips. So those pieces were in place at a very young age for me. But it wasn’t until I began to visit LA in the mid-2000s that I began to understand that real, attainable careers in this industry existed.

Around that same time I began to visit LA, I built my first computer and purchased my first camera. A couple of years later, I got my first few professional clients. Maybe a year after that, I relocated to Los Angeles. I have worked ever since to learn and perfect my craft so that one day I can realize the dreams of that five-year-old boy.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I would say that I am a creative and a storyteller who specializes in visual media. I began this ten-plus-year journey as a freelance videographer, then developed a skillset as a cinematographer, and am now beginning to expand my focus to include writing and producing.

The scope of services needed in visual media is evolving every day. So my goal with HMD (Hadley Media & Distribution) is to ensure I evolve with the needs. But, at the core of what I do, I consult and collaborate with clients in Branding, Marketing, and Visual Media. Our first step is to assess their needs to make sure we are a good fit. Once we establish that, the next step is to create an action plan to realize client goals – whether in brand building, strategies for marketing, or more traditional avenues of visual media. Once we have established the best path forward, transition into the production process. The process necessitates assistance in story development. The development could be for a branding piece. Or it could be developing a story structure for a commercial, documentary, or screenplay. More often than not, productions will consist of working as Director, DP, or Editor.

What sets me apart from many is my ability to capture or convey a client’s story or vision and evoke emotions through the text imagery I create. That is something I always loved about cinema, and I try to bring it into what I do as a creative. If there is anything I want people to walk away knowing about me, I love the storytelling process. I also love creatives, and I am always excited to work and collaborate with great creatives in the world of storytelling.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One constant in my life, regardless of geographical location, has been the push from those around me to do things the way those before me have done.

I come from a moderately sized city in the Midwest, where the only way to have a semblance of a decent life is to bend to societal traditions. Often this means integrating into established networks while choosing a preset career and life path. And though I was quiet and pretty shy when I was young, the one thing I’ve never lacked was the conviction that my life path was different from what I saw laid out before me.

So something I’ve been working to unlearn is a belief that you must conform yourself, and make yourself more amenable to the majority, to find success in these highly competitive fields. I will concede that doing so will most certainly make things easier. But for those of us not wired like people we typically find in our career fields or society, conforming is the furthest thing from easy for us.

A part of what drives me is proving to my five-year-old self that those things I dreamt of are possible. But more importantly, the thought of people like my younger self in those smaller towns, who have big dreams yet no paths nor guides, drives me. So for someone innately private like myself, I am working to share more of my journey with those dealing with similar conflicts and questioning their convictions.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Much of the unlearning I had to do in the previous topic influenced the most impactful pivot I’ve made to date. Once aware that it was possible to succeed in the industries I wanted to be in, I decided to take inventory of my strengths and weaknesses. I also needed to choose how I would define my success.

From there, I began to develop brands, projects, and strategies that afford me the outlets and collaborations I need to feel fulfilled as a creative. But also ones that produce the necessary infrastructure for an entrepreneur to generate enough income to make a living.

One avenue has been creating a YouTube presence around my core interests in film, lifestyle, and tech. The goal is to build a community based on shared interests while generating passive income. Another has been making inroads into the podcasting space to bring the people I value together, to share ideas and information. Last but not least, I divvy up most of my time between freelancing as a filmmaker in LA and servicing clients through HMD. I believe the pivots I have made and am currently making will lead to a more fulfilling personal and professional life.

And at the end of it all, I hope it will show someone else that it is okay to create a life path that is best for them.   

Contact Info: 

• Website: www.hadleymedia.co
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/anthonyhadleyjr
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/anthonywhadleyjr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyhadleyjr/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@anthonyhadleyjr