Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dale Keano. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Dale thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I’ve always loved music. In my youth, I vividly remember listening to All 4 One’s “I Swear” and Boys 2 Men’s “On Bended Knee” for the first time. R&B moved my body and lit up my soul. From then nothing was ever the same. I thought about it everyday, sang everywhere I could and would play it on the radio/CD every chance I got.

I was fortunate to grow up immersed in the music scene. My dad had a professional recording studio that I got to frequently tag along with. I was the kid peaking over behind the couch with eyes gleaming at them working on music.

In middle school, you would always catch me walking around with my guitar. I would serenade my female classmates at school bus stops.

These were the ingredients to spark my dream. It nudged me on the path to where I am today.

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 back background and context?

Like many other Asian-Americans, I studied pre-med to make his parents proud. I ended up graduating and working various jobs. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was still missing in my existence.

I eventually took the plunge and invested my entire savings to forge a new path — launching Burgundy Suite, a full media studio dedicated to help artists thrive. We began building entire music videos, driving every stage of development from recording albums to strategizing releases.

It’s been 8 years now. We started out of my bedroom working with peers in my community. Now we’re at 75 million views on youtube and travelled the world working on music and videos. I directed and produced music videos for prominent figures like Heartbreaka, Stupid Young, Ruby Ibarra, Yung Jae, Chow Mane, Dub P, and more. I love executing big ideas, sets and storylines.

I continue to empower and uplift Asian-American talent through cinematic visuals and high quality productions. I finally built the courange and confidence to release my own music now as well. Check out my album Highway One and my new spanish songs!

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

Do what you love. Remember your why. When things get rough and life gets busy, these will always bring you back. Make sure your dreams are larger than your fears. You can always find a way. Drop the excuses and get to work. There are no shortcuts or handouts. Here are some events that happened to me:

At the beginning of the studio, my wife and I were exploring a garden in Portland. At that exact moment during our getaway, I received a call from Toyota telling me that they would take my car away if I don’t make the next payment. I was only making like $200 a month (even that was pulling teeth), was living off credit, incinerated my savings and contemplated going back to a 9 to 5 so many times. But I held on.

Fast forward to today, these last couple years have been amazing. These last couple months have also been very good to me. I am living the dream I’ve always had and its allowed me to earn a living. I am extremely thankful for never quitting and doing right by others. So thank you to all my clients for spending your hard earned money on your projects. I will forever give it my all.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I love creating. Paired with being a people pleaser, my most motivating factor is seeing the reaction of my clients to their final videos. Seeing them smile and laugh with joy, makes all the pain worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.burgundysuite.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@dalekeano
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalekeano/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/dalekeanoTV
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/burgundy-suite-studios-santa-clara?osq=burgundy+suite

Image Credits
Kevin Ha, Gordon Lim & Joshua Bonzo