We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Derek LaCaze a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Derek, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Often the greatest growth and the biggest wins come right after a defeat. Other times the failure serves as a lesson that’s helpful later in your journey. We’d appreciate if you could open up about a time you’ve failed.

The biggest failure for me happens to be something that I feel defines me and that is helping people. I say that in the sense of always wanting to help other succeed by trying to bless them with a blessing that I received. It almost always lead to disaster for me. One story that is most recent, I have a film that I wrote and Directed. I had a deal on the table with a major distribution company that I wont give the name of. I hired someone I considered a friend, I paid them $1000 a day to film. Once the filming was completed, they did not turn over the footage, they said I had to pay 25k for it. So right now I have a project just sitting out there on hold until I can legally get it resolved. I have learned regardless if you are helping people or not, when they see a big pay day, they will turn on you.

Derek, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was born and raised in Natchitoches, Louisiana, I attended school at Northwestern State University & Louisiana State University. I began Ghost writing for people for extra money because I have a gift. I can take any storyline and magic. So I was getting people sending me stuff from erotic material to horror, if they sent it, I wrote it. I started writing stage plays and from that to books and scripts. It was only a way to make money while I was in school. It wasnt a true passion. My Passion was football and coaching. I played Canadian Football, Arena Football and Coached on all levels but in the background I still did a lot of Ghost writing. As I got older I decided to put a face on my work and wrote my first book, then did my first stage play and finally my very first film. Things sort of took off from there. I take most pride in my only childrens book that I have wrote thus far. Out of all of my projects or books, My childrens book is my greatest accomplishment. (DAD, AM I UGLY)

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Funding is tough and has always been tough because usually getting people to fund your work is not hard but getting them to allow you to do your own thing once they fund it is another. I do not like to be told how to do what I am doing so I chose the harder route, funding my own projects. I do that by ghost writing for people or for sitcoms and film.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My mission is to make Derek LaCaze the brand a household in like Tyler Perry who is my favorite film producer/writer or my favorite Author ZANE or my favorite writer, Shonda Rimes. I want to have my work and the people who choose to work with me talked about around the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fauthor%2Fdereklacaze&e=ATNdgxJWk24LNkk-AnYFksuzPkZOinySYFtnPwW0FJavqQmkukqfR9zmiTEV1Uj-7vCTc2wJCC_gOb9_5dshHA&s=1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lacazefilms/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DerekLacazesr
• Twitter: @bigsexydblack
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/JkPazU4YGbg

Image Credits
Derek LaCaze Films