We were lucky to catch up with Dom Raona recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dom, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents set the groundwork for what a community should look like. Growing up my home was always open to my friends and tended to be the central hub for all of our get togethers. My parents were intentional with their relationships with my friends, always asking about their past, present, and future goals. And they managed to do it in a way that didn’t make teenage me embarrassed… most of the time. The point is my parents cared about my friendships and fostered a great environment for them to grow.

I try to emulate that with my Survivor projects by inviting people to play that I believe will equally be intentional with their experience. They play with the goal to win, while still embracing the experience to its fullest.

Dom, 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 have loved the CBS’s Survivor since I was a kid. My family would huddle around the TV on Thursday nights to watch the weekly episodes unfold, commentating on the players, the drama, the challenges, and the strategy. As I grew up, I found out none of my friends watched the show, making my mom the only person I could really discuss the intricacies of the game with.

Fast forward to summer of 2016, I approached my first year of college with a growing intention to obtain a degree in film. I decided to combine my passions of Survivor and cameras to make a homemade version of the show. I invited 18 of my friends over to play, with 2-3 people on crew. We filmed over a course of two days in my parents backyard. Contestants were minimally fed, slept outside, played in challenges, and voted each other off until a winner was claimed. At college, I edited and released the episodes on YouTube for us to relive our epic summer adventure.

As episodes released, we had others reaching out with aspirations to play future seasons. We obliged and during the summer of 2017 we filmed Season 2 and Season 3. By this point we had a steady community in Dearborn both on camera and behind the scenes. We concluded our series in 2018 with our finale season Survivor: Dearborn – Heroes vs Villains.

…or so we thought.

In 2022, I was two years out of college struggling to find a place in the industry due to graduating during the pandemic. After some reflecting, I recognized I had an amazing group of people surrounding me that would constantly express how they would want to be a part of the experience if I ever did it again. So we did and Survivor: Grand Rapids – Fresh Meat was created.

A new group of castaways took on our game, traveling nationwide to play. With an upgraded production, there was a higher sense of professionalism. But their individual experiences were always put first. Our sixth and most recent season, Survivor: Grand Rapids – Bad Blood, is currently in post-production.

I am most proud of the community we have created. What started as a side project meant to bring together a group of friends for the last time before college, has transformed into a juggernaut of entertainment that continuously brings us together.

Since Season 1, we have had a total of 83 people play. They come from different backgrounds, but share one unique similarity – having taken a chance on me to spend 3 days in the back yard making memories that will last a lifetime. And they are all on YouTube to enjoy.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

When I started this journey creating this series, there was no real goal in mind. We film every season with the intention to have fun first, and whatever happens after is part of the experience. Our first four seasons of Survivor: Dearborn have become a reflection of how much I have grown creatively and individually.

Our new era of Survivor: Grand Rapids sets a more deliberate mission behind the scenes. Our cast and crew have grown up and are now young professionals that understand the busyness that everyday life brings. This means our time together is sparse and more impactful.

For everyone to choose time out of their lives to partake in this adventure is a testament to the experience we create. It is further emphasized by the audience that tunes in every week to watch new episodes.

Our mission is simply to continue producing lifelong memories for everyone involved because amazing people inspire amazing people.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is being able to share your work and see first hand the enjoyment it provides others. As you build your catalogue, everything has a story behind it and means something unique to someone else. It’s the most gratifying aspect to any project, no matter how individually challenging it may have been to finish it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.survivorgrandrapids.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/survivorgrandrapids/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SurvivorGrandRapids
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGAwYvxsgyLLOhOJZk8qqDA

Image Credits
Dominic Raona