We recently connected with Larone Gilmore Jr. and have shared our conversation below.

Larone , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

For most of my life, I have always lived on the edge of my seat. Breaking reality of what I deemed normal, I have always wanted to reach for the stars. If it wasn’t for my grandparents or my Dad I would have not gotten this far in life. My grandparents always taught & showed my sister and I that if you ever do anything in life give it your all. They taught us since we were little to keep the Lord first then family after that everything else will follow. I took that mindset in everything that I did such as my education & career. It was the foundation that became pure stone, So if I ever fell, that I had the ground to get back up and keep on going. My Dad always had my back no matter if it seemed impossible. His support and love was also a major push for me to make him proud. My family made sure that we put kindness, respect, & honor into everything we touched. When problems arose, we did not keep secrets or fight instead we had open discussions on resolving matters. We aren’t perfect, we understand that mistakes happen. That one day I may do wrong, but the lesson was how we can do better not holding grudges. Cut who or what off so health can continue to flourish.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My story began in Dayton, Ohio. By the age of 7, my family and I moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. I lost my mom to diabetes by age 11, never encountering any moment with her pushed me to break boundaries so that she may smile from heaven thinking she looked down and saw her kids were doing phenomenal things. I was able to meet my two great grandfathers (Pappa Gilmore & Pappa Cummings). They helped build the middle class along with my great grandmothers. Working with Ford to mining in the caves and of course taking part in the War. I wanted to push not only myself to new heights, but to open the door of possibilities for those under me.

From 2013-2017, (The University of Toledo) Toledo, Ohio. I studied marketing with a minor in International Business. After debating myself, I was ready to take the GMAT. I was eager to continue my education to get my MBA. I had a phone call from my high school friend that would change my life right before graduation. He told me about a Film School down in Orlando, Florida called Full Sail University. With no prior experience in film or film education, I was accepted into the Master of Fine Arts: Film Production program! I have always wanted to make movies, but did not have the classes in previous years to strike the interest I had so longed for. So I decided why not, let’s do this! I would go on and achieve history not just for myself, but for my entire family as the first son, grandson, great-grandson, cousin to be accepted at a Film school receiving a Master’s Degree at 23 years old. Three months after graduation, I left Florida to Chicago to be with my girlfriend who now is my wife! We met in Film school and just like that we worked together on our very first job which was with Chance The Rapper. After that, I began my long journey into the Film Industry. Six years later, I have been on 30+ sets in the industry from production assistant to Executive Assistant. The discipline is knowing who you are. I am proud of how far I have come, but I am just getting started. This is just the start of my story as I am breaking the mold of becoming an Executive Producer.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

This country was founded on an idea that we have the freedom to do and become anything. There was no rule book. Even after establishing the constitution with rules, we as the people had a right to create. Most of our careers were founded by an entrepreneur. Always remember the entrepreneur, because he or she paved the way for their footprint to lead and dominate corporate America. Example: The Walt Disney Company. The creative journey is not an easy road to take. It’s a dream you have to believe in, while many folks take a 9-5 job with no guarantee of making more money than they initially started. Once a creative stops creating they are forced to look at reality hard in the face. That’s why it’s important to have a strong support system like family and friends for motivation.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being creative is to just be. I’m more on the studio side of creating film & tv, that being said personally I am more hungry. Learning all the technical and blueprints of the film process as a whole. The beautiful part is networking, meeting different people from all over the world. Bridging gaps that should not be pigeon-hold to a certain region or area. When I can bring multiple people together from music to film or live event friends to film events is a special thing. The Entertainment industry is an aura, a mix of different areas, but we are all one.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”.
~ Aristotle

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laronegilmore/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larone-gilmore-158271255/

Image Credits
Anastacia C. C. Davis-Gilmore
Ulysees Turner I UP Filmz