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

Rodes, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the toughest things about progressing in your creative career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

I’m at a picturesque park blocks up from a beautiful beach in the South Bay, where the grass is a vibrant shade of green, and three adjacent play areas cater to children of various ages. Teens roller-skate along the sidewalk path, and an assortment of families gather around to celebrate various occasions. In the distance, a high-quality speaker emits alternative-indie music, its upbeat vibes and carefree lyrics evoking memories of youthful summer love. Laughter fills the air as kids dart along the bike path, playing tag, absolutely carefree and joyful. The scene is reminiscent of a modern-day Norman Rockwell painting in live-action form.

Duunnn, dunnn, duunnn, dunnn, duunnn, dunnn… and then I see her, like the fin of a Great White, looming across the picnic table, slightly under five feet tall. Her tiny frame navigates through my robust group with ease. She is not my nemesis but merely my father-in-law’s new girlfriend, and it’s not her cheerful demeanor and warm smile or delicate, chipmunk-like high-pitched voice that I care to avoid; it’s something much worse and much more dreaded. She makes eye contact, and I do what any decent person would do: I shove a large spoonful of Trader Joe’s potato salad into my mouth and hope it’s a proper deterrent.

It’s not, and before I can turn away, it’s already happening—it’s like I can see the words are leaving her lips and she’s too close to pretend that she’s not talking to me.

“Rodes, how’s work going?”

It’s 2024, six years since I ventured out of the tech industry to start my own production company. Armed with a modest savings, two creative degrees from prestigious universities, a slew of accolades in my field, and boundless passion, the IMDb credits still feel less than celebratory. For independent filmmakers and freelance crew members, the past six years have mirrored “The NeverEnding Story.” No matter how compelling the script, the cast, or the project, no matter how big the budget or the paycheck, “The Nothing” looms close behind, and each win is quickly overshadowed by a new change, a strike, a closure, a cancellation, or some regulation that stifles our progress.

Those who had jobs at companies or studios have now tapped out their severance packages and are cross-referencing their skills in different industries. Union friends are begging their guilds to modify the healthcare requirements in hopes that their lack of consistent work will not leave them without proper coverage. This is the state of our industry, and the muck is thick. We are no longer sitting at happy hour complaining; oh no, happy hour has been red-lined, and we are now taking gigs that keep the lights on.

Yet, there’s something about being a “creative,” that, like Harry, keeps us connected to Hogwarts no matter what chaotic storm inevitably awaits us. Whether it’s a Gaffer who understands how to make daytime look like night or a Sound Editor who can actually make it sound like you’re drowning underwater, we are all magicians; we literally make something out of nothing.

It’s a hard skill to put on a resume, and it doesn’t quite translate the same way coding or logistics operations do because, even with the ever-amazing, evolving abilities of AI, it still takes an entire village to make a movie, and every crew member from the Production Assistant to the Executive Producer contributes to making something from nothing. All of these independent creative skills put together makes something pretty marvelous.

There’s this wonderful scene in the movie “Hook,” when the great Robin Williams, who plays Peter Pan, has been brought to Neverland but doesn’t believe he’s the actual boy from the fictional story, he doesn’t believe he’s Peter Pan… until a child looks at him, sees that special sparkle in his eyes, and says, “There you are, Peter.” To be a “creative,” to make something from nothing, we had to learn at a very young age how to look in the mirror and see the special sparkle in ourselves. To continue to trust that the sparkle is directly related to our truest form of who we are and what we are supposed to do in this world.

So whenever I’m feeling the doom, the “Nothing,” on my heels, desperate to consume whatever hope I have, I curl up in my favorite chair, grab a yummy, decadent snack, and turn on the television. I lose myself in the movies that have inspired me, the stories that have stayed with me long after I’ve left the theater. This is how I remember, that as a “creative,” my calling is to turn that nothing into something.

Rodes, 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?

Rodes Phire, a filmmaker and dedicated philanthropist, embodies the essence of storytelling, a legacy spanning three generations. From her early years as a child actor in Los Angeles, gracing screens in classics like ‘The Wonder Years,’ ‘Rags to Riches,’ and an ‘HBO Special,’ her passion for performance and filmmaking ignited. This fervor led her to pursue a Bachelor’s in Theater with a minor in Playwriting at the esteemed Claire Trevor School of Arts, University of Irvine. Merging her urban upbringing in East Los Angeles with experiences from Orange County’s affluent suburbs, Rodes infuses her film projects with an authentic, unfiltered lens. Her artistic journey boasts theatrical training at Steppenwolf West and a Masters in Screenwriting from the prestigious University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. Beyond her creative pursuits, Rodes is deeply involved in philanthropy, serving on the Board of AlzOut for Alzheimer’s research and mentoring young pregnant teens. An active member of The New Hollywood, Alliance of Women Directors, and Film Fatales, she extends her artistic vision beyond filmmaking, teaching fitness in her community. Her films have graced prestigious festivals like Cleveland, Soho, Austin International, Sundance Co//ab, East Lansing, Louisville, and Dances with Films. In 2020, Rodes produced the gripping thriller ‘Never Forgotten,’ available on AppleTV and Amazon, while her directorial debut, ‘Farewelling,’ is poised for a theatrical release in early 2024.

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

Creating something from nothing.

It’s hard being a creative, especially when the analytical, strategic, very A-type side of my brain loves to work, loves to accomplish, loves to collaborate and loves consistency. These aspects of myself are repetitively rewarded when working in a more corporate structure. There are a lot of occupations that couple creativity with automation and compensation. However, most of the time these environments come with such constraints that the freedom to be the authority of my own creativity often gets lost or compromised.

As a child actor, I believed my big break had come at thirteen when I landed a lead role in an HBO special. I expected a flood of opportunities to follow, but they didn’t, and I was heartbroken. Dejected, I distanced myself from drama, stopped auditioning, and shifted my focus to law and debate. When I became pregnant in my junior year, I was confident that a career in law would sufficiently support my new role as a young mom.

I vividly remember the moment I left the law office I worked at. Looking into my rear-view mirror, I thought, “My children will never know the part of me that thrives, that lights up when I perform, when I create…” I returned to the office and resigned.

I embarked on a journey to find the right creative path for myself, trying to discover what I liked doing and what I didn’t. Ultimately, it came down to the freedom of creating something out of nothing without restrictions or restraints. Formulating a story from an image, a song, or a random thought and developing it into a script. I love finding the right creative collaborators and making a movie—something that becomes bigger and better than what we all imagined.

Today, I am proud to say that my adult children know a mother who committed to being an artist, a creative, someone who creates something from nothing.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

It has been an absolute gift to work in so many different industries and learn from a multitude of wonderful teachers, each sharing the philosophers and authors who have influenced their journeys. It is an honor to share some of these impactful works here.

I am a voracious reader with a passion for both self-help and business books. Here are the ones that I consider non-negotiable:

Lead the Field by Earl Nightingale
Grit: the Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willinik and Leif Babin
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss and Ray Porter
Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss and Kaleo Griffith
Do the Work by Steven Pressfield
Writing Love by Alexandra Sokoloff
The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Principles by Ray Dalio
Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp
Your Next Five Moves by Patrick David-Bet
Magic Words by Tim David

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.creativerodes.com
• Instagram: /rodesphire
• Facebook: /rodesphire
• Twitter: /rodesphire
• Other: TikTok – Rodes Phire

Image Credits

Noah Hunt Audio