We were lucky to catch up with Rui Lopes recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Rui thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us 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.
In 2017, our team was just beginning to establish a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Brockton (now Metro South), our first corporate client. As our business grew and our pricing adjusted to reflect that growth, we did everything we could to offer them favorable rates. To show their appreciation, our friend Monica from the BGC invited us to a fundraiser at Gillette Stadium—an event with a $1,000 per ticket price. It was an incredible opportunity, one we couldn’t pass up.
I arrived early and found myself in a suite at Gillette Stadium, looking out at the field. As the room began to fill and conversations picked up, imposter syndrome hit hard. I was surrounded by wealthy, successful men (mostly), and I felt out of place. Here I was, a young Black man with a small business, in a room full of white men who appeared to be leaders in their fields.
For the first hour or so, I stayed close to the catering staff—people I felt I could relate to—and avoided engaging with the other guests. Eventually, I decided to leave long before the event was over. The 45-minute drive home was lonely and filled with disappointment.
That night, as I lay in bed, I made a promise to myself: Never again. I took a hard look at why I’d let myself feel so small, and I realized I had let fear and self-doubt dictate my actions. I vowed that no matter the room, no matter the circumstances, I would never again let an opportunity like that slip by because I felt “less than.” It was a tough, character-building failure, but one that taught me a valuable lesson: I belong, and I will never underestimate my worth again.
Rui, 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 began my journey as a fine artist in Cape Verde, where my mom introduced me to the world of creativity at an early age, providing me with clay, colored pencils, and other art supplies to explore. After moving to the U.S. in the late ’90s, I continued to nurture my artistic spirit. In high school, I focused on developing my skills and was proud to be one of four seniors to receive a gold key in the 2005 Boston Globe Scholastic Arts Award for my portfolio. I went on to study Fine Arts at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. However, two years in, I decided to drop out and relocate to San Francisco. It was during my time there that I accidentally discovered my passion for filmmaking. Eventually, I moved back east to embark on my film journey.
As a company, Anawan Studios is a collective of award-winning filmmakers and storytellers. Our team is diverse, with members hailing from various cultural backgrounds, each contributing unique perspectives. We are dedicated to fostering a vibrant ecosystem for Black and Brown filmmakers in Massachusetts. We achieve this by creating valuable opportunities for established filmmakers and offering workshops that engage youth with our industry, including internship opportunities.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
One of the most significant changes I experienced was shifting from an artist’s mindset to a business-oriented approach. In the first five years of Anawan Studios, I led with my creative instincts, making decisions based on intuition rather than analysis. This shift happened naturally as our team expanded and more filmmakers joined us. I gradually found myself taking less creative liberty and focusing more on the administrative aspects of the studio.
Initially, this transition was challenging for me. I had always identified as a creative person, with little interest in the business side of things. However, it became clear that while we were cultivating a talented group of filmmakers, we weren’t making the financial progress necessary for the business. We realized that despite our creative success, our bottom line wasn’t growing as it should. This realization pushed me to embrace my role as CEO, a position I was initially uncomfortable with. The need to succeed drove me to adopt this new mindset.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
There’s no single story that captures my resilience quite like the impact of one major decision. In 2021, I took the leap to quit my job of ten years and fully commit to elevating our company. I had some savings, but not enough to make this a safe choice. I reached a point where I realized that for our business to thrive, I had to dive in headfirst. As of November 2024, my only income comes from what I pay myself from our earnings. There have been countless times I’ve glanced at my bank account and thought, “If anyone else saw this, they’d tell me to get a ‘real job’.” We’ve sent out numerous proposals to potential clients and gotten rejections. I’ve engaged in numerous conversations with those who have a bleak view of our industry’s future. In those challenging moments, my resilience truly shines. I have unwavering confidence in what we’re building. I’ve taken significant financial risks in my personal life during this journey, and the only way forward is to keep pushing ahead.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.anawanstudios.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anawanstudios?igsh=MWZtNzV6d2x6Zmc4Mg==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anawanstudios?mibextid=ZbWKwL
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anawan-studios/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@anawanstudios1453
Image Credits
Bruno Ortet