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

Alright, Sean thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

I was miserable at my job. And had been miserable at many jobs for too many year, so I just jumped. I jumped into the thing that I actually wanted to do and had natural talent at and could do for the rest of my life. I didn’t have a ton saved, I didn’t have every contingency sealed and supported, I just knew I couldn’t do the thing I was doing any more and I jumped. Every time I was at a job for too long my body would start rebelling and letting me know if I didn’t change, thing were going to get worse. I once worked for a call center and my throat started to develop a sore spot so I couldn’t talk any more. At the last job I had before diving into full time work my body started to give me signs it was time. My neck hurt every day 24/7 affected my sleep my workouts, my mindset, and once I jumped things started to back off and feel better. Stress is a funny thing and we lie to ourselves about all kind of scenarios, but for me the stress of being on my own, doing my own thing, making zero dollars, is better stress than wasting time (aka my life) doing things I don’t care about. For work I have to care about what I’m doing, it has to be aligned with who I am, or it has to be so mindless that I can still do the things I’m passionate about on my own time after work is over.
Next I starting work. I had a website set up featuring the work I’ve done up to that point. It featured photos, videos, campaigns, brands, and an “about me.”
I then has to figure out how to organize my day so I created a ‘Notion’ account to keep the schedule and tasks organized.
I picked a niche which is something most people struggle with at first. I was no different. I wanted “whatever work I could get paid for,” but knew long term that is not a way to grow a successful business. Pick a target and do one thing really really well. This may take some time to establish the clients you actually want in that niche market and in that beginner space take whatever jobs come no matter what they are. The more you can actually do the thing the better you’re going to get. If no jobs come, find ways to get on sets or assist. Help people doing the thing you want to do. This helps gain connection, community, and also lets you gain experience by seeing how it’s done and get better.
If after some time you’re still not able to get the clients in the niche you want ask yourself why aren’t they hiring. Is it rate, is it time, is it what I am offering? For example, if you want to shoot product photography and you only have weddings, or skating, or sunsets on your website that may be a reason why they’re not going with you. “But how can I shoot a product if no brand has hired me?” Buy a product that’d be an ideal client and shoot it for free and post it and go. Most brands don’t care if you post their stuff and if they do care then you’re doing something right. Go and do. And if you have questions, take a class, watch a YouTube tutorial, read a book, listen to a book, learn and grow and as long as you’re doing it consistently you’ll get better and closer to your goal. Your best resource is people not things, so get to know your community even if it’s only online.

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

Sure thing. I’m Sean Alan Stone and am an actor, director, and filmmaker. I’m passionate about film. I got into this because that’s what I’ve ever always wanted to do from a young age. I’ve worked a lot of job in a lot of places, but the thing about “a calling” is it keep calling. I’ve been acting professionally for the past decade and have learned a lot along the way. Not only about the craft of acting, but about myself, what keeps us connected as people, and how to repeatedly make something from nothing to give a voice to the stories that need to be told.

For my clients I do just that. I represent their voice in the stories that are theirs. I create narrative, documentary, and commercial projects to further their goal.
Everything is in service of the story and my most passionate focus is finding really talented people, paying them well, and letting them do their thing to the best of their ability.

What set’s me a part is the “go.” I hear a lot of folks in all industries complain, and wish for something better, but do nothing about what they want. I learned at the start of my acting career to not wait around on anyone, otherwise you’ll be waiting your whole life. That’s really how No Moss Productions was born. A rolling (Sean) Stone gather “No Moss.” Movement and action is what keeps us connected and moving toward the world we want to live in. It’s not one thing it’s everything. It’s how you schedule your day. Lots of folks say, “I have no time.” And we all have the same time. I’m not naive. I know pain and I know how cold and hash the world can be, but if you claim to want something and keep claiming to want something and don’t do anything about it, then your actually comfortable, no matter how “uncomfortable” you are. Once you actually get uncomfortable with the issue you’re facing for real and realize that you have to be the one to do it, then things start to get done.

I’m most proud of my team mates. I have see darkness come in for some of them. Long dark hopelessness and pain and to see them not only get up and keep going, but to continue to push and break expectations is amazing. I’m a fan. When the story-telling is there and you see something great coming together based on other peoples skills. Man, there’s not much better than seeing people do what they were meant to do. My job is to gather the team and turn them loose.

With the company, we’re a group of folks who are aligned on one mission and that mission is to create groundbreaking stories and show the world the best we have.

Any advice for managing a team?

Everyone is different. Find how people operate internally, and how they present externally, an example would be what is their DISC profile and what motivators do they have. Motivators are what gets them excited or makes them feel valued or empowered. Then once you have that info, remember they are not JUST that info. They are a person who is adaptable and should be not grouped into a one size fits all category. They’re a multidimensional person, but the basic breakdown of these things will give you an idea of how they operate and communicate.

Management is easier if you trust your team. I look for folks who are better than me. I know that I can do a few things exceptionally well. And I also know that I suck at a lot of other things. Find people that fill your gaps. That’s how stuff gets done and the magic starts to happen. When people feel good about what they’re naturally bringing to the table, feeling empowered, heard, and supported morale will rise. A good team is a group of folks who seamlessly breakdown complex problems in seconds, because each person has a specific role and is VERY good at that role.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Trust no matter how hopeless it seems to trust it is for something. Let me tell you a story. I was living in LA. I was supposed to be a “working actor” on a TV show, but couldn’t get a job. I’m talking about NO JOB. Not just acting ANYTHING. I applied for a pizza job and could get a job at a pizza place. I was running thin on hope and thinner on money. I applied for a retail job and finally got an interview. I was excited. I did my research, went in and gave, what I thought, was a great above average interview. Showing knowledge of the company, the founders, the history, the products, ideal customer service, so on. At the end they thanked me for my interview and said. We’ll let you know by the end of the week. End of the week nothing came. Okay, don’t panic. Something else will come. Monday I got a call from that store. “Hey, we want you to come back in for another interview.” Okay this is good news. So I go back in. Another (what I thought) was an awesome interview. “Okay great we’ll let you know Thursday.” Cool, cool. This is Monday. So Thursday rolls around. Nothing. I remember vividly laying in bed and staring at the ceiling of my little apartment. “What am I going to do now?” And that question was just on repeat. Maybe an acting job would come in. Maybe something else would happen. Maybe the pizza place would call me back. Friday came and went and I was down going into the weekend. Then around 2pm my phone rang. It was the store and they offered me the job. I was over the moon. I would have a pay check coming in. Was in that job for about 8 months and took a vacation to New York. March 2020. You know what happened and that store closed for the pandemic. I shifted into a remote call center role, because there was an uptick in volume and remote work seemed more secure. Then I relocated from LA (the promised land for actors) back to my home state of Texas. I then went through a series of wild circumstances, a crazy other story for another time, a house in a crazy housing market. I was feeling my gut pull me. I was getting more stressed at the call center job and my body was starting to rebel against me. I was having throat pain but no doctor could pinpoint why. I knew what it was. Stress caused by not fulfilling my purpose. I then quit my call center job because they wouldn’t pay me 25 cents more (yes…25 cents) an hour. I then found, again by this crazy thing we call life, a new job that wanted to pay me double what I was making at that call center job. Why did they want to pay me double, because I told them I was making that double rate. So now I doubled my income when the other company wouldn’t pay me two dollars more a day (10 dollars more a week 40 more a month). Know your worth and you just might get it.

I then heard the calling again. I had been working corporate jobs for too long and was being pulled back to my roots. Back what gave me the “stoke,” film and TV. I started making my own films while working a 40 hr corporate job. And then continued to do other shoots on location for commercials and documentaries by helping friends who were in the business. Then I booked my own clients through connections I met at these other jobs. That led to more work, which led to a commercial reel and a documentary reel. Which led to meeting amazing filmmakers in the community and partnering with them to create a short film that I wrote 7 years ago. I was bold and just started going for it. Reaching out to local coffee shops to see if we could shoot a film in there. They to my surprise agreed, free of charge. We knocked it out and were on to the next. All this while still working a corporate job. I was tired, I was burned out, I was stressed so bad I had physical symptoms. My neck was always in pain and no one could pinpoint why. Enough becomes enough and after months of PT and scans and visits. I put in my two weeks at the corporate job and went full time into filmmaking. Nothing has slowed down. Things are not slow because I do not permit slowness. I want to work so I work. If the work isn’t there, make it. If you don’t get paid, make it until you do. You have to show them what you can do. Talk has low ROI. So go and do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nomossproductions.com/
• Instagram: @nomossproductions, @seanalanstone
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-alan-stone-87876546/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nomossproductions

Image Credits
No Moss Productions