Life & Work with Jhonn de La Puente

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jhonn de La Puente.

Jhonn, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story began the moment God thought of creating me. The continuation of that story is as follows. I am an Afro-Latino, Brooklyn, NY native. Both of my parents are from The Dominican Republic. I lived in DR from the age of five until ten when I came back to the states. I was born in Harlem NY and raised in Crown Heights Brooklyn, so I am a USA citizen and I am not looking to get married for a green card (laugh here).

I moved to Atlanta, GA about a year and a half ago to pursue my goals and aspirations in the entertainment industry as a working entertainer/actor and branch out with my photography and video company after my two children gave me their blessings to do so. I’ve had great success doing so thus far and it has only been by the grace of God that I’ve had many doors open. My life plan has always been to inspire and motivate others. From a business perspective my plan was and has been the following. First-year and a half of moving to Atlanta; do background work to add an additional stream of income. While doing background work, my intentions were to make connections, learn how the tv and film industry and production work from the inside. Build and cultivate genuine friendships with PA’s (production assistants), wardrobe, hair and make-up, and DP’s (director of photography), DP’s are the camera guy/gal and I have done that too. Getting featured in major films and tv shows was also my goal which I have been blessed to do also. Having the opportunity to do stand-in (SI) and photo double (PD) work was also on my list and that is checked off. I go hard like my life depends on it because it does. So I am always reviewing my goals and setting new ones all the time.

Another one of my goals was to do a few commercials, and most importantly landing leading roles in independent feature films which I also have accomplished. My most recent film is due out by year’s end called “SECOND CHANCE.” Written, produced and directed by Cleon James, a very talented brother with many other films under his belt from his independent film company Top Notch Vision Films. I have a leading role and I immersed myself as the character named“ALPHA.” He is the total opposite of who I am. I loved the challenge. This character is ruthless and his only loyalty is to himself and his money. I was able to play this character as an Afro-Latino with the director’s blessings. So for our Spanish speaking audience you will hear me speaking Spanish and representing the Afro-Latino community. Yes I am a brother that identifies with his black roots. I am proud and I am moreno (black).  I just happen to speak Spanish fluently. I have been honored to play opposite an amazing cast for this much anticipated film especially in Jamaica. One of them is the very talented and Netflix Queen, Merlisa Determined who plays “DANA” as my love interest. She is an actress to be reckoned with and you will see her doing even bigger projects. Also starring in the movie is the legendary reggae artist Spragga Benz also known for the classic hit movie “SHOTTAS” with Bob Marley’s son, Ky-Mani Marley. Spragga Benz in the movie “SECOND CHANCE” plays “DAVID,” an old high school friend of ALPHA who ends up getting recruited to be part of ALPHA’s criminal enterprise. We have a trailer out now for the movie and if anyone wants to email me directly and request it, I can send it to you.

Now that I have a few starring roles, a series on Amazon and Tubi, and few features films under my belt, my new goal is to build my acting reel so that I can package myself with my brand and look for a manager/agent so that I can focus on taking acting classes, attend showcases and go to auditions for principal and more prominent leading roles. My goal is to lock arms with an agent that sees my vision for my brand. I am focused, professional, versatile, always on time, and not afraid of doing the work or stepping out of my comfort zone and I can act in Spanish too. So being in a telenovela on Univision or Telemundo would be a dream come true, especially for mi mama and abuela (mom and grand-mother). For them to see me on one of their favorite channels will be amazing when it happens. Working with Tyler Perry, BET+ you are on my radar. My brother, I will be in one of your tv shows or films one day God willing and a writer for the Areu Bros. Studios. I have a few completed scripts. Let’s continue to bring diversity and inclusion to Atlanta, GA and across the nation and world and sprinkle some black Spanish sauce starring with this hungry and creative Afro-Latino. This I believe, this I am manifesting. All of this, while focusing on growing my photography and video company and creating content for my media company Seven Evergreens Media, LLC and my clients.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a loooooooong and challenging process with big obstacles to overcome. Having moved to Atlanta, not having any family here and solely going on belief, hope and faith to make this work and sticking to the vision God bestowed upon me. President Obama said it best, “the audacity of hope.” I am humbled and grateful for all the opportunities that have presented itself to me and the people who helped me move closer to my goals and vision of branding myself in this industry to create great content in my gifts. Atlanta, GA, I want to thank you for welcoming me with open arms and heart. Your Georgia peaches taste sweeter and your southern bells are ringing harmoniously in my ears everyday that goes by while I am here. Thank you to all who have been part of my process and journey up until this moment in time. God is good and I am very thankful and grateful. And thank you VoyageATL.com for this amazing opportunity to connect with your readers and allow them into my world and tell part of my story. I hope and pray they get value out of this interview. A huge shout out to Hylton Casting, Central Casting ATL, Tammy Smith Casting, Casting TaylorMade, Alessi Hartigan Casting, and Actor’s Access. They have been instrumental in keeping me active and employed as an actor and having checks rolling in. It definitely has not been a smooth road. Nevertheless, I know that with God and having perseverance and belief in oneself it is part of the formula for accomplishing your goals and having success. Taking massive, intentional action, maximizing your time daily, staying focused is the last addition to this formula for success.

Understanding that NO’s are part of the process is vital to your success in anything you do and put your mind to especially in this industry. The more comfortable you are with your NO’s and the feeling of rejection, the better it will be when you get that YES. I have been through so much but it is all part of the process and journey. The good and the bad are all the same in my mind. It is a balancing act that must be internalized at all times. For example, being homeless in Brooklyn, NY, when I decided to leave my career behind in retail management to pursue my own business had to be balanced with what I used to have before I set out on this journey. Getting my start-up company up and running had many sacrifices that I had to embrace quickly. Biggest sacrifice, being without an apartment in NYC during the cold winter months and the blazing hot summer days. So I slept in my business’s van and my car to minimize my overhead and maximize my margins to get my company into the green zone of being profitable. It took me a year and half more or less before I met my goal of making my desired daily numbers. This business gave me so much freedom.

Your mindset is very important. I kept my sanity by reading my Bible, stayed in prayer while building up my personal relationship with God. Held onj to two of my favorite bible verses. Joshua 1:9, Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11. Read a plethora of books that I kept with me at all times like, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker, Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson, M.D, The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. As a writer, Paulo Coelho is one of my favorite story tellers and whom I look up to. So reading and watching motivational videos, listening to audio books as well as watching and listening to a few of my virtual mentors such as Les Brown, Eric Thomas (ET), Tony Robbins and my spiritual mentors Dr. Myles Munroe, A.R. Bernard of CCC in Brooklyn and here in Atlanta, GA, Bishop Dale C. Bronner is what got me through my challenges. I remember I would visualize and make believe my van was my mansion and my car was my penthouse. If I chose to sleep in my van for the night, I would say to myself, “So Jhonn, do you want to sleep in the west wing or the east wing tonight or do you want to go sleep in the penthouse for the night?” The penthouse was my car. I used to go to my gym and only use it for showering purposes. The BP gas station’s bathroom was my other place to freshen up.  I used to brush my teeth and have my wet ones and do my three point wash-ups. I will never trade being homeless and that experience for anything in the world. Because of my niche business at that time, I was published in The New Yorker Magazine, New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR News, and numerous social media platforms. You can look up and Google Safe “N” Secure Cellutions, LLC. You can read one of the articles about my niche business at this link.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/making-money-phone-home.

I questioned God for a minute or two at this point. After consistently applying three years straight to Shark Tank, I got invited to be on the show three days after I dissolved my cell phone mobile storage business. It ever happened for me nevertheless knowing that they wanted me to be on the show was good enough for me at that moment. What is meant to be will be. Never give up!

One thing that I hold dear and near to my heart is the fact that for four years of having my business, I was able to see and invest time with my two children. My son, King Jah’Shua and my young daughter Queen Jah’Naya. I would open up my business at 7:30 AM by 4 PM I would close shop. By 4:15 PM, I pick up my son from the school’s bus stop, and by 4:30 PM I pick up my daughter from her bus stop. From there, we would do homework together, go eat, spend quality time with one another before I dropped them off to their mom. When weekends came around, I would rent a hotel room to have them with me. We always made it an adventure and made the best of it. My children never made me feel less than, which was what I was feeling during this period of a year and a half being homeless.

My children kept my level of depression balanced and my pursuit for happiness and success on my radar at all times with their positive outlook on life, their joy and presence. My God kept my spirit sane and pushing forward, believing that this situation was only temporary, not my final destination. So it has not been smooth, nope not at all. Has it been rewarding learning to dance with the rain… absolutely. I have been through too many storms to worry about any single raindrop. So dealing with being homesick, missing the essence and presence of my two children, not having any family here in Atlanta when I moved, battling with depression. Yeah, I struggled with a smile and fighting spirit. Nevertheless, I am in a good place in my life now. Taking it one day at a time, pushing forward like my mom Antonia and my grandmother Mama Nena say in Spanish… Pa’lante mi hijo (onward, forward my son). The struggle has been worth it. The best is yet to come. This I know and this I proclaim. I wake up with a spirit of expectancy and allow God to work my blessings out according to His time and His plans, not mine.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work is really my creative gift. It is not a job but gifts that allow me to sustain myself financially and hopefully keep sustaining others with my blessings. I recently posted on my social media platforms a quote by the late Dr. Myles Munroe and he said, “Your job is what you have been trained to do, your work is what you are meant to do.” I specialize in my craft as an entertainer/actor. I am known for my published photography work. As mentioned before I have my own photography and video company called Jhonn de La Puente Photography and Video www.jhonndelapuentephotography.com Another one of my gifts writing. I am very proud of writing several books. I am a soon-to-be published author with the much-anticipated eBook called “Every Woman Deserves A H.U.G – 101 Reasons Why You Should Date One.” H.U.G is an acronym for Happy Urban, Universal, Unique, Unapologetic, Gentleman. You get the picture. The .U. Can stand for many things that men can identify with. I feel that a lot of women are not getting what they deserve from a lot of men. The simpleness of being a gentleman and showing some chivalry towards our Queens is not an option, it is a way of life and a part of being a real man. This art of being a gentleman is getting lost in this microwave society filled with false imagery, illusions and above all, the standard of being a real man.  My strong opinion of course. We as men need to step it up, and I want to find more Happy .U. Gentlemen such as myself. It is a movement and if you are a man reading this, reach out to me and let’s keep this going and build this much needed tribe.

Speaking of gifts, I will also be publishing another book (softcover and hardcover) 250 pages plus for a title called “Think and Grow in Your Gifts” – Discover The Secrets To Spiritual Evergreen Success And An Abundant Life. The first of many in the THINK and GROW series. A workbook and a 28 day devotional will also be available. With this book, I go in-depth about discovering your gift(s), purpose and serving others with it and not worrying about monetary compensation on the front end. You feed the sheep as the Shepherd and the financial blessings will come to you on the back end.

I believe my positive, inspirational and motivational outlook on life and experiences through life with a very optimistic lens has given me the strength and endurance. You can be the same way too.  It is the confidence God has given me. Blame it on him and know that He created you to be unique and you are one of a kind. Having the faith of a mustard seed and internally believing the mountains will move for you if you say move definitely can give you a head start. You have to really believe it though, plan, take action and execute. It starts with your mindset of believing you can. For example, have you noticed how I am saying things that have not happened yet? Do you understand why I am doing that? Call it the laws of attraction, call it putting things out into the universe. I call it believing in my God and having been witness to many miracles in my life. I speak this way and carry the attitude to go with it because I am a believer in the power of the tongue.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
I absolutely have some advice for those starting out. For background work in the film and tv industry, you must really try your best to do this full time if you are really serious about acting and sustaining yourself. It is like going to film school and having the backstage pass to the making of these tv and film productions. Plan, set a goal and most importantly, budget. When I got to Atlanta, GA, I took a job at a food plant, working 12 hour days, six days a week. I remember taking on extra shifts and working nineteen days straight without a day off. I worked there until I saved up enough money to pay my bills and expenses for two months ahead of time so that when I was ready to leave the job, I could go full time into doing background work. The reasons why I did this were because number one when you do background work, you don’t get paid immediately. Most productions pay you three to four weeks after you have completed your work on set. Very few productions payout within two weeks. Also, by freeing your time to focus on getting booked, you have the chance to audition for independent projects that can help you with having footage from those projects to start building your reel. It also gives you a chance to audition for commercials and get paid even more money. I highly recommend if I am allowed to say so, for anyone who is starting out to join Actors Access. I have gotten so much work from them, including commercials. I mentioned them before along with other casting agents. Look them up on FB or Google them.

Get your headshots professionally done ASAP and start building your resume as you book indie projects, etc. Although many background casting agents are ok with selfies as long as you have good lighting and they can see your face. Each casting call is different so read each casting call very carefully and see what they need you to do to submit for a specific role. Don’t give up. I also recommend what I did when I first came out here to Atlanta, GA, if you don’t have a reel. Make your own monologue and videotape yourself. Make sure that your lighting and sound is exceptional. I am a firm believer in creating your table to sit in. “Do what you can with what you have,” is one of my mottoes. Making a dramatic and a comedic monologue is what I recommend. That is what I used and this is what I submitted whenever casting agents asked for a reel. Another way and the best way is to Google monologues under one minute and pick one that you can identify with and make it your own during your performance. Allow your life experiences to talk to you while reading through the many monologues you will encounter. Practice, practice, practice. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Once you are comfortable with the material, if you choose to go this way then hit record. Keep it under two and a half minutes. Two minutes at best is what is standard. I have a lot of experience and know many strategies you can use to make a living short term from background work to eventually become a working actor in the long run. I can teach you what I know thus far. Check out my resume and see what I was able to accomplish in a year. You can always reach out to me and email me if you are interested in consulting with me to give you a “one-on-one” and give you an edge over others. Remain safe out there, wear your masks.

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door and run through it.” –Jhonn de La Puente

Photography Services 

• Headshots
• Dating App Profiles Photoshoot
• Lifestyle and Branding Photoshoot
• Paparazzi
• Events
• Birthdays
• Film/Tv Sets

“It is not just photography, it is an experience.” -Jhonn de La Puente

Photography Pricing:

• $ 200 1 hr
  
• $ 375 2 hrs.
  
• $ 550 3 hrs.
  
• $ 725 4 hrs.

• $   75 (half hour planning sessions)
  
• $ 125 1 hr. (planning, setting goals, executing)
  
• $ 200 2 hrs. (One on One coaching in person or virtually – includes planning, setting goals, executing, maintaining your motivation, keeping focus, staying inspired and a workbook to keep you on track and on target).

Contact Info:

• Email: info@sevenevergreensmedia.com
• Website: www.jhonndelapuentephotography.com
• Instagram 1: https://www.instagram.com/jhonndelapuenteofficialpage
• Instagram 2: https://www.instagram.com/jhonndelapuentephoto
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jhonndelapuente
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JhonnPuente
• Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jhonndelapuente
• Acting Resume:https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/jhonndelapuente
• IMDB Pro:https://imdb.me/jhonndelapuente/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/jhonndelapuente

Here is a parting gift to you all.