Owner and CEO of Talented Management Agency, actor and businessman Leonard Zithu Carlos, believe that the sky is the limit when it comes to acting.
The 23 years old actor express his feeling about his experience in Hollywood when he was interviewed on Karrel Hamutenya Podcast. Leonard said his dream happened faster than he thought it could.
Here is what Leonard Carlos shared with the Karrel Hamutenya podcast
Please introduce yourself?
Jah, I'm Leonard Zithu Carlos, but most people associate with me address me as Leo.
How old are you?
I'm 23 years old
What is the name of your company?
I have more than one company, there are some which failed but I will just mention them a bit, I have Talent Management Agency, which is based on two business models, training and managing art, that from actors, musicians, models, and dancers. That's the goal of that business to train and manage local artists to the international marketing level. We are associated with a network in Europe, particularly countries like Sweden, Canada, and the USA(Los Angel). Our objective with that companies is to train them and manage them well enough to get them to the international market whether in Sweden, Canada, and the USA.
Another company which we started in Rundu is a production company, which produce music, with this company we want to make the job easier for the artists to be able to record music on a reasonable amount of charge. Basically what we did is break the amount down to N$300.00 per month if an artist signs up for our management and an artist then gets a full package from beat making, voice recording, vocal coaching, mix, and mastering, basically in the whole year contract what we aim is for an artist to make an album by just paying N$300.00 per month which is only N$4300- 4700.00 per year.
Why does an artist have to pay you if you are signing them to your label?
Basically, as a manager, I am supposed not to charge an artist for an international context, I only get the percentage of what they earn, but in this case, It's not just the management company, I'm a training academy as well, so the training part is what you are paying for. Then you will get everything plus shooting your videos, selling your music, and many more, that's PG record.
Do you have an educational background that you want to share with us?
Yes (with a smile on his face), I can tell you upfront, I don't believe in educational qualifications, I flank out at college, I did my primary and higher school at Tsumeb, I completed in grade 12, I went at the college, but I flank out at college, but I was doing good, I did human resources management, and I was fourth-best at the whole college and number 1 in my class, but I discover that there is something else I meant to be, not just for this education I was following. Then I wrote the notes for a teacher on my exam question paper, I told them that I not going to participate anymore, unfortunately, I found my purpose, and I went full time in my entrepreneur career.
Let us talk about Talented Management Agency, what experience do you have in this business?
With Leonard Talented Management Agency, I run this company for four years now, it's becoming better and better every year, so I start up that company when I come from Hollywood because as a thirteen-year-old, I started theatre and film, and acting, my dream is to make it to the professional standard on acting which is being in Hollywood, I have that big dream, which I saw myself standing in America, in front of Hollywood sign. And I didn't expect it to happen so fast because in my planning and my journal I thought of first going through South Africa, and mastering that level of experience before I go to America, but God's plan didn't work as I expected. So it just happens to me like that! When I first went on the Hollywood sign, I took a picture and felt like wow! It's just happening fast for me.
Are you a Hollywood actor?
Jah, Yes I can call myself a Hollywood actor because I came out with a product which we did in Holywood, which is one of my biggest film projects, which is a real document series, which out at Amazon prime video, the title of series is Hollywood immersive, HILA.
How many staff do you have in your company now?
I only have one permanent staff member who is my assistant, and I also have three other volunteers, basically, college students who want to learn, inspire by me, and want with me, so I give them some tasks to do here and there but not on full-time bases.
How long do you work in your office/ workplace?
We operate starting from 9h00 to 5h00 with Artists. But sometimes we go up from 7h30 to 8h00pm, which is on Monday to Thursday. And other days I do some other work for me to make money.
How does an entrepreneur affect your life?
I think entrepreneurs have created more distance between my family and myself. As an actor, I travel a lot, locally and internationally, so I have very little to communicate with my family. As an entrepreneur, you have to go where the green pasture is.
Do you ever work for any company before you start your own?
I never worked for anyone before, I'm just a leader, a born leader! Whenever I'm under someone's delegation, I tend to overthink the person too fast. I think faster and surpass the person. I feel like I'm too limited to work for someone else. I started to feel that when I was young. When I was a kid I use to sell sweets, and my mother taught me how to back and I go to school with these cookies and come back home with N$152.00 every day. After that when I went to college I have to pay for my school fee, then I take one job work as a waiter, I worked as a Waiter for three months, maybe that is the work I can say I worked, but by that time than I already established one of my company which was a nonprofit organization because I like volunteering. I think the best way for a young person to start is to volunteer, as the best way to practice the skill without getting any payment.
As you said you are a leader, what motivate you to start your own business, and did inspire someone?
I'm a big fan of God, I believe in purpose, and a reason every human being exist is for a reason, and I think that's my message for the world. What I have to say though my work is just my purpose, before I start my business I asked myself do we have to suffer? why my mother is like this? why Dad is like that? why are we poor? And I discover that I have a purpose and calling for my life and that purpose is to help people to discover their purpose because there are a lot of people who are new or I know that they don't know what they want and why they exist. I see myself teaching as a gift.
I was also inspired by the life of Jesus, I became very spiritually at a young age when I just left higher school.
Do you have anyone who inspired you from Namibia?
Jah, I do, people like Dalto Nashikoto who is also an actor, he made it somewhere very big, he is working on new series (The Edge), and also Luise Munana, he establishes the first ever cartoons on NBC Waka Waka Moo, and also Gazza, I think he is the King of the music industry in Namibia, and also Maria Nepembe.
How do you generate your ideas?
I think young people think that if you get one mentor then you are on the way to knowing it all. I think in life must have more than one mentor.
For me, I use to read books on how to do business, and also through Youtube, and google.
How do you manage your fear?
That's a good question! I do have fear, I have fear of failure like I don't want to become a failure in life. In most case I deal with my fear by constantly motivate myself by download motivation speeches and I listen them daily, special morning time, damn, I like them in the morning, when I'm taking a bath, I need the sound of Les Brown, Tony Roben, Ophraph, and Eric Thomas. Just to be positive.
Sometimes, I use to do it by internal motivation, I mean I talk to myself, I tell myself that Carlos, you have to go and do this and this. One day my Dad thought I was crazy, pass to the window he head me talking to myself he come in and started looking around and asked me who are you talking with, I said know I'm talking to myself. That's how I deal with my fear.
How do finance your projects?
I use to reach out to many companies to help me in most of my projects, companies like entreprices, mining companies, and different cooperate companies. I think I have several sponsorship over the years, like all my international trips it is usual paid by the sponsors. I use to spend very little on my own.
What is the biggest project you have worked so far?
My biggest project I worked is when there was an exchange between Sweden and Namibia. Basicaly is what we did is I was so involve in community works, voluteering for community development for youth education, I got close to the mayor and the councillor of the town in Tsuemeb. They I become in part of the program that allowed me to travel with the mayor and some other govermental delication to go to Europe to Sweeden and propose for any exchange program for youth, I manage to get this deal done, and the Sweedish paid this program, the kids from Sweeden came to our town and we hosted them, and then they learn our culture and later we also selected our children to go to Sweeden.
You know, for me I like to carry my country on my shoulder not just a single representative, you know, in Holywood immersive, It was not just that I was the only Namibian but I was the only African who qualify, I was only black qualify to be in Holywood Immersive.
Do you have any believe/ a patten that you think to become an enterprenuer?
No, I don't think there is one side fit all for enterprenuer, so I think enterprenuer depend on your sucumstances, and your current situation where you are, and your experience and there so much espect that make enterprenuer not just to to duplicate to someone else, but you can do copy and paste, and edit where you have to learn from other enterprenuer espects.
What is your favorate book?
I don't have favourite book, because everytime I read a book I come to attach to it, but anyone want to read a book recommended by me, I recomend book like Think big and grow rich by Nepolian Hill, Richest man in Babylon, Rich Dad poor Dad by Robert Kiosacki, I have a lots of book about Robert Kiosacki.
Do you think you need more people to join you in your company?
We don't recruit people and pay them as full time job, we only need people when we are working on paricler projects, like now we need some people on the on the project we are doing, we need five actors. And the music side we need mare people to come and join us.
What is the requirement for someone who what to join your companies, specially actors?
Actors it will depend from project to projects. There is time we will need a short skinny girl and there is a time we will need tall man, just like that. Whatever that required on that role for the purpose of the film that we are working on that moment. It will depend accorting to the casting call.
But for music we want those who are doing Kwasa-Kwasa, and music that are expecting to find in the bar.
What is the advice you can give to the young people who want to run their own business like yours?
1. My advice to the young entrepreneur is you have to develop think skin, sometimes you have to accept more than you win. If you want to become an enterprenuer you have to develop think skin so that you will not quit easly, and you must let ego and proud.
2. Learn the skill of selling, being a sales person is most important as an entrepreneur
3. Read more and research more
4. Being a good negotiator, I think that what keep me apart, I'm a good negotiator.
How people can reach you for more information?
They can reach me by direct contact, they reach me by
number 0812754280,
Email: leonardtma@gmail.com