The Artist's Work Ethic
The Artist's Work Ethic
Episode 84 - Actor & Entrepreneur Oliver Trevena
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Oliver Trevena is an actor/producer/entrepreneur who’s worked on a number of projects including “Hotel Tehran” with Liam Neeson and Zachary Levi, TIFF’s “The Cut” with Orlando Bloom, and “Ice Fall” opposite Joel Kinnaman, for which he also served as executive producer.
Oliver was honored by the Rome Film Festival with the “Breakout Actor” award by his friend and “Plane” co-star, Gerard Butler at the premiere screening of his film, “The Paradox Effect” in which he stars opposite Harvey Keitel and Olga Kurylenko.
He recently released the film “Misdirection” which he also produced, and stars alongside Olga Kurylenko and Frank Grillo.
And that's that's the difference, right? So it's it's the same it's the same thing, just keep keep going. Whatever field you're in, like literally, if you believe in it and you love it enough, don't listen to anyone telling you you can't do it all.
SPEAKER_01Welcome to the Artist Work Ethic Podcast. I'm Mike Pilak. I'm an actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker, and in this podcast, I talk to people from across the arts about their process, habits, and work ethic. You can find me on Instagram at the Artists Work Ethic Podcast, and I'd love to hear from you at the Artist Work Ethic Podcast at gmail.com. Today on the show is Oliver Trevino. Oliver is an actor, producer, and entrepreneur who's worked on a number of projects, including Hotel Tehran with Liam Neeson and Zachary Levi, Tips, The Cut with Orlando Bloom, and Icefall opposite Joel Kinneman, for which he also served as executive producer. Oliver was honored by the Rome Film Festival with the Breakout Actor Award by his friend and plane co-star Gerard Butler at the premier screening of his film, The Paradox Effect, in which he stars opposite Harvey Kaitel. He recently released the film Misdirection, which he also produced and stars alongside Olga Kirilenko and Frank Grillo. As an entrepreneur, he launched Cali Water, a cactus water company with his business partner, Vanessa Hudgens. Alright, Oliver, thank you for coming on with me today.
SPEAKER_00Thanks for having me on, Mike.
SPEAKER_01So you've put together an incredible career that's ranged from starring in movies alongside some legendary actors to entrepreneurial ventures, including starting Caliwater with Vanessa Hudgens. No doubt that this has taken tremendous drive and work ethic. Going back to some of the formative moments in your life, do you think your drive and work ethic comes from how you were raised or some other experiences in your life that that put that seeds, put those seeds into you?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, um, good question. I think it's probably a mix of the two, you know. I think it's definitely, like I know it's a a lot of, you know, it's like when you're growing up and people are like, oh, you're like your dad, and you're like, no, I'm not. And then you get older and you're like, oh, I am like my dad, you know, good and bad. Um, you know, my dad definitely was a workhorse, you know. He'd always say he was gonna slow down, but still to this day he never has. And I think I have that side of me for sure. Like I just, you know, something in me is maybe addicted to the madness, you know. Like, so as long as the madness is in the right direction, I just keep going, you know. So um, you know, I I I love my work, I love, I love people, I love making things, you know, whether that's in the arts or or or in business. Um, so that side I would say is is probably my genetics as part of who I am. And then the other side is just I think life, right? Like I I had some, we've all had, you know, uh tough things happen to us, um, at least you know, the older we get. And I I definitely had some very you know hard moments in my 20s. Um, you know, I was in a coma and and got attacked and a lot of stuff I've been through. And when I look back, without a doubt, I am who I am because of those moments, you know. It's it's someone said to me recently, I was having a bit of a tough time just on some you know business stuff and and life stuff, and and they turn around to me and said, Oliver, you can have comfort and you can have growth, but you're never gonna have both. And it's so true because if I ever look back at the times where I've really learned more in my life or grown, it's always been the hardest times. So, you know, I guess that plays into it, right? It's like the more risks you take in life and the more you push forward in life, in your career, in business, and whatever you're doing, the more chance you're gonna experience failures, right? If you don't do anything, probably not gonna fail. Um but I'm I'm very uh I do a lot, so that means I'm gonna fail, which I have done in some things. I've definitely not had a perfect path, um, but through the failures are where I've learned the most.
SPEAKER_01What do you in in you know, thinking about acting and entrepreneurship, something these are things that so many people try, and you know, a few succeed, you know, a bunch kind of middling do okay, and a lot fail. What do you think has separated you from so many others that you've you've been able to kind of knock it out of the park in two out of two here?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, don't get me wrong, every day is a is a different journey, you know. Um, but uh I I would say just persistence, you know? It's it's not easy, you know. It looks it always looks easy, right? It's like anyone. Like you you see the you see them at the whether it's an award ceremony, collecting the trophy or you know, ringing the bell on the stock market or whatever it is, and you're like, oh my god, I want to do that. It's the in-between, you know, it's the it's the kind of the pressure, the you know, anxiety that it brings, the stress that it brings, but also the rush that it brings, you know, and that's where I'm saying, like it's kind of you gotta love it. You gotta love whatever you do, right? Because every day is different, and I I think whatever journey you're on, you're gonna get hit with challenges. But if you love something enough, you'll get through those challenges. If you don't, that's when you just when it falls apart. And I actually think it's the same as relationships, right? Like it's it works in your personal life that way too. You know, if there's no there's no two people that click and become perfect forever. I don't think that. At least it's never been the case for me. But if you love someone enough, you you'll face the challenges together. It's the same in business, the same in your own life and your career. So I think you know that's why it's important when you're young and people say to you, pick something you really love. I don't think they say that because they want you just to have fun, you know, for the rest of your life. Um, I think they say it because if you truly love what you do, the hard days aren't gonna put you off, you know.
SPEAKER_01What would you say your work ethic looked like the year before anyone cared about what you were doing?
SPEAKER_00I would I would say it's the same as it is now. It's just like that determination to just prove people wrong a little bit as well, you know. Um that's also got me in trouble at times, you know. People are like, don't do a beverage, beverage is hard, and I'm like, ha, nah, it's easy. Um, and then you get hit with reality that beverage is hard, but you just continue to push and you persist, and that's that's the difference, right? So it's it's the same, it's the same thing. Just keep keep going. Whatever field you're in, like literally, if you believe in it and you love it enough, don't listen to anyone telling you you can't do it, or don't listen to, you know, everyone loves to share a you know a failure story, right? It's like, oh, I'm gonna do a fashion brand, and someone will be like, Oh, my friend did that, and he completely failed and lost his house. Everyone loves to compare your dream to something that failed. Uh now, you know, there's good in that. Learn from their mistakes, but don't let it put you off, you know. You've got to pick your path. And because at the same time, I do believe that if you fail, you'll still learn something from that journey or meet someone on that journey that will end up being a positive in your life, you know.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. And and relationships are so key to to just everything. Like, like you said, both life and professionally, you you've got to maintain those positive relationships, and you know, it's it's a little bit of the give and take, you know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, for sure. It's all the mats, you know, the people around you. And I think, you know, I'm lucky to have some incredible people around me, people that I get to learn from and and you know, look up to, and then just you know, my friends. I think a lot of us that now, you know, friends that I work with, like Vanessa Hudges on Caliwar, it's uh it's we've had a deep friendship for a long time, you know. We've been through the blood, sweat, and tears together. Um, so running a business just seems easy together. You know, people are always like, oh, don't they say you shouldn't work with your friend? And you're like, this is a walk in the park, you know. When you've actually been through real life stuff together, you know, you can do anything. So, you know, it's about finding those people that that are with you through it, you know, through the thick and the thin.
SPEAKER_01What does a totally average work day look like for you today?
SPEAKER_00I don't think I've ever had a totally average work day. I'd love to know what one of those would look like. Um my days are always, I mean, look, I try and start the day with some exercise to some extent. It's definitely got less now. I was just talking to a friend recently. I was like, my days of like trying to do an hour or 90 minutes have kind of gone. Now it's like 30 to 45 minutes I can get that in. Um, and I try and do that just because I'm a better person if I if I move around in the in you know in the morning, um, get out of some of that, you know, stress or whatever I've been weird dreams I've been having the night before. Um that will be how I try and start every day. I don't do it perfectly, but I try and start every day that way. And then it's just a bunch of, you know, uh depending on where I'm at. If I'm on set, I'm filming, you know, and that that is the juggle because when I'm on set and I'm filming a movie, the business stuff doesn't go on pause, you know. Um I obviously focus on the role and make sure I'm I'm committed and I'm in that moment. But the minute we wrap, I'm back at the hotel, and you know, most of the other casts are hanging out, doing dinners, and I'm probably on conference zooms and business meetings until you know early hours of the morning and then rinse and repeat. So I I would say my struggle in any part of my life right now is balance, you know, because I love what I do and there's a lot of opportunity. And on the business side, I really try and pay it forward. I've invested in a in a lot of like startups, which is a risky investment, you know. My business managers I think can't stand me because they're always advising me not to do something, and I go against them every single time because that's how I got where I got, right? If someone had that same mindset and was like, no, this is too risk-heavy, I'm not doing it, I would have never got my start. So I try and pay it forward. So I'm always meeting a lot of new founders and and new businesses, and then obviously focused on Caliware too, you know. Um, so making sure that you know the the brand continues to grow, and you know, I try and not step on toes too much. Like there's stuff I know that I'm good at, and the storytelling is what I love. So I try and bring that to most businesses I'm involved in, which will you know be around the content, the partnerships, the collaborations, all that stuff. Um, but the day-to-day I try and not get too much in the weeds because I would probably mess it up if I did anyway, you know.
SPEAKER_01Would you would you say, I mean, my my next sort of question that I was thinking about was like, what's something that you struggle with that people assume that you've just got figured out? Would you say that that balance is is maybe something that you know you're still trying to trying to sort out personally?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I guess the thing that came to mind, and I'll just share it, is the the bit that I struggle with that people just assume I've got figured out is is is the mind, right? Is the mind still the mind that's the voice in my head that still wanted to tell me I wasn't good enough when I had nothing hasn't really gone away when I have a lot more, right? Yeah, um now don't get me wrong, I think that voice in my head plays a part in my life. Like that's what got me to keep pushing, you know, like keep keep going, get out of bed, you know, you're you're failing. It's like it's a negative voice, but it plays a positive to some extent, but that same voice also plays a negative because it won't ever let up, you know. It's like, you know, just when I think I've got it figured out, I haven't, you know. Um so it's I guess people just assume that that when you get to this place, everything is bliss, you know. Um, and so if I've learned anything in my life, which I I I like sharing now, it's because it's been a real lesson for me the last year or so, is I've really had that moment of being like, ah, it doesn't fix all your problems, you know. It doesn't, you can get the house, you can get the car, you can get the successful business, you can be on the you know, on Forbes, you can do all the things that you thought would make all of those voices go away and you would live an incredible life. It doesn't, you know. I think it's about really finding that inner peace, and that's what for me is uh I think has to be a focus because I've tried the other way, and so for me I'm constantly trying to work on because the good days and the bad days are always gonna be part of life, right? Like I would love to assume that I'm gonna talk to you, Mike, I'm gonna hang up this interview, and the rest of my life will work out perfectly. Probably not gonna be that way, so I've got to learn how to navigate the bad days too, because that's the magic, you know. If I can, you know, and I've got people that around me that I look up to, and they're they'll be going through something like a you know, a massive, I don't know, like a you know, I'm talking like a hundred million dollar lawsuit or something that's just blows my mind, and they are so chill. They're like, you know, it's what it is. If I lose, if I win, like that's to me, you know, where I would like to get to, you know, where where you can't be shaken because the good days are easy, right? Like the good days are when things are going well and you wake up and you're like, oh my god, I'm in my flow, like this call just came in and that call, and I put this audition and I got that, and now you know I'm adding another 2,000 retailers to Caliwar, and one of these investments just did that, and then you think it's all figured out, and then boom, out of nowhere. It's like punch, punch, punch, punch, punch. It's like, how do you deal with that? That's what I'm trying to work on, you know, because most people from the outside just assume that I've got it all figured out and I haven't because the external stuff doesn't figure you out.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and and I think people sometimes forget that, you know, it's it's it's kind of that uh, you know, it kind of works into this cliche of like everyone's shit stinks, you know, and it's and it's everyone's gonna have those issues. There might be different issues, of course, but everyone's got everyone's got problems, you know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and the problems life doesn't go away, right? Life doesn't change. You don't get rich and then disappear to this magical island in space where there are no problems, you know. Um it's all the same, and I think the dangerous part is chasing that thinking it's gonna fix everything, you know, because that's a very disappointing end.
SPEAKER_01What's something, you know, in in your work and professional life that you were doing wrong for years before you finally realized it, whether it's whether it's in acting or business or producing or whatever.
SPEAKER_00Um, by the way, I love your questions, Mike. I didn't get any of these ahead of time, which I love, but they're great questions. I've never been asked them. So um thank you. Props to you. What what what what what was I doing wrong? Relying on other people, relying on other people too much, you know, thinking that other people would would help me get to where I was trying to get, you know? Um, which is to some extent true, um, but at the same time, you gotta be your own biggest fan, you know, you gotta be your own biggest kind of uh pusher. You know, you gotta push yourself more than anyone else is gonna push you.
SPEAKER_01So, what's a goal that you still want to accomplish in your career?
SPEAKER_00Um, I mean, look, I I I love acting. I'd love to do more in that world still. I still love it. Like the little kid in me gets it gets his fix when I'm when I'm on set, you know. Um, I don't think that ever goes away. Like it's so many close friends of mine will say the same thing. They're like, as soon as like I'm on a movie set, it's like uh, you know, I come alive. Um so that will always be a passion of mine, but I do have responsibilities now as well, right? Like it's like when you when you start you know launching a company and a business and you have investors and other people's money and a board and all these things that come with it. Sometimes it's hard to be like, I'm out to Bulgaria for three months, you know. Um so I guess goes back to I guess the beginning of the interview where talking about balance, you know, now it's about finding out what is important to me and what matters. Um, you know, the time that we have, and so focusing on you know what matters to me, and then give me space to be able to do what I really love, which goes back into you know the acting.
SPEAKER_01Awesome. Anything that you want to plug or talk about?
SPEAKER_00No, I mean Misdirection, a movie that I produced, and you've definitely learned a lot through that process. It was it was an extremely tough kind of back against the wall, you know, we gotta make this, we got three months to make it, and we went and filmed in Serbia in 15 nights. You know, we made the entire movie, so that just came out. So, you know, that's been fun, and it's been great to hear people's feedback because it really had every reason not to get made this movie. And I'm talking about every person in my circle was like, You gotta give up. This is it ain't gonna happen. I was like, Nope. Um, and that was it, and we managed to pull it off. Um, so that was exciting and stressful, but that's out now, and then obviously uh Caliwell, which I'm about to dream on right now. So there you go. You should try it. Awesome.
SPEAKER_01Uh Oliver, thanks for talking with me today.
SPEAKER_00Of course, brother. Lovely to meet you, mate.
SPEAKER_01Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoyed this episode. Please subscribe if you aren't already, and come give me a like on Instagram at the Artists Work Ethic Podcast.