Indie Producer Khaliah Neal

On being exceptional, imposter syndrome, and can we ever have it all?

January 14, 2020

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"You’re not getting no's because your stuff isn’t good. It’s probably good, it’s just not great. So how do you separate yourself from a lot of good material that is out there in the digital era? How do you cut through the noise? You cut through the noise by trying to put something exceptional together and not stopping short of anything exceptional."

- Khaliah Neal

Happy Tuesday, guys!

Picking up where with left off this week with part 2 of my chat with the cool, calm, and collected Khaliah Neal! If you missed part 1, check it out here. 

A quick recap-- Khaliah produced THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO alongside Plan B and A24 which premiered in competition at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. The film won the Grand Jury Awards for Best Direction and Best Creative Collaboration and is in theaters now. A quick shout to to director Joe Talbot on his DGA nomination last week! 

We get pretty real this week. We dig into the hardships of the producer lifestyle, the never ending imposter syndrome, and not always feeling supported because mentorship is hard to come by. It’s tricky to reveal where you are still growing, but that is the only way we can blossom. How do we prioritize our personal vs. professional goals? Can we have it all? Some say sure, just not at the same time.

Producers are well equipped to handle the inevitable curve balls life throws at us…but what happens when we have to reckon with our own mortality? When we face the death of someone we love and it brings our own lives into focus? When we have to question if we are happy, if the path we’ve chosen is the right one, on what feels like a monthly basis? 

Sometimes, it can seem as those who have “made it” have never faced this problem. They have. They found a way through. 

So, if you feel alone or isolated in your journey, I’m here to remind you that you are not. It’s hard for all of us, no matter what discipline of the business you choose and no matter how seamless Instagram can make someone else’s path seem.

Stay the course, friends!

Beijos, Caca

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