My Story of Authenticity: Building a Personal Brand in Show Business

Welcome to the Heart of Show business. I am your host, alexia Melocchi. I believe in great storytelling and that every successful artist has a deep desire to express something from the heart to create a ripple effect in our society. Emotion and entertainment are closely tied together. My guests and I want to give you insider access to how the film, television and music industry works. We will cover Dreams Come True. The Road Lies, travel, journey, beginnings and a lot of insight and inspiration in between. I am a successful film and television entrepreneur who came to America as a teenager to pursue my show business dreams. Are you ready for some unfiltered real talk with entertainment visionaries from all over the world? Then let's roll sound and action. Hello, hello, welcome to the new season of the Heart of Show business. I am making some changes, my friends and my listeners. I have decided to launch this new season with a solo episode for many reasons. One of them I have noticed that when I start telling my own personal stories about my adventures in show business, there seems to be a lot more downloads. So for the sake of getting more downloads, hello, sponsors, I need some sponsors. I thought I would jump on and give you a little preview of what's to come in this season. I have already pre-recorded some incredible guests, from award-winning filmmakers to incredibly well-known producers, to legendary actresses and even my own business partner, who you're going to be hearing from. Yes, it's true, I do have a business partner, as you know, who is my mother, and she's also my best friend, and we've been in business since I was basically fresh out of diapers. So I just wanted to let you know that she will be coming and really giving you some insights, and I'm also going to be speaking, of course, about the elephant in the room, which is the Hollywood strike that is happening now as we speak, and also about my Toronto Film Festival adventures, because I am going to Toronto, so you'll be seeing some lives on my social media, but also be doing a special episode to let you know what's happening in the business, how the strike is affecting the world and any new movies that are coming out of the gate. So, with that said, I thought I would give you a little bit of an excerpt of a keynote that I just delivered. This weekend, I was invited to speak at a conference and to talk about bravery and how that affects our storytelling and our personal brand, and I decided. ince it was so good, I have to share it on a podcast. Therefore, get a cup of coffee or tea or whatever drink of choice. And let me tell you a little bit about bravery and personal branding. So when I was invited to speak about bravery, I found myself reflecting on what it truly means to be brave. You see, we often associate bravery with feats of physical courage living from airplanes, doing life-threatening stuff and, you know, bravery comes in many forms, and One of the things that we never talk about is personal bravery. When it comes to your own life, one of the most courageous acts that you can do is embracing your authentic self. Listen to that for a second. One of the most courageous acts that you can do is Really and truly embrace your authentic selves. So what does that mean in a world that constantly demands our attention and advocates for various causes, which are, of course, worthy, because, as you know, we are compassionate human beings and I myself forget that I have to advocate for myself? I am so engrossed in championing others that sometimes I fail to recognize my own uniqueness and my own value. Yes, I am one of those people, as a Hollywood producer and an executive and a fierce lover of the visual image, I have gotten my hands dirty to protect and champion stories and artists who stand for something, fostering their talent until it would make its way to the big or the small screen. And and sometimes I often forgot that what I stood for in the terms of division that I had for my own life and my business and for all of us entrepreneurs out there. We forget that Our own business and our personal success is what allow us to give more to the world. But are we not worthy of receiving what we also give? You know, how do we go about that If we do not stand proud with the essence of our spirit, with enough courage, bravery, to let it speak volumes about who we are and the impact that we want to make in others lives? So I'm here to tell you that authenticity in your brand is not just Important, it's essential. Just as you speak up for others, it is crucial that you speak up for yourself To become your own brave hero of your life movie. Intriguingly, we often believe that empathy and business are unlikely pair. We envision business as a place where we have competition strategy, profits, getting project green lights and and you know, maybe even like getting an Oscar, getting an Emmy, you know having people recognize us, but as a result, we end up morphing into a persona that becomes synonymous with what's acceptable or what is expected of us in the role of our brand or business. And how many times have we also told, even in a room when we're pitching a project or we're trying to do a business deal, or even in a networking event, we are always told we must not show our weakness or we must stay in a lane. But do we really have to do that to have a business or an identity? Empathy seems to be acceptable in a realm of personal connections, and I'm here to let you know that those two seemingly divergent words can indeed coexist harmoniously. We can have self empathy and we can give empathy in business. In fact, when you make your own raw vulnerability and brave authenticity your superpower, you create a brand that not only resonates with your audience but also stands out in a sea of sameness. I've seen that so many times when people pitch me projects. They're so busy to tell me the story of their business that they forget to let me connect with them and who they are, and become raw and vulnerable so that I can actually feel their heart and their soul and listening with a different set of ears. So because of that, I wanna share a little bit of my personal journey. I know I spoke about that a little bit in a previous episode, but I just wanted to tell you what shaped my understanding of bravery and authenticity. So if you look at my movie credits or my social media feed, you will think that all has come effortlessly my way. However, how many times have we seen artists that win awards and we get to find out that it took them years of personal struggle before the success? I stand before you as a relatively successful Hollywood producer at least, I find myself successful by my own standards, because longevity is a form of success as well as, of course, continuously producing good work and having a good reputation. And I'm also known for my dedication to nurturing storytellers and promoting excellence in film and television. But my path to success was far from conventional. As you know, I was born in Italy. I arrived in America as a teenager with only $5,000 and a big dream, so my story is one of resilience and following the courageous path of my mother, my business partner, who left an abusive marriage and so much more to bring me to the States, the land of opportunity, with a determination to carve out a better life for her and for me. You know, when I was a kid, I spent hours watching Happy Days and dreaming of moving to California, to Los Angeles a city that had only seen in the show Chips, by the way, and I can't even believe that I had don one of the cast of Happy days in my podcast, just to tell you how bizarre life is and how things come full circle right, but this is something that you need to know. It is because of my mother's bravery that I am here. She's the example of integrity, values, dreaming big and fierce determination. Through a series of mystical events, show business found me, and before that, I even got to experience American high school, you know, go to l, universal Studios, disneyland, and even just walk on the street to meet the stars that I dreamed about. When I was in Italy as a little girl, I became enamored with how I felt when I went to a movie that spoke only not to myself, but everyone watching it, and I was willing to do whatever it takes to be part of that. I started from the bottom and I worked my way up, and while doing so, I showed empathy and kindness to everyone every step of the way, because I was so grateful to just be doing what I so loved, and I did that even to those that were not so kind to me. My background is of an immigrant and a woman Don't forget that in a male dominated industry, and this is the context of a story, but it's not the story itself. My circumstances do not define me. I define myself To this day. My mother's wisdom share with me. On my first day in a high school a foreigner in a foreign land still echoes in my mind. She always said it's not how others define you, it's how you define yourself. So instead of allowing labels to confine me immigrant woman, no college degree, also known as a school of hard knocks, dreamer, not Hollywood, skinny, self-funded I harness my diverse skills and experience to create a brand that reflected my true essence. I didn't let societal perceptions limit me. I use my international roots, my fluency, multiple languages. I amplify my entrepreneurial spirit. I took risks, I championed the underdogs in the art. All this to transform a mere $5,000 into a million dollars in personal revenue by the age of 21. And that's where authenticity comes in. We are in a world driven by numbers, statistics and degrees and likes on Instagram, I chose to focus on my unique attributes and make them my superpower In my pursuit of Hollywood success. I failed and I succeeded. I won and I lost many times. I was in a realm of storytellers, after all, and those do attract vultures, narcissists, the power hungry. But I was determined to use my voice to protect the storytellers, and while I was helping others use their voices, at times I never really silenced my own. It's an irony many of us face we empower those around us and we are forgetting to empower ourselves. I will never forget a time where I was a set on a film I produced and I was told to stand down by the male producers. I was just there trying to help the filmmakers on their first day of shooting. They were nervous, they didn't know what to do and I could sense their line dimming. And those producers told me we got this. I didn't want to lose the work and I stood silent. I had to make that movie happen and therefore that silence ended up costing me on so many levels. In fact, that movie has yet to come out and I'll be doing a special podcast episode about all that and all the shenanigans that came out out of that story and the lessons that I learned. But it was in that single moment where I realized that gender disparity was real. More often than not, powerhouse women are put in roles of public relations. They're assumed to be called on to make executive decisions, only in the the role of peacemakers, nurturers. I decided that day to do a revolutionary act, o a revolutionary act, and make all parts of myself my personal brand. I was not going to be confined by stereotypes. I utilized my skills as a super connector and a motivator to lead and inspire my teams. I trust my gut, I trust in my instincts and I called out all the elements. Well, I called out the elements, but I also called out all the elephants that I saw in the room. That bravery became my shield and my sword, the instinct that I used to question. I stopped doing that and I was able to predict trends and contribute to Oscar-winning films and box offices. Now here's a question for you what are your values? What do you stand for? What are your standards? What is your why? I would suggest that you take some time journaling your past, your presence and your future the all interconnected, and you, the storyteller, can redefine them in an advantage, for your advantage, in such a way that as you enter the room, people will instantly know who you are. As we evolve, this process gets repeated more than once, like being an onion. I know I did that and I'm still doing it. Tony Robbins always said the quality of your life is determined by the questions you ask. What will your question be? Let them flow, let them out. Do not censor yourself. Sometimes you'll discover that what you thought was authentic was actually something that someone else told you you should be, or you may discover that the lies you tell yourself in those lies is your biggest truth. So just remember, we have a lot of iconic names Branson, elon Musk, ted Turner. They're all behind some really big brands, and those are people who dare to dream and very clearly communicated their vision. They have shown the world that authenticity and a genuine desire to make a difference and become a trailblazer and a game changers are the keys to creating memorable brands. And that takes bravery. My friends, in the heart of show business this podcast, but everybody calls me the heart of show business by now w the stories do come alive. I find myself to become a protector and a mentor of storytellers to bring people together to the word of film, television and all that magic that comes from that, from all over the world. My brand is a heartbeat of this world I have envisioned. I believe that my heart will guide me to further heights of success and that I will track others who have heart, and I will create unforgettable stories with me, as well as events and products that I will be creating, like my book, my courses and so much more. So I'm here to remind you that each of us has a potential to be something truly extraordinary. I urge you to embrace the authenticity and let it shine through your brand. Just as I stand here before you, vulnerable yet empowered, you too can redefine yourself and create a brand that resonates with others. Your brand is a testament to your bravery, your values, your commitment to making a difference, because in doing so your brand you will shine brightly in a world of authenticity. And that, my friends, is my first solo episode of the new season. I hope you enjoyed it. If you have questions, please do reach out to me on social media. If you like this episode and you wanna hear more, please share, like and subscribe, and thank you all for listening and I can't wait to see you all in this new season and what I've got in store for you. This is the Heart of Show business Alexi Melocchi, over and out. Thank you for listening to this week's episode of the Heart of Show business. If you enjoyed it, please share it with a friend. You can also subscribe, rate and review the show on your favorite podcast player. If you have any questions or comments or feedback for us, you can reach me directly at theheartofshowbusinesscom.