THE SYNCREATE PODCAST: EMPOWERING CREATIVITY
HOSTED BY MELINDA ROTHOUSE, PHD
WELCOME TO SYNCREATE, A SHOW FOR CREATIVE SEEKERS. WE EXPLORE THE DEEP HUMAN STORIES OF CREATIVITY, PSYCHOLOGY, AND SPIRITUALITY. OUR GOAL IS TO DEMYSTIFY THE CREATIVE PROCESS,
AND EXPAND THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE CREATIVE.
SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW US ON SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCASTS, YOUTUBE
OR WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS
HOSTED BY MELINDA ROTHOUSE, PHD
WELCOME TO SYNCREATE, A SHOW FOR CREATIVE SEEKERS. WE EXPLORE THE DEEP HUMAN STORIES OF CREATIVITY, PSYCHOLOGY, AND SPIRITUALITY. OUR GOAL IS TO DEMYSTIFY THE CREATIVE PROCESS,
AND EXPAND THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE CREATIVE.
SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW US ON SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCASTS, YOUTUBE
OR WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS
EPISODE 125: FIGURING IT OUT WITH FILM PRODUCER
& CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR MARCO DE MOLINA
LISTEN TO THE FULL AUDIO EPISODE HERE:
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO VERSION HERE:
Marco De Molina is Grammy Nominated film producer who has received international acclaim throughout his career at prestigious film festivals worldwide including the Festival de Cannes. He has been recognized for his striking visuals, unique storytelling, a keen eye for developing new talent, and his ability to maximize production value. Marco has produced countless music videos for chart-topping musicians in all genres from metal to pop. He has received numerous nominations and wins at the MTV VMAs, and UKMVAs, including a Grammy Nomination for Best Music Video for LIL NAS X “Montero (Call Me By Your Name.)” He the Co-Founder of SPACEBRAIN Entertainment and One of Us, a prestige spirits platform, both of which he runs with his wife Roza Marchenko. Our conversation traces his journey from aspiring filmmaker to Grammy-nominated producer and creative entrepreneur.
For our Creativity Pro-Tip, Marco suggests cultivating a daily discipline to hone your craft, and warns not to get caught up in other people’s successes, because as his mother once told him, “Excellence has no competition.”
Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.
If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process in a variety of contexts,
you might also like our conversations in
Episode 21: The Walk of Faith and Courage with Shakespearean Actor Warren "Ren" Jackson
Episode 56: Asking the Questions with Broadway Stereophonic Cast Member Chris Stack
Episode 119: Jazz Lessons with Musical Mathematician Lawrence Udeigwe, PhD
At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors. If you have an idea for a project or a new venture, and you’re not sure how to get it off the ground, find us at syncreate.org. Our book, also called Syncreate, walks you through the stages of the creative process so you can take action on your creative goals. We also offer resources, creative process tools, and coaching to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information on our website, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes.
Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate.
If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!
We’d love to hear your feedback as well, so drop us a line at [email protected].
For our Creativity Pro-Tip, Marco suggests cultivating a daily discipline to hone your craft, and warns not to get caught up in other people’s successes, because as his mother once told him, “Excellence has no competition.”
Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.
If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process in a variety of contexts,
you might also like our conversations in
Episode 21: The Walk of Faith and Courage with Shakespearean Actor Warren "Ren" Jackson
Episode 56: Asking the Questions with Broadway Stereophonic Cast Member Chris Stack
Episode 119: Jazz Lessons with Musical Mathematician Lawrence Udeigwe, PhD
At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors. If you have an idea for a project or a new venture, and you’re not sure how to get it off the ground, find us at syncreate.org. Our book, also called Syncreate, walks you through the stages of the creative process so you can take action on your creative goals. We also offer resources, creative process tools, and coaching to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information on our website, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes.
Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate.
If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!
We’d love to hear your feedback as well, so drop us a line at [email protected].
EPISODE-SPECIFIC HYPERLINKS
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Melinda: Welcome to Syncreate, a show for creative seekers. We explore the deep human stories of creativity, psychology, and spirituality. We believe everyone has the capacity to create. Our goal is to demystify the process and expand the boundaries of what it means to be creative. What holds us back? Why do we get stuck? And how can we fully embrace our creativity?
We talk with visionaries and change makers and everyday creatives working in a wide range of fields and media - from the arts to science, technology, and business. We aim to illuminate the creative process from imagination to innovation and everything in between. I'm Melinda Rothouse, and I help individuals and organizations bring their dreams and visions to life.
At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors. If you have an idea for a project or a new venture, and you're not quite sure how to get it off the ground, find us at syncreate.org. Our book, also called Syncreate, is available in both print and audio format. It walks you through the stages of the creative process so you can take action on your goals. We also offer resources, creative process tools, and coaching to help you bring your work to the world.
My guest today is Marco de Molina. He's a Grammy-nominated film producer and creative entrepreneur. He’s produced music videos for countless artists across a wide variety of genres, winning awards and nominations at the MTV View… sorry, let me do that again. (Laughter) Winning awards and nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards, the UK Video Music Awards, and his film work has received international acclaim, including at the Festival de Cannes.
He's the founder of SPACEBRAIN Entertainment and ONE OF US, a prestige spirits platform, both of which he runs with his wife Roza Marchenko.
Marco, welcome to the podcast. It's so great to have you here today.
Marco: Oh, thank you so much, Melinda. It's really a pleasure to be here with you.
Melinda: Yeah. So, we connected recently through a mutual friend, Charlie Cadbury, who I just had on the show a couple weeks ago. So, that was a really nice connection, and we got chatting. I thought it'd be fun to have you on the show. Obviously, you have a long record of accolades in the entertainment industry from making many, many music videos over the years and film, and now, you're also doing some creative entrepreneurship around a mezcal brand. So, lots of things to talk about.
Marco: I know.
Melinda: Yeah! Which is exciting. So, I'm curious because I was like, you know, prepping for the episode and kind of trying to do a little research, and I didn't find too much about your backstory… so, I'm kind of curious, like, how did you get into the entertainment industry initially, and was that something you knew you wanted to do growing up, or did you kind of happen into it?
Marco: Yeah. You know, it's interesting that I've been told now that it's like, there's not really much about… there’s a lot of stuff out there about what I do, what I've done, but not how I got here exactly. I think we'll save that for the book when it comes out. (Laughter) So that's a future project. But yeah, I am one of those that, since I was a child (a very, very, very small child), I've been telling stories. So, I've been been a storyteller my whole life. And recently, having a conversation with a friend of mine, I came to the realization that I was one of those kids that was such a big pain in the butt. And I was never at 6.00p.m. or 7.00p.m. for dinner, you know, at home/in time at home, and then, I was always like, an hour/an hour and a half late, and no one knew where I was.
And I mean, I was just exploring the world, and I was a good kid… I was just super curious. And then, I will come back and they’d say like, “Where were you?” And then I will come up with this sagas of like, (laughter) of what happened, why I was like, an hour late. And my mother used to say, like, you know, “I just let you go on and on and on, because you were quite entertaining.” But my parents didn't really think that I could be a filmmaker per se, right. Or a storyteller for occupation. I come from a home where traditional school, going to school, getting good grades, and everything is the path to life, to success. That never sat well with me.
So, from a very early age, I was like, daydreaming about stories and things, and my room at home was always covered with movie posters and bands posters, and magazine cutouts and everything.
And retrospective, it’s cool because now some of those faces, you know, either I have worked with them, or some actually are acquaintances, or even friends. But if you told my 15-year-old version that one day I'll be, you know, working or having a drink or hanging out with these faces, I would have not - I would probably believed you, but you know what I mean. It's just… I grew up in the outskirts of Mexico City in a tiny little little suburb called Guadalcanal. Most people don't know how to pronounce it, so that should tell you how remote it is.
And I was just a dreamer as a kid, so I went to university in Mexico City and I studied graphic design and photography, and I think when I discovered life through a viewfinder in the mid '90s, my life changed forever. And I graduated… because you know, fun fact about Marco… I wanted to be a motorcycle racer in the late '80s and late ‘90s. (Laughter) So that was frustrated dream number one, and dancing was frustrated dream number two. So, when I discovered life through a viewfinder, I graduated, cashed out. I had a little design firm already going on in those days as a freelancer, and I moved to LA. Just like that. I was like, I had a Hollywood calling, just like, you know -
Melinda: So many people. (Laughter)
Marco: - half of everyone in this city. But at the time, you think that you're special, you know. You think that you're gonna arrive to LA and you're gonna be like, all right, “I'm here. What's up?”
Melinda: Right.
Marco: So, it didn't quite work like that at all. So yeah, I moved to LA in '98 and landed at LAX on July 31st. And then, all I had was just a backpack and a head full of dreams. So - oh, and a really fancy cigar that I brought with myself. So, and that's how I started. I wanted to be an actor, and back in those days, you know, diversity wasn't what it is now. So, although I was doing plays and short films and student films and everything, I couldn't really find my way in.
So, I started getting behind the camera a little bit more and more and more, until the little short film, the little student film, the little whatever film, the tiny music video, the little commercial. I was one of the pioneers in LA of the mini TV movement that happened in the very late 90s, early 2000s.
Melinda: Okay. Yeah.
Marco: And that led me to make a little film… that at the time, no one told me that 45 minutes is like, the death of a film, right? (Laughter) Because it's not long enough to be a feature, it's not short enough to be a short. So that kind of scarred me, and then I had tried for… that was like, 2004. So, I've been here already for like, almost, you know, six years, and I was like, I don't think this Hollywood dream is for me. So I left altogether, and I went to, you know, I had to make a living, so I did a very nice living doing graphic design and photography, and I went into the graphic arts basically. So, yeah. 2008 stock market crashed. Design firm went under.
So I went and I got hired into a big software corporation. I got invited to start the the art department from ground up. And lo and behold, Thanksgiving of 2010, I met a dear friend - his name is Brian Krause, who plays one of the handsome guys in Charmed, (laughter) the TV show Charmed - and we became really, really close. I didn't know that he was Brian Krause, right?
Melinda: Right. Right.
Marco: Until we were at a restaurant in Calabasas, and then some girls came and like, “Hey! Can we take a photo with you?” (Laughter) And then I took the photo and I said, "Hey, man. You’re so good looking. All these girls want to take photos.” But you know, those were the days where you like, meet someone and then you just Google to see what you find on people. You know, like with Brian Krause, and then I called him and I'm like, "Dude, you're like that pretty blonde boy from Return to the Blue Lagoon and Sleepwalkers, and blah blah blah, and he’s like, “I thought you knew.” (Laughter)I’m like, "No, I just told you that you're so handsome. You look like an actor.”
Anyway, so… but he is the one that told me like, in 2010, “You should quit your job. Let's go make movies. I think you'll make a great director or producer.” And I was like, “Oh man - that dream is long gone for me.” So that's how I came back into it. I did quit my corporate job, went to Europe to do my eat, pray, love. Came back, and there was this conglomerate of warehouses in Chinatown that were just like, sitting there unused, and I leased them, turned into a film location. It became a little filmmaker's playground.
Melinda: Cool.
Marco: And that's how I got back into the industry. Because, you know, it had evolved so much, and the birth of digital cinema had already become something pretty pretty big… you know, the early red cameras and the ARRI cameras. So, because the style of my warehouses were very dilapidated and run down, so every post apocalyptic-look music video (laughter) or commercial or movie passed through my walls.
Melinda: Cool.
Marco: So, I was like… I started, you know, collecting talent. Like, “Oh, oh - this is a great production designer, great makeup artist, great VFX, whatever directors, cinematographers, and everything.” And then one day, a record label came and then shot a music video, and then I met you, know one, of the A&R’s and I said, “Hey, you guys are really cool. Like, if you ever need music videos, you know, give me a shot.” And he did. I will always call him and the other girl, A&R, my godparents, because they gave me my first shot at a, you know, signed band. Because I started just doing like, little videos from, you know, people that were just kids, that just wanted common videos.
And they like, you know… the singles that they will use to make it rain in the video… that’s what they pay me for the video with. (Laughter) So, like, you know, the $500 for using videos… but that's how I started. So, with this label, I did that first video. They loved it, and then the next came, and the next came, and then they started getting bigger and bigger. And so, I left those studios to a friend, and that's when I started the production company and I said, “Okay. I think I'm gonna be a producer, and I want to make movies, TV, and the whole bit.” So, music videos was my stepping stone. Was the catapult.
Melinda: Like, kind of an entry point. I love that actually because we don't always hear like, what's the trajectory? You know. And in the show, like, part of what I want to do is, you know, people who are interested in creative careers… how do you get started? How do you do it? And it's never a linear path, right?
Marco: Never is.
Melinda: No, no. And like, you know, we all have these… we try different things, and we have these false starts, and we eventually find our way. But I think it's important for people to hear that, you know.
Marco: Yeah. You know, when… people always ask me like, what would be your advice to break into? I'm like, you know, I will share something really cool with you. It was after that flop of that mini feature long short film that I did. I got invited to this really swanky party in Beverly Hills, and I got to meet Robert Evans, who was the head of Paramount when when The Godfather or Chinatown or Love Story came out, right? And I remember meeting him, and I said, "Hey, Mr. Evans. What would be your advice for a young filmmaker like me?
Because you know, who's gonna give me a million dollars to make a million dollar film, when I haven't done a million dollar film to show that I can do a million?” Right, chicken and the egg. And he looked at me very intently in the eye. He put his hand on my shoulder and he said, "Figure it out.” (Laughter) And he walked away. Right. And in hindsight, I was - I remember that night. I was like, "Oh, what a… what a guy! Because you know, he has like, all the power to just say, "Okay, kid. Sit here…” and then give some advice, or like, "What are you working on?”
And but, that's what everybody thinks, or that's what everybody expects. But in hindsight, that was the absolute best advice anyone could have given me because, yeah, you just have to figure it out, you know. I think the the bigger the dream, the bigger the efforts, and the less guarantees that you may or may not attain it. So -
Melinda: Absolutely.
Marco: Yeah. But I am thinking now that it generally is a beautiful journey. Nevertheless. So, yeah.
Melinda: Yeah. So I want to talk about some of your current projects that you have coming up, both on the entertainment side and the mezcal side. But I'm curious, you know. I love the story that you shared, and kind of like, hearing the development… I'm curious, like, what were some of the biggest lessons that you learned from your, like, say, years of having this studio and shooting all these music videos and other projects?
And kind of how you then parlayed that into filmmaking and entrepreneurship… obviously, you have to work with so many people and organize so many things. Like, what was the biggest lesson there?
Marco: The best answer I can give you is that creative entrepreneurship is generally thinking that you identify a problem, you have an idea or a solution, and then you execute it, right? Someone told me the other day it’s like… entrepreneurship is like someone that voluntarily jumps out of a plane without a parachute, (laughter) and you build a plane on the way down.
Melinda: Yeah. Yeah.
Marco: So it is so crazy that it's just so perfect to describe what this is. And me as a filmmaker, I've been more a producer than a director. And a producer, you're always solving problems, and it's always solving problems that are related to a humongous idea that you may or may not have enough money to make it happen. And because it involves an ocean of people with an with oceans of different ideas, and there never is one specific approach.
You know, it is probably like, the biggest training that I had. To do what I do and to withstand what I'm withstanding. There are days that you wake up and you're thinking, “What did I do? This is insane.” (Laughter) And there are other days that you're like, “Oh, we're gonna conquer the world." Right?
Melinda: And it's the best feeling, right?
Marco: And it's the best feeling. And actually, both are. So… because creative, or I mean, filmmaking… and regardless of the position that you have in the production, you can be from the bottom-most position to like, the highest position. You're there to contribute, and without you… some responsibilities are bigger than others, of course. But without you, you're still an integral part of the project. So, I think having over the… for like, a decade plus of filmmaking - but backwards on creative graphics and the creative world all the way from the mid ‘90s - I think it's given me the understanding that each new project, each new music video, each new film, each new TV show or whatever, it's like, starting a brand new company. There's an idea, there's people, there's money involved, and then, and you just have to deliver it. There's no “Oops, I couldn’t…” or like, “Oh, sorry…” Or like, no. There's just… we just don't have that option.
Melinda: Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. So, speaking of starting a company, you've now (in addition to all your entertainment work) founded ONE OF US. And you produce a brand of mezcal. So, what was the inspiration around that?
Marco: Yeah. It’s such a beautiful story. The music video career when I think probably like, the the pinnacle was 2019. I think I did some of the biggest music videos the world saw that year, right? And with the biggest artists, and it was great. And then pandemic hit, right? 2020. And I was probably like, stuck at home for like, maybe a month, month and a half at most, and then I started doing the first music. I think I was one of the first people that started filming here in LA again, right? And we just needed to figure it out.
And one of the highlights was that I got called to produce Lollapalooza because there were no live concerts.
So, a good friend of mine, and another who became a friend who recently passed in the industry… we just lost lost Pete Katz’s, Big Pete. He managed the Jane's Addiction, along with my friend Ian, who managed it. They both managed Jane's Addiction, but Ian called me and he's like, "Hey, man. You want to produce Lollapalooza?” And then so I was like, “Yeah, let's do this.” So I got to sit with Perry Farrell and then the whole gang, and we made it happen. So, where I'm going with this is that at that time, it was such a huge project, you know, and for a music lover and everything. I mean, it was just like a dream thing, right, for me.
So wrapped it in my anniversary of moving to LA is July 31, and I remember I was just at home with my doggy, and then posted something that you know, “I know that we're all stuck at home, but you know it's been a roller coaster. Today's my anniversary moving to LA, and it's taking me like 20 some years to to do cool stuff. So hang in there. I love you, everybody.” Right?
Melinda: Yeah.
Marco: Meanwhile, my wife Roza, she's from Ukraine, right? She saw that post, and unbeknownst to me, she had known me. She had known about me for about a year because I co-produced this music video for Katy Perry in 2019, and the girl that directed it, she's a girl from Ukraine, so it was a big deal in in Ukraine for the local, you know, filmmaking community that she was coming here. So Roza, my wife, she's like, “Oh, who's producing this video?”
And then she knew about me. I had no idea. So when I posted this after the Lollapalooza project post, she said, “Yeah. Hey. Thank you so much for being an inspiration for young filmmakers like me.” So, unbeknownst to me that day, my life changed forever.
Melinda: Wow!
Marco: Because that's how my wife and I met. When people ask us “How do you meet?” We meet like, “Oh yeah. We met on on Instagram, right.”
Melinda: That's so cool.
Marco: But, so, yeah… it was really great and from that, we met now in person we started a relationship, and then comes 2021 and we got offered that Lil Nas X museum, and I didn't want to do it because at the time, I think I was already tired of music videos, and I wanted to move into the film. Like my whole life, I've been wanting to get to film and TV. So Roza said, like, “No, we should do it because, you know, it’s Lil Nas…” and this and that. I was like, "All right. Let’s do it.” And boom, that gave us a Grammy nomination. So very exciting.
And then comes 2022. At the end of 2021, we got offered this TV series, and my first project in Spanish ever. I've never done anything in Spanish, believe it or not, even though I'm from Mexico, so… but I wasn't sure if we should do it because whatever reasons. And then she said “No. We should do it…” Because whatever reasons we did it, and yeah, we had a top 10 on Netflix for a whole month, right? So, another little film landed on my lap to produce, and I wasn't sure about it. She saw the vision of it and then we screened it in Cannes. So -
Melinda: I love this theme that's emerging of like, these projects where like, “I'm not sure and should we do this and I don't know…”, and then all of a sudden. Wow.
Marco: They become something really relevant right. But this is all Roza, right? So, early 2022, that's when also Russia invaded Ukraine, right? And Roza being Ukrainian, and it really sent her and sent us as a family on like, a spiral of really difficult horror, difficult times, and everything. And then she became the pillar of her family at 21, you know, both financially and emotionally. So, while we figured out how to get family out of the country, et cetera, et cetera, 2022, she spent (totally unbeknownst to me) about five months researching the world of what's next, thinking bigger, better, brighter, longer… and because also, you know together we… once we started dating, we rebranded the production company and we called it a SPACEBRAIN Entertainment.
Marco: And SPACEBRAIN because clearly, I'm the space and she is clearly the brain, right? (Laughter)
Melinda: Nice.
Marco: She’s the brain. So, I was coming from a production, and her also an executive producer. She really is in touch on like, on the business side of filmmaking.
Melinda: Yeah.
Marco: So I came home bottom of 2022, and then she's like, "Sit down. We need to talk. And when your wife tells you that, two things are gonna happen. She's either leaving you or you're having a baby. (Laughter) So, that's when she pitched me that we were starting a mezcal brand, and she identified that there's a gap in the market where, you know, the popular brands we know, that they're not the cleanest products anymore. Whereas, the brands that really care, they don't come in the aesthetic and commercial presence that the prestige buyer likes.
So, she found this problem. She pitched it to me, and because everything that I wasn't sure we should do or not has turned into like, really great things, when she's like, "We're starting a mezcal brand…” She had a very beautiful calling about it, but that's her story to share. She's like, "We're starting a mezcal brand." I'm like, "Yes, ma’am. We are.” (Laughter) So we sat down, studied together in early in 2000. January 2023. She's like, “You know what? Here's your plane ticket, your backpack, and your sandwich.” And she flies me to Oaxaca, Mexico, to go figure it out.
Melinda: Yeah. Yeah.
Marco: You know, see how it ties up.
Melinda: Definitely.
Marco: So, yeah, I landed in Oaxaca, Mexico, on a quest not to find the best mezcal, but to find the ultimate maestro mezcalero. Because everything that I have tried at that point, you know, tequila and mezcal, stopped tasting like tequila and mezcal that I grew up tasting in the 90s, you know. So, and then there was a brand that we liked here that that kind of gave gave us that sense of “Oh, this is this is good stuff.” Right? It's cool how in hindsight those things now look like, when when you're like, you know, three years into your journey.
But yeah… so I landed in Oaxaca to go look for the guy. The man that will get us, you know, to partner with. And sure enough, I got lost in the Sierras and Valleys of Oaxaca, (laughter) trying this, trying that, trying this, and everything tasted just like a variation of the same. And because our big motto is generally like, you know, escape average. It's actually, you know, I have it here. It's like, in our display, is like one of our slogans.
Melinda: Love it. Yeah.
Marco: Escape average. It's really been like, the motto of my life, right? You know, we don't say what's average. You determine what is average, you know. And three days getting lost in the Sierras, I landed at a palenque. Palenque is the proper term of a distillery, a mezcal distillery. And after bouncing from here to there and trying everything that was just basically average or a variation of the same, I landed with Jacinto Gutierrez, a beautiful human being that welcomed me and is like, “So you want to try mezcal?” I'm like, “Yeah, let's do this.” And it was just glorious. And his story is so beautiful, and that's how our project was born.
Melinda: That's beautiful. I love that story. So, it's interesting, because I was going to ask you actually how… because the two of you run these companies together, and, you know, I know there are a lot of partnerships that are both romantic and business partnerships and that can be amazing and it can bring its own challenges. So, it sounds like the two of you complement each other really well. But how do you that? How do you make it work? And do you have like, certain… you know, some people are like, “Okay. We don't talk about work at home…” Or, you know… do you have anything like that? Or does it all just kind of bleed together? Or how do you do it? You know.
Marco: It is a wonderful question because there's no method to the madness. (Laughter) It’s like, everything that we attempt to do, you know, like, how do I become a filmmaker? I mean, like, just do it. Just go ahead and just figure… just do it and figure it out. But I think genuinely, it all starts with the self. I always say, like, “Do you know who you are?” You know, and if you're like, “Well, I'm a filmmaker…” and it's like, "No, that's what you do. But do you know who you are?” And sometimes we have that answer on a Monday, but we don't have it on a Thursday. On a, you know… and it's an ever evolving… but the more you know yourself, the better your relationships will be.
Melinda: Yes.
Marco: And relationships vary in like, you know, friendships, romantic relationships, business relationships, creative relationships, any relationship. So the better you know yourself in every capacity possible, the better relationships you will have. And I think the magic between Roza and I is that we, if you knew her, you will never say like, "Hey, I have a guy for you. His name is Marco." (Laughter) Like… or and vice versa. I mean, we have quite an age gap. We come from like, entirely different cultures, from opposite parts of the planet.
Melinda: Literally.
Marco: And we're growing up completely different and everything. But at the core of like, how we operate as humans, we're so compatible. And from there, it has brought… we have gone into everything. So, I always also think that if you really really enjoy hanging out with someone or being with someone, that truly, truly, truly, is a good sign that you'll be able to resolve problems together.
Melinda: Definitely.
Marco: In a way, because, you know, relationships, it’s… you're bringing two individuals with universes in their heads and emotions and et cetera… sometimes will be like, “Oh, we both like strawberry ice cream.” (Laughter). But when you're talking about like, serious stuff, it may be completely different points of views. So there's the challenge. I think for us, what works is that we are like, beyond transparent.
Melinda: Yeah. So important.
Marco: And we start from being like… it is a daily exercise of being people of integrity, honesty, and then… so, that's probably one of the the secrets. So before you start anything with anyone, see if you're compatible.
Melinda: Definitely.
Marco: So, you don't down the road argue like these two behind me.
Melinda: Right. Right. Exactly. (Laughter)
Marco: I'm glad they're getting along now. Thank gosh. All the music that we could have enjoyed if they stuck together, (laughter) you know. Anyway, I digress. But -
Melinda: Yeah. Yeah. For those who are who are not watching the video, that's Axel and Slash.
Marco: Painted by one of my best friends.
Melinda: Love it.
Marco: But I think that's the core of it, and then from there, we have like, tried like… Fridays, we try to do Shabbat. Like, you know, 7.00p.m. We close computers and try not to talk about work or like, maybe Saturday… and that works one week. That works the next week. That doesn't work for two months. And then, so, yeah… but I think it's like, the core values and the beauty that exists between two human beings facing challenges together with respect and love.
Melinda: Yeah. Yeah. Beautiful. I love that. I have a similar kind of creative relationship with my partner as well. So, I'm always curious how people navigate that. But I think you're right, you know, as long as there's a deep core connection. And, you know, you started this conversation just saying like, “I was a really curious kid.” I think that curiosity is so important. It's so important to be curious about the other person and their experience, and of course, as a creative, curiosity is like, the root of everything, right?
Marco: Yes. She is like that too. Roza is a classically trained violinist. So, from the age of five years old, she was playing violin, and by 10, she was playing, you know, really big, and also singing opera too.
Melinda: Amazing!
Marco: So it is crazy because really, SPACEBRAIN identifies us as like, who we really are, right? When we started the mezcal project, and her I met Jacinto… when you start a project like this, the first thing is like, “What are we gonna call it?” And you're gonna get a crack at this because you're also a musician. So, I knew that I wanted a name that will communicate both Roza and Marco, right. So I'm like, “I got it. I'm a metal dude.” And so, it's like, you know, calacas. Calacas in Spanish means skulls, right? And her name is Roza. She's a beautiful flower too. So it's like, calacas and rosas, and I'm like… and it kind of sounds like these guys, right?
So, I'm like, maybe there's something in there. And Roza, being a classically trained musician, was just like, “Oh, I don't know about that.” (Laughter) So our trademark attorney was like, "Yeah. That’s not gonna fly.” Because, you know, there's a million calacas, and then Roza is not only a color, a pink, and a name, right? So it's just like, it was almost impossible. So we really sat down to think names, and she and I, we sat down and we came up with like, upwards of 300 different names of, you know, Spanish, Ukrainian, a mix of those, and like, ancient names of Greek and Roman. I mean, whatever - Latin, and like, all kinds of things.
It's just like… and we were not landing at it, but this is what we… who we are, right? It's like “Okay. From five to seven, we're gonna sit down and work on names.” And meanwhile, I was like, “You know what? I feel like we're just gonna be walking, and it's gonna be hanging on a tree, and it's gonna hit us at the back.”
Melinda: Exactly.
Marco: So, here comes the SPACEBRAIN. But the beauty… we were having dinner with one of our attorneys from entertainment and he's like, “So you guys are starting an alcohol brand? How's that going?” And we're like, “Oh, it's going wonderful. You know, our maestro mezcalero, our master distiller, he's a beautiful human being and his method and approach and his values. And Sarah, Director of Operations, and Roselia, our Controller in Mexico, because at the time, it was just the four of us, right?
The five of us, and we told them it's like, you know, Roza and I generally as a daily practice of being the most beautiful human beings we can for ourselves, for each other, and and for everyone that we come in contact with. And we're like you. You're a beautiful human being. You're one of us, and that's where the name of our brand, ONE OF US, was born.
Melinda: Beautiful. I love that, and I've experienced that with you. I feel that. That’s beautiful.
Marco: Yeah. So, I feel like the name that we wanted to have that was all encompassing of Roza and I, it became even bigger because now it's all encompassing of who we are, all of us as a team, in the company. But it is starting to go and translate into our customers, and the folks that are starting to discover our mezcal, they really discover that from that entry level, and not just like a, you know, a party booze, and etc.
Melinda: Right. Exactly. I love that. Yeah. I love that there's such a core kind of feeling and values behind it that really comes across. Yeah. And how fun to get to do that with your partner and a team of amazing people.
Marco: Oh, definitely. And it's so amazing because, you know, through the mezcal, that's how I met you.
Melinda: Yeah!
Marco: Because I was in Cannes just this past festival - the Cannes Festival - and I didn't go this time for with a film or to promote, or whatever, work on film. I went to really promote one of… and I'm just doing tastings here, tastings there, and everything. And in one of those tastings, that's how I met Charlie.
Melinda: Yeah.
Marco: And Charlie was the one who introduced you and I.
Melinda: I love that. I love that kind of chain of connection.
Marco: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Melinda: And he and I talked about that in our episode as well. Just, you know, the beauty of all these connections and community, and the beautiful collaborations that can lead to.
Marco: How deep the rabbit holes go sometimes?
Melinda: Exactly. So, I know we mentioned kind of before we officially got started that you also have some film projects in the works at the moment. Anything in particular that you're excited about right now?
Marco: Yeah. Well, I cannot share exactly titles. We have the TV rights to an Amazon best-selling novel.
Melinda: Nice.
Marco: And Roza has attached an Emmy Award-winning showrunner. And we're like, right now in the process of, you know, shopping it around, doing the work that it takes as producers to, you know, to get a TV show made. I know that the industry is going through winds of change, and it all arranges itself. There’s always room for incredible things.
Melinda: Definitely.
Marco: And this is a, you know, it's an IP that already has a fan base built into it. So the fans of the books would love to see this on screen. So, fingers crossed.
Melinda: Very cool.
Marco: Yeah. Developing a motorcycle racing film because, you know, it's my passion. So that's also in the works. And then a couple other smaller feature films.
Melinda: Okay.
Marco: And then, in the meantime, you know, I'm a little bit on the fence of, you know, where the ball is going to land on AI in media.
Melinda: Yes. Huge topic, of course.
Marco: Yeah. It is a big topic, and I've been playing with it for already quite like, four years, you know. And we have, right now, next week, I'm going to be having some conversations about turning one of these animated AI/animated series into something because I've always been fascinated about the whole spectrum of filmmaking. Whether it's like, you know, the scene, the one scene and the dim light and the deep conversation, and the big realization or the big argument, and everything. As I love exploding cars. (Laughter)
I love setting people on fire and throwing them out of a building. (Laughter) You know, it's like, I mean, it's crazy and… or flipping cars and torching them or like, you know, I have done some really crazy stuff in blowing things up or, you know, like, the special effects. And then Roza, and now we’ve got an opportunity to work on… we did the promos for the Walking Dead video games, right?
Melinda: Okay.
Marco: So that was so exciting to have like, tons of extras and zombies and then pyrotechnia and like, I mean, just big, big stuff, right? So I love all that. But then… I don’t know if you know what virtual production is?
Melinda: Sort of.
Marco: Where you have that gigantic screen and you project something. So you put the talent, and there's a big screen in the back, and then as you move the camera. There's this Parallax. So that's how they did The Mandalorian. So we got to play with it. We were going to be doing some really cool stuff in that world. And unfortunately, that project didn't happen. But it started getting me more into the big VFX. And obviously that Lil Nas video. That’s just 90% VFX, 10% practical. And so, that was a big immersive in now the technology part of filmmaking. So I really enjoy mixing all of it.
And I feel like right now, the reason I cannot fall on one side or the other is because you know us “filmmakers filmmakers” reject AI. But meanwhile, the techie and the technology loving filmmakers are starting to embrace it more. So I'm combining it. I want to combine it and create some really cool pieces. But unfortunately, we cannot use that with our mezcal (laughter) because, you know, our mezcal is all about craftsmanship and everything.
Melinda: Absolutely. And a very organic process, right?
Marco: Exactly. So that's why I’m on the fence of one side is this… one or the other.
Melinda: But that’s kind of great in a way, actually. You know, like, I love that. I love having different projects that are, you know, different genres from each other because I think they all inform each other, and you get to have, you know, these different kinds of experiences. Like, you don't have to choose only one.
Marco: Yeah. I mean, I feel like each project is its own thing.
Melinda: It’s own journey. Absolutely.
Marco: I've only done one documentary per se. Like, it was a small documentary for Jane's Addiction. It's called Replay 2020. I think it's still on Amazon, and that's just, you know, “How can I make this cool with people sitting there and talking?” You know. Or then you take this and you use… because I have used animation on music videos and then, how you mix it and interact it. One of my favorite movies ever is a film called Cool World, with Brad Pitt. I don't know if you ever saw Cool World.
Melinda: I haven't seen it. I’ll go check it out.
Marco: Oh, it's from… I think it's like, a 92/93, movie. Brad Pitt, Cool World, and/or Roger Rabbit. I mean, it's basically, you know, you're having cartoons and animation, and all that. So I feel like this new technology/AI gives you the opportunity to be creative. It is definitely reducing the gatekeepers.
Melinda: Definitely.
Marco: And then, so, I’m just excited for it all.
Melinda: Yeah. There’s so many possibilities there to explore, and I don't think… you know, I don't think we can either ignore or reject the technology, but we have to approach it, you know, with some scepticism, but see what's possible, right? Yeah. Yeah. It's not… it's not really an either/or thing. But, you know, just as you were talking, I'm sure this has occurred to you… this is probably not a new idea, but I envision possibly, speaking of documentaries, a documentary about a certain mezcalero in the future, possibly. (Laughter)
Marco: About a certain brand and how they got to start making mezcal. That’s probably going to be in the works.
Melinda: Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. My sister's actually in Oaxaca right now. So -
Marco: No way! Where?
Melinda: Yeah. She’s in the city. Yeah.
Marco: Oh. I'll have to… I need to send you a couple restaurant recommendations.
Melinda: Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. I love Oaxaca.
Marco: Yeah! Have you been?
Melinda: I've been a couple times. I actually spent a summer down there studying Spanish. Yeah. Like, years and years and years ago. And then I went back more recently. Like, I want to say, like, four or five years ago. So I was bummed I couldn't go with them this time.
Marco: We should have done this podcast in Spanish.
Melinda: I know. Yeah. (Laughter) Yeah. Yeah. So, our time’s flying by, but I like to usually end with what I call a Creativity Pro Tip.
Marco: A Creativity Pro Tip.
Melinda: Like, something people can take on their own and use, and try out. And I know we already touched on the “Figure it out” one, which is a great one. But again, back to this idea of kind of advice for people just starting out… or, you know, anything come to mind as far as like, whether it's a daily practice, or just kind of a philosophical approach that's been helpful for you?
Marco: I would say generally discipline is one of the hardest things to teach ourselves. Right?
Melinda: Yeah. Yeah.
Marco: Some are… some are born. Like, my wife is born with that… or maybe it's because it was installed in her since a very young age.
Melinda: Sure.
Marco: But. I learned that from Mike Shinoda, the singer of Lincoln Park. Like ages ago, when they were starting, I knew some of the guys from like, when they very first started. Like, early 2000s. And I remember him saying in a conversation, "It's like, you know… I lock myself on a Friday somewhere and then just write songs and songs, and songs and songs…” And he will tell the band, "Write a song, write a song, write a song. Because out of 90 songs, one will have a nice verse that will build something good.” Right?
Melinda: Absolutely.
Marco: So, I would say, if you want to get good at anything, you have to really exhaust it until you're convinced that you're for it, or you're convinced that you're not for it.
Melinda: Yeah. Absolutely.
Marco: But the only way to know that is if you really do it, you know. And I will say also, don't get… I wish someone told me this a long, long time ago. Don't get too fixated on the on other people's successes, because if you wrote one page today of whatever script or song, or whatever it is that you're trying to do, if you wrote one page today, that's counted as a success.
Melinda: That's a win.
Marco: That's a win. Could you have written two pages? That's up for you to decide. And this is then the challenge. But the only way to have a chance nowadays… because think of anything - you want to make soap, toothpaste, you want to make tacos, you want to make music, you want to… there’s a bazillion of bazillions, of bazillions of absolutely every single summit and everything. But my mother told me (when I told her I want to be a director and producer before she passed)… I said like, “Yeah, mom, but there's so much competition. How am I going to be a director?”
And she said, "Remember this: competition… excellence does not have competition.” And I ran with that. So, if you really believe it and are a disciplined person, you'll get a chance at proving yourself, that you are for it.
Melinda: Yeah. Definitely. I love that. Well, thank you so much, Marco.
Marco: Oh, no, Melinda!
Melinda: It's been such a pleasure to chat with you. And if people want to find out more about what you're up to… obviously, you know, all of your work is out there in the world on the internet. But what are the best ways for people to find you and to learn more about ONE OF US?
Marco: Thank you so much. You can go to @oneofusmezcal - that’s with a Z, mezcal - on Instagram. Or oneofusmezcal.com. And mine is pretty easy: Marco De Molina. I love to connect with people, chat, hear new ideas, and everything. And I just want to say thank you so much. It really means the world that I'm considered for your podcast.
Melinda: You know, likewise. It’s been so lovely to connect with you. And you've been so kind and open. And I really appreciate that because, you know, you don't find that every day. So, yeah. Yeah.
Marco: Yeah. Well, it's been a pleasure generally, and I know we're going to be chatting more in any time.
Melinda: Absolutely, I look forward to it. And good luck with all your ventures at the moment.
Marco: And you too. And I can't wait to hear the new music.
Melinda: Yeah! I've got a new one coming out at the end of the month, so I'll keep you posted.
Marco: Please send it.
Melinda: Yeah. Absolutely. Find and connect with us on YouTube and social media under @syncreate. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review. We're recording today at Record ATX Studios in Austin, with Marco joining us from Los Angeles. The podcast is produced in collaboration with Mike Osborne at 14th Street Studios. Thanks so much for being with us, and see you next time.
We talk with visionaries and change makers and everyday creatives working in a wide range of fields and media - from the arts to science, technology, and business. We aim to illuminate the creative process from imagination to innovation and everything in between. I'm Melinda Rothouse, and I help individuals and organizations bring their dreams and visions to life.
At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors. If you have an idea for a project or a new venture, and you're not quite sure how to get it off the ground, find us at syncreate.org. Our book, also called Syncreate, is available in both print and audio format. It walks you through the stages of the creative process so you can take action on your goals. We also offer resources, creative process tools, and coaching to help you bring your work to the world.
My guest today is Marco de Molina. He's a Grammy-nominated film producer and creative entrepreneur. He’s produced music videos for countless artists across a wide variety of genres, winning awards and nominations at the MTV View… sorry, let me do that again. (Laughter) Winning awards and nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards, the UK Video Music Awards, and his film work has received international acclaim, including at the Festival de Cannes.
He's the founder of SPACEBRAIN Entertainment and ONE OF US, a prestige spirits platform, both of which he runs with his wife Roza Marchenko.
Marco, welcome to the podcast. It's so great to have you here today.
Marco: Oh, thank you so much, Melinda. It's really a pleasure to be here with you.
Melinda: Yeah. So, we connected recently through a mutual friend, Charlie Cadbury, who I just had on the show a couple weeks ago. So, that was a really nice connection, and we got chatting. I thought it'd be fun to have you on the show. Obviously, you have a long record of accolades in the entertainment industry from making many, many music videos over the years and film, and now, you're also doing some creative entrepreneurship around a mezcal brand. So, lots of things to talk about.
Marco: I know.
Melinda: Yeah! Which is exciting. So, I'm curious because I was like, you know, prepping for the episode and kind of trying to do a little research, and I didn't find too much about your backstory… so, I'm kind of curious, like, how did you get into the entertainment industry initially, and was that something you knew you wanted to do growing up, or did you kind of happen into it?
Marco: Yeah. You know, it's interesting that I've been told now that it's like, there's not really much about… there’s a lot of stuff out there about what I do, what I've done, but not how I got here exactly. I think we'll save that for the book when it comes out. (Laughter) So that's a future project. But yeah, I am one of those that, since I was a child (a very, very, very small child), I've been telling stories. So, I've been been a storyteller my whole life. And recently, having a conversation with a friend of mine, I came to the realization that I was one of those kids that was such a big pain in the butt. And I was never at 6.00p.m. or 7.00p.m. for dinner, you know, at home/in time at home, and then, I was always like, an hour/an hour and a half late, and no one knew where I was.
And I mean, I was just exploring the world, and I was a good kid… I was just super curious. And then, I will come back and they’d say like, “Where were you?” And then I will come up with this sagas of like, (laughter) of what happened, why I was like, an hour late. And my mother used to say, like, you know, “I just let you go on and on and on, because you were quite entertaining.” But my parents didn't really think that I could be a filmmaker per se, right. Or a storyteller for occupation. I come from a home where traditional school, going to school, getting good grades, and everything is the path to life, to success. That never sat well with me.
So, from a very early age, I was like, daydreaming about stories and things, and my room at home was always covered with movie posters and bands posters, and magazine cutouts and everything.
And retrospective, it’s cool because now some of those faces, you know, either I have worked with them, or some actually are acquaintances, or even friends. But if you told my 15-year-old version that one day I'll be, you know, working or having a drink or hanging out with these faces, I would have not - I would probably believed you, but you know what I mean. It's just… I grew up in the outskirts of Mexico City in a tiny little little suburb called Guadalcanal. Most people don't know how to pronounce it, so that should tell you how remote it is.
And I was just a dreamer as a kid, so I went to university in Mexico City and I studied graphic design and photography, and I think when I discovered life through a viewfinder in the mid '90s, my life changed forever. And I graduated… because you know, fun fact about Marco… I wanted to be a motorcycle racer in the late '80s and late ‘90s. (Laughter) So that was frustrated dream number one, and dancing was frustrated dream number two. So, when I discovered life through a viewfinder, I graduated, cashed out. I had a little design firm already going on in those days as a freelancer, and I moved to LA. Just like that. I was like, I had a Hollywood calling, just like, you know -
Melinda: So many people. (Laughter)
Marco: - half of everyone in this city. But at the time, you think that you're special, you know. You think that you're gonna arrive to LA and you're gonna be like, all right, “I'm here. What's up?”
Melinda: Right.
Marco: So, it didn't quite work like that at all. So yeah, I moved to LA in '98 and landed at LAX on July 31st. And then, all I had was just a backpack and a head full of dreams. So - oh, and a really fancy cigar that I brought with myself. So, and that's how I started. I wanted to be an actor, and back in those days, you know, diversity wasn't what it is now. So, although I was doing plays and short films and student films and everything, I couldn't really find my way in.
So, I started getting behind the camera a little bit more and more and more, until the little short film, the little student film, the little whatever film, the tiny music video, the little commercial. I was one of the pioneers in LA of the mini TV movement that happened in the very late 90s, early 2000s.
Melinda: Okay. Yeah.
Marco: And that led me to make a little film… that at the time, no one told me that 45 minutes is like, the death of a film, right? (Laughter) Because it's not long enough to be a feature, it's not short enough to be a short. So that kind of scarred me, and then I had tried for… that was like, 2004. So, I've been here already for like, almost, you know, six years, and I was like, I don't think this Hollywood dream is for me. So I left altogether, and I went to, you know, I had to make a living, so I did a very nice living doing graphic design and photography, and I went into the graphic arts basically. So, yeah. 2008 stock market crashed. Design firm went under.
So I went and I got hired into a big software corporation. I got invited to start the the art department from ground up. And lo and behold, Thanksgiving of 2010, I met a dear friend - his name is Brian Krause, who plays one of the handsome guys in Charmed, (laughter) the TV show Charmed - and we became really, really close. I didn't know that he was Brian Krause, right?
Melinda: Right. Right.
Marco: Until we were at a restaurant in Calabasas, and then some girls came and like, “Hey! Can we take a photo with you?” (Laughter) And then I took the photo and I said, "Hey, man. You’re so good looking. All these girls want to take photos.” But you know, those were the days where you like, meet someone and then you just Google to see what you find on people. You know, like with Brian Krause, and then I called him and I'm like, "Dude, you're like that pretty blonde boy from Return to the Blue Lagoon and Sleepwalkers, and blah blah blah, and he’s like, “I thought you knew.” (Laughter)I’m like, "No, I just told you that you're so handsome. You look like an actor.”
Anyway, so… but he is the one that told me like, in 2010, “You should quit your job. Let's go make movies. I think you'll make a great director or producer.” And I was like, “Oh man - that dream is long gone for me.” So that's how I came back into it. I did quit my corporate job, went to Europe to do my eat, pray, love. Came back, and there was this conglomerate of warehouses in Chinatown that were just like, sitting there unused, and I leased them, turned into a film location. It became a little filmmaker's playground.
Melinda: Cool.
Marco: And that's how I got back into the industry. Because, you know, it had evolved so much, and the birth of digital cinema had already become something pretty pretty big… you know, the early red cameras and the ARRI cameras. So, because the style of my warehouses were very dilapidated and run down, so every post apocalyptic-look music video (laughter) or commercial or movie passed through my walls.
Melinda: Cool.
Marco: So, I was like… I started, you know, collecting talent. Like, “Oh, oh - this is a great production designer, great makeup artist, great VFX, whatever directors, cinematographers, and everything.” And then one day, a record label came and then shot a music video, and then I met you, know one, of the A&R’s and I said, “Hey, you guys are really cool. Like, if you ever need music videos, you know, give me a shot.” And he did. I will always call him and the other girl, A&R, my godparents, because they gave me my first shot at a, you know, signed band. Because I started just doing like, little videos from, you know, people that were just kids, that just wanted common videos.
And they like, you know… the singles that they will use to make it rain in the video… that’s what they pay me for the video with. (Laughter) So, like, you know, the $500 for using videos… but that's how I started. So, with this label, I did that first video. They loved it, and then the next came, and the next came, and then they started getting bigger and bigger. And so, I left those studios to a friend, and that's when I started the production company and I said, “Okay. I think I'm gonna be a producer, and I want to make movies, TV, and the whole bit.” So, music videos was my stepping stone. Was the catapult.
Melinda: Like, kind of an entry point. I love that actually because we don't always hear like, what's the trajectory? You know. And in the show, like, part of what I want to do is, you know, people who are interested in creative careers… how do you get started? How do you do it? And it's never a linear path, right?
Marco: Never is.
Melinda: No, no. And like, you know, we all have these… we try different things, and we have these false starts, and we eventually find our way. But I think it's important for people to hear that, you know.
Marco: Yeah. You know, when… people always ask me like, what would be your advice to break into? I'm like, you know, I will share something really cool with you. It was after that flop of that mini feature long short film that I did. I got invited to this really swanky party in Beverly Hills, and I got to meet Robert Evans, who was the head of Paramount when when The Godfather or Chinatown or Love Story came out, right? And I remember meeting him, and I said, "Hey, Mr. Evans. What would be your advice for a young filmmaker like me?
Because you know, who's gonna give me a million dollars to make a million dollar film, when I haven't done a million dollar film to show that I can do a million?” Right, chicken and the egg. And he looked at me very intently in the eye. He put his hand on my shoulder and he said, "Figure it out.” (Laughter) And he walked away. Right. And in hindsight, I was - I remember that night. I was like, "Oh, what a… what a guy! Because you know, he has like, all the power to just say, "Okay, kid. Sit here…” and then give some advice, or like, "What are you working on?”
And but, that's what everybody thinks, or that's what everybody expects. But in hindsight, that was the absolute best advice anyone could have given me because, yeah, you just have to figure it out, you know. I think the the bigger the dream, the bigger the efforts, and the less guarantees that you may or may not attain it. So -
Melinda: Absolutely.
Marco: Yeah. But I am thinking now that it generally is a beautiful journey. Nevertheless. So, yeah.
Melinda: Yeah. So I want to talk about some of your current projects that you have coming up, both on the entertainment side and the mezcal side. But I'm curious, you know. I love the story that you shared, and kind of like, hearing the development… I'm curious, like, what were some of the biggest lessons that you learned from your, like, say, years of having this studio and shooting all these music videos and other projects?
And kind of how you then parlayed that into filmmaking and entrepreneurship… obviously, you have to work with so many people and organize so many things. Like, what was the biggest lesson there?
Marco: The best answer I can give you is that creative entrepreneurship is generally thinking that you identify a problem, you have an idea or a solution, and then you execute it, right? Someone told me the other day it’s like… entrepreneurship is like someone that voluntarily jumps out of a plane without a parachute, (laughter) and you build a plane on the way down.
Melinda: Yeah. Yeah.
Marco: So it is so crazy that it's just so perfect to describe what this is. And me as a filmmaker, I've been more a producer than a director. And a producer, you're always solving problems, and it's always solving problems that are related to a humongous idea that you may or may not have enough money to make it happen. And because it involves an ocean of people with an with oceans of different ideas, and there never is one specific approach.
You know, it is probably like, the biggest training that I had. To do what I do and to withstand what I'm withstanding. There are days that you wake up and you're thinking, “What did I do? This is insane.” (Laughter) And there are other days that you're like, “Oh, we're gonna conquer the world." Right?
Melinda: And it's the best feeling, right?
Marco: And it's the best feeling. And actually, both are. So… because creative, or I mean, filmmaking… and regardless of the position that you have in the production, you can be from the bottom-most position to like, the highest position. You're there to contribute, and without you… some responsibilities are bigger than others, of course. But without you, you're still an integral part of the project. So, I think having over the… for like, a decade plus of filmmaking - but backwards on creative graphics and the creative world all the way from the mid ‘90s - I think it's given me the understanding that each new project, each new music video, each new film, each new TV show or whatever, it's like, starting a brand new company. There's an idea, there's people, there's money involved, and then, and you just have to deliver it. There's no “Oops, I couldn’t…” or like, “Oh, sorry…” Or like, no. There's just… we just don't have that option.
Melinda: Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. So, speaking of starting a company, you've now (in addition to all your entertainment work) founded ONE OF US. And you produce a brand of mezcal. So, what was the inspiration around that?
Marco: Yeah. It’s such a beautiful story. The music video career when I think probably like, the the pinnacle was 2019. I think I did some of the biggest music videos the world saw that year, right? And with the biggest artists, and it was great. And then pandemic hit, right? 2020. And I was probably like, stuck at home for like, maybe a month, month and a half at most, and then I started doing the first music. I think I was one of the first people that started filming here in LA again, right? And we just needed to figure it out.
And one of the highlights was that I got called to produce Lollapalooza because there were no live concerts.
So, a good friend of mine, and another who became a friend who recently passed in the industry… we just lost lost Pete Katz’s, Big Pete. He managed the Jane's Addiction, along with my friend Ian, who managed it. They both managed Jane's Addiction, but Ian called me and he's like, "Hey, man. You want to produce Lollapalooza?” And then so I was like, “Yeah, let's do this.” So I got to sit with Perry Farrell and then the whole gang, and we made it happen. So, where I'm going with this is that at that time, it was such a huge project, you know, and for a music lover and everything. I mean, it was just like a dream thing, right, for me.
So wrapped it in my anniversary of moving to LA is July 31, and I remember I was just at home with my doggy, and then posted something that you know, “I know that we're all stuck at home, but you know it's been a roller coaster. Today's my anniversary moving to LA, and it's taking me like 20 some years to to do cool stuff. So hang in there. I love you, everybody.” Right?
Melinda: Yeah.
Marco: Meanwhile, my wife Roza, she's from Ukraine, right? She saw that post, and unbeknownst to me, she had known me. She had known about me for about a year because I co-produced this music video for Katy Perry in 2019, and the girl that directed it, she's a girl from Ukraine, so it was a big deal in in Ukraine for the local, you know, filmmaking community that she was coming here. So Roza, my wife, she's like, “Oh, who's producing this video?”
And then she knew about me. I had no idea. So when I posted this after the Lollapalooza project post, she said, “Yeah. Hey. Thank you so much for being an inspiration for young filmmakers like me.” So, unbeknownst to me that day, my life changed forever.
Melinda: Wow!
Marco: Because that's how my wife and I met. When people ask us “How do you meet?” We meet like, “Oh yeah. We met on on Instagram, right.”
Melinda: That's so cool.
Marco: But, so, yeah… it was really great and from that, we met now in person we started a relationship, and then comes 2021 and we got offered that Lil Nas X museum, and I didn't want to do it because at the time, I think I was already tired of music videos, and I wanted to move into the film. Like my whole life, I've been wanting to get to film and TV. So Roza said, like, “No, we should do it because, you know, it’s Lil Nas…” and this and that. I was like, "All right. Let’s do it.” And boom, that gave us a Grammy nomination. So very exciting.
And then comes 2022. At the end of 2021, we got offered this TV series, and my first project in Spanish ever. I've never done anything in Spanish, believe it or not, even though I'm from Mexico, so… but I wasn't sure if we should do it because whatever reasons. And then she said “No. We should do it…” Because whatever reasons we did it, and yeah, we had a top 10 on Netflix for a whole month, right? So, another little film landed on my lap to produce, and I wasn't sure about it. She saw the vision of it and then we screened it in Cannes. So -
Melinda: I love this theme that's emerging of like, these projects where like, “I'm not sure and should we do this and I don't know…”, and then all of a sudden. Wow.
Marco: They become something really relevant right. But this is all Roza, right? So, early 2022, that's when also Russia invaded Ukraine, right? And Roza being Ukrainian, and it really sent her and sent us as a family on like, a spiral of really difficult horror, difficult times, and everything. And then she became the pillar of her family at 21, you know, both financially and emotionally. So, while we figured out how to get family out of the country, et cetera, et cetera, 2022, she spent (totally unbeknownst to me) about five months researching the world of what's next, thinking bigger, better, brighter, longer… and because also, you know together we… once we started dating, we rebranded the production company and we called it a SPACEBRAIN Entertainment.
Marco: And SPACEBRAIN because clearly, I'm the space and she is clearly the brain, right? (Laughter)
Melinda: Nice.
Marco: She’s the brain. So, I was coming from a production, and her also an executive producer. She really is in touch on like, on the business side of filmmaking.
Melinda: Yeah.
Marco: So I came home bottom of 2022, and then she's like, "Sit down. We need to talk. And when your wife tells you that, two things are gonna happen. She's either leaving you or you're having a baby. (Laughter) So, that's when she pitched me that we were starting a mezcal brand, and she identified that there's a gap in the market where, you know, the popular brands we know, that they're not the cleanest products anymore. Whereas, the brands that really care, they don't come in the aesthetic and commercial presence that the prestige buyer likes.
So, she found this problem. She pitched it to me, and because everything that I wasn't sure we should do or not has turned into like, really great things, when she's like, "We're starting a mezcal brand…” She had a very beautiful calling about it, but that's her story to share. She's like, "We're starting a mezcal brand." I'm like, "Yes, ma’am. We are.” (Laughter) So we sat down, studied together in early in 2000. January 2023. She's like, “You know what? Here's your plane ticket, your backpack, and your sandwich.” And she flies me to Oaxaca, Mexico, to go figure it out.
Melinda: Yeah. Yeah.
Marco: You know, see how it ties up.
Melinda: Definitely.
Marco: So, yeah, I landed in Oaxaca, Mexico, on a quest not to find the best mezcal, but to find the ultimate maestro mezcalero. Because everything that I have tried at that point, you know, tequila and mezcal, stopped tasting like tequila and mezcal that I grew up tasting in the 90s, you know. So, and then there was a brand that we liked here that that kind of gave gave us that sense of “Oh, this is this is good stuff.” Right? It's cool how in hindsight those things now look like, when when you're like, you know, three years into your journey.
But yeah… so I landed in Oaxaca to go look for the guy. The man that will get us, you know, to partner with. And sure enough, I got lost in the Sierras and Valleys of Oaxaca, (laughter) trying this, trying that, trying this, and everything tasted just like a variation of the same. And because our big motto is generally like, you know, escape average. It's actually, you know, I have it here. It's like, in our display, is like one of our slogans.
Melinda: Love it. Yeah.
Marco: Escape average. It's really been like, the motto of my life, right? You know, we don't say what's average. You determine what is average, you know. And three days getting lost in the Sierras, I landed at a palenque. Palenque is the proper term of a distillery, a mezcal distillery. And after bouncing from here to there and trying everything that was just basically average or a variation of the same, I landed with Jacinto Gutierrez, a beautiful human being that welcomed me and is like, “So you want to try mezcal?” I'm like, “Yeah, let's do this.” And it was just glorious. And his story is so beautiful, and that's how our project was born.
Melinda: That's beautiful. I love that story. So, it's interesting, because I was going to ask you actually how… because the two of you run these companies together, and, you know, I know there are a lot of partnerships that are both romantic and business partnerships and that can be amazing and it can bring its own challenges. So, it sounds like the two of you complement each other really well. But how do you that? How do you make it work? And do you have like, certain… you know, some people are like, “Okay. We don't talk about work at home…” Or, you know… do you have anything like that? Or does it all just kind of bleed together? Or how do you do it? You know.
Marco: It is a wonderful question because there's no method to the madness. (Laughter) It’s like, everything that we attempt to do, you know, like, how do I become a filmmaker? I mean, like, just do it. Just go ahead and just figure… just do it and figure it out. But I think genuinely, it all starts with the self. I always say, like, “Do you know who you are?” You know, and if you're like, “Well, I'm a filmmaker…” and it's like, "No, that's what you do. But do you know who you are?” And sometimes we have that answer on a Monday, but we don't have it on a Thursday. On a, you know… and it's an ever evolving… but the more you know yourself, the better your relationships will be.
Melinda: Yes.
Marco: And relationships vary in like, you know, friendships, romantic relationships, business relationships, creative relationships, any relationship. So the better you know yourself in every capacity possible, the better relationships you will have. And I think the magic between Roza and I is that we, if you knew her, you will never say like, "Hey, I have a guy for you. His name is Marco." (Laughter) Like… or and vice versa. I mean, we have quite an age gap. We come from like, entirely different cultures, from opposite parts of the planet.
Melinda: Literally.
Marco: And we're growing up completely different and everything. But at the core of like, how we operate as humans, we're so compatible. And from there, it has brought… we have gone into everything. So, I always also think that if you really really enjoy hanging out with someone or being with someone, that truly, truly, truly, is a good sign that you'll be able to resolve problems together.
Melinda: Definitely.
Marco: In a way, because, you know, relationships, it’s… you're bringing two individuals with universes in their heads and emotions and et cetera… sometimes will be like, “Oh, we both like strawberry ice cream.” (Laughter). But when you're talking about like, serious stuff, it may be completely different points of views. So there's the challenge. I think for us, what works is that we are like, beyond transparent.
Melinda: Yeah. So important.
Marco: And we start from being like… it is a daily exercise of being people of integrity, honesty, and then… so, that's probably one of the the secrets. So before you start anything with anyone, see if you're compatible.
Melinda: Definitely.
Marco: So, you don't down the road argue like these two behind me.
Melinda: Right. Right. Exactly. (Laughter)
Marco: I'm glad they're getting along now. Thank gosh. All the music that we could have enjoyed if they stuck together, (laughter) you know. Anyway, I digress. But -
Melinda: Yeah. Yeah. For those who are who are not watching the video, that's Axel and Slash.
Marco: Painted by one of my best friends.
Melinda: Love it.
Marco: But I think that's the core of it, and then from there, we have like, tried like… Fridays, we try to do Shabbat. Like, you know, 7.00p.m. We close computers and try not to talk about work or like, maybe Saturday… and that works one week. That works the next week. That doesn't work for two months. And then, so, yeah… but I think it's like, the core values and the beauty that exists between two human beings facing challenges together with respect and love.
Melinda: Yeah. Yeah. Beautiful. I love that. I have a similar kind of creative relationship with my partner as well. So, I'm always curious how people navigate that. But I think you're right, you know, as long as there's a deep core connection. And, you know, you started this conversation just saying like, “I was a really curious kid.” I think that curiosity is so important. It's so important to be curious about the other person and their experience, and of course, as a creative, curiosity is like, the root of everything, right?
Marco: Yes. She is like that too. Roza is a classically trained violinist. So, from the age of five years old, she was playing violin, and by 10, she was playing, you know, really big, and also singing opera too.
Melinda: Amazing!
Marco: So it is crazy because really, SPACEBRAIN identifies us as like, who we really are, right? When we started the mezcal project, and her I met Jacinto… when you start a project like this, the first thing is like, “What are we gonna call it?” And you're gonna get a crack at this because you're also a musician. So, I knew that I wanted a name that will communicate both Roza and Marco, right. So I'm like, “I got it. I'm a metal dude.” And so, it's like, you know, calacas. Calacas in Spanish means skulls, right? And her name is Roza. She's a beautiful flower too. So it's like, calacas and rosas, and I'm like… and it kind of sounds like these guys, right?
So, I'm like, maybe there's something in there. And Roza, being a classically trained musician, was just like, “Oh, I don't know about that.” (Laughter) So our trademark attorney was like, "Yeah. That’s not gonna fly.” Because, you know, there's a million calacas, and then Roza is not only a color, a pink, and a name, right? So it's just like, it was almost impossible. So we really sat down to think names, and she and I, we sat down and we came up with like, upwards of 300 different names of, you know, Spanish, Ukrainian, a mix of those, and like, ancient names of Greek and Roman. I mean, whatever - Latin, and like, all kinds of things.
It's just like… and we were not landing at it, but this is what we… who we are, right? It's like “Okay. From five to seven, we're gonna sit down and work on names.” And meanwhile, I was like, “You know what? I feel like we're just gonna be walking, and it's gonna be hanging on a tree, and it's gonna hit us at the back.”
Melinda: Exactly.
Marco: So, here comes the SPACEBRAIN. But the beauty… we were having dinner with one of our attorneys from entertainment and he's like, “So you guys are starting an alcohol brand? How's that going?” And we're like, “Oh, it's going wonderful. You know, our maestro mezcalero, our master distiller, he's a beautiful human being and his method and approach and his values. And Sarah, Director of Operations, and Roselia, our Controller in Mexico, because at the time, it was just the four of us, right?
The five of us, and we told them it's like, you know, Roza and I generally as a daily practice of being the most beautiful human beings we can for ourselves, for each other, and and for everyone that we come in contact with. And we're like you. You're a beautiful human being. You're one of us, and that's where the name of our brand, ONE OF US, was born.
Melinda: Beautiful. I love that, and I've experienced that with you. I feel that. That’s beautiful.
Marco: Yeah. So, I feel like the name that we wanted to have that was all encompassing of Roza and I, it became even bigger because now it's all encompassing of who we are, all of us as a team, in the company. But it is starting to go and translate into our customers, and the folks that are starting to discover our mezcal, they really discover that from that entry level, and not just like a, you know, a party booze, and etc.
Melinda: Right. Exactly. I love that. Yeah. I love that there's such a core kind of feeling and values behind it that really comes across. Yeah. And how fun to get to do that with your partner and a team of amazing people.
Marco: Oh, definitely. And it's so amazing because, you know, through the mezcal, that's how I met you.
Melinda: Yeah!
Marco: Because I was in Cannes just this past festival - the Cannes Festival - and I didn't go this time for with a film or to promote, or whatever, work on film. I went to really promote one of… and I'm just doing tastings here, tastings there, and everything. And in one of those tastings, that's how I met Charlie.
Melinda: Yeah.
Marco: And Charlie was the one who introduced you and I.
Melinda: I love that. I love that kind of chain of connection.
Marco: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Melinda: And he and I talked about that in our episode as well. Just, you know, the beauty of all these connections and community, and the beautiful collaborations that can lead to.
Marco: How deep the rabbit holes go sometimes?
Melinda: Exactly. So, I know we mentioned kind of before we officially got started that you also have some film projects in the works at the moment. Anything in particular that you're excited about right now?
Marco: Yeah. Well, I cannot share exactly titles. We have the TV rights to an Amazon best-selling novel.
Melinda: Nice.
Marco: And Roza has attached an Emmy Award-winning showrunner. And we're like, right now in the process of, you know, shopping it around, doing the work that it takes as producers to, you know, to get a TV show made. I know that the industry is going through winds of change, and it all arranges itself. There’s always room for incredible things.
Melinda: Definitely.
Marco: And this is a, you know, it's an IP that already has a fan base built into it. So the fans of the books would love to see this on screen. So, fingers crossed.
Melinda: Very cool.
Marco: Yeah. Developing a motorcycle racing film because, you know, it's my passion. So that's also in the works. And then a couple other smaller feature films.
Melinda: Okay.
Marco: And then, in the meantime, you know, I'm a little bit on the fence of, you know, where the ball is going to land on AI in media.
Melinda: Yes. Huge topic, of course.
Marco: Yeah. It is a big topic, and I've been playing with it for already quite like, four years, you know. And we have, right now, next week, I'm going to be having some conversations about turning one of these animated AI/animated series into something because I've always been fascinated about the whole spectrum of filmmaking. Whether it's like, you know, the scene, the one scene and the dim light and the deep conversation, and the big realization or the big argument, and everything. As I love exploding cars. (Laughter)
I love setting people on fire and throwing them out of a building. (Laughter) You know, it's like, I mean, it's crazy and… or flipping cars and torching them or like, you know, I have done some really crazy stuff in blowing things up or, you know, like, the special effects. And then Roza, and now we’ve got an opportunity to work on… we did the promos for the Walking Dead video games, right?
Melinda: Okay.
Marco: So that was so exciting to have like, tons of extras and zombies and then pyrotechnia and like, I mean, just big, big stuff, right? So I love all that. But then… I don’t know if you know what virtual production is?
Melinda: Sort of.
Marco: Where you have that gigantic screen and you project something. So you put the talent, and there's a big screen in the back, and then as you move the camera. There's this Parallax. So that's how they did The Mandalorian. So we got to play with it. We were going to be doing some really cool stuff in that world. And unfortunately, that project didn't happen. But it started getting me more into the big VFX. And obviously that Lil Nas video. That’s just 90% VFX, 10% practical. And so, that was a big immersive in now the technology part of filmmaking. So I really enjoy mixing all of it.
And I feel like right now, the reason I cannot fall on one side or the other is because you know us “filmmakers filmmakers” reject AI. But meanwhile, the techie and the technology loving filmmakers are starting to embrace it more. So I'm combining it. I want to combine it and create some really cool pieces. But unfortunately, we cannot use that with our mezcal (laughter) because, you know, our mezcal is all about craftsmanship and everything.
Melinda: Absolutely. And a very organic process, right?
Marco: Exactly. So that's why I’m on the fence of one side is this… one or the other.
Melinda: But that’s kind of great in a way, actually. You know, like, I love that. I love having different projects that are, you know, different genres from each other because I think they all inform each other, and you get to have, you know, these different kinds of experiences. Like, you don't have to choose only one.
Marco: Yeah. I mean, I feel like each project is its own thing.
Melinda: It’s own journey. Absolutely.
Marco: I've only done one documentary per se. Like, it was a small documentary for Jane's Addiction. It's called Replay 2020. I think it's still on Amazon, and that's just, you know, “How can I make this cool with people sitting there and talking?” You know. Or then you take this and you use… because I have used animation on music videos and then, how you mix it and interact it. One of my favorite movies ever is a film called Cool World, with Brad Pitt. I don't know if you ever saw Cool World.
Melinda: I haven't seen it. I’ll go check it out.
Marco: Oh, it's from… I think it's like, a 92/93, movie. Brad Pitt, Cool World, and/or Roger Rabbit. I mean, it's basically, you know, you're having cartoons and animation, and all that. So I feel like this new technology/AI gives you the opportunity to be creative. It is definitely reducing the gatekeepers.
Melinda: Definitely.
Marco: And then, so, I’m just excited for it all.
Melinda: Yeah. There’s so many possibilities there to explore, and I don't think… you know, I don't think we can either ignore or reject the technology, but we have to approach it, you know, with some scepticism, but see what's possible, right? Yeah. Yeah. It's not… it's not really an either/or thing. But, you know, just as you were talking, I'm sure this has occurred to you… this is probably not a new idea, but I envision possibly, speaking of documentaries, a documentary about a certain mezcalero in the future, possibly. (Laughter)
Marco: About a certain brand and how they got to start making mezcal. That’s probably going to be in the works.
Melinda: Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. My sister's actually in Oaxaca right now. So -
Marco: No way! Where?
Melinda: Yeah. She’s in the city. Yeah.
Marco: Oh. I'll have to… I need to send you a couple restaurant recommendations.
Melinda: Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. I love Oaxaca.
Marco: Yeah! Have you been?
Melinda: I've been a couple times. I actually spent a summer down there studying Spanish. Yeah. Like, years and years and years ago. And then I went back more recently. Like, I want to say, like, four or five years ago. So I was bummed I couldn't go with them this time.
Marco: We should have done this podcast in Spanish.
Melinda: I know. Yeah. (Laughter) Yeah. Yeah. So, our time’s flying by, but I like to usually end with what I call a Creativity Pro Tip.
Marco: A Creativity Pro Tip.
Melinda: Like, something people can take on their own and use, and try out. And I know we already touched on the “Figure it out” one, which is a great one. But again, back to this idea of kind of advice for people just starting out… or, you know, anything come to mind as far as like, whether it's a daily practice, or just kind of a philosophical approach that's been helpful for you?
Marco: I would say generally discipline is one of the hardest things to teach ourselves. Right?
Melinda: Yeah. Yeah.
Marco: Some are… some are born. Like, my wife is born with that… or maybe it's because it was installed in her since a very young age.
Melinda: Sure.
Marco: But. I learned that from Mike Shinoda, the singer of Lincoln Park. Like ages ago, when they were starting, I knew some of the guys from like, when they very first started. Like, early 2000s. And I remember him saying in a conversation, "It's like, you know… I lock myself on a Friday somewhere and then just write songs and songs, and songs and songs…” And he will tell the band, "Write a song, write a song, write a song. Because out of 90 songs, one will have a nice verse that will build something good.” Right?
Melinda: Absolutely.
Marco: So, I would say, if you want to get good at anything, you have to really exhaust it until you're convinced that you're for it, or you're convinced that you're not for it.
Melinda: Yeah. Absolutely.
Marco: But the only way to know that is if you really do it, you know. And I will say also, don't get… I wish someone told me this a long, long time ago. Don't get too fixated on the on other people's successes, because if you wrote one page today of whatever script or song, or whatever it is that you're trying to do, if you wrote one page today, that's counted as a success.
Melinda: That's a win.
Marco: That's a win. Could you have written two pages? That's up for you to decide. And this is then the challenge. But the only way to have a chance nowadays… because think of anything - you want to make soap, toothpaste, you want to make tacos, you want to make music, you want to… there’s a bazillion of bazillions, of bazillions of absolutely every single summit and everything. But my mother told me (when I told her I want to be a director and producer before she passed)… I said like, “Yeah, mom, but there's so much competition. How am I going to be a director?”
And she said, "Remember this: competition… excellence does not have competition.” And I ran with that. So, if you really believe it and are a disciplined person, you'll get a chance at proving yourself, that you are for it.
Melinda: Yeah. Definitely. I love that. Well, thank you so much, Marco.
Marco: Oh, no, Melinda!
Melinda: It's been such a pleasure to chat with you. And if people want to find out more about what you're up to… obviously, you know, all of your work is out there in the world on the internet. But what are the best ways for people to find you and to learn more about ONE OF US?
Marco: Thank you so much. You can go to @oneofusmezcal - that’s with a Z, mezcal - on Instagram. Or oneofusmezcal.com. And mine is pretty easy: Marco De Molina. I love to connect with people, chat, hear new ideas, and everything. And I just want to say thank you so much. It really means the world that I'm considered for your podcast.
Melinda: You know, likewise. It’s been so lovely to connect with you. And you've been so kind and open. And I really appreciate that because, you know, you don't find that every day. So, yeah. Yeah.
Marco: Yeah. Well, it's been a pleasure generally, and I know we're going to be chatting more in any time.
Melinda: Absolutely, I look forward to it. And good luck with all your ventures at the moment.
Marco: And you too. And I can't wait to hear the new music.
Melinda: Yeah! I've got a new one coming out at the end of the month, so I'll keep you posted.
Marco: Please send it.
Melinda: Yeah. Absolutely. Find and connect with us on YouTube and social media under @syncreate. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review. We're recording today at Record ATX Studios in Austin, with Marco joining us from Los Angeles. The podcast is produced in collaboration with Mike Osborne at 14th Street Studios. Thanks so much for being with us, and see you next time.
