What Should I Be | Transcript

TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW

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Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:00:08): Welcome everyone. My name is Julia Widdop and I'm an Interviewer with What Should I Be. If you'd like to get more information about What Should I Be, please visit our website at www.WhatShouldIBe.me. We provide complete and free access to a wide variety of interviews, spanning many different careers from all over the world. Today I'm speaking with Sheyla Hicks, and she's a Journalist and Actress from Nashville, Tennessee. Sheyla is originally from Cuba, where she worked as a Band Manager, Music Teacher, and Producer. Why don't we start out, Sheyla, by having you tell us a few things about yourself and your work?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:00:54): Well, thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to meet you. I am, as you said, from Cuba. I've been here twelve years, and I really, really love what I do. I do different things. I own a Company, Paz Communications, which produces music videos and video products in general, but mainly a TV Show and now is online. So I get to do translations and, mostly, I work on my own time; and that's what I love about it.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:01:34): Okay, and could you describe a typical day for someone in your field?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:01:39): Well, it depends on what I have on my schedule. Most of the time, if I don't have to go out and do an interview, I'll be sitting here, at my desk, editing the videos of the interviews that I've done, or I'm writing some articles about some artist that has been sent to me by the PR person. But there are days that are very hectic when I have to film several things in one day, so those days it's like I'm out all day and then, when I come home, I'm like: "I don't even want to look at the computer." But ninety percent of the time, I'm here, editing those videos, or sometimes I'm traveling. Like I went to LA for the Oscars, so I was there five days. So, I was able to do interviews, and I have a laptop with Final Cut, so I took my laptop and edit that day after we did the interviews and post it. So, day-to-day it's very different.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:02:40): What about a typical week? Can you describe a typical week?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:02:45): Oh my gosh, a typical week will be: I get up everyday at 6AM. I'll be at the gym by seven. You know, looking good is good. It's important for this job. And then, if I don't have any appointments, I'll be doing all the press releases; editing. That will be my typical week.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:03:11): Okay. And you meet with your clients, I assume.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:03:16): Yes. Yes, I meet with the clients whenever they need me. I'm always available on the phone with them if they need to call and ask any questions. I always have my phone right next to me, so I can answer. And that's a cool thing. You know, I work with my clients on their own time or on my own time. So, it's not like it's a set plan, you know? Like right now, I'm working with a restaurant that's opening their second venue - a second restaurant -, so he needs a menu, so I'm working on that. And I have told him twice already, "Hey, can I meet you? I need you to review what I'm doing, so I can go forward," and he said, "Yeah, I know. I'm busy." So I said, "Well, let me know." So, it's on his own time, so it doesn't depend on me. Now I'm waiting for him to tell me what's the next step. And when it's about doing videos for the client, again, it depends. What is their schedule, and fitting their needs, and making our schedules work together.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:04:24): And what would you say your title is?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:04:28): I am an Entrepreneur for sure. I think, mostly, I love to entertain people, and that's why I love acting so much. And when I get those calls to work as an actress, I always make sure that I go and do it, because I love, love, love being in front of the camera.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:04:52): Okay. So your ultimate goal is to be an actress.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:04:56): I guess you could say that. I'm getting a lot of that right now. A lot of work as an actress. I just shot a commercial last week for a company in Texas, so I'm their spokesperson because their lawyer doesn't speak Spanish, so I can take advantage of that. And I have been working in the show, Nashville. I don't know if you've heard it.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:05:24): No.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:05:25): It's a show. Nashville. I've been working on there. Since it's being shot here, in Nashville, I get a lot of calls. So I'll be working there next week for two days.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:05:37): And what do you do there?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:05:39): It depends. Every time they call, it's a different role, so I've been a tour manager assistant. I've been a bar person. So, next week I'll be playing an industry person, meaning the music business person, which is somewhat I'm in that kind of business, so it kind of fits in. And it's really cool because I get to hang out with big actors, and the production team is really nice, and I get to learn new things just by watching. So it's really exciting to be on the set.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:06:14): And how long have you been doing this?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:06:18): I started acting since, I think, 2003. And that's how I ended up doing television, which was a suggestion by my husband that I could do this, because I like to entertain. And I was already in the music business, so it was easier, you know, to transition into it.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:06:41): Okay. So, you just kind of fell into it, it sounds like.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:06:46): Yeah. Yeah, it was a mass event. You know, (Unclear 6:50.8) that I got to do acting and modeling. And then, one thing led to the other one and then I got an agent, and then I kept getting calls, and I was like: "Yeah, I like this. I like this. I really enjoy it."

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:07:07): So, when you were young, like middle school, what did you think you would be?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:07:13): I always knew, since I was a little kid, that I was going to be an entertainer because I was doing that in school. I was singing in the events that were (Unclear 7:24.9) every Friday for the school, and I was dancing. And you know, I always wanted to be the center of attention. And then, when I wanted to study music, my mom and my grandparents said no. They said, "Musicians make no money," you know? It's like: "I want to be a musician." So, when I turned fourteen years old - ninth grade -, in Cuba the education system is different, so you can choose a career in ninth grade or you can go to high school and then pick a career right after high school. So, in ninth grade, they came to the school with all the different careers - the opportunities that were available then. So I said, "Okay, this is my chance." So I went and signed up to be a schoolteacher because there was no other option to be a musician since my mom didn't want me to study music. So, I did the first year as a schoolteacher class, and then I found out, in the middle of the year, that I could study music in the same school.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:08:41): Oh, okay.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:08:42): So, I said, "Okay, this is it. Nobody can tell me no more that I can't do this." So, the following year, I switched careers within the same school.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:08:52): Oh, okay.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:08:54): The hardest thing about it is that you have to do high school classes along with the career classes. So I had like twelve classes a day.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:09:04): Oh my goodness.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:09:06): And I was in boarding school, so it was really hard. But I knew that that's what I wanted to do, and I've been doing it for a long time. I worked in the band for six years, and I was really happy, and performing here and there, and managing the band. You know, it was fun, you know, to do that.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:09:28): What did you play?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:09:29): The career instrument was the guitar, and I can't remember it anymore because I didn't have my own guitar, so I always used the one that would belong to the other members of the group. And then, I sang and then I played Guiro, which is a Cuban instrument that's played like this. So, it makes its own sound for the salsa music, but when I came here, I told my husband I wanted to learn how to play piano. And I have a piano right here in my office, so I studied piano three years.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:10:06): Okay. So, did you go to college too?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:10:12): Well, when I studied my career to become a music teacher, that's kind of like college.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:10:19): Oh, okay.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:10:19): But I did it early. At eighteen I was done, so I started working at nineteen.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:10:25): You started working at nineteen.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:10:27): Yes. Yes.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:10:28): And you started right away in the entertainment field.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:10:31): Yeah. Yeah. I taught music for three years. Kindergarten, and then I said, "Okay, time for me to go the path that I wanted to," and that's how I ended up doing the band. I auditioned to sing in a band and I was picked, and I worked in the band six years. And then that's how I met my husband; that he was there vacationing in Cuba, and then, for the last two years that I was in Cuba, when we were dating, I was doing solo performances in Cuba. So that was fun. Every night go sing in different venues.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:11:11): That's amazing. Isn't that a very competitive field?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:11:16): Yes, it is, especially when you are in Cuba and the opportunities are very limited. But you know, I managed my way in. You know, I would go to places and I said, "Here's my tape. Can you let me sing here," and they would say yes. And I learned my tricks when I was in the band, because that was part of my job; to look for jobs for the band. So, I kind of learned how to sell, you know, the band. So I learned that part of the business; how to be a salesperson because that's what's going to open the door for you. You don't say this is what I do and I need you to hire me, you know? So, I learned that.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:12:08): So you learned that while working for the band. Did you just start out cold?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:12:11): No, actually, we had a phone at home, but I actually had to go to the venue. Sat there for hours, wait for the manager, and say, "Look, we have this band," and I would have a tape. And you know, the round. It's not like a CD or a cassette tape. It was one of those round ones that went like this. So, I would go with that in my hand, and most of the venues would have a record player. So I could show them and play the record, but most of the time I wouldn't even have to use it. I would just go and say, "We have a band with these many pieces in the band. We have dancer and blah, blah, blah," and they would say, "Okay, you start at this time." So, that's how I did it. And I walked a lot of miles to get work just for the band.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:13:09): And did they pay you? How was the pay?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:13:12): They pay was, because I had to do the paperwork too, I had to go to our company that represented us, and they would give me this sheet with our names on it, and then it would have a calendar. And then I would mark an X wherever the days that we worked, and we were paid by performances. And then the days that we were paid, I would go pick up the money and go to my home, and all the band members would be there and I would pay them. So that's the way it worked.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:13:43): Oh, okay.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:13:44): So, it's not like they gave you a check. No, there is cash.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:13:51): So what would you advise a young person to be who wants to be an entertainer? What would you advise them to do?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:13:58): Just go for it. If that is your dream, just go for it, and make sure that you do whatever you can to open your own doors. I always say when one door closes ten open for you. It's not like it's the end of the world. You know, there's going to be hardship. There are going to be people that are going to be really on your face and tell you things the way they are, and you might not like it, but you might learn something from it and go forward with it. If you're passionate about being an entertainer, just go for it and make your dream happen. If it's in your head, you can bring it to your hands.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:14:32): Okay. And what do you think was the biggest challenge you faced in this field?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:14:38): Oh my gosh. One of the biggest challenges I think was transportation in Cuba because we all depend, in Cuba, on public transportation or somebody gives you a ride. You know, hitchhiking. And that's how I got really bad feet, because I had to walk a lot of times to get to where I wanted to go because sometimes people didn't want to give you a ride or I didn't have the money to pay for the bus. So, I think that was one of the biggest challenges for me, trying to pursue my career in Cuba. But you know, at the end, that's the way we had to do it. There was no other option. And it was definitely not a shock. Well, kind of a shock, you know, when I came here, because I came from having nothing to having it all. You know? And my husband says, "Well, you know, you have to drive." And I was like: "What do you mean I have to drive?" I was scared to death to drive because I never drove in my life. So, now I do see that driving is very important in this country.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:15:48): Yeah.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:15:48): It took me about two years to get my drivers license because I was really scared.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:15:54): Yeah.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:15:55): And he would say, "You know, it's just like riding a bike." It's like: "No, it's not."

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:16:03): No, it's not.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:16:04): No, it's not. And then he says, "Yes, it is," and then now I make jokes about it because it kind of is, you know, because you just get on it, you don't think about it, and you just go. You know? So, that's what he was trying to tell me. You know, it's you don't have to think about it. You just get in the car and you go wherever you have to go. But it was quite an adjustment to get to having no car to have a car, to have a house, to have a phone -- I mean to have all this, you know? Because I didn't have none of this.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:16:35): Yeah.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:16:35): It was interesting.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:16:39): I bet. I think a lot of things are like; that you have to think about it a lot when you're learning it.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:16:44): Yes, especially when you're in a new culture and you're trying to adjust to the new culture. And one of the biggest challenges for me was the clothing, because in Cuba it's summer 24/7. You know, it's hot all the time and, in here, you have really, really seasons. You have the winter, which is extreme. You have the summer, which is extreme. And you can really notice the differences. In Cuba, you don't. You know, when February comes, it gets a little chilly and people loved it because they get to get a break from the hot weather, from the heat. But in here, it's just like: "Oh my God, what am I going to wear?" And then I wanted to wear something summer-like and my husband is like: "You can't wear that. You're going to freeze."

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:17:35): So your manage challenges were getting used to the new culture more than the new job.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:17:42): Yeah. No, because my passion was still there and I was still trying to pursue my passion, which was music. And I did pursue it for three years, until the acting kind of fell on my lap. But the challenges for me were adjusting to everything that was new in my life. You know, from being single, to getting married, you know, kind of overnight basically to having a house with everything that you need in it, because we didn't have everything in Cuba. And to having my own piano, which I never had, to being in a room recording. I mean everything was like wow. It was overwhelming, you know?

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:18:26): Wow.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:18:27): Even the food! Even the food. We went to Kroger's and I was taking pictures of everything, because we didn't have that much food around. And he took me to Walgreens. You know that in Cuba it's hardly you find an aspirin at the pharmacy?

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:18:46): Really?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:18:47): And when he took me to Walgreens and I saw all that and wouldn't stop crying, and he said, "What's wrong, baby?" I said, "Look at this. I wish my mom could see this," you know? So, it was a challenge.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:19:01): I bet. What about breaking into acting? What was the biggest challenge for you with that?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:19:09): I don't know if I had any challenges with it because I was getting a lot of calls and I'd been in several films, but I hadn't gotten yet to be that big acting role. So, it's definitely a long road ahead, but I'm having fun with it. You know? I just signed a contract with a manager and PR person, so hopefully he'll get me more of that, and he'd been sending me auditions. So that will be great to get more real parts instead of being an extra. I just got one small part. I was the lead in a short film, but it's not published yet because it was for a competition. So, I cannot say, "Okay, I was a lead in this film," because it's not available to the public yet.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:20:08): Right.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:20:10): And I just play a part as myself - a reporter and a journalist - in a feature film called Elizabeth. And it's in postproduction right now, so the Director told me: "You look great. You did amazing," so I'm really excited about that one because it's the first real part that I have in a feature film.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:20:34): Oh, okay. So, you're kind of just starting out.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:20:36): Yeah, I am. I'm kind of like emerging into the film business right now, even though I've been doing production for a while and been acting for a while, but it has been small parts. So, it's not discouraging, but it's a long road ahead.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:20:54): And how might a young person get involved in even the small parts?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:20:59): Well, first of all, you have to sign with agent to get you the parts, or you know, just go online. There is the Tennessee Film Commission or the different film commissions around the country. In each State, they post bulletin boards. They have a bulletin board where they post the casting calls, or there are a lot of agencies online. Like I'm on two agencies. One is ExploreTalent.com, and I have a profile that, so I get a lot of casting calls from that, and On Location Castings. That's where I get my calls for the show Nashville. And different, you know, recommendations from people that know that I do this.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:21:44): Okay. What might be a sign that this wouldn't be a good field for someone?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:21:53): That's a good question. Well, I think the best way to find out is to film yourself and see if you can do something funny. If you see that people like what you do. You know, some people know what they like to do. Some people have that feeling like: "Okay, I'm passionate about this." So, when you discover that passion, you have to go for it. But not everybody knows what they want or what their skills are until later on. But I think that people, during their teenage years, kind of have an idea of what they want, or what they really like, or what they're really falling in love with. So, that's what I think would be the key. To watching for those things that make you; that attract you to it more and more.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:22:47): And you originally wanted to be a musician. At what point did you realize that you really wanted to be an actress?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:22:55): I think after my husband pointed out that I could do it. You know, he said, "You look good on camera, so you have to pursue that." And I was like: "Hmm, that's sounds like a good idea." I became a business owner by accident too, because I asked somebody else to produce the show that I was doing. And then he didn't want to do it anymore, but I felt passionate about being on camera and not knowing the business and how it worked, so I just went downtown and got me a business license and taught myself how to do it.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:23:34): How did you do that? Did you go online?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:23:37): No, I didn't. First, my husband called a friend and asked about that. I was interested in getting into the film business, and what would he recommend what kind of equipment to buy and all that, so he gave him a few pointers. So, we went and looked it up, and then we bought the camera and filming software - the editing software. And he actually helped me go through the process of learning how to use the camera. And I remember the first thing that we shot. He drove me down I-65s, where you see Downtown Nashville, and I stood on the seat and I filmed, over the roof of the car, Downtown Nashville. So, that was the intro to the show. I look back at it now and I say, "What was I thinking?"

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:24:36): But it worked, it sounds like.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:24:38): For a while, you know, until I learned how to be more sophisticated, you know? I spent a lot of hours here, on the computer, learning how to use Photoshop, how to use Motion, which is the program that creates motions on photos, and things like that. And I spent a lot of hours on the books - how to use Final Cut -, but you know, when you're learning a language, it's hard to learn something. But when you have to learn how to edit in another language, that is even more difficult because it's like you're learning another dictionary to your vocabulary.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:25:19): Yeah.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:25:20): I can't understand the book. Even though I read it top to bottom, I've read it three times, and I'm looking at the program and I'm reading the book, I was like: "I don't get it." Well, I sat there and messed around and clicked on every button, and then everything that was available on the software, and then: "Oh, that does that. Oh, this is cool. Oh, I like this." So, that's how I learned how to use it.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:25:45): That's how I learned software too. What do you think the range of pay is for someone that's just starting out as an actor or actress? When they're in this point where you are now, what can they expect to make?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:26:03): Well, it depends on the budget of the production. It's now what you want to be paid at the beginning, unless you are someone already. It's what budget the production has to pay the actors. You know? So, I've been paid eight hundred dollars. I've been paid two hundred and fifty dollars. I've been paid three hundred dollars. It depends on what is the budget. So, you go in, thinking: "Oh, I'm going to make a hundred dollars an hour," forget it, you know? You just have to go: "Okay, how much does he pay? How many hours you're going to be there," and you're willing to spend those many hours, waiting in the room for your turn to be in front of the camera. And for me, it was a no-brainer because I work on my own time. I do what I like. And if I don't get enough pay for the job as an actor, then I get a production. You know, I get a video production. I get a translation. I get a modeling for something. A photo shoot. A speaking engagement. I get other things. So, you cannot only marry to one thing.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:27:15): Okay.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:27:16): Unless you're willing to travel to other cities and get the job wherever. Like I met a couple actors recently that they drove three hours from another city, or four hours from another city, to just be paid sixty-four dollars a day. And paid the hotel, and then drove back the next day. And I said, "That is not worth it for me."

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:27:43): But they thought it was worth it to get that exposure.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:27:46): For them it was like: "Yeah, I'm willing to do it," so that's good for them, you know? They may have another job that pays them more, and then it kind of like evens out. But you know, I think that's the way you open your doors too. The more you have on your resume, the more you're likely to get more jobs. So, that's the way I look at it too.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:28:08): So, it's a process of building up a resume.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:28:11): Building up the resume. What are your experiences?

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:28:15): Okay. What do you love most about what you're doing?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:28:21): What do I love the most about it? Oh man, I learn so much. I learn so much, because I'm not a school actor or a school producer. Every time I go into a set, I'm like taking it all in. And how they set the lights, and how the actor reacts to, you know, the main character. How do they react to this line or that line, and how do they interact? And how the director directs and how they do the props. And I'm taking it all in. So, that's why, for me, it's a learning experience more than being an actor. You know, because I cycle into these gigs; I add not only another part on my resume, but I add a learning experience for my own company that I can apply later on in other productions that I'm doing.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:29:19): Okay, so you're kind of doing a dual career here.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:29:22): Yes. Yes.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:29:26): Okay. And what do you like least about what you do?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:29:30): Huh, I think what I like least is when I had to sit down here many hours to edit, because I like more to be in front of the camera than being behind.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:29:46): Okay.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:29:46): But you know, it's kind of funny because once I get the product done and I see my piece, I feel like - I don't know. I feel like I'm proud of what I just did, you know? And I get creative with it, and I think about part of the process I really enjoy.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:30:08): Okay. What might be a sign for a young person that the field they're thinking about is not for them, or if they were thinking about being an actor/actress, what might be a sign that it really isn't a good fit?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:30:27): What is the sign? Huh. I'll tell you this story. My best friend, who her son is in NYU right now. He's graduating this year. And she thought that he was going to study marketing or something. Something about business. And then, one day, he came home and said to her: "Oh, I think I want to study film for a while," and she said, "No way. You think or you're really passionate about it. If you really would like to pursue it, let me know and we'll go ahead with it, but don't tell me I'm going to do this for a while, and then change your mind and do something else." What does your gut tell you? And he said, "I really love doing films. I think I want to direct," and she said, "Okay, let's go on and do it." So, you're thinking about entertaining that idea, go on for it. But if it's not something that you really feel like it's the right thing or, you know, you have that 'eh, I don't know', just don't do it. Just don't do it because it won't lead to anything good. You're going to be miserable.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:31:47): So, if you're being pushed to be a teacher--

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:31:49): And you don't feel the passion for it, don't do it, because you're going to be miserable at that job.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:31:57): And you probably won't do a good job.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:31:58): Exactly. Exactly. It won't be good for you or for the kids either.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:31:06): If you could've done anything differently or additionally from the time you first started working toward what you're doing now, what would that be?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:32:15): Got me a mentor.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:32:18): Get you a mentor. Okay.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:32:19): I had no mentors and I really had a hard time getting my company off. You know, get that really kick-start. But you know, I had the support of my husband and he helped me a lot in the beginning, trying to understand the mechanics of it and how to get ahead. But he's not in the film business, so he was like: "Oh, I don't understand that. Oh, I don't." So, sometimes I'd end up explaining to him how things worked. You know, instead of it being the other way around. So, I wish I had a mentor that walked me through the steps of how to start a business and how to build a business, but I've been doing it now for seven years almost, so when I get the call to go to speak to the kids in school, or to mentor somebody, or I had quite a few kids here in my office that wanted mentorship, so I'm like; "Yeah, of course. Come on over and I'll teach you whatever you need to learn." You know, I love that role because I feel like I needed that, so if I needed that, I know that somebody else needs that too.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:33:38): So, you're willing to talk to kids about this.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:33:40): Yeah. Yeah, definitely.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:33:43): And can you recommend any books that might read on becoming an actor? Have you read anything?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:33:48): No. I'm reading, right now, I think Steve Jobs' book. The biography. And I really would recommend them to read it. It's a techie book. If you don't know anything about technology or technical terms, it would be a hard read, but it's really what explains how he got where he got.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:34:16): Okay, and what was that again?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:34:18): Steve Jobs - the founder of Apple.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:34:20): Okay. Okay. All right. And do you subscribe to any particular magazines in your field?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:34:28): Oprah.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:34:29): Oprah.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:34:31): I even have the journal from Oprah. I have a few quotes here from some of her shows that I watch. She has a Life Class and she has Master Class, and she has some inspirational shows that I watch. So I've been writing down the ones that kind of strike me the most, and I have one here from Lyanla Vanzant that said, "Pay attention inwards now." So, that's a really good one because you cannot focus your attention so much about others that you forget about you. So you have to think what is in here. What drives you? What is it that you want to do in life? So that's why she says pay attention inward now. What is in here? What drives you? And the other day, I was going through it and I saw the first one that I wrote from Tony Robbins that said, "Life happens for me, not to me." And that really made me think a lot about my life because I had a period in my life where I was so lonely, so lost, and I didn't know what to do with my life. I didn't know how to go forward from there. I didn't know there was anything good that was going to happen for me. And you know, I had a lot of time to think about my life, and I don't know if you know about the Malecón de la Habana. You know, the wall. In Havana City, there is a wall that protects the city from the ocean.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:36:17): Okay.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:36:17): That's called the Malecón. So, I would sit there every afternoon and look at the sun when it was coming down. And I would cry. I would laugh. I would sing. I mean it was like so many emotions going on with me at that time that I would sit there for hours and praying and asking God: "Give me a sign." What is it that I have to do with my life? So, everything that happened in my life happened for a reason. You know, and that's why I'm here today.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:36:55): So, did you get a specific sign, or things just started happening?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:36:59): Things started happening slowly. Like when I met my husband in Cuba, I was like: "Oh my God, I would do anything for that man," you know? It was like, you know, butterflies coming up and down my stomach and that feeling here, and I was like: "Okay. Okay." And you know, he's never promised me anything that he was going to marry me or anything. He just felt that he wanted to help me, and he wanted to be around me, and I felt the same thing. You know? So, we dated two years long distance, and then, when I finally came, we had three months to get married. And still, he was like: "Well, I still don't know." He still didn't know he wanted to marry me. And I said, "Well, if we're not going to get married, I'm going home, because I don't know anybody. I just got here. I came here for you. You know, if I'm not going to be with you, I'm going home." So that's when he decided: "Okay, I cannot let you go. I want to be with you." So, I think that's why my path was to be here.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:38:13): And he lived in Nashville.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:38:15): Yes. Yes.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:38:17): Okay.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:38:17): Looking back on my life, when I was about sixteen years old, I had a boyfriend back then and my brother-in-law said to me, "You know, you're never going to be happy with my brother. You're never going to be happy in this city or in this town. You either have to move to another city or to another country to be happy."

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:38:43): Why?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:38:45): I don't know why he told me that, but that's what he told me when I was about sixteen years old. And when I got married to Kenny, we went back and I said to him, "This is my husband. Thank you so much for your advice."

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:39:01): Because it turned out perfectly.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:39:02): It turned out perfect, yes.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:39:05): Well, Sheyla, I'd like to ask you to just take us through the story of your life relating to how you got to where you are today. Basically, a detailed description of the road that you traveled.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:39:19): Oh my God. You have the whole day, right?

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:39:24): Yes. Yes, I do.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:39:28): Oh my God. Well, I was born in a small town called Mayari in Santiago de Cuba. And it's in the country - very small town in Cuba, and I grew up there with my grandparents until I was thirteen years old. Then I moved to the city with my mom. I lived with my mom until I got in boarding school to start my career, and then I started working when I was eighteen. I moved to the big city in Havana when I was twenty-one years old, and it was because I had an accident and I had to have surgery on my knee. So that took me to Havana, where I went and I had surgery, and then I met somebody and I stayed. And then I looked, and I saw that as an opportunity to pursue more of what I wanted as a musician. I want to be in the music industry. And after I was well enough that I was given the okay by the doctor that I was one hundred percent with my knee, I started looking and pursuing my career again; and that's how I ended up in a band. When I was in the band that's how I met my husband. He was in Cuba, visiting, and I was playing with the band in the same hotel he was staying. So, that's how we met. And I know I'm leaving a lot of details out, but you know, it's a long story, so I'm trying to make it short and sweet. Of course, life happens to you not like a piece of cake. I went through ups and downs, and being poor in Cuba and not having any good shoes, or having to put a tape over it because you had a hole in it. And there were many nights where I went to bed without eating because we didn't have any food or we didn't have any money to buy food. But all those experiences taught me who I am today. I am a very grateful person, and I am so grateful that God put me in front of Kenny, and that we met and we fell in love, and that we are here today, twelve years later, happily married, and that I had the opportunity to have my own business that not everybody gets to do that, but you can do it, you know? And do whatever I want basically everyday. You know, I get up feeling good everyday. I workout. I'm vegetarian. I eat a healthy diet. And I come and go as I please, and make time to hang out with my husband and go dancing Friday nights.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:42:16): So your knee doesn't stop you from going dancing.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:42:18): Oh, no, no, no, no. That's the deal. I do whatever I want. He just wants Friday nights and I said, "You got it."

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:42:28): Okay. Well, can you think of anything else? Any kind of tips you can give young people about choosing a career, and especially if they're considering anything in entertainment?

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:42:43): Well, stay focused. It's the best things I can say. And don't get distracted by the gangs on the street, or by: "Oh, my friend wants me to go to the movies." I mean you can do a lot of fun things with your friends, but don't get distracted by the things that can harm you instead of help you. Most of the things that I talk about with the kids here, in middle school, is that some of them are hanging out with gang members, and some of them get beaten or get raped, or get, you know, involved in drugs. And that is not something for you. Just leave those things out of your life and live a healthy lifestyle. And focus on your studies because, if you have a career, you're set up for life. You know? I know that it's hard sometimes when you're poor. You don't have enough money to pursue your dreams. But the arts I think is the best weapon for the students who stay focused because it has something extra for them to get excited about. If you want to be a painter, paint. If you want to be a seamstress, sew. If you want to be a guitar player, play guitar. You know? If you want to do videos, just film all the time and practice. Practice, practice, and practice makes perfect. You know, so don't waste your free time on things that you're going to regret later. Focus your free time on doing what you love. If you love the arts, pursue the arts.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:44:26): Okay. Well, thank you so much for being with us today. I appreciate it.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:44:32): Thank you for having me. I appreciate that too.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:44:35): Okay. So we'll talk to you later.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:44:38): Thank you so much, and you have a wonderful afternoon.

Julia Widdop (Interviewer: 00:44:41): You too. Bye-bye.

Sheyla Paz Hicks (Interviewee: 00:44:42): Bye-bye.