Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlos Manuel.
Hi Carlos Manuel, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was originally born in Santiago, Chile, but then moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, where I would spend the next 10 years of my life growing and learning many of the values I hold today. My family and I moved to Texas back in 2008. There I managed to expand my world view in such a way that would’ve not been possible if I had stayed in Mexico. From there, I managed to get my first bachelor of business degree in marketing at the University of Texas in Arlington, where I use those skills today to do the social media marketing for United Studios of Self Defense at Magnolia and Social Dance Studio 45 in The Woodlands, as well as how to market myself in the realm of my second degree. While I stayed in the University of Texas At Arlington, I also managed to acquire a bachelor of fine arts in acting performance and I use those skills today to perform on camera for countless of films, shorts, TV shows, and advertisements filming around the Texas area. Through that world, I also managed to meet a lot of people that are as creative as they are talented, who have helped me in bettering my craft and at striving to always aim for the stars. Today, aside from working in the world of marketing and film acting, I am currently working to acquire a bachelor of science in nursing at Sam Houston State University so then I make my day job be something that allows me to help people while still pursuing my creative endeavors.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve mentioned this before, but to say that this has been a smooth road would be an absolute lie. As I went on this path that I chose with all the opportunities that I’ve gained, the so-called “master plan“ had to be reworked so many times that I lost track of how many times it had to be done. One minute I think that my life’s gonna head one way, but then something happens that makes me have to think differently or deviate for my path entirely.
Goals had to be pushed back, places that I’ve grown to love had to be left behind, people that have been near and dear to my heart had to leave my life either out of their own vocation or due to an untimely death. There were a lot of times where I felt so overwhelmed that I was starting to wonder what the point of it all was. I would see people around me who have already settled and made something of themselves while I was still feeling that I was heading somewhere rather than already being there.
But I think that’s why they call it “trust the process“. All these different struggles I’ve had to face have led me to where I am now. Without them, I wouldn’t have strived to put my goals up into the stars. I wouldn’t have seen so many beautiful places and made a home in all of the different environments. I wouldn’t have gained so many beautiful souls that make every day worth it.
There’s something that I tell myself and I try to remember every day: whatever happened in the past mattered then because it led you to where you are now. However, it is the choices you make now that matter most because those are the choices that are gonna lead you to where you need to go.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Well, my expertise can be divided into three different fields: marketing, acting, and nursing.
When it comes to the marketing, I’ve become quite fond of social media marketing. It is an ocean of possibilities that is as vast as it is ever changing. I like making videos and taking photographs of the people that I teach (both martial arts and dancing) and capture the moments where they feel like they’re getting the most out of the class. As an instructor, it fills me with pride. And as a marketer, it makes me excited to share that with the rest of the world.
With acting, I mostly dabble a lot in film, but I also did a lot of stage acting along the way. Around the Conroe area, I’m pretty well known for my role is Cornelius Hackl in Stage Right’s rendition of Hello, Dolly! And around the Richardson area I was pretty well known for a time for my role as The Dentist in the RTC’s rendition of Little Shop of Horrors. When it comes to film, I’ve had a lot of people come to know me as Kevin Peterson in the show Smalltown Outsiders, and now I’m just sticking to doing shorts with talented filmmakers in both the Houston and Dallas areas.
In nursing, I’m well on my way to become an ICU nurse. I’ve already had a little bit of experience on the field without really asking for it as I’ve had experience working hand-in-hand with paramedics during surprise emergencies at events that I’ve attended. I feel like that experience, my eagerness to learn, in my high capacity for empathy is gonna make me a great nurse… But to be quite honest with you, I’m more concerned with making sure that my patients are well taken care of.
Honestly, there’s quite a lot of things that I’m proud of. Everything that I’ve achieved up to this point is probably something not a lot of people my age can say that they’ve done and continue to do. It’s really when I stop and think about all that I went through and all that I’ve achieved that it really starts to sink in… So I guess thanks for helping me think about it all. If there’s anything, I’m probably most proud of is the benchmarks of my academic progress. All the bachelor degree that I’ve obtained as well as the associates degree that I’ve acquired just because make me feel like I can really do anything that I set my mind to. It’s probably as close as I can feel to being unstoppable.
I think with everything that I’ve talked about, it’s pretty safe to say that I’m not exactly like everybody else. I feel like it allows me to have all these different opportunities pop up is one main thing: I don’t quit. When there’s something that I set myself out to do, I see it till the very end. I fully make sure that no matter what happens I pushed the goal I set my mind to, and then go further from that. Gonna be honest, it has gotten me hurt in the past cause some other people would probably “quit while they are ahead”… but this mindset has allowed me to reach for the stars and beyond, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I’ve mentioned this before, but there are three people in my life that I feel like deserve the most credit for where I am now.
The first person is a man named Darius Booker. He was my mentor when I was a BFA student at UTA but even after he left, he became so much more. He became my friend. He helped me find meaning in a time where I thought there was not to be found and even today we still stay in contact. We call each other at the end of every month just a recap each other on our lives and we make sure to keep that bond alive. He taught me that my feelings and emotions are not a curse, but rather a gift that I can use to help those around me.
The second person is named Kal Tshibangu. He is one of my best friends, and even though we do not share the same blood, he is my brother. He was there for me in a time where my life was falling apart, and as I broke apart, he helped me keep the pieces together. He taught me that though this world may be dark at times, just like a night sky, there are good people in this world that shine as bright as the stars.
The third person is my father, Carlos Garcia la Cadena. He’s probably been my biggest supporter since I knew how to walk or talk. He’s been there for me more times that I can count, and though we butt heads here and there, I’m still very much proud to be his son. He taught me how to be the man I am today.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecarlosmanuelcadena/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialCarlosManuelCadena
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlosmanuelcadena
- Twitter: https://x.com/cadenacarlosm
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@carlosmanuelcadena
Image Credits
CMC Headshots
