Life & Work with Reuben Abootorabi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Reuben Abootorabi.

Hi Reuben , 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?
My story has been an evolution. A series of bizarre opposites. I thought I would be a corporate guy ofr forty years and then ended up as a founder and entrepreneur. I thought I would stay in Austin and then went against the grain and ended up in LA. I thought my job was to act like a Hollywood agent and promote others and now find myself promoting my own work and creativity. I guess the old age is true, does God have a sense of humor? Tell Him your plans!

As a contrarian, I often found myself on the outside looking in. I have the ability to connect dots hidden in plain sight. Many of my greatest weaknesses growing up, I now lean on as my greatest strengths.I’m probably somewhere on the mild manic depressive scale. High high’s and low low’s. Lot’s of energy, highly sociable and extraverted, fast thinking and at times impulsive. I was never “myself” because ‘I” kept changing. I’ve used food, alcohol, relationships mostly unconsciously to soothe the heaviness when depressed, anxious, and restless.

And yet it has been precisely these qualities that have made me a great crises leader – quick on my feet and ready to seise and snatch opportunity from the jaws of defeat. Few could have predicted that these challenges expanded my leadership capabilities. Only someone who has known and faced despair with themselves can find hope in seemingly hopeless situations, where courage often fail others, and who’s spirit burns the brightest when facing insurmountable odds, has the inner fortitude to carry on, inspire, create, and enroll others in a vision for victory that carries the day. And finally, only someone who has faced the dark clouds of depression has the empathy hard wired to understand someone else’s pain and vulnerabilities as a fellow traveler through the valley of despair.

The world is going through crises after crises. They are coming upon us with greater frequency. We need leaders who have faced their own hells to take a stand and spot the possible when all is shaking and the pressure is rising. This is my finest hour, our finest hour, and as a creative, the greatest canvass to create on in human history.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Struggles are the key. Opportunity often comes disguised as problems. Adversity is life’s weightlifting class. Pain purifies and clarifies. There is joy in struggle. Patience builds value. At any given time, I am one conversation away from the next breakthrough.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a creator, executive producer, and showrunner, I am at the intersection of business and entertainment. My companies use entertainment to teach and inspire audiences to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset to challenge the status quo, do more with less, and dream bigger. We custom-produce business experiences that immerse audiences in the market with no risk, allowing them to test what is possible, stress-test outcomes, and build winning coalitions. In other words, we rock ’em, pop ’em, and shock ’em into becoming leaders who drive results and create outcomes under tremendous pressure without betting the farm or risking their careers.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
There is no cooler town than LA! It’s a hodgepodge of global culture, trendsetters, influencers, empathy, and creativity—a place where dreamers can swing for the fences. It boasts the best food on the planet, and you can play on the beach in the morning and hit the slopes in the afternoon. It’s beautiful, gritty, wealthy, poor, and everything in between. If you’re sick and tired of cookie-cutter living, LA welcomes you with open arms!

Contact Info:

• Website: theaustin,agency
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reubenabootorabi/

Image Credits
Please use the same images I sent you last time.