Zane Hampton shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Zane, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Honestly, watching WWE with my kids. My son is 11 months old now and even without teeth he can do the Roman Reigns symbol “putting his finger in the air” and the “yeet” on command. It’s some of the funniest moments in my life watching him and my other two kids act out the performances and enjoy something ridiculous and fun. With the pressure of work, it’s a really valuable escape for me.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Zane Hampton, but everybody calls me Lucky. Predominantly I am a Film Director who came to LA from Colorado. I only ever discovered film because my grandparents told me the only way I could stay in their house was to go to college. So I went to film school, got the bug, and started making movies. To date I’ve released 2 features, multiple documentaries, and somewhere are 50 short films in my ten years in indie cinema. It’s my life, my passion, and my career outside of teaching boxing out in Hollywood. As we grow my whole movement in film is about creating the product not talking about it or putting it in limbo, and thus I am very blessed to have begun to open that door with larger productions and actual budgets. As a blessing and a curse, the goal is to bring the quality and importance on art back to indie cinema.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
From a young age I wanted to be a soldier. At thirteen I jumped off a roof into a dumpster and tacoed my back, and didn’t find out until I was 16 that I had broken my back and caused serious damage. Still angry and rebellious to the world I wanted to fight. Couldn’t be a soldier so I thought I’d box. I ended up working so hard I collapsed at the bag and hurt my back and was out for six months. I got out of that and said “well boxing ain’t it what about cage fighting” like that was a good idea. I ended up getting a fight scheduled in Montana. I was 160lbs and was told to cut down to 145 in a month. I did so very unhealthy (had no idea what I was doing) and then a week out they said that fighter dropped out, could I do 135? Determined and young and stupid I said sure but I don’t know how and those around me at the time said to just sweat it out on the drive and spit. That week was torture but before we went out I was rolling around with a green beret who tore my shoulder and (to what the doctors said) ended my fight career. Depressed, unsure of what to do, I had film but it wasn’t yet a career. I struggled for a long time, eventually gaining success in film and being able to commit to it, I still wanted to fight. With dieting and PT I was able to bring the shoulder back and eventually compete, but it always tears, it’s always excruciating, and I have been forced to learn that it isn’t for me. Before the world told me I was a director, I was a fighter.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering is something I am extremely familiar with. Physically and emotionally and mentally. The industry is hard, and cruel, and those around you will cut your throat and kill your opportunity even if it kills their own because they just don’t want you to have it. That is brutal, but it opens your eyes. Emotionally, people abuse you, betray you, change on you, and at the same time you also change on them. My friends who I thought I would always be around, I had to leave in order to accomplish my goals, that suffering also opens your eyes. And physically, the pain is easy to fall into, to roll over and give in especially when its physical because then usually its sharp… but it teaches what you can handle. The suffering is not just a lesson but a motivator. Without suffering you can’t change and you won’t change, with it you can become what you dream of and also use it to realize you are going in the right direction, for you. For me, suffering is a tool as crazy as that sounds, but without suffering I wouldn’t be where I am with my family and my career. I would go through all the suffering of my life ten fold to be where I’m at with what I have, suffering in some cases is worth it.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is a lot harsher than the real me because I am extremely direct and professional. My wife and I met in a boxing gym where I was her trainer. Eventually we became friends outside of the gym and then fell in love. She still is shocked that I am so goofy and silly compared to what she met at the gym. Outside of the public I am extremely peaceful, love to laugh, dance, eat chicken nuggets, and goof off all the time. In the public, I’m a professional.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I had ten years left to live I’d stop worrying about money. I would focus on my kids and giving them everything I can offer. All the knowledge, the creativity, the time. We would create things together and that would be my prime focus. To create and be with my family for every bit of time left.
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