Today we’d like to introduce you to Juan Carlos Zermeño.
Hi Juan Carlos, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I didn’t start in film.
I started at sea … offshore rigs, high-stakes logistics, oil and gas operations in Singapore.
Life as an expat sounds glamorous until you realize one deep truth:
You can climb someone else’s ladder for years… and they can still pull it out from under you.
So I came back to the States with a four-month-old baby, our suitcases, and zero guarantees. No job, no roadmap, no safety net … just the conviction that I couldn’t let someone else decide how far I get to go.
That’s when a book , Rich Dad Poor Dad, cracked open an idea that changed everything:
Don’t trade time for money.
Trade vision for freedom.
I became obsessed with the investor mindset.
Not real estate or stocks … people.
I invested in projects that moved people.
A nightlife concept that became one of the most successful entertainment venues in the city for nearly a decade …and exited.
A college built from scratch where I sat at the founder’s table , and watched lives transform.
Those wins opened a door I never saw coming.
Entertainment → Attention → Marketing → Power.
I realized every win in business is a marketing win first.
Branding. Narrative. Connection. Demand.
So I studied it relentlessly. And when digital content evolved into video, I wasn’t just paying attention…
I took the director’s chair.
I learned how to turn a camera into persuasion.
How to make brands irresistible.
How to 10x revenue not with more hustle … but with story.
But growth is a messy teacher.
Some of the same businesses I helped scale tried to cut me out , hiring my crews, copying my strategy, taking my playbook without paying for the pages.
That’s when I learned:
Intellectual property is invisible until you try to take it.
Instead of getting bitter, I got sharper.
Better systems. Better terms. Better leverage.
Trust backed by contracts. Creativity protected by law.
Then the world shut down.
COVID put productions on ice.
Budgets disappeared.
And for a moment, the dream went silent.
But I refused to let the lights go out.
I adapted. I evolved. I out-worked the pause button.
And slowly at first , then like a flood , more productions came.
Law firms. Luxury brands.
Celebrities. Athletes.
People who understood the difference between simply being seen…
…and being remembered.
That’s the momentum that led to the moment:
A surprise call.
A once-in-a-lifetime ask:
“Can you direct and produce a feature film?”
Everyone else might have said:
Too soon. Too much. Too risky.
I said:
Roll camera.
And we did.
Against the odds. Against the silence. Against the “industry standard” that says you don’t get a shot unless you’re already famous.
One director. One film. One undeniable result.
Now I’m building something bigger than content.
Bigger than campaigns.
Bigger than one movie.
A studio.
A global brand.
A legacy for my family to stand on.
Because the truth is…
I didn’t choose this path.
It chose me the moment I decided I would never let another person decide my value again.
The journey isn’t done.
Not even close.
– There are more stories to tell.
– More giants to topple.
– More limits to redefine.
This is where everything turns from “almost” into “absolutely.”
The rest?
Still being written.
By me.
One frame at a time.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a director , a producer, a visionary. I’m known for having high standards and good detailed taste in the projects I take. I’m known for executing these projects when others cannot. Of turning something that doesn’t exist into something magical. I’m probably most proud of pushing the limits in each and every project I partake in. What really sets me apart is my listening skills. Somehow I figure out how to really hone in on the one thing that can make the difference on set and eventually on the final projects themselves.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success, to me, isn’t loud.
It’s doing the things you promised yourself you’d do ,especially when no one’s watching.
I write my commitments down because the mind can make excuses… but ink doesn’t forget.
Yes, financial freedom matters. It’s the fuel that turns ideas into reality, that lets you build something from nothing and take care of the people who took care of you.
So make no mistake , being paid what you’re worth isn’t greed.
It’s part of the mission.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_c_zermeno
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18ojeJpjbT/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juan-carlos-zermeno
- Twitter: https://x.com/juancarloszero
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@markethunterz
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm15421057/
Image Credits
Arturo Alva
Nizar Richdan
Emilio Gallardo
John Paul De Stefano
