We had the good fortune of connecting with Jason Vaile and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jason, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I try to never take myself too seriously. If you fail, make fun of your own failure. Laugh at it, brush it off, and move on. If you keep the environment fun and lighthearted, people won’t treat it like work. Most people don’t have passion for work.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve written over twenty eight short films, award-winning features, and children’s television. I balance that with being Vice President of a Dallas home building company. It’s difficult to find consistent paying screenwriting jobs, so I treat it more like a hobby. Which has its plus and minuses. It’s taken a long time to get regular writing jobs but I love building houses and can’t imagine ever giving that up.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The first stop would be at Cavender’s Boot City so my friend can get their feet firmly planted in Texas boots. Next stop would be Mia’s Tex Mex to get a few world famous brisket tacos and wash them down with a margarita. My friend would be visiting during the Texas World Fair so we’d take in some rides, more food (fried preferably) and live music. Then we’d take the short drive to Fort Worth and do some boot scootin’ at Billy Bob’s. We’d finish the trip up with a gorgeous Texas sunset over White Rock Lake.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There were two women especially influential in shaping me as a person, and they were both teachers: Mrs. Debbie Bouton and Mrs. Sara McCombs. I was a bit of a troublemaker and going through some difficulties at home. A frustrated Mrs. Bouton took me out of her high school algebra and dragged me down to Mrs. McCombs’ theater art class and told her to “focus my energy.” Both women spent personal time and finances keeping me out of trouble by focusing my creativity.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jvaile/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrpenhead
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jason.vaile

Image Credits
Image 1 and 5: Paulina Gwaltney Image 2: Tabitha Gray

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