"No—You hear that word 90% more than you hear yeses… The nos sometimes come from the people closest to you. For the last 20 years I've been told my dream is far-fetched, but the passion in me drives me… So when business people tell me no, [I say] my loved ones tell me no, and that hasn't stopped me. You're not gonna stop me either. I go knock on another door. One of them's gonna open, and they're gonna say yes." —Bert Lopez Overcoming rejection is the thread that runs through this entire conversation with San Antonio filmmaker Bert Lopez, who built a directing career out of VHS tapes, borrowed favors, and an almost unbelievable number of closed doors. This episode is for anyone chasing a dream that keeps getting told "no" — the entrepreneur, the aspiring author, the creative who's starting to wonder if the door will ever open. Bert walks through his origin story, from watching movies over the fence of a San Antonio drive-in theater as a kid, to filming his first project with his mom's VHS recorder in high school, to now producing faith-based films that stream on Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Tubi. He gets specific about the grind: for one scene in his upcoming film, he was turned down by 10 hotels before the 11th said yes. That kind of persistence, paired with a hard conversation about forgiveness, is what makes this episode land differently than the average "never give up" pep talk. Key takeaways: • Bert was rejected by 10 hotel locations before finding one willing to host a single scene — proof that the "no" is rarely the final answer. • Unforgiveness functions like a mental prison: it blocks creative output the same way writer's block does, according to Bert. • His breakout film ideas came from real pain, including a comedian friend's struggle with anxiety and depression, which became the basis for his upcoming film. • Passion projects — work done without pay, purely for the love of the craft — funded the bigger, paid productions that followed. • Bert's biggest personal takeaway from filmmaking wasn't a directing lesson; it was learning to release decades-old resentment before it could release him. • Streaming revenue from smaller films is what financed each subsequent, bigger production — a slow-build model, not an overnight one. Listen to the full episode for Bert's unfiltered take on chasing a God-given dream through years of rejection. A story of courage, passion, and the strength to keep going is coming to the big screen. Anxious Mark—Life of Emet, written and directed by Bert Lopez and Rogelio Cirillo, premieres September 5, 2026. We're thrilled to share that our very own Daniel Gomez is part of this special film. So save the date, this one's worth the wait! Be Inspired! with Daniel: Website (Makings of a Millionaire Mindset) Website (Daniel Gomez Global) Facebook Facebook Group X Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest YouTube Podcast Episode Highlights: 01:50 Meet Bert Lopez: From VHS Tapes to Movie Director 03:04 The Drive-In Theater That Sparked His Filmmaking Dream 05:00 Shooting His First Film on a Borrowed VHS Recorder 08:30 Hearing "No" 90% of the Time in Film Production 09:59 10 Hotel Rejections Before Landing the Right Location 14:25 Passion Over Skill: Where Real Grit Comes From 16:40 Inside Anxious Mark: A Faith-Based Anthology Film 21:14 The Forgiveness Lesson Bert Learned While Writing 23:00 Why Unforgiveness Locks You in a Mental Prison 28:37 What to Expect at the Anxious Mark Red Carpet Premiere
