Henry Woodman Of Anemoia Media: Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second Chapter Of My Life

An Interview With Wanda Malhotra

Mission and Vision: It is important to establish and clearly articulate the goals early on. I was constantly distracted by shiny objects and chasing nickels to survive. Initially, we had no clarity or vision besides needing to survive the next pay period. The team needed to know where we were going and why — we needed to all row in the same direction. We needed a mission statement that would guide the day-to-day decisions. Reading the book Traction and going back to school drove that point home. Once we clarified, we focused on the tasks, which moved us closer to our goals and avoided distractions.

Many successful people reinvented themselves in a later period in their lives. Jeff Bezos worked on Wall Street before he reinvented himself and started Amazon. Sara Blakely sold office supplies before she started Spanx. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a WWE wrestler before he became a successful actor and filmmaker. Arnold Schwarzenegger went from a bodybuilder, to an actor to a Governor. McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc was a milkshake-device salesman before starting the McDonalds franchise in his 50s.

How does one reinvent themselves? What hurdles have to be overcome to take life in a new direction? How do you overcome those challenges? How do you ignore the naysayers? How do you push through the paralyzing fear?

In this series called “Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second Chapter Of My Life “ we are interviewing successful people who reinvented themselves in a second chapter in life, to share their story and help empower others.

As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Henry Woodman.

Woodman, a trilingual MBA graduate, co-founded WoodMark Productions in 1984, specializing in travel film production for major companies worldwide. In the ’90s he pioneered digital content production with World Travelvision, which then lead him to create a content distribution technology with IcePortal in 2004 — it revolutionized visual management for the hospitality industry. After exiting IcePortal, and a passion for storytelling, Woodman is publishing a historical fiction written by his father 40 years ago that he plans develop into a streaming TV series.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?

So many stories, so little time. I’ll stick to the basics:

• Born in 1960 in Miami, FL, the middle of three kids, all within three years.
• Respect for parents of the 60s using cloth diapers and safety pins.
• My parents divorced when I was five, and I saw Dad most weekends.
• I was shy — really shy — so much so that I never spoke a word until the 3rd grade.
• I lived in a fantasy world of drawing — I liked cars, planes, and buildings.
• I thought of a future as an architect, so at 15, I got an internship at a local start-up architectural firm.
• I was disillusioned to find that it was more than just creating cool drawings — it became apparent that lots of mathematical concepts were needed. That career ended abruptly, and that small firm of three grew to become an international powerhouse.
• In the summer of 1976, my brother and I went with three teenage friends to the jungles of Honduras to search for the legendary Lost White City or Ciudad Blanca. We struggled for survival and even hatched a plan to “get rid” of our guide, who threatened to kill us if we found the legendary gold. We found some ruins, but not the lost city or gold.
• Ironically, “Ciudad Blanca” was discovered in 2015 by archaeologists using aerial scanning technology known as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). Like my failed architecture aspiration, once again, I “missed it by that much” (for the young folk, that’s a famous catchphrase from the TV show “Get Smart”)
• After graduating from South Miami High, I headed west and attended the University of Arizona (Bear Down Wildcats). I received a BS in Radio and Television in 1982.
• I stayed in Tucson for another year after graduating to work as a news announcer on local radio and oversee the video game business I started in college.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I know it’s way overused, but my favorite life lesson quote is by Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

This is relevant to both the personal and professional aspects of my life. It’s a reminder for me to prioritize kindness, empathy, and understanding in all interactions, whether it’s a conversation with friends or family or in day-to-day interactions. I try to leave a positive impact and want others to feel valued and respected. This quote reinforces the importance of emotional intelligence and our lasting impression on others.

You have been blessed with much success. In your opinion, what are the top three qualities that you possess that have helped you accomplish so much? If you can, please share a story or example for each.

In my opinion, luck and mindset play a huge part in any success. I often say success finds you on the corner of prepared and lucky — if you’re not prepared, success may never pass by, and if you’re not lucky … you know the rest. Three qualities that helped me be “prepared,” it would be:

1. Adaptability: I am more of a creative type with a passion for film and video production. I had to adapt to run a technology company. I couldn’t write a line of code if my life depended on it (well maybe now with AI). The pivot came in the late 90s when I produced digital content for the travel and hospitality industry. The internet was gaining traction, and it didn’t take long for me to see that the value was not in production but in distribution. That required a lot of adapting. I had little business education — after years scrapping by, I returned to school to get an MBA in entrepreneurship. I wanted to know what I did not know. I am at it again, going from tech to book publishing to developing a TV series. I love challenges.
2. Tenacity: It’s not that I won’t quit; it’s also a fear of failing. I joked with friends, family, and employees that “if this business thing fails, I’d be asking you, from the drive-through speaker, if you want fries with that burger.” Like the Eveready bunny, I keep going, and when I bump into obstacles, I find my way around. Failing is scarry.
3. Curiosity and Learning: I recently read “The beginner chases the right answers. The master chases the right questions.” I want to know everything. It drives me to ask questions. I needed to know how to scale a business, so I went back to school in my 50s. I read books and industry publications and listen to podcasts. I even brought all my books to the office and paid the employees to read them. Yup, they got paid to read — and loved it — it’s a win-win.

Mindset played a significant part in my growth. Cultivating a growth mindset leads to greater fulfillment and success.

Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about ‘Second Chapters’. Can you tell our readers about your career experience before your Second Chapter?

It started with my addiction as a 19-year-old in college — I was hopelessly addicted to video games. I was sitting in a laundromat with a pocket full of quarters and two hours to burn, waiting for my clothes. Instead of studying, I was jonesing for PAC MAN.

I thought I couldn’t be the only one with this problem, so I dragged my clean clothes to my dorm and called every laundromat in town. I asked if they had any video games — all said No. I scrapped together the few hundred dollars I had and bought two old machines that nobody wanted (and I could afford). It was a captive audience. I continued to buy more and rotate them around every month so the customers would see different machines.

I sold the business in 1983 and drove to LA to pursue my dream of producing and directing movies. That did not happen. Instead, I spent the next decade traveling and working various positions with a film crew.

In the early 1990s, Chile went from a dictatorship (Pinochet) to a democracy, and new TV networks and opportunities were created. I “borrowed” an idea from an American game show and flew to Chile to pitch my show “Machos.” I was a huge success with the younger demographic. I loved it… the country, the work, the people. But after a year, I was homesick.

In the mid-90s, as the digital revolution was taking place, I was fascinated with the 360-degree virtual tour — being able to look “up, down, and all around.” I bought the world’s first one-shot 360 camera at a trade show. That led to the founding of World Travelvision, which created virtual tours for travel and hospitality.

Eventually, clients (destinations and hotels) asked how to put their 360 tours on the new “World Wide Web thingy.” Send them a CD-ROM, I said. There were no standards, they said. So, I decided to help them manage and distribute their digital virtual tours to travel websites. While investigating, I realized there was also a problem with hotel photos. In pre-internet days, the reservation systems (GDS) would display rate and availability — but not photos. And pictures are a must-have.

So, I pivoted to create technology that would help manage and distribute photos for hotels. That endeavor, IcePortal, took me on a 20-year roller coaster ride — close to bankruptcy multiple times. In 2019 I got an offer I couldn’t refuse, and I sold.

And how did you “reinvent yourself” in your Second Chapter?

I would say resuscitate more than reinvent. My dream in college, with a BS in Radio and TV, was to seek fame and fortune by producing and directing movies in LA. That didn’t happen. However, I did secure the rights to a book. This historical fiction, The Reincarnation of Marie, is a love story that transcends time. It’s been a passion of mine for more than 40 years. That is now the catalyst or trigger (see section below). I am rekindling the embers.

Can you tell us about the specific trigger that made you decide that you were going to “take the plunge” and make your huge transition?

I don’t believe in retirement. I can’t imagine not having a passion project. It’s a dream I wanted four decades ago, but, as they say, life got in the way.

After my father passed 13 years ago, I decided this would be a tribute to Dad. Why dad? Details are forthcoming when I describe how things are going. I am unbelievably grateful to have earned enough money to pursue a passion project. The plunge is a lot easier now that my survival does not depend on this project.

What did you do to discover that you had a new skillset inside of you that you haven’t been maximizing? How did you find that and how did you ultimately overcome the barriers to help manifest those powers?

Wisdom. One grows mentally with age, and, as mentioned earlier, those core qualities apply — Adaptability, Tenacity, Curiosity, and Learning. I can now be more methodical and patient with the business processes. Starting, growing, and exiting a business is a scary and wild ride that forced me to be more resilient, wise, accepting, and patient. Those skills carry over. Prepare well, and hope for luck if you expect to see opportunity.

How are things going with this new initiative? We would love to hear some specific examples or stories.

Being an eternal optimist, I always say things are great — even if it’s putting me back on the entrepreneur roller coaster. Time management is more challenging. For example, my partner/writer is creative, passionate, and detail-oriented — but not fast. Since I was in no rush, I was OK being patient until the writers’ strike. Almost five months into 2023, the project was on hold. I can’t always control things, so I accept uncertainty.

Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

That’s easy. His name is Bill. He believed in me before I believed in myself. Bill was an angel investor who helped me in the early days. He saw something in me that I didn’t even see in myself. He was my mentor and a business hero. I could not have asked for a better person to help guide and motivate me. I vowed to Bill that, even if the business failed, I would do whatever it took to make him whole, as I appreciated his belief in me. I still stay in touch. It brings tears to my eyes to think of my gratitude for his support and belief.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started in this new direction?

Simply put, the world has changed- a lot! My dream, with the acquisition of the book four decades ago, was to produce a movie for the theater. Back then, there was no concept of digital — everything was very expensive. Like most verticals, the power was concentrated, and options were limited.

Digital continues to change that dynamic. Every year, it gets easier, faster, and cheaper to produce and distribute films and videos. I couldn’t even imagine sitting in my living room in the 80s with 1000s of viewing options on demand.

That’s also a challenge — how to differentiate from the plethora of content available. It’s only going to get more crowded with AI as the barrier to entry is lowered. Soon, anyone can create almost anything their mind’s eye can articulate for AI.

The book written by my dad, who passed 13 years ago, will be published this summer. The publisher asked me to review a website with 100s of book cover examples. None tickled my fancy. My wife suggested I ask Chat GPT and DALL·E for suggestions. Mind blown! I got some amazing suggestions and sent them to the publisher, who’s taking ideas from those samples for their graphic artist.

Did you ever struggle with believing in yourself? If so, how did you overcome that limiting belief about yourself? Can you share a story or example?

Of course, we all struggle with imposter syndrome. It’s an ongoing struggle. It hit home when I presented myself and my company to a forum of local CEOs. Around the room were about 20 MBA students from a local university who were learning from the entrepreneurs there presenting. I stood in front of the group, looked around at the students, and thought: I’m a fraud; seriously, these kids probably know more about business than I do, and they want to learn from me. As Homer Simpson would say, Dough!

That motivated me to return to school and get an MBA in Entrepreneurship. I applied what I learned to the business, and eventually joined that forum as well as EO (Entrepreneurs Organization). My wife asked why I joined those groups. I said, you know that saying that you’re the average of the five people you associate with? Yes, she said. That’s why. She replied, “Wow, you are really bringing that average down.” It’s true: not lowering the average but surrounding yourself with inspirational people will elevate your game!

In my own work I usually encourage my clients to ask for support before they embark on something new. How did you create your support system before you moved to your new chapter?

Learning from failures. I don’t see how I would embark on a new passion without a support system. I continue to network with successful and inspirational folks who provide a positive and powerful support system. It’s important to have people you respect and trust as a sounding board, a reality check, and guidance when navigating new waters.

Starting a new chapter usually means getting out of your comfort zone, how did you do that? Can you share a story or example of that?

I did not have a comfort zone until now. When I started my business, I made far less money than I did working for a company. I paid myself a paltry wage to survive for almost ten years. I had a second mortgage on my home, when needed, to pay for business expenses and make payroll. I almost lost the house multiple times while flirting with bankruptcy. Nothing about that is comfortable — it’s terrifying. I did not see any option to quit, so I suffered.

After I sold the business, I found a comfort zone. I don’t have that fear of losing everything, and this new venture carries far less risk. I am more patient, adaptable, and structured. There’re always new things, not all comfortable, but I have food and a roof, and I can stay in my comfort zone. I like new challenges, meeting people, and knowing I must deal with industry politics — for that matter, pick any business. It’s omnipresent.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started” and why?

1. The importance of Culture and Team: When I started the business, I heard things like hiring the best people. I thought that meant hiring expensive rock stars. And I couldn’t afford to pay myself. I’d also hear that you need to hire employees to fit your core values. Again, a head-scratcher. I didn’t even know what that meant. I read the book Traction by Gino Wickman, and the light bulb went off. I gave the book to the few employees I had and said, read this; it’s our new bible. Building a solid team is about creating a cohesive and supportive culture. A positive team enhances employee morale and satisfaction and drives productivity and innovation. One example that highlights the significance of team culture is when we faced a challenging project deadline. Instead of individuals working in silos, our cohesive team rallied together, supported each other, and went above and beyond working nights and weekends to meet a deadline.

2. Patience: Another lesson I learned along the way is the immense value of patience. I had the “build it, and they would come mentality.” I’d wonder why they don’t realize how great we are. I found that people don’t believe a startup will survive and don’t want to risk working with a company that may not be around in a few years. Yup, I get that. We had no brand awareness — that takes time, and we need to keep in touch with prospects to build trust. We needed to listen to those prospects and the few customers we had to understand their needs and wants, not what we thought. We had to be patient to overcome obstacles — anyone in IT knows how there are always obstacles and delays. Finally, once a few customers took a chance on us, we ensured they would be more than thrilled with their decision and would spread the word, so slowly, we’d grow the customer base.

3. Health and Wellness: As a driven entrepreneur, I was laser-focused on building my business and often neglected other areas of my life, including my physical and mental health and personal relationships. I am not sure it would have helped if someone had warned me about the dangers of burnout and the importance of prioritizing self-care. There were times when I pushed myself too hard, sacrificing sleep, exercise, and time with loved ones to pursue my business goals. I don’t think there is a concept of life-work balance; it’s more of a life balance. Consider the bigger picture — living longer and happier only requires three basic concepts: Eat healthy foods in moderation, move (exercise regularly) — it helps alleviate stress, and sleep so your mind and body can recover. I had too many sleepless nights binge eating processed crap and not moving. Reality kicked in after a health scare forced me to reevaluate my life. I can only imagine I would have been more productive with less stress had I focused more on my health.

4. Acceptance of Failure: I don’t know anyone who has not experienced failure. It’s an inevitable part of life, but early on, I viewed it as a sign of weakness and feared it at all costs. Countless restless nights were ruminating on self-imposed catastrophes. It takes work to accept mistakes, much less turn them into opportunities to learn and improve. One failure was when we launched a new feature in our tech stack, and the update wiped out all our client’s data — a major disaster. After freaking out at our CTO and developers, the team and I decided that that was not productive, and we did a post-mortem analysis to identify what went wrong. It took two days to restore the data from backup drives, and ultimately, we used those insights to refine our quality assurance approach.

5. Mission and Vision: It is important to establish and clearly articulate the goals early on. I was constantly distracted by shiny objects and chasing nickels to survive. Initially, we had no clarity or vision besides needing to survive the next pay period. The team needed to know where we were going and why — we needed to all row in the same direction. We needed a mission statement that would guide the day-to-day decisions. Reading the book Traction and going back to school drove that point home. Once we clarified, we focused on the tasks, which moved us closer to our goals and avoided distractions.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

There is a need for greater understanding, empathy, and kindness towards others. Thus, what Maya Angelo said, “… people will never forget how you made them feel,” resonates. We often see division, conflict, and suffering caused by a lack of empathy and compassion. It’s hard to “walk in other’s shoes.” We should foster a culture of empathy and compassion to create a more inclusive, harmonious, and compassionate society where everyone feels valued, understood, and supported.

Through education, advocacy, and grassroots initiatives, the movement would work to dismantle barriers, bridge divides, and promote social justice and equality for all. We all live on the same tiny speck in this massive universe. Let’s create a world where we value fundamental human rights to life and where kindness and understanding prevail over fear, hatred, and indifference.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them. :-)

I was asked in college, who would you like to have dinner with, dead or alive? I answered Steven Spielberg because he was such a unique and creative director. I also studied psychology to understand how filming camera angles, editing, sequencing, music, and more can evoke emotions from viewers. Spielberg was a master. In 1983, I moved to LA to pursue the dream of working in Hollywood, and I took a job at a store in Beverly Hills. In walks a gentleman asking for a store tour of all the cool stuff. After 10–15 minutes of touring him around, he bought a few things and left. Then the store and manager asked if I knew who that was. No, who? That was Steve Spielberg! Wait, what!? I don’t know if it was good that I did not recognize him for fear of blubbering and groveling or that I was not aware of who it was. Opportunity missed. It’s still Steven Spielberg, but I’ve got to add one more titan — Jeff Bezos. He epitomizes the genius of being a phenomenal business leader — visionary, innovative, customer-focused, risk-taker, adaptable, long-term thinker, and resilient.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

I minimized my time on social media, but for business:

LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/hwoodman/

Anemoia Media — http://www.anemoiamedia.com/

The Reincarnation of Marie (the book) — http://www.mariethestory.com

Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!

About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com.