Simon Freitas shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Simon, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Right now my days are structured but flexible. I usually start my morning by taking care of my dog, then I’ll do yoga at home using YouTube—either with Adriene or Tim—to get centered before the day starts. A couple mornings a week I’m also up early to swim at the RPAC pool at “the” OSU with a friend, and on other days I’ll get a workout in at Crunch gym to get my blood moving.
After that, I spend time applying for jobs. I was laid off in December, so I’m in a transitional period, but I’m treating it like a full-time role—staying organized, following up, and being intentional about where I apply. Alongside that, I’m producing a film project titled Mental, so I’ll handle logistics, scheduling, and coordination as needed.
Throughout the day I’m also balancing dog daycare and boarding drop-offs with my business “Animal Home LLC”, keeping the house in order, and making time for meal prep or auditions—whether that’s voiceover work or self-tapes for commercial, print, or film projects. Evenings are usually pretty low-key. Once the last dog is picked up, I’ll unwind on the couch with my Nintendo Switch or watch something light like Smosh, and I usually end the day with a short meditation before bed.
Overall, it’s a mix of structure, creativity, and forward momentum while I work toward my next full-time opportunity.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m an actor, project manager, and entrepreneur currently based in Columbus, Ohio. I’m originally from Boston, and I moved to Columbus because of its low cost of living, which gave me the flexibility to build a sustainable creative life while pursuing multiple professional paths.
I own and operate Animal Home LLC, a dog daycare and boarding business that allows me to combine leadership, structure, and community-focused work. I also work as a project manager, where I’ve developed strong skills in organization, communication, and managing complex logistics across stakeholders and timelines.
My background bridges people-centered work and the arts. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of New Hampshire, with a minor in Theatre, which strongly informs both my creative and professional approach. As an actor, I work across film, commercial, and voiceover projects, and I’m currently producing an independent film titled Mental. What makes my work unique is the balance between creativity and execution—I’m just as comfortable managing systems and problem-solving as I am telling stories on screen. At the core of everything I do is empathy, structure, and a commitment to meaningful, sustainable creative work.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of me that has served its purpose and now needs to be released is fear—specifically the version of fear that kept me cautious, hesitant, and waiting for the “right” moment. For a long time, fear was useful. It made me observant, prepared, and thoughtful about risk. It pushed me to plan, to build structure, and to take responsibility for the choices I made.
But over time, I learned that fear doesn’t need to be the driver anymore. What it ultimately taught me is how capable I am once I move through it instead of letting it move through me. The biggest growth in my life—starting a business, producing a film, changing cities, rebuilding after a layoff—has happened on the other side of action, not certainty.
Releasing fear doesn’t mean ignoring it. It means acknowledging it, listening to what it has to say, and then choosing forward motion anyway. That shift has changed how I approach my work, my creativity, and my life. Fear helped shape me, but now it’s time to thank it—and let it go.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes—there was a point when I almost gave up. When I first moved to Ohio, I went nearly a year without being involved in any acting projects, and that absence made it easy to slip into the role of an observer rather than an active participant in my own creative life. It felt safer to stay on the sidelines than to risk failing in a new environment.
What changed was recognizing that fear was quietly making the decisions for me. Once I pushed through that fear of failure and chose to invest in myself again—by showing up, creating opportunities, and staying consistent—I started rebuilding momentum. That decision reshaped everything. It allowed me to reconnect with my work, expand into producing, and ultimately create the life I wake up to each day with intention rather than hesitation.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes—the public version of me is real. There is definitely a quieter, more reserved and introverted side of me that people don’t always see when I’m out in the world, but it isn’t something I hide or suppress. It just shows up in different contexts.
I’m comfortable with the idea that I can be myself in multiple capacities and that each of those versions is still genuinely me. I’ve learned that putting on a mask or performing a version of myself that isn’t authentic has never served me—personally or professionally. So I try to move through the world as honestly as I can, trusting that authenticity, in whatever form it takes, is what people ultimately connect with most.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope the story people tell about me is less about what I did and more about how I made them feel. I want to be remembered for making people feel safe when they saw my smile, for making them laugh with stories about my outrageous family, and for making them feel seen and heard—especially in moments when everyone else was talking over them and I was the one looking them in the eyes and saying, “Don’t worry, I’m listening.”
I hope people pass along the love I tried to give, and that they’re a little more honest and open with their friends because of it. And maybe one day, I hope someone looks at their grandkids and says, “My friend Simon—oh, you would have loved him.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.animalhomellc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonpfreitas
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonfreitas/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimonFreitasProductions
