Dream Big, Start Now: JP Radel on Filmmaking, Leadership & Doing What Most Adults Won’t | Ep 42

In Episode 42, Stephen Turnbull sits down with John Paul Radel, a 15-year-old filmmaker, student, church leader, and aspiring engineer from New Hartford, for a conversation that proves age is never a limitation when it comes to pursuing your dreams. At just 15 years old, JP has already written, directed, produced, and released his first short film, The Hermit, and is preparing to launch his second original film, Night of the Boogeyman. Along the way, he has built a production team, organized casting, managed budgets, coordinated locations, composed original music, and even assembled student musicians to bring his vision to life. But this episode goes far beyond filmmaking. JP shares powerful lessons about leadership, faith, service, planning, perseverance, and having the courage to pursue ambitious goals despite fear, doubt, or skepticism. His maturity, discipline, and perspective offer lessons that listeners of any age can apply to their own lives. Important Links Referenced in Today's Show: JP's Latest Release - Night of the Boogeyman:    • Night of The Boogeyman - Student Short Hor...   21 Pictures Channel Page:    / @21pictures   Henry's Channel:    / @kaijustudios-2754   G-Force Studios - JP's Rollercoaster Channel Page:    / @g-forcestudios   The Charity Run by JP's Mother Supporting Individuals with Down Syndrome and Their Families: https://www.the21club.org JP shares: ● Growing up in New Hartford and the importance of faith and service ● Serving as a Sacristan and church leader from a young age ● How he discovered his passion for filmmaking ● Creating his first film, The Hermit ● Building a production team and leading creative projects ● Writing, directing, editing, and producing independent films ● Lessons learned from mistakes and failing forward ● Why planning and preparation create opportunity ● How he earned support from parents, teachers, and mentors ● The process behind Night of the Boogeyman ● Leading student musicians to perform an original film score ● Why age should never stop someone from pursuing a dream ● His future goals in engineering, roller coaster design, and storytelling 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3DQnBF0... 💬 Question for you: What dream have you been putting off because you think you’re too young, too old, or not ready yet? Timestamps 0:00 – Intro: John Paul Radel & his filmmaking journey 3:10 – Faith, service, and leadership at a young age 8:25 – Discovering a passion for storytelling and film 13:40 – Creating The Hermit from concept to release 19:30 – Building a team and learning to lead 25:15 – Lessons learned from mistakes and setbacks 31:20 – The making of Night of the Boogeyman 38:10 – Organizing musicians and creating an original score 44:45 – Overcoming fear, doubt, and age-related skepticism 50:30 – Why planning separates dreamers from doers 56:10 – Leadership lessons learned through filmmaking 1:01:20 – Engineering ambitions and future goals 1:06:15 – Advice for anyone chasing a big dream ABOUT MAKE AN IMPACT: Based in Central New York Follow us on Instagram: @MakeAnImpactPod Real stories. Real people. Real impact.