THE MANY INTERESTING

THE MANY INTERESTING XX XX xxxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx: xxxxx xxxxx l X DIMENSIONS OF Kyle XX XX kWRITTEN BY XXXXXXX

Klaus

KYLE KLAUS IS AN ACTOR AND A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR FROM POTTSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA. HE MOVED TO NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK AFTER COLLEGE IN 2008 TO PURSUE HIS ACTING CAREER. WHILE DOING SO, HE ACHIEVED GREAT FINANCIAL SUCCESS IN REAL ESTATE SALES AND INVESTING.

After three years of working full time as a real estate agent, Klaus opened his first business in influential-magazine.com 2012, Prestige Properties, a real estate firm with multiple offices in New Jersey. He is also a partner and investor in real estate developments in the area. In 2019, Klaus and his team reached Platinum Level for high sales volume in a single year.

Klaus is also the owner / founder of TNP - The North Pole, an online retail company. In addition, recently he’s been dipping his toes into the restaurant business, becoming an owner / partner in an American Fusion Dim Sum restaurant / flower shop located in Hoboken, New Jersey, called Touch the Heart.

While running successful businesses, Klaus can also be seen on TV, in shows like The Blacklist, Billions, Homeland, Happy! and The Last O.G. to name a few. Extending his creativity on and off screen, he’s currently starting up his own production company, and he’s also developing his YouTube channel, where he shares his expertise in acting and business, and everything in between.

William Jackson: Tell us about the interesting dimensions of Kyle Klaus. Kyle Klaus: I’ve been told I’ve a little bit of everything. I feel like I’m well rounded, and that makes me relatable to many people. I guess that gives me interesting dimensions.

My past experiences taught me how to hang out with the guys on the corner playing basketball, to upper class businessmen, to creative artsy types, and find commonalities with all. I grew up as the person

kINTERVIEW WRITTEN AND CONDUCTED BY

WILLIAM JACKSON, ABA, B.ACY., MBA, GQ INSIDER, 2018 FOLIO: 100 HONOREE, AND FOUNDER, CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER, AND PUBLISHER OF INFLUENTIAL MAGAZINE, SPANISH INFLUENTIAL, AND TEEN INFLUENTIAL

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PAULO SALUD.

serving you a drink at a bar and helping you find an retirement, jobs - the list goes on. What I liked the most apartment to rent, to now being the owner of that bar about real estate back when I started was the flexibility. and a prosperous real estate firm. That doesn’t make As I was running from audition to audition, I needed me better than the bartender or the real estate agent; some money to sustain myself and a flexible schedule. it just gives me more work, more responsibilities; That’s the beauty of it: you make your own hours. hence, more dimensions. And then when I started making money, I realized prove that wrong. Once that happens it’s very hard to what a great field real estate is. I’ve learned so much William: How important are craft, skill, and expe- since I started my real estate career, and I’ve so many rience? satisfactions on so many different levels, I don’t see any Kyle: Craft and skill are something you can learn and other industry giving me the same level of personal develop. Experience comes with practice. You work hard and professional satisfaction, other than acting, of to improve your skills, so you become better at your course, which remains my biggest passion. craft, and the more experienced you become, the more confident you are. Experience = confidence. I’ll never forget when I first got to New York, a well-established acting coach “ Hope is the wanting and believing in William: Many find being a restauranteur to be challenging. What are your experiences in the industry thus far? Kyle: I have to say it hasn’t been for me. once said to me I had a a great deal of something that The reason is I’ve gone into a partnership talent, but I have to work on my craft. I with someone who I know has a track had no clue what that meant at the time, will happen, despite record of great restaurants; (circling back but I realized later what he meant was I no certain proof to how important trust is); I didn’t want was innately talented, but I needed to learn the craft. that it will. the responsibility of having to run the day to day dealings, but I have a partner It’s very close I can trust fully with that. William: How important is trust? Kyle: I know trust is probably the most to the same definition William: What must be done to continue important thing in a working relationship. of faith to me. to appeal to the customer? The need for trust is fundamental in any Kyle: You always need to be thinking of type of relationship; moreover, work related. And what I believe makes trust so important is when trust ” your customer’s needs. If you work hard to meet and exceed their needs, they see that, and is lost, it’s very hard, almost impossible, to regain. appreciate it, and they’ll bring you back more business

When it comes to me - you have my full trust - until see if you’re trying too hard to be, for them, someone you don’t. I’ll trust you, until you do something to you’re not. in time. It’s also important to stay true to yourself. They regain my trust. William: Do you look at acting and express, “This is what I’m born to do”? William: Tell me about you and real estate. Kyle: I know every single time I’m on set I have this feeling Kyle: I love real estate. It’s something everyone like “I feel at home” Every time I’m on set I feel that “This you meet needs. It’s an essential need. Real estate is where I’m supposed to be”. I love everything about is something everyone is involved in one way or the production process. Everyone working together to another. You’re either a buyer or a seller, a renter or an get the job done on the highest level possible. So yes - I owner. Real estate is shelter, freedom, wealth, income, 100% believe acting is what “I’m born to do.”

I believe happiness is the true barometer to success. There’s no better feeling than feeling happy... “ Don’t compare yourself with anyone else, because you’ll fall into despair. But be your own competition.

William: Where do you believe you are in terms of your sense of enthusiasm for acting? Kyle: Still very enthusiastic, but maybe less romantic about it than I used to be. Let me explain. I used to be more precious with acting, the craft, and everything that goes along with it. It’s almost like I wanted it too much if that makes sense. A few things happened that influenced my mentality toward acting right now - I read an inspirational book, got married, and had a kid. To put it in a few words, acting is playing pretend. I’d say with time, the romanticism of it was replaced with a more realistic feeling. However, the art of it and ability to make people live in someone else’s shoes for a short period of time is what is wonderful. As an actor - to wear different pairs of shoes and inhabit different lives, and have empathy for your fellow humans is amazing. Acting can touch someone at their core and change their life so that’s what I’m the most enthusiastic about.

William: Do you enjoy the physicality of acting? Kyle: I do love the physicality of acting. It disappoints me this COVID-19 situation put a damper on the acting industry. It’s really hard to not have physicality when acting - to a certain extent at least. Even if you’re Matt Damon in The Martian, you still have contact with a lot of crew members.

William: Are you comfortable with being uncomfortable and if so, how do you resolve discomfort? Kyle: I’m comfortable being uncomfortable. In fact, I’m uncomfortable being comfortable if that makes sense. No genius ideas were born in comfort zone. Major growth comes from new, challenging situations, and that’s where I thrive. If you can develop that muscle,

you’ll be comfortable with that feeling. Don’t get me wrong, I do; however, love a glass of great scotch, comfortable clothes, and a bit of television at the end of a long workday.

William: Are you a big proponent of happiness? Kyle: Yes, I am. I believe happiness is the true barometer to success. There’s no better feeling than feeling happy. At the same time, I believe you should always be your biggest competition, just so you stay competitive and alert at any given time. Don’t compare yourself with anyone else, because you’ll fall into despair. But be your own competition.

William: How much in control of your life have you been? Kyle: Until post college I didn’t feel much in control of my life maybe because I really wasn’t thinking about it. You can drift through life if you’re not careful. Everyone has control of their lives; they just might not realize it. But once you find your true calling, and you do what you really love, you become more in control of your life. How much in control of my life am I right now? 100%.

William: Who, thus far, has had the most influence on your life? Kyle: My parents have always had the most influence on me. Fortunately, I’ve parents who trust me doing anything that makes me happy. So, I’m fortunate.

William: Has ambition always been a part of your psyche? Kyle: No. It hasn’t. Not until post college where I found myself wondering what my true calling was, and what I was put here on this earth to do. That is when my ambition started taking over.

William: What is your definition of hope? Kyle: Hope is the wanting and believing in something that will happen, despite no certain proof that it will. It’s very close to the same definition of faith to me.

William: What is the importance of hope? Kyle: Hope is what gets you out of bed early in the morning and springs you into action in doing whatever you are hoping to happen. If you’ve the hope and faith it’ll happen, you’ll be more inclined to do whatever it is you want to do.

William: How have you opened your life for the good of others? Kyle: I’ve been offering my advice in acting, real estate, business tips, and more (the reason why I created my YouTube channel), I’ve built a business that offers my agents a source of income and stability for them and their families, I’ve donated and keep donating for various organizations, I offered my time, and volunteered. I think it’s important to give back to those who are in need.

William: How important is it for you to use your life as an instrument to allow yourself to experience the vision the Creator would have for you?

Kyle: I believe it’s important. There are many times you hear actors, or musicians, or athletes who get self-conscious when people praise them too much.

I believe it’s because when they are truly connected - it really has nothing to do with them. You hear these people say they feel like it wasn’t them doing it - like it was just their body as an instrument, but they were connected to something bigger and it was almost effortless. I believe in that, and that is what I strive for in every creative endeavor. l