Seneca College RED 2020 - 29

The Latino Larry King

PHOTO: CALA ENTERPRISES

Success didn't come easily to Ismael Cala

THE FIRST TELEVISION SET that Ismael Cala owned in Canada
came from a neighbour's garbage on the sidewalk.
The picture tube was broken and its images were an
eerie green and white. Mr. Cala, a new immigrant from
Cuba who slept on the floor in a bare, rented room,
used that television to watch The Oprah Winfrey Show
and practise his English language skills.
" For the longest time, I did not know that Oprah
was black because my TV showed her as green and
white, " Mr. Cala says.
With his improving English skills, Mr. Cala enrolled
in the Broadcasting - Television program.
" The reception I got at Seneca was fantastic, " he
says. " I never felt like a newcomer. Seneca taught me to
believe in my own ideas, to be an entrepreneur. "
After graduation, he had CNN en Español knocking
on his door.
" CNN was surprised at how much I could do, not
only as a journalist but also as a videographer and a
director, " Mr. Cala says. " It earned me respect and
today I'm doing co-productions with networks because
of the knowledge and the skills I got from Seneca. "
At CNN, he was a prime-time anchor, a producer for
CNN en Español and hosted his own Spanish-language

talk show Cala. During this time, Mr. Cala built up a
huge following among the Latin American audience in
North America with his incisive interviews of world
leaders and events. The New York Times called him the
" Latino Larry King. "
He took his first step towards spiritualism and mental
health activism with his book, The Power of Listening,
in which he revealed his struggle with mental health
issues since he was 15 years old. Soon after, he left
CNN to focus on his career as an author, a life coach,
a motivational speaker and a mental health activist.
As well, he continues to host and direct Cala, which is
aired in 20 countries.
He also helps at-risk children and youth through the
Ismael Cala Foundation, which he launched.
Mr. Cala says he lives by the Japanese concepts of
kaizen, which means constant improvement, and
ikigai, the reason for being.
" I want to create a positive impact and to find out
my reason for being, " he says. " I love television and I
also love what we are doing outside the screen. "
And on top of everything else Mr. Cala has also had
a chance to meet one of his major broadcasting
inspirations: Oprah, who most assuredly was not green.

Seneca taught
me to believe
in my own
ideas, to be an
entrepreneur.

RED

2020

29
Seneca College RED 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Seneca College RED 2020
