Growing a Video Production Business Under God’s Direction

Romulo Mena grew up with a camera in his hand shooting extreme sports and he was good at it. He broke into the video production industry as a videographer with a California news station. He gives God the credit for that opportunity.

“He unlocked the door for me to serve Him in this way. And when He closed that door, He opened a bigger door for me to walk through.”

Romulo was confident that God would provide for him. The reason? He’d been practicing the principles of biblical giving he’d learned in church from his pastor.

“He came into the Book of Malachi, and he says ‘Come, give me your tenth. God said...test me in this.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, okay.’ And he was like, ‘No, no. You don't understand people. This is the only place in the Bible that God said to test Him. The only place!‘”

So, Romulo started tithing. It was during this time that he met Cheryl who was impressed with his commitment to giving.  

“When I really started dating Romulo, I guess, is when I started,” says Cheryl. “I was like, ‘You know what, Lord? I'm going to start giving my 10%.’ I just really started trusting the Lord and his family just really had an impact on my life and I saw the ways that they went to church every Sunday. And I saw the way that his mom would write the check. And I was like, ‘I'm going to start doing that too.’"

Romulo and Cheryl married. The next ten years were a series of well-paying full-time jobs each with salaries larger than the previous one. Cheryl continued to teach school and it helped. Still, the ups and downs of the video production industry gave only temporary job stability for Romulo putting a financial strain on their growing family.

“I remember one time we had no food in the refrigerator,” says Cheryl. And somebody said, ‘I got you guys’ food.’ It's every time and we never stopped tithing.”

The Mena’s desire was to one day be able to help others in need.

“If somebody is having struggles with their finances, with food, whatever it is, the same way people have blessed me, I want to be able to bless them as well,” says Cheryl.

To reach that goal they knew they needed to tackle their debt.

“I was probably $40,000, $45,000 in like consumer debt and school debt,” says Romulo. “It kept me up at night. It ate at my soul.”

“I grew up in a house full of debt,” says Cheryl. “And before we got married, I told my husband, I was like, ‘I have seen debt before, and I do not want to live in it.’"

Cheryl was sensitive to that hard reality because of what happened to her parent’s home.

“Our family lost the house. I never want my family to experience that.”

The Mena’s buckled down on their spending, no coffee runs and no dining out, as they tore into their debt. In a year’s time, God provided plenty of work and they paid down all but $13,000 in school loans.

“We just killed debt after debt after debt,” says Romulo.

In 2020, Romulo’s employer downsized and he was let go. His reaction was consistent with what he believed.

“I was like, ‘all right, Lord, what's next?’ Cause every time He showed up with something bigger and better. So why would I doubt now?”

Because Romulo had banked his vacation hours and was given severance. His final paycheck paid off the remaining school loans. Being debt free put the Mena’s in the position to launch Clear29 – a multimedia production company.

“Clear29 is a visual content company,” says Romulo. “We provided visual content. And it's evolved from me being a teenager and holding a camera to now being able to produce and direct films, commercial productions and the sorts.”

“He never had to make any calls,” says Cheryl. “He never had to make any posts on social media, his phone just kept blowing up. And it's still going to this day.”

“So, I've been very fortunate to take a dream and a passion and make it my bread and butter,” says Romulo.

Today his Clear29 clients have tripled and the Mena’s income is up by 200%. They believe it’s all possible because they are in relationship with a God who keeps his word.

“I've had to relinquish everything I have mentally, emotionally and spiritually to accept like "it's not mine, it's all the Lord's,” says Romulo.

“So, when you tithe and you're like ‘Okay, Lord, I am trusting you.’ He still is faithful," says Cheryl.  

“I know where my blessings come from,” says Romulo. “And I'd be a fool, 'd be a fool to deny it.”