DISCOVERING YOUR PASSION
Hasi Kapali on getting out of your comfort zone
TMN creator Hasi Kapali shares her thoughts on her experience at the Big Picture Learning Big Bang Conference 2026, discovering new interests, getting out of her comfort zone, and learning through interviews, photography, video, and working with mentors.
DALLAS | TMN Editorial
What happens when you try something you never thought you would be interested in?
That question sits at the center of this episode of TMN Creative Thinking, where Hasi Kapali reflects on her experience working as a creator with Teens Media Network during the Big Picture Learning Big Bang Conference 2026 in Dallas.
Over three days, Hasi worked alongside fellow creator Emil Cinto and TMN’s mentor and funder Pablo Herrera documenting the conference through interviews, photography and video. For her, the experience meant trying things she had never done before and getting outside of her comfort zone.
“I think it was really fun, exciting and nervous at some point because it was something that I had to get out of my comfort zone to experience. And I tried a lot of new things.”
Hasi Kapali interviewing at Big Bang Conference. Dallas, TX. Photo: Pablo Herrera / TMN
One of those things was interviewing people.
Hasi explains that she was nervous about doing interviews on the first day. Instead of waiting until she felt completely prepared, she was encouraged to try. The first interviews weren't perfect, but feedback and repetition gradually made the process feel more natural. By the fourth day, she felt much more comfortable.
That experience also changed the way she thought about journalism.
“Even if you don’t think journalism is something you want to pursue in the future, for the long run, I think just try it out.”
Before Big Bang, Hasi says she didn't consider herself much of a speaker and interviewing people wasn't something she necessarily imagined pursuing. After trying it with TMN, she became interested in exploring journalism further and looking for other opportunities to continue doing it.
For Hasi, discovering what interests you starts by taking that first step.
Hasi Kapali recording interviews at Big Bang Conference. Dallas, TX. Photo: Pablo Herrera / TMN
Mentorship and building confidence
Hasi also reflects on working with Pablo Herrera, founder of Teens Media Network, as her mentor during the experience. She describes a mentoring process based on encouraging her to try new things without forcing her beyond what she felt ready to do. On the first day, when she was nervous about interviewing people, Pablo encouraged her to simply try. There were no right or wrong answers, and the first interview did not need to be perfect. After each attempt, she received feedback on what worked and what she could improve. By the fourth day, Hasi says she felt much more comfortable conducting interviews and credits that progress to the support, encouragement and feedback she received throughout the experience.
“He did give advice and he kept the encouragement up. So today is like day four, and I think I’ve gotten way more comfortable doing interviews.”
Hasi Kapali practicing interview techniques with mentor Pablo Herrera. Photo: Emil Cinto / TMN
Learning from other people
Another important part of the experience was meeting people.
Big Bang brought together people from different states, backgrounds and experiences. Hasi describes listening to their stories as part of her own learning process and says that many of the things she learned during the conference came directly from those interactions.
She also reflects on hearing about her mentor's own journey into journalism and photography, and how finding a passion doesn't necessarily follow a smooth or predetermined path.
“When we understand who we are, having this self-awareness, we can really understand what we hate and then find out what we like, and we want to continue with that.”
For Hasi, part of that process also means learning independently when the resources you need aren't immediately available. During Big Bang, she heard a phrase that stayed with her: “Be your own scientist.”
Hasi Kapali recording interviews at Big Bang Conference. Dallas, TX. Photo: Pablo Herrera / TMN
Getting better by doing it again
Hasi could see her own progress over the three days.
At first, she prepared a script with the questions she wanted to ask during interviews. As she became more comfortable, she started improvising, listening more closely and asking follow-up questions instead of relying entirely on what she had prepared.
“Slowly I started to warm up to just going with the flow and being able to conversate and keep the conversation engaging.”
She says she became better at speaking and getting to know the person she was interviewing instead of allowing the conversation to feel forced. At the same time, she could identify what she still wanted to improve, including becoming more comfortable interviewing people face-to-face in front of the camera.
Working alongside Emil also became part of that learning. Hasi watched him conduct interviews, learned from the way he spoke with people and sometimes took over the camera herself, giving her the opportunity to understand another part of the same process.
Three days weren't enough for her to feel that she had learned everything. They were enough to make her want to continue.
“I think there’s so much to learn and I feel like I haven’t learned enough even within the three days.”
For Hasi, discovering a passion didn't begin by deciding what she wanted to become. It started by trying something new, meeting people, getting uncomfortable, making mistakes and discovering that she wanted to do more of it.
Watch the full conversation on the Teens Media Network YouTube channel.
This conversation was recorded during TMN's coverage of the Big Picture Learning Big Bang Conference 2026 in Dallas, Texas.
Watch the epeisode bellow.
