Miami Filmmaker

Chris Lavoie: The Artist’s Life and a Career Built on Curiosity Following Curiosity Wherever the Story Leads By Imani Ogden | Published by Angie LaGuardia | July 2026 Following Curiosity Long before television productions, documentaries, feature films, or international creative collaborations, Chris Lavoie was simply a curious kid fascinated by the world around him. Curiosity became the thread connecting every chapter of his life. From appearing in his first commercial as a child to producing projects spanning entrepreneurship, leadership, and entertainment, Lavoie has never chased a single career path. Instead, he has followed ideas wherever they led. Within moments of meeting Chris Lavoie, one thing becomes clear: he doesn’t define creativity by job titles. To him, artists aren’t limited to painters, musicians, or filmmakers. They include entrepreneurs building companies, teachers shaping futures, parents raising families, and anyone courageous enough to create something that didn’t exist before. That philosophy quietly shapes not only his work but also the way he sees the world. For Lavoie, creativity isn’t simply a profession—it’s one of humanity’s greatest gifts and the driving force behind innovation, connection, and meaningful change. “The canvas changes. Creation doesn’t.” — Chris Lavoie Where It All Began Chris Lavoie does not remember his first commercial because of the cameras. What stayed with him was the feeling. At just ten years old, he found himself on the set of a Kentucky Fried Chicken commercial at Greynolds Park in North Miami Beach after his mother recognized something creative in him and encouraged him to audition. What began as a childhood opportunity quickly became something much larger. Watching directors, crew members, and actors work together, Lavoie was captivated not by celebrity or attention, but by the idea that adults could build entire careers around imagination, collaboration, and play. About a month later, his mother handed him an envelope containing his first paycheck: $1,200. Most children would have remembered the money. Chris remembered something far more significant—the realization that work could feel like play. That moment quietly became the foundation for nearly every creative decision he would make over the next four decades. Finding His Creative Voice While attending college, Lavoie immersed himself in music, performing guitar and collaborating with one of the co-founders of KC and the Sunshine Band to develop a new recording group. Long nights in rehearsal studios became laboratories for experimentation—writing songs, refining arrangements, and discovering how ideas evolve through collaboration. Music taught him that creativity isn’t something you wait for. It’s a discipline. With every new project, his imagination expanded, a lesson that would eventually follow him far beyond the recording studio. Eventually, that same curiosity led him to film. Appearing in Miami Rhapsody alongside Sarah Jessica Parker, Antonio Banderas, Mia Farrow, and Kevin Pollak, Lavoie found himself captivated less by what appeared on camera than by everything happening behind the scenes. Directors. Producers. Editors. Cinematographers. Entire teams transforming imagination into reality. Storytelling had become more than an interest—it had become his calling. Creativity Has No Job Title Spend five minutes with Chris Lavoie, and one thing becomes clear: he doesn’t believe artists are limited to painters, actors, or musicians. Entrepreneurs are artists. Architects are artists. Chefs, teachers, designers, founders, filmmakers, writers—even parents creating meaningful lives for their families—are all artists in different forms. “The canvas changes,” he says. “Creation doesn’t.” That philosophy has quietly shaped every decision throughout his career. For Lavoie, creativity isn’t simply a profession. Rather, it’s the force behind innovation, leadership, and meaningful change. “Film isn’t just about telling stories—it can become a catalyst for meaningful relationships, new opportunities, and real transformation.” — Chris Lavoie Projects That Matter Today, Chris Lavoie has built a career producing projects that live at the intersection of entertainment, entrepreneurship, and human transformation. His work has taken audiences from historic castles across Europe to executive boardrooms, luxury estates, and immersive retreats, always searching for stories that reveal what people are capable of becoming. Working alongside filmmaker Josh Miller and C&I Studios, Lavoie helped develop projects including Top Recruiter Miami. The series later expanded into the international production Top Recruiter: North America vs. Europe. Filmed throughout Europe and North America, it brought together influential business leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators, including Baroness Karren Brady and entrepreneur James Caan. Later, The Movement debuted on Amazon Prime, joining documentaries, branded films, leadership series, and educational productions exploring business, culture, and personal growth. Throughout each project, the same philosophy continued to guide his work: meaningful stories have the power to inspire people long after the cameras stop rolling. Living the Artist’s Life Looking back, Chris Lavoie doesn’t measure success by awards, budgets, or production credits. Instead, he asks different questions. Did a project spark curiosity? Did it create connection? Did it inspire someone to see new possibilities? Those are the moments that matter most. Much of that perspective traces back to his mother, whose belief in her son’s creativity opened a door that would shape the rest of his life. From music studios and movie sets to international television productions and feature films, every chapter can be traced to one simple act of encouragement. Someone believed in a young artist before he believed in himself. More importantly, Lavoie hopes his work offers that same encouragement to others. His message is simple but powerful: the artist’s life isn’t reserved for Hollywood, galleries, or concert stages. Rather, it belongs to anyone willing to imagine something that doesn’t yet exist—and have the courage to bring it to life. “The question isn’t whether you’re an artist. The question is whether you’ll have the courage to share your gift with the world before your time here is over.” — Chris Lavoie A Life Guided by Curiosity For Chris Lavoie, creativity has never been about chasing recognition. Instead, it has always been about remaining curious enough to ask better questions, courageous enough to embrace new opportunities, and committed enough to keep creating through every season of life. His journey reminds us that creativity isn’t reserved for filmmakers, artists, or entrepreneurs alone.