Category: Business Stuff

3 Benefits Of Being A Film Major

So, I recently graduated college. With an so called “useless” degree.

Yup, I’m freaking film major.

Now, film degrees get a bad rap.

“It’s a dumb degree.”

“It’s useless.”

“What job are you gonna get with that?”

People say these things all the time. And I’m surprised people don’t see the connection — that it baffles me. How can you not see it? It’s right in your face!

Wild.

Benefit Number One

Anyway, first and foremost, if you’re in film, writing, psychology, philosophy, public speaker, actor or humanities lover (like me!) — you’re an communicator.

Putting Pen to Paper is your strength.

Dealing with or influencing people is your strength.

Public Speaking is your strength.

Soft skills are your strength.

And these are the skills you need to obtain any job you want.

What’s the first thing you need to do to get a job?

Write a resume and interview.

Writing and public speaking.

This is the edge you have over other people. You’re an master at these 2 things.

Tech geeks have engineering.

Finance gurus have numbers.

Designers have pencils.

You have communication skills — use them — any and everywhere.

Story time — I remember I took a public speaking class two years ago where we did one speech per class. 10 in total for the whole semester. This was my favorite class, btw.

I aced this class with flying colors. Every speech I hit it out the park.

BOOM – BOOM – BOOM!

And you know who struggled?

The Tech and Finance folks (no disrespect to them).

They were scared. And barely made it through the speeches.

They weren’t built like me — whose had over 10 years of customer service exp, whose been blogging since 2016, whose been acting for more than 4 years).

These are strengths you hone when you’re a film major.

Benefit Number Two 

The most important people in the world, specially in Hollywood, politics, and business are communicators.

Donald Trump goes viral on Twitter – everyday.  140 characters of writing!

Aalexandria Ocasio-Cortez goes viral as well. She’s heating up.

Denzel Washington, Steve Harvey, Tom Cruise, Kevin Hart, Will Smith — you name it, any A list Actor is a super good communicator.

In business, salespeople and marketers drive the growth of the company. Without sales, the company dies, period.  Steve Jobs was probably the most influential people in business in the last two decades and he was a gifted marketer and storyteller.

All these people can communicate extremely, extremely well.

The top people with the most $$$ and influence are the best communicators, period.

Benefit Number Three

Studying acting really helped my mental health.

Before I took improv classes, I was pretty shy (not introverted) but I couldn’t communicate my thoughts and feelings as well as I wanted.

Then, I solved my problem — I found something I was extremely passionate about — improv comedy. I was to communicate clearly and think clearly. To any one.

Which – I think – is extremely underrated today — where we’re living an a fast paced world. And the best, clearest thinkers would be able to stand out from the bunch.

I personally journal my thoughts every day. I even do a video journal as well. And it makes me feel awesome. And I don’t think I would get that feeling if I wasn’t a communicator.

Okay – that’s enough writing for me.

Thanks for reading,

Jamual

P.S. You can follow on Twitter because you love communicating too!

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This Is Capitalism’s Fault

So, I’m finished with school for the summer, and I thought I would be able to take a clean, wholesome break — uh nope!

I’m applying for jobs via indeed.

And writing, a bunch.

Maybe I’ll shoot a video or something – I don’t know.

But I know ya boy don’t wanna waste any time.

Ah – even yesterday I was learning about html.

And it’s cool. Cause now I can read a little code. Feels like a freaking super power, man.

Lol – this is the monster that capitalism created. Chronic workaholics.

Well, this isn’t a bad thing – cause I have big goals.

I wanna get crazy, crazy cash flow.

Become a crazy good communicator via my writing and public speaking skills.

I wanna build cool houses.

I wanna, I wanna, I wanna …

And I have work tomorrow too.

Man, this is all capitalism’s fault….

…This, to me, is all that America is good for – selling, marketing, business, cash.

The American Dream.

And that’s not bad, cause hard work is the ultimate currency.

Thank goodness for that.

Later!

Feed Addictions

I’ve been watching a lot of video games, lately.

And it’s an amazing nostalgia.

If you didn’t know my origin story – the short version is that I was video game geek who wore colorful socks turned into a buffed out, bald, bearded grown man.

Video games were my jam – I even to school for it, briefly, and now I’m going into marketing as a career, cause I love to sell and write, and am on Twitter like a mad man.

So, now I just watch video games on Youtube, and recently I finished watching God of War and Fortnite.

And given my marketing knowledge – I saw a big idea in video game design that is good for marketers.

The big idea is to make your product/ service/ idea addicting.

God of War – designwise – is freaking good cause it’s addicting (besides the amazing story, acting, etc, etc).

It’s so addicting – that after watching a video, I found myself saying Kratos’ dialogue like – Boy!

Or performing his actions (the man throws his axe around a lot.

Like this –

God of War 4

Man, I used do that when I was a kid…. Acted out certain characters…

… Anyway, the more I watch – the more addicted I become. I can’t get enough.

God of War sold me, hard.

Just because of it’s addicting nature.

The best products do this – iPhones, cigarettes, cars,  grass fed burgers, etc.

That’s what I try to do with my personality, writing, and ideas.

I try to find an addiction and feed it – again and again and again.

Cause that’s what lasts.

 

 

Ideas

Gender neutral. Feminism. White supremacy. Cultural appropriation.

These are the words that I’ve been seein’ in Twitter, TV, and the media –  in general.

In school, we debate about racism.

We ponder, ponder, ponder.

But these ideas weren’t around 4 years ago. People weren’t talkin’ bout this 4 years ago.

Weird.

Man, the sellin’ of ideas are super powerful.

It’s really all we got now. Cause everythin’ has been made, everythin’ has been created.

We have amazing services, amazing assets, and currencies, amazing services.

Capitalism won.

But ideologies have people makin’ signs, and marchin’ in the streets. Protestin’. Roitin’.

Ideas spur action.

Sellin’ ideas is the most powerful thing I’ve ever seen.

From the media, academia, corporations.

And as an average person person, you gotta recognize the soft sell, the soft ball pitch – cause it’s being sold – every second, every minute, every hour.

Steel up.

And learn to sell those ideas yourself, create your own culture, your own ideas.

Cause they’re the only thing we have left.

 

 

 

Movies + Video Games Are Ideals

I’m patiently waitin’ to view the new God of War video game on Youtube. I stopped playin’ video games four years ago … But…

You know those cool walk throughs? Yeah, they’re dope.

I sometimes watch them when I wanna get some new storytellin’ ideas.

Have you seen a new video game lately? They’re bananas. The graphics are butter now. Smooth, creamy, delicious.

Oh, boy – as I’m writing this – I thinkin’ bout pancakes and bacon, ugh.

So, for the God of War video games, the creators re did a lot of things. Firstly, the main character – Kratos.

He’s really… matured – he’s now a dad, has a full beard, and a bald head. Instead of being a wild womanizer. He still has a bad, bad temper, though.

Sounds cool, right?

This got me thinkin’ – Movies and Video games – through storytellin’ – are tryin’ to sell consumers ideals. An ideal to live up to.

If you look at Kratos, he’s perfect. Perfect body, beard, weapons, fightin’ ability.

In commercials, dudes are shredded and the girls are thin.

In superheroes, the main characters are buffed out & crazy strong.

Now, most people in their life never achieve that level of fitness – at all.

Why?

Takes too long. Too hard. Etc, etc.

But these are the things that people want. And is what self improvement is built on.

Gettin’ the better body, better relationships, more money, a nicer house or car, a better degree, etc.

Self improvement is bout seein’ the ideal on the screen, and addin’ it to your life – no matter how it takes.

Could take a day, could take 20 years.

Doesn’t matter.

These ideals are what life is about. Strive for something greater. Anything.

Why?

Cause it makes life crazy more fulfilling.

That’s why you should try to your best to live up to that ideal as much as possible.

Go for it.

End Of A Era

Earlier today, I walked past a Babies R US in the heart of Union Square.
It was cleared out. It’s retail space, now. White walls. And trash. Damn.
I remember Toys R Us as a kid. I had a bunch of toys. Hundreds. I loved ’em.
I used beg to my family members for them, weekly. I used to stuff them in a big, looney tunes travel bag, and take ’em everywhere.
KB toys and Toys R Us were my favorite places.
And now they’re both gone. A relic of the Industrial age of the old economy. Where 8 hour works days seemed smart. Where employers wanted to hire everybody and their mom.  And a 401K was all you needed.
Now it’s different.
We’re in a new Age now. Postindustrial. Tech, tech, tech. Speed, speed, speed.
Where the only currency is your ideas.
James Altucher & Seth Godin were right.
Ideas are the only thing that’ll last in this new economy.
This is what Amazon knows.
This is where we’re goin’.
It’s truly an end of a era.

Distribution Is Savin’ Time

Time is the ultimate currency.

It’s finite. We all gotta go some day.

This is why Amazon. And Uber are winning. They’re faster.

It takes me less 5 minutes to catch a Uber. Cabs used to take forever. This is why Uber wins.

I click a product on Amazon. And it’s in my mailbox in two days or less.

This is distribution – the place part of the 4 P’s of marketin’ – and it’s changin’ the game.

Everythin’ is speed speed, speed.

Savin’ people time is the ultimate currency.

Know this.

Marketin’ Is The Start Of Your Communication Strategy – Respect It!

I’m a mass communications student.

I love anythin’ where I can connect with another people on big scale.

When I was younger, besides hittin’ push ups in my room, I would stare at the TV, watchin’ show after show. Watchin’ movie after movie after movie (I even watched a movie ‘fore I started  writin’ this blog post).

Mass comms is a whole field that involves…

Writin’.

Movies.

Actin’.

TV.

News.

Public Speakin’.

Radio.

Podcastin’.

Marketin’.

Ads.

PR.

And I’m into most of this stuff (some more than others).

But – why am I into this stuff?

Who knows, man. Passion makes no sense.

Anyway so – quick story – I was at my non profit gig earlier in the month, and I heard the founder/leader yell somethin’ cool.

He clicked off his phone, ran into the room, where we were workin’ and said, ” We got soul cycle!”

To fill you in – we were workin’ on a project to get sponsors to give us stuff, basically fundrasin’. And it was my job to find companies, so the PR department can contact them.

So I made a whole, big list full of companies. And a week later, the PR team snagged Soul Cycle as a sponsor.

What does that mean?

Well, that means free stuff, food, clothes, etc for our organization!

Sound goods, right?

And it all happened cause of my marketin’ data – that’s it.

That’s why when you start your projects – any project – you need to think ’bout the marketin’ first.

It’s the start of your comms strategy.

You need a marketin’ plan.

And it doesn’t have to be a crazy plan. It can be quick an’ dirty.

My plans are super simple. Where I use the 5 W’s. And I bounce the ideas off another team member. As well as a lil’ research. That’s it.

Remember what Dan Kennedy – marketin’ guru – says, “Marketin’ is your business,”

He’s right. And you better respect it!

Later,

Jamual

3 Lessons Learned From Workin’ In A Non Profit

Before the summer started, I was pretty bored. All I had was my weekend customer service gig. And fitness time. And this blog. I really needed somethin’ else to do.

So earlier this summer, I decided to volunteer my talents to non profits.

I lucked out with one close by me, to be a marketin’ assistant.

And the experience’s been pretty cool. I’ve haven’t done any non profit work since high school. Where I taught South African children English. And did some community service projects like planting flowers and stuff. So I thought it was gonna take some gettin’ used too. But this time that wasn’t the case…

… At this non profit, I’ve been doin’  very lil’ physical work. It’s mostly computer work (which is awesome).

I was ’round pretty like minded individuals who talk bout marketin’,  sales, as well as pr. It’s purely a start up environment.  Where everybody’s their doin’ their own projects – plannin’ events, researchin’, callin’ up sponsors, etc.

For me – I’m mostly doin’ research for them. And got to show off my actin’ skills in a video too. Which was really fun.

This experience has taught me quite a bit in terms of workin’ in different workplaces.

These are the things that I’ve learned…

Number One

Communication Is Key

This non profit is filled with marketers and pr people and actors and artists. And we’re always plannin’ new and excitin’ events. And since we’re a non profit – we’re always lookin’ for ways to get companies/people to donate. So the top skills I’ve seen bein’ worked on really hard are communication and teamwork.

Someone is always sharin’ a email. Or a spreadsheet. Or a Goggle Doc.

Someone is always on the phone, lookin’ for good way to ask someone to donate their money, energy, and time.

Communication is key. 

It’s the heart and soul of this organization. And I bet a whole lotta of others. Well, successful ones, at least.

I’ve spent years and years doin’ improv in teams, and workin’ the restaurant industry, so bein’ in a team is easy for me.  Actually I prefer it cause I’m mostly an extrovert. And like to be ’round people. But I can work lone wolf style too.

Even though I can be kinda quiet (I’m not super talkative) I seem to do well in workin’ when in teams. And teamwork makes the dream work.

Number Two

A Good Leader Helps A Whole Lot

I’ve read a good amount of books on leadership. ‘Specially Peter Drucker – whose writin’ on management is fairly good. You should check him out.

The leader/founder at my non profit is a good one. He’s pretty patient with everyone, a very skilled communicator, and is very good at assignin’ tasks to volunteers.

One interestin’ thing I’ve noticed that he does is every 20 minutes or so,  he checks in with a person or group to see the progress that they’ve made on a project.

It’s a very good way to stay on top of people. Really keeps us on our toes (since most people can slack off – no matter what their age). There’s also a no cell phone policy too. Which helps with focus.

Number Three 

Structure Is Key 

When I started workin’, I had a orientation, a rule book in the form of a PowerPoint, and a couple other forms. At first, I thought this was unnecessary, but after thinkin’ it over – it was pretty darn necessary.

Also – when I walk in, I’m usually assigned a project to work on right away. And I’m workin’ on that project for the remainder of the day. Sometimes I’m workin’ on two or three projects at a time. That was last week. That was fun.

I like structure. And multiple projects. Keeps morale way up.

Even though this is a start up environment, which is known for bein’ very loose,  that keeps the vibe is cool, but the steady stream of projects and events keep my engine runnin’. Guess that’s why I haven’t left yet, despite workin’ there for 3 months already.

All in all, I’m really happy with my summer work this year, I actually feel of use, where I can be self startin’, be a generalist – cause I have a wide skill set. And just be ’round like minded people.

Highly recommend non profit work. ‘Specially if want to be ’round people, and meaningful work.

Really nice change of pace from the for profit sector.

Later,

Jamual