Ray Roldan Tricking

I often return back to Stony Brook University to participate with PUSO, the Filipino organization on campus. I recently worked with my friend Ray Roldan to do a quick little video profiling him and exhibiting his talent for Mr. Philippines, a contest that was going to happen at New York University. We took one day to record footage together and I quickly put something together in a few hours since we needed to meet a quick deadline. Here it is. Ray is pretty talented isn't he?

Branding Yourself

Coming from an advertising design background, I've come to learn the relative significance of Branding to a Company's image. The same can be said for individuals as well, but not in the professional sense. In our personal lives there is actually a lot of branding taking place.

Nicknames are what come to mind first. By having a Nickname you are essentially taking that first step in branding yourself as a person. Nicknames commonly arise naturally. Long or common given names get reduced to shorter and/or more memorable ones just as a consequence of frequent interaction. Their purpose is to uniquely identify an individual with a memorable and recognizable similarly-sounding name. Sometimes if you're given a nickname it is good to embrace it and carry it to help better identify yourself and set yourself apart from other people.

Establishing a look. What you see is what you get. Although some hate to see things in this light, the reality is that it's true. People will take how you look, or appear, into account in their minds when they identify you. When someone mentions your name they will have a certain image pop into their brains based on how they previously seen you before. When people hear the name "Travis Barker" most of them will immediately think about his tattoos.

Maintaining consistency. Be respected. People will remember you and know who you are better if you are reliable. Also if you remain consistent with your actions to establish a solid character. If you're all over the place or try to be "everything" then you will be spread thin and be very hard to recognize. Think about a clump of dough. If you form all of it into a solid shape in a small concentrated area, you will easily be able to notice the dough, and even shape it however you want within that area. However, if you take a roller and try to spread it out over as big of an area possible, you will no longer be able to recognize the dough at all.

So why would you need to brand yourself in your personal life? It's about establishing your identity, the way you want it. You don't want to be mundane and fall into the sea of humanity, or becoming just a typical ant in the ant farm. It'll also help you to become more successful and increase your opportunities in whatever you do. People will remember you through some of the ways you've chosen to brand yourself. In networking with other people, you will also have a leg up.

Do you choose to "brand" yourself? Do you believe it does you any better?

Starting Out

All self-started, up-and-coming, hopeful individuals find themselves very desperate early in the game with respect to opportunities and money. It's so easy to get yourself involved in causes that you don't wholeheartedly believe in. Much of the time you may find yourself smudging your ideology to justify taking on questionable opportunities in hopes that it will propel you towards your real goals. Although worth is most commonly measured by the meniscus of wealth, in modern days more emphasis and value is being put into integrity.

Know Where You Stand. I know it sounds lame but it's very important to take some time before even beginning any kind of endeavor to write some kind of mission statement. Don't just write down the typical mumbo-jumbo or gloss over it. Think about yourself, your ideals and where you'd like to go. Take it seriously. You can't build a building without having a solid foundation to put it on.

Follow It. Saying and doing are two different things. Nobody wants to look like a hypocrite so if you truly know where you stand then keep your ground. Nothing more needs to be said about this.

Resist Temptation to Sell Yourself Out. Sometimes the easiest way is not the best way. Despite contrary belief the best things are not those created with the intent of selling them. Focus on your goals, your beliefs and your mission. That's the only way you can reach your highest potential. This is the only way you can get quality recognition, and build a strong following. People will know you're serious and not just someone who rides the waves. They will give you the best support you need, even when times get rough (which they will). It's never about getting exposure or appeasing other people.

I look up to those who are able to maintain this balance like Johnny Cupcakes and The Hundreds. Even Oakley. Despite coming off as a huge corporation they still pour money back into their products and to sponsor and support the sports and activities from which their core consumers belong to.

Do you know where you stand? How good of a job are you doing at maintaining your ground?

Veteran's Day

Today's a day to remember those who have served in defending the United States, as well as those currently serving now. It's a shame for those lives that were taken in Fort Hood, to go out in the way they did in an act of senseless violence by a few clearly "unright" individuals.

The above photo was taken by my friend Matt Johnson. It's of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial at Bald Hill. Matt recently purchased a new camera and is still tinkering around with it. Not a bad start at all.

I find it particularly interesting the different kinds of perspectives that can be taken with respect to war. For one thing, Call of Duty's Modern Warfare 2 just dropped in stores having gamers everywhere falling into hermit status for the next few weeks. I may in fact be one of them. Modern Warfare 2 is being touted as being one of the most "realistic" war games to ever come out. The Onion had an interesting take on it, as it is usually known for. This was brought to my attention by James Hrisho. I found it pretty humoring.

Disciplined Blogging

If I keep advising myself of the fact that the "hardest advice to follow is your own" it appears that I will be stuck in a never ending cycle. This is actually my bazillion-th attempt at starting up a blog and for one reason or another I begin losing interest and cease to post. I was always interested in becoming an active blogger but the motivation would always tend to fall off about a month later. Of course I can say "things will be different this time" but we can only see.

I love sharing my thoughts, but I find the greatest motivation killer is feeling like no one is reading what you're writing. If you allow yourself to believe that no one is reading, then you begin to fall into a habit of writing to yourself. Your blog no longer becomes a blog, but a personal diary if you treat it that way. For this reason, every entry you compose should be written with other people in mind. Think about what other people will get out of your writing as opposed to what you can get out of your own writing. That's what will ultimately make it interesting and build a following.