All proper missions begin with a clear plan and maybe the first step in any undertaking should laying everything on the table.

Everyone hates hidden agendas.

My goal here will be as clear as possible and stay clear of smoke blowing, small talk, fist bumping (the physical equivalent of smalltalk), and saying “bless you” when people sneeze.

So let’s get to the point.

Who Is This Jerry, And What Does He Do?

I fancy myself an artist and an art lover. I love traditional art, modern art, music, the art of the spoken and written word, and of course the art of cinema.

Finding the perfect canvas has been a lifelong struggle.

After some good times at University, and five years writing for the web, designing & managing social media and SEO, it has become clear that writing is something I am drawn to like a toddler with a full diaper to white fabric.

Writing is something that allows me to clearly express my thoughts. I feel like life so far has given me the basics to succeed in writing online; the know-how to build a basic website, some graphic design chops, experience publising on a variety of digital platforms, an eye for the type of content you see here, and a basic network of likeminded professionals & fellow geeks

I dabble in photography, video, illustration and design, audio, music, writing, and most often marketing. I have my tentacles in a lot of places. But as they often say of renaissance men, I am more of a “Jack of all trades, master of none” sort of guy. I think one big challenge for many artists is finding the right venue to share something that works, or in my case, a sexy mishmash of content.

Marketing is a chore and artists generally hate it. 

So to whittle away at the sharing process this site now exists as a one stop shop where I can share everything. I worry about coming off cocky, or growing a Tom DeLongesque megalomania. But it seems that instead of endlessly trying to find the perfect market, creating one provides level of control and command over how I choose to share my art.

I Do Have An Agenda (but it’s no secret)

To those of you kind enough to visit the site, I promise to be straight with you. I strive to put my best effort into everything I create (some of those things I will try to monetize in order that one day I can escape the 9-5 work week). There may be links tastefully included to things I might be trying to sell and I will do my best to be transparent ( If I stand to make money on something, I will let you know).

I am happy to let you know that any proceeds I generate through the site will go towards killing off that fantastic student loan of mine.

Creating a better quality of life for my family will remain one of the main goals of the site; I didn’t come from money and graduating from the University of California put me some $30,000 in the hole. I know that is not uncommon. Based on statistics I will need to at least triple my salary to even buy the crappiest home Los Angeles has to offer. But consider this all part of my bid to create financial independence and kill off my personal debt.

According to Federal Reserve Statistics published in 2015, the average US Citizen holds more than $15,000 in credit card debt, $35,000 in student loan debt and $156,000 in mortgage debt.

I’m far from being the only millennial in debt, but in my opinion, this is not OK.

I plan to be transparent about what I see working and to provide rundowns of my failures so maybe others can avoid my mistakes. I encourage those in debt and actively fighting to build personal wealth to follow along.

I will consider it a success if even one person among us can avoid a few of my missteps, learn, build a better life or even a find more success than me. I also invite constructive criticism and advice from anyone kind enough to share, expand the dialogue, and broaden our mutual perspective.

I don’t plan to create a money blog, but documenting the steps I take to undue the damage will be an element of the site.

Don’t Settle For Fine

I was listening to the TED Radio Hour NPR Podcast and heard one of the presenters ask the question, “Why do you want to be remembered?” Not what do you want to be remembered for, but WHY? That got me thinking.

Much of what motivates me at this point in my life is wanting to create stability for myself and my wife. Building a family is something that is always at the front of mind. In the larger scheme of things, I hope to have a hand in driving the world forward and improving the future, even if just in some small way.

I have no faith in the traditional model of slaving for a corporation, saving for retirement, slipping into old age, and dying unfulfilled.

Why do we let our dreams take a back seat to our lives!?

I have a friend with a tattoo that reads “Vive tus sueños no sueñes tu vida.” It means roughly live your dreams, don’t dream of a life. I always liked that.

I believe there is a better way to hustle and I’ll be damned if I don’t try.

I know I’m not the only Millennial who sees the system as broken. But if I can share a path to freedom from the traditional corporate slavery model, I hope the sweet scent of freedom will be enough to add to the growing catalyst for societal change.

What greater purpose is there than to improve the lives of those around us?

Although things are always clearer in retrospect, I continue to develop a better picture of how to approach life and reach my destination every day. I pray this site will provide useful information, entertainment, and perhaps an intermittent moment of zen.

Let’s Connect!

                              

One thing I have come to understand is that the connections we make give value to life. If there’s something on your mind you’d like to share with me, even if just for a moment or a quick response, don’t hesitate to shoot me a message. If you have a proposition, I’m always willing to hear the pitch. As you can see from the social links above, I try to be everywhere.

The Art of Networking

I had that friend in college who seemed to know almost everyone on campus. It didn’t take long before I discovered what I believe to have been the secret to his prowess: Networking.

Sometimes it isn’t as easy as we would like it to be to connect with someone. Sometimes there is no click, and it seems you have nothing to offer a person and they can offer nothing to you. But when you learn to search for a person’s values as a means to build a network around you, you can be a bridge to success for that person, especially when you can identify what they can offer and what they need. What you can always do is lay the groundwork between that individual and someone who can meet their needs or whom the can serve. In this you become entwined in their success and create a lasting bond and connection.

Connecting others may be the most underrated and important skill in business.

It is a selfless act and should never be pursued as a means to an end. When the goal is to connect others, you learn to find the value in others. You not only build connections, you become a conduit that people know they can seek out for advice and direction. The pursuit is it’s own reward. Being a conduit for the success of others is something I strive to do in every arena of my life.

When others see their success tied to your aid, you will find allies where you never expected.

I hope to share information that enriches your life, and if I can be a conduit for your success I have another reason to wake up with a smile. I hope you can learn as much or more from my mistakes and successes as I do, and I hope to hear from you if you think there is any way in which we can help each other grow or build success together. This site is not for everyone, but if you made it this far you’ll probably find something you like here.

Thanks for reading my rubbish,

-Jerry