Guest Blogger - @jesimieljenkins - Moving to LA (Part 2)

If you guys may recall, my friend Jesimiel wrote, a couple of weeks back, about why he chose to move to LA in pursuit of his dreams of working as a host in the entertainment industry. Below, my dear friend elaborates one what he's learned in the last six months since he's been there. It's an eye opener and I think for all artists hoping to make it in LA, or any major metropolis (read: NYC, London, Paris, Tokyo, Rio... etc), you can learn a lot from his experiences.

Three things I’ve learned so far:

A career in the entertainment business is EXPENSIVE. 

-You must be willing to make a sizable investment in yourself to be taken seriously

            -This means paying for really great headshots

            -This means enrolling in ongoing acting classes at a good studio

            -This means buying great clothes that make people notice you when you walk into the audition room

Many people in LA want to be successful but few want to work for it.

-Many people want THAT life, that Beverly Hills life, but few will invest in themselves and work for it.

-It’s important to consistently work towards your goals in a sprawling city like LA and do things that you’re passionate about

-You don’t want to end up another embittered and angry artist serving tables and waiting for Steven Spielberg to walk in and notice you- take your career and your life into your own hands

Drugs are very very real

-I had a very sheltered upbringing in the suburbs of Virginia. I knew what drugs were but they were a very distant reality

-In LA, drugs are a close reality

            -Seriously, keep your drink close at bars and don’t go to an “after-party” with someone you don’t know, there will probably be drugs there

None of the families in Wilkerson’s book aspired to grace the big screen, they just wanted higher wages for their families and to live without threat of racial violence.  However, as I near the end of Wilkerson’s book, I am humbly reminded that I stand on the shoulders of giants and that I am not the first to take this journey.  Though my experience dims in comparison to the present and blood-drenched reality my ancestors lived in the south, I take pride in their bravery as they, like I, made the courageous decision to act upon their dreams.       

follow him @jesimieljenkins on Twitter

Guest Bloggers Are A-Comin'!!!!

Hey Guys

Although many of you believe in my inherent genius, I figure two heads are still better than one. Heck, three heads are better than one. There's a lot to be gained from having multiple voices and perspectives come in to conversation with one another. This dialogue allows us question our own beliefs and become more knowledge and aware about the subtle grey areas that represent our cultural consciousness. (Geez, I feel like I'm writing a pair. Ick). As such, in the vein of sharing what "Eaze Way Says," I decided to ask a few of my friends to do the same and become regular guest bloggers! They all have connection to the arts and/or entertainment industry, but they also have interests that extend far beyond my own. It's my belief that this collective sharing will offer some great fellowship and great support.

Inspiration

I love this choreography. :D 

Empowering Yourself Through Entrepreneurship

I found this article Secrets of Start-Up Queens: How to Launch a Successful Business in Today’s Entrepreneurial Economy while I was on Buzzfeed today. The articles discusses the experiences of supermodel and business tycoon Iman and model and social media queen Coca Rocha. It struck a cord with me because I want to have longevity in my career and be more than just an actress. I want to have a platform and a voice. Here is a highlight from the article:

"Iman spoke of photoshoots early in her career, and the struggle to find makeup shades that matched her skin color. (Incidentally, the first time she wore makeup at all was on her first shoot.) So, years later with her supermodel status cemented, she decided to start her own eponymous makeup line targeted toward women of color. To be taken seriously as a businesswomen, though, she said she needed to “divorce herself from the [fashion] industry.”

I stopped going to fashion parties and networked not with fashion people but [with] business people. And I asked for help from executives. You will not believe, when you reach out and ask to be mentored by another female executive, how you will be uplifted.

Coco Rocha then told the audience she’d been peppering Iman with “entrepreneurial questions” in turn. While Iman branded a product she felt passionate about, Coco made herself the brand: “This is awkward because I’m listening to these ladies that are powerful businesswomen and I’m like uh… ME!”

She spoke of wanting to create a well-known persona in the same way the “old era” of supermodels did. She said, “I noticed that no-one knew much about me and no-one cared to know [either].” She cited social media as the way she’s created a personality to accompany the face. (As of writing, Rocha has 550,607 Twitter followers and 427,066 on Instagram. She recently wrote a “Why I Instagram” column for Vogue.)

[As a model] I had no way to have a voice — so in order to have a longer, more successful career, I started a blog. I wrote about nothing; I remember one post was about a bird named Tweety. And people were like, ‘Tweety’s so cool, he’s fantastic.’ I thought, ‘this is really awesome, I have an audience!’