'Do It For YOURSELF' (THE LOST ASSIGNMENT)

PEOPLE…

DO IT FOR YOURSELF….

This is it.. the Grand Finale…. The culmination of a semester long journey… A journey to find myself, to find my purpose in life and utilize the lessons learned to embark on new adventures. As cliché and artificially sentimental as this garbage may sound to some; I MEAN THIS WITH THE UTMOST SINCERITY…. This course has, quite literally, been the most useful portion of my ENTIRE COLLEGE career. I do not consider myself a marketing master, by any means, but the lessons learned throughout the duration of the course were thought provoking. I was made privy to the countless opportunities that exist in this life and was instilled with the notion that everyone should enjoy what they do, and have the opportunity to make a quality living by doing it…

I only took Marketing this semester because the necessary Accounting and Finance classes that go towards my MBA, were at capacity and I needed hours to be considered a ‘real student’. Looking back; other than the fact that I am fairly decent with numbers and a logical thinking individual, I LITERALLY HAVE NO CLUE why Finance was my choice for a major. Sure, this is a universal business practice and it is essential to have some sort of element that keeps the financial portion of any given business reconciled but (to me)…. the sh*t is boring.!!!   

Let us first re-emphasize this idea that was spoken in one of our first posts. This notion that everyone is born with something remarkable and if leveraged properly, this remarkable attribute can be used to create a sustainable and prosperous living… Below are some examples of projects that I took seriously strictly because I was fortunate enough to be introduced to this course. 



PROJECTS: 

The artist featured here is my Uncle Vincent. Recently, he put out a single ‘Caliente Amor’. I was fortunate enough to be able to get this online on a few different streaming and downloading platforms. We have not yet developed a marketing strategy but the fact that the content is mastered, ready to go and available gives us a good starting point. 

This project is my Father’s. It was never formally released or marketed but I remember, as a boy, when he was working on this record. This was my first experience with live music and also where I discovered that I thoroughly enjoy the creative process and the grind it takes to put out a completed product. Gospel Music may not be up everybody’s alley but after listening to this again, and remixing the tracks; the talent is undeniable. Going forward, the plan is to ‘republish’ this album and give it a formal push for portfolio’s and pride's sake (Profiting will be an added bonus).

This is my father’s second album. I am particularly proud of this one because I was blessed to be able to provide some of the musical production here. Though I was old enough to provide some creative work, I didn’t have a mind for business and this one was not published properly either. I do not participate in the creative process when it comes to writing music any more but I still appreciate the artistry behind it.

I mentioned in a previous post, that my cousin Chef TJ Montoya (Tiger) has been working on his craft for years. We have reached a point that it is time to start a legitimate business and start a food truck/ custom catering business (for starters). This has been both challenging and a blast and at this point, all that’s left is the financing part (WE HAVE THE RESOURCES AND AN OFFICIAL BUSINESS MODEL NOW). 

My Wife has 8 years of solid experience in the collections industry. Currently she works for a local law firm maintaining the company’s books and ensuring that all accounts are settle properly. She is so good at what she does, I convinced her go into business for herself. The end game is to be able to do what she does now but for herself on a contractual basis for private practices and professionals. I am Pleased to announce.. that this is an actual business now.. Look it up.. 

---------------------------------------------------------------

I realize that though we may have lost sight, overall, about the general direction of our group blog, the ideas and sentiments behind the content were sincere and relevant to what we are all trying to do. The truth of the matter is that taking this class, inspired me to begin these projects above and see them to a point to where they are profitable for the individuals putting forth the work (myself included.. because.. come on.. that’s a lot of work)… But… IN ALL SERIOUSNESS…. I have complete faith in the above individuals who I am working with and am unexplainably excited to see what our future holds.....

-Clinton Ellison III