Tis The Season of Giving

This time of year can take on different meanings for different people but the one common theme is that tis the season of giving. Some people shop until they drop, some give to their favorite charities, others volunteer and some choose to open their hearts, offer compassion, give without conditions and increase their capacity to love.

On the career front the fiscal year is coming to an end, when companies are racing to close there financial records and bosses are reminding you that you have to use your accumulated vacation days. The later of the 3, makes all the challenging times you experienced at work all worthwhile, as you get a chance to take much needed time away. All in all, the holiday season allows us the luxury of spending time with our families and the one person we sometimes neglect ourselves.  I know most of you were not expecting me to say ourselves but we all need to look at our beings, especially our body, mind and spirit as an invaluable investment. It is essential that we take time off and put the necessary steps in place to get ourselves back on track with achieving our goals and ultimately living a better life.

The definition of holiday, is a free day from work that one may spend at leisure, especially a day on which custom or the law dictates a halting of general business activity to commemorate or celebrate a particular event.

What better time than the season of giving to think about you and put time and energy into devising a plan to achieve your personal and career goals. What better time then the holidays to love yourself by spending 20 to 30-minutes per day on writing and visualizing what you want to manifest in 2011.  If you could have whatever you want what would it look and feel like?  I am firm believer that the universe and God gives us everything we want/desire but what we forget to do when we ask, is to include all the details that are so important. For instance, how many times do we talk to our friends and loved ones about getting to the next level and wanting to increase our income? How many of us do not specify by when, maybe within 6 or 12-months and by how much, $5K or $10K, etc.  The more specific you are about your goals the more you up the odds of achieving exactly what you want based on your personalized plan.

So as we get caught in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it is my sincere hope that we not just give and expect the tangible but we give the gifts of unconditional love and time especially to ourselves.

Clarity and Diligence

In thinking of our master plan there are two things to keep in mind, clarity and diligence. I recently met with my film-producing partner and were discussing the development of our film project, Godspeed. Each time we meet we always come to the table with innovative development and marketing ideas. We have been in development for the last year or so, which some may think is a long time, but in considering the details, the necessary elements and the importance of presentation (you only have one time to make a great initial impression)...any good business idea takes time to develop and refine.  We are committed to doing the work and investing countless hours to develop and produce our film with as much integrity to our vision as possible.

 A lot of people from different walks of life are finding themselves at a crossroad...some young people are grappling with what do I do now that I am finishing college and others are finding themselves transitioning careers because of the economy or just at that time in their lives when they want to invest themselves in a career that makes them happy. No matter what the circumstances the first steps to feeling fulfilled is being clear and creating a plan or course to make it happen.

The mission of my blog is talk about the wonderful world of production and with that in mind, here are my pearls of wisdom.  Whether you are working on a film or live event project there are few things that you have to consider.  Working on productions requires thinking on your feet, patience and diplomacy.  I am sure you have heard this advise before and just wanted to reiterate the path I choose.  If you want to get a crack at production work or producing, start networking, make some calls and connections and intern or volunteer. Interning or volunteering will give you insight, give you a glimpse at what is required on a number of levels...the time commitment, skill set, how many elements go into development, pre-planning, the actual production and most important the required temperament.

The question I get all the time is how do I get started and how do I transition from where I am to working on events/projects full time. My first question is why do you want to work in this industry and how committed are you to what I call "getting the job done by any means necessary?"

Are you ready to get started?

I am developing a Producing Workshop that I would like to present in the the near future so if anyone, non-profit or for-profit is interested please email me at info@gechar.com

The Investment of Energy

Energy is not just what you exert physically but what you manifest silently. It is the dialogue you have with your consciousness, how you invest your time, what words you chose or how you react.

I have a keen sense of the types of projects I choose to invest my energy and that of my companies. The entertainment projects have to be creative, intelligent, inspirational and challenging.  Once you have clarity around your work, brand and mission, you draw those types of projects into your sphere and your work becomes an extension of what you represent as a brand.

In thinking about new projects and putting my energy into business development,  I am drawn to endeavors that provide longevity and multi platforms versus one time productions, that do not provide strategic or growth opportunities. This is where the rubber meets the road, when being a Producer and managing the business of life intersect. There are several principles of being a Producer that can be applied to life, understanding your project and audience is a must, in life clarity is so important to how we live and interact on so many levels. We should never take for granted that some aspects of our personal life do not translate to who we are as employees, business partners and entrepreneurs.  We have to keep in mind that we are a constant image of our brand and corporations want to partner with companies and individuals that are an extension of what they represent to their clients and consumers. You have to walk the walk and talk the talk, from your smile, your mannerisms, your speaking, from your clothing to your education and background...you have to be a complete package from the inside out in order to get to the next level. I am not saying you have to be perfect you just have to represent consistently the "best you" even when you don't get the job or contract and when our days are filled with challenges.

Being a successful Producer is about building relationships and trust not just with your clients but also with your audience for whom the event or project is created. You have to understand your audience and their needs.... how do you build a relationship with the audience that instills, trust, consistency and quality? All should be considered when developing concepts, marketing strategies and promotional campaigns, which will appeal and attract conference attendee's, consumers, festival and moviegoers. Again all of the above mentioned co-relate to life, to both our business and personal relationships. So when you think about producing, it is comparable to managing and negotiating life, 80% of producing a project is in the pre-planning and 20% lies in the execution, a lesson or two can be translated to living successfully. If we put the extra energy we use everyday into thinking affirmative thoughts and writing our goals daily or weekly, we would teach ourselves how to live and actualize our dreams versus just living to keep dreaming and surviving.

I created this blog to actualize my dream of providing a space where I could share about my career and inspire those who have a similar dream to put their dreams into action. Again my hope is that we can learn, inspire and support each other as we share our experiences.

Producing is all consuming

I know it has been a while, did not realize that it has been two years since I created this blog but as they say it is never too late to get the balling rolling. So I am back and I have worked on several projects since...BET's Fly Girls with the inspiring Michaela angela Davis,  with ESSENCE Magazine on their Empowerment Conference and my company has produced the ESSENCE Music Festival's Empowerment Seminar Series for the last 7 years which now includes a TV ONE Gospel Tribute Special that will air early fall.  I have participated in a couple of events where I have spoken on panels at the Urban Surburban Film Festival in Philadelphia and at the Braids n Beads event held in New Orleans this past summer. So in writing this blog I can see the fruit of my labor in motion which is amazing!  Sometimes you have to take a moment to realize all that you do and give your self a little praise.

I am especially excited that I am co-producing the film project Godspeed with talented writer Celia Peters, if you do not know Celia do your homework she is the next Diablo Cody of black filmmakers...she is getting ready to blow up on the film scene just remember I gave you the inside scoop 1st!

For those of you that have the passion to commit your life to the crazy amazing world of production you will find out soon that it is all consuming. It is like being in a relationship you have to be patient and give your 100 % or as we all know  it will not work which is the same philosophy you must have going into the world of producing. The more I work the less time I have but the beauty of it all is that I find myself dreaming of more ways to use my creativity through my work and creating new projects.

I am believer of sharing collectively which is my inspiration for writing this blog, so that I can share my experience and expertise...my hope is that we can learn, inspire and support each other as we share our experiences.

g.

Here is to beginnings!

I have a number of folks talk to me about what I do and wondering how I got started. Well lets just say I worked in the family business for a little while in college and then a number of meaningless 9 to 5's. I am late bloomer and just knew that I had to work in a creative field but just did not know what or how I was going to make a living. I am sure a lot of you can relate :-) So while I was majoring in journalism and minoring in film studies, it was like EUREKA! I found the passion that made want to wake up in the morning, arrive to class early and volunteer in any capacity possible...the making and production of films. I know you are asking the question of how did this revelation lead me to event production?? All good answers to follow manana.