I dodged a bullet of sorts this week. With basically ALL of my gigs in danger of being zapped due to me no longer having a front-level Pro camcorder, I did something I had to do – buy another one.

But it wasn’t just buying another one. I took the serious plunge.

But with this new setup, I’m able to basically run a broadcast with items barely enough to fill out my duffle bag.

Surprisingly, the 2-3 new toys all cost under $2,000 combined.

Something green will definitely return, and it will return quickly.

Without any doubt, this has been the most grueling summer I’ve ever been a part of by far. And one of the crazy things is that even with plenty of rest, it means nothing because the heat index kills any momentum you have strength-wise, so waiting for the fall is always the big thing in NYC.

But everything happens for a reason and you can’t control it, nor should you try and do so. I’m a firm believer that you have to let life play itself out in order to learn and apply it towards future travels. To say that my 3 week timeline has been absolutely crazy is an understatement, but its the beauty in letting it play out.

Heading into this new era of my life this fall, I feel that it was probably meant to happen now and so ‘random’ as opposed to the traditional 2-3 year wait and big shindig that everyone else does. Also, if you cannot predict the future, why try and do so wracking your brain in the process? Letting things play itself out is the only way to enjoying this thing we call life.

The beauty about life is that you can predict it, but you cannot write it under any circumstances. After doing some industry soul searching during much of the spring, I came away with the conclusion that I was going to sit in my chair and continue to run around in this newfound role as video producer and work for some of the biggest brands in the fashion (Z!nk, and now Bullett), urban (thisis50.com), & media genres (The Skinni/Official Heat on ABC-Buffalo). I figured at this stage of my career, this was likely my most realistic option for the next few years, although I’ve become a “Larry Brown-esque” of sorts, bouncing around from brand to brand.

Then along came VC.

The thought of me returning to what I did prior to video producing was unreal: I was still struggling to accept that I was making considerably LESS money doing video work than I was when I ran Digital First full-time, and with the way my projected roadmap was put together a few weeks ago, I was (gasp) facing the prospect of generating the least amount of revenue in a calendar year since 2004, my 2nd full year as a photographer. Yeah I’m still new and undecorated by most standards as a video guy, but sorry – with the ego I have, I’m not sure if it would’ve allowed for me to just sit back and not pull in the amount of $ I once pulled in 2 years ago, even if it was in a different line of work.

But again, along came VC.

So I’m back wheeling and dealing with CHELCA, and it definitely feels refreshing, almost like the days of when Urban Renewal Media was around, but with less headache. But all of this shows why you can’t worry about things that aren’t even in the timeline yet, let alone near the daily calendar. I see people get stressed out over stuff that’s months away from being addressed, and it’s like…..why the hell are you racking your brain about something that might not even have the same circumstances by the time it arrives on the calendar?
I basically ran my company in the red for most of June, and at one point, I was scratching my head figuring out how I was going to cover the monthly expenses and yadda yadda yadda. Definitely not stressed or anything, but moving with a bit of concern because until the due date arrives, you can’t get worried.

I could’ve stressed it out, potentially set myself up for a brain aneurysm, panicked at the slightest thought of running my company into a hell hole, but what good is all of it?

Prepping up for the summer – in between helping with the launch of my second job, I was able to get out and enjoy the scene for a few, which is something I pledged I’d do more of this summer despite the unfriendly schedule. I forgot to snap any pics while in Philly, but it felt cool to just be in another city and be able to mozy around as if I was home – there’s no other place like NYC!

And shout out to everyone who came through to Glass as well – a lounge with 75 capacity? Wow.

Nothing beats a party on a holiday weekend, especially one that involves drinks, good music, fam, close friends, and the breezy winds of the greatest city in the world, but more importantly, my home stomping grounds in Bed-Stuy. Granted, it wasn’t on the side where I grew up (Fulton/Utica), but still, The Stuy is the Stuy, just like how UNC alumni treat one another.

After taping at one of my weekly gigs the other day, I accompanied one of my trusted confidant’s as he closed on purchasing a freshly renovated brownstone in the heart of Greenwich Village, a swift playback from 2003 sped through my mind all the way to today where I’m at right now – I think anybody can relate when you feel that you’re at that certain point where you’re seeing the other side of the bridge and know its only a matter of time before you cross the bridge, but its making you impatient to look while not being able to reach that other side quicker than you want.

Granted, I have nothing to complain about right now with me – I’ve been lucky and fortunate to have done a few things as of late, but to see someone I know personally close in on something that I’ve also been wanting to accomplish does nothing but indicate that my time is definitely near and it’s right around the corner. Trouble is I don’t feel like turning on my turning indicators and just want to turn w/o blinkers. I’m definitely giving myself a less than 2 year window to make my way to the heart of the city, and with enough determination, grit, grind, and hustler’s spirit, I should be “getting off that bridge” very soon.