Success Formula: Blake Martin

A few years ago I co-supervised a young man named Blake Martin. During work hours he was responsible for helping develop and implement an educational teen after school program. Although Blake was more than capable of doing the job with his eyes closed, he did not present much enthusiasm about the stringent grant stipulations that stifled our programs creativity. It was not until I asked him to lead a dance and step team at one
of the after school sites, did I see him come alive.

Within a matter of seconds Blake would choreograph visually appealing dance and step routines, motivating the young participants to become excited and familiar with dance moves and music that were once foreign to them. From the very first dance class, I knew that it was my responsibility to stay observant and aware of Blake’s talent if/and when our work relationship ended.

Today, Blake is known as a playwright/director/screenwriter, production specialist, and professional dancer-an all around entertainment artist. He is the CEO and founder of Blake Martin Productions Company, an entertainment social club that accepts everyone. Blake describes his fashion shows as “a comprehension of the entertainment genres- film, fashion, and dance.” Clear about the direction he is headed, Blake plans to be “the individual who has the top film company, top dance company, and top fashion house at the same time. No one has been able to say that they are at the top of all three genres; I want to be able to be Tyler Perry, Diddy, and Marc Jacobs in one person. I want to say that I control entertainment.”

Following the cues of his mother, Blake IS walking his path. “From an early age, she would combat everything I knew in the world. I came home one day and told her that my teacher said ‘you can be anything you
want to be’ and that we ‘should reach for the stars’. She told me ‘you can see the stars, so therefore, you can go further and bigger than that’.” When Blake wanted to book his first fashion show venue with a 1,000 seats, friends and others suggested he think smaller- his mother pushed him to go with his first mind. The show was successfully sold out.

Blake kicks down the door to his fears, walks through it and then redesigns the layout to his liking. His mother tells him “ Enough is not enough; Great is not enough; Try to jump way over the lines that someone has set with you, surprise yourself.” And of course, when he tells himself he cannot accomplish something, she responds with “Now you GOT to do it!!!!!”

One obstacle that Blake had to overcome to get to where he is today is “Worrying about what my audience or society has to say. I had to get to the point where I am happy with what I put out… As a young, black, gay male, these things are important to me, but I know they are not important to everyone else. If I am happy with the product, then I am proud of what I have done.”

Many of Blake’s production ideas are born while listening to music in the car, but he is most productive while present with his talent. “I usually have a skeleton of the show but I play off of energy. Everything is on the spot. I will put the song on and stare at my models and within 60 seconds I have the entire scene. I see everything in that exact moment- stage, lights, music, costumes.” Having observed Blake choreographing, I
must admit that it is one of the most unique processes I have witnessed.

A portion of the profits from each of his shows is donated an organization, cause, or individual in need. Blake has contributed a number of community service hours with a variety of fraternal organizations (in which is the founder of one), as well as through Blake Martin Productions. Often when he and his team members speak to high school students, they present stories of success and achievement and in closing, make a personal share or reveal. The reveals can range from “by the way, I am a gay black male”, to “by the way, I am a victim of rape or domestic violence”. The reveal is intended to let young people know that “where you are is not necessarily where you have to be or the sum of who you are.”

Blake Martin is under thirty years old and well on his way to achieving the vision he has identified for himself. With little sleep and LOTS of ideas, Blake is laying the foundation and providing a platform for entertainers to achieve.

Blake Martin’s Success Formula = Limitless dreams + Artistic process + Courage to be who he is meant to be

More on Blake Martin

S.M.A.R.T goal(s)

1^st weekend of August I am taking 150 models to NY from the 5^th-9^th. They will be going on GO SEES, completing runway training, and learning more about the fashion industry.

Through the profits from my productions, I want to provide a full year scholarship to 1 male and 1 female entering college in the Fall of 2012

Contact Info

blakemartinproductions@gmail.com

http://facebook.com/blakemartinproductions

 

Taking On A New Project/ Endeavor? Tips for Your Success

Image from Buy Cho Young Tea

Capitalizing on many of my talents, I have officially partnered with a friend and started my consulting business, SydneyMalcome. As I pray and work towards a lengthy and global existence for this new endeavor I have experienced considerable success during the start-up phase. I have created the following tips that are sure to help myself, and others keep going during the first leg (and probably longer) of your new project or endeavor. I will be sure to post more as time goes on.

–       Take care of your health- your physical and mental health if your organizations greatest asset.
During the start-up or busy time of your business, it may seem difficult to manage a healthy lifestyle. Now is the time to create morning, midday, and evening routines. Each routine should allow you to analyze your emotional response to the activities of the day, your mental preparedness for what is to come, and to “clear your space” of obstacles you envision affecting your progress. Examples of healthy living during your business start-up or intense project can include:  advance meal planning, updating your grocery list as you think of
household needs throughout the day, or having a relaxing cup of tea.

–       Organize your operations- Effective operations are the foundation of sustainability and allow for you and your successors to make intentional improvements. If you are like me, you may be reluctant to synchronizing your life with technological advances. Although it took me a while, once I began to implement user-friendly automated systems, I immediately noticed improved processes and increased efficiency in my business and personal operations. I am able to quickly share information with others and I feel confident when going on vacation or taking a day off of work. Google docs, google calendar, google voice, and fax to email, are all good systems that help you remain organized on the go.

–       All tasks need a rapid response – Make it a habit to respond to everyone, even if the response defines how many business days it will take to provide a complete or definite answer. Although there is a difference between urgent and important matters, you and the people/orgs you interact with may not see eye to eye on which items are important vs. urgent. Rapidly responding has proven to be respected and
appreciated by a variety of clients and colleagues. Expectations are clear for both parties, and you avoid feeling as if you are being forced to give an incomplete response for the sake of responding.

–       Commit to frequent engagement – Keeping your clients engaged (in communication or with information) serves as the dialogue that helps build your professional personal relationship. Frequent engagement helps build trust on both ends. For example, if I see information about fundraising suggestions, opportunities for start-up businesses, or other information that may be substantial to my clients personal or professional goals, I share it with them. Sharing useful information is often a click away with conveniently located share buttons on almost all internet sources.

–       Schedule free time– Scheduling free time leads to a better work-life balance. YES, I do schedule my free time. To clarify, not every single moment of free time, but boundaries or slots that allow me to have guilt-free leisure time. Many people work a day job and then spend their evening hours pursuing their goals, including starting their own businesses. Therefore, I often have to adjust my consulting schedule to meet the needs of my clients. With this being the case, I plan out my days atleast 24-36 hours in advance. This allows me to create a schedule that I am comfortable with while limiting the addition of last-minute meetings or activities. Last-minute additions can add a lot of stress and headache that I aim to avoid.

–       Don’t skimp on the preparation period– When possible, take an extra 10 minutes to do the thing that you are telling yourself can wait until tomorrow. Yes, I do try to avoid last-minute additions to my schedule, but at times they are unavoidable. Also, the last-minute add-ons are not always business, they may be family/friend emergencies, relationship emergencies, or even burn out. Over this past weekend I had intentions of completing a lot of business work, but I was invited to fun outdoor events that delayed my work. Fortunately, I was able to wake up this morning and still post this blog entry, having already prepped and prepared for success!

Like it or not, your personal practices and business practices both have a major effect on your life. By accepting this, you can create systems and routines that allow you to be in control of your life and your future success.

Please share some of your tips for success when starting a new project or endeavor.

Below is an article about that provides some tips on remaining focused while trying to reach your goals.

http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/5-tips-to-increase-focus-and-concentration-to-help-you-reach-your-fitness-goals-940382.html

Related articles

• Success Formula: Leading Lady Larvetta Loftin (ashleyscwalls.com)

 

My Ideal Job Description

Title: Initiator of Sustainable Systems and Collaborations (ISSC)

Purpose: To creatively impact urban change by designing sustainable communities.

Reports to: Citizens in the community at-large

Key role: Bridge the gap between community entities and individuals to create unique collaborations that lead to self-reliant communities.

Primary functions and duties:

• Reliably happy and encouraging
• Seek citizen first solutions
• Create community relevant communication strategies
• Build community portfolios
• Manage and monitor resources and budgets
• Apply artistic and creative tactics to community development events and programs

Qualifications:

• Displays an appreciation of literature from varied sources
• Conveys respectful and tactful dialogue
• Responds rapidly on most matters
• Able to efficiently multi-achieve
• Proven record of implementing culturally relevant and age appropriate projects/ programs

Working Hours: Flexible to align with project outcomes and community needs

Work Environment: Employee will work on location, from home, and at various offices as needed. Work environment and requirements will match the project needs. Collaborators are optimistic and honest.

Compensation: Depending upon experience and education; compensation will ensure that student loans can be paid monthly, health care needs are able to be handled in a timely fashion, and that leisure and recreation can remain active in the employee’s life.

What is your ideal job description? 

Below is a link that provides tips on how to create your ideal job description.

http://www.wellesley.edu/cws/students/dreams_idealjob.pdf