Month: December 2018

Alan Philips is redefining the idea of the hustling family man one day at a time. The rewards of the hard work he is putting in are paying off—his success in his daily grind and other endeavors are paving the way for him to become a superstar entrepreneur to watch out for.

While he’s the Chief Brand Officer of Turnberry in Miami, Alan was able to carve out time to write his second book. In October 2018, he debuted The Age of Ideas: How to Unlock Your Creative Potential. 

The book became a critically-acclaimed must-read, shedding light on the way brands and personalities are tapping into their creative potential, and why that matters more than ever in our society. Part of his motivation was his wife, handbag designer Gelareh Mizrahi. Philips was able to witness the hustle and grind his wife put into building a global fashion brand. And it inspired him to help others do the same.

As the year comes to an end, Alan was able to talk to ONE37pm about the success of his book, as well as the grind he put in during 2018.

What did travel and vacation mean to you in 2018?

Figuring out opportunities to integrate my work and my life. Really anytime I traveled in 2018, I was doing something with my family but also doing something to help with my purpose and my wife’s purpose. For me, it was my book and helping people and companies manifest their dreams. For my wife, it’s her fashion design and building her company. So if we went to LA, New York or Tokyo or wherever we went, it was usually aligning when some other opportunity that we had. And so that was traveling in 2018. Vacation in 2018 was really spending time with my kids and my family connecting on a deeper level.

What inspired you to use the backstory of some of pop culture’s significant moments in your book The Age of Ideas: How to Unlock Your Creative Potential? 

At the core of what it is I’m interested in and write about and what I want to achieve in my life is a balance in between personal fulfillment and professional achievement. And, I find that very often that that is a difficult thing to find and even more difficult to realize. The reason I chose those companies that I use as examples in my book, I feel they have achieved significant levels of professional success without compromising their values and what made them truly special to begin with. Easy to say, I want to be in finance. I want to make a lot of money. That’s a very specific goal. But to have both is the holy grail, it is rare and beautiful. Great examples are James Jebbia founded Supreme or the guys from A24 who took something they deeply believed in and weren’t able to turn that into both way to make money and the way to serve.

If you can compare a chapter of your book to your own hustle in 2018—which one will it be and why?

Part three of the book is all about self-discovery, you know, for me that’s very much an ongoing process. So that was definitely part of my life in 2018. And then I think manifesting my magic—turning my idea into a physical product that can shared, which was the book. My focus was to take everything I learned and believed and to turn them into something that could be a vehicle for my future.

In the art of the daily grind, you have major victories and major upsets. What were some of your wins and losses you can carry over to develop a bigger momentum heading into 2019?

I think my biggest win in 2018 was finally getting my book out and starting regularly attending Barry’s Bootcamp; discovering an exercise community that I feel can really support me in achieving my physical goals which will serve all my other goals. I think those would be the two positives. 

I don’t have any major losses other than time.  But I would like to put more focus on manifesting in bigger and more meaningful ways. Taking the message of the book and reaching a lot more people. 

It is also a constant thing for me to live in the moment.  I spend a lot of time thinking about where things are going, instead of enjoying that specific moment in time.  I just want to cultivate more of an appreciation to living in now and enjoying life.

What is your favorite piece of content you wrote for ONE37pm and why?

I think “Why Simplifying Your Life and Pursuits Is So Important” is my favorite piece I wrote it for ONE37pm because it’s a first principle truth, and I think the idea of “Telic vs. Atelic Pursuits” is a simple change that gives someone the opportunity to be tremendously more fulfilled. If you could shift from that activity that’s telic, an activity that has a clear end and is project based, to an activity that is atelic, something that is endless like learning to play the guitar or backgammon, you will be much more fulfilled. If you do things that are atelic they continue to give back to you and that I will make you much more fulfilled and more productive. That’s a very important lesson someone can learn and apply to their life easily.  Simple hacks like that can make a huge impact.

Whether used to express outrage or make big announcements, Instagram has become the go-to outlet for celebrities and brands to distribute their headline-making thoughts and news. Just look at Rihanna, Taylor Swift and The Rock, three of the most influential stars in pop culture, who have leveraged the social network to perfection in 2018.

In the past, statements from stars would be typed into a press release and disseminated to journalists and wire services everywhere. Comparatively, the process was relatively slow. Now more than ever before—in a digital world where speed and authenticity of information are paramount amid shortening attention spans and venomous keyboard critics—stars of all fame levels are using Instagram’s feed posts, Insta stories and IGTV videos to reveal personal and career tidbits in an unfiltered fashion.

Let’s take a look at how three A-list celebs have proven Instagram is the new press release, a trend that will only be further solidified in 2019.

An interactive “Would You Rather” advertisement on Snapchat, which asked app users if they’d rather “slap Rihanna” or “punch Chris Brown,” drew immediate backlash and a swift response from domestic violence survivor Rihanna in March. The nine-time Grammy winner and entrepreneur, who was just named ONE37pm’s Most Entrepreneurial Musicians of 2018, posted a message on her Insta stories rightfully criticizing Snapchat for allowing an ad that made light of her and Brown’s past and that gamified abuse.

“All the women, children and men that have been victims of [domestic violence] in the past and especially the ones who haven’t made it out yet, you let us down,” Rihanna wrote on Instagram while Snapchat tried issuing a public apology, but the damage had already been done. “Shame on you. Throw the whole app-oligy away.”

After the offensive incident, Snapchat reportedly loss $800 million as users revolted by deleting the app in defense of Rihanna and as Snap’s stocks dipped in market value. Rihanna’s passionate public response to her more than 60 million Instagram followers, using only simple red text in her Insta stories, was more effective and more real than press releases of yesteryear and the move drummed up enormous media coverage on an issue bigger than herself—to help shed light on insensitive things affecting domestic abuse survivors. Rihanna has also leveraged Instagram to promote her acclaimed Fenty empire of makeup and lingerie with artsy posts and playful videos in her feed and stories, in turn helping her net worth soar to an estimated $260 million this year. 

In an important music industry shift, Taylor Swift decided to leave Big Machine Records, a label she has been with for more than a decade, to join the Universal Music Group family. She unveiled the news on Instagram, explaining to 100 million-plus followers and curious journalists that the fresh record deal also affects every artist at the label.

“I feel so motivated by new opportunities in the streaming world and the ever changing landscape of our industry. I also feel strongly that streaming was founded on and continues to thrive based on the magic created by artists, writers and producers,” Swift, a 10-time Grammy winner who has previously fought for fair pay for all artists in the streaming era, wrote on Instagram. “There was one condition that meant more to me than any other deal point. As part of my new contract with [UMG], I asked that any sale of their Spotify shares result in a distribution of money to their artists, non-recoupable. They have generously agreed to this, at what they believe will be much better terms than paid out previously by other major labels.”

Swift doesn’t often participate in many press interviews anymore, opting instead to use Instagram and other social platforms to give her opinions directly to her faithful Swifties fan base. She regularly updates her Insta stories while touring to offer behind-the-scenes access and to thank music journalists for their concert reviews. 

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson not only adorably Insta announced he and Lauren Hashian were expecting their second child together at the end of 2017, but they followed up this news this year by Insta announcing the birth of that baby, Tiana. 

In the past, and even sometimes now, celebrity media outlets would pay big money for the exclusive pregnancy announcements and first baby photos. But Instagram has put the power in the celebs’ hands to unveil their personal news themselves. 

And who knows? Maybe one day The Rock will take a break from his presidential sushi posts to announce his bid for the United States presidency on Instagram.

His presence on the internet is undeniable. His energy is contagious. If you were to watch any of his videos on YouTube or listen to his podcast episodes, you know Gary Vaynerchuk is the right guy to motivate you to get on the grind and take over the world. His action speaks way louder than the brash delivery he often displays on his content channels. 

His latest book, Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too has become a New York Times bestseller. He launched an exclusive line of wine with his collection of wine called “Empathy,” that lets farmers sell directly to consumers under the label, ending the process of consumers paying markup while farmers can earn more from their sales. He released his “Dark Cloud” K-Swiss shoe. 

Now, 4.7 million followers on IG (and counting) later, the man behind the brand is ready to elevate his game to another level. 

Gary sat down with ONE37pm—the latest piece to be added to his media conglomerate—and gave us his recap in the year in grind in 2018. Check out how this Jet fanatic got his game face on and is focusing on how he will be the biggest entrepreneur ever in 2019.

You may see him walking around conventions and showcases sporting a personalized belt. You may see him on Twitch talking about all of the hottest video games. But one thing you can say about HipHopGamer is his love and passion for video games is like a classic Eric B. & Rakim song—it ain’t no joke!

Born Gerard Williams, HipHopGamer has been in the loop on all of the latest video games for many years now. His infectious energy and impressive knowledge about the gaming world has caused him to rack up to 500,000 viewers on his Twitch streaming platform. This led to creating content and interviewing some of pop culture’s most idolized figures such as Kevin Hart, Jerry Rice and Angela Bassett. When he’s not in front of the camera playing games, he’s writing about it. Williams contributes to the highly popular NYC-based hip-hop station, Hot 97.1.

Continuing to carry on the legacy of his deceased grandmother—Hip Hop Granny—while building his own, HipHopGamer continues to stay on the scene and on the grind as he delivers the 411 on this year’s hottest video game releases. Associate editor Omari White was able to catch up with him as they recap his 2018 year in grind.

This year has been a huge for video games. What is your take on the future of these new video game outlets such a eSports developing into a multi-million dollar business?

Branding. More branding and more companies being brought out and things like that to provide content for the fans out there that are looking for more content. So I’ll give you an example of what I mean. Companies like ESPN, they tested the waters, having like Street Fighter on at times and Starcraft on their network. I think going into the new year you’re going to see a deal happen where stuff like that is permanent. We’re like, ESPN will actually have hired talent to provide content for the gaming world in the form of eSports as a normal permanent channel for ESPN with anchors, journalists and all. I could see that being one thing.

I see a lot more companies like the non-endemic companies such as Puma, Adidas, Nike, getting more involved apparel-wise. You may see a whole entire apparel line, so instead of limited edition, you’ll see a full normal line where you could just walk into the store and get gaming material. I see a lot of these companies and teams embracing the industry like that, which means a lot more investments. I think the best thing about all of this is that gaming as a culture won’t seem as foreign in terms of what’s taking place and what’s happening. I think it’d be more accepted and more normalized like how you see television, music and everything like that. The more people get into gaming and they will understand it more so you can see it grow that much better.

Your grind has been an interesting one in which you get to travel internationally to play some of the most talked-about video games before they get released to the public. What trip did you enjoy the most when it comes to learning about new innovative advancements in the forever-evolving virtual gaming world? Why?

It’s always going to LA to E3. Now don’t get me wrong. I would love to go to Germany to Gamescom because Gamescom is a bigger than E3 in terms of attendance. It’s like the international version of E3 and I never been there yet, but going to E3, that’s always considered to be the Super Bowl of the gaming industry. So that’s always my favorite. But I will say this, in this year’s E3, the Microsoft Xbox surprised me. They surprised me that the only reason why I say that is because I’ve never seen like a company that’s leading a console that changed their entire business model or the process of changing their entire business model to the point where you may see an Xbox game pass on PlayStation. Bill Spencer is so interested in bringing Xbox games to every device that even if they come to the PlayStation, he’s happy because he just wants people to play their games. So I’d never seen that happen in a console war before. So I don’t even think Microsoft cares about the console war anymore. I’d bet, they just want people to play games and I think that’s the best way for them to actually win, and dominate the market.

Can you give me your breakdown of how many streaming apps such as Twitch, Instagram live and Periscope play such a huge role in video gaming?

So with Instagram, remember Instagram was just pictures. When it comes to gaming, a picture is not worth a thousand words in my opinion when it comes to the gaming element. So that interactivity, the energy and the action need to be watched, not just seeing a static standpoint. So when Instagram brought video to their platform, the gaming content just went to a whole another level. For example, as big as Ninja is, as big as the fighting game community with competition, and just eSports, and getting those highlights and those final kills that you see people get when they win a million dollars at an event, now you go live that highlight on Instagram, which is more valuable to the world of gaming.

What is your takeaway in video games slowly becoming a popular trend in the hip-hop community?

Well, video games have always been popular in the hip-hop community it’s just that they were only popular in one genre which is mainly sports and in Grand Theft Auto in terms of a brand. So now you’re, now you’re starting to see gaming as a whole being talked about in the world of hip-hop. But there’s a difference between being popular and Trendy and being actually authentic. So this is what I want to see in 2019. I would love to see more companies embrace gaming culture from an authentic standpoint. So for example, instead of record companies hiring a whole bunch of A and Rs, I would love to see record companies hire streamers to push their music and to push their artists. Tie Streamers know what I’m saying.

What was your favorite release of 2018?

Oh God Of War! C’mon B! God Of War. Game of the year! Shoutouts to Christopher Judge playing Kratos. Shoutout to Corey Barlog for recreating a great franchise that David Jaffe started. I want to say this, David Jaffe deserves so much credit because he is the one that created God Of War. He created Kratos. He created the story. David Jaffe created everything in that world and somewhat like Corey Barlog who’s amazing, who also shows respect to David Jaffe was the person that recreated it in such a way where we can love it that much more going forward. And all I gotta say is if you love Marvel, when you love Thor, just know Kratos is the future. I’m telling you, man, God Of War, the game of the year.

Name a rap song that best describes your grind and success in 2018. Why did you choose that song?

So the song that I would choose is a song that I actually designed around ONE37PM and VaynerMedia, and that’s a song called “Champion” because the song is pretty much designed around hustle and happiness. It’s also designed about having self-love and self-encouragement so it can be able to get that energy back off and back out into the world. And I think ideally I think I did a hell of a job with the song because one of the lines in the song I spoke about not living on your knees so you have to kiss nobody ass to achieve the things you want to achieve in life. You can actually sacrifice, work hard and do things the right way in order to be empowering and influential in a positive light for everyone that witnessed it and embrace the song, the content and everything that you do. So I want to give a big shout out to Gary Vee on that because he was an inspiration for that song title as well as, you know, other people. But Gary was a huge inspiration to me writing that song.

Check out his latest song that helped him win in 2018 titled, “Champion”. 

CEO of Gallery Media Group, Ryan Harwood, has been reaping the benefits in 2018 from the hustle and grind he threw down in 2017. Early last year, the platform he founded—PureWow—was acquired by entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk. This landmark deal has helped PureWow create even more content thanks to the backing of Vaynerchuk’s digital marketing resources under the VaynerX umbrella. Fast forward to 2018, Harwood hasn’t taken his foot off the pedal, introducing intriguing content for millennial women and men.

PureWow’s phenomenal following reached new heights when they launched the PureWow 100 in collaboration with Neutrogena in September. The list was made up of next-gen stars who are tearing up the fabric of pop culture, selected by a committee of talents such as Kerry Washington, Priyanka Chopra and Gallery Media Group’s Chief Content Officer Mary Kate McGrath. The list featured many outstanding fresh faces such as R&B singer Alina Barez, NBA stylist Courtney Mays and comedian Nicole Byer. 

“Making Positivity Louder” is the motto Gallery Media Group lives by. Harwood has accomplished that with the success of PureWow. This year, Harwood felt it was time to expand his digital real estate with an entrepreneur-focused site. Early in September, ONE37pm launched to keep the male hustler in the loop with what’s going on in culture, entertainment, music, sports and lifestyle. “Own your future, start this minute” is the M.O. behind our site’s content.

Harwood was able to take a break from his daily grind and sat with associate editor Omari White to reflect back on his success in 2018 and look forward to the new year. 

Who do you think had a great 2018?

Ryan Harwood: I think that Chance The Rapper had a great 2018. I think Giannis Antetokounmpo had a great 2018. I think Jeff Bezos continues to have quite the run. I think that Gary Vaynerchuk had a really good 2018. Rihanna had a great 2018. The Kardashians had a great 2018, they continue to build their own empire. 

What do you think will happen in the media space in 2019?

Harwood: People are going to realize content is the name of the game. In order to be culturally relevant these days as a content producer, people are realizing the volume of content that is needed in order to break through. You can put one piece, two pieces out. You’re not ever going to break through the noise because everyone is a content creator these days. Content is the only thing that matters in this day in age, both in quality and quantity.

Platforms are going to continue to dominate more than they already have. It’s going to take time for any new technology or new platform to come and unseat the current players from FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google).

By the same token, I think it’s super important to create fan brands. What I mean by that is it’s not just enough to create content—you need to have something that you stand for. When it comes to media companies, you need to pick a few lanes and go very hard in those lanes. When you say ONE37pm, what do you want that human to feel when you say it? Whether they are reading it or not, your friend might not read it but when you say ONE37pm, they might feel something about the brand because they know something about the brand. It’s more important than ever to stand out from the noise; you need to have that distinct aesthetic, look and feel, voice.

GMG’s mission is to “Make Positivity Louder.” Can you tell me what accomplishments you and the team achieved in promoting positivity?

Harwood: We have two core media brands right now: PureWow and ONE37pm. PureWow has always stood for fun. What we are trying to do is give [our reader] a rest from a lot of the noise that’s going on out there. If we can make her laugh, if we can make her smile, that’s promoting positivity. When you give them a break from maybe watching the news and seeing headlines that make them unhappy, that is promoting positivity.

On the ONE37pm side, we are giving these guys permission to seize their moment. We’re inspiring them, pushing them to do what they want to do in this world and this life and do it with fervor. Information that they find is interesting and that’s going to show that, “Hey, this can be done.” We’re just getting started on that brand and we’re going to be jumping into a lot of other ways to create content.

Even on our podcasts, such as Mom Brain, it’s giving people the ability to know there are others out there like them going on and stuff. So it promotes positivity that you’re not alone out there. Bobbi Brown’s podcast, Long Story Short, shows people how iconic people in the industry did it. So again, inspiration, positivity and that’s how I think we’ve done that.

If you had to choose a theme song to describe your hustle in 2018, what would it be and why?

Harwood: Oh man, it would have to be Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.” I like that song. It’s basically about seizing the moment, don’t lose yourself and take advantage of it.  I think that there was a moment in time here that we could capitalize on the momentum.

What is the ultimate goal for yourself and for Gallery Media Group in 2019?

Harwood: The thing I’m most proud of is we have one of the highest retention rates of employees in the digital media startup space. There are typically a lot of turnovers. I think people really believe that we have their best interests at heart. We want to see them grow, but we care about them and they’re happy about coming to work every day. What I want to see in 2019 is as we grow, if we can continue that, that’s my proudest achievement.

For me personally, I want to continue to grow as a leader. We’ve crossed the one hundred threshold mark of employees at Gallery Media Group. We have multiple businesses under the hood now. That’s a new challenge for me. That’s a new test for me and something that I can’t wait to embrace. I challenged myself to disconnect when I need to disconnect. I have two children now and you need some “me” time. My wife would probably categorize me as a workaholic and I’ve done a really good job this year of “weekends are for the kids” because I used to work every weekend, every day I worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I’m going to continue to challenge myself to like be able to disconnect because I am addicted to work and I do love the challenge. I love the game of winning and being better than our competitors. The game of like feeling that you are able to achieve anything. That high of winning, it’s hard to shake off.

“Do you have oat milk?”

When Ioannis Blentzas, better known to friends as Yanni, a former sports marketing executive left his job of 17 years, he never thought he’d hear the phrase so many times in a day.

At his former corporate job, an advertising sales service called PSP Sports, Blentzas was dealing with unexpected anxiety. Since launching his own dream business, it has all but evaporated. Blentzas is now the proud owner and founder of newly launched coffee shop Yanni’s Coffee on 16th Street and 7th Avenue in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City.

Born into a big Greek family of immigrants, Blentzas grew up in Queens. His mother and father came to New York with nothing, started a furrier business (just a few blocks up the very same street from Yanni’s Coffee) and ran a successful business for 35 years. “I’m me because of them,” Blentzas says. His Grecian roots inspired his desire to create the perfect cup of coffee. He’d travel to visit family-owned beach cafes in Greece every summer, sipping espresso by the sea. “You feel a part of something. My goal was to have a cool coffee shop, keep it simple, be friendly and nice and offer that Greek hospitality.”

In his new role as a coffee shop owner and operator, Blentzas wakes up at 5:15 a.m. He stays in the store until 8 p.m. He’s a barista, baker, cookie maker, stool mover, cleaner, coffee brewer and floor sweeper. Physically, he has almost adjusted to the toll—in the past three weeks since opening, he’s lost 12 pounds from the labor. The shop doors open at 7 a.m. to a crowd of eager drinkers. Right now, six die-hard fans wait every morning for their cold brew or latte. But the shop is getting busier and busier every day.

The day of our interview was also the birthday of his fiancée, Effie Veres. They’ve been engaged for almost two years, living together for eight and planned to get married last summer when the couple hit a roadblock. As the lease was being signed for the shop, Veres was diagnosed with cancer. The process came to a halt while the couple anxiously waited for a prognosis. It was advanced, Stage 3. She would need proton radiation treatment in New Jersey for 36 consecutive days.

“Life is short, and you’ll never know what will happen tomorrow,” Blentzas says. “Instead of backing away, it made me push harder toward our goal.” Veres is waiting for her hair to grow back fully to host their wedding.

The shop’s new cookie baker—a recent hire to alleviate some of Blentzas’ daily workload—interrupts to ask if he’s mixing the batter well. Blentzas spent a year perfecting his prized recipe, much like the recipe for this perfect coffee shop. The cookies are divine.

When asked about the practical, daunting steps of launching a brick-and-mortar business in the city, Blentzas states, “Step one: Spend your life saving your money. Then, find a location. I walked up and down every block and avenue below 40th Street looking for the perfect space.” Originally, Blentzas wasn’t wooed by this location but kept coming back for the wide footprint and floor-to-ceiling windows.

“Then, you get a lawyer, negotiate a deal, incorporate a business, find an architect, contractor and reach out to designers.” The process took about a year. When construction was about to start, Effie’s treatment began and Blentaz quit his corporate job once and for all.

“Looking back, if I would’ve known the hardships I would face, I might’ve hesitated more. I haven’t even had a chance to reflect yet.”

With a brand new business underway, Blentzas’s advice for the entrepreneur is solid. He says, “Study what you want to do, study the competition. Use the internet and visit places. Why are those places successful? The layout, the vibe, the culture? Learn every in and out of your business and every little piece of information. Come up with a plan. And after that, you need to be certain that you can provide a better service and hospitality than every single other guy out there. Never veer off from your initial goal. You’re going to get everyone’s two cents: Your mom, dad, brother, contractors, significant others, some guy on the street. And it’s not going to go with the research that you did. If you’ve convinced yourself that your plan will work, stick to that. Every bad decision I’ve ever made was because I listened to someone else for a mere second. Do your homework, and stick to your gut. Don’t lose focus.”

Blentzas is following his own advice now, hard at work behind the counter at 96 7th Avenue in Chelsea, right by the downtown Barney’s. Make sure to try one of his homemade cookies, their best-selling latte and ask him about Greece.