Archive Page 2
SXSW: Done and Done.
“Suddenly the Fedora population in Austin decreased by 62%”
SXSW came and went, and for me, this year was my first really getting into the festivities. I went to two movie premieres, one day party (including assorted bands playing), caught the tail end of another party following Wake Forest’s win over Texas (Go Deacs!), and survived a hipster stampede flea market rush.
I know, that wasn’t a whole lot for most folks, especially when other areas of my life are in a lull. That SHOULD have been the time when I to picked up the pace: went hard, went long, got home late, and didn’t wake up until noon. But I’m not that person (I know better, anyways).
When life gives you space, embrace it. Don’t attempt to fill it. That will take care of itself. So I did my time. I enjoyed myself when presented with those opportunities, which overall were very rewarding. New faces and experiences added to my life mix.
Next year I’m promising myself (You are my witness) that I WILL attend double what I did this year. That should put me in good stead with the hipster gods.
Here’s a few pics from the past week:
Holler.
//A.J.
Filed under: Austin, Life | Leave a Comment
Tags: SXSW
Interview Series: Zach Nelligan
DCM Photography
Pursuing your passion and turning it into a career is the American dream. In this interview, Zach Nellian, tattoo artist and businessman, shares his life and what drives him.
Could you fill readers in on your background?
My name is Zach Nelligan. I’m 26 years old and a life-long resident of Austin, TX. I’m a tattooer and I work at Triple Crown Tattoo Parlour. I have a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Texas at Austin. Note of interest for people that might care: AJ and I have been friends since the 3rd grade, and he’s always been a top notch dude. Thank you so much for taking me into consideration for this.
When did you realize you wanted to be an artist as a profession?
It was at some point later in college. I had been getting tattooed since I was 18, and they steadily got bigger and better. I began researching the art and profession more and more.
Austin has a huge tattoo scene. Just about everybody here is tattooed and we have one of the highest per capita counts of shops. Some of the world’s finest tattooers work here and there are more and more everyday. It’s very tough and competitive, but unlike other cities, there isn’t too much drama between shops. As far as breaking in and making a name for myself, I’ve just done what I always do: be as nice and genuine of a person as I can be, while working as hard as I can and constantly keeping up with my clients as far as communication and updates of my online and physical portfolios.
I prefer to do primarily old school, traditional designs or subjects that evoke a vintage nostalgia. I do bright, clean, bold tattoos that will hold up over time instead of super delicate, rendered, soft tattoos that will blur and fade quickly.
If that’s what you really want, I will gladly do it!
Dolphins?
Bring ‘em on! I’m also here to get paid, haha.
Weirdest?
I do a lot of weird tattoos. It’s a niche I’ve broken into. See the answer above, and I also did a skull eating a @#$%&# in this dude’s armpit. That was an interesting challenge.
Anything vintage or nostalgic, and also my clients’ ideas. Old clip art, ads, tattoo designs, objects, etc. I have a lot of reference material.
What’s your approach to attracting customers? Any networking involved?
My business is primarily word of mouth. If I’m kind and attentive to my customers and give them a nice tattoo worthy of being proud of, then they will pass my information along. Besides that, the internet is huge. I have a web site, Myspace, and Facebook for that.
It’s a huge part of it. I’d say half of my business comes from the internet, especially with Myspace, Facebook, and Yelp. That’s where everybody turns to for everything now, so you have to participate and take advantage of its possibilities. I try to keep all my stuff online as up to date as possible.
I’ve had my site and profiles since I was an apprentice. I guess about five years now.
There’s no place to stop advancing. It’s a natural thing to just want to get better at your craft, and it happens exponentially. Especially now that tattooers and artists are getting better and better at younger and younger ages, it’s really important to always be on your toes.
Personal growth primarily. I don’t want to short change my potential or my customers with work that isn’t striving to be the best I can possibly strive to produce.
Filed under: Austin, Career, Inspiration, Interviews, Life | 2 Comments
Tags: Austin, Career, Inspiration, Interviews, Life, Zach Nelligan
But, I Paid My Dues!
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This man (Lloyd, assistant with a Stanford MBA) can quote from the entire stack [of movie scripts], that is what he is willing to put in for his own success. He’s paying his dues. When have you paid yours?- Ari Gold, Entourage
I don’t think often we are aware of when we are “paying our dues.” When people make the claim that they’ve paid their dues, it smacks of self-entitlement.
As if something is owed to them because they did something they felt warranted whatever reward/promotion they sought.
No one owes you anything.
True, one should be aware of the value and contributions you bring to an organization, and not be afraid, tactfully to bring those to the attention of the powers that be, but generally, if your good, if you’ve got “it”, you will be recognized and elevated.
But not before someone believes you are.
Get that. You present through actions, someone else decides that you have paid your dues (though you could decide to quit, I guess).
I like analogies, so here’s one. You want to make varsity on your ______ team/squad, so you train, hard. You miss out on dates, you miss out on family time, you have only one thing on your mind. And when the time comes, you don’t make varsity. You may think “But I did everything I was supposed to, I paid my dues!”
It doesn’t matter. The coach, for whatever reason, didn’t believe you were ready. You don’t decide when enough is enough (if you are choosing to work in an organization or firm). You do evaluate your past moves, adjust where necessary, and persist towards your goal (this is fundamental in life, and in your career).
At 26 years old, I’m still in that “verge zone.” And I enjoy it. Along the way I’ve accumulated some great (at least learning) experiences. Have I paid my dues? I don’t know. I do know I have made hard decisions concerning my career goals. Where they the right ones? Only time will tell.
Remember this: It’s not a matter of dues being paid, but of you becoming someone who is worthy of that next step.
//A.J.
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Tags: Ari Gold, Career, Dues, Entourage, Life, Paid My Dues, Persistance
New Hustle Music: Aleo Blacc
This the opening theme song for the new HBO series “How to Make It In America“. I found out earlier this week that it was in fact not a 70′s era soul song (think David Ruffin or Billy Paul).
The singer Aleo Blacc has made a great song. One that speaks to you, and that anyone trying to come up, whatever your situation, understands.
//A.J.
Filed under: Hustle, Inspiration, Life | Leave a Comment
Tags: Aleo Blacc, Hustle, Inspiration, Life, music
Mo’Nique and Second Acts
“There are no second acts in American lives.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Sunday Monique Imes-Jackson, aka Mo’Nique, won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in the film, Precious. Her acceptance speech was the only part of the Academy Awards I watched, and only because my mom was clapping loudly from downstairs when she won.
I knew Mo’Nique had been nominated, that Precious by-and-large had been lauded, and that she was the front-runner; still, seeing Mo’Nique receiving her Oscar was inspiring. More than a decade ago, when I first saw her on Moesha, and then the spin-off, The Parkers, Oscar winner was the last thing that would’ve come to mind. Yet there she was Sunday.
The lesson for us all (her win being one example) is this: Through drive, talent, or luck (usually a combination of the three), second acts, third, fourth, and so on, ARE possible. As long as you breathe and possess the will a new act CAN be written, and the world can be amazed.
Congratulations Mo’Nique!
//A.J.
p.s. Mo’Nique, I loved you in Beerfest!
Filed under: Inspiration, Life | 2 Comments
Tags: Academy Awards, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mo'Nique, Oscars, Precious, Quotes, Second Acts
“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” -Calvin Coolidge
Five Points on Persistence:
1. Action
- Persistence requires action. You don’t think about being persistent, you ARE persistent. So you go knocking on doors. You make the phone calls and emails. You cultivate a network. DO something.
2. Create wins
- We all get down when set backs occur. What helps is to re-frame your goal from all or nothing and into parts. Imagine it broken down into pieces of a puzzle. Each piece you gather and lock into place is a small victory. A victory could be getting a five minute phone call with a potential mentor, or it can come by way of a “defeat”, like not getting THE job. But say you made it to the second or final round. And that had never happened before. That’s a win.
3. Be realistic
- Don’t be lofty. OK, be lofty, but reasonable. Being realistic can prevent you from burning out, or becoming disheartened when things are not going the way you imagined they would. While one should “go big” in achieving their goal, it is easy to get caught up in the emotion of the idea of the goal. For example, I can be as persistent as I want, but I will most likely not NEVER ever, play in the NBA and NFL. Just out of the realm of possibility. Conversely, completing a triathlon would not be. However, I’m not going to be able to complete one tomorrow.
4. Have enablers
- There’s the saying that you are the company you keep. The collective traits of your friends and associates can rub off on you for good or bad. In the context of persistence, having peers with this trait can be helpful for days when you aren’t feeling as motivated or just plain down about the whole process in achieving your goal.
5. Follow-through
- Persistence means taking 1,000 steps if necessary, not just one or two.
Hope these help!
//A.J.
Filed under: Career, Inspiration, Life | 1 Comment
Tags: Persistence
Back and RISE
Credit
BACK
Greetings! To say I’m glad and relieved to be through (hopefully) with the Texas bar *knock on wood* is an understatement. Controlled fugue state comes mind. The two and half days of testing intense flashed so fast. In any event, it’s out of my life for the time being.
So what now?
Filling the void left by the export of so much (alleged) legal knowledge from my mind is a high task. But a few goals surfaced this weekend that had been shelved for bar preparations. A major one, and an endeavor that has been on going since coming back to Austin is community involvement. There’s still so much about my town (since the 3rd grade) that I’ve yet to take part in. Which brings me to RISE.
RISE
RISE is a week long series of “free conference[s] for entrepreneurs of all types, providing a forum where you can connect and exchange ideas that inspire the entrepreneurial spirit.” I heard about this coincidentally at my first post-bar event at Goodwill of Central Texas’s Hall of Honor.
While not an entrepreneur, yet, there is still a lot to be gleamed from attending a conference or two. First, you expose yourself to new ideas. Second, you have the opportunity to NETWORK with like minded individuals (or not-so-likeminded individuals). And lastly, because the cost of attending any of the RISE conferences FREE.
Yes, FREE.
You will have to put down on $20 deposit when you register, but you only lose it if you fail to attend. A fair deal. Conferences are hosted all over Austin, and you can view them by numerous categories but key are location (mine are all downtown) and time (all of mine are first thing in the morning, 8 am).
I’ll be attending three, “Gaining Momentum Through Public Relations,” “Design Your Value Proposition To Separate Yourself From Competitors,” and “Bootstrap 101.”
I believe in these uncertain times, for everyone, but especially for Gen-Y, knowledge, along with your networks, is the most powerful tools in your employment arsenal. But not just a certain knowledge and specific networks, but those that are cross-blended among many fields; better suited to optimally receive opportunities presented, and contribute value to others in your networks (along with yourself).
So, check out RISE, find something your interested in, and check it out. For FREE!
Glad to be a part of the world again.
//A.J.
Filed under: Austin, Career, Networking | Leave a Comment
Tags: Knowledge, Networking, RISE, Texas Bar
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The end is nigh! Starting tomorrow and through Thursday, I will be unloading all the law I’ve loaded up between my ears, lay it down on paper and scantron for the perusal of some lucky grader(s).
Inside I feel like Mr. Green-Face (see above), but I’m ready to get on with it. February 23rd looked so distant on my calendar way back when I first wrote EXAM DAY (in red) on it.
Now many months, down to hours, and then I’ll be through.
The only thing missing right now is an 80′s “moment” song… here you go!
“Once more unto the breach, dear friends…” See y’all on the other side (bring scotch).
//A.J.
Filed under: Austin, Life | 2 Comments
Tags: Bar Exam, Closed
SIKE!
Consider this an early April Fools post.
- Love, Dynamically
Of the many types of loves in this world, i.e. loving your work, loving your life, loving your family; romantic love is probably one of the hardest to achieve.
So, if you’ve got that loving feeling for someone, let her (or him) know it everyday. And if you don’t (this includes me) it’s nothing to dwell on. Enjoy single life. Date, figure out who you are (what you value, your goals, etc.) seek out new experiences, have an open mind and heart, and things will work themselves out. Oh, don’t forget to smile.
Here’s some of my favorite love inspired songs:
Michael Buble “Haven’t Met You Yet“
Kano Ft. Craig David “This Is The Girl“
Chase and Status ft. Plan B “Pieces“
Wayne Wonder “No Letting Go“
Tanto & Devonte “Everyone Falls In Love Sometimes“
Lenny Kravitz “Again“
She and Him “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here“
The Pharcyde “Passin’ Me By“
P.M. Dawn “Die Without You“
//A.J.
Filed under: Life | 2 Comments
Tags: Date, Love, Opportunity, Single Life, Songs, Valentine's Day
Big News: Austinist Contributor
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Last Monday I received some great news (sorry for the belated posting, I’ve been preoccupied). Austinist selected me to be a contributor!
What is Austinist? I’ll let them tell you:
After its launch in March 2005, Austinist has “quickly become the local scenester’s essential online arbiter of taste” according to The Austin Chronicle after its readers voted the site as the Best Local Website for Fun. Austinist is a site that “knows Austin, and Austinites love it for its bite-sized news of local events, food, art, and entertainment.” Austinist has been listed in the Best of Austin multiple times, by readers of as well as the critics at The Austin Chronicle who praise a blogger on the site for bringing “a refreshing, sometimes contrary perspective.”
Blogging for someone, other than myself, was a big goal for 2010; I was very pleased to get this news. More so because Austinist is very connected to the city.
I’m looking forward to the work (and play) ahead! A big thanks to LuAnn for informing of this great opportunity.
More to come as things develop.
//A.J.
Filed under: Austin, Hustle, Life, Networking, News | 9 Comments
Tags: Austinist, News, Opportunity
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