I made the decision to make my life incredibly more challenging. What I’m referring to is my business that I started.
The biggest difficulty I face in my business is trying to make money, but I don’t want to talk much about that right now. Other than that, the other biggest challenge is trying to do media right from a production standpoint. All those Tonight Show episodes you see with Jay Leno have dozens of people working behind the scenes all at once. These all include writers, producers, camera guys, editors, etc.
I really crave for people who can learn their role in this company and only add to the production. Production people who are really ‘production people’ may be able to relate to what I’m saying, it’s that working with others who don’t understand the nature of production is difficult. I really need to grow a company where several people perform vital functions as well as humanly possible, and they must understand how POST production can become a nightmare if PRODUCTION isn’t attended to properly.
I envision a day when we’ll have a handful of web developers on staff. As well, I imagine there will be video and audio editors working in conjunction with one another. I’ve imagined forever having an entire staff working hard toward these goals everyday.
It’s true that there are roles to be filled here, and I expect others will love the idea of being a part. I’m always looking for these talented people around me.
Did I mention sales being vital? This is the hardest part of all indeed. It’s the lifeblood of everything, as everyone knows.
Barefoot Radio, the once ‘all consuming’ project that I was obsessed with, has become a growing company. Even though I’m doing ‘first fridays’ shows that are still coined ‘Barefoot Radio,’ the current goals of the company have shifted to support our other project, Marijuana Radio. Barefoot Radio as ‘audio’ will continue to be my arena for personal expression, only I’ll do it much less often for the sake of Marijuana Radio, and god poop me in the face, the legalization of marijuana.
Whatever hopes I previously had for Barefoot Radio being a breakthrough program are perhaps dashed, but not without having to acknowledge that Barefoot Radio has been a profound stepping stone for me, and it will continue to be as the company grows.
Most of my energy that I’m pouring into the company recently has been getting a system squared away to accept payment from sponsors. As well I’m creating ways to compensate talent that takes part in the mix.
I am always on the lookout for dedicated and established partners who might know how to take Marijuana Radio to a new level of success. Whether it be in the form of improving the general look and branding of the overall media, or rather finding the sponsorships that can provide exposure to help break Marijuana Radio into the bigtime, or especially a marketing wizard who can help build our audience independently.
An interesting side project I have under development is a printed publication about Marijuana. It will be a publication that will target the local population that appreciates cannabis culture. We are fortunate to have very much content from the radio show that we can add to a printed publication, and the radio show’s contacts in the activist community are growing frequently. It’s a blessing to have such a rich community of people with similar goals in mind.
I hope that all the unique events we’ve been getting access to lately are just the beginning of a long and amazing story. It’s my hope that companies will continue to embrace Marijuana Radio as a valid medium, supportive of freedom in general and cannabis culture. Also, Marijuana Radio is a chance to show the potential that podcasting, and other forms of new media can build a functioning business model, and in the long term, become part of a larger, more dispersed network.
The ultimate goal is to branch Marijuana Radio as a brand out to include all sorts of other ‘cannabis’ related programming. Whether political, or entertainment in general, I love the creative process, and only imagine that I will continue to push my own limits as a producer. If only I had more time and help. I feel that others will be entering into the situation and we will turn things around.
I never would have guessed in a million years that I would be pursuing the things that I am now. Only yesterday I was saying to my wife that if I were already a ‘wealthy man,’ I would just want to sit around and record music. By wealthy man, I’m only speaking about having money to pursue the art of music that I’ve always loved so much full time. I know that music is my first talent. I’m blessed in this way.
Nobody could tell me that I don’t know what I’m doing with my own music. It would be preposterous. Another thing about my music which is in contrast to my radio efforts is that it’s not commercial. I never once recorded a song with a commercial goal in mind. I don’t think that I ever could. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t come up with something ‘catchy’ and well produced. I am just saying that I take music so seriously that it’s never been a contrived thing as far as my art is concerned. Songs come out, lyrics come out, and I have no regrets about what others might possibly think. It happens with an encompassing urge like vomiting, only the outcome usually makes me happy. Or is this just a strange way to say passion brings it out?
I don’t think it’s money that makes good people, but I do believe that motivated people can do very much good with money. I see money more in terms of what tools I can buy to produce more and more media. By tools, I’m talking about cameras, computers, and man/woman power. I mean in no way to dehumanize folks by calling them tools, only to point out that a person in and of him/herself is a component in the larger functioning unit I’m working on. I’m a tool as well…..perhaps cog would have been a better word. Tool and cog both seem insulting and now I’m rambling. In fast sum, tools or cogs, I appreciate the individual roles people play, and that’s what I’m saying!
It’s not all about money, of course. Most of all, this product must be refined and good, and it is up to me to make some of this stuff a reality. As an artist I care about the quality of what I put out there. I consider my reputation as a producer on the line when talented people put their faith in me to shine the spotlight on them. If the production sucks, I feel the responsibility rests with me. And if I DO have a show or moment that sucks, I only hope that the people realize that I’ve always done better and will do better, and always aspire to make it the greatest, whether I fall enormously short or not.
There should be no falling short. Good productions are good planning, and that’s part of the giant puzzle I’m putting together all the time.
I hope I can retire early enough to have years more devoted to recording music. I miss recording music profusely.
Peace.
