First Ad Campaign Design
I did a project for my Advertising Copywrite and Design class, where we had to create 3 different ads based off the creative brief we were given in class. Our client was Kodak, and we needed to design the ads with a consistant theme, for a campaign. Kodak is seen as an old company, (yes I know that they’re bankrupt now, but for the purpose of the project, we acted like they weren’t) and our goal was to change their brand perception, and position them as a leader in digital media, as well as promote their new digital camera. The brief stated that Kodak preferred that we featured children in the ad, because that appeals to parents.
So I ran with the creative brief, and came up with these designs….
This was my first time learning adobe photoshop, illustrator, and indesign in a classroom setting, and putting together a graded design. I am already pretty good with photoshop, which is what I used to design the ad, but I am not as familiar with illustrator or indesign. I used indesign to put all 3 ads into a pdf to turn into my professor.
I decided to design the ads with a child of a different race to appeal to different demographics. I added a little humor to catch attention, and I also wanted to show Kodak’s long history, which will appeal to consumers. Kodak has been around for over 100 years, and I wanted to show how far they’ve come, and how they’ve successful transitioned into the digital age.
Book Reviews: Crush it! & Think and Grow Rich
It’s been a while since my last post. I’ve been busy getting into my second semester of my junior year, but just because I haven’t posted that doesn’t mean I haven’t been reading and taking steps towards achieving my goals. I have a couple of things in the works (which I’ll fill you in on later) so I’m pretty excited, and I have faith that those ideas will work out. So, I’ve been meaning to post a review on the book Crush it! By Gary Vaynerchuk, it’s a great book, I listened to the audio version which is excellent because he provides several additional tips and excerpts not found in the printed book. If you don’t know much about Gary Vaynerchuk you can check him out here: www.GaryVaynerchuk.com. His book discusses how he built up his wine brand and personal brand via the web. He gives incredible tips on great sites and tools you can leverage to build up your personal brand using social media. There are so many great nuggets of information in this book, so I suggest you go and purchase it if your interested in building your personal brand.
This next book really needs no introduction. It’s the HOLY GRAIL of entrepreneur books. I’m kind of embarrassed that it has taken me so long to read it, well I actually listened to the audio book since I’ve been really busy with classes. However, I definitely plan on reading the book. Think and Grow Rich is a legendary book, it contains everything you need to know to achieve success. If you follow Napoleon Hill’s principles there is no way you will not become successful. This book is one that I will ALWAYS refer back to and re-read, because the principles he discusses are truly genius. The focus of the book is about the strength of the subconscious mind. If you think it, then you can achieve it. I could go on and on about this book, but if you’re REALLY serious about becoming an entrepreneur, then you will go and pick up this book. Trust me, I can confidently say that the majority of super successful entrepreneurs have read this book.
*Random* but I stumbled across this guy on youtube, and I think he is AMAZING, he has a great story about how he became the voice for the popular hasbro toy Bop it. He is currently re-reading Think and Grow Rich and decided to start a very inspiring series about his thoughts on the book, and I caught him at the beginning, so I plan on going through the physical book, and following along with his videos.
Check his synopsis of chapter 1:
Good News Bad News
I received two very interesting emails today, one was good news and one was bad news. I’ll start with the good news first…
Good News
I may have an internship with Google! I applied last month to their bold program after a recruiter came and spoke to our class. I’m super excited, because Google is one of the few companies I can actually see myself working for, if I need to get a job after I graduate while I’m working on my businesses. I have faith that this internship will work out for this summer. My mum will have a fit if I go another summer without an internship (I decided to skip doing an internship last summer to focus on taking an algebra class and working with my former business partner on an idea)! She really wanted me to try another internship since my first internship experience wasn’t so great, so I look forward to the possibilities of broadening my horizons, Google is a great company and there’s a lot that I can learn being in such a creative environment.
Here’s the email they sent me:
Global Advertising Associate…sounds pretty sweet! 
Google has the most chilled laid back environment that promotes creativity, and is one of the most widely know brands in the world! That’s my type of place 
!
Bad News
I know my journey to becoming a super successful entrepreneur is not going to be a cake walk, so with that said, I’ve prepared myself for moments like this…
stinks…but it happens, can’t win all the time, but when I do win, I’m going to win big! So this obviously wasn’t “the thing” but it could possibly be “the thing” that’s going to lead me to “the thing”. I learn something from every competition I enter, and I look forward to hearing their feedback. So now it’s time for me to dust my shoulders off and move on to the next one.
Rich Dad Poor Dad Review & New Years Resolution
My Review on the book Rich Dad Poor Dad, and I talk a little about my resolutions for the New Year. I really enjoyed 2011. It was definitely an exciting year, from being on a mini-series for MTVU, ringing the bell at The New York Stock Exchange, getting the opportunity to meet Magic Johnson, to winning $10,000 for my business and then loosing that same $10,000 (long story), these experiences have shown me that you can never imagine what each year will bring. I would have never fathomed in 2010 that in 2011 I would be ringing the closing bell at The New York Stock Exchange beside billionaire and owner of the Dallas mavericks Mark Cuban, and be seen all over the world (my mom saw me ringing the bell in CHINA!! That’s CRAZYY!!)
That is a major highlight of 2011, and something that I will remember forever.
One thing that I’ve taken away from 2011 is to follow my gut, that has brought me to where I am, following my gut, and having faith…when I do that things seem to work out. This year I don’t plan on doing a drastic change, because I am already doing the right things. I’m going to make this year about elevation, taking everything to the next level, and self improvement.
I’m SUPER excited for what 2012 will bring, and thankful that God has brought me through another year. 
“People don’t fail because they aim too high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit”
― Les Brown
32 Ways to Be a Champion in Business
Below is my review on the book 32 Ways to Be a Champion in Business by Magic Johnson. I really enjoyed reading this book, it was great to read about Magic’s transition from basket ball star to business man.
I had the pleasure of meeting Magic at an event for Vibe Holdings (March 2011). He is really friendly and nice, at the event I watched him pitch the African American market opportunity to advertisers, in order to get them to purchase advertising in Vibe.
Top 20 For a shot at Winning $100,000
I’m really excited that I made the top 20 in a competition sponsored by Intel for a chance to win $100,000. I submitted my idea (My College Hustle), and now I have a chance to pitch my idea to investors. The investors are awarding 2 ideas $50,000, with the potential of one idea taking the entire $100,000.
I’m super excited, and I’ve been trying to rack up votes anyway I can. I need to make it in the top 5 by january 23rd in order to pitch my ideas to the judges.
Currently in 9th place, buuuuuttt I haven’t given up hope!
Email I got notifying me that I made it to the top 20.
Massachusetts Conference for Women
Last Thursday I attended the Massachusetts Conference for Women with my mum, over 7000 women were there…wow! My mum works for EMC and they were a sponsor for the event and she had an extra space open, and invited me to come…actually not really invited…because usually with an invitation you’re allowed to reject right? Lol, I had just got home from school that Tuesday, and after a long week of finals and a tedious semester I honestly just wanted to spend a couple days just bumming it, but since I couldn’t say no I woke up at the crack of dawn to accompany my mother. Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely an advocate for networking and meeting new people. However, I’m more into attending entrepreneurial conferences, mixers, start-up weekend type of events, ect. However, my mum is always telling me to keep an open mind “you never know who you’ll meet at these conferences,” which is true.
Even though I didn’t meet a billionaire venture capitalist interested in investing in my idea, I still enjoyed myself at the conference. I attended the young women’s program where I heard Marion Jones speak about her public fall from grace and her journey and path to recovery; she was really inspiring. She talked about the importance of rebuilding trust one step at a time. She was a former champion track and field star that voluntarily returned 5 Olympic medals after admitting she was using performance-enhancing drugs. I looked up to her when I was younger, and I remember writing a paper about her when I was in either elementary or middle school. So It was cool getting to see her in person and hear her talk about the events surrounding her career.
Another event that I attended was the small biz/entrepreneurship session. It was titled “The Spark Tank: Pitch to the Pros” I got excited for that session; it’s definitely my type of event.
They allowed everyone at the session to put their business cards in a bag, and they were going to choose at random who would be able to pitch; due to time constraints only about 10 people were able to pitch.
It was mainly a workshop to help women refine their pitches, no money was at stake, just feedback from the judges, which included Lida Orzeck co-founder of Hanky Panky, Tory Johnson founder and CEO of Women for Hire, and Johanna Myers McChesney co-founder of Isis Parenting Inc.
I was probably the youngest one in the room, but that didn’t faze me, I still really wanted to pitch, but I didn’t get chosen, and I really wanted to pitch because I know I would have blown everyone away! 
I still had fun at the event nonetheless .
My “First” Post
I’ve been so caught up with recent events that I didn’t get the chance to formally introduce my blog, I just jumped in with my previous post about my experience with the Movers and Changers competition….so this is my unofficial first post introducing my blog. This blog will be dedicated to tracking my financial progress.Today I’m 20 and in a few month’s I’ll be 21, let’s see how far I can financially advance by the time I turn 21 (April 5th 2012).
Movers and Changers Competition
I just finished shooting season 3 of MTVU’s Movers and Changers it was an AWESOME experience! I’m really not ready to get back into the swing of classes! I wish I could stay for all the event’s during Global Entrepreneurship Week. Movers and Changers kicked off the week with the competition and a panel discussion with very successful entrepreneurs, Charlie Chanaratsopon founder of Charming Charlie, Alexandra Wilkis Wilson Co-Founder of Gilt Groupe, and Mark Cuban owner of the Dallas mavericks. They were also the judges for the competition. Mark Cuban was also our mentor for the competition, he is a billionaire entrepreneur, and I was so appreciative that he took the time to give me advice about entrepreneurship…Wow!
One of the most important pieces of advice he shared with me was to make sure that the business I create is a product as opposed to a feature, because anyone can replicate or add that feature to their company or business…and BOOM! My business would be finished! However, if I make my business a valuable product, it can’t be replicated. I thought that was a great piece of advice, because when you think about it, using an iphone as an example, an iphone is a product, and the apps are only a feature of the iphone…anyone/company can make an app (blackberry, android, ect.) but no one can make an iphone except apple…
In the video above I’m reflecting on my experience participating in the Movers and Changers competition (sorry for the crackling noise).
This was taken when MTVU came on campus to film me for the first episode
Super fun!
C’est moi! (it’s me!)
Favorite quote
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