Photograph in Time 6/9/2009

Last night, I watched "Notorious" with my good friend Ryan. The movie was about the rise of the great rapper Notorious B.I.G., how he rose from a crack dealer to one of the most recognizable hip-hop icons of all-time. The theme of the movie is how dreams can come true no matter how big. "You can change the world, but only if you change yourself first."

I have a lot of dreams. In fact, they're the basis of my existance. So after watching the movie, my thoughts grew deep, and I began wondering if any of those dreams would become reality, and if so, what would I do when they did? Then I starting wondering if those dreams would ever change. So I figured the only way to find out is to implement a tracking system, which from now on I'll refer to as my "photographs in time". They'll be screenshots of my thoughts and dreams in various time periods, and below will be my first installment.

Today, Tuesday, June 9th of 2009:

I want to make the Hub a success. The Hub will be an online magazine for the TCU community and will surpass all other media sources on campus. I will need to maintain the website; manage the staff; and sell then satisfy local advertisers. But this will not be possible by myself, especially working 15 hours a week at ThinkCash, therefore I will need to build a management team and empower them to take charge. With Level 19 and LOUD, I tried to put everything on my shoulders, but with The Hub I will not make that mistake. I will surround myself with the most talented people I can find, and then push them to learn, grow, and dream. Together, we will build a powerful advertising medium for the affluent, niche market of TCU students. Although the reach will be limited, and the money will be meager, the experience and memories will be my reward.

I want to be fluent in Spanish. I'm going to study abroad in Sevilla, Spain this upcoming Spring semester and I'm going to be become fluent. Is it a long shot? Yes. But it something I've always wanted, so it's something I will forever regret if I don't.

I am determined to work at a top-tier advertising agency in the Summer of 2010. New york is preferable as I feel I could learn the most in that market. However, the quality of the agency trumps its geographical position. If I'm going to accomplish it, I need to do two things:

1. Build contacts at an array of agencies. Without that, I stand no chance. A TCU education and solid resume won't be enough. They need to hear my voice, my story, my drive.
2. Become tangible. This blog, a 30 page paper on the Emergence of Online Media, and The Hub are all projects that will not only help me grow through experience and knowledge, but they will stand as a testament to my self-initiative and committment to excellence.

I will do all this because advertising is what I want to do with my life. I want to effectively communicate messages to the consumer. I want to bring brands to life. Because it doesn't matter how great an idea is if the consumers aren't aware of it or don't understand it.

Those are my goals for the upcoming year. Those are the things I think about everyday. Those are the things that I will reflect on as this next year passes along. And after it's all said and done, I'll finally know if dreams really do come true, what it's like when they do, and if my dreams have changed.