Me:  “385 Ethnic Talent Agency”

Jon: “Hi this is Jon with the Daily Show”

Me:  “Shut the fuck up, whatever”

Jon: “Really, we’d like to hire some of your talent”

Me:  “This is a joke right?, come’on.”

Nice way to start a conversation huh?  I asked Jon B who was doing the talent research if he must often times get that response.  He said he didn’t. 

Last year Luis and I started 385 Ethnic Talent Agency.  WOW and here we are today, only a year out.  And if you Google search “ethnic, talent, agency”, 385 comes up as #1 in google.  In fact, National Geographic called from Seattle and informed us of this as they were searching for new talent. 

Shanna a friend in Detroit asked me how we did it, what’s the principal that we’re following to find success?  

Answer: Being different, being a change agent.  I’ve worked in corporate america and with non-profits.  Both resist change.  Both resist trying new things.  One non-profit chairman told me, “We’re a slow turning boat” and I said, “You don’t have to be!!?!”   In fact, with the speed of communications, marketing, Facebook, blogs, everything going so fast, how can anyone or any business afford to be “a slow turning boat”.  You might as well be a sinking boat. 

An old friend of mine Shelley recalls what I did when I came to work with her as a corporate trainer. On the first day I stood up on my chair (with wheels no less) in my cubical to see the entire office.  It was an interesting perspective up there most people probably never saw.  It was kind of like looking down at a mouse maze.  She said, “I knew you were different then.”  

Since then I’ve “practiced” being creative and different.  I practice every day and you are constantly reinforcing yourself to think differently, try new things.  True, it doesn’t always work with everyone, for example when said non-profit  invited me to resign from their board.  

Gladly.