AleanElston.com

Tag: life

  • Want Success? “You gotta Jump off that cliff…” according to #SteveHarvey [VIDEO]

    Want Success? “You gotta Jump off that cliff…” according to #SteveHarvey [VIDEO]

    Sometimes it can be a bit hard to make it in business, but Steve has a point when he tells you you have to jump…

    It can be a bit scary and I experience this everyday. Sometimes I don’t jump and I remain safe, but then I realize I’m missing out on soaring. So with that I’m learning to take more jumps…I’ll tell you how that all works out for me.

     

    What are some of the things that you need to jump for?

  • The cost of doing business rises, should customers pay for it?

    The cost of doing business rises, should customers pay for it?

    Today so far has been a very interesting day.

    Its the last week of the month, of which I am usually preparing to pay bills and organize my budgets for the following month, and after looking at a few receipts and invoices I noticed, things just keep going up and up and up!

    I personally hate the fact that things keep going up, like my car insurance…smh Not only did I not have any incidents or claims, but my insurance increased! When I asked why despite having no issues or claims, they said it costs more to repair cars nowadays.

    Really…

    So because, I never filed a claim and everyone else drives like idiots, and messes up cars and property, I’m paying for it… its not fair. (currently searching for new car insurance by the way.)

    Anywho, the point of my blog post is this, everything in the world is increasing for me to handle business but I don’t want to have to pass my expensive costs on to my clients/customers.

    Currently seeking ways to keep business moving without reasonably raising costs for customers.

    How do you cope when your expenses get higher every year?

    (The video, fyi, just illustrates general costs of being in business, whether you are a photographer or not. Plug in what applies to you)

  • Success: Its All About Your Perspective and the Progression of Time

    Success: Its All About Your Perspective and the Progression of Time

    “If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” ― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

    Recently I was afforded the opportunity to work with a new client for their company’s promotion for Alexis Bittar at Neiman Marcus and it was pretty interesting. It was for a company called PaintAPic.com and what they offer is a custom paint by number painting that you complete based on any photo that you submit. So what happens is you send them a picture, it could be a picture of your dog, a picture of you, a picture of whatever! and they flatten out that picture and turn it into a paint by number picture. With your picture they also send you the paint you need to complete the artwork and the canvas &  paint brushes so you’ll have everything you need to complete your art project.

    (But back to the point of this blog post, lol) For this particular promotion we were asked to do a paint by number version of Alexis’s latest advertisement for his FINE collection pictured here:

    alexis_bittar_ad_fall_winter_2013_2014

    Before we started to paint I wasn’t told exactly what it was that we were going to be painting. To see the Paint-A-Pic before its completed, I thought it was mountains and rivers and all that jazz. Basically I thought we were going to be painting a picture of a landscape. See the picture below and tell me its not a mountain scene! lol:

    Alexis-Bittar-PaintAPic-Neiman-Marcus

    Ok so if you don’t think its a mountain scene its okay, I see it as that because that’s how it appeared to me upon my first sight of the work ahead, its just my perception. As we started to paint, I still couldn’t see how this was going to become a version of the ad, but we pressed on, section by section. As we continued on in our work, people were walking by wondering what it was we were working so hard on. My job was supposed to be paint the picture and try to get others involved in painting it with us and talk about the product. For me it was a bit difficult, ONLY because doing this painting in a high traffic area caused me to tune everything out and focus. That’s rare for me! lol I was so into this painting I missed the chance to engage with potential consumers. eventually I forced myself to multitask and draw people in but my main thought was, I gotta finish this I want to see how this is all going to look completed. But like all work that has to be done, this painting was taking more time than I thought. We painted and painted and being that I was so close on the work I still didn’t see what it was supposed to be, but everyone that walked by could see it.

     

    Why?

     

    Because they were looking at it from a different perspective. Because they were able to see it from a distance, they could see that all the small pieces we were painting and the time an energy and effort we were putting into the painting, was building itself into becoming a great piece of art work.

     

    See where I’m going with this? Check out this picture of the painting mid-way through:

    2013-12-06 17.51.52

    It was in the moments after the painting was finished, when I stepped back and looked at the finished product, I realized how much this painting experience is a story of my life. I take on projects knowing that there is going to be a lot of work involved and often times as I get a little deep into a project, especially when its taking a long time, I can get a little frustrated wondering if this is going to turn out as great as I originally thought it could be. I have people that see what I’m working on and I get compliments or people that want to be a part of what I’m working on, and personally sometimes I cant see exactly what or how things are going to turn out, even  though I know it is going to be great in the end, because I’m too busy focusing on what i’m doing up close and not in the scheme of the big picture. And even though I know things will come together if I stick with it and do the little things in order to build it into bigger things in time, I have to learn that there are little steps in order to get to the big vision. With this experience though I have learned that in order for me to keep focus on the big picture at hand and not get discouraged or frustrated or any other emotions that don’t help the work/project positively, time to time while I work on things I need to step back and see that the little things that I have been doing are shaping to be a vision of success that can only be obtained if I complete the smaller components that make it all come together.

     

    And with that Success is obtained through your perception of progress through time.

    Thanks for checking out a bit of whats in my mind 🙂

     

    Oh yea, here’s a finished picture of the paining:

    Alexis-Bittar-PaintAPic-Completed

    Pretty cool right?!

     

    Be sure to check out PaintaPic.com to get your custom paint by number canvas and Neiman Marcus for the latest Alexis Bittar Jewlery. Tag me in your instagram pic if you get either, I’d love to see it. Follow me on IG – @completebeauty

  • So I decided to start #Vlogging…

    So I decided to start #Vlogging…

    So I’ve come to a point in my life where I’m like, #justdoit, lol. There are so many things that I want to accomplish and try and see, that If I wait for things to be perfect, it will never happen.

    I’ve always wanted to video blog and I’m stepping out and just doing it and letting it take me where ever it may.

    So here goes!

    The video blogs will be released once a week, beginning the week of 8/5/13 and will cover a range of topics. If there is something you’d like me to vlog about, explain a blog post in more detail, let me know. Comment my posts and videos, email me, tweet me, facebook me send me smoke signals or whatever! The more you talk to me the more I can shape the content to best help you all.

    I hope you enjoy!

    Alean

  • I just missed you…Return to sender #life

    image

    I just got this in the mail today…

    “Return to sender… Unable to forward.”

    There is a reason for that… See, I sent this get well card to a co-worker of mine that was sick in the hospital. The day after I sent it, she had passed.

    She never got my well wishes and thoughts of encouragement. I can’t help but to think, if she had gotten this, would this have brightened her spirits and maybe set her on the path of getting better? Or, I should have sent this last week then things would be different.

    Getting this in the mail today just reminded me that she really is gone and I never got to speak with her one last time. Sigh

    I’ll just keep with me the memories and hope my well wishes, appreciation, and prayers are felt.

  • [VIDEO] And the award for DOPE MUSIC VIDEO CONCEPT goes to…

    [VIDEO] And the award for DOPE MUSIC VIDEO CONCEPT goes to…

    TRUE2LIFE Music

    Their music has been hitting my inbox for sometime now, and I have to be honest, a lot of the music (not theirs) that comes to me is beyond WACK and is not something that I feel like sharing with you all as something that I think you would be interested in. So most of the time, I end up deleting those emails after I see what they are about…(sad but true lol). But today I decided to open this email, browse through the details and I clicked on the video link to see what they had in store and…I LOVED THIS VIDEO! Homegirl dancing wore me out just watching her! I know they shot this all over New York, and I can only imagine how tired she was after this was all said and done. Between the traveling and the dancing, personally, I would have been SUPER beat! But she stayed with it, never went off point, and for that, I give her Kudos and to TRUE2Life Music and your director, I give you 2 thumbs up! Great Vid guys!!

     

    I think I just found a new song for me to work out to now! Now I just have to start working out…lol

     

    Check it out and let me know what you think.

    PS. I want those leggings she got on, anyone know where I can get ’em?!

     

    “Every Dream Has A Price” coming soon.

     

  • AleanElston.com Goes PINK for October

    October is host to a lot of different things:

    National Dental Hygiene Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, National Book Month, and a whole HEAP of other things. (this link lists them all – http://www.brownielocks.com/october.html) But there are 2 MAIN reasons why AleanElston.com went pink this month and they are:

    My Birthday is in October and PINK is my favorite color 😀

    and

    It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

    Last year I made it a point to add BCA facts every weekday during the month to get people educated about the facts concerning breast cancer. Being that I feel like I’m doing waaay more lately than I was doing last year, I figure I would display a few facts here and add more facts on my facebook and twitter as my time permits. Check out a few facts below.

    Breast Cancer Awareness Facts:

    • No causal connection has been found between drinking caffeine and getting breast cancer; in fact, some research suggests that caffeine may
      actually lower your risk. So far it’s inconclusive whether breast soreness may be linked to caffeine.
    • Hair straighteners/relaxers DO NOT cause breast cancer in African-American women. A large 2007 study funded by the National Cancer Institute found no increase in breast cancer risk due to the use of hair straighteners or relaxers. Study participants included African-American women who had used straighteners seven or more times a year for 20 years or longer.
    • Myth: Living near power lines can cause breast cancer. Reality: A 2003 study aimed at explaining what appeared to be a high incidence of breast cancer in certain counties on Long Island, N.Y., found no link between the disease and electromagnetic fields emitted by power lines. An earlier study conducted in the Seattle area yielded a similar conclusion. Research into potential environmental risk factors is ongoing.
    • MYTH: Breast implants can raise your cancer risk. REALITY: Women with breast implants are at no greater risk of getting breast cancer,
      according to research. Standard mammograms don’t always work as well on these women, however, so additional X-rays are sometimes needed to more fully examine breast tissue.
    • Ladies, Do you do regular self breast exams? Dont know how to, how often, or when to do it? Check out this video:http://www.5min.com/Video/Self-Breast-Exam-119380343
    • Excluding cancers of the skin, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women.
    • White women have a higher incidence of breast cancer than African American women beginning at age 45. In contrast, African American women have a higher incidence rate before age 45 and are more likely to die from breast cancer at every age.
    • The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender (being a woman) and age (growing older).
    • Weight can increase breast cancer risk. Obesity is a factor considered when determining a breast cancer risk.
    • Out of every one hundred cases of breast cancer, one will occur in a man.
    • Cigarette smoking is a risk factor with an uncertain, controversial, or unproven effect on breast cancer risk, but, smoking does contribute to saggy boobs. Smoking breaks down your skin’s elastin making you a “saggy smoker”
    • Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women between the ages of 15 and 54, and the second cause
      of cancer death in women 55 to 74.
    • Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam (CBE) as part of a periodic (regular) health exam by a health professional, preferably every 3 years. After age 40, women should have a breast exam by a health professional every year.
    • Ninety-six percent of women who find and treat breast cancer early will be cancer-free after five years.
    • You are never too young to develop breast cancer! Breast Self-Exam should begin by the age of twenty.

    So that’s why the site is pink for October. If you have any events going on concerning Breast Cancer Awareness please let me know, if available, i might attend or Blog about it. Leave me a comment with the details or email them to me directly at alean@aleanelston.com

     

  • A Conversation with Mr. Over Time Grind

    It’s funny how social media can put you in contact with people you would least expect to meet. The connections that you can make, the things that you can get done in business and in life can all come about within the instance of a tweet or a Facebook comment on a post. That’s exactly how it came about that I met Mr. Over Time Grind, Mr. OTG if you will. When I came across his Twitter account I checked out his website and saw that he was a producer and fell in love with the grind and the business model of his site http://www.idoublel.com/. (Check it out you’ll see what I’m talking about) I thought why aren’t all producers/artists doing something like this and being about the business of music instead of expecting everything to be for free? I reached out to him and asked if I would pick his brain with an interview for the site and he agreed and below is a synopsis of what we talked about as, he had a lot of knowledge and experience to give. I decided to share with you all of the note worthy information, especially what is most useful for all of us who are looking to get up and get out there and make it.

    For this interview, I started it out a little differently. Instead of diving into my questions I decided to start out with questions that I had asked my Facebook friends to give me for Mr. OTG and this was his response.

    Steph W. Asks the following questions:

    What are the top 3 adversities that you have had to face in order to get to where you are today?

    Go Crazy Remix

    Well the top 3, I’d have to say would be Confidence, you know getting my confidence up in order to take some of the feedback that the industry can bring your way. As an artist you wear your creativity and your heart on your sleeve and you have to be strong to be able to accept that people may not like everything that you put out. With that I’d say that my second one is learning how to take criticism. I’ve had to come to understand that the things that people say aren’t because they don’t like what you do, it’s because they have their opinion and they just want to help to make what you are doing better. The last thing that I’ve had to overcome is learning not to dis-count anyone. I’ve learned that just because someone doesn’t have the money or connections that you are looking for doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give then a listen or a chance to hear what they have got to say. I’ve looked over a lot of quality people in the beginning who are not doing it big in the industry and realized that I’ve missed out on making a connection with them when I had the chance. So if there is anything that I really want people to know is that I’m open to talking with people and hearing what they have, you never know where it may go.

    The saying goes, “It’s not what you know it’s who you know.” Does that account for the minority or majority of your success in the industry?

    Crown +Dro

    I would say it’s definitely what you know. There are things that I didn’t know and in the industry a lot of people aren’t willing to share information about how to protect themselves and how to really make money and to continue to be a success in this industry. When I first started, I didn’t know too much about copyrighting my music, and joining ASCAP and all of that stuff on how to protect yourself and really profit from your music. There are still things I’m still learning about the business like the promotional photos, and things like that, that artists and producers need to promote themselves.

    After all you have achieved…What is your primary inspiration that allows you to continue what you do and come up with fresh concepts?

    Postman (Dirty)

    My primary inspiration comes from life. I’m a regular blue collar dude, I work with my hands and working with my music for me it’s a release. I draw inspiration from things that are going on in life around me. Like the other day I was walking towards South St. and I saw the bums on the street and I went home and worked on a song about that and how they looked to me and the struggles and the life they must go through. I’m not the type of artist that raps about the 8 cars or the huge mansion that I don’t have, that’s not who I am and that’s not what I aspire to be, I just want a good car, place to live and the things that I need to take care of, to be taken care of, and I don’t have problem working in order to get that.

    What was your most rewarding experience as a producer?

    I 2 L’s

    My most rewarding experience would have to be when my girlfriend at the time told me that she just heard one of my beats on TV, on a promo for the Tiny and Toya 2 show. I didn’t believe her when she said it then I told her to rewind it, and then I heard it! I was like WOW, and I wasn’t excited because it was playing on TV I was happy because the feedback I got from my friends and family was so positive and it was rewarding to me that people would be able to share in my music.

    Luis Y. asks:

    If the eight year old version of him was to walk up to you today, what would the eight year old version of you have to say to you today?

    84 More

    Well the 8 year old me, would probably be like, why didn’t I end up like the dudes in Hoop Dreams lol! But based on how I grew up it was kinda like that, except I got hurt and it ended my ball playing. As it turned out I had to find something else that I was good at to occupy my time and eventually it brings me to where I am today. But I think the 8 year old me would be proud of me.

    After we finished the Facebook questions I asked a few of my own, mainly about the business of his music. I started off asking how he got the name Mr. Over Time Grind.

    SO when I checked out your website, I was thoroughly impressed how you have your beats up and ready to go either for sale or for lease and you even give bundle details on the beats! When I saw that I was like he truly is Mr. OTG, this dude is not playin! [laughs] Where does that name come from and where did you get the concept for that site?!

    Novacane Remix

    Well I used to work my job all day and spend all night at home working on my website and my music to the point where when I would come into work I would have bags under my eyes and be super tired and people stated calling me Mr. Over Time Grind and the name just stuck and if been focused ever since. For the site the site came about as a way for me to promote my music and have it available for anyone who was interested. Similar to the blogs that I have, that is more about the promotional aspect and networking for my music and to give others a way to have their work out there and get attention to their music.

    What kind of success have you seen with your music being on those sites?

    Well I have been fortunate enough to now be working with Philly artist Tone Trump, I’ve had my site talked about on the Star and Buckwild show and with my own music I’ve had over 55,000 downloads of my mixtape.

    I think that I have covered everything; I know that we have covered a lot! Is there anything that you would like to mention that I may have missed?

    To Buy beats my website is www.Idoublel.com Check out my music company is www.over-time-grind.com where We do a lot of things, from Television Composition, Promotion for Tone Trump (Philly artist), Production, music, and out 3 blogs http://www.So-Stadium-Status.com, http://www.Indytrackhustle.com, and http://www.Gimmie-dat.com. And follow on twitter at @MrOTG and @idubl