Giving Back

Great to know: Filmmaker Jonathan Lim

I recently had the chance to meet filmmaker Jonathan Lim, whose dramatic feature film “Pali Road” is opening in theaters in 20 U.S. cities across America later this week. Jonathan wrote and directed the film, which was entirely shot on-location in Hawaii and is the first Hawaii-China co-production in history. While Jonathan describes it as a mystery and a romantic thriller, here’s how it’s introduced by the programmers of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, who have chosen the film to close the festival’s 32nd edition, this Thursday night, 28 April:

“…As stylish as it is mysterious, ‘Pali Road’ by Jonathan Lim echoes the most daring and challenging of classic Hollywood mysteries. If you look closely, you’ll find a hint of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 romantic mystery “Rebecca” starring Joan Fontaine; and maybe even espy a nod to George Cukor’s legendary “Gaslight” (1944) starring the great Ingrid Bergman…”

Read moreGreat to know: Filmmaker Jonathan Lim

Sam Jones, Off Camera

[Written on February 23, 2016] This has been a spectacular day for me. I began preparing for it a couple of years ago, when I was able to reconnect with one of the most phenomenal people I’ve met in my career – the acclaimed photographer and director Sam Jones, who is the force behind Off Camera. Sam launched his original on-camera interview series back in 2013 as a website, magazine, TV show and podcast, and when I wrote about it, he sent me a warm response. Knowing that the show is now beginning its fourth season, today I made a plan to look-in on it again. After spending the whole day binge-watching clips from the show’s YouTube channel, here is my takeaway: Sam Jones is profoundly influential to me, and I am certain that everyone else watching his show must feel the same way. Here’s why.

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Sharing secrets: How to write stories for The Associated Press


Back in 2000 when I was working for The Terpin Group in Los Angeles leading PR campaigns for dot-com companies with extremely high aspirations, my colleagues and I knew that there was absolutely one way of hitting a home run, and that was placing a story with The Associated Press. AP stories generate massive exposure, as they are syndicated in major media outlets across the country and around the world. And of course, if you have a story that’s good enough for the AP, it’s good enough for everyone. With this in mind, imagine how powerful it would be if you had the chance, today, to meet with Paul Caluori, the AP’s Global Director of Digital Services, and Philana Patterson, the AP’s Small Business and Breaking News Editor, to learn what they look for in story submissions. Thanks to Business Wire, it’s on.

Back in February of this year, Business Wire hosted a webinar featuring Paul and Philana, where they shared exactly these types of insights. Here are a few of the bullet points from the secrets they shared.

Read moreSharing secrets: How to write stories for The Associated Press

Passion projects: “What a Difference Your Love Makes”

The phenomenal music video for this fantastic Basement Jaxx song came to my attention a couple of years ago, thanks to writer Emily Beber of It’s Nice That. In her story, Emily warned us that the presentation was very likely to induce us viewers into both dancing and smiling. To me, those are great achievements for “passion projects,” the typically non-commercial things we take-on as artists to feed our souls.

At the core of this heartfelt project are its celebratory rhythm and its lovely, emphatic sentiments. Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote that love doesn’t make the world go round – it’s what makes the ride worthwhile. Writing and making music about requited love, Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Major Buxton (the duo behind the Grammy Award-winning Basement Jaxx) tapped into the type of joy we all aspire to know ourselves, to make our own rides through life worthwhile: “You make me happy, make me come alive, my running reason to survive…” The song also features vocalist Sam Brookes.

Read morePassion projects: “What a Difference Your Love Makes”

Moving Forward: Water Day is Every Day

As I write these words connecting to this year’s worldwide efforts commemorating World Water Day, I’m already thinking ahead to the 2016 edition. That’s because of a story I just read in Inhabitat making the case that California – which according to the LA Times is experiencing its warmest winter in at least 120 years – may have only a single year of water left. When I’ve focused on this event in the past, difficulties arising around the world’s supply of clean water have seemed much further away from touching my way of life. Clearly, water conservation and its management need to be priorities for us all.

Of course, research already tells us that 750 million people lack access to safe water, and that every minute, at least one child dies due to water-related illness. Whether you’re concerned about the issues being faced by people in America or in other parts of the world, you may be wondering what you can do to help.

Read moreMoving Forward: Water Day is Every Day

Sharing secrets: Venture capitalist Charlie O’Donnell

I love finding people who are so successful in business that I learn great deals and become inspired just by reading their blogs and following them on social media. A few years ago when I was getting up-to-speed for a new client based in Brooklyn, I learned about venture capitalist Charlie O’Donnell, who founded the seed-stage investment firm Brooklyn Bridge Ventures in 2012. I’ve been doing my best to keep up with Charlie ever since! Here’s an introduction to his background from his personal This Is Going to be Big blog, where he’s been writing about sales, hiring, the venture business, startup communities and New York in his very straightforward, no-BS style for over 10 years.

Charlie is a partner at Brooklyn Bridge Ventures working on very early stage investments in the Greater Brooklyn area, which also includes Manhattan and the other boroughs of New York City. He was previously with First Round Capital, where he sourced the firm’s investments in GroupMe (sold to Skype), Backupify, chloe + isabel, Refinery29, Docracy, Singleplatform, and Salescrunch.

Read moreSharing secrets: Venture capitalist Charlie O’Donnell

Great to know: Anson Williams

My relatively short career as a professional working in episodic television production took a giant leap forward in 1995, when I was hired to assist the Florida-based producers for NBC, Universal Television and Amblin Entertainment’s SeaQuest 2032. The year before, I had worked on a different series for Fox, BBK Productions and Columbia Pictures TV, where the many producers, directors and talents I met became inspirations for me. Nonetheless, I was very surprised to meet – and have lots of opportunities to work with and get to know – director Anson Williams as one of the many all-stars involved with SeaQuest.

Best known for his Golden Globe-nominated role as Potsie Weber on Happy Days – the single greatest TV series of my youth – Anson is also an award-winning television director, as well as being a writer, singer, producer and entrepreneur. By 2014, Anson has directed over 300 hours of television for scores of world-famous TV series, including Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager, to name but a few.

Read moreGreat to know: Anson Williams

Amy Schatz, HBO and American Museum of Natural History: Thanks for the documentary

On Monday, 15 December, an important new series will debut from HBO Documentary Films, the American Museum of Natural History and producer/director Amy Schatz, starting with a two-part family special about the environment. Entitled “Saving My Tomorrow,” additional credits include executive producer Sheila Nevins, supervising producer Lisa Heller, producer Beth Aala and editor Tom Patterson. “Saving My Tomorrow” will continue in 2015 as a four-part series beginning on Earth Day, 22 April, exclusively on HBO.

From the children who will inherit the planet comes a collection of songs, activism and heartfelt tips for protecting the earth. Kids share their thoughts on subjects ranging from endangered animals to climate change, while exploring stories with the museum’s scientists about the plants and animals that are affected by a changing earth. A lyrical mix of science, animation and music, SAVING MY TOMORROW celebrates the wonders of the natural world and is a call from kids to kids to help take care of the planet.

Read moreAmy Schatz, HBO and American Museum of Natural History: Thanks for the documentary

Sharing secrets: Scion Motivate’s “Visual Identity” panel

I have written in the past about the serious 2013 campaign automotive brand Scion launched to help motivated young professionals scale their careers upward. Those multifaceted efforts included a series of brand films where they convened very bright and successful creative industry achievers to provide spot-on insights about key business imperatives. You can see for yourself that what they created packages the real, proven stuff. In the 10-minute episode embedded above, in order of appearance, you get to meet Justin Thomas Kay of Doubleday & Cartwright, Joshua Prince aka Dust La Rock of Fool’s Gold Records, Cody Hudson of Struggle Inc. and Longman & Eagle, and artist Kenton Parker… and hear their candid responses to these questions:

Read moreSharing secrets: Scion Motivate’s “Visual Identity” panel

On traveling to learn, and introducing “Rare Air”

In the famous words of St. Augustine, the world is a book, and those who don’t travel read only one page. I agree that traveling is a great means for learning, but at the same time, I know that most often, it’s a luxury. According to the Travel Effect Study, travel improves educational attainment and future success. If you’re a parent, that gives you two excellent reasons to get out and go, when possible. Ready to hit the road? If so, I highly recommend this list of awesome experiences compiled by Bryan Kitch for Afar.com.

“If travel is the best form of education, this is a Master Class. These experiences go off the beaten path, and likely outside average tourists’ comfort zones.”

On the other hand, if you are not free to cut loose at present, I have something for you, too. It begins with a story.

Read moreOn traveling to learn, and introducing “Rare Air”

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