Hustler Lifetime Achievement Award - Devon Christopher

Living in a society as a young Black man and seeing the endeavors of many other Black men fail, it is refreshing and enriching to find inspiring, ambitious, motivated, and most importantly stylish Black men who are seeking to reach their potential through their talents and also diligently seeking to use those talents for a greater purpose. In Devon Christopher, current editor of Bleu magazine, I found both of these qualities which for many is an evanescent pursuit. Perhaps it was the elegant and encouraging words that Christopher used in his 2008 issue that was aptly titled "Black Boys Are Beautiful" when he spoke about the cultivation and preservation of the beauty of Black men that so many others have refused to acknowledge and appreciate that endeared me to him. "What if when, the world and mainstream media call him ugly or an animal, that his neighbors, friends and family reminded him everyday that he is beautiful? What if when he looked in the mirror and saw a smile in the reflection every time? What if old ladies didn't cross the street when they saw him approaching them?" Christopher no doubt is challenging those beliefs with his magazine that is an impressively and exceptionally well-designed upscale publication that was created as a fashion, music, lifestyle, and art magazine for sophisticated Black gay men, an audience and demographic that for so long has been completely devoid of any attention, something that Christopher understand himself being a Black gay man in America. A graduate of Seton Hall in 1999 with a degree in communications and marketing, Devon Christopher has always sought to become famous worldwide and to share his intelligence and creativity internationally. He has worked for Def Jam Records as a marketing assistant alongside some of the hottest names in hip-hop, in advertising at Universal Music Group, as a product manager for Asylum Records, and as the editor-in-chief of Bleu before changing his job to publisher of the magazine. Add restaurateur of a Harlem chicken spot named Atomic Wings as you can already see that Christopher is without hesitation a renaissance man. But Devon's greatest mission is the amelioration of the Black male condition. He is currently pitching a reality show titled "Material Boys" that centers around the lives of ambitious, self-made Black men to networks like the new Centric, Bravo, and Oxygen. If you want to see more about Christopher's magazine Bleu check out its website BleuLife here.

Just When You Thought I Was Done...

I was saving the best for last; Marquis Phifer, the poster boy of The Flashy Life indulged in a bit of pomp and circumstance while getting his flash on in all white at a garden party in the backyard of his best friend fashion stylist Brooke's Hampton's villa. "What did you expect? You, love, me. They keep saying that I’m the next, so I’ll just continue to eat these low fat muffins. I should be on hustle probation, I’m about to lose my license so I can continue to be chauffeured. And at this point I’m about to start attending operas’ and playing golf. I’m redoing my friends circle, and for starters the requirements: multiple addresses–tell a friend. A little shallow yeah, but I enjoy swimming. Honey B and myself snuck out the city of New York and headed to her parents house in the Hamptons. Keeping it 100 I forgot what event we went to earlier this day, and Honey B is sleep as I type this at 4:08am. We just knew that we had to show up. We had a table, so we dressed well." Check out more of Marquis' garden party adventures in Flashy Wonderland at his blog, LateBoots, here.

So That's Where You've Been Hiding....

It's been a while since you've heard me post anything about the mini mogul I hate to love, Marquis Phifer. Seems he's been hiding out in New York City's Financial District. It had been a while since he'd thrown me and his followers a juicy bone detailing the exploits of what it means to truly live the Flashy Life. In his post "Give Me My Blanky", we catch Marquis glamming it up at La Esquina, a hot spot with a nice underground chic flare. This time, we find members Sky Gellatly and Valerie of Team Epiphany, a lifestyle marketing agency with high profile clients such as Time Warner, Pepsico, Universal, and Def Jam Recordings as his guest appearances. I had to say, my Windows 7 desktop theme that changes every ten seconds was getting a little bit boring after a while...now I have a chance to finally expect something new when the glare from the east shines on my face in the morning...check out Marquis' post at his blog LateBoots here.

 

 

10 Books For the Successful Man

We're listing ten manuals on the essentials of success, power, style, and image that should be listed in everyone's library. No matter how old you are, whether you're a college student or a middle-aged man, these books possess the critical knowledge that will point you in the right direction for success and will refine you into the powerful and savvy man you've always wanted to be. We've included links to Amazon.com so that your Millionaire Man Library is only one click away. Enjoy...

The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli 
 

The Art of War - Sun Tzu 
 

How To Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie 
 

On War - Carl von Clausewitz 
 

The Book of Five Rings - Miyamoto Musahi & Thomas Cleary
 

The 48 Laws of Power - Robert Greene
 

Advance Your Swagger: How to Use Manners, Confidence, and Style to Get Ahead - Fonzworth Bentley 

 
Do You!: 12 Laws to Access the Power In You to Achieve Happiness and Success - Russell Simmons 
 

The Autobiography of Malcolm X - Malcolm X 
 

Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny - Hill Harper 

10 Ways To Be More Successful

"Sell yourself in three minutes or less--cause that's how long it takes for me to make a decision. The rest is for our entertainment...If I don't respond your email you'll see why. Priority is my fragrance and small talk I am not interested in smelling." - Marquis Phifer

What man doesn't want to be successful? Any man who doesn't should turn in his man card immediately and proceed to the incinerator for disassembly. The keys to success are not pieces of hidden knowledge kept by a secret society nor are they all held within one person like the Keymaker from the Matrix. Everything that a man needs for success and to create the life he's always wanted are within his grasp. I've listed ten helpful tips to get you going in the direction towards fulfilling your goals and making the [positive] impact on the world that you want to make. The most successful men certainly didn't get there on luck or charm alone. We're throwing you a bone to show you how to roll with the big dogs. Check it out below.

1. Time Management - The key to getting ahead is working smarter not harder. Prioritize by keeping a daily schedule or planner, make reminders to yourself for important events, and categorize activities by their importance and urgency and then do them in order from most urgent and most important, to least urgent and least important. You'll find that you have more time to yourself and less time trying to make 28 hours out of 24. This gives you time for planning and rest.
2. Underpromise and Overdeliver - Instead of telling someone that you'll get a project done in three days and taking five to do it, take five days and get it done in three. When you set time and work constraints that are too over-ambitious, you risk setting yourself up for a major failure. By taking more time than is necessary, you will be less stressed about your performance and your superiors will be surprised at your resourcefulness.
3. Maintain Strong Relationships - Building rapports with influential people around you as well as your colleagues sets you up for a potential reference in the future. You never know when you might need connections from someone else, so keep your enemy lists low. Don't be a flatterer or a suck-up, this will only hurt your credibility and can cause others to take you less seriously or see you as a genuine friend. No one likes to be used, but having a set of people you can call on for support at any times is a surefire method to success. It's not always what you know, but who you know.
4. Learn From the Masters - Find out who the best of the best are in your field. Research the strategies and theories they used in their methods and then find things to adopt as well as improve on those strategies. The best only got their by being better than the best. Being well-read and aware of those before you also gives you a chance to find out where you fit in among the competition.
5. Passion - When you love what you do and have a drive to succeed in it, that puts you automatically in front of those who are only in it to win it. Having passion gives your a broader perspective on your area and also makes you more aware of the subtleties others may miss. Passion also makes you more productive because the risk of perfectionism is significantly lowered making you perform better and with less stress.
6. Make Lemonade out of Lemons - Having crucial personal public relations skills is a must. Learning how to resourcefully and smartly turn setbacks into potential triumphs can be the determining factor in a job. Instead of rambling on about your not-so-good relations with your boss as your last job, simply cite your reasons for leaving as "creative differences and a need to pursue my interests in a different environment". No one likes a bad-mouther. You never know what connections your boss has so you definitely don't want to burn any bridges before they're even built.
7. Sell yourself in one sentence - You don't have very long to make a first impression and potential employers are not interested in hearing your life story. Fine tune your personal description into one powerful sentence that highlights your most valuable qualities. It will save you less time than trying to sort through which parts you think will look best.
8. Networking - Creating a portfolio of your work an showing it to important people in your field is the easiest way to get noticed. Don't focus only on what you have to offer, make the effort to build a personal connection with them as well. Employers will appreciate the effort and if you're talented enough, then they will be more than willing to offer you a spot in their ranks.
9. Ask and Ye Shall Receive - If you feel that you deserve a promotion or if you're wanting to take on more responsibilities in your job, then no one's going to read your mind and give them to you. It is ultimately up to you to be your own salesman. Sometimes you have to toot your own horn to get noticed. Just don't overdo it by becoming a braggart or by trying to undercut the accomplishments of others. Nobody likes to be thrown under the bus.
10. Be Flexible - Employers will consider you a more valuable asset if you're willing to adjust your schedule or relocate for them. As opposed to someone with a less flexible schedule, more tasks will be given to you which means more opportunities for you to shine and flex your skills. Also it will earn you a sure spot on a potential employer's team.

Langston Said It Best...

What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load. Or does it explode?

So what really does happen to a dream deferred? What exactly are you supposed to do when you find that the dream you should be living now is being lived by someone else? Sure, blessings come with patience, but you can't help but feeling that sense of that was supposed to be me. But alas, experience is the best teacher, and there is one lesson I must say that I have learned: Don't get mad, get better. Often those things that we ask for are sometimes things we find out later that after maturing that we really didn't want. Sometimes having to wait for a dream means appreciating it more when it comes true. It's easy to step into the tar pits of envy and disappointment, but if you stay there too long, you'll find yourself inevitably sucked down into them that you won't remember how you got there. And who knows? Why shouldn't I be happy for them? Maybe they wanted it more, or just wished upon more stars than I did. Let's not forget our favorite Disney heroine Mulan and her wise father's choice words: the flower that blooms in adversity is often the rarest and most beautiful of all. Looks like I'm going to have to pour a watering pail and stand in the sunlight for this one...

On a Hustler High

"You know what they say...once you kill a cow, you gotta make a burger..."

I can't help myself...I'm addicted to a life of material. It's some kind of joke...I'm obsessively opposed to the typical...Cause I do not accept any less than someone just as real, as fabulous. I am as vain as I allow...I do my hair, I gloss my eyes...and when something falls out of place, I take my time and I put it back. We do the dance right, we have got it made like ice cream topped with honey, but we got no money but it's so good to be popular, glamorous, we love ourselves and no one else...You gotta be wondering why I like it rough, but all we care about is runway models, cadillacs, and liquor bottles. We're doing it for the fame, baby you'll be famous...chase you down until you love me. So let's play your lovegame. Do you want love or do you want fame? It's good to live expensive, you know it...I live to be model thin, dress me, I'm your mannequin...What did you say? You're breaking up on me...That boy is a monster? Don't call my name...I can see myself in the movies with my picture in city lights. I'm so speechless...but you and me could write a bad romance...I want to kiss you, but it's complicated and stupid...Fame cause we got a taste for champagne...But it's the last show...so get your last fix and your last hit...fame...and turn the record on and wonder what went wrong...

Get Your Hustle On...

 "The fact is, everyone is in sales. Whatever area you work in, you do have clients and you do need to sell." - Jay Abraham - Marketing Expert. If you were a business, what would you be selling? I know someone who does...

Yep...here it is: another posts about the friend-in-my-head (except Facebook) slash inspiration, slash mogul in the making--Marquis Phifer. In his latest post, Phifer speaks about the choice between getting a degree and a simultaneous rapidly blossoming career. Though some of us can hardly say we've branded ourselves by the age of 25 (I've still got time...), his post as well as previous posts have aroused a hustler drive in me lately, so much that I actually went to the library and pulled a couple of books about marketing and public relations. Not because I was planning to start my own business, but because I wanted to develop the business of self. We are all business, we each have "departments", some of which are our love lives, our school lives, our work lives, our social lives, and our family lives. The partnerships, associations, transactions, hiring, and firing we do in these departments influence how much more effectively our business/selves will function and be more productive. The way I see it, I'm Diddy...I'm a hard-core, go-hard-or-go-home executive and I'm making sure that the Paul Beasley brand represents ambition, upward mobility, sophistication, creativity, ingenuity, and innovation. So evaluate your own "human resources" skills: are your associations conducive to promoting your image, or are they taking your company in an entirely different direction? In the mind of a hustler, "If you can't change the people around you, change the people around you". If you have to lay off some people who aren't quite working at maximum efficiency, just tell them "Business is business".