What up from the west coast!

Whats up from the west coast!! Before I get into things I just wanna say Thank You to everyone that has supported me this far. From the beginning of creating Be Your Own Dad to my transition to the west coast I really appreciate everyone that has simply read one of my blog post or liked one of my Facebook memes i post daily. Support is honestly the hardest thing to come by because people will look at your idea once and write it off as not worth their time. I'm guilty of doing the same thing because I would listen to a artist for the first time and hit next before the minute mark. Crazy thing is a month later I would be jamming to another one of their songs. So, give people a chance to hear their idea, music, or anything that they decide to share because sharing your thoughts is a tough pill to swallow.

OK so I'm on the west coast ladies and gents. It is hot out here!! I step out in the morning and almost break a sweat getting to the car lol. I think I have jet lag because I'm tired by 10! But, its all good. Gonna take some time to get use to the three hour time difference. I knew I had to write this post today and I told myself I would do it at 9 p.m. But, it slipped my mind that it will be 12 on the east coast and that is pretty late for a post. So forgive me I will get a hold of the time difference sooner or later.

I don't want to go on about useless information but I do want to share this. I did research on a few different successful people and I found out a few common things. Obviously if I want to be successful I want to mimic what successful people do right.....so I decided to take one common activity that they all do. SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE USE ALL 24 HOURS OF THE DAY TO THEIR ADVANTAGE. They are constantly being productive. Whether its being productive for their career or self they are constantly doing something to move forward! So I have decided to challenge myself and hope others will do the same. For my first year I am going to try to sleep less and be awake more. According to Google (every college students best friend) we sleep away 1/3 of our life! How did they figure that out? Well sleep 8 hours a day...there's 24 hours in a day....I'm hoping you figured it out by now lol if not pick up a math book or something! So I am not allowing myself to sleep in anymore. No more waking up and half the day is over. I'm waking up when the sun is rising and not gonna stop moving until the sun sets. I challenge you! yes you that is reading this to join with me. If I can do it you can do it. We all need to live life more and not let life past us by....feel me?

I need to lead by example and embody what Be Your Own Dad really means.....its not just a brand anymore its a lifestyle. If anyone sees me slacking please tell me! I don't want to get too comfortable with who I currently am because that means I'm not growing as a individual. I have my first tv hosting class tomorrow at 7 so wish a brother luck!

"Wake up in the morning with one thought, I gotta get it" -Juelz Santana

Website: http://www.beyourowndad.com/ 

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/beyourowndad

Twitter and Instagram: @beyourowndad

-Jimmy V

Beginning my journey!

I know I missed my Tuesday weekly post please forgive me!

Opening a door without knowing what's behind it is the only way I can describe my emotions at the moment. I'm waiting for my flight in the airport right now and i'm nervous but excited at the same time.  I'm leaving the nest of Massachusetts to the wild of California. Throw me in the jungle and I'll walk out with a chinchilla and 20 pounds heavier from eating the animals lol I'm ready tho! Straight face, confident walk, hip hop jamming in my headphones, and I'm preparing myself for the struggles to come. Every successful person said they experienced the bad before the good. So I'm preparing myself. 

I don't want to be the average soul that says there chasing their dream. I am dream chasing but difference between me and them is I'm following my plan. Do I have my whole plan figured out? No! No! No! But, I know my first step is this move. Take it one step at a time and my plan will unravel itself. 

I've always wanted to help others and Be Your Own Dad gives me that opportunity. And after thinking and doing research I've decided that my ultimate goal for BYOD is to become a non profit organization. I can positivity effect communities on a professional basis. It's a big goal but I just need to chip away at it slowly. Based on the research that I've done I have a lot of work to do but I know it will be worth it in the end.

I know God has a plan for me because he's blessed me with so much in life thus far. Just have to continue listening to my heart and see how this all plays out....

S/O to all those in Massachusetts I'll miss everyone. Hope I make you guys proud. Please follow along on my journey every step of the way. If i make it we all make it! 

Proverbs 3:5-6 :Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; And He shall direct your paths.

Website: http://www.beyourowndad.com/ 

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/beyourowndad

Twitter and Instagram: @beyourowndad

-Jimmy V

Embrace the Struggle

Struggle and Success pretty much go hand in hand. Much like lifting weights. There is a moment during your workout when your in pain and you think you can't go on. You want to just get one more rep but your body is struggling. Your at 9 but can't make it to 10. Feeling as if your at defeat. Then the pain comes. Your sore and dragging your arms and legs because the workout took a tole on you. The day after is always killer!!! Time to rest up.

Now the next workout day comes for that body part you were working on. Same work out, same work being put in, and same sweat dropping off your body. You just got nine reps and your going for the tenth. You go for it and it doesn't come easy but the tenth rep is done. Look at that! One day you come up short and the next time you succeed at it. Without the struggling the first time getting the tenth rep wouldn't feel as good. The struggle makes you stronger.

This months inspirational story is a great example of how struggle motivated a young female to do better. After dealing with drug issues within her family she chose to not become a steareotype and pursue her education. I feel honored because she decided to return to school this fall after viewing my website. And that's what BYOD is all about. Pushing people to better themselves when they feel like they can't. Listen to her story here: http://youtu.be/xDpt6LvU6GQ

Please step out your comfort zone to share your story. You never know who can relate to you. You can change a life without knowing it. 

"If you don't have a vision you're going to be stuck in what you know. And the only thing you know is what you've already seen." -Iyanla Vanzant

Website: http://www.beyourowndad.com/ 

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/beyourowndad

Twitter and Instagram: @beyourowndad

-Jimmy V

Increase positive feedback! Decrease the negative.

My goal for this blog is to educate, share, and bring everybody on this journey with me of building a brand. I tend to share my personal life and update everybody with the steps as I'm taking them. Back in June 2009, when I addressed my graduation class I said we need to give back to our community. I always stand by the saying "Don't talk about it, be about it." I can't stand a person that talks about what there gonna do and NEVER do it! Be a man/woman of your word and back up your statements. So far I haven't changed my community the way I would like too but I'm trying to back up what I said as much as I can.

BYOD sponsors and supports the T+T Mens Basketball League which will be held every summer. Last night I learned a former Taunton High graduate is raising money to go to a upcoming pageant. I just knew BYOD has to support and giveback. After donating to her cause the brand now sponsors and supports the local Taunton native Ashley Baptista. This upcoming November she will competing for the Massachusetts representative position in the Miss USA competition. One thing we all must do is support and encourage everybody in their dreams. It takes a lot of guts to share with everybody your dream and what you envision yourself doing. The responses are both negative and positive but most the time negative. When people can't do something they share that negativeness and it becomes contagious. We need to do the exact opposite and support one another.

Be Your Own Dad supports Ashley Baptista in her upcoming journey and wishes her the best of luck.

"Dollar and a dream" -J. Cole

Website: http://www.beyourowndad.com/ 

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/beyourowndad

Twitter and Instagram: @beyourowndad

-Jimmy V

I'M JUMPING!!!!!!

Patience is a virtue. I've been sitting here for about an hour staring at my computer screen. Looking at videos on worldstar and youtube. I came across a video in which Young Jeezy donated one million dollars to a real estate program. At first I simply clicked on the video to see what Young Jeezy is up to now. But, I came across a fellow leader JayMrRealEstate. This brother is getting it done in the real estate game but what I'm intrigued by is the way he is giving back to his community. He has established a course where he mentors and teacher people how to be successful in the real estate game. Guess what!?! Thanks to Young Jeezy he is now giving out a free month of schooling. http://jeezyscholarship.com/ So now tell me!! Please tell me! You guys don't know how excited i'm getting because I know there isn't one. But, tell me!!! what excuse you have to not join up for his classes? What i'm getting at is Jay invested in his brand and now has support from those that want to help. Now he can provide his community with free schooling for a month thanks to Jeezy.

After watching that video I received a text message. Received a youtube link so I went and opened it up. MY MAN ET!!!!!!!!! If you don't know who Eric Thomas is then your missing out. You will see his videos on the facebook page trust me. ET just got me ampd! He just gave me a redbull it feels like. He explained in this particular video on how to perfect the present. Worry about today! The past is gone. You only have 24 hours in a day. Use all 24 hours. Its amazing when your thoughts are stolen out of your head without speaking them. You ever listen to a song and you love that song from that point on because your thoughts were the song lyrics? Its crazy right? That's what ET just did to me.

Next and last video I watched was of Steve Harvey. I posted this on the facebook page recently. And he was talking about the secret to success. He simply said "you have to jump". I had to rewind the video the first time I watched it. He said when you jump you have to take a leap of faith. Its scary because you don't know when your parachute will open when you jump but, if you grind it out it will eventually open. On the flip side if you do not jump your parachute will never open!

With that said I am ready to jump. I've recently made the decision to move to California and make this dream a reality. Honestly i'm afraid that I am going to go out there and fail. I'm a man with pride I don't want anyone to know I lost at something. Its funny because i've been thinking how I am going to share this with everybody and my mind was blank all day. After watching the three videos I just mentioned about i'm more than confident that this is the right move. People are gonna doubt me. Tell me im crazy. Simply not believe in me. Its okay because at the beginning nobody believes in you! I have to earn that belief.

I recently got an email letting me know I have the opportunity to be a Correctional Officer. I can make 45k a year. Just wait for the interview......Is 45k a year worth my brand? The real question I asked myself is why am I waiting on them to give me an opportunity.They will take up all my time! Why let them by my boss when I can be my own boss? I shared with some friends how i'm going to pass up on the CO position and  i'm gonna believe in my brand. They said "the CO can be ya back up plan. Grind it out for a year then move". PEOPLE NEED BACK UP PLANS WHEN THEY PLAN ON FAILING! The passion and motivation I have in this brand is as long as the nile river and back! There is no time for failure. There is no time like the present! Only you can go out and get it done. Just have to go.....PERIOD! Cali at the end of the month.....Dueces!

LIKE MY MAN J COLE SAID -"It took me all day to find some inspiration, It just hit me like a ton of bricks, no renovation"

Website: http://www.beyourowndad.com/ 

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/beyourowndad

Twitter and Instagram: @beyourowndad

-Jimmy V

I have yet to go to the store and say can I have xy + 2 and give me my y change back!

I am a child of Hip Hop. Being born in 1991 I have been a witness of the transition of the Hip Hop culture. One thing that hasn't changed in Hip Hop is the story telling aspect. Whats amazing is the different ways artists have been able to get their story across. What often gets misunderstood about Hip Hop is the "vibe" that artists give off when they write their rhyme or song. Artists use a wide vocabulary of words expressing their thoughts and feelings. Often times the harsh negative words stick out more than the positive words. And the non day to day listener will make their judgement of Hip Hop based off what they have listened to once. I've had experiences where I got judged negatively because I would be listening to a Hip Hop song with explicit language. An artist such as Tupac Shakur is judged once based off his negative antics or his lyrics unfortunately. But, in my opinion Tupac Shakur is one of the most influential beings that once lived on this earth. I feel that he should be remembered and spoke of like other great influential people like Aristotle or Plato.

When Tupac was 17 he was interviewed on many different topics. One topic he spoke about was education. As he spoke I was reassured that this man was a leader amongst followers. In this interview he shares that "school is really important: Reading, writing, arithmetic. But what they tend to do is teach you reading, writing, arithmetic…then teach you reading, writing, arithmetic again." He continues to say "there should be a class on religious cults, there should be a class on police brutality, there should be a class on apartheid, there should be a class on racism in America, there should be a class on why people are hungry, but…their class is on…gym….You know?" Tupac spoke from the heart and said what was afraid to be said. He makes complete sense! Why re-teach a subject over and over and over when that subject isn't going to get you through your day to day life. I have to steal a line from Tupac real quick. He said "I have yet to go to the store and say can I have xy + 2 and give me my y change back" PREACH MY BROTHER PREACH!! Its great to know algebra and geometry but when am I going to use that to get me through to tomorrow?!? Now who is going to teach us the real lessons of life?

If you want to see change you have to start with yourself. My newest segment for the Be Your Own Dad brand is called (Man)ners. (You see what I did there lol) The segment (Man)ners is going to teach important day to day life lessons that we all should know. I decided to roll with what Tupac said about learning different subjects and taken it upon myself to educate others. I don't have all the answers but I am willing to share everything that has helped me get me to where I am thus far. I wasn't fortunate to have a father to teach me the different life lessons but I have had others pass on their experiences to me. And I have decided to do the same. I will cover a wide variety of topics and will be taking suggestions down the road as well. Here is the first episode for my segment (Man)ners which covers how to prepare for a job interview:

"They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor. Say there ain't no hope for the youth and the truth is
it ain't no hope for tha future"-Tupac

 

Website: http://www.beyourowndad.com/ 

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/beyourowndad

Twitter and Instagram: @beyourowndad

-Jimmy V