Empowerment Issue January 2018 | Page 63

Now, I think it’s more about how do you see yourself? If you want to be somebody within any industry that’s public facing, you got to come out like you’re a brand already and have that mentality of like, “Yo, I am what I am now. Photo Credit: Datwon Thomas (@Datwon) there, necessarily, like how we used to because of digital and everything. That aspect of it is not something that will come back, but in a creative realm, I think it’s one of the most impactful mediums to get ideas and dopeness across. MADE: If you had to give advice to aspiring journalists or that young girl or guy, or maybe they are of age that wants to break into the industry; what would you advise them to do to get to that next level? DT: Nowadays, there’s so many different ways that you can get in. When I think about the way that I had to get in, I had to cold call Vibe. I was just very fortunate. I think my window of opportunity was so small and all my work that I put in, as far as being out and about, just happened to work in my favor. Now, I think it’s more strategic. You have to pump yourself. It’s not a brand that’s going to put you on. You just jump on YouTube and start building your team or your fan base yourself. Next thing you know you are the Vibe. You are The Source. It was really tough to do something like that back in the day. You had to have a little bit more money and kind of connections. made-magazine.com | It’s all about just being creative, passionate, and tenacious. Being humble at certain points and then other points popping out. I am that because you definitely need a certain amount of confidence to go forward. You’ve got to hype yourself up, listening to those podcasts, some inspiration, whatever your song is, or whatever your outlet is that’s working out. Making sure your mental health is straight. That’s another thing. Not falling too far into depression and being able to have some outlet that speaks to you. Those are very important things for success. Follow Datwon Thomas @DATWON @DAYDOG 63