Tag: unrbrand

“I Ain’t No (Joe)ke” – Is Joe Exotic the true everyman’s businessman?

Image via People.com

Well here we are at the beginning of April and things are much more different than they were at the beginning of this year. Yes, I am sure you are aware of what kind of circumstances we are under because it is all over the media and in our personal lives, but there has been one hero to emerge from all of this. While society is much more gloomy these days than before the beginning of this new decade, the world has been blessed with a personality to fill up an entire zoo. The man’s name is Joe Exotic and he has been the underdog hero the world needs as it reels from COVID-19. As the former owner of the G.W. Zoo in the middle of Oklahoma, Exotic has illustrated a few do’s and a ton of don’t’s as a business owner that might need a deeper dive on this blog.

In Netflix’s “Tiger King” anthology, Exotic is the main character amongst a cacophony of larger than life characters at his large cat zoo in Oklahoma. As the former main proprietor of the zoo, Exotic illustrated a certain charisma and knack for finding employees from all over the state that were at the proverbial “end of their ropes”. Indeed his ability to lead a group of park employees over time to work as a unit was one of his main strong suits. Exotic also illustrated his ability to leverage social media in a way that many parks were not doing at the time. Of course, he mainly used it to mock and threaten his rival Carole Baskin of Big Cat Rescue down in Tampa, Florida, but his ability to galvanize new forms of advertising at their advent is a tactic that many business owners can pull from in tasteful way of course.

Joe Exotic’s most recent mugshot from 2019. Exotic recently asked for a pardon from President Trump. Image via The Sun.com

While Exotic did certainly have some business school highlights in the show, he had certainly had a ton of “what not to do” in running his business. “I’m never gonna financially recover from this,” Exotic bemoans after one of his zoo employees has their arm accidentally torn off from a tiger cage. Truly a human resources nightmare, Exotic somehow recovers thanks to the truly tough as nails personality and his ability to circumvent conventional laws. Okay that might not be the case, but he certainly has illustrated a couple hard earned lessons over time. Also his eccentricity has come to bite him in the rear multiple times.

While I am by no means endorsing Exotic’s various flaws, it has to be acknowledged that his initial mission of trying to save and help rehabilitate these wild animals was at first a noble one. Also as some sources have acknowledged, he is also in some ways a “tragic hero” and in today’s modern society, a self-admitted “broke as shit”, polygamist, gun-toting man, is as relatable to anybody as it ever has been. Sure Exotic might be incarcerated right now, but his lessons on the show could be applied to what to do for your company and also certainly what NOT to do. Indeed his entrepreneurial nature and enthusiasm as a business owner could be quite successful if captured and projected in the right way. Especially when it comes to country music videos.

While I type this article, Exotic has asked for a pardon for his crimes from President Trump and some sources are saying it is being considered by the president. With the new roaring 20’s off to a very strange and bizarre start, who is not to say that Exotic could be walking free to ride off into the Oklahoma sunset once again? It will remain to be seen if he ever starts another business but his dealings with nefarious characters are a lesson to any business owner to always vet your connections and make sure you know who you are dealing with. Exotic’s journey can in some ways be seen as a cautionary tale, but in other ways can be seen that most anything is possible if you put your mind to it and also install multiple piercings on your body. So please below drop me a comment with your favorite scene from “Tiger King” or a line on Twitter @CDBoline.

“Musings on Madden”-What a Legendary Game Has Taught Me About Business

As the cover athlete of Madden NFL 20, Patrick Mahomes was the first Kansas City Chiefs player to grace the cover. Image via Polygon.com

In the modern era of video games, one has stayed a fairly constant presence in my life: Madden NFL. John Madden Football as it was originally called in 1988, has been a game I have played regularly since 2005 and have almost every year since. It is a game that is truly a cruel mistress in the sense that it is unforgiving when you lose and so sweet when you win. While many video games have unforgiving curves, Madden has been the game that I have played consistently over the years that has me yearning for more. Of course, there are categorically stronger titles in the pantheon of great games (Super Mario 64, Bioshock, etc.), but Madden in my mind is the game that has taught me the hardest lessons about business and bouncing back.

In the years I have played, I have applied many of the ideals and features of the game into my life in some form or another. Since it is a competitive sports game, I thought it contained a handful of parallels to the business world. In many ways, Madden has taught me some of the hardest lessons that I would apply later on in my professional career. Things like bouncing back (losing to your girlfriend’s 15-year old brother), practice makes perfect (I cannot tell you the hours I have spent on franchise mode in Madden 2005), and having the grit to persevere (breaking a PlayStation controller of mine in 6th grade was not my best moment) all have come from playing Madden. Indeed I am fortunate to have had some of these lessons early and apply them later on.

In Madden 2004, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was a virtual cheat code and able to score all over the field. Many players were banned from using the Falcons and his video game avatar is touted as the great Madden player of all time. Image via The Undefeated.com

While Madden is by no means a perfect game (how does Titans wide receiver Corey Davis break three tackles and score a 65-yard touchdown to win a game I will never know), but it has had the staying power to stay in front of TV screens all over the world. Since its introduction back in 1988, Madden has at least had a yearly release every year and has featured a multitude of NFL stars. Also as of 2013, Electronic Arts has sold more than 100 million copies of Madden NFL, and more than five million in one year, for more than $4 billion in total sales. This has number grown quite a bit over time and has also illustrated how EA’s monopoly over 2K Sports gave it a huge financial surplus in the polygon video game realm.

As a franchise, Madden is in many ways also the standard bearer for iconic video game franchises. Aside from Mario, no other franchise has pumped out a yearly installment quite like Madden. Additionally, the franchise has spun off into a television show (Road to Madden Nation), video game winner take-all tournaments for both professional gamers and athletes, a strong streaming presence on Twitch and YouTube and has illustrated a strong staying power in the pantheon of yearly must-buys. Indeed there are detractors that say the game does not change much year over year, but the franchise still has found ways to re-invent itself with options like Madden Ultimate Team. Even as businesses now, we must find ways to become adaptable to changing with the times, just like Madden has done over the year with each new generation of video game consoles coming out.

As I think about my interactions with Madden and the nights and days I have spent playing a game I will never be at the mountaintop of, I am thankful it has brought me so much joy. While I might never catch that figurative dragon and be the best like Eric “Problem” Wright or Michael Skimbo, it has always been a treat to play year over year. Like in business, Madden does not always have a formula to win at the highest level, but it does reward those who have created opportunities for themselves by putting themselves in situations to succeed. So as always drop me your favorite Madden memory below or tweet me at @CDBoline.

Game, Blouses: The Importance of Chappelle’s Show in 2020

Image via Comedy Central. Prince was the main inspiration for the one of the show’s most iconic skits that went over his legendary pick-up basketball skills as told by the late Charlie Murphy.

As far as influential comedy shows go, Comedy Central’s Chappelle’s Show might be the biggest “what if” of the 21st century. Created in 2003 by comedian and actor Dave Chappelle, the show ran until 2006 and was known for its highly influential comedic skits that drew on all walks of modern life. However, after the second season of the series, Chappelle took an indefinite hiatus due to stress and the show taking a huge toll on his personal life. While the series did have an abridged run in season three known as “The Lost Episodes” there was still an appetite for the brand that never came to be. The show was a critical and commercial hit for Comedy Central and went on to influence a variety of shows for the rest of the decade and beyond.

So below are the top three most influential ways Chappelle’s Show affected the comedy business in the entertainment industry:

Netflix comedy specials
While media has changed a ton since the show’s initial run in 2003, the impact of having a high profile comedy act on your network is a must. Almost every impactful comedian has had a special of some kind on Netflix. The likes of old favorites Jerry Seinfield and Chris Rock to more current acts like Kevin Hart and Iliza Shlesinger have all had successful runs on the channel. Chappelle himself has also had a handful of specials air on the platform which have all had varying degrees of success but none as popular as his original creation on Comedy Central. However, the fact remains that having a marquee comedy special is still an envious position to be in for an entertainment brand. Nothing has quite come close to the mass appeal of the legendary Rick James or Prince skits, but shows since then have tried to emulate that success for a shot one day.

Image via Comedy Central.com.

The influence on the podcast genre
In the same vein as Netflix, podcasts have become an incredibly popular audio choice for users on the go. Many influential comedians have their own podcasts the likes of Michael Rapaport, Marc Maron and Conan O’Brien just to name a few, but the most popular host right now might be frequent Chappelle collaborator, Joe Rogan. While Rogan was really known at the time as being the host “Fear Factor” his career has since taken off with very successful gigs in the UFC and as host of his own podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. The latter being one of the most influential shows in any medium and a true microscope into what is going on in modern pop culture. In fact, with advertising revenues being considered, Rogan’s podcast has become one of the most financially successful shows on any medium, mirroring the strong influence of Chappelle’s Show before it.

Key and Peele and Comedy Central
Since the departure of Chappelle’s Show, Comedy Central has tried to fill the void of the show with a variety of different series that have all had varying degrees of success. The most notable of which have been Key and Peele and Tosh.O. The former followed the Chappelle formula of skits and found a large degree of success by tapping into the sports audience and also due to the duo (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele)’s ability to connect to the audience. However, the duo found criticism from Chappelle himself for copying their formula too closely. Tosh meanwhile found success using viral videos as his main source of material which has proved successful in the long run as the show is still running today. While both shows have their own flavors, the impact of Chappelle’s can be traced to both programs.

While a Chappelle’s Show reunion will probably never happen down the line, we can all still remember the good times. So please comment below your favorite episode or skit. You can also send me a message on Twitter with your favorite moment from the series.

Duet To You: Why Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson were beyond their years

Image via Clipnation.com. Darius Miles (left) and Quentin Richardson show off their iconic “knucklehead” pose for a photo shoot in the early 2000’s.

In the early 2000’s, a pair of braggadocious teenagers made their entrance into the National Basketball Association and influenced an entire generation of players after them. In between the likes of Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett making the jump in the late 1990’s, but before LeBron James in 2003, Illinois natives Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson helped bring the Los Angeles Clippers to the edge of national prominence. While “D-Miles” and “Q-Rich” only played two seasons together, their influence extended beyond to a whole generation of players. The “Youngest Guns” as they were known, were a staple of Jordan Brand and entertained fans of all ages with their high-flying style of play. 

Entering the league out of DePaul in Chicago, Richardson played both shooting guard and small forward for the Clippers and was one of the leaders of the team. Richardson, along with fellow young players Miles, Corey Maggette, Keyon Dooling, Lamar Odom and Elton Brand helped the team improve to 39 wins in their final year together in 2002. On the precipice of the playoffs, the team ultimately folded, but still found a way to leave a mark on the league with the team’s collective fashion style and athletic play. Richardson spent four seasons with the LA Clippers (2000-04), averaging: 12.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 1.5 APG. and had a 13-year career in the league with six teams. While he never found a championship, he is still involved today both in the broadcast booth as a member of the Orlando Magic broadcast team and was the former director of player development for the Detroit Pistons. 

Image via Slam.com:

The cover of Slam Magazine 57 featured (from left to right) center/forward Elton Brand, forward Lamar Odom and forward Darius Miles. The trio were a strong nucleus of players that achieved numerous accolades through their careers, but did not achieve their potential together. 

Miles on the other hand played above the rim with his thunderous dunks and was one of the athletic backbones for Los Angeles. Selected with the third overall pick of the 2000 draft, the native of Belleville, Ill. had a prototypical build for the NBA that mirrored Kevin Garnett’s frame. During his time with the Clippers, Miles was named to the NBA All-Rookie team in 2001, but sadly his tenure with the team ended after the 2002 season when he was traded to Cleveland. Miles would go on to have some success with the Portland Trailblazers, but also ran into controversy when he butted heads with head coach Maurice Cheeks. His career ended with totals of 10.1 PPG and 4.9 RPG, but his athletic style is still the blueprint admired by many coaches to this day. 

While their time together ended prematurely, many players and coaches think fondly of the original young guns in L.A. Now Miles and Richardson host a podcast together sponsored by the Players’ Tribune called “Knuckleheads with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles” where they interview a wide variety of stars both old and new. Everyone from Shaquille O’Neal and the late Kobe Bryant to Jimmy Butler and Damian Lillard have appeared on the show to share their war stories from the league and reflect on their times in the NBA. The duo was also famous for being the poster boys for the Air Jordan XVII that came out during their first initial years in the NBA. They also starred in the 2002 film Van Wilder, which was a staple of the early 2000’s comedy scene. 

In the pantheon of iconic NBA stars of the 2000’s, Richardson and Miles might not make the top 10 or probably the top 25, but their swagger and style were a focal point of their era. In a time period dominated by baggy clothes, big chains and even bigger personalities, two men not even above the legal drinking limit helped give Clippers fans something to be proud of, which was not something common for the franchise back then. Indeed, having such a presence both on and off the court, solidified their reputations as tastemakers. So if you are reading this right now, go out and pick your best throwback jersey to wear for this weekend and queue up Nelly’s “Air Force Ones” to max volume.

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started