industryLIFE: Do You Love Me or Do You Love What I do?

When it all began, he was so smitten. She was a cutie, who seemed like a cool around the way girl. He was an out of work DJ.  He didn't have much going on at the time, but he tried his best to get her to talk to him. She wasn't interested, but kept it friendly enough to make him think that someday maybe they could hook up.

As time went on... she was offered an internship at a company out of state, which she took.  That lasted for about a year.  While she was away, the DJ set out to become "World Famous". His skills on the turntables were carving out a nice name for the young man! Before you knew it, he was building his brand and getting where he wanted to be.
Now as luck would have it, the young woman was wrapping up her internship, and decided to return to Atlanta to complete her studies. When she settled back into the city, she could not help but hear about the DJ, who had tried so intensely to make her his woman, because now he was everywhere! From celebrity parties, to charity events, if a DJ was needed he was on the bill.

Eventually they bumped into each other, and thanks to his current status, this chick decided she was NOW interested. Not much had changed about him, except for the amount of money that he was making, and his status in the industry. However, the people around him began to wonder if her intentions were honorable.

Time went on, and this still very humble guy, had no idea what his public image was doing for his love life. Immediately the woman began to make it very easy for the dude. If he wanted to take her out, she NOW had time. If he wanted to come by for visit, he was NOW welcomed. Eventually, things got intimate, and before long, they were an item.

Time passed, and soon people forgot about how this union had began before her internship drew her away.  All except for a select few who could still see past, and all the fake "love" she was NOW showing.  After some time, news came that they were having a baby. AWWWWW!!!  Dude was excited. He was going to be a dad!

In an attempt to do the right thing, he began making plans to buy a house for his family. He also began to adjust his schedule to be there for them. Then, he finally made the decision that it was time to make the relationship official, and get married.  Now while he was planning all of this, the woman, was making other plans.

Since she never really liked him in the first place, and was only there for the perks.  She was having major reservations about being with this dude in a house, or a marriage!  As the arrival date for the baby drew closer, there was a huge shower planned to welcome the bundle of joy. When the people who didn't trust the relationship from the beginning arrived, they noticed just how foul this chick really was!

She was down right mean & disrespectful. She was nasty to his friends, and even nastier to him! Everyone just watched in shock while the elephant in the room whispered, "She does not want him, she wants the fame & money!" And the elephant was right!  Now sometime between the house being bought, the baby coming, and the shower, he popped the question... and she answered with a big fat NO!

He was devastated... He had so many plans to make this work, but that was the last thing on her mind. To her, he was just a paycheck. A easy way to generate income so that she wouldn't have to work. She didn't want to marry him, she wanted to marry his money!!!

Heartbroken, the DJ decided not to go backwards, he wouldn't give her the satisfaction. He pulled himself up by his boot straps, paid her the child support, became a good dad to his son and moved on with his life.

Eventually she tried the same move with another dude. But wouldn't you know it, he had a surprise for her. He was already married with a family, and wanted nothing to do with her, or the baby she was expecting! Thank God she did finish her education because she NOW had to get a JOB!!! 

industryLIFE Vol. I Excerpt ---> Fake It Until You Make It??!

(Chapter Title: Liar, Liar) From the outside looking in, he had it all; good looks, education, nice home and a luxury car to boot. At one point he was a highly sought after counselor on the subject of love and relationships. He taught at a few prestigious universities, made television and radio appearances and published books. His star was rising until the layers were pulled back and his lies started to catch up with him!

One day, just as he was about to make his television debut as a reality TV personality, a story was published on the front page of the Atlanta Journal Constitution saying that this guy was a fraud! A reporter had checked into his claims and discovered quite a few holes in his story. Seems he was touting himself as a "doctor" on his website and written materials but when the reporter checked she could only confirm that he had received his Master’s Degree not a PhD. The story turned into a PR nightmare. The guy tried to do some damage control by making an appearance on the highly popular Frank and Wanda radio show to discuss the story. With no answers, only vague references about where he earned his PhD like "from an online" university, the city was a buzz about how his lie had been caught.

So if you are thinking, what else is this guy capable of well keep reading? His back-story is sorted with drama. Born in Chicago, he was considered a have not by many who knew him. The son of a heroin addict, his mother did her best with raising the children. He grew up craving the expensive clothes and cars but could never afford them. He knew education would play a big part in making that a thing of the past and set out to get what he could earn. After completing his Master’s Degree he moved to Atlanta where he had many friends from back in Chicago. He saw the city as a gold mine. Women loved him and soon he started to come up. He got into the right parties and was seen with the right people. He taught on the college and university level and the students loved him. Then as luck would have it, he blossomed into a media personality. He was featured on television and radio talk shows as the resident counselor giving advice about love and relationships. But know one could really answer any questions about his love life that is until a few of his life long friends began to talk. Although he changed his name, he was known to his friends as the “Bare Banana King”, because he always seemed to have something against using protection, per some of his conquests. Flat out this dude said he just didn’t like condemns.

Shortly after the PR nightmare in Atlanta, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue other opportunities. While in LA this guy, landed yet another TV gig on an also short lived show. Then his next move brought the drama front and center again. He shows up on the highly popular reality show, The Real Housewives of Atlanta as a..."Doctor". His role consisted of playing the love interest of one of the main characters. He appeared in several episodes and when it was uncovered that he might be a fraud, the love interest and other ladies set out to find out the truth. When the love interest confronted him about the situation, he defends himself by asking her if she is really a woman and then pulls a few folded papers from his back pocket as proof that he is a doctor. Needless to say, she never got a straight answer, never got to look at the papers he pulled from his pocket and he was never seen on the show again.

With his professional life in question you have to know his personal life was also being questioned. According to several former friends he is not a "Doctor" but is working on it. In his personal life there are just as many holes in the story. At one point he dated a successful and beautiful TV anchor woman but this dude has true commitment phobias, so he ended it because he stated "he could not marry a woman who made more money" than he did. He was married once before to a woman who worked for Delta Airlines but my sources tell me that the shame of a marriage ended because it was revealed that he only married her to get the free tickets/buddy passes that spouses are given.  

Liar, Liar

Think Tank:

1. Fake it until you make it is one sure way to end up not making it. When you present yourself to people be truthful. Again this industry is very small. Once it has been discovered that you have lied about what you have done it will automatically make you suspect in peoples minds.

2. Material things don’t make you who you are. If they do you should seek some help for that condition. Sure people like to do business with people they perceive as successful but think of how much they won’t be willing to do business with you if they discover you only have a good presentation with no substance.

3. Check and double check who you are dealing with. It has been said time and time again that people will give you their best representation when they first meet you. Don’t be in a hurry to get involved with people, sometimes what you don’t know can and will hurt you.

4. Don’t think you can invent lies and people won’t find out the truth. The truth always comes out. It’s better to be up front in the beginning. You can earn more respect when people can trust your words.

5. If you must pretend that you are something that you are on your way to being then say that. Don’t say I’m a producer and you have never produced one thing. Don’t allow people to label you as something you are not. Correct them as often as you have too, no one wants their dirty laundry aired on the front page of the daily newspaper or blog.