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All marketers understand the importance of sharing images and messages with their online communities. But what if your online community doesn’t reflect enough diversity for African Americans to engage? African American salon and barbershop marketing can breathe life into a campaign and enable brands to piggyback on the connection Black barbers and hairstylists already have within their communities—including those that are online.
These cultural catalysts are considered to be taste-makers within the African American community because they are always the first to know about new trends, products, and sports or news information that matters to their customers. When they share an in-store promotion, their customers take it as a recommendation from a trusted source. And that’s when the word-of-mouth marketing really starts to take effect.
African American customers who happen to be in the shops are thrilled to be a part of this seemingly spontaneous, infused in-store experience, which turns another day at the salon into a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at the next big craze that’s about to blow up. In-store marketing means that not only do these customers get to be in the know before everyone else, they score some dope merch to prove it.
You can be sure they leave that salon or barbershop ready to get everyone they know excited, too. But in-store marketing activations don’t end there. Because African-American-owned salons and barbershops tend to have huge online followings on social media sites such as Instagram.
In fact, almost all Black salon and barbershop owners are savvy social media influencers and often have hundreds of thousands of social media followers. You can see why smart brands are competing for their recommendation. Even better, most African American barbers and salon owners are more sophisticated in non-traditional marketing than a lot of senior media planners and buyers. But this hasn’t happened by chance! They are entrepreneurs who have had to teach themselves how to promote their stores and being seen as on-trend is part of the allure.
Shop owners have a history of doing more with less. In short, out of a lack of resources, urban barbershop owners have had to be nimble and develop the skills to become their own Black marketing creatives, media planners, and strategists.
Barbers and stylists are engagement experts, and what they have accomplished can’t be devalued, because they have the power to monetize the culture and narratives in their shops and elevate the marketing strategies of the brands with which they choose to work. Even after COVID-19 hit, they have found ways to pivot and thrive.
African American men and women gather weekly to spend money on self-improvement and discuss what’s new. This culture predisposes them to the idea of receiving brand messaging from the chair. Even as social media has expanded the realm of influencers, barbers and hairstylists have maintained and, in most cases, built on their role as taste-makers to become the micro-influencer stars.
They’ve done it by leveraging their strong social-media engagement skills to develop an ever-widening circle of influence. This phenomenon is nothing new, but, interestingly, COVID-19 has put salon and barbershop owners in the spotlight, as people realize the critical role they play in their lives. This makes it more relevant than ever to leverage their influence to reach African American consumers.
About the Author
Wil Shelton is the CEO & Founder of Wil Power Integrated Marketing, a full-service agency offering traditional and digital marketing services to reach multicultural audiences in the beauty and grooming industries.
Vendoo is a minority-based company that specializes in full-time reselling experience to software development, and provides a unique perspective on how to solve the common inconveniences of the reselling experience. Black CMO, Josh Dzime-Assision says, “As resellers, we’re always looking for opportunities to increase our sales and expand our businesses, which is why crossposting has become an important part of the reselling process. Crossposting manually can be very repetitive and time consuming, so without a helpful tool to simplify the process, some resellers can be intimidated by the workload.” Please see his explanation below:
So, what exactly is crossposting?
For resellers, crossposting is the concept of posting an item on multiple marketplaces; by marketplaces I mean, places where buyers and sellers meet to exchange goods. There are plenty of marketplaces out there like Ebay, Poshmark, Mercari, Etsy, Grailed, Depop, Tradesy, Kidizen and many others.
What are the benefits of crossposting?
There are many benefits to crossposting, some of which include increasing your sales by giving your products more visibility across different types of audiences. Having your item listed for sale in numerous places gives each item more potential customers and the ability to sell faster. It’s also good to diversify your audience because each marketplace has its own user base and “niche”.
What is the downside of crossposting?
The downside of crossposting is that it takes up a lot of time, because instead of having to create one listing in one marketplace, you would need to enter the same photos and item information on multiple platforms. But you shouldn’t let this bring you down, because crossposting really does work! You can still take advantage of the benefits of crossposting by finding a software or tool to help you.
How can I start crossposting?
Before you start crossposting, there are a few important things to take into account which I have listed below.
• Know your demographics:
All the marketplaces out there have different audiences and are well known for the products you can find on them. For example, Etsy focuses on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies, whereas Grailed is the one-stop destination for buying, selling and exploring menswear. With this being said, it is important that you understand where your buyers are more likely to be!
• Find out marketplaces fees and shipping costs:
This is always important to keep in mind as all marketplaces have different fees and shipping policies. For example for Poshmark for all sales under $15, Poshmark takes a flat commission of $2.95. You keep the rest. For sales of $15 or more, you keep 80% of your sale and Poshmark’s commission is 20%.
• Identify tools to help you optimize the crossposting process:
Yes! There are tools out there that can help you to easily crosspost on different marketplaces. Tools like Vendoo were created with the intent to make a seller’s life easier by saving time and allowing you to crosspost items to multiple marketplaces in a matter of minutes. With Vendoo you can also manage inventory, as well as delist and relist items with a few clicks. So depending on your budget and needs you might want to consider trying out a crossposting software! Or you can always work with a virtual assistant who can help you crosspost your inventory.
• Stay organized:
Make sure to track your inventory in a spreadsheet or even a notebook if you don’t have a software that allows you to do this. This is VERY important because it will help you keep track of what sold, on which marketplaces the item was listed on, how much it sold for, how much money you made from selling a specific product and much more!
Crossposting might not sound like an ideal task for someone looking to expand as it takes up some time, but I guarantee you that it is! If your business objective is to grow, there’s no better way to achieve this than by crossposting all your inventory.
Vendoo is a minority-owned startup consisting of four young entrepreneurs from the Washington, DC area. Our CEO, Thomas Rivas, identified a void in the market and decided to create Vendoo while experiencing the usual pain points of trying to sell items on multiple marketplaces. After the team was assembled, we began building the software in 2017. Each team member has a different skill set, from full-time reselling experience to software development, and provides a unique perspective on how to solve the common inconveniences of the reselling experience.
Wellness Thought Leader/Podcaster of “Living Your Life Without Limits, Shannon Jackson, Reveals Tops Tips To Stay Well In 2021
2020 brought in a year of unprecedented loss and grief. The COVID-19 pandemic is not only epidemiological crisis, but also a psychological one that has provoked anxiety, stress, sadness, and pain. Although grief is a normal human emotion, it should be transitory– according to Los Angeles wellness thought leader, RN, philanthropist, and podcaster, Shannon Jackson. “2021 is the year for a turnaround. Maybe you are struggling to envision what your new season of good fortune can look like. You’ve been stuck in your present circumstances for so long that it’s hard to imagine life being any different, but I believe there is hope,” says Jackson.
Here are the entrepreneur’s top tips to help prepare for hope and a new chapter in 2021:
Take time for spiritual renewal and mental clarity: Take time daily for moments of solitude and mental clarity so you can focus on what’s important: your vision of a more fulfilling life. Step away from mental chaos when possible by finding a quiet place to collect your thoughts and eliminate emotional clutter. Sometimes you have to steal these moments for yourself, but TAKE them—these moments can set the stage for true growth.
Embrace change: Do a soul-searching assessment of your life. If you see circumstances holding you back from growth or productivity, embrace the idea of making necessary changes. Relationships, jobs, and even environments may be holding you from your true potential. If you recognize an area of your life that’s keeping you confined, be honest enough with yourself to move on.
Think outside the box: Step outside of pre-established boundaries, try a new approach, and consider how to approach old challenges from a new direction. Problems sometime look much smaller from a new perspective or direction. For example, if you struggle to overcome self-doubt, taking on a totally new project or learning a new skill may help.
Recognize and eliminate personal negativity: Replace fear, insecurities, and self-doubt with positive encouragement instead. You can be your own stumbling block if you’re not careful. Listen to your inner voice, recognize what damaging things that voice may be saying, and replace those sentiments with positives. For example, instead of telling yourself, “you’re too weak,” tell yourself instead, “you are incredibly strong.”
Stay Persistent: One of the definitions of the word persistent states, “continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action, in spite of difficulty or opposition.” My definition of persistence is stubbornness with a purpose. That’s right, you heard it here from me. Despite the challenges and obstacles you may face or maybe facing in life, you must be determined and steadfast in pursuing your goals. So here are a few tips to make sure you stay on course:
Keep your attention on the long-term plan: Give your vision, your goals, and your priorities unwavering attention. Avoid focusing on what’s in the past and don’t get sidetracked by current challenges. It’s much easier to get where you want to be when you have a clear view of where you’re going at all times. If something in your life has no place in your long-term vision, let it go.
Drop irrelevant emotional weight and adjust your focus: Avoid focusing on resentment, worry, fear, or anger as you transition into your new life and focus on your goals. Learn how to recognize the emotional weight that is holding you back. When you’ve pinpointed this baggage, pulling it out of your everyday life makes all the difference.
Prioritize your day according to what’s most important: Prioritize your everyday tasks by making the important things most worth your time and energy your priority, and eliminating distractions in the way. Weave small steps into your daily plans that will eventually help you align with your vision. For example, if you want to see yourself become more healthy and capable, choose healthier actions and accomplish something new today. Remember, good days become good weeks, good months, and great years.
Reinforce spiritual foundations: Achieving optimism, positivity, and self-esteem with a strong spiritual foundation is key to emotional clarity and peace of mind. Do what it takes to feed your spiritual soul–whether that is meditating, praying, or reading divinely inspired text. Nurture your own spirituality to ensure it delivers stable ground for you to live your best life.
Most importantly, practice self-affirmation daily: Affirm your worthiness, your value, and your power every day with the power of your own tongue. Remind yourself of your importance to the world, your career, your family, and yourself. Remember, no one sees the true value in you unless you see it in yourself first.
In addition to practicing ways to stay healthy during these challenging times, the wellness coach created a “Living Your Life Without Limits” (LYLWL) wellness box to help those affected by COVID. After answering the call of duty as an essential worker in Los Angeles, she completed a two-month tour-of-duty as a Covid nurse in New York. Here, she witnessed first-hand the pandemic’s effect on people from all walks of life. She especially noticed how the outbreak has challenged people’s mental wellness, and was inspired to create the Wellness Box.
Her professional and natural response was to put together her new LYLWL Wellness Box, serving as a specialty health-and-wellness support kit to share with your loved ones who wish to keep their wellness in check year round.
“We are elated to give people what they need most in 2021” states Jackson. “My Wellness Box is designed to give the individuals we love the tools they need to help keep their own physical health and emotional well-being in check, particularly during these stressful times.”
With a unique combined background as a certified life coach and a registered nurse, Jackson understands how intrinsic staying healthy is to quality of life. “Staying healthy is a foundational necessity for living your best life possible, without limits. One must be armed with physical well-being to overcome challenges, both emotional and physical in nature. The Wellness Box is full of important items–hand-picked and curated by me–to deliver the optimum essentials of what people need to monitor their wellness.”
The beautifully packaged floral patterned LYLWL Wellness Box is filled with items all individuals need to keep their health a central focus in their everyday life. For $49.97, customers benefit from this gift that is ideal for themselves, their family and friends. This special gift of wellness contains Jackson’s carefully sourced tools ideal for today’s health-focused climate, including:
Meditation Music: The ideal emotional fix, this meditation music is selected to encourage positive love, calm the mood, inspire positive feelings.
Scented Candle: Take a time-out for self-love to achieve mental clarity and allow the dancing flame and soothing fragrance of this candle to calm one’s thoughts, re-center, and re-focus.
A First Aid Kit: The ideal kit to help treat minor scrapes, cuts, and burns with all the necessities for this process.
Thermometer: Keep tabs on body temperature with this handy thermometer, which can signal many changes in one’s health.
Keep the Heart Beat Up | Blood Pressure Wristband and Magnet: Keep blood pressure levels in check with this convenient blood pressure wristband and companion magnet as daily reminders in case one feels especially stressed or winded.
LYLWL Wellness Journal and Ink Pen: Another Jackson inspired product, her LYLWL Wellness Journal is a mini self-help workshop in journal form helping to support and recognize self-awareness, gratitude for special moments, and staying on track for reaching personal goals.
Through Jackson’s weekly podcast, life-coaching skills, numerous hosted speaking appearances, and naturally inspiring energy, she has helped thousands of individuals to find clarity and reach their own levels of mastery in life. The LYLWL Wellness Box is another way for Jackson to extend her feel-good help into the lives of people who need her. Know anyone who could use some wellness, love, and “me time”? The LYLWL Wellness Box is available for purchase here.
Next to her new Wellness Box, Jackson also has her signature Feel-Good Shop offering message-inspired items for added shopping value.
For more information, visit Jackson’s website, which provides her podcast announcements, guidance for forward-thinking individuals, and valuable free resources.
The basketball-inspired capsule collection is the second drop of Pull&Bear’s collaboration with the Fast-Rising Latin Music Star
“Breakout Artist Lunay Showcases How Latinx Music Has Lent New Vision to Fashion”
–WWD (LUNAY Cover Feature)
The Past Week Has Also Seen LUNAY UnveilHis First Single of 2021,
“SIN ROPA” – From His Upcoming El Niño Project And Named As The Premiere Episode Performer For The Second Season Of HBO’s “Tiny Audience” Series
Pull&Bear and the singer Lunay will launch “Lu-Lu Athletics Club”, a basketball-inspired capsule collection, on Friday, March 5th. Continuing the brand’s devotion to the latest trends in music and fashion, this limited edition collection is the second drop of the collaboration with the new generation reggaeton star Lunay.
The first part was introduced in September and showed the brand’s consumers the Puerto Rican singer’s fashion vision.
This time, “Lu-Lu Athletics Club”, on which Lunay has closely collaborated, is the reflection of the archetypal basketball aesthetic of the 2000s.
The collection highlights colours such as lime green and blue and is made up of leading garments like the iconic varsity jacket, dungarees and basketball-inspired total look in blue and mesh fabric. Moreover, the “Lu-Lu” picture prints and graphics cover hoodies, short and long sleeve T-shirts, ombré T-shirt and jogging shorts twin sets and accessories.
As far as accessories go, you can also find classic basketball caps as well as wristbands, socks and trending garments like an ombré-effect lime green and blue bucket hat.
“Pull&Bear pulled out all the stops, collaborating with Reggaeton major player Lunay. The Puerto Rican artist’s stock is rapidly rising…already chock full of a slew of ‘new and breakout’ artist awards.” – Highsnobiety
“Aimed at younger audiences seeking the leading edge on trends… the collection has launched in collaboration with Latin music star Lunay” – HYPEBEAST
ABOUT PULL&BEAR
Pull&Bear was founded in 1991 with a clear international focus and intent to create fashion for young people who are connected to their surroundings, who avoid stereotypes and live and mix in their community. For these young people, Pull&Bear brings together the latest international trends and mixes them with street style and fashionable club influences, reinterpreting them to make comfortable, easy-to-wear garments, incorporating best practices when it comes to sustainability. Pull&Bear has evolved alongside its customers, and is always up-to-date with new technologies, social movements and the latest artistic and musical trends. The brand has a commercial network of more than 940 stores and sells online in more than 140 markets via www.pullandbear.com.
ABOUT THE INDITEX GROUP
Pull&Bear is part of the Inditex Group (Zara, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home and Uterqüe), one of the world’s largest fashion retailers with more than 7,300 stores in 96 markets, 50 of them with integrated platforms across physical and online stores, and global online stores reaching over 200 markets.
ABOUT LUNAY
While a large number of new Latin music artists are looking to continue the surge in global success of Reggaeton, Latin Trap and other Rhythmic music styles in Spanish, it has become clearly evident that Puerto Rico’s dynamic, still only 20, musical “wunderkind” (RS), LUNAY is the genre’s undisputed new generation superstar. After bursting into the playlists and video streams of fans across the world with “Soltera” and it’s soon to follow, and widely regarded ‘Song of Summer’ remix with Daddy Yankee and Bad Bunny, LUNAY’s credits were quickly boasting two #1 Latin Airplay singles, a rare #1 full album debut with the 14-track ‘ÉPICO,’ and over a Billion views quickly collected on YouTube. With the support of super-producers Chris Jedi, Gaby Music, and their Star Island label, Lunay’s rapid rise has already resulted in a trophy case full of breakthrough artist award recognition including: the 2019 LATIN AMA’S “NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR, 2019 BILLBOARD “ARTIST ON THE RISE” recognition, SPOTIFY TOP 3 “BREAKOUT ARTISTS OF YEAR, 2019 APPLE MUSIC “UP NEXT ARTIST” and FOUR PREMIOS JUVENTUD victories: “ON THE RISE ARTIST” & ”REMIX OF THE YEAR” (2019) and most recently “BREAKING THE INTERNET” & NEW GENERATION – MALE (2020). Following a few quiet months due to the Covid pandemic postponing a series of highly anticipated concert appearances, LUNAY resumed his ascent to the upper reaches of the genre with features alongside Lil Mosey and Jhay Cortez, and the standout single “Relaciones” – which Rolling Stone hailed as the week’s best new Latin music track upon its release. LUNAY’s visibility continued to grow across the Fall of 2020 with a WWD cover profile spotlighting his first fashion collaboration with Pull & Bear,” a nationally broadcast Halloween concert, and selection to Billboard’s prestigious “21 under 21” list of the music industry’s top young artists.
Photos of empty store shelves flooded Facebook and Instagram throughout the pandemic as consumers, desperate to protect themselves and their families, grabbed for any disinfectant in sight.
COVID-19 most commonly spreads person-to-person via respiratory droplets. These same droplets land on surfaces and survive for relatively long periods of time. We, in-turn touch these surfaces, and place personal items such as cell phones, toys, books, and bags on them. One of our greatest weapons in the fight against COVID and other infectious diseases is surface disinfectants.
Most multi-million and multi-billion-dollar chemical companies drive revenue by creating a plethora of cleaning, disinfecting, and air freshening products that are packaged and shipped to the end user.
Regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as antimicrobial pesticides, disinfectants are often thought to be wholly beneficial and relatively harmless. There is, however, a dirty little secret in disinfection: it’s rarely done properly. Proper use instructions vary widely and guidance from regulatory agencies surrounding their use is often contradictory.
So the question must be asked, are these products and the way we use them causing more harm than good?
Rayne Guest, founder and CEO of R-Water and a staunch advocate for safe cleaning protocols, shares four important things we need to know about the disinfecting products commonly found under our sinks. Through education, we can collectively adopt safer cleaning and disinfecting practices and avoid potentially life altering health issues from harmful common household disinfectants.
Pretty labels distract from the fine print. Ever notice streaks after cleaning or an allergy season that never seems to end? Consumers are urged to look beyond the pretty packaging and take a deeper dive into the Safety Data Sheet of the products you are reaching for. You will soon learn of ominous warnings you won’t want to ignore, including those related to your skin and lungs. The product Safety Data Sheets often requires that users don personal protective equipment which can include facemasks, gloves, and even “hooded chemical-resistant clothing.” However, slick EPA approved marketing lingo often includes phrases such as “smell the clean,” “controls allergens,” and “for a fresher home.”
Scents do not freshen the product. To give your disinfecting and cleaning products color, suds, and fragrances, companies add a sometimes-toxic slew of chemicals that frequently “fight” with the active ingredients that do the work. These fragrances can be dangerous for the user and have been linked to skin and eye irritations, headaches, and neurologic symptoms.
Spray and wipe is a myth. All disinfectants have a minimum contact time for achieving their claimed efficacy, and for the majority of them, it is 10 minutes – a task that is easier said than done. Most people simply spray and wipe, not realizing that they are not achieving proper disinfection. By not heeding the stated contact time, consumers are spending hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on disinfecting products every year to improperly disinfect and clean.
Cleaning is often not completed in one simple step. There is a right way, and a wrong way to use disinfectants. After an advised pre-clean step and required wet time, surfaces like kitchen counters and children’s toys generally need to be rinsed thoroughly with water to remove the harmful residues left behind.
Throughout the pandemic, disinfection has received attention like never before. However, extended exposure and incorrect use of common household disinfectants can result in dangerous health risks including eye irritation, headaches, neurologic symptoms, skin problems, and respiratory issues. Tragically, respiratory issues make a person more vulnerable to COVID-19.
As we continue to use disinfectants at a ferocious rate, we need to also focus on their proper use. Doing so ensures that we don’t turn one of the greatest weapons we have against infections disease against ourselves.
Rayne Guest was raised in the mountains of Idaho. She attended five universities while studying various fields including business, marine biology, and nutrition. She has spent time in Southeast Asia, Europe, Australia, Brazil, Israel, Africa, among many others and is driven to do good by doing good in the world. As founder and CEO of R-Water, Rayne is developing patented cleaning and disinfecting technologies to further this cause, while unapologetically shaking up archaic industries.
Team launches first Aston Martin Grand Prix car in 61 years, in high-tech virtual live event watched by fans all over the world
The Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team has today revealed to the world its 2021 Formula One World Championship competitor, the new AMR21, in a virtual live event.
One of the most anticipated Formula One car launches in recent years took place in The Vault, an immersive virtual experience that played host to the historic moment when Aston Martin unveiled its first Grand Prix car since the DBR5 which was raced by Roy Salvadori and Maurice Trintignant in the 1960 British Grand Prix.
The AMR21 was revealed in a striking green livery in recognition of the brand’s traditional racing colours, carrying prominent branding from title partner, Cognizant, the IT giant helping lead the team’s digital transformation journey towards future success.
The recent influx of new partners ensured that the AMR21 was presented with logos from a host of global brands alongside Cognizant, including Peroni, Crypto.com, SentinelOne, EPOS, NetApp, Girard-Perregaux and Replay. The long-standing support of BWT continues with the addition of a delicate magenta stripe down each side of the chassis. Ravenol, JCB, Bombardier and Pirelli all continue their partnerships into the new era.
Aston Martin Lagonda’s Executive Chairman, Lawrence Stroll, opened today’s event and welcomed fans, media, colleagues and partners who were enjoying the show virtually from all around the world. He was joined by Tobias Moers, CEO of Aston Martin Lagonda; Otmar Szafnauer, CEO and Team Principal of Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team; and, by video link, Brian Humphries, CEO of Cognizant, who all spoke of the great significance of seeing the Aston Martin name back on the Formula One grid.
The new driver pairing of Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll were also prominent in the presentation, as well as Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team Technical Director, Andrew Green.
Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman, Aston Martin, commented:
“I have dreamed about this day for a very long time. I have always been a car guy, since I was a child. I have always loved racing, too. My first dream was to own a Formula One team. My second dream was to acquire a significant shareholding in Aston Martin Lagonda. Today is about the merging of those two dreams. So, as I say, today is all about dreams, and it shows that dreams really can come true, in the shape of our new AMR21.”
Sebastian Vettel, Driver, Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team, said:
“Even though I have raced for four Formula One teams and for many years, starting a new season with a new team still gives me a sense of excitement.
“As a driver, I have always kept my eye on the competition and this team has consistently impressed me with what they have been able to do without the biggest of budgets. So, when Lawrence [Stroll] and Otmar [Szafnauer] approached me last year, and explained what their ambitions were, I was immediately very motivated to join the team.”
Lance Stroll, Driver, Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team, added:
“This is such an exciting time of the year. The car launch is when everything starts to feel real again, especially this year with our new identity as Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team. The new name is exciting for everyone and there is a massive buzz around the factory.”
Now that the new Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team car has been revealed to the world, tomorrow marks the exciting and much anticipated track debut of the AMR21, before it makes its journey to Bahrain for testing next week (March 12th-14th) ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 28th.
Gambling addiction is real. Allow me to say that again– gambling addiction is a real thing. It’s not a lack of willpower. It’s an illness.
The medical community has four classifications to consider an illness a disease: it must be progressive, chronic, primary, and fatal. Gambling addiction fulfills all of the requirements.
You see, it’s an uncontrollable urge—a phenomenon of cravings that one gets from a “high”. It’s as normal and necessary as needing air for you and I.
Like a drug addict goes for a fix, or an alcoholic would thirst for that drink… the gambler chases the rush. That “rush” of dopamine is the same as a narcotic. Its an obsession of the mind that destroys families.
Those addicted are constantly increasing the amounts for the thrill. They lie and scam to get more money, jeopardizing their most important and sacred relationships. They’re always trying to win the money back, stop all together, or resort to low measures like stealing and other fraudulent behaviors to continue their addiction. When the feel restless, irritable and discontent, they use gambling as an escape from reality.
They may take it so far that it effects their physical health. Here is an excerpt from my book Lotsaholic: From A Sick To Sober Superman:
He lifted up his shirt and revealed a huge scar, from his upper belly across his chest and up into his armpit. “Three heart attacks. That’s how bad. I’m gonna die, kid, if I keep this up. That’s why I’ve been in here so long. I feel safe here.
I don’t trust myself out there, and I’m not ready to die.” As Tony reeled in his line, I noticed that he wasn’t wearing his fancy Rolex. Today he was wearing a simple Timex that carried the Caesars Palace logo.
“What’s with the new watch?”
He fiddled with his lure. “Tonight they take me outside for a Gamblers Anonymous meeting. Every time I go, I wear this watch. This is the most expensive watch I own. It cost me 1.5 million dollars. I gave Caesars my cash; they gave me a suite, champagne, and this beautiful watch. It’s my personal souvenir to remind me of how bad I get. It and the scar.” He bobbed his fishing rod up and down. “Say, you want to come with me tonight? I always go alone, but I sure would love the company.”
“Sure!” Where else will I get to experience a Gamblers Anonymous meeting with a former gangster?
The room was compact and dim. There was a small podium with a GA banner and about seventy old, wooden folding chairs. And the room was full. I enjoyed hearing Tony and the others share their stories. I realized how strong the high from winning is. On the wall opposite me was a giant banner listing the twelve steps of Gamblers Anonymous, which were almost identical to those of Alcoholics Anonymous, with just the slightest differences in wording.
Step 1: Admitted we were powerless over gambling—that our lives had become unmanageable. Next to the banner was a bulletin board that displayed meeting times for a list of various twelve-step programs, including Sexaholics Anonymous (SA), Cocaine Anonymous (CA), Overeaters Anonymous (OA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Co-Dependents Anonymous (coda), Heroin Anonymous (HA), and Al-Anon/Alateen, a group for friends and families of alcoholics. The list went on. It occurred to me that anybody in the world can use the basic approach of a twelve-step program to achieve freedom from addiction and greater connection to a higher power. I’d discovered a new world.
But there is help out there. Now, many treatment centers, like The Hanley Center and Future’s focus on gambling and treat it like any other addiction or mental illness. Gamblers Anonymous—the famous twelve-step community has had amazing results. The solution for these illnesses is truly spiritual. These obsessions lay in the mind. Once the spiritual malady is solved, the mind and body follow quickly. So, never lose hope.
360 Magazine is live at the NYBG KUSAMA Cosmic Nature Media Preview featuring Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. The KUSAMA Garden and Gallery Pass include access to all of the outdoor and indoor installations (1-9), Haupt Conservatory, Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, Tram Tour, and Garden grounds. The installations include:
Pumpkins Screaming About Love Beyond Infinity
Flower Obsession
Mertz Library Building Gallery
Paintings, collages, early sketches, other works
Walking Piece
Haupt Conservatory Galleries
Horticultural displays, tropical and desert collections
KUSAMA Garden Pass includes access to all outdoor installations (6-9), Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, and Garden grounds:
I Want to Fly to the Universe
Narcissus Garden
Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees
Dancing Pumpkin
In addition, Infinity Mirrored Room – Illusion Inside the Heart: Exterior now on view to all ticket holders; interior access planned to begin this summer; separate timed-entry ticket required for interior access. More information is available on the NYBG website.
Garden Navigator – Explore the one million plants across NYBG’s 250 acres and find what you want to see. Visit the website for the navigation tool.
Forest Bathing: A meditative audio experience – Be fully present on this self-guided tour. Bathe your senses in the sights, smells, sounds, and sensations of the Thain Forest.
Audio Tours – Look for signs with instructions at stops throughout the Garden to learn about specific plants, gardens, and collections.
My Day At The Garden: Family Guide – Embark on an adventure with their kids and family activity guide, available at any ticket window or on the website.
Spring For Nature – 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Kids of all ages can take a closer look at the wonders of plants and animals across the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden.
Bloomberg Connect App – Featuring audio tours, detailed plant images, and more; there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Free download available here.
Tickets Go on Sale to the Public on March 16, 2021, for The New York Botanical Garden’s Exclusive Presentation of KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature Featuring New Work by Celebrated Artist Yayoi Kusama
The exhibition, related programs, and accompanying publication reveal Kusama’s lifelong fascination with the natural world and its countless manifestations beginning in her childhood spent in the greenhouses and fields of her family’s seed nursery in Matsumoto, Japan. The exhibition includes works from throughout Kusama’s prolific career and multifaceted practice. By integrating seasonal horticultural displays, KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature further illuminates the power of nature that pervades the artist’s practice and dynamic body of work.
Multiple outdoor installations, including monumental sculptures of flora transform the Garden’s 250-acre landscape and the visitor experience. Her signature polka-dotted organic forms and mesmerizing paintings of plants and flowers are also represented. Recent vivid observations of nature, shown alongside earlier works that have never been publicly exhibited and those that are presented for the first time in the United States, trace Kusama’s connection to the natural world throughout her career.
Among the works created for and debuting in the exhibition are:
Dancing Pumpkin (2020), a monumental sculpture presented on the Haupt Conservatory Lawn.
I Want to Fly to the Universe (2020), a 13-foot-high biomorphic form presented in the Visitor Center; and,
Infinity Mirrored Room Illusion Inside the Heart(2020), an outdoor installation reflecting its environs.
Spectacular seasonal displays complement the artworks on view, making each visit unique as new plantings, textures, and palettes are introduced. Glorious outdoor displays of tulips and irises in spring give way to dahlias and sunflowers in summer, and masses of pumpkins and autumnal flowers in fall. In and around the Conservatory, Kusama’s plant-inspired polka-dotted sculptures are nestled among meadow grasses, bellflowers, water lilies, and other plantings. Stunning floral presentations bring to life one of Kusama’s paintings on view in the Mertz Library Building through a seasonal progression of violas, salvias, zinnias, and other colorful annuals. In fall, displays of meticulously trained kiku (Japanese for chrysanthemum), one of that country’s most heralded fall-flowering plants) will create a dramatic finale for the Conservatory displays.
KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature guest curator Mika Yoshitake, Ph.D., said, Kusama, cosmic nature is a life force that integrates the terrestrial and celestial orders of the universe from both the micro- and macrocosmic perspectives she investigates in her practice. Her explorations evoke meanings that are both personal and universal. Nature is not only a central source of inspiration, but also integral to the visceral effects of Kusama’s artistic language in which organic growth and the proliferation of life are made ever-present.
In the Garden
On the Conservatory Lawn, visitors encounter the monumental Dancing Pumpkin, a 16-foot-high bronze sculpture painted in black and yellow. Both playful and powerful, it is sited in an immersive landscape of river birches, flowering plants, grasses, and ferns. The setting is inspired by the sculpture itself and the birch forests near Kusama’s childhood home.
Visitors can marvel at the bright, purple-tentacled floral form with a vivid yellow primordial face of I Want to Fly to the Universe in the Visitor Center Reflecting Pool, and then behold Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees (2002/2021), where soaring trees adorned in vibrant red with white polka dots pop in the landscape along Garden Way.
Narcissus Garden (1966/2021), 1,400 stainless steel spheres each nearly 12 inches in diameter, is installed in the 230-foot-long water feature of the Native Plant Garden. The reflective orbs float on the water’s surface, moved by wind and currents, each mirroring the environment around them to captivating effect.
With interior access planned to begin this summer, Kusama’s new Infinity Mirrored Room will operate per New York State and City guidelines for social distancing and visitor safety. The installation, Infinity Mirrored Room Illusion Inside the Heart (2020), responds to natural light through colored glass throughout the day and seasons. Reflecting the seasonality of NYBGߣs landscape, the exterior will be on view with the opening of the exhibition. A separate timed-entry ticket will be required for limited-capacity access.
In the Galleries
In Flower Obsession, visitors may apply coral-colored floral stickers to the furniture and household objects. Over the course of the exhibition, the accumulating stickers will transform the greenhouse. Through works like this, Kusama employs the repeating patterns and forms of flowers to represent the concepts of obliteration, infinity, and eternity.
Three galleries in the Conservatory feature a horticultural celebration of Kusama’s self-proclaimed biophilia. My Soul Blooms Forever (2019), colossal polka-dotted flowers made of stainless steel and painted in dramatic colors, greet visitors under the recently restored dome of the Palms of the World Gallery.
In the Seasonal Exhibition Galleries, the pink-and-gold mosaic Starry Pumpkin (2015) is featured in a woodland garden of foliage and flowers chosen to harmonize with the sculpture’s pink polka dots. Using Kusama’s vibrant painting Alone, Buried in a Flower Garden (2014) as inspiration, NYBG horticulturists have designed a living work of art to mimic the painting’s bold shapes and colors, with plantings changed seasonally. The patchwork of shapes in the painting reads as garden beds seen from above.
In the Conservatory Courtyard Hardy Pool, the exuberantly colored and patterned sculpture Hymn of Life Tulips (2007) depicting outsized, fiberglass flowers are positioned among water lilies and other seasonal aquatic plantings. The Courtyard also features plantings including an array of tulips in spring and colorful annuals in summer that complement the dynamic sculpture on display.
Pumpkins Screaming About Love Beyond Infinity (2017) comprises a glass cube reflecting an infinity of glowing polka-dotted pumpkins within it. The work, one of Kusama’s signature mirrored environments, is installed in the Visitor Center Gallery. Viewed from the outside, the installation changes over time as pumpkins illuminate and then fade to darkness in a meditative choreography. Kusama has said of pumpkins, My pumpkins, beloved of all the plants in the world. When I see pumpkins, I cannot efface the joy of them being my everything, nor the awe I hold them in.
On display in the Library Building, Kusama’s 1945 sketchbook reveals the 16-year-old artist’s keen eye for detail in some 50 drawings capturing the bloom cycle of tree peonies. This work is an early product of a lifelong connection with the natural world that has inspired her practice across mediums. It also portends avant-garde ideas she developed while living in New York City between 1958 and 1973, as a contemporary of Joseph Cornell, Eva Hesse, Donald Judd, and Claes Oldenburg, and continues to explore rigorously today.
The Library Building presentation also features examples of her botanical drawings, works on paper, biomorphic collages, assemblage boxes, sculptures, and paintings on canvas depicting flora and its limitless variety of patterns.
Kusama’s considerable body of performance works is represented in the Ross Gallery by a projection of Walking Piece (ca. 1966/2021), a performance in which Kusama walked the streets of New York City wearing a bright-pink floral kimono and carrying an umbrella decorated with artificial flowers. Art historians have analyzed Walking Piece as a carefully calculated representation of the artist’s ethnicity and gender, one that was intended to demand attention.
From monumental polka-dotted pumpkin sculptures to abstract paintings that resemble cells magnified thousands of times, Kusama’s works suggest the patterns that can be observed all around us. The self-guided Patterns in Nature Tour, featured on the Bloomberg Connects mobile app, examines the visible and microscopic patterns found in nature. Visitors will discover what the patterns of leaf placement, flower petals, and magnified laboratory specimens reveal about what makes species unique as well as how all living things are connected at the genomic level.
Karen Daubmann, Vice President for Exhibitions and Audience Engagement at the Garden, said, “We are delighted to mount this very special exhibition this year, having postponed it in 2020 due to the pandemic. Yayoi Kusama kindly shared a message with us. On March 6, 2021, she wrote, in part, Dancing through our universe are noble souls whose magnificent forms are saturated with mystery. I invite you to explore the endlessly expanding ode to the beauty of love that is my art. We look forward to sharing her singular vision at the nexus of art, nature, and the cosmos at the Garden site uniquely suited for this once-in-a-lifetime presentation.
Programs and Publication
KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature is accompanied by a roster of public programs for all ages, including pop-up performances by musicians, jugglers, and puppeteers; self-guided Kids Get Cosmic; activities in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden; and more. Signature exhibition merchandise is available for purchase at NYBG Shop.
Coming in summer 2021, a fully illustrated exhibition catalogue, co-published with Rizzoli Electa, will include essays by KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature guest curator Mika Yoshitake, art historian Jenni Sorkin, curator Alexandra Munroe, and other contributors, including curators and a scientist from NYBG. The publication will focus on Kusama’s lifelong engagement with nature and the ways her interest in nature and plants has formed her career-long investigation of themes of the cosmos and the interconnectedness of all living things. Images of works displayed in The New York Botanical Garden landscape will be featured.
Ticketing
Since reopening July 28, 2020, the Garden has incorporated safety measures based on best practices and guidelines from health authorities and government agencies. Admission to the Garden is currently available through the advance purchase of timed tickets. Visit the website for more information.
KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature has a new, limited, timed-entry ticketing system to stagger visitors arrivals and promote social distancing. Advance purchase of timed tickets is required and will be confirmed by e-mail with the option to print or download a mobile ticket.
The following options are available:
KUSAMA Garden & Gallery Pass includes access to all KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature outdoor installations across the grounds and access to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, installations in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library Building and Ross Gallery, as well as interior access to Flower Obsession and Pumpkins Screaming About Love Beyond Infinity in the Visitor Center Gallery, plus the Tram Tour and Garden features including the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden and outdoor collections.
KUSAMA Garden Pass (Non-NYC Residents) includes access to all KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature outdoor installations across the grounds, plus Garden features including the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden and outdoor collections.
KUSAMA Garden Pass (NYC Residents) includes access to all KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature outdoor installations across the grounds, plus Garden features including the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden and outdoor collections.
A separate timed-entry ticket will be required to access the interior of Infinity Mirrored Room Illusion Inside the Heart. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
NYBG welcomes Bronx Health Care Heroes and Bronx Neighbors to KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature with complimentary tickets. Communities in the Bronx are among the most severely impacted by COVID-19 in New York City. Through these community access initiatives, the Garden seeks to acknowledge, with gratitude, the dedication, strength, and resilience of Bronx frontline health care workers and residents. Additional information about these initiatives is available at this website.
Visit NYBG for additional ticketing information and pricing and to sign up for e-mail alerts about the exhibition.
Exhibition on view April 10—October 31, 2021. Tickets available at nybg.org/kusama
Advance, timed tickets go on sale to the public on March 16 for The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) 2021 exhibition KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature, featuring work by internationally celebrated Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. NYBG is the exclusive venue for KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature. On view April 10 through October 31, 2021, the exhibition will be installed across the Garden’s 250-acre landscape, in and around the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, and in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library Building. Highlights include new works made especially for NYBG. Spectacular seasonal horticultural displays will complement the artworks and an array of programs and activities will make each visit unique. Pictured above, Hymn of Life-Tulips, 2007, will be displayed in the Conservatory Courtyard Hardy Pool.
Visit this website for additional ticketing information and information about NYBG’s offerings.
About The New York Botanical Garden
Founded in 1891, The New York Botanical Garden is the most comprehensive botanical garden in the world and an integral part of the cultural fabric of New York City, anchored in the Bronx. Visitors come to the Garden to connect with nature for joy, beauty, and respite, and for renowned plant-based exhibitions, music and dance, and poetry and lectures. Innovative children’s education programs promote environmental sustainability and nutrition awareness, graduate programs educate the next generation of botanists, while engaging classes inspire adults to remain lifelong learners. The 250-acre verdant landscape—which includes a 50-acre, old-growth forest—and the landmark Enid A. Haupt Conservatory support living collections of more than one million plants. Unparalleled resources are also held in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, the world’s most important botanical and horticultural library with 11 million archival items spanning ten centuries, and William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, the largest in the Western Hemisphere with 7.8 million plant and fungal specimens. Committed to protecting the planet’s biodiversity and natural resources, Garden scientists work on-site in cutting-edge molecular labs and in areas worldwide where biodiversity is most at risk.
The New York Botanical Garden Announces Updates on Major Exhibition
KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature, Featuring New Work by Renowned Artist Yayoi Kusama
New block of advance, timed tickets and separate, limited-capacity tickets to Infinity Mirrored Room Illusion Inside the Heart for August 3–October 31 go on sale June 24
New richly illustrated catalogue documents landmark exhibition KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature on view exclusively at The New York Botanical Garden through October 31
The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) announces its release of a new block of timed tickets beginning on June 24 for admission to KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature from August 3 through October 31, 2021. The acclaimed exhibition features work by internationally celebrated Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, including four new sculptures and mirrored environments created especially for this presentation. The exhibition showcasing the artist’s lifelong fascination with the natural world is installed across the Botanical Garden’s landscape, in and around the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, and in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library Building and includes seasonal horticultural displays. NYBG is the exclusive venue for KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature, which is on view through October 31, 2021. Advance, timed, limited-capacity tickets for the landmark presentation are required and are on sale at this website.
The exterior of Kusama’s new Infinity Mirrored Room Illusion Inside the Heart (2020) has been on view since the opening of the exhibition, reflecting the seasonality of NYBG’s landscape. Interior access will begin on August 3, with separate limited-capacity tickets that will also go on sale on June 24. The immersive experience responds to varying natural light through colored glass throughout the day and seasons.
KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature Catalogue
The hardbound, 176-page catalogue, KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature–published by Rizzoli Electa in association with The New York Botanical Garden–features essays, little-known work by Yayoi Kusama, archival images, and installation photography. It will be available at NYBG Shop beginning June 15, 2021. Edited by the exhibition’s guest curator Mika Yoshitake and Joanna L. Groarke, Director of Public Engagement and Library Exhibitions Curator, NYBG, contributors include Barbara Ambrose, Director of Laboratory Research and Associate Curator of Plant Genomics, NYBG; Karen Daubmann, Vice President for Exhibitions and Audience Engagement, NYBG; Alex A. Jones, writer and independent scholar; Alexandra Munroe, Senior Curator, Asian Art, and Senior Advisor, Global Arts, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; and Jenni Sorkin, Associate Professor, History of Art & Architecture, University of California, Santa Barbara.
La Grande Dame by Veuve Clicquot Partnership
NYBG announces its partnership with Veuve Clicquot, the French champagne house with which Yayoi Kusama has previously collaborated. In September 2020, Veuve Clicquot unveiled the results of their latest collaboration Kusama’s exceptional reinterpretation of the newly released La Grande Dame 2012 vintage champagne with her signature polka dot and floral motifs. The floral creation was reprised in My Heart That Blooms in The Darkness of The Night, a sculpture inspired by La Grande Dame champagne honoring Madame Clicquot, an industry visionary. Images of the collaboration are available here.
Following its presentation at NYBG’s annual Spring Gala on June 3, a large-scale version of My Heart That Blooms in The Darkness of The Night will be on view to diners in NYBG’s Hudson Garden Grill through the close of the exhibition on October 31. Veuve Clicquot’s La Grande Dame and Yellow Label champagne will be available for purchase.
“We are excited to offer special champagne and food pairings at the Hudson Garden Grill featuring Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame as part of the champagne house’s collaboration with Yayoi Kusama,”said Nelson Siavichay, Chef de Cuisine. “The vintage pairs beautifully with our farm-to-table cuisine and NYBG’s current exhibition showcasing works by Kusama.”
About The New York Botanical Garden
Founded in 1891, The New York Botanical Garden is the most comprehensive botanical garden in the world and an integral part of the cultural fabric of New York City, anchored in the Bronx. Visitors come to the Garden to connect with nature for joy, beauty, and respite, and for renowned plant-based exhibitions, music and dance, and poetry and lectures. Innovative children’s education programs promote environmental sustainability and nutrition awareness, graduate programs educate the next generation of botanists, while engaging classes inspire adults to remain lifelong learners. The 250-acre verdant landscape which includes a 50-acre, old-growth forest and the landmark Enid A. Haupt Conservatory support living collections of more than one million plants. Unparalleled resources are also held in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, the world’s most important botanical and horticultural library with 11 million archival items spanning ten centuries, and William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, the largest in the Western Hemisphere with 7.8 million plant and fungal specimens. Committed to protecting the planet’s biodiversity and natural resources, Garden scientists work on-site in cutting-edge molecular labs and in areas worldwide where biodiversity is most at risk.
KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature is presented by:
Major Sponsors: Tom and Janet Montag; MetLife Foundation; and La Grande Dame by Veuve Clicquot
Generous support provided by: Citi and Delta Air Lines
Digital experience provided by: Bloomberg Philanthropies
Additional support provided by: E.H.A. Foundation, Inc.;
Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Charitable Foundation; and the Japan Foundation
This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts; and
The New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature
Exhibitions in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory are made possible by the Estate of Enid A. Haupt.
Exhibitions in the Arthur and Janet Ross Gallery are made possible by the Arthur and Janet Ross Fund.
LuESTHER T. MERTZ CHARITABLE TRUST:
Providing leadership support for year-round programming at NYBG
The New York Botanical Garden is located at 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York 10458. For more information, visit this website. The New York Botanical Garden is located on property owned in full by the City of New York, and its operation is made possible in part by public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. A portion of the Garden’s general operating funds is provided by The New York City Council and The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. The Bronx Borough President and Bronx elected representatives in the City Council and State Legislature provide leadership funding.
Today, Spotify’s global emerging artist development program, RADAR, has announced its latest artist partnership for the US: the Oslo-based pop sensation, girl in red, aka Marie Ulven. girl in red has also just announced her debut album, if i could make it go quiet, out April 30th, and released its accompanying first single, “Serotonin.” The result of a collaboration with FINNEAS and a huge pop anthem that speaks to Ulven’s struggles with mental health, the arena-ready tune can be heard HERE.
Following her breakout single, “i wanna be your girlfriend,” which has been streamed over 150 Million times on Spotify, girl in red’s music has adorned some of Spotify’s most popular playlists including New Music Friday, LOREM, Oyster, Ultimate Indie, Out Now, and many more — 364 playlists, to be exact! Her cover of Maggie Rogers’s “Say it” for Spotify’s Studio Oyster has been beloved by media and fans around the world, as well as by Rogers herself. With 7 Million monthly listeners on Spotify, her music has also been celebrated by press outlets around the world like The New York Times, Paper Magazine, NME, DAZED, Rolling Stone, Pigeons & Planes and more.
Today’s announcement is accompanied by new RADAR photos of girl in red located HERE and a blog post on Spotify’s For The Record newsroom blog HERE that includes a full rundown of the program, and a Q&A with the artist, which you should feel free to use for your own coverage. girl in red’s appointment to the RADAR program will include features in the RADAR playlist, a Spotify Singles recording, promotional support for her upcoming releases, a full suite of out-of-home advertising and on-platform marketing, and social promotion. girl in red’s RADAR campaign will also include a forthcoming mini-documentary to premiere later this year. Says Ned Monahan, Spotify’s Head of Global Hits: “We’ve been closely watching girl in red’s steady ascent over the past few years — she’s built a tight-knit community of devoted fans in a remarkably organic way, based on her self-assured songwriting and deeply personal lyrics — all as an independent artist. We’re beyond excited for her debut full-length, and look forward to helping with her global ascent via RADAR.”
When asked what she looks forward to about being a RADAR artist, girl in red says: “Taking over the world! That’s what I’m looking forward to. Having my music in people’s ears— that’s like the coolest thing ever. RADAR, then world domination!”
girl in red’s appointment as the fifth US RADAR artist follows the success of Spotify’s previous US RADAR artists Alaina Castillo, J.I The Prince of N.Y, The Kid LAROI, and Flo Milli, all joining 175 RADAR-affiliated emerging artists around the world. Last fall, Spotify celebrated the program’s six month anniversary with the launch of its global RADAR hub on-platform.
In an era that has been ripe for the gradual erosion of longtime social stigmas in seemingly every area of human activity, the emergence of Ambition Ladiez has proven to be quite timely.
Founded in 2018 by Easop Winston, the San Francisco Bay Area-based agency equally fills niches in the urban and women’s markets, both of which feature strong consumer and brand loyal bases.
From its inception, Ambition Ladiez established itself as an urban lifestyle model and marketing agency which specializes in various forms of media, including photoshoots, brand ambassadorships, event hosting, music videos, and television placements. Ambition Ladiez has also branded itself as a disruptive outlier in its industry, having a diverse roster of models — Women of Color ( or BIPOC) — represent the company in a refreshing and empowering manner that would provide a beacon of inspiration for upcoming generations of young women who aspire to work in the modeling world.
Although the company has made its mark on the industry as a model and marketing agency, Ambition Ladiez is currently evolving to be yet another trendsetter — this time venturing into the podcast space. Original programming such as “The Lounge,” the “Cooking With” series, and the “Conversations” series have proven to give viewers a smorgasbord of delectable content for their consumption.
Adding more gas to the blazing path that the brand is currently on, Ambition Ladiez has ramped up its digital footprint, now making it virtually impossible for its movement to be slowed down — or, for the sake of the brand’s most ardent supporters — ignored either. In the past couple of years, Ambition Ladiez was able to successfully launch its app, which includes its featured content (of all forms/genres) uploaded on to major streaming platforms, such as Apple, Google Play, and Amazon Appstore, Roku, Fire TV, and Android TV.
One of the more popular shows on the Ambition Ladiez digital platform — the “Cooking With” series — allows viewers to get a glance into their more redeeming sides of the models that supersede just their outward beauty by giving a glance of their cooking skills.
Another branch of the marketing and modeling agency’s ecosystem is its magazine. As of this writing, Ambition Ladiez Magazine has already successfully pressed and launched two issues of its quarterly publication, with more expected to be released by the end of 2021. The magazine remains true to its core demographic of longtime supporters and subscribers, providing written features on public figures, Bay Area-based artists, health, politics, and other hot topic social issues which peak the interest(s) of its target audience.
One of the magazine’s featured artists in mind is Yung Lott. A Bay Area Native and well-respected recording artist, Yung Lott’s alliance with the Ambition Ladiez brand has been solidified through him having Ambition Ladiez models featured in his music videos, as well as having a story written about him in the magazine. All of this is a testament to the agency’s reach and streamlined operations.
Prior to the widespread shutdowns of entertainment venues and live events due to the COVID outbreak of 2020, Ambition Ladiez models could be seen at such events, usually working as brand ambassadors, hosts of parties, or even utilizing their interpersonal skills to conduct red carpet interviews with VIP guests at many of the more premier events.
The events are not only relegated to the San Francisco Bay Area. Ambition Ladiez soon will look to extend its presence to Las Vegas and Los Angeles. These two cities would be an ideal accommodation for the fast-growing entertainment/media centered brand.
In light of the country’s progressive transition towards inclusion, diversity, and proper representation in all industries, Ambition Ladiez is writing the blueprint for how to construct an outlet that’s a great alternative to traditional modeling and marketing agencies by focusing on BIPOC models. The agency then uses its multimedia capabilities to highlight not only the naturally appealing ethnic features of its models, but it can also use its original series to profile them in a favorable light in which they may not have been if they worked elsewhere.
In spite of the company’s fast growing profile among industry peers, Ambition Ladiez has enabled enthusiasts of the brand to actually buy into what it stands for, having merchandise for sale. This helps to expand its already fast growing fanbase, and allows them to feel a sense of connectivity to the brand by donning Ambition Ladiez merchandise.
The movement that the brand is creating can be likened to a record-setting storm, and in the eye of ‘Hurricane Ambition Ladiez’ exists two powerful components yet to be mentioned in great detail: company Founder & CEO Easop Winston, and…the Ambition Ladiez themselves.
A Bay Area Native, Winston has always embodied the very essence of ambition. A man of tremendous vision and unmatched work ethic, he learned the ins and outs of the entertainment and media business as a recording artist. Touring the world, writing and recording countless music projects, and weathering the treacherous paths of ‘The Business’ has molded Easop into a seasoned veteran, and quite the entrepreneur. After witnessing misrepresentation and mistreatment of creatives in the industry for years, he has assumed the role of an emancipator of sorts, allowing individuals who want to step foot into the entertainment or media world a platform to let their light(s) shine. “As a young artist, I would have relished the opportunity to be signed to an agency that thoroughly cultivates its talent with care in the manner that Ambition Ladiez does,” he states. “Once I was in a position to impart the knowledge that I have acquired on to up-and-coming generations of talent, I did not hesitate. This is what compelled me to launch the agency.”
The lucky recipients of Easop Winston’s tutelage are none other than the ACTUAL Ambition Ladiez. This extensive assortment of young women who hail from different places, ethnicities, and skill sets have set the modeling industry’s bar higher for the precise blend of riveting beauty, natural talent, and marketable personalities. Holding true to its ethics as a modeling and marketing agency, Ambition Ladiez has managed to maintain an impressive retention rate — from one of its original ‘Day 1’ signees (Nicole), to one of its newest faces (Lulu). The agency does its due diligence to provide an adequate platform that will allow them placement for other opportunities, while preparing them for longevity in the industry.
The way in which Easop establishes leadership to his company is worth taking notes from. As Owner of Ambition Ladiez, he has built an operation that’s reminiscent of many of the same methods Barry Gordy used to successfully run the legendary Motown Records many decades ago. While from first glance, the business appears to move smoothly and emanates an atmosphere of fun and leisure, Easop gives us a friendly reminder of the figurative blood, sweat, and tears that go into all things Ambition Ladiez. “I preach punctuality (for both in-person and recorded appearances), dedication to excellence, and an open line of communication for the ladies signed to this team (agency).”
With such a strong and rich culture of opulence infused into the Ambition Ladiez brand, the agency could very well forge its own path into the history books as a shining example for industry peers to follow for many years to come.
