Thanksgiving

Well Thanksgiving is coming up and I hope I get ham instead of turkey. lol. Either ay I will be in Houston with the family and my little nephew. It will be nice to have a week with the family and just chill and relax.

Today was cool, work tried to stress me. Two clients just had outrageous demands and I had to quell them. The bottomline is this is my company and I hold the upper hand, as much of a learning experience this is, I will not be undervalued. I really sounded like I went up onto a pedastool, but remember when you go into business for yourself the only person who puts a price on your work is yourself. Have confidence in your abilities.

My cousin is coming in town this weekend. Its so funny because he likes this girl a lot and I've been in his same position before. He's young though he will learn not to put all his eggs in one basket. ;) Either way her and her cousin are coming in town with him and it should be a hell of a weekend. We are going to party Friday and maybe chill with some jschoolers on Saturday.

My love life? All is good I've learned to be more patient and understand I know what I need and want. Hell idk everything is just good right now. The funny part is I ran into this girl I started to have a crush on at the photo store today. Always interesting when you see a crush somewhere and its like 'do I go over' 'do I not go over' its so funny. Either way I did and when we talked everything picked up like it never left, I like that about her. She is going back to Brazil for a while near December. I have kind of been ignoring her, but only because I started liking her and we were just supposed to be friends. Anyway, hopefully I can see her before she goes back for a while. I'd really like to show (not tell) her how I feel. Its funny I talked about my cousin obsessing over one girl, but I wrote a whole story about a woman I like. Lol I guess we are related.

Anyway, I hope anyone reading this enjoys their holiday and my random rants. Remember, never give up on your dreams!!

Life is amazing!

I can't even describe how amazing everything is in my life right now. It is really a surreal experience that is hard to explain. All my dreams and wishes are coming true faster than I ever imagined.

I'm only 26 years old and I already have a master's degree, my own company, and live in the city of my dreams. Every day more and more amazing things are happening to me and I just have so many people to thank for putting me in this privileged position that I am currently in.

To have the privilege to be able to go back to my alma mater and speak about my experience leaves my speechless, and to be a keynote speaker at that speaks volumes.

Sometimes you work really hard and have to take a step back to see everything that you have accomplished. Since, I went to grad school I have not really had time to do that, even after I graduated. Now I feel like fame's homecoming is a chance for me to reflect.

Not only to reflect, but to educate, party, mentor and re-live the place that is so epic to me. I never realized how big a homecoming could be until now. It is really everything wrapped up in one.

I can't wait and I'm only 4 days out. (3 as I speak really.) I've accomplished so much and only have more in store. I'm so excited to be in this current moment!

Famu Keynote Speaker on Graudate school

I will have the honor of speaking at my alma mater about graduate school and the importance of it down the road. I sent this bio to the Dean and it made me reflect on my journey. Take a listen.

My name is Tommy Hawkins. I'm 26 years old and from Dallas, Texas. I recently graduate from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism with my masters in journalism in May 2014. I graduate from Florida A&M University in Fall 2012 with my bachelors in broadcast Journalism.

When I graduated from high school I started at community college because I didn't know what I wanted to do. After receiving an opportunity to go to FAMU, I began to develop my journalism skills by becoming a staff writer for the FAMUAN covering the Women's Basketball beat. As I continued to develop my writing I became interested in video. I then interned with TCC and FAMU Athletic departments working as multimedia intern. As I began to take advanced video course at FAMU my skills and confidence grew. During my last semester at FAMU, I took Advanced TV News and SPecialized TV News (although it was recommended not to.) along with 5 other classes, I was interning at TCC's television station 15 hours a week, and I had a part-time job as an apartment leasing agent where I accounted for %30 of the %85 percent of move ins.

One professor planted the idea of grad school in my brain about a year before I graduated and considering everyone in my family had a master's, and salaries were not looking promising after graduation, I decided to apply to 3 grad schools. I was ecstatic when I found out I got into Columbia and embarked on a 10 month journey of some of the most incredible journalists in the world.

I minored in science at FAMU and despite my expertise in sports, I decided to focus on science video. I took advanced video seminars with the top professors at the University and also completed 2 science courses where I had the opportunity to work with Marguerite Holloway, a renowned science journalists.

After graduating, another student and I started a video production company called Hawk IV Productions, LLC. We started the company on July 1st. So far we have grossed $6,000 dollars in sales during our 4 brief months. I am the CFO and CEO, which means I handle the financials as well as the generation of new revenue and all other business matters. Its challenging its tough and I love it. I'm happy to be where I am and wouldn't change my journey for anything. 

Back at it

Yes I took a little hiatus, but I'm back. You know I'm all about the money so business has been great.

Essentially, I graduated almost 5 months ago, but it feels like just yesterday. People are so caught up in what your job is and what your doing that they are not taking time to absorb such a high level of self-discovery. I really believe you leave grad school with more confidence you ever had in your life. Your surrounded by people of such high esteem that when you leave school with their stamp of approval it feels like a writ of passage.

I now know that what I'm doing is exactly what it should be. I want to make this post short because the lesson is. "There are always more steps and growth to be had in life, but remember your core character is what carries happiness into your life."

#thatisall

peace.....

Good Days

Right after the tough days come the good days, which is the yin and yang of the world that you must accept.

Currently Wiz Khalifa speaks about this in his latest album when he says relax everything is coming to you, just relax.

If I didn't experience the tough days, I wouldn't be prepared to make that same tough day a good day later in life.  In this case I gained a lesson and it made my good day that much better. (mo betta blues)

Anyway, this is a short post because the lesson is simple. No=Yes

Sounds weird, but all it means is as much negative there is positive. When you believe, have faith, and love whatever you desire in life you will attain.

Your reality is your own. It cannot be duplicated. It is only understood by you. Love Yourself because when you do loving everyone else is easy.

PEACE AND LOVE!!

Tough Days

Today was a long stressful day, filled with my roommates bitching about non-sense. I could get into all the semantics, but it would be pointless, what is that really going to solve. Anyway, besides all the bullshit I dealt with today, I had an amazing day with a beautiful woman. It's so refreshing to see black pride and power prevail through the chains and shackles of America. I live in Harlem and I'm honored to walk these same gritty streets as the greats who came before me.

Sometimes I get wrapped up in all the drama of life and I don’t step back and realize how far I have come. The young man who my family is so proud of. The entrepreneur that I always aspired to become. The courage to endure critics and take rejection because I know I love myself and that is all that matters to me. The mastery of love is a difficult and complex thing that will take me years to perfect.

I guess ultimately what I’m trying to say is that despite all the drama we create in our lives and yes we create it. We must understand that it is there for a reason and it is there to teach us. To make you a stronger person than you were before. The power to realize you made a mistake and rectify it. The chance to say damn I didn’t charge enough or I didn’t have the greatest audio. Don’t beat yourself up about, accept what you learned from the experience and move forward. Life is about capturing the brief moments we have and at 26 I’m happy for every breath of air I take.

Late Night Blog

So this is the late night blog. Life After graduation. Listening to Check me Out with Nipsey Hustle. My good friend Antonio next to me, about to hit the LES.

Everyday I wake up I feel privileged to live another day on this beautiful earth. The mind is what it creates and through those experiences your personal feelings of inner happiness guide the essence of your life. IF you have positive thoughts all the time than you have positivity in your life. You definitely experience negative emotions, anger, sadness, annoyance, etc. Despite all of these thing you know their is a silver lining and you understand the bad only leads to more good. If you believe this it will happen. I want to give you a PERSONAL LIFE AFTER GRADUATION MOMENT.

Went to the CPA at Score mentors and discussed options for my financial situation. Found out I was worried about too much and needed to focus on revenue. Music to my ears. Sat home and thought about what my good friend Joel said. Wait if I have a business location I can write off that space as an expense, then when equal that in revenue, the money isn't taxed. This is a genius concept. I feel so empowered. Loving life. Onto the next beautiful discovery.