On My Radar: Young Girls Kicking Ass

When I was a little girl I secretly wanted these things:
1. to be in a band
2. to do competitive figure skating
3. to direct an episode of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

I spent most of my time daydreaming about those scenarios while jumping up and down on a tiny trampoline in my bedroom and listening to my mixtapes. “One day… I’m gonna… It’s going to happen… I see myself…”

I didn’t turn out to be a rock star, figure skating orator with Superman cred, but I’m quite pleased with the life I’ve carved out for myself. And it pleases me even more to know there are little girls out there living their dreams RIGHT NOW, eff waiting until you’re older. Git it, little ladies.

Starr Andrews: Figure Skater (9)

P-Star: Artist/Actress/Activist (15)

TEDxTeen 2010 – P-Star from We Are Family Foundation on Vimeo.

Elise Tan Roberts: Youngest MENSA Member/Baby Genius with IQ of 156 (3)

Own your power, ladies. A new book on female economic power, Influence, points out, American women are responsible for 83 percent of all consumer purchases; they hold 89 percent of U.S. bank accounts, 51 percent of all personal wealth, and are worth more than $5 trillion in consumer spending power—larger than the entire Japanese economy.

On a global level, women are the biggest emerging market in the history of the planet—more than twice the size of India and China combined. It’s a seismic change, and by all indications it will continue: of the 15 job categories expected to grow the most in the next decade, all but two are filled primarily by women. – Newsweek

Gents, cherish and respect the women in your life, especially the little ones. We’ll all benefit in the long run.

On My Radar: Media Job Layoffs Across All Platforms & The Impact On Original Content Creators

The economic crisis isn’t just affecting those working for corporate media owned digital properties.

Epic-Fu, one of my favorite web shows/original content-driven communities, recently announced that their web licensing partner Revision 3 would no longer be able keep them on as part of their network of shows. As a result, Smashface productions had to let go three of their Epic-Fu employees.

My instincts tell me they did this as an alternative to taking on sponsors who didn’t fit their message and would diminish their brand authenticity. They can afford to make this kind of choice because they are a small outfit and will be able to continue creating their content, even with less staff. Their current model works for them. This is one of the benefits of running your own company and controlling your message, but what happens when your growing company can’t find advertisers who support your content – and how do you allow this to inform what you are creating?

– YouTube star Fred creates episodes to promote the ZIPIT device

(More about the impact of sponsors on original content creators, after the jump!)
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On My Radar: U.S. Economy & You Looking For A J.O.B.

– image by TW Collins on Flickr

The number of unemployed people looking for work is now the highest it’s been in six years.

Every week I receive emails from friends looking for work and it’s becoming more and more difficult to to find ways to help them. People just aren’t hiring. Recently I had to pass on a part time job (TV related) and felt extremely guilty about it – not only because I tend to be a workaholic and feel like I have to be working 247 but because I didn’t have a friend who I could suggest for the position, as it required specific skills. I felt bad for being in a position where I could pass on a job, while others are struggling just to find one.

The blessing and the curse of work in the entertainment industry is that there is this illusion of job security. Even when people are broke, they still go to the movies, watch TV and buy music (yes, even those who illegally download). This need for entertainment keeps people like me employed and companies in business. Even during the Great Depression, 60-70 million Americans still packed into theaters each week.

I don’t have any more answers than the next person. The reality is that it’s extremely difficult to get a job right now, including in the entertainment industry. There are many factors involved including experience and skill level, departmental budgets, who you know and what you are willing to sacrifice in order to progress in your career.

If you are not familiar with these entertainment jobs sites and resources, you should check them out. This list is specifically directed to those in the NY area but can be applied to other locations as well.

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