100+ New York City Stories: Unscripted conversations with artists, entrepreneurs, small businesses and everyday people. Filmed, interviewed, edited & shared by LaRon Batchelor.
Tomas is a DJ, Mixologist, Chef & Traveler. “I call myself The Boulevardist. Its my alter ego. Man about town. I pride myself on being in touch with whats going on.” 8 years ago, Tomas “caught a free ride out to NYC from San Fransisco and has planted his roots. Our conversation covers his story, his eye opening experience while traveling to the “Motherland” – the Philippines, which inspired his latest project.
“A big part of who I’ve become is a traveler…Im required to travel 1 or 2 big trips a year I’m required..i made my way to the Philippines for the first time..thats was kind of a wakeup call..mainly b/c a big apart of my identity was checked..i grew up as a Filipino-american..when i identify myself in america..i identify myself as a filipino..growing up w Filipino traditions..but it wasn’t until i went out there i realize how filipino i wasn’t..this 1 guy came up to me ..was kinda of checkin me out..he says ‘where u from?’..i said I’m Filipino..he goes ‘no, your not Filipino your FilAm’…that sparked a whole personal journey. of being more conscience of my Motherland, The philippines.” Tomas from our conversation on his trip to his Motherland, The Philippines
14 NYC stories in 14 minutes. I linked snippets of conversations from stories I filmed btwn June 2010 to July 2011. A thread of conversations beginning with a new New Yorker who is proof that people move to NYC from all over the world; a man roller skating w the bottom of a mannequin on his head in soho; Freedom Bradley Dir-City Parks Foundations on what else “NYC Parks”; Founder of cleanplates.com the online healthy version of zagats; Guy wearing airtrekkers on Park Avenue; Iesha of Street Corner Resources, anti-violence teen protest @129 & Lenox; DJ Moma on going from engineer to DJ and “escaping the rat race”; Abby & Tori on the call that sent them to Haiti; Footwear designer Yusef Sirius El on 5 and 10 year business plans; Opera singer Joanna Bergin on the day she knew opera was her calling; Stylist Jason Rembert@Rocawear pop-up store on how he got his first internship at Elle; my first Yankee game, in the parking lot I get schooled on Yankee culture by my host and former Yankee exec onYankee branding..but he has a World Series ring, I LOVE NYC; Cinematographer/producer Shawn Peters on what is Weeksville.
”I’ve been an artist since I was 2″. Yusef Sirius El (Joe Davis) is a a man of many talents. Painter, musician but he is known for his success as a footwear designer. Name the brand..Adidas, Nike, ENYCE, he has designed for them. Millions have worn his designs. Our conversation covers his start and technical training at FILA where he was director of basketball & cross-training..then off to Avirex in 1997 where he built his “1st footwear line from scratch”. He took the business from $200,000 to $40million. Yusef shares his passion for working with small brands/companies, politics, shoe design, sneaker freaks, NYC Boroughs, moorish roots, love for painting, his label as well as his focus on being a strategic thinker by mapping his life out in 10 year stages. “A Mental Revolutionary ……on the path …puttin’ in work.” Yusef
