This post comes with a disclaimer. I'm a pretty positive person. I tend to try to keep this blog positive and look for the good in everything. That being said, sometimes you just have to call it like it is. I completely agree with the "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all", but sometimes, if someone can learn from your experiences, or if you can save someone from something, then I think it's worth saying. So. I'm going to say it.
First, the good. I met some really, really cool people. Fergal Murray, the Master Brewer for Guinness beers was as cool as they come. We had a great time talking business and alcohol for hours one night. And there were others, who genuinely seemed very nice, had interesting, fulfilling lives and didn't let things go to their heads.
That being said, I was shocked at the number of celebrities we were around, and how many of them were huge disappointments. I won't name names, but it seemed like every model/actor/athlete I met was simply there trying to leverage every ounce of celebrity they had for all the wrong reasons. It was the biggest 'pissing match' I'd ever witnessed. As a friend of mine said "All the respectable celebrities are probably home with their families, and not here." I hadn't thought of that, but it was completely true. It was a cross-section of humans that I can honestly say made me embarrassed to be part of.
It was a wake-up call.
I've been in the music biz for years, and met my share of famous faces. And it's always been something very fun and exciting to be around. I consider myself blessed to have met the positive people I have for this long. There have been a few here or there, that were a bit of a let down, but I always considered them the exception and not the norm. That being said, I can officially say I've now seen the bad side of fame, and it's pretty ugly. I met one individual - an ex-Super Bowl MVP, a Heisman trophy winner, who now, years after playing in the NFL, is doing nothing with his life. He couldn't tell me one thing he was doing besides playing in celebrity golf matches and flying around to events like the Super Bowl. There are so many people out there working so hard to fight the good fight, to find cures for diseases, or raise awareness for causes that would literally give anything for the clout that this person has, and he simply decides to do nothing with it besides party. And he's not the only one. his story could be multiplied a million times last weekend. As I sat there, I couldn't help but think if all of these people used their connections, their money and their fame towards something good, the world would be such a different place.
Looking back, it was a great experience. I learned a lot. I don't think there's anything wrong with success/fame/wealth, as long as a person doesn't lose sight of what's important, but if you do, let me be the first to tell you, it gets pretty ugly.
For anyone reading this. Go after your goals, be the best you can be, and be you. I personally don't think there is anything wrong with fame... But also think about how fortunate you are to be in the position you are, and what you could to give back to those less fortunate. We're here for such a small amount of time and once you're gone, you're gone. Do all you can, be all you can be, and don't look back when it's too late and have regrets.
Also - don't buy cheap sushi in Miami. It doesn't end well either.
