Media and technology levels the playing field for everyone. Fortune 500s to hip hop studios and every business in between are embracing The New Content Culture™ Publishers’ M.O.™.
Meet two high-energy, visionary, 20-something entrepreneurs. Their hip-hop media production facility, iDAYDREAM Studios is one of the remarkable reasons why downtowns across America — like Danbury, Connecticut — remain relevant in the 21st century.
I’m talking about Chris Mateo, and his business partner, Kenny Vasquez.
The studio space, I’m told, was a meatpacking plant back in the day. Today, it is packed with microphones, cameras, flat-screen displays, and merchandise manufacturing equipment — essentials for young, creative entrepreneurs who create and market their digital content.
“This space is the creative expression of peace, love and music,” Chris explained. “We have an atmosphere where creative people can come together with no judgment from others, and truly express themselves.”
Chris’ vision for the studio came about after losing people he loved to the streets and suicide. “I don’t want to lose anyone else to suicide, gun violence or stupid mistakes,” he said. And he’s living that dream.
iDAYDREAM is one example of how Danbury, previously known for its now-defunct hat factories, has found new life in the technology space. Publi.io consultant, Greg Pings, a Danbury resident and the editor of The New Content Culture — along with many of our posts here on The Hub — met Chris at a business networking event.
“You gotta meet these guys,” Greg told me after his initial meeting. “Their business model offers young men and women a way to channel their energy, get off the streets, and make money on their creative vision. And they read your book!”
Who could say no?
I walked into iDAYDREAM’s reimagined space to discuss how my team can help Chris and Kenny implement the Publisher’s M.O., and grow their business. The first thing I saw was Chris’ copy of The New Content Culture that Greg gave him a few weeks earlier. It was dog-eared, highlighted, and marked up with scribbled notes in the margins.
I toured the studio and saw the amazing things they are doing to build an audience that stretches from their hometown to as far away as China. I saw their podcasting studio, the edit suite, and the video equipment they use to sell music, merchandise, digital advertising services, and cars. Cars? Yep. Cars. Chris has arranged with suppliers to create an auto-delivery service that they promote on social media.
These guys “get it” in the way that two young men intent latching onto AND creating big ideas that can change the world can “get it.”
In the thousand meetings that I’ve sat through in my career, it’s safe to say that not I’m not easily surprised. Fast forward to the 3-minute mark on this video. I gotta say I did not expect this:
Chris Mateo with Keith R. Reynolds on The New Content Culture™ Publishers’ M.O.™
A 90-minute podcast during a customer call is not a thing that happens to me. Until now. Chris and I hit it off from the get-go, and Greg joined us for the conversation.
Chris, acting on behalf of his audience, asked me how I developed the The New Content Culture™ Publishers’ M.O.™ I had to go back about 30 years, back in the days when digital technology was breaking on to the scene. I was a lot like Chris and Kenny — young, full of promise, and lots of cool tech at my disposal. Our conversation took off from there.
The New Content Culture is a fine way to pass along the great truths of media, technology and marketing that Greg and I learned during our corporate lives. Now, as a result of the technological advances that Chris and I discussed, these lessons and capabilities are accessible to anyone — right in their local communities.
As a result of our meeting and collaboration, look at these media elements we created for Publi.io:
Danbury is not the city it used to be, or so Greg tells me. That’s kind of a shame because I appreciate a good chapeau. However, I’m very happy for Danbury, because no city can stand still while the world around it changes. Danbury’s future is bright so long as it continues to attract talented people, who bring transformative ideas to their communities: people like Chris, Kenny, and their visionary clients.
Media and technology: They’re how you stay relevant in any century.