5
 
 
 
7:22 PM, Thursday, July 18th 2024:
 
6 months ago when my family got walloped by the NFL Media merger news...
 
 
...I had a bit of whiskey and we had a big family meeting. Everyone was so disappointed and sad so I grabbed our calendar and counted out 6 months and schedule another family meeting for a "Where are we now?" moment. It was part of my inner "lemonade life" mantra where I almost sub-consciously just start searching for how to make this moment a positive.
 
And again, not just pick yourself up and keep going (that's a given), but actually look back on the crisis and be able to say "If not for that CRASH, I wouldn't have gotten: THIS." After a week of molasses in my veins I started pushing. Making calls and hitting up all the contacts I was going to contact in August, but obviously didn't once the NFL news broke and that was how I looked at this: if the NFL thing actually HAD gone through? After the Super Bowl, the next several months of my life would've been that footage and shooting off-season stuff for prep the following season. At no time would I be pushing any other avenues because I'd be fine financially and of course my time and resources would go to the NFL.
 
Of course now I'm here and it's a whole lot of maybes. Granted, these maybes wouldn't exist if not for that Super Bowl loss... but what exactly exists right now? It's with that I show the ride TO the meeting today and then I can talk about the result...
 
 
I've been wanting to post a video like this for awhile. While this is the first time I drove to a meeting with THIS LITTLE excitement, this sentiment has been building... well for 6 months. Now understand, my mood? Never stops me - I just happen to be sharing what it all actually feels like. I still respond to every email within minutes/hours, I still book the SOONEST available next meeting (my whole family stayed home this summer JUST so that was possible) and I spend my free time producing and strategizing almost 24-7. There's not quit here...
 
...but I'm not a stupid man. And I have enough self-awareness to understand that there could come a time where I have to just kind of admit it's not gonna be this. I did that with Adam & The Egos after the Comedy Central crash. That was the culmination of ten years of pushing where I did finally move on. Thankfully I met Talya and got the greatest 10 year chapter of my life, but make no mistake I also "Let it Go" and stopped pushing 4tvs.
 
And that's kind of the crux of The Journey: admitting that it isn't constant positivity and belief. I've always HATED that about successful people describing their stories. Constantly believing without self-awareness is how you end up suicidal. You HAVE to be able to step-back and reassess with logic. Have to. It's a given you believe or you wouldn't even be in the game. No one is doubting my drive or push or belief in the product... but as these meeting go THIS WELL... and then never go any further? You do have to accept that it might not be time. The problem is, when it IS time? The big players will already be there - so if I want to cement that spot? I have to be ready at the beginning. I'm competing with Apple for fuck's sake. All I have is my will power and drive. I also have mortgage however and no matter how efficient I am with the money I have? Oh it's tight. I mean... it's tight. I need this to work. All the money is goin' OUT.

However... you ready for this? That was EASILY the best meeting we've ever had. I don't even remember her title because her understanding of what to do with this was so SPECIFIC and CLEAR? My ears almost fell off. She said point blank: no this will be on our APP and behind a PAYWALL. We can do this in 3 specific regions for 3 months and she knew the regions and who to talk to. She was blown away by how incredible it looked and FELT. She wants me to show the COO in New York and admitted that because of other things they're going through they couldn't roll this out until November at the earliest... but no matter, this wasn't one of those situations where we all sit around and try and talk about what happens next: she knew immediately. And understand those previous meetings? We hung out and talked because they were SO EXCITED about the presentation. That was always a GOOD thing. But she didn't need to talk. She got it immediately, knew exactly whot to go to next and asked me for budgets and breakdowns.
 
Not fuckin' around. GETS SHIT DONE. And it reminds me of what made us so excited at the NFL: everyone wins here. She wants the credit for making this happen and is in the position to do so.

That being said... this will take a long time. There are so many FRONT BURNER issues for Bally right now (ya know BANKRUPTCY) and it's coming to a head this month. So I have to be patient. But on this front? I think we'll at least get a 3 month shot to produce some incredible content.
 
And now we wait.
 
Adam