What Media Made Possible For Me

I've always been interested in how companies evolve. Virgin began by selling records and eventually established businesses across several industries. Samsung started as a trading business and became one of the world's largest technology companies. I enjoy studying their histories, particularly the decisions and opportunities that allowed them to pursue entirely different forms of business. I've never wanted to limit myself to one particular field, and building companies gives me the freedom to explore my interests, learn from people, and experience the world in ways I find meaningful.

The name Positive Space Media was inspired by the idea of creating a positive space through media. Much of the inspiration came from my own experiences growing up and the influence media had on my life. I liked movies and reading books, often finding myself captivated by people accomplishing incredible things. I'd sit there watching a film and think, I could do that. Stories expanded my imagination and introduced me to possibilities I might never have considered on my own.

David Letterman was one of the people who influenced my interest in media and journalism. I appreciated how he commanded the stage, particularly his ability to engage with people through conversation. He could be funny and spontaneous while drawing out interesting aspects of someone's experiences. His curiosity and approach to interviewing made conversations entertaining while giving audiences an opportunity to learn about another person. His connection to Ball State University eventually influenced my decision to attend the school.

While studying photojournalism at Ball State, I had a professor who played an important role in helping me clarify my approach to journalism. He introduced me to Gordon Parks, whose career encompassed photography, literature, and filmmaking. Parks documented American life through an extraordinary body of work, bringing attention to people and communities while exploring important social issues. I appreciated the humanity of his work and the attention he gave to understanding his subjects and their circumstances.

His career was especially interesting to me because he pursued many of the creative disciplines I was drawn to myself. I recognized in his work an approach to storytelling that could extend across different mediums while maintaining a consistent perspective on the world. My professor helped me develop a deeper appreciation for photojournalism and encouraged me to consider the responsibilities involved in telling someone else's story. I remain grateful for his influence and the perspective he introduced me to during my education.

Photography became another meaningful part of my personal development. For years, I enjoyed taking pictures without sharing much of my work publicly. I spent time photographing skateboarders at local skate parks and exploring the city with my camera. Photography gave me a reason to pay closer attention to my surroundings and build connections with people I encountered along the way.

When I began sharing more of my photographs on Instagram, people started discovering my work and reaching out with opportunities. Some shared my images with their own audiences, while others hired me for photography, content, and production projects. Work I'd spent years creating privately became the foundation of a public portfolio, helping me establish credibility and develop commercial relationships through my creative interests.

I found the experience particularly interesting because of the role technology played in making those opportunities possible. Instagram connected my work with people who valued what I was producing and were willing to invest in my abilities. A platform designed around sharing images gave me access to audiences, professional relationships, and opportunities to participate in work I enjoyed. It helped me understand how technology could create meaningful connections between someone's interests and the resources needed to pursue them.

My interest in journalism and documentary filmmaking comes from a similar appreciation for people and the opportunity to learn from their experiences. I genuinely enjoy speaking with people whose knowledge or experiences can broaden my perspective. I've had discussions lasting ten minutes that gave me more clarity about a subject than I might have gained from spending hours researching it independently. Being able to ask questions, explore someone's thinking, and understand the experiences behind their perspective is one of the things I enjoy most.

There is an important human element to journalism that I find particularly meaningful. Understanding someone's experience requires patience, empathy, and the willingness to listen carefully. A good interview can reveal details that would be difficult to discover through research alone. You begin to understand how someone interprets the world, the circumstances influencing their decisions, and the experiences that have contributed to their perspective.

Documentary filmmaking allows me to extend the value of what I've learned through these interactions. I can spend time with someone, develop a deeper understanding of their experiences, and communicate what I've learned to an audience that may never have the opportunity to meet them. I value the responsibility of interpreting information thoughtfully, preserving context, and allowing people to develop their own understanding of the subjects being explored. Media has introduced me to ideas and perspectives that influenced my life, and creating media gives me an opportunity to share what I've learned with others.

At High Point University, where I studied business, I appreciated the school's emphasis on experiential education and the practical application of knowledge. HPU placed considerable importance on preparing students for life beyond the classroom and connecting them with accomplished people. I enjoyed being part of an environment where students learned about business through the experiences of people who had built companies and pursued ambitious ideas.

Steve Wozniak was among the people whose presence on campus made the environment interesting to me. One thing I've admired about his philosophy is the emphasis he places on enjoying his work, treating people well, and remaining curious. He's described happiness as smiles minus frowns, which resonates with the way I approach building companies. I want to enjoy the work itself, continue learning, and spend my time developing ideas I genuinely care about.

My education provided opportunities to explore different disciplines and encounter perspectives developed through experiences far beyond my own. I was also fortunate to grow up around intelligent and accomplished people who were generous with their knowledge. Having access to people I could learn from helped me understand how they approached their ambitions, evaluated opportunities, and navigated unfamiliar challenges. Throughout my life, these experiences have continued to strengthen my understanding of the work I've wanted to pursue.

I've come to appreciate how significantly access can influence someone's opportunities in life. I've encountered incredibly talented individuals whose abilities extend far beyond the resources available to them. Someone can possess tremendous potential while having little understanding of how to enter an unfamiliar profession or develop an idea into something meaningful. I believe curiosity and critical thinking can be cultivated through experience, education, and exposure. Sometimes an introduction or a few words of encouragement can influence how someone approaches an opportunity for years afterward.

The question underpinning much of my work is simple: How do I replicate that experience at scale, so more people can see what's possible and have the opportunity to pursue it?

I think about how much of my own development was influenced by access to people, information, and experiences. A meaningful interaction can introduce someone to an idea that changes how they understand their abilities or the world around them. Institutions have the capacity to make similar experiences available to people across entire communities. I've spent much of my life interested in creating environments where individuals can discover opportunities, develop their knowledge, and gain access to the resources necessary to participate.

Positive Space Media reflects my thinking about the relationship between information and opportunity. I've written previously about the importance of local news and its connection to economic development. Someone might read about a project taking place in their community and recognize an opportunity they hadn't previously considered. Understanding how to participate may require additional knowledge or access to resources. I'm interested in developing platforms that help people discover opportunities, understand their relevance, and take meaningful action.

The broader vision behind Positive Space Media has guided how I've approached the company from its beginning. Advertising and communications provided an initial commercial foundation, allowing me to establish operations and develop resources that could support the larger undertaking. Advertising remains part of my business today, alongside the journalism, publishing, and production work that reflects the company's broader purpose.

I spend much of my time developing the platforms and infrastructure behind these operations. Our newsroom and digital publishing systems are part of the work underway, supported by technical capabilities developed through a separate company I own. The businesses have distinct responsibilities, with opportunities to share expertise and resources where their work intersects. I enjoy being able to pursue different interests through organizations that contribute to the larger enterprise while maintaining their own direction.

Over the years, I've invested earnings from earlier commercial operations alongside my personal resources into the infrastructure and intellectual property behind my businesses. I've been fortunate to retain full ownership of the companies I've founded, giving me the flexibility to make decisions with their long-term needs in mind. Much of my attention goes toward researching ideas, improving existing systems, and developing the capabilities required to pursue more ambitious work as the businesses mature.

I recognize the importance of giving an organization the time and attention it needs to develop. Some of the problems I'm interested in addressing involve communities and institutions whose needs require sustained research and collaboration to understand. Improving access to reliable local information, for example, involves more than developing a publishing platform. It requires understanding the communities being served and establishing the editorial and operational capacity to produce useful work consistently.

The same considerations apply to creating meaningful pathways into education and economic participation. Developing useful solutions requires listening to people with firsthand experience and working with institutions that understand the environments involved. I want my companies to have the infrastructure, knowledge, and relationships necessary to contribute to work whose value can extend across generations.

Business has also become one of my favorite ways to experience the world. My curiosity takes me into unfamiliar fields and introduces me to people whose perspectives I might never encounter through my ordinary routines. Sometimes an interest develops into a commercial opportunity, while other experiences simply give me a better understanding of something I enjoy. I like having the freedom to explore both, and I find considerable satisfaction in developing ideas into businesses that other people can contribute to and build upon.

There's something rewarding about creating an organization that can continue developing through the knowledge and interests of other people. As my companies grow, the people involved will bring their own experiences and ambitions to the work, often recognizing possibilities I haven't considered. I'm interested in learning from them and seeing how their contributions influence what we create.

Beyond the companies themselves, I think about the people I may never meet who encounter something we've created. Someone might discover an unfamiliar profession through a story we publish or develop a different understanding of the world after watching a documentary. Another person might find the information or resources needed to pursue an idea they've been considering for years. Their interests may lead them somewhere entirely different from what I imagined, and I may never know what they go on to accomplish.

I've benefited enormously from people who shared their knowledge, encouraged my interests, and helped me recognize possibilities I hadn't yet imagined for myself. Many probably have no idea how much their influence meant to me or where it eventually led.

I think there's something meaningful about being able to extend a similar opportunity to someone else. I may never meet the person, hear their story, or know what they go on to create. I like knowing that the work we're doing can become part of someone else's experience, giving them something useful to carry forward in whatever direction they choose.