We were lucky to catch up with John Chery recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, John thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Overall being creative is the most rewarding experience I can imagine. The reward is knowing that I’ve taken a risk with my heart and my time. I can possibly never see a profit from podcasting, but I know that my voice is valuable and that I am bringing value in other ways that supersede money.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
For anyone who is not familiar, My name is John Chery and I am the creator of the Imaginary Players podcast and brand as whole. My start in the media industry began around 2019. Podcasting as a form of media was a very fresh ,and my best friend Tyler Orrin Mckenzie called me one day and insisted this would be perfect for us to dive into. After months of convincing I obliged and the Imaginary Players brand was born. In 2019 we began simply as a weekly podcast that touched on all topics ranging from lifestyle, sports, music and pop culture. As we gained popularity we were able to release multiple clothing lines and sell out multiple events. What sets us apart and what we are most proud essentially go hand in hand. We are most proud of our resiliency. Our leader and co-founder Tyler Mckenzie was plagued by his battle with cancer during our development and growth. He never complained, always kept a smile on his face and was always ready to work. Unfortunately this past year we lost his physical presence, and through our time of grieving the entire imaginary players community has rallied behind us and we have built a following of love and genuine appreciation for our brand ,and that is all we ever wanted. I want people to know that our brand is about the people. Our podcast goal has always been to inform and entertain. The goal with our clothing has always been to make you feel like the best version of yourself. The goal of our events is to bring a community together for a fun, safe and inviting time to rejoice.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect about being a creative is very clearly being told that you make someones day with your creativity. When we get behind those microphones we use our everyday life experiences to bring joy to the listeners and make sure that we are putting our best foot forward to give you the best audio and visual experience possible. We release episodes on Fridays purposely to get everyone’s weekend started with a smile.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
The lesson I had to unlearn was to balance the personal and non-personal journey with creativity. In media we are in the business of personal relationships. A-lot of progression comes from being given an opportunity by someone else, and often that doesn’t happen. I had to learn not to take that personal. I had to learn that the work will be enough, and accept that everyone’s journey is different.
Contact Info:
- Website: imaginaryplayers.com
- Instagram: imaginaryplayersnyc
- Facebook: Imaginary Players
- Twitter: imgplayers
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@imaginaryplayerspodcast9388/featured