We recently connected with Justin Lane and have shared our conversation below.

Justin, appreciate you joining us today. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?

Well I’ve been working in customer service, delivery service & retail since I’ve been 16 years old and I’ve personally had plenty of experiences and stories working for American Airlines, Aldi, Office Depot, Amazon GameStop, Home Depot, Bed Bath and Beyond and other major retailers and each of them have been more different than the last. But in those years of customers service I’ve dealt with the worst of people like Discrimination, Bias, Prejudice, etc as a young adult tryna navigate workplace life for the first time. A customer could have the worst day possible and take out all their anger or frustration out on me and unfortunately I would just have to stand there and take it.

Because yes having work ethic and experience on the job field is important but I’ve also learned working on yourself, your craft, your passions, being their for your family/friends will push you to fight harder and grind smarter on what you love and what makes you happier even though I was working somewhere i hated and with people who treated me cruelly but my drive for film, creating videos and being an entertainer like I am today made everyday +10 years of endless day and night shifts while being an creative has it more manageable and determined to never give up on myself and to look forward to tomorrow.

Because 9-5 job or a side hustle or a source of income is essential for every young adult to get money to fund the projects, but I’ve learned the hard way by getting getting laid off or fired by underperforming with unreasonable expectations that these places require you to give up on who you are and who you want to be. And yes they’ve crushed my spirit plenty of times to where mentally i felt like a failure but if I wasn’t gonna rise again and hustle for myself and my creativity…No one else would. That’s why i always remember “Never make your job bigger than your dreams”. Because you could work for a company for 20 or 30 years and the next day, they would fire you and everything you’ve done and achieved there would’ve been for nothing. So you might as well live and strive for what you dream to be. Better to struggle with what you love doing than succeeding in a field where you’re miserable.

Justin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Basically I originally started my “JustinImFamous” brand to help promote my city, its events and the community as a whole as a promoter just being everywhere on the scene and showing the talent and hidden gems that I felt were slept on. But shortly after, I discovered myself to be talented as well on the side of videography, promoting and marketing. But the skill i discovered was I could act in a very versatile & expressive manner. I knew I was naturally good beyond the camera with getting media coverage of the events I would go to but in front of the camera my creative, actor and online personality side would shine the brightest and flourish through my nervousness. “JustinImFamous” stands out because the want or desire from people wishing to be famous and to be “The Standout Guy” is already a mental battle but with my tenacity and determination it’s not a mental or spiritual battle anymore because I’m already there and no one can touch me. It’s more than just imagining the future of possibly being famous but I’m manifesting my destiny by putting my name in stone and solidifying I’m Famous now, it’s never a ego thing, I’ve done the work but now it’s time for the world to see.
I’m most proud of the experiences and memories I’ve had in this +10 year journey of content creation because yes everyone wishes to be an overnight success but there’s no fun or enjoyment of it. The long journey of trial & errors, wins & losses, the laughs and tears are all a necessary part of learning your craft and fine tuning it over time while growing yourself and growing with others along the way.
Well i want folks to learn from me is to take spontaneous chances and take risks on yourself, your ideas, your family/friends. Because an opportunity to actually be happy and be yourself is rare but being happy, being yourself while working on your dream career or dream passion is ultra rare and not many people will ever see that glorious chance so why not standout and enjoy the one life you have. Because fear of failure is very real but I’d rather fail trying what I have love and experience new things in this life than be unhappy and unsatisfied.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I find the most rewarding and satisfying aspect of being creative is always the unexpected unconditional love from the audience or those who actually take the time to look me up and consume what i produce. Since I’ve been on YouTube & Instagram, it never ceases to humble me and excite me how people can approach me at random parts of my day while I’m out in my city and they said “Ohh I love what you do, when’s the next drop, keep doing what you’re doing, and I’m just standing there in awe like Wooow I genuinely don’t be expecting sooooo many people to actually take the time and watch video, after video, after video of me and want more. Especially when it’s family calling me and telling me that my big & little cousins are so proud of me and the content I put out or I’m involved In like short films, skits or music videos it’s just another level of pride and joy knowing I have plenty of people actually rooting for my success is a heartwarming as a creative. And it’s crazier when random people from comments online actually met me in person and actually want to speak with and how entertaining I am and how I made them laugh, it’s still unreal at this but it’s even more validation to know what I’m doing is I’m truly meant to do.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Honestly the best way to support artist and creative in our current environment is to just consume local, support local, and buy local. As a creative, the entertainment industry is already hard enough with these big labels, corporations and studios pushing and marketing they’re own talents and products on the market but it’s another thing trying to get exposure on your own with a limited budget and so many followers online.
Shopping online or in person and Supporting local from spreading word to mouth and resharing online is the easiest way to build up a business or community of those who constantly working on their crafts or business. Because supporting is the heart and soul of a creative or local talent who wants to make a breakthrough in the industry and it starts with us.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Justin_ImFamous
• Youtube: JustinImFamous
• Other: Instagram: FamousTalkTheShow
  YouTube: FamousTalk
  Twitch: JustinImFamous

Image Credits
Michael Rakim