Meet Philly Flyboy | Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Philly Flyboy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Philly, what role has risk played in your life or career?
For me, taking risks has always been easy. I think this has a lot to do with my personality, but overall, without risk, there’s no reward. Throughout my career, I’ve taken risks countless times, but I don’t really view them as risks because I’m confident in what I want to do. I understand that risk is a part of the process, and if I truly want to move forward, I need to embrace it.

From this perspective, risk becomes an integral part of the journey, and the fear associated with it diminishes. It’s also important to have realistic expectations regarding risk; yes, there can be rewards, but there can also be setbacks. When setbacks occur, if your expectations are aligned, they won’t deter you from taking more risks, which is essential for reaching your goals.

I’m so focused on and in love with what I do in film that risk doesn’t seem daunting to me. I’ve mentally prepared myself throughout my career to view risks positively. If something goes wrong, I don’t dwell on it or let it stop me from taking further risks.

Moreover, when risks don’t pay off, I learn immensely from those experiences. Each setback makes the next risk easier to navigate because I’ve gained insights into why the first attempt didn’t work out. This allows me to maneuver in a way that increases my chances of success when I take risks.

As my grandfather always said, “Education costs money.” He wasn’t just referring to college tuition. For instance, if you skip getting insurance on your car to save $65 a month, and then you crash your vehicle and owe $50,000 in damages, you’ve just acquired a $50,000 lesson. Moving forward, you will likely ensure you have insurance on your vehicle.

Sometimes, lessons do come with a price. It’s crucial to minimize that risk by approaching it as a part of the process rather than something to fear. When you do fail, if your expectations are set correctly, you won’t be deterred. Instead, you’ll learn from the experience, move forward, take more risks—bigger risks—and know how to navigate them for better outcomes because of the failures you’ve faced.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career started out as something I never thought I could actually make a living from. It began as a passion for music and art. I had a recording studio and engaged in art and photography for promotion for the record label and the artists, including myself. Eventually, we needed music videos, and that’s where this path began. After creating my first music video with a rental camera from a news channel, I immediately realized that this was something I was very passionate about. In a short amount of time, people began contacting me to pay for videos.

I always worked a regular job, knowing that in order to develop an entrepreneurial career, I needed to be humble enough to finance my side hustle. I was fine with making that sacrifice. Coming from Milwaukee, I sought to break into the industry, especially since I started before the rise of social media. I would send out DVDs of my work to record labels, trying to get into the music industry, but that approach never really worked. I was always plotting ways to network, and ultimately, my networking combined with my work ethic, along with having something to show, proved to be essential.

Having content that was enticing for clients or motivational for others to want to work with me helped leverage my limited resources to attract the attention of people who could utilize my skills. I wasn’t asking for a handout; I was working with what I had and creating high-quality content. So when opportunities arose, I was already in motion. This is a key essential for getting to where you want to be. Asking for help is fine, but being prepared for when that help is offered is half the battle. Nobody wants to take on a charity case; you have to show improvement to earn opportunities.

Networking is 90% of the battle, and many people neglect that aspect of their journey. To be found, you need to put quality work in front of people to prove that you’re worth investing in. Being from a small city like Milwaukee, I knew nothing about video production and had absolutely no one locally to talk to, so I learned everything the hard way. I made hundreds of mistakes but didn’t get discouraged; I kept figuring out creative ways to network, especially before social media, which was incredibly difficult. When social media became a thing, I understood the power I now had at my fingertips.

To this day, I still contact 30 to 40 people regularly, even though I’m not in that position anymore. I don’t take my connections for granted and always rely on my networking skills to maintain my career. I spent my earnings from my regular job on equipment and paid for things for videos to make them look good. I sacrificed being away from home for months to be in the right areas and seize the right opportunities. I attended hundreds of events and spent thousands of hours online learning about this industry, absorbing information and constantly trying to fine-tune my approach.

I was never looking for a handout; I simply wanted to work with someone, not for someone. I leveraged the portfolio I built, showcasing everything I had done on my own. Ultimately, the truth is that no matter who you are or where you’re from, you have to combine three things: you must have something to show for yourself, you have to be actively working, and your networking has to be nonstop. You can never take anything for granted.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m from Milwaukee and currently live there, but I’ve also lived in Atlanta and have a love for that city as well. I’ve been fortunate enough to move around and get to know what to do in Milwaukee; I consider myself an aficionado, lol. However, I’m always learning new things about Atlanta, its culture, and the different places to go. There are levels to this city, just like any other, from the tourist attractions that most people come to see to the various neighborhoods, such as Five Points, Buckhead, and Bankhead. These areas are constantly evolving.

The biggest change I’ve noticed in Atlanta over the last 10 to 15 years is the significant shift in the city—some good, some bad—but overall, Atlanta feels like home. The people of Atlanta are incredibly hospitable, yet they also have an attitude that says, “You’re not just going to come in here and tell us what to do,” which I love.

As for me and Atlanta, if I were to take someone on a tour with my mid-level knowledge of the city, a couple of things I would do would be to check off the main tourist attractions like the aquarium and Piedmont Park to get those out of the way. Personally, when I’m in Atlanta, I frequent a lot of T.I.’s spots, such as the Trap Museum and Trap City Café. I think one of the must-do experiences in Atlanta is being part of one of the homecomings; the college network here is incredible, and they really turn out for those events. Because the city is so music-driven, you get everything from big bands to your favorite rappers. You also have to catch a sports game, whether it be college football with the Bulldogs, the Falcons, or the Atlanta Hawks. You’re definitely going to see a celebrity while you’re there!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Throughout my career, my hard work and ambition, along with the potential in my skill set, have been recognized by others, taking me to another level. Specifically, DJ Woogie connected me with Trae tha Truth, who took me under his wing and put me on the fast track to success. Through him, I met rapper T.I., who built on what Trae had already done and put me in a position to truly expand my opportunities.

Additionally, during that journey, I met a pivotal group of guys from the Florida Film House in Miami: Marco, Mall, and Blah. They were the ones who really convinced me that my skill set was underutilized and guided me on the direction I should take to apply myself and improve in film. I continue to work with these individuals to this day and am committed to expanding my opportunities alongside them.

Instagram: Phillyflyboy

Youtube: https://YouTube.com/phillyflyboy

Image Credits
Randolla
Gifted talents
Yoyo shot it