The most conflicting aspect of advertising for young people in the industry is access. Each major production provides access to cool cities and top notch hotels around the world. Not to mention access to interesting people, big name directors, celebrities, actors, etc. Plus, there’s access to exclusive experiences – floor seats at the Lakers game, easy entrance into “guest list only” clubs, or invites to private events, award shows and after parties. Oh yeah, there’s free alcohol every step along the way. Access is easily the best perk of the job, but in the hands of an immature, unfocused mind, it’s also the most dangerous.
I’ve never been a hotel snob, so when I checked in to the Le Montrose Hotel in West Hollywood as a young copywriter, I was content. The place was as low key as I was, and walking distance to Sunset Blvd. In a pre-Uber world, where renting a car was a must, it was nice to be in walking distance to food and entertainment. After checking into the hotel, I took the elevator heading to my room. And upon exiting, I realized the mega boy’s band, Boyz II Men, was staying on my floor. Apparently, they were pretending to be as low key as I was.
During my stay, I met another young Black guy my age in the lobby of the hotel. He had a familiar swag and laid back demeanor. Hearing the drawn out cadence of his voice and seeing the St. Louis Cardinals hat on his head let me know we had something in common. I approached him looking up at his had, “yo, you from the Lou?” He smiled. We spent the next 45 minutes talking about home and sharing what brought us to L.A. Turns out he was a music agent hoping to get one of his singers signed to a major label. I was impressed. To my surprise, he was impressed with what I did for a living, which struck me as odd. “If he only knew I worked in a cubicle”, I shook my head and mumbled to myself. By the end of the conversation, he tells me about this Jodeci party he and his artist were invited to the next night. “Everybody’s gonna be there man”, he said with a grin, “ you rolling with us or what?” And just like that, I was going to the Jodeci party.
That’s the thing about trips to L.A., they never go as planned. You step off the plane focused, excited to bring your project to life. You’re contemplating all that can go right, a happy boss, a thrilled client and a cool project that could add rocket fuel to your career. You’re also contemplating everything that could go wrong. And on every single production, one fatal mistake or a series of them, can literally cost you your job. With stakes that high, you’d think a young creative would be focused solely on the shoot and a good night of rest. But good ole L.A. has a way of offering unexpected distractions that seem just too tempting to pass up.
The day of the party, I went to the Beverly Center and bought an outfit. I came back to the hotel and looked at my pre-pro book. I had an 8 a.m. call time, meaning, I probably needed to leave the hotel by 6:30. As I did the math in my head, I figured, as long as I left the party by 2, 2:30, I’d get enough rest to be functional for my big day on set. Feeling content, I took my shower, laid my clothes out on the bed and preceded to get ready for the party. I sprayed cologne, took one last look in the mirror and that’s when I heard it. It was my inner voice, with two ominous words, “don’t go.” Spidey senses? On the night of the Jodeci party? WTF! I took a long deep breath, shrugged my shoulders, and began to get undressed.
The next day on set went really well. I was rested and focused with no hangover. Deep down, I knew I made the right decision, but all day, I kept thinking about that party. Who was there? What happened? Could I have met someone with an opportunity that could change my career? Every time there was a break in the action on set, my head swirled searching for answers. Later that evening in the hotel, I bumped into homie with the Cardinals hat. “Hey man, had some last minute work stuff, sorry I didn’t make it last night, how was it” I said, in my most convincing voice. “Bruh, be glad you didn’t come.” He goes on to describe a wild party scene that turned into a police raid. Apparently drugs were confiscated and people were arrested. He, his artist and myself, could have easily been one of them. To top it off, he never saw Jodeci at the party, and was beginning to question if it was their party at all. Damn.
The lesson? Parties, clubs, epic bar nights, there’s a place and time for everything. And that time, is not the night before a shoot. There’s nothing more embarrassing than creatives who go missing or show up late to set. It makes the agency look bad to the production company and the clients. It’s also a pretty terrible personal hit on your reputation, and in many cases, it costs you your job. Also, always trust your intuition. It’s one thing to be invited to a party personally. It’s another to crash one with someone you just met. In the high stakes game of navigating your career, I’ll leave you with the immortal words of legendary coach, Pat Riley, who famously said, “keep the main thing, the main thing.” One luv.