Lauren Kaye is a Writer above all else, she
writes poetry, scripts and about food. She studied Hospitality and Food
Catering at college before moving onto Media at university. During and
post her studies of a BA in Media & TV Production she wrote, directed and
produced over 30 productions. She still freelances as a Filmmaker to this day.
In 2008 while she was still a student she founded Infiniti Promotions which
hosts events throughout the year. In 2010 she set up her food blog Deevah's
Cravings to get back to writing about the food industry as it is one of her
first loves. She has written and performed poetry since she was 7 years old and
is currently writing her soon to be released book of poetry.
Please tell us what is a typical business day for
you?
I get asked that question a lot by
people as they find it fascinating that I am self-employed working in creative
industries. I am a Filmmaker, I run a multi-service Events company called
Infiniti Promotions and I am a Writer (Poet, Author, Screenwriter). Therefore,
any day is based on the project at that time. If I am putting on a promotion event
which is most likely to be my Infiniti Reels Film Club or Poetic Justice
Showcase, then I will most likely be venue scouting, contract writing, budget
writing, holding auditions for acts, going through film submissions, holding a
team meeting, video or photo editing, promoting at events or on the streets,
booking and hiring freelancer’s.
If I am working on a film project I will most likely be spending the day
doing pre-production work which is not as glamorous as it sounds as it is full
of written work, research, phone calls, meetings and emails. Auditions are fun
for the most part but hands-on production is where I find my joy but it often
takes months of pre-production depending on the budget and the project itself.
It is long hours either way. Film production and event production do not differ
too much, which is probably why I find it so easy to bounce between the two, as
stressful as it can get.
With regards to my poetry performances and writing, poetry events are
mostly held in the evening typically on a Thursday, Wednesday or Sunday
however, on Saturdays hours vary depending on the job. I love performing. I get
to say what’s on my mind, share my creativity, make people laugh, cry
(especially at weddings) or blush. Much of my poetry is “edu-taining” and
thought provoking. I am self-publishing more than one book right now so that is
dominating my day to day work at the moment. Like most entrepreneurs and
creative freelancers, I practically work 24/7 with no average set-hours unless
I was on a film set. I typically work all through the night no matter what I am
doing, as in literally till the sun rises. I am one of those people who wish
there were extra hours in the day and I would clone myself if I could.
What made you start the business and what steps
did you take to start operating as a business?
When starting Infiniti Promotions, I
was a university student living in my own apartment, who really wanted to make
quick money on the side to live better than I was
while benefiting socially and professionally from it. For me the
most appealing option was to become an Event/Club Promoter and get cash in
hand. I tried to work directly with Night Clubs and independent Promoter’s to
be a part of their team for just some part-time work and the experience but that
wasn’t working out. It’s a very closed crowd where many Promoter’s do not want
to share the attention, credibility or money for that matter.
I then decided to put on a rave myself but it flopped, which I blame on
my approach to not taking it seriously enough. I was excited, naïve and driven
so it was devastating and embarrassing for me to say the least but it made me
extremely determined to try again with a more business mind set. I thought of
an appropriate company name, there was no one but the Infiniti car
manufacturer’s that I knew of carrying that name at the time- not even BT
Infinity had come out yet. I wrote an informal business plan, brought the idea
to two of my closet friends who I could trust to work with and bring my vision
to life and moved forward from there. Raves turned into poetry & music
events, which branched out into charity fundraisers and film clubs. Promotion
events is a high risk industry as you are not guaranteed an income that
exceeds your expenses let alone efforts, so I added extra services in order for
more money to be generated and so that the brand can stand strong.
I have been making films independently since I was 19. I did a summer
course at New York Film Academy and came back much more aware of the industry
than before which prompted me to build my profile so I started entering film
competitions and gaining work experience with production companies. When I was
20 I started my first business as a Wedding Videographer. I began directing
Music Videos for up and coming Artists as well as Music students which was good
practice, attended high profile film festivals and began freelancing. Since
leaving university I have been working on my professional short and feature
films under my production company in development. I love business and I plan to
be a mogul to be reckoned with in the future.
What would you say has been your greatest
accomplishment in the business world to date?
Nothing can top the feeling of your first sold out product or event which I
have experienced. When I launched my poetry & music event series Poetic
Justice, not only did it sell out on the first night but it was what I continue
to describe as a “night of perfection.” I had wanted to organise and host my
own poetry event long before I knew I wanted to become a Promoter. I was always
a Poet. I have been writing poetry since I was 7 years old. I have been
performing since my early teens but kept that to myself. Till this day I only
like to perform to strangers but doing this event gave me the nerve to invite
my friends (I still prefer not to perform infront of family). I killed it! So
to speak, my great line-up of underground Poets and Musicians killed it, the
vibe was perfect, my friends and new contacts were telling me how proud they
were of me. It also meant a lot because I did not have my team to help me for
that event, I had to organise everything by myself and prove to them that my
vision still had value regardless of previous losses. The whole experience gave
me more confidence as a Performer, Host and Event Organiser.
My favourite accomplishment to date is my custom poetry greeting cards
that I launched via my Infiniti Promotions. The brand was always going to
include merchandise and I long had it in mind to have greeting cards be a part
of that as I am obsessed with them, so it was only fitting to incorporate my
poetry into it. The handmade, custom written cards that I have made so far have
had an overwhelming response of emotion. The way that I have touched people
with my words, the wonderful, priceless feedback that I get is why I do what I
do. Few things make me happier.
I was exceptionally proud of myself when I made a commercial for Emporio Armani
back in 2008. That was actually an international competition set by the fashion
brand for independent filmmakers to compete at the chance of having their ad
broadcasted on television and winning €8-10k. I was a media student at the time
working on several other freelance projects as well as my coursework. I had no
budget what so ever to make my ad but I made it work with my determination,
ideas and gift of the gab so that one always makes me feel good about myself
and my portfolio.
What has been your biggest challenge in business
so far?
Raising funds for such an expensive industry and I mean that in regard to both
film and promotion events. In the early days I really impressed myself and
audiences who did not know better, with making a micro budget look lavish. Time
Management is problematic to say the least when you do what I do. Another
challenge that would probably always provoke me is finding creative people who are
both talented and professional. Ego’s come before professionalism in the world
of creative minds far too often.
What are your future plans for the business?
I am expanding the retail sector of
Infiniti Promotions. The promotion events will continue although in a different
direction than before so all changes are currently in development. Publishing
in general is my current way forward for business in all aspects of what I do
and this will include my books and greeting cards. I am all about synergy and developing
my brand. A poetry book from me has been high in demand for a while now and I
am happy to say that I am finally self-publishing my debut collection of poems,
while starting an online crowdfunding campaign. More details can be found on my
poetry blog LK Knows Her Writes.
If you had to do it all over again, what would you
do differently?
Plenty of things. I would start my
business at a later date. I’d still freelance early but would post-pone
starting Infiniti Promotions because I did allow its full-time demands to
consume my life, affect my school work and jeopardise parts of my film career
when that should have been my only focus at that age. I do wish that I enjoyed
my youth more and was not so set on chasing paper and trying to prove myself to
family, friends or professional peers. I think only people who have a tremendous
amount of financial struggles or the few young people who live on their own
would understand that kind of pressure.
I would most certainly not underestimate the extent of sexism and racism
in business. Prejudice is apparent in a social setting but in business it’s
just ridiculous and in the nightlife of Club Promotions there is no PC, for the
most part it is blatant. Other than the common issue of money, the battles I
faced as a Black person and as a young female were unbelievable. There were
many incidences I was not prepared for but it is the reality that we live in
and should not be sugar coated or ignored. The Promotions world is hands down a
butch industry and the film/entertainment industry of course is male dominated
too. I thought it didn’t matter at first since there are many women doing it
who have paved the way for me but no-no-no. Thank-goodness that I’m tough
otherwise I would not be able to handle it. Bottom line, I would be more aware,
sceptical and less trusting of people I work with or share things with not
matter how close we are, because as truth has it not everyone wishes you
well.
What’s the best compliment you could receive in
business?
That you are good at what you do. Having regular customers is also a silent
compliment within itself that speaks volumes.
Why is it so important to inspire young women in
particular to follow their dreams?
I take the empowerment of women very seriously. Most self-esteem issues
start at a young age and most of us have had experiences of being told things
like “You can’t…” or “A young woman should….” Females of any age are constantly
being put down and it’s disgusting, we must fight against that everyday to
change this mind-set and break this barrier. Regardless of what country or
culture that they are from that tells them otherwise. I also think that it is
more important to inspire young women today than 10 years ago because evidently
we have relapsed. What was once a progressive movement with significant change
has significantly back-tracked in recent years, this is even in regard to the
Western World. So much so that last year new quotas were introduced in the UK
to make sure that a woman is to be a part of the board of a company that is of
a particular size.
Generally, women earn at least 23% less than men in the corporate world,
while working at the same level or job role as their male counterpart. In India
and China it is still common to abort female foetuses and they largely consider
girls to be of little to no worth. This day in age is also one of the worst
times of underground sex trafficking of under-aged girls. Bear in mind that
this is not just referring to developing countries but America, Poland, Italy,
France and England. Although these are corrupt, international trades of
organised crime, truth has it that lack of encouragement and inspiration within
girls and young women does lead to low self-esteem, dropping out of school,
under-aged pregnancies, unhealthy relationships, promiscuous behaviour and
prostitution. It is common and unfortunate but it can be helped. Installing
confidence and encouragement to young women is imperative. We must tell our
girls and women that “You have worth!” Once you have life you have purpose, do
something with it and don’t let anyone tell you different.
On a less political yet debatable note, we all know that females often
look each other as competition hence why jealously and bitchiness often follows
suit with our behaviour towards one another and it’s embarrassing. There’s
really no need. Not that my words are going to change the world but it’ll make
some of us check ourselves. Not everyone is going to like each other or
appreciate someone’s work and if you don’t then just leave each other alone and
move on. However, when you do appreciate what another woman is working with or
you admire their goals and dreams do not put them down about
it, discourage them, try to tarnish or take away what they are doing. Encourage
them! Praise and collaborate or be quiet is how I see it.
I don’t feel that we need to keep proving that women can achieve their
dreams, can do it as good as, if not better than our male counter parts or what
have you because it has been proved numerous times before and for centuries
(fact). There has already been and you can very well be; a female Astronaut, a
female President or Prime Minister, Film Producer, Fashion Designer, Graphic
Designer, Editor In Chief, Song Writer, Plumber, Mechanic, Soldier, Architect,
Judge, Hotel Owner etc. Even more so, you can be a mother, wife and business
woman. As a matter of fact, ‘Mumpreneurs’ are a big part of what is holding up
today’s economy in UK and USA by contributing £7.4 billion to the British
economy alone. If you don’t believe me do your research.
What advice would you give to somebody who wants
to start a business in your industry?
Self-confidence and research is key.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes just be willing to learn from them. In
fact, I have a poem called ‘Lead the Way’ that gives plenty good advice on
this, furthermore one of my up and coming books goes into this much
deeper. Look out for it on my blog. Convenience is expensive so be
prepared to make some great sacrifices to get what you want. Film and events
are incredibly time consuming and often go into late night hours and weekends so
be aware that it will effect and overlap into your social life. It’s all about
balance.
Being an entrepreneur or freelancing for a living is never easy but it
can be a lot of fun and incredibly rewarding. Have a side hustle because while
you are chasing your passion you will be broke and you won’t enjoy it. Either
start your business part-time while paying your bills with a full-time job or
go into your business full-time while you manage a part-time job.
What or who inspires you in business and why?
It’s very seldom that I have one
answer for questions such as these so I’ll put it like this; my biggest
inspirations in business are Donald Trump, Hugh Hefner, Kimora Lee
Simmons, Russell Simmons, Diddy, Richard Branson, Tyler Perry and
of course Oprah Winfrey. This is obviously a diverse, distinct group of people
but what they all have in common is that they are innovators who have put
themselves above everyone else in their field because they knew or came to know
how to develop their brand, branch out into ‘the unknown,’ knock down barriers,
sustain longevity and become a profitable, relevant, mogul force to be reckoned
with.
The people who inspire me creatively, which in turn effects some of my
business decisions are; Spike Lee, Maya Angelou, Steven Spielberg, Terry
McMillian, Natalie Stewart, Hype Williams, Chris, Diane Martel, Brett Ratner,
Dave Myers, Shonda Rhimes, Ed Libby, Jennifer Saunders, John Singleton, Quentin
Tarantino and F. Gary Gray. These people are at the top of their game with what
they do, I admire and respect their work immensely. I would be lying if I said
that their work does not inspire me or that I would not want my creativity to
emulate the creative genius of theirs. There are others but I’ll need more time
to think and that will take up too much print space.
What are your favourite inspirational quotes?
It’s not the load it’s how you carry it.
Entrepreneurship is spending a few years of your life living the way
that most people won’t to spend the rest of your life living the way that most
people can’t.
Tough times don’t last, tough people do.
The biggest enemy to creativity is self-doubt.
www.infinitipromotions.co.uk
LKsamuels@infinitipromotions.co.uk
@LK_ReelDeevah, @Infiniti_Pro
