February AOTM Winner
Brycen Blaskey
- @brycen_blaskey
1) Q: Give us an introduction about yourself?
A: Born & raised in Arizona for 18 years as a desert rat. When I turned 18 I decided I wanted to get as far away from AZ as I possibly could to see how far I could push myself. Traveling was huge for me, and I had no restrictions to hold me back like school anymore. It was open season right there. I ended up moving to Hawaii where my dad grew up. I moved out to Oahu, and started to go to college here. That’s pretty much how I ended up falling in love with this island, and haven’t left much since.
2) Q: Where are you from?
A: Scottsdale, Arizona
3) Q: Where do you live now?
A: Honolulu, Hawaii
4) Q: How did you get to where you are today?
A: A bit of a crazy story actually. I was originally going to join the military because I didn’t want to go to college. I knew I wanted to help people, and I love adrenaline. I was scuba certified at the tome I graduated, and i was looking into getting my skydive certification. I hadn’t been skydiving ever at this time. I wanted to join the military to be a para-rescue trooper. I committed to going out to Hawaii instead after I graduated high school, but I was super unsure about it. At the time I was still committed to ASU. That was my fallback plan because I was afraid Hawaii would be too big of a leap for me. I thought hard about it over the summer, and I decided to go on a backpacking trip during this time. I went to 6 different countries in Europe over 6 weeks. In Italy we hit Rome, Venice, Cinque Terre. After that I hit Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, London, and then back to the US. Had an absolute blast as it was one of the best experiences of my life, and I have so many insane stories from it. Good & bad… just crazy all-around. After getting back from there I had a better idea of what I wanted to do, and I decided I was ready to venture out of my hometown. I came back from my Europe trip a new man, and within 24 hours I was off again, on my way to EDC Las Vegas. Raging face in the deserts of Vegas with all of my best friends since I was 12 years old. Then two weeks later I’m living in Hawaii, on my own from there starting my new life.
5) Q: Is there anything notable that happened while growing up that shaped you into the person you are today?
A: I think one of the biggest things that effected my childhood was not growing up with technology. My parents refused to get my siblings & I a cell phone or an Xbox like everyone else until we were in 8th grade. Absolutely ridiculous stuff, but they encouraged unto go out instead. My friends are out here ripping COD 24/7 having fun, and my dad would just not budge. I was obsessed with football, and I wanted Madden so bad. My dad basically said if you want to play Madden then why don’t you just go outside & learn how to play in real life. He always told me that everything I wanted to do with technology seem like it could be achieved in real life instead. Instead of playing FIFA he would say why not go outside & train to become like Messi. I was always trained to take the road less traveled, and I like doing things that other kids didn’t want to do in my area. Like scuba diving was something I was always really into, and no one else around me was. Something like less than like 5% of our oceans have been discovered, and it makes me really think about what is underwater. There are millions of people living on the coasts right next to our oceans, but who actually knows what is 20 feet underwater right next to them. Spending time underwater in that environment with different animals, and trying to look at the world in a different perspective. I guess that is something that highly contributed to how I was shaped when I was younger. My parents taught me to explore in real life, and to learn new cultures outside of my own. Growing up I learned the ways of different religions like buddhism, and I learned to respect all cultures. Seeing things in a different light, and stepping back to see the bigger picture was huge in my personal development.
6) Q: If you could live anywhere in the world for free, where would you choose?
A: I would love to live on an island, and live a self-sustaining lifestyle somewhere out in French Polynesia, Tahiti, Papa New Guinea, Bali, Tasmania… It’s just so hard to pinpoint one place. The world is gorgeous, and there is so much I still haven’t seen.
7) Q: What are your talents?
A: I love adrenaline, and I love doing things with my hands. I can’t sit in a chair for a long time, and I am a very active person. Skydiving, scuba diving, photography, cinematography, marketing, and some other technical stuff. I really love making people laugh, and I think people should take life less seriously some times. It’s important to step back, and crack a joke here in there. I’ll roast myself at the expense of my own demise just to make someone else’s day without hesitation. A smile could change a life.
8) Q: Are you naturally talented, or did you acquire your skills?
A: Naturally talented when it comes to my physical ability, but there are certain skills I definitely had to acquire in regards to creating.
9) Q: How do you develop your skillset & improve your talents?
A: I’m always working to improve myself. I make a fresh to-do list everyday, and make sure to accomplish them no matter what. It’s a reward system for me. If I get my priorities knocked out of the park then I’ll just enjoy the rest of the day doing what feels right for me. By that time I’m already motivated, and I continue knocking new things out. Always looking at ways to make my process more efficient, and allow me to become better.
10) Q: How do you leverage your talents in your professional career?
A: Definitely by not being robotic, and letting opportunities flow. Being able to negotiate what I have to offer with photography, videography, and skydiving combined in exchange for compensation is how I leverage. Taking promotional content, and doing it my way. I have my own little niche market where companies will come to me with requests, and they’ll ask me to take their products out with me during my activities. For example, a scuba diving company wanted me to show that their fins work in the air as well so I put together a campaign to showcase how it can be used for dual-purposes.
11) Q: What are some opportunities you have gained because of your talents?
A: Honestly, I have gained a lot. Especially when it comes to gaining more exposure, and connecting with more people. Obviously you contacted me after I applied for AXO Talent, and I got exposed to you & the alpha pack. You literally brought everybody over to Hawaii, and I got to meet Val, Sam, Jackk, NotJvck, Jay, Arnie, and everyone else. Even to this day I still talk to those guys, and I occasionally message them about stuff. I think I have grown more with other creatives in general than I have with brands. Like I love having people come to hangout, and crash with me whenever they are on island. It’s nice to have the chance to meet more people, and create more life long relationships. Like what if I’m in Australia one day, and I need to connect with someone who I met when they were out here? What if you’re in Bali the same time as me ya know? We can link up, and that is when the real opportunities begin.
12) Q: What do you do for work in the industries you are experienced in?
A: I work as a skydive instructor, and I also do paid social media marketing campaigns where I make content for brands. On the side I am a bartender because everyone needs a side hustle while working on a dream. I always stay positive with all the brands I work with because you never know who they could refer you to.
13) Q: Who, or what, inspired you to get started in your career?
A: The first video I saw that got me inspired was these two guys skydiving, and they absolutely nailed it. It was back in 2013 I think, when vine first started. These two guys with a pink & green helmet. I thought it was awesome, and I had to get into it. I needed to experience that sensation, and have been on the hunt for that thrill since. Once I got into it everything else just kind of fell into place. I started off with a GoPro, and the rest was history.
14) Q: Do you enjoy the work you do?
A: Absolutely, I love it. My room is a blacked out editing cave at times, and I am fine with it. If I could stay in my room for days just editing I would absolutely love that. I love skydiving, I love editing, and I love creating, I have whiteboards all around my room with storyboards written out. When I get inspired I just jot it down, and then start brainstorming. Always creating & I love it.
15) Q: What is something you have failed at, and did you learn from it?
A: When I first graduated college I wanted to get a job at some marketing or management firm. That’s just how society pushes you to do things, and so I applied to a bunch of places I thought I would want to work at. Big corporate companies, and I never got hired to any of them. They basically all turned me away for not having experience. From that point on I just started working for myself, and learned how to make my own income.
16) Q: What are some of the biggest myths about the work you do?
A: A lot of people think they’re going to die when they go skydiving the first time. A lot of people also think that editing is really easy, and it doesn’t take any time to do. They see a beautiful photo, and they think it just turned out that way. Yes, there is beauty in raw footage, but most of the content people see nowadays has been manipulated in some sort of way, and done so with meticulous attention to detail which is difficult.
17) Q: What are some recommendations for others just getting started in your field of work?
A: Have fun, play around, and don’t be hesitant. Be optimistic as much as possible, and don’t be afraid to reach out. If you market yourself to a company, and don’t get a response you can’t get discouraged. I’ll contact multiple companies a day, and send them a similar speech. If they don’t answer then I’ll make another list that I can contact the following day until one of them hits. It’s all about persistence, and having the will to persevere through failures. Keep trying, and ask questions. Keep an open mind always. When I was with you, Valdays, or Jack Delulio I was always over your shoulder asking how you were doing stuff. You guys were probably annoyed with me, but at the time I was just enamored by all the new information I was learning. I was like a kid in a candy shop. You guys had been doing that stuff for years, so for me I thought it was so cool. Put yourself around people that force you to grow into who you want to become. Especially as a creator too.
18) Q: What is your opinion on social media?
A: Social media has good and bad aspects. It can bring the world together, and it helps spread awareness instantly. Although it can also be very detrimental when you have racist people posting hateful comments for example. That stuff is bogus, and I don’t get why people have to be like that. People should just encourage each other, and be kind to each other. Social media can really ruin people’s mental health, but it can also be extremely helpful to open up doors. We wouldn’t know each other without it honestly.
19) Q: What are you most passionate about?
A: Traveling and experiencing everything. I have always been taught to question everything, so traveling allows me to see more things to go deeper within. I want to understand how the world works, and why certain issues exist. My biggest fascination is traveling, and seeing the world from a different perspective. I keep my third eye always woke.
20) Q: Whats your top 3 goals in life?
A: Visit every continent, visit every country after that, and visit somewhere like the marianna trench or go to space.
21) Q: What motivates you daily to achieve your goals?
A: Wanting to better myself. Self-growth is huge for me. I wake up every day wanting to be better, and that motivates me in itself.
22) Q: Best advice for increasing productivity?
A: Through my to-do lists, and my whiteboards. I have my daily goals, and then I have my annual goals written down.
23) Q: What is your philosophy on life?
A: Have fun. Everyone has to play a role in society, and you get to choose what that is. Not everyone is going to be born into millions, and have their cards set for them. I’m not making millions, and traveling to everywhere I want to be just yet. I wish I could, but I also know that I can work towards that by being a productive member of society with what I have now. I like to have fun with my job, and I keep a balance. I believe in a work - life balance where I don’t overwork myself to the point that I cant see the ocean. There’s no point f me living in Hawaii if I can’t step foot in the ocean. I might as well be living in IOWA in that case. You gotta enjoy what you have, and keep a balance between work/ life. That’s what keeps me going, and grateful to be alive.
24) Q: If you could be any animal, what would you choose?
A: Eagle, Hawk, or a Shark.
25) Q: What is a fun fact that no one knows about you? // or // a fun story that you would like to share?
A: On Friday the 13th it was my golden birthday, so I turned 13 on that date. I can also stick my shoulder blades out. One time I was skydiving, and it was y first solo jump. They make you wear this jumpsuit, so it covers all your clothes to make sure nothingness flopping around. When you get your skydiving license you can wear regular street clothes though. I was wearing this hoodie, and it was frigid cold in where I was jumping back in Arizona. The guys I were with said “this is your first solo jump, so we’re gonna do it from 17,000 ft… and you’re going in your underwear.” I knew it was gonna be freezing up there. We had to get clearance from the FAA, but they couldn’t because it was absolutely freezing up at that height around dusk. It was nearly negative degrees, so they called it off. What I did instead was that I put on my jumpsuit over my boxers. They made me jump first out of the 8 guys to jump first, and I was the new guy. I had to give a countdown, and then the other people go after. I step off the platform to give the count, and I stretch my leg out. The air was so string that it ripped my pants off, and pulled me right out of the plane. These pants are like wrapped around my ankles & my shoes, but since they’re wrapped around my ankles I can’t spread my legs to stabilize myself. So I’m stretching my legs out, but I’m spiraling like this little neon sausage in the air. Everyone is watching me, and someone said I looked like a spinning banana.