life un/hyped

012: Darrien Craven - Automotive Photographer / Artist

Darrien Craven has taken the automotive world by storm and if you haven't heard of him, its probably because you aren't into cars. However that is not a reason not to know this great man. Darrien by nature is an artist and a visionary in the automotive space but that's probably due to his exposure in other arts such as music at a young age... specifically the drums and guitar. Along with having parents in the creative field, Darrien had no shortage of artistic influence and you can see all of that in his photography.  We talk about what it takes to shoot at his level, what gear is important, how long he's been shooting and much more. I hope you love hearing parts of Darrien's life you never knew about... especially the part where he said that he had great anxiety due to his stuttering issue (which I didn't even know about because he speaks so well).  We all have our short comings but its all about how we use our strengths to overcome those pitfalls.  You can find Darrien on his IG page: https://www.instagram.com/_crvn_ [https://www.instagram.com/_crvn_] If you liked this episode, please share it with your friends and tell them about the podcast.  Have a great 2020 everyone! Drew

011: Paul Nguyen Art - Rebel, Tattoo Artist, Business Opportunist

Sometimes our path to our destiny isn't a straight line... as a matter of fact, for most people its a fucked up line. There is a lot of shit we have to plow through to get to where we need to go. Paul shares his story about how he became a tattoo artist, how his art lead him out of trouble (or even into trouble) and how his education in marketing and business lead him to do what he does today.  We did go off on a bit of a tangent around 1 hr and 15 mins for about 20 mins. I was gonna edit it out but said, "Fuck it"... this is a RAW ass podcast. You get all of it, good or bad. It is a bit long at 2 hours but I hope that you got something out of it. Paul even stated that he wishes he can find someone hungry enough to mentor but you are gonna have to prove your worth.  Too many kids want shit now without even proving  their value. Entitlement is the fastest way to get rejected by an old school cat, so don't come around with an attitude that anyone fucking owes you anything because no one owes you shit. If you want something in this world, go get it... if you are lucky enough to land a mentor, I hope that you find one that suits your personality and that you can leap frog past all the BS.  Thanks for listening... do great things. Much love, Drew You can find Paul on his IG page: https://www.instagram.com/paulnguyenart [https://www.instagram.com/paulguyenart]

010: Andrew "Lloyd" - A life reflection at 27 years old

One of my most endearing interns from back in the day is Andrew aka Lloyd, that I met back in 2010 while at my old studio in downtown Pomona. Early on I knew that we had much more in common since we had very similar upbringings. Children of immigrant parents taken on much more responsibility in general than children of 2nd generations and beyond. When I first met Lloyd, he had so much turmoil going on in his life and at the time of recording this episode, you can tell that he is still affected by that experience from over 8 years ago.  In those moments of circumstance, we learn so much about ourselves and really develop our character from all of the hardships we have been through. Life is hard as fuck and only gets harder with each passing year. Life is savage AF as it gives no fucks about you or your situation. Add Father Time into the mix and your entire 20's is a complete fuckery for the most part. Being 2.5 years away from being 30 years old, hear how Lloyd has been trying to cleanse himself of desires and figure out how to make his parents proud of him while still trying to find himself in the process. Life is a constant battle to stay focused and relevant. Don't ever let off on the gas but at the same time, take in as much as you can by slowing it down. Life is always a double edged sword. No matter the obstacles, get out there and do great things. You can find Andrew aka Lloyd on his IG page: https://www.instagram.com/coldgamedrew [https://www.instagram.com/coldgamedrew]

009: Brandon Enthusiast - Traveling + Car Passion

I brought Brandon on the show because I wanted to share his story about traveling to new lands and discover new lifestyle within his passion. I met Brandon earlier in 2019 while in Miami for a big Porsche show called DRT. Followed by LA, Chicago and then back to LA again for other Porsche related events. Just last week, he came to PEC (Porsche Experience Center LA) to fulfill a dream of his to drive the 991 GT3 on a race course. Being the passionate guy he is, he traveled out to Socal by himself to enjoy the fruits of his labor. I invited Brandon to crash at my house and join me and some friends on a two day rally to Joshua Tree. We had such as amazing time and I talked about if he was traveling with a friend, I may not have extended the invitation. Mainly because at that point, plans would have been more concrete and group dynamic gets weird with too many people clumping together.  It is exciting for me to see so many young people traveling as it is the best way to discover how people outside your comfort zone life. Only then can we become better humans as we can easily understand the differences in lifestyle. I hope this encourages all of you to do things outside of your comfort zone and discover new experience to last a lifetime. I think I can easily say that Brandon had one this past weekend to make him happy for a very long time. You can find Brandon in Florida but also on his IG page: https://www.instagram.com/brandon_enthusiast/ [https://www.instagram.com/brandon_enthusiast/]

008: Eddy Chen - Becoming a still photographer for Hollywood

Life is all about having great relationships and to find great relationships, you have to go out there and meet people. Just last weekend, I went to go buy a '92 Benz 300TE station wagon from a friend of a friend and in just a few short days, Eddy and I have become pretty chummy. With photography and cars in common, it wasn't long before we made all sorts of connections with the people we know and the mindset we have for life. Eddy is a still photographer for Hollywood and having been a union photographer for over 7 years, he shares how he had to work his way up in the industry. He gives a lot of credit to two of his mentors who not only helped him learn the photography game but also how they plugged him into the industry.  We know it's more so who you know and a bit less about what you know and in Eddy's case, this proves true. However do not get it twisted in thinking that just cause someone cracks the door for you that things will come easy. You still have to put your ass on the line and give it your all.  Thank you Eddy for sharing your story with me and the following. Very cool to know that there is a job out there that encompasses documenting all of the things on a Hollywood set. I wish you continued success but more hurdles to jump over so that you can become an even better you for tomorrow. You can find Eddy below: Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/likethejetsons [http://www.instagram.com/likethejetsons] Website: http://www.eddychenphotography.com/ [http://www.eddychenphotography.com/] Drew