Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Melnick.
Michael, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My life had little meaning until my brother got sober. I was always going through the motions. I had a ‘golden-child’ upbringing, attending UC Berkeley and being a division 1 athlete. One thing nobody understood about me (other than those closest) was that the vast majority of my life was haunted by my brother’s drug addiction and the aftermath. At around age nine, my brother went off the grid, alongside my dad (Vietnam veteran) after he was diagnosed with non-hodgkin’s lymphoma. I was raised with this “nothing is ever good enough” mentality that led me down many dark paths and alleyways (literally and figuratively). I lost my job last year during the pandemic and around that same time was when my brother and I rekindled a relationship that was soiled for almost 15 years due to his drug addiction.It wasn’t until I was reunited with my brother (he is now sober) that life started to have a deeper meaning.
After my brother (rapper name Riggy Marz) and I reconnected, he shortly thereafter signed a distribution deal with Sony; and his music is now available on all major outlets. Witnessing his success happen right in front of me inspired me to step out of my own comfort zone and start pursuing passions outside of my career in software sales. In a short period of time, I saw success as a dancer, actor, promoter, and nightlife videographer. My brother urged me to start pushing content out on Instagram and within a month or two, I was featured in music videos, collaborating with EDM and hip hop artists, touring with DJs, acting in a TV series, and helping jumpstart a media company, One Stop Media. I think the pandemic helped me understand why nothing in life is more important than just living and being happy. Happiness is a choice. Being able to wake up everyday and say to myself “ be happy and make this day count” completely changed my perspective. 2021 has easily been the craziest, scariest, and most thrilling year of my life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Smooth couldn’t be furthest from the truth. Every day is a struggle to a certain degree. It really boils down to embracing the uncertainty that intangible things like negativity, criticism and ‘bad vibes’ bring to the table. I’ve been insecure and suffered from anxiety my entire life, but ironically ‘putting myself out there’ actually helped with this. For example, exposing myself to ‘haters’ and ‘trolls’ of the internet turned into a creative outlet for me. I was too busy creating and collaborating with like-minded, grateful and conscientious go-getters to care about what other people thought. I would also say the ebb and flow of making traction with pushing out content and consistently finding work is also a challenge. One of my motto’s is “I only compete against myself” because I know that the best version of myself can do anything. I would urge anyone to think this way.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
One Stop Media specializes in nightlife and music festival videography, photography, artist management, and marketing. My role is head of business development and I am primarily responsible for expanding our list of clientele. I am also a contributor to recap videos. One Stop Media separates itself from other media companies primarily due to our rapid expansion since conception. In less than three months, my team has covered over 100 artists across the U.S. and most recently has been booked for some of the largest music festivals in the world. Our approach to music coverage is simple: every experience is a special one – whether it be for one person or 50,000 – because of this, we aim to make every video we put out as memorable as possible.
How do you think about happiness?
Waking up inspired is what makes me happy and staying motivated to appreciate the small things in life and how they propel me to grow spiritually, mentally and professionally. Reciprocity also makes me happy. Random acts of kindness and seeing that same energy brought upon yourself down the road. Seeing other people’s success also makes me happy. I think overall, life is a team sport. Although at times you might feel isolated, abandoned, rejected, and so forth; ultimately all of my successes are a result of my peers, my mentors, and those who walked in my footsteps at some point and helped me when I needed it most. Pay it forward.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.onestopmedia.info/
- Instagram: @mookyshuffler
- Other: @michaelmelnick (personal instagram)
Image Credits:
Relentless Beats, TommyWolfePhotography, Shotbyzalez
