Today we’d like to introduce you to Fri Forjindam.
Hi Fri, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a storyteller. A world builder. A Vibe Curator.
My story is a whimsical, nomad punk musical set in three acts. Act one follows the 80s journey of an awkward, imaginative Cameroonian girl, lover of Disney VHS tapes and consumer of pre-recorded episodes of the Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre, CNN international with Christian “80s bangs” Amanpour and Dynasty. My short-lived stint at an ultra-conservative, all-girl boarding school (run by Irish Catholic missionary nuns) unlocked the beginning of era filled with self-generated contraband short stories and misplaced hormones at the hyped-up annual social with our neighboring all-male school. Act one of my story is choreographed to the aroma of fried plantains, the words of Chinua Achebe and Psalms 41, to weekend-only screenings of Bollywood movies (with Arabic/french subtitles) at the local cinema, and the pressure of academic test score rankings broadcast on national radio from the top-performing kid in every class…down to the last. Still reading? Great, because it get juicier…
Act two of my story is a cross continental, time travel into an alternate 90s universe where West African accents and UK-infused education come with a proper thrashing at recess. The setting: New Orleans – a literal gumbo of ideas, music and culture. What living in Louisiana from 94-98 meant for a now pimple-faced teenager was that of survival. I adopted a new accent, a closeted identity with the local theater troupe, and an affinity for watching turner classics at my friend’s home instead of reveling in what teenager normally do when sleeping over elsewhere. Under the watchful eye of my legal guardian (because my parents stayed in Cameroon), I unknowingly found myself listening to “grown folk” conversations that included that of an up-and-coming trumpet player who went by Wynton; eavesdropping on tech rehearsals with some band that loved the month of “September” at the very first Essence Music Festival…and later I would naively tip off the secret service in my request for an autograph from some dude at the rally who was running for office. His wife would run for presidency in about 20 years. This whole 90’s sequence unlocks an affinity for the arts in ways that would impact me in my adulthood.
The 2000s for me resembled a musical montage of many firsts: first kisses, first hangovers, first college roommates (who introduced me to Debussy), first myspace downloads, 4000th myspace downloads, first drama class, first miseducation of Lauryn Hill, first pre-med declarations, first regret immediately after said declaration, first solo bus trip to NYC for an audition, first realization of entertainment as a career, first day as a theatre MFA actor, first of many long rehearsals into the night on 116th and Broadway…and on to the current act.
Act three jumps forward a few years to the middle of a 2008 conversation. With the recession very much at the top of all news cycles, the conversation was more of a reflection on whether to return from maternity leave to my safe and secure job as an executive assistant or to pursue a new creative path with purpose. I chose the latter! A colorful choice that began with a 3-person journey from Glendale garage to now, where I serve as co-owner and Chief Development Officer to Mycotoo, an award-winning experience design company based in Pasadena, with global projects worldwide. The intermission to my story is a quiet reflection about what it means to be vulnerable, what it takes to dream in story, and why it pays to Do It Scared!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s always a struggle owning your truth! Accepting your life experiences as vital ingredients to the secret sauce that makes you unstoppable. Isn’t there that saying about there being nothing stronger than a broken woman rebuilt herself? Simply put, no it has not been a smooth road…but I don’t know that that’s the point. I’m more curious about the people I’ve learned from, the signs I’ve picked up and been enriched by along the road…rather than the actual road. Your life experiences is your signature appeal, your superpower…that struggle never goes away, but it does morph into something bigger than you. Hopefully, a boulder that clears the patch behind you for others to learn and build off of.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Mycotoo, Inc., a global leader in entertainment strategy, live events and immersive brand experiences. Voted “Top Media” company by Inc. 500, Mycotoo operates in North America and Europe, with successful projects worldwide including studio theme parks (Motiongate and Bollywood Parks) and live events (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor in Long Beach). We are proud of the award-winning brand experiences we have been engaged on (HBO’s SxSWestworld for which Mycotoo [with Giant Spoon] was awarded top prizes for Clio and Cannes Lions Gold; HBO’s Bleed For The Throne; and Netflix’s The Irishman Little Italy Takeover) and most recently Prince’s Paisley Park Experience (Minneapolis). In my current role, I focus on driving business development, branding and communications across Mycotoo’s growing global network.
I am most proud of our team and culture. Our diverse team is positioned as a one-stop shot for design, production and execution of entertainment projects of different scales. I love seeing the deep dive and collaborative spirit that our team has with our partners to ensure that the vision is achieved.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
There will have to be more accountability and authenticity in the stories our industry tells, in the make up of the creative room from which those ideas are conceived…and at the c-suite level where financing and social capital gets distributed. As audiences become more and more discerning on what leisure means to them, my belief is that will affect the caliber, quality and spectrum of narratives in film, music, performing arts and location-based entertainment. It’s not inevitable though, we still have work to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.mycotoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friforjindam
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/fridom
Image Credits
Headshot: Kaye McCoy
