Today we’d like to introduce you to Louis Cash II.
Hi Louis, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When I first started out on this journey, I actually got into media production by volunteering at my church on the media team. Peace Baptist Church of Decatur, GA, gave me & is still giving me an amazing opportunity to work with a great gentleman by the name of Ellis Maryland who is the current P.B.C. Media Director & Founder of the Atlanta Church Creatives Group. I have been able to learn so much through his mentorship when it comes to live programming and production.
Eventually, I had so much fun I just started buying used equipment I could afford and practiced on my own. Additionally, we were at the height of the pandemic and I remember saying to myself, I truly believe I can make a career through the utilization of photography & mass media. I also have a degree from North Carolina A&T State University in Graphics & Communications. One of the most prestigious institutions and top-ranking HBCUs in America, and I also come from a family of powerful & great leaders. My father (Louis Cash) and mother (Diane Cash) who have been & continue to be great pastors and even better parents, and a sister (Toni Cash-Patterson) who went back to school for her Master’s degree from N.C. State University and is now traveling the nation on business.
In addition, I have several cousins I have learned from, but one cousin in particular (Michael Harris) I secretly look up to because he has been an Athletic-Director in higher education at several university levels and within the last few weeks has now been appointed to Director of Learning Resources for Student-Athletes at the University of Boston College. Sometimes, I don’t even think our family understands the magnitude of holding such a position at a major institution such as the University of Boston College; as a black male, and it means everything to me. So, I finally said to myself, if they can do it, I can do it, “YOU GOT THIS.”
Subsequently, after that I prayed about it & my wife (Crystal) & sons (Taye, Camar, Louis) supported my dream with the understanding that I have to be able to maintain all husband & fatherly duties despite the fatigue & demand of the career choice; which I continue to maintain until this day. It does carry its certain set of challenges, but we have been able to make it work and for that, I am greatly appreciative to them. It’s like God & my ancestral angels started directing my path & in April of 2022, H.E.M.P. (Hospitality, Events & Media Production) Entertainment was founded.
Next, I was able to find an affordable location that had great décor & provided the right atmosphere for photography and content creation. In that short span of time my new location served in so many ways thus far. I have had the opportunity to teach mini-workshops, photography & video coaching, video podcasting and ongoing content creation opportunities across various settings. In addition, I am a Full-Time Special Education Teacher by day. How I’m able to maintain things is baffling to me, but nonetheless it has been an amazing expedition, all while business continues to strive.
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?
During my time over the last two years, God has provided me with some amazing opportunities in order to get where I am now. Despite that, there have been five (5) obstacles I felt I had to get past. First & foremost, I was believing in the dream. For most of us, fear hinders us from even getting started. Once I made the decision that I was going to do everything I could to get this business off the ground, things became more attainable. The mind can be a blessing or curse depending on your way of thinking. So, after that I was determined that I am going to have a reputable media company that represents creativity, business, music, conversation, & culture.
The next hurdle was finding equipment I could afford that was adequate enough to give me a particular look and style when it comes to audio, photography & video. I wanted to have the most professional look, so people would take the H.E.M.P. Entertainment brand seriously. Thirdly was finding quality projects that would give me an opportunity to show my range across various settings, as well as; delivering quality work with subpar equipment. Nonetheless, my first opportunity was provided by Jene Scott-Watkins (aka @Jenethemodel), Leave it to Esh, & The Golden Agency brands. I appreciate them to this day because they provided me with my first opportunity to display my talent. They allowed me to film their fashion runway show and though I had a novice skill-set at the time, I felt I did a pretty good job for my first time. Soon after, I got nothing but positive feedback from it, and my fire has been lit ever since. I knew then this is really what I wanted to do.
Next, I recognized I needed a supportive team that believes in the dream I’m trying to sell to them. So I surrounded myself around great individuals that can dish & take constructive criticism, as well as; not taking what I say personally but use it for positive growth. I pursued people who are man or woman enough to challenge my views when they see flaws that could especially prevent us from a successful outcome. Subsequently, in the recent months God has provided me with some amazing individuals who believe in the dream and who always bring innovative ideas to the table when it comes to the media we are creating.
Lastly, I wanted a business brand that supports other small businesses, future job growth, contract & subcontract work. Our primary objective is to create an umbrella that passes work to our partnering small businesses & freelance independent contractors. Simply put, when H.E.M.P. Entertainment has more business than it can handle or complete, our goal is to pass work to our networking partners so we all have work and grow in business together; with no strings attached. In closing, I want to change the way business is done by valuing great people & individual thinkers, all while we have fun and enjoying one another’s company. Personally, I truly believe that your work environment should be the most enjoyable of experiences and not a death sentence for life.
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?
H.E.M.P. Entertainment stands for Hospitality, Events & Media Production Entertainment. I created this media company because I get to combine my favorite loves together legally under one business. H.E.M.P. Entertainment was constructed for the sole purpose to specialize in the following competencies of:
– Event Planning: (Private, Corporate, Charity, Live Events, etc.)
– Graphic Design: (Motion Graphics, Photo Editing, Social Media Designs, etc.)
– Marketing & Content Creation: (Digital Marketing, Branding Packages, Promos.)
– Photography: (Wedding, Lifestyle, Fashion, Real Estate, Food, etc.)
– Video Production: (Video Podcast, Real Estate, Wedding, Commercials, etc.)
– Web Design: (WIX Web Design)
What I am most proud of is that I get to express the freedom of my creativity and I get to work with a melting pot of different cultures and individuals. Every project gives me an opportunity to experience an unconventional encounter with an extraordinary group of people. What I hope sets me apart from the competition is my love for people and helping them understand the beauty we each possess.
What does success mean to you?
Success to me is when my dream becomes a reality and that reality can feed a whole village. I truly mean a literal village. My primary goal for the H.E.M.P Entertainment brand & business is not to only have a place that employs a host of talented individuals, but a campus that provides a community structure for families, luxury-style housing, schools with campus police & security, fine dining, recreation & community events that are catered to the wants and needs of the employees & their families. After that success is complete, I want to duplicate that same formula again, but with a new business idea & new target audience. The crazy thing is, I have several business plans that are already outlined, they just need to be executed. My Life objective is to finish a lot of these ideas before I die and then pass that generational wealth & ideas to my children, and so forth for the coming generations that come after me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.HEMPENT.net
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/hemp_entertainment/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/HEMPEntertainment
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIaBVj7LlVg828oMRf2t_sg/featured
- Other: https://linktr.ee/hempentertainment
Image Credits
H.E.M.P. Entertainment, LLC.
