For the past few days, I’ve become fixated on educating myself about Ted Turner through news articles and interviews. I’ve always been aware of him, and what he created: CNN. However, since I’ve taken the time to actually learn about him as a businessman, I’ve been in awe. I also understand why he’s called the “mouth of the south,” because he’s real, and doesn’t hold any punches — something I don’t see in any executive today.
Turner also has an interesting history. I was amazed to learn about the many struggles he encountered to build Turner Broadcasting, and later, CNN. Still, he pushed on, regardless of the debt he encountered, the naysayers, and continued obstacles. Undoubtedly, he changed the landscape for cable television and 24 hour news.
Thus, of all the executives I’ve admired over the years and corresponded with, I currently identify strongly with Ted Turner. His accomplishments are fuel for my own accident in discovering a love for the media industry: “Interviews with Ronald Lewis” and cleerMedia.
Not even two months old, and from the confines of my bedroom, I have built an overnight media outlet from high-profile interviews: Southwest Airlines, Dawn Mikkelson, Mark Spencer, David Mandelstam, Kem, and more. And despite these record accomplishments, I’ve already encountered struggles similar to those of Ted Turner’s in his earlier years. There are naysayers, a lack of respect, rejection, etc. And despite those obstacles, I continue to push forward, because if Ted Turner did it, hell, I CAN TOO!
So, I want to thank Mr. Turner for inspiring me just at the right time, because there’s no doubt in my mind that cleerMedia and “Interviews with Ronald Lewis” will go one to achieve many milestones. I can easily see myself becoming another Ted Turner in the media, and then later, maybe another Bill Gates in technology (which has been my bread and butter for years, let alone inspiration for several business experiments). For now, my focus has shifted entirely to cleerMedia — I’m having fun!