To All The Folks I Labored with, On Labor Day, 2010

Since I started my career in 1972, I’ve worked for seven companies, including four that I founded and owned:

The Sorgel-Lee Team, circa 1981

• Sorgel-Lee Riordan (aka Sorgel-Lee Multimedia, Sorgel-Lee, and, after I left, Sorgel Studios)
• Brien Lee & Company
• Video Images
• Visuals Plus
• TVL
• Brien Lee Creative Solutions
• Brien Lee VideoStory

In all of these, I had hiring and firing responsibilities.

Most of these were in Milwaukee, with branches or side trips into the Chicago market, as well as New York / New Jersey market, where I am sitting now.

It’s a beautiful, temperate, sunny labor day morning. I’m sitting on the back porch typing, and thinking about a labor day with high unemployment rates and so little corporate reinvestment, in either equipment, outside services, or hires.

I’m looking over a nearly 40 year career and thinking about all the people that made it possible– the staff “laborers” who wrote scripts, mounted slides, directed shows,

Creative Solutions Team, circa 2001

Mark Augustine & friend

went on shoots, retyped scripts, cursed at computers, mixed soundtracks, edited video or film, and developed trusting clients. The people who were on the 24 hour edit benders, some miles from home, miles from the security of s normal job, who made me and our clients look so good. There were hundreds– we hired when the people were right, not the economy.

I think of creative suppliers who took our ideas and melded them into music, or animations, or dramatic footage, and the young “kids” with no resumes we hired who later became superstars in their own right. I’m proud of that.

I’m not going to name names. But do the math– one person was with me for 17 years, helped launch a branch in New York City, and worked on some of the earliest interactive video in history. A few others were with me for five years plus– including one person who pronounced s/he never stayed at one place for more than a year or

two. I guess we kept things interesting. I know we always trusted out employees’ talents.

As time flew by, some went on to start their own companies, or launch new careers in various new fields of endeavor.

They all had once thing in common– they took the work “labor” seriously. They worked hard. Beyond the call of duty. The learned lots, added much, and almost always

Amy and Dan edit a Walgreens spectacular

became better than me at their particular creative specialty.

I also had remarkable business partners over the years. But that’s a different story.

Here’s to hard work and hard workers. Happy labor day, and thank you, fellow workhorses.

On Mentoring

Brien Lee

I’m a mentor. I don’t know when I figured it out, but it is what I’ve been doing most of my life.

I’ve been the owner, creative director and head writer for three of my own companies, and people working at those companies left a lot smarter than when they came in. (Of course, one thing they may have learned is “I’ll never work for that guy again!”)

I’ve taught creative theory, writing, direction, sound design, industrial theater techniques, short and long form video editing, and much more.

My past employees have gone on to success– some running their own creative companies of note and accomplishment.

I’ve helped clients improve their communications efforts, taught both the creative and technical at workshop and university levels, and started friends, relatives and customers on their way to achieving their dreams of being writers, producers, and entrepreneurs.

And this is what I want to do now that I’ve relocated to the New York / New Jersey metro area. Teach. Cajole. Foster learning by doing. Create a few success stories.

You’ll soon see more about this on my various websites– videostory.com, videostorysecrets.com, moderngeezer.com, and avsquad.com (I think that’s all of ‘em.)

I plan on offering a lot of quick-start knowledge for free. Some podcasts, some tutorials, reviews and recommendations, and some running off at the mouth.

It’s taken a while to settle down. Now it’s time to saddle up!

Sincerely,

Brien Lee