Globe Miami Times Connecting you to the Pulse of Globe Miami
Douglas Miles Jr. is a professional skateboarder, owner of the film production company Indellica, and a partner and team rider of Apache Skateboards. He has produced video and photo content for Apache Skateboards and now owns and operates Indellica to help other businesses with film production and branding. He has worked with large brands such as Emerica and Es, and currently is sponsored by Converse. Miles is currently featured on the front and back cover of the Movement issue of Umber Magazine – a California-based printed publication that focuses on creative culture and visual arts from the perspective of Black and Brown people.
I’m here right now to share with you three things I’ve learned from my 15 years as a professional skater, filmmaker, and business owner of Indellica.
Let’s get right into the thick of it.
The first lesson, I’m hesitant to share. It’s about managing negative emotions. I learned this early on with working with fellow team riders on Apache Skateboards. I had learned, through multiple confrontations, that my negative emotions, particularly feelings of jealousy, will ultimately hurt the company I am a part of. I learned it was important to feel positive about your fellow teammates’ accomplishments, though this can be difficult at first. After all, everyone making their goals is what will ultimately make your business grow. Lesson one is to Pay attention to your emotions and root for your colleagues.
The second lesson is to Overcome the fear of social media! Like you, maybe, I was afraid of “putting myself out there like that.” Ultimately it was the fear of rejection that needed to be dealt with. In my early days I was afraid to post too often on Instagram and afraid of the criticism of my peers and clients. I had come to realize that I deserve to be successful, and if that means I need to post content every day to build an audience, I cannot be afraid of what others might say. It’s important to understand that right now everyone’s attention is on their phones. Your business must first get the attention of the people and then keep their attention, so use social media apps. Use social media as a powerful tool to help people get information about your services.
The third lesson is Relentlessness in your business. Over my career as a professional skateboarder (insert your own sector here), I’ve seen so many talented people stop just as they were about to be great. As I grew up I know I wanted to be a great skateboarder. My circle of friends must’ve numbered about 15 back then. They all quit one by one. My next group of friends in high school all ended up quitting slowly but surely. Now finally I have a few friends that stick with it. The lesson I learned is you MUST keep going. You may be the only person left in the race, but this is where the greats live, this is where opportunity is and where the bigger businesses will eventually notice you and quite possibly pay you.
I hope that you’ve gained some value reading this and hope that you’re going to get out there and start that business or turn back around and keep going. If you need media work for your business or a personal project, or if you’d like more content similar to this, you can find me on Instagram @steezyapache and Facebook at Douglas Miles Jr. Stay blessed out there and Keep It Going!
Patricia Sanders lived in Globe from 2004 to 2008 and at Reevis Mountain School, in the Tonto National Forest, from 2008 to 2014. She has been a writer and editor for GMT since 2015. She currently lives on Santa Maria island in the Azores.
