When Uncertainty Finally Feels Good: Moving Forward With Doodle The News
DISCLAIMER: The following article was written on March 8th 2018, before South By Southwest (SXSW) and other exciting developments for Doodle the News. Please enjoy.
Even though Syracuse, NY gets destroyed every year by dangerous snowstorms and icy roads, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University hosts a warm and welcoming environment for aspiring industry leaders in media. Around this time last year, I was getting acclimated with the idea of attending a master’s program, as I was finally accepted into Newhouse as a Media & Education major.
Now about a year later, I can honestly tell you the Newhouse experience is top tier, but only if you’re willing to put in the work.
This experience has been jam-packed with all the entrepreneurial endeavors I missed out on while I was at Cornell University, as being a student-athlete took its chunk of time. I jumped through various mental hoops to eventually start Doodle the News, and now I’ve found myself with exponentially more hoops to jump through as my company grows. I knew uncertainty would be a figurative monkey on my back during this venture, but things have been a lot more clear lately.
Thanks to some key guidance from good ol’ Professor Sean Branagan, I began to discern what needed improvement with my news/educational startup. As I’ve mentioned before, one of the original reasons I founded Doodle the News was to become a better illustrator, as I look up to my brother and his skills in art and creative execution.
I had to recognize that the importance of my vision for Doodle the News shouldn’t be impeded by my personal passion in art journalism. In order to elevate my efforts from a lifestyle business to a high-scale social/sustainable venture, I needed to discipline myself and become a student of the business.
Fortunately, all my hard work hasn’t gone completely unnoticed. I’ve been fortunate enough to be inducted into the Young Global Leadership Foundation advisory council, making me a strong advocate of the YGLF’s alignment with the United Nations and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, Doodle the News has formed a strategic alignment with the YGLF, giving both of us a competitive edge through collaboration in our respective areas of expertise.
I take a lot of pride in reaching this milestone in my life, as I am always happy to be a mentor to young aspiring global leaders. This inspires me to use my growing multimedia startup to implore Generation Z youth and young adults to build their own leadership and professional skills.
On the other side of the coin in my life, I am about to attend my first interactive media festival. Thanks to everyone’s favorite professor (seriously, Sean Branagan is the managan!), I am going to South By Southwest. I also have to thank Associate Dean Joel Kaplan and Professor Michael Schoonmaker for helping me put the wheels in motion to fund this trip. I’m excited to see who I will meet during this trip, and I anticipate it be an unbelievable networking opportunity.
You know what they say: “It’s not about the grades you make, but the hands you shake.”
Fortunately, I make good grades too. But I’m finally seeing a unique brand of uncertainty with Doodle the News as spring rolls around. Instead of going to bed wondering if this hard work will pay off, I can sleep knowing I have some sense of direction. Although there are tons of hoops to jump through, I’m starting to see which hoops lead down the path of actionable opportunities.
Let’s hope SXSW lives up to the hype!
He has been published across a wide variety of media outlets, including Sports Illustrated, the Cornell Daily Sun, SportTechie, Clutchpoints, Cavs Nation, the Cornell Chronicle, and many more.
Tobe has a plethora of hobbies, including writing, athletics, drawing, acting, and collaborating with others about ideas and startups working in the multimedia space.