On November 24, 2019, I accepted an offer for my dream job with a radio station, as a freelance writer and social media manager. This was my first time fully pursuing my dream of being self-employed, so I took a leap of faith and accepted the position, as a side hustle to my main job. I could work from home as well. Everything was going well on the dream job. I felt that the job was secure and it was paying twice the pay as my main job. I continued doing both jobs and on December 20, 2019 I went on vacation from my main job.
On January 6, 2020, when I returned from vacation to my main job, I submitted my letter of resignation, effective immediately. I was fully self-employed. Unfortunately, the next day, my dream job let me go, due to a massive and nationwide iHeart Media lay-off. Last hired, first fired. I didn’t know what I was going to do. Yesterday, I had two jobs and today I have NO job! Fortunately, I was eligible for Unemployment Compensation.
Since I’m home and got free time, I decided that now that I am unemployed and have plenty of free time, this would be the best time to go on a vacation. What better place to go, to lift my spirits, than New Orleans, Mardi Gras, on Fat Tuesday! So that’s what I did…me and my homie. From February 23, 2020 thru Wednesday February 26, 2020 I had a ball. This time included Fat Tuesday, February 25th. I had a great time.
When I returned home, I learned of the Coronavirus and that it was spreading very fast in New Orleans. Luckily, I’d left just in time and didn’t really interact with many people, because I wasn’t feeling the city, as I stated already. All of my loved ones and friends reached out to me to make sure that I wasn’t sick. I wasn’t. Thank God!
On March 11, 2020 the Novel Coronavirus Disease, COVID-19, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. On March 13, 2020 a national emergency was declared in the United States concerning the COVID-19 Outbreak. The world has been shut down and everyone is locked down in their homes. WTF!!!
Now back at home during this time off, and with me already being a published writer, I wanted to kick it up a notch and start my own online magazine. I have always wanted to do that, but never had the time to invest in starting it. NOW I HAD THE TIME! The world is on lockdown! I pivoted from being an author to being a publisher.
The purpose of my magazine would be to enlighten my readers with stories, people and events that are making POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLD, highlighting known and unknown individuals and events.
So, on April 1, 2020 I launched the first issue of my magazine, GO BANG! Magazine, (www.GoBangMagazine.com) with NO START UP MONEY and NO publishing EXPERIENCE. Having worked with historic and iconic media outlets such as The Chicago Defender Newspaper, N’Digo Magapaper and the Soul Train brand, I was fully groomed to start my own. All I had was a vision, passion and a dream! I would now be the CEO, Publisher, Senior Editor and Journalist, as well as the Promoter and Publicist.
April was just one month after COVID-19 was categorized as a pandemic. As I said, the world shut down, so the timing of my magazine couldn’t have been better. Everybody was at home and had nothing to do. Why not read GO BANG! Magazine?
It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since GO BANG! Magazine first burst onto the scene. Back in 2020, we set out with a mission: to create a platform that was bold, unapologetic, and truly captured the essence of the House community, the arts, entertainment and media movers and shakers.
Looking back, we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved. From our hard-hitting features to our spotlight on rising stars, GO BANG! has consistently strived to challenge the status quo and celebrate the voices that deserve to be heard.
A Look Back at Four Years of Bangin’ Content
Over the past four years, we’ve published countless articles, interviews, and features that have sparked conversation and ignited passion. We’ve covered some of the most impactful stories and topics, and in doing so, we’ve fostered a community of readers who are just as passionate as we are.
A Huge Thank You to Our Readers and Contributors
None of this would be possible without the incredible support of our readers and contributors. To our readers, thank you for visiting our site and for engaging with our content. Your feedback and enthusiasm fuel our fire.
To our talented contributors, thank you for sharing your voices, your insights, and your creativity with our platform. You are the heart and soul of GO BANG!
The Future is Bright for GO BANG!
As we celebrate our fourth anniversary, we’re also looking forward to an even brighter future. We’ve got some exciting things in store for the year ahead, so stay tuned!
Here’s to four years of making noise, and to many more to come!
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Share your favorite GO BANG! memory in the comments below, or tell us what kind of content you’d love to see in the future. Let’s keep the conversation going!
