Today we’d like to introduce you to Rob Lew.
Rob, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I always had a passion and a drive to make a difference. To be able to share and express my thoughts and ideas through creativity was the dream. At a young age, I was figuring out exactly what I wanted to do and I found I would always involve myself with entrepreneurship. That led to not only learning a lot about how to create and run a business but also learning a lot about myself. Growing up in the environment that I did, the term “making it out” is what we all strived to do. Being able to see another year of life is something we never took for granted because we saw so many lives that were cut short. I felt like I had a responsibility to display a level of hope to the next generation that you can make it out and achieve everything we ever put your mind to. My mission when creating this platform is to inspire the masses and illustrate the power of self-empowerment in a way that hasn’t been seen. Creating content that continues to entertain the viewers and also providing them with information and conversation they can relate to and be educated. I became a producer at Boston Neighborhood Network where I host my late-night TV show “The After Hour.” On the “ The After Hour, “ we sit down with successful businessmen/woman, entrepreneurs and etc. and found about their journeys towards their successes. It’s not all about the glitz and glam we love to give our viewers the raw uncut story about the grind it takes to get where you want to be in life.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road and that’s something I am proud of. After going through one of the toughest years of my life, I was looking for many answers. That led to an epiphany that would change things forever. All these great ideas of content to create, a platform that I need to build an impact it would have. For many, that may sound like some fairy tale story but you have to ask in order to receive. I would continue to pray for strength and for God to show me the way leaving him in charge and I would follow. And that’s why I feel like I am here to share my story and inspire others. I want to continue to express to those on this journey of following their dreams that, IT WILL NOT BE EASY! There will be a test, there will be highs there will be lows. It’s all about remembering what you are doing this for and never forgetting how far you have come. I have learned experience is truly the best teacher as long as you use those past experiences as a reference to make better decisions they, in the end, become a blessing.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The After Hour Tv story. Tell us more about it.
I’m a Filmmaker/TV producer from the inner city of Boston looking to make a difference in the community. I’m using film as a way of story telling to not only entertain but most importantly to teach and inspire the next generation. In a time where many individuals in the community have given up and lost hope, I want to help them dream again. It brings me so much joy when people come up to me and tell me how watching my show inspired them to go after a goal or career path they were questioning. As a young entrepreneur, meeting those road blocks can be tough but when you are learning from those who have achieved what you are looking to and they are from where you are from, you realize it’s just apart of the journey and it’s possible. That’s what we showcase on our platform.
Growing up, we are not always told achieving our dreams is possible and showed the steps to get it done and that is very important. We are very big on mental and physical health. We host a free health and wellness event every other month which our next will be October 12th, where we turn working out into a real fun new experience for everyone. We have a live DJ, free healthy refreshments, free food, yoga/Zumba and workout stations. We have people come from the ages of four years old all the way to 60/70 years old all working out having a good time. We have stations for those that are just beginning and for those who go to the gym daily. We are just creating an environment where taking care of ourselves is fun and where we are all just pushing each other to become the best version of ourselves. I’m just really proud that I am able to bring all my ideas to life, that was all I ever wanted to do. And that’s important to me because I don’t do things for personal gain but more so to show that look, if I can do this so can you. I come from the projects, I failed many times but none of that matters, it’s about learning from your mistakes and starting focus on your goals. As a company, I’m proud that we are making an impact on our people’s lives and touching the community. We will continue to expand in these areas staying innovative which we take a lot of pride in and truly extremely proud of.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see this industry doing nothing but growing more and more especially for black filmmakers and content creators. With movies like Black Panther, Straight Outta Compton and etc it has opened up a lot of opportunities. There are a lot more TV shows and movies that have come after the success of films such as those. Also, with the rise of YouTube, it has created another platform for content creators to showcase their talents. I believe it’s one of the best times to be in this industry. In time, we are in ‘you can create on your own’ without needing a huge corporate backing to start. It allows you the opportunity to build your content resume to later leverage that into a potential partnership with a big company which can turn into a large return on your initial investment. In five-ten years, I see more and more movies and shows driven through social media and phone apps vs. actual television. I believe technology will continue to advance and being to access things on the go will become even more of the norm. It’s all about getting ahead of the curve and not left behind. Believe in you and go after it!
Contact Info:
- Email: TheAfterHourTv@gmail.com
- Instagram: @TheAfterHour.Tv – Business @Rlewswagg- Me
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