Project Description
Business Class: Stand out in the crowd
By Randall Kenneth Jones
Originally published in the Naples Daily News
Friday, July 28, 2013
In theory, the right side of the brain is best at expressive and creative tasks while the left-side is considered to be responsible for logic, language and analytical thinking.
However, these days, if you are television writer and producer, novelist, and award-winning playwright Jason Odell Williams, both sides of your brain are working on overtime.
To begin, Williams is a writer and producer of the hit TV series “Brain Games,” the highest-rated series in the history of the National Geographic Channel.
“Brain Games” explores the components of the human brain by showcasing interactive games and experiments designed to mess with your mind and reveal the inner-workings of your brain.
Williams and his fellow producers have also been nominated for an Emmy Award for “Outstanding Informational Series of 2013.”
To make this year’s competition more interesting, Williams, a 2001 graduate of the Actor’s Studio Drama School, is in competition with his former dean, James Lipton of “Inside the Actor’s Studio.”
With a seemingly jam-packed list of projects, one might wonder if Williams has to play a few “brain games” with himself simply to keep on top of a daunting to-do list.
Originally from Columbia, Maryland, Williams has seen his plays produced in Canada, New York, Florida, Minnesota and Ohio.
And now, his first novel, “Personal Statement,” will be available on Amazon.com on August 1st.
“Personal Statement” is a satire about the absurdities of the college admissions process and “competitive volunteering.”
The book was also just optioned for film by former Miramax executives.
According to Williams, “‘Personal Statement’ is about figuring out who you are. My characters are being asked to create personal statements for college applications—to describe who they are at an age when most of us have no clue.”
However, before you assume “Personal Statement” will appeal only to rising college freshmen, “brain game” this: how many of us were capable of defining our brand—in 500 words or less—at age 17? What’s more—how many of us can do it now?
After all, a student’s Personal Statement may well be their first attempt at establishing a personal professional brand—a process that will continue throughout their careers.
Moreover, many of us can benefit from a stroll down collegiate memory lane as we challenge ourselves to understand our personal branding goals of today.
According to Williams, “We continuously have to remind people of who we are. For example, I have changed my book bio five times because my career is constantly evolving.”
Yes, “Brain Games” may be the name of a television program; however, these two simple words essentially reflect Willliams’s personal brand.
Regardless of the project, Williams challenges our view of the world with a wink and a smile and a healthy mental workout.
Williams adds, “At any age, we’re all just trying to figure out how to stand out from the crowd.”
Now that’s a personal statement everyone can relate to.
Marketing guru, business humorist, professional-courtesy advocate, branded-content writer, creative-development consultant, and entertaining motivational speaker Randall Kenneth Jones is the creator of RediscoverCourtesy.org and the president of MindZoo, a marketing communications firm in Naples, Florida.
Pictured above: Jason Odell Williams
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