Why Your Imagination Matters...
- R.E.A.C.H. Team
- Nov 10, 2025
- 4 min read
I love when I get a chance to talk to young people about the entertainment industry, or even the sports industry, which is really just another form of entertainment. One of the things I share with them is to do it because you love it and it brings you joy first and foremost. I know for myself, the times that I enjoy the most about being involved in the entertainment world, whether it’s stand-up comedy, Hip Hop, or film, is when it has more to do with the show and less to do with the business. I understand that when it comes to either of those worlds, one of the least sustainable places to build a long-term career is on the stage, in the booth, on the court, or on the field.
The real career opportunities exist outside those spaces, but all young people see are the fame and glory of being a music or sports star. They’re flooded with images of success, which can trick them into believing it’s attainable for everyone. The truth is that an extremely small percentage of people who aspire to be professional entertainers or athletes ever make it.
Now my goal isn’t to kill anybody’s dream. I just challenge young people to expand their dream beyond the stage, the booth, the court, or the field.
One of my best friends Jian, is a great example of what I mean.
Jian grew up in Columbus and has been a lifelong lover of basketball. Not only did he love the game, but he was also a huge Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan fan. He grew up watching the Bulls during their prime. Like any kid, he dreamed about playing professionally, but he also had mentors who helped him see beyond having one goal.
He went to The Ohio State University on an academic scholarship and during his freshman year, the school announced open tryouts for the basketball team. Jian wasn’t a slouch on the court, so he decided to give it a shot. The tryouts went well, and he felt surprisingly good about his chances. He kept his hopes up and his expectations in check, which was smart, because he ended up being very the last person cut before the season started.
Any hoop dreams he had were most likely over, but he had gone all out and left it all on the court, so that probably felt good.
Jian majored in marketing and also worked for Youth to Youth. That’s how we met and became close. During his senior year, he found out about an opportunity to become a Nike College Rep. That meant setting up booths at events, handing out Nike backpacks, water bottles, and mini basketballs, and helping organize Nike-sponsored events. It wasn’t a full-time job, but Nike did pay him a small stipend. He said it was cool to get a check in the mail with the Nike logo on it.
He did so well as a College Rep that after graduation, Nike hired him to become an “Ekin.” If you look closely, you’ll notice “Ekin” is “Nike” spelled backward. But there was nothing backward about what he was doing. It was all forward progress.
An Ekin is basically a Nike rep on super steroids, only now he was an official Nike employee. And because he had already made himself invaluable as a College Rep, he quickly became invaluable to Nike’s marketing department.
Jian moved to Chicago to work at Nike’s headquarters there and eventually transferred to Los Angeles to join the West Coast marketing team for Nike Basketball. Now he was officially in the sports industry, but in a way he never imagined. NBA players with Nike shoe contracts had Jian on speed dial! One of those players was Kobe Bryant (RIP). They worked together on several projects and even traveled to China together…just the two of them and a couple of Kobe’s assistants. Anytime Jian wanted to go to an NBA game, he had all-access. Courtside seats. The Nike suite. Jian was living his sports industry dream, and not the one he thought he’d have as a kid.
That’s why I tell young people to treat their imagination like a muscle. Exercise it the same way you’d exercise your body. Your imagination is your ability to see beyond the obvious, to see things other people can’t. Take an improv class. Read a book that doesn’t have pictures and create the images in your mind. Learn to play chess. Stretch your imagination and your creativity. Do whatever helps you build that muscle. But understand, your imagination isn’t limited to works of art. I believe the people with the best imaginations become the best teachers, best doctors, best engineers, best coders, best problem solvers…pretty much best anything.
R.E.A.C.H. does a lot of career exploration work with school districts and youth programs. We created a resource that helps people add process to their passion by connecting with someone who is at where you aspire to be (professionally or personally) or doing what you aspire to do. Once you connect with them, ask them for directions. Our resource will help guide you through what directions to ask them for. Please use it or share it however you see fit.
And here's a real short video about the importance of not giving yourself permission to procrastinate. As always, if you like this, please share it with other people you care about.
