Written By DeoVonte “Deo” Means  

All photos are courtesy of Darren Calhoun of Darren Calhoun Photography

I sit and ponder the relevance of Monday’s date, 07/07/14. I am filled with emotions; see this is when we celebrated the one year anniversary of my baby…The Flyy-Life! As I began to plan for this issue in May, the three adjectives that I continuously vocalized to my advisors, photographer, and intimate circle were “reflective…grateful….and forward looking.” The day of the shoot, my photographer Darren Calhoun of Darren Calhoun Photography advised me to submerge myself in emotions of what I was feeling because, this would definitely come through in the final product.  The Flyy-Life began its journey with all odds against it, but yet a vision!  My advisors cautioned me that successful cyber entities of the day gained notoriety through three methods;  re-blogging, posting sexually explicit content and publishing gossip on the current events of the day, which happen to be the House Wives franchise and VH-1. Although the data proved solid, I decided to go with my initial thought, which was a platform and oasis for the sexy, sophisticated, and urban gentleman. A cyber entity that would highlight the “grown and sexy” of the community while also promoting the beauty of my city and diverse talent within. It was a risky task, but I stayed true and organic to the brand.

Within a years’ time, The Flyy-Life has gained over 2000 individual followers and over 54,000 individual impressions in 89 different countries. Can you imagine the humbled feeling of knowing viewers in France, Italy, and even Saudi Arabia are paying attention to what’s going in Chicago and what we have to say.  We were honored to have interviewed figures such as  Jenifer Lewis, HotRod, Johnny Wright, The Freaky Boyz, and Kennedy Thal to name a few. We’ve covered society events ranging from KDocks White Party, Cocktails and Cufflinks, Love & Laughter featuring Tweet, to Chicago Urban Socialites Beau Brummell.  Our three most popular articles; The Top 13 Gheis of Society, The Effemination Of The Modern Black Man, and The Flyy-Life 17 Most Flyy & Eligible Bachelors. These all went went viral and gained over 10,000 views each and “shared” over 779 times.  The Flyy-Life data analytics can go on for days, but the true test of a man or business-line is their ability to be profound. As I look back, I believe I experienced my most profound moment when the mother of one the deceased gentlemen we featured in our yearly memorial –They Won’t Go When I Go– reached out to me and expressed how touched, thankful, and impressed she was with our memorial article honoring her son.  It’s moments like that which gives me the push to continue on my plight towards upward mobility, even when I am discouraged or become exhausted.

On this day, above all, I am most thankful for our committed and dedicated followers. Each of you that take the time out of your day to view/preview whatwe have to say. In an age where we are bombarded by options and alluring outlets in cyberspace, I am humbled that many of you take the time to stop by and view us.  I don’t know what the future holds, but the one lesson I have learned throughout this past year, is that when you become truly in tune with yourself, you will discover your passion. If you utilize due-diligence and commit to a certain level of excellence, your passion will become your calling. Once your calling is ordained, doors that you never thought existed, will begin to open and you only have to trust yourself enough to walk thru and enjoy success.  In my heart, I believe Beethoven said it best. “Be calm…only by calm consideration of our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together. Oh continue to love me and never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved…forever thine…forever mines…forever ours…”   Cheers to another year….Deo

Darren Calhoun and I

Special Thanks to Darren Calhoun and Darren Calhoun Photography