We had the good fortune of connecting with Dwight Mathis Jr. and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Dwight, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Letting go of trust issues from being previously burned by partners from my first business. Trusting not only the partners, but the leadership of them as well. Having to question if we’re all moving in the same direction is a cautionary sign, so my thought process is to make sure we’re all in it for the greater good of the team and the one’s we’re servicing. It’s true, you can’t go very far alone, that’s why partnering with Koji Sumalde and Zach Moore has been an ever expanding dream none of us saw coming. We all have had the dream of making it in the video production world, but didn’t know how. Our combined mindsets carry a bouquet of experience, skills, morals and values that undeniably pushes us further ahead each time.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It started with music. I grew up half African American and Korean, and my father was heavy into the music scene, mostly gospel / rnb ha! He would take my brothers and I to the recording studio when we were young, and we would watch him and his mates drop lines and harmonize behind the glass. I clearly had no clue what was happening, but he seemed to be enjoying it, his mid 30 year old self reaching for his goals, makes me emotional thinking about it. I studied audio production at TSTC as well as animation. Those two were my biggest passions. I would spend hours in my dorm room, rapping or singing into makeshift DIY equipment. I later transferred to UTA and studied Film and Video production. I dropped out at 22, and for 3 years I filmed everything under the sun; Commercials, music videos, walkthroughs, talking heads, etc. Had to pay the bills ya know? At 25 I was offered a job as a graphic artist, my first big boy job, and I loved it. I loved it because I can tell how much growth was happening within me as a creative. That path led me to becoming a fashion designer. I learned a ton about manufacturing and merchandise, and what sells. I started Normal Network in the interim of it all and eventually moved to Orange County, CA after the business failed. I worked for the company Mitchell & Ness as a streetwear designer for half a year. My first calling to work professionally in television was from ION in Clearwater, Florida. I took the job, drove out to Florida and got my life started once again. I worked with Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds and CSI assets, cutting trailers and even pitching an original series which was later greenlit. I left after a year, and started working for myself again and eventually met the men and women of our new business Coastal Creative, a creative partner of Normal Network. We are now 9 months in, and we are growing exponentially and promisingly into success. The Normal Network brand is not being normal at all, by following that direction, we’ve brought in major partners, even celebrities into our inner creative family. People vibe with authenticity, we’re all kind of crazy, and people can resonate with crazy.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Pacific Counter absolutely. The best poke in town. The pier is beautiful to visit with friends, family or alone. Seeing the sunset from those steps and height will have you thinking of your entire life’s story and where it’s going ha! Saint Pete in general has an over encompassing feeling of acceptance, creativity, and just an eclectic world of transplant creative and natives who understand what it’s like to be different and authentically you. So if you want to get away from your hometown and up your vibration, come here. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I mean, shoutout to this wild, numinous experience of living, and creating. Just existing is encouragement enough to keep going. With that being said, this journey has brought an abundance of amazing people into my life, and one that sticks out without question is Sean Bucheck. He’d be very surprised that I would even mention him in this. Humble, loving and understanding is the way of this guy. We became great friends and roommates over the last 3 years, and throughout Sean has pulled me out of the dark, his wisdom rewires my thought patterns to fit the truth and to look at situations from all sides, even creatively. He’s an inspiration, from his borderline genius approach to his musical craft, to his friendship, Sean deserves the shoutout. He runs a recording studio called “Stereogram Sound” with his best friend and super producer Cody Doss. Cody will probably roll his eyes on the “Super Producer” role, but he’s a beast and they deserve the recognition.
Website: www.normal.network
Instagram: @normalnetwork
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcsenses/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kiirvideo
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHdVBVcP6c_AxXsoQTj3NKQ
Other: www.coastalcreativetv.com
Image Credits
Photos by Stephanie Agudelo – not including the animated illustrations.