JUST A KID FROM THE WESTSIDE…
Writing about myself isn’t the easiest thing to do. I like to think one day I’ll have a historian write my biography about the work I’ve accomplished and people I’ve inspired. Until then I’m just a hard working individual constantly looking to create that next WOW moment. Something fresh, something genuine, something unique & memorable. But before we get into that let’s start with me.
I’m just a kid from the Westside. South Central LA to be exact. The eldest of two with a unique way of spelling my name, Mychal. My dad wanted me to be a junior and my mom didn’t so the compromise was to name me Michael (after my dad) but spell it like then Laker, Mychal Thompson (Klay’s Pops). You see, my parents are a true LA love story and my dad’s love for his hometown teams are crazy. Raiders, Lakers, Dodgers nothing else. I’d take my uncle’s middle name and thus have the same initials as my dad - MLB.
Growing up I’ve always had a love for two things as far as I can think back - Sports and Art. You couldn’t tell me I wasn’t going to be a professional baseball player growing up. I mean my initials are MLB! Fast forward to my freshmen year of college and I get cut from the baseball team. Cut? The first time ever and a truly humbling experience. I had plans on coming back the following season but my baseball equipment was stolen. I took that as a sign. Luckily my high school - Junipero Serra had career day and a particular speaker came in who worked in product placement and marketing. I made up my mind that day in 2004 that if baseball didn’t work out for me I’d work in or around Sports Marketing. While at California State University, Long Beach my focus was to obtain a BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing, and I did.
“THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR A PERSON IS TO INSPIRE THEM. THAT’S THE BEST CURRENCY YOU CAN OFFER: INSPIRATION.
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Now it’s not what you know but who you know. While at CSULB my marketing professor didn’t teach from a text book but instead brought in speakers/colleagues of his who had careers in marketing. A few speakers came in that made a lasting impact on me - one from an OOH (out of home) marketing agency and the other from Nike Brand Marketing. Here I learned that I could merge my love for travel, telling great stories, sports and represent iconic brands that impact culture all around the world.
I got my first taste of experiential brand marketing back in 2010 as a brand ambassador, but 2016 was when I really found my groove in the industry. Now 10 years in the game and still learning as I go, I want to share some of my biggest projects and the stories behind them. From Chicago, to New York, down to Texas and back home to the City of Angels, I’ve been blessed. Hoping to inspire the next generation of marketers along the way.
So here goes it - a visual representation of my career with commentary and personal testaments that made each project amazing.