Generation Job - The pursuit to find better®

-HEY, THERE. I'M JOSH SHIPP, AUTHOR AND CAREER EXPERT. WHETHER IT'S FINDING YOUR FIRST JOB OR LOOKING TO CHANGE CAREERS, THE EMPLOYMENT SEARCH -- LET'S BE HONEST -- CAN BE A DAUNTING TASK. THE DOCUMENTARY YOU'RE ABOUT TO WATCH FOLLOWS FOUR INSPIRING YOUNG PEOPLE AS THEY TACKLE THEIR FUTURES HEAD ON, STRIVING TO FIND FULFILLMENT AND HAPPINESS IN THEIR WORK. WE'LL FOLLOW ALLAH JESUS, A RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATE, WHO IS LOOKING TO LAND A JOB IN A TOUGH ECONOMY; LISI, A YOUNG, SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONAL WORKING FOR A TOP COMPANY, BUT LOOKING FOR A WAY TO USE HER SKILLS TO GIVE BACK; AND TIFFANY AND SHALA, LONGTIME FRIENDS AND BUSINESS PARTNERS, STRIKING OUT ON THEIR OWN TO START A COMPANY TOGETHER. NOW, ALTHOUGH THEY'VE TAKEN DIFFERENT JOURNEYS, WHAT LINKS THEM ALL IS THE DRIVE, DETERMINATION, AND TENACITY TO FOLLOW THEIR PATHS TO FINISH. AS THEY NAVIGATE THE TRYING, BUT ULTIMATELY REWARDING PROCESS OF TRANSFORMING A PASSION INTO A CAREER, WE THE VIEWERS LEARN THAT THE ONLY WAY TO FIND BETTER IS TO GO AFTER IT. WE NOW PRESENT "GENERATION JOB: THE PURSUIT TO FIND BETTER." -DO YOU RECOGNIZE THESE FACES? SCARED... STRUGGLING... FEELING THE PRESSURE OF BEING YOUNG AND LOOKING FOR A JOB. -FINDING A JOB IS GONNA BE REALLY HARD. -I'M WORRIED ABOUT NOT MAKING IT. -THAT MY FUTURE ISN'T GONNA TURN OUT THE WAY THAT I WANT IT TO. -THE FACT IS, MORE THAN 1/3 OF MILLENNIALS ARE UNEMPLOYED. -IF YOU JUST KEEP GETTING DENIED AND DENIED, YOUR CONFIDENCE LEVEL JUST KEEPS DROPPING. -ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10, I'D SAY MY CONFIDENCE RIGHT NOW IS A 6. -I HOPE THAT I AM PREPARED, BUT IT'S A BIG WORLD OUT THERE, AND THAT'S WHAT SCARES ME THE MOST. -AND ALMOST 22 MILLION STILL LIVE WITH THEIR PARENTS. -TO STILL RELY ON YOUR PARENTS, IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU'RE HOLDING YOURSELF BACK, IN A WAY. -BUT MANY YOUNG ADULTS ARE WORKING HARD TO MAKE IT IN THE REAL WORLD, AND THEY ARE SUCCEEDING. -KIND OF UP TO ME, YOU KNOW. LIFE KIND OF HANDS US OUR OPPORTUNITIES. -SOMEHOW, I'M GONNA GET MYSELF NOTICED, AND I'LL GET A JOB. -THESE ARE THE VOICES OF YOUR GENERATION WHO ARE CHANGING THEIR PATHS, TAKING CONTROL OF THEIR GOALS, AND TRYING REALLY HARD TO FIND BETTER. THIS IS LISI. SHE'S A VISUAL DESIGNER FOR A REALLY COOL FIRM IN SAN FRANCISCO. -MY NAME IS LISI. I'M 31 YEARS OLD. BY MOST PEOPLE'S STANDARDS, I HAVE A VERY GOOD JOB. I MAKE DECENT MONEY FOR A SINGLE GIRL LIVING IN SAN FRANCISCO. -BUT SOMETHING IS MISSING. -WHEN I LOOK BACK ON MY LIFE, I WANT TO KNOW THAT I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT AND IT MEANT SO MUCH TO ME. AND I WANT TO FIND SOMETHING BETTER AND MORE MEANINGFUL IN MY LIFE. SO, I STARTED APPLYING FOR JOBS AROUND THE WORLD AND JOBS WHERE I CAN MAKE AN IMPACT, AND THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY IN INDIA THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT. IT'S ALLEVIATING DROPOUT RATES BY USING DESIGN. HEY! I'M KIND OF PERFECT FOR THAT. THE PAY IS NOT THAT GREAT, SO I'M A LITTLE BIT AFRAID OF HOW I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO SWING IT. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THE JOB AND SAY THAT MONEY DOESN'T MATTER, BUT IN REALITY, HAVING THAT SAFETY NET IS REALLY IMPORTANT. -THIS IS ALLAH JESUS. HE'S A RECENT COLLEGE GRAD WITH REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE IN ADVERTISING WHO'S TRYING TO FIND HIS FIRST CORPORATE JOB AS A BRAND STRATEGIST. -MAC. -HELLO, SIR. HOW ARE YOU? -I'M GOOD. -GOOD TO SEE YOU. WELCOME, WELCOME. I'M ALLAH JESUS. I'M 28. I'M DISABLED WITH ARTHRITIS. AND BY THE WAY, ALLAH JESUS IS MY REAL NAME. MY MOTHER GAVE ME THAT NAME. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS I CAN'T DO, AND ONE OF THEM, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS RIDING A BIKE OR TAKING A RUN WHENEVER I'M FRUSTRATED. SO, BEING DIFFERENTLY ABLED ACTUALLY IMPACTS MY ABILITY TO COME UP WITH STRATEGIES AND THINK BECAUSE WHEN I'M FRUSTRATED, I USUALLY JUST SIT AND THINK. I DON'T GO OUT AND TAKE A RUN OR, YOU KNOW, TAKE A BIKE RIDE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I USUALLY JUST SIT AND THINK, AND SO I FEEL LIKE THAT'S IMPACTED MY ABILITY TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX FROM WITHIN WHAT SOMETIMES FEELS LIKE A BOX. -ALLAH JESUS BEGAN DOING DESIGN WHEN HE WAS STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL, BUT HE NEVER FINISHED COLLEGE. NOW ARMED WITH A DEGREE AND REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE, ALLAH DOESN'T WANT TO START AT THE BOTTOM. -SO, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO ASK YOU WAS, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN OUT OF THE GAME FOR A WHILE. WHY DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DESERVE TO ENTER BACK INTO THE SPACE AS A SENIOR-LEVEL GUY? -I RECENTLY GRADUATED COLLEGE AFTER DROPPING OUT FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND RUNNING SEVERAL COMPANIES. I'M A BRAND STRATEGIST, AND I'M NOW LOOKING FOR WORK IN MY FIELD DOING BRAND STRATEGY. I'VE FOUND THAT MY PARTICULAR PASSION AND CAPABILITY IS IN HELPING COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS COMMUNICATE THEIR AUTHENTIC SELVES TO THE WORLD. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE FOR ME SEEING WHO I AM, WITH MY DISABILITY INCLUDED, VERSUS TRYING TO HIDE MY CRUTCHES OR HIDE WHERE I'M NOT STRONG, SO TO SAY, I'M NOW PRESENTING MYSELF AUTHENTICALLY SO THAT I CAN CREATE COMPANIES AND BRANDS AND THINGS AROUND MYSELF THAT ALSO HAVE THAT SAME LEVEL OF AUTHENTICITY AND INTEGRITY. AND SO, I BUILD BRANDS IN THAT WAY AND I LOVE BUILDING BRANDS BECAUSE OF THAT UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE THAT I BRING TO IT. I'M DOING A LOT OF THE TRADITIONAL STUFF, WHICH IS, LIKE, RéSUMéS AND PORTFOLIO AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT I NEED TO DO SOMETHING CREATIVE. LIKE, I HAVE TO STAND OUT AMONG MY CREATIVE DIRECTOR-ING BRAND-STRATEGY PEERS. IT'S, LIKE, PARAMOUNT. AND I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M GONNA DO YET. I HAVE SOMETHING IN MIND, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S GONNA WORK, SO WE'LL SEE. -THIS IS TIFFANY AND SHALA, LONGTIME FRIENDS WHO ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESS. THEY'RE FINALLY READY TO STOP TALKING AND RISK EVERYTHING TO START A COMPANY CALLED CREATIVE COLONY, WHICH IS A SHARED WORK SPACE FOR FREELANCERS AND SELF-EMPLOYED CREATIVES. -I'M SHALA. I'M A 30-YEAR-OLD DESIGN-FIRM OWNER. -AND I'M TIFFANY. I'M 27 YEARS OLD. I COME FROM A FILM BACKGROUND, AND I JUST QUIT MY JOB. -OH, WONDERFUL. YEAH. SO, THAT'S WHAT I GET TO DEAL WITH. NOW I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE KEEP HER GAINFULLY EMPLOYED WHILE WE START A WHOLE NEW COMPANY CALLED CREATIVE COLONY, WHICH IS A CO-WORKING SPACE FOR CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS, VIDEOGRAPHERS, DESIGNERS, WHERE WE CAN REALLY COLLABORATE AND GROW BUSINESS TOGETHER? -YOU KNOW, A LOT OF CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS ARE WORKING OUT OF HOME THESE DAYS OR WORKING OUT OF A COFFEE SHOP OR THEY'RE RENTING A REGUS OFFICE FOR THE DAY TO HAVE SOME CLIENT MEETINGS, AND SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE IS A COMMUNITY OF CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS COMING TOGETHER IN ONE LOCATION TO SHARE RESOURCES, TO BUILD A COMMUNITY, TO COLLABORATE WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND TO WORK TOWARDS A COMMON GOAL OF GROWING THEIR BUSINESS AND BECOMING SUCCESSFUL AND BEING SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS AND ALSO GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. AND SO, CREATIVE COLONY IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE BOTH PASSIONATE ABOUT, AND AT THE HEART OF IT, THE PASSION IS THE COMMUNITY ASPECT. SO, YOU KNOW, I QUIT MY JOB JUST ABOUT A MONTH AGO TO PURSUE THIS CREATIVE COLONY IDEA, AND WHILE THAT'S REALLY EXCITING, IT ALSO RAISES THE STAKES OF US ACTUALLY FINDING A SPACE AND GETTING THAT SECURED AND LOCKED IN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. -THE GOOD NEWS IS THEY HAVE TENANTS WHO HAVE ALREADY AGREED TO MOVE INTO THEIR SPACE IN JANUARY 2014. THE BAD NEWS -- THEY DON'T HAVE A SPACE. -YEAH, THE TIMING IS JUST REALLY CRITICAL. EVERYTHING IS CONTINGENT. YOU GOT TO FIND THE SPACE, YOU GOT TO DO THE BUILD-OUT, YOU GOT TO MOVE IN. AND IF WE'RE GONNA HIT A TIMELINE OF JANUARY 2014-ISH, WE'VE GOT TO MOVE NOW. OTHERWISE, WE'LL JUST BE -- WE'LL HAVE TO START OVER AND JUST FALL TREMENDOUSLY BEHIND. -SO, TIFFANY AND SHALA ARE ON A MISSION TO FIND A LOCATION WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK. BECAUSE IF THEY DON'T, THEY RISK LOSING TENANTS, WHICH MEANS CREATIVE COLONY IS DEAD BEFORE IT EVEN HAS A CHANCE. -IT'S HARD BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO RUSH THIS. YOU WANT TO PICK THE RIGHT SPACE WITH THE RIGHT TERMS THAT'S GREAT FOR THE COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S ALSO GREAT BUSINESS-WISE, AND IT'S NOT EASY FINDING THAT PERFECT SPACE. AND WE'RE GOING AFTER A REAL COOL PROPERTY WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT NEXT WEEK, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS COULD BE THE PLACE. -YEAH. REALLY COOL TERRACE, LOTS OF LIGHT, REALLY LOTS OF SPACE TO GROW IN. -MM-HMM. -AND IT COULD BE AWESOME. -YEAH. -IF WE COULD JUST... -MAKE IT WORK. -BACK IN SAN FRANCISCO, LISI HAS LOTS OF IRONS IN THE FIRE AS SHE TRIES TO CREATE THAT FINANCIAL SAFETY NET THAT WILL ALLOW HER TO PURSUE HER MORE MEANINGFUL CAREER. -YEAH. ONE THING IS I'M TRYING TO LINE UP SOME STUFF BECAUSE I'M HOPING TO GET A PROMOTION AT frog IN OCTOBER. AND SO, I'M... BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M LIKE, "WELL, IT'LL BE REALLY GREAT TO HAVE LIKE SENIOR LEVEL." AND SO, TO KIND OF TIME THIS CORRECTLY WOULD BE REALLY NICE. WHAT KIND OF SUCKS IS THAT IF I DO GET THE PROMOTION AT frog, IT'S GONNA BE THAT I LEAVE LIKE A WEEK LATER. SO, THEY'RE LIKE, "GUESS WHAT! YOU'RE PROMOTED!" OR IF I'M NOT PROMOTED, THEN THAT REALLY MAKES ME SAD. -WITH AN UNEXPECTED CALL FROM A FORMER EMPLOYER, LISI'S SAFETY NET COULD BE REALIZED. -SO, I JUST GOT A CALL FROM A PREVIOUS EMPLOYER OF MINE AND WHO NOW WORKS AT YouTube, AND HE WANTS ME TO APPLY FOR A SIX-MONTH CONTRACT POSITION AT YouTube. THE COOL THING ABOUT THE JOB IS THAT IT PAYS DOUBLE WHAT I'M MAKING NOW, AND ESSENTIALLY, I'D BE MAKING WHAT I MAKE NOW IN SIX MONTHS. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT. BUT IT WOULD PROVIDE ME WITH THE FINANCIAL SECURITY TO GO OUT AND DO WHAT I REALLY WANT TO DO. -WHILE LISI'S EXCITED ABOUT THE POSITION, SHE NEVER EXPECTED THE INTERVIEW TO BE SO MUCH WORK. -SO, HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO FOR YouTube TO PREPARE? -I GOT THE E-MAIL BACK, AND YOU KNOW HOW I WAS THINKING IT WAS JUST GONNA BE, GO IN, INTERVIEW FOR A LITTLE BIT? I'VE NEVER REALLY HAD TO MAKE SOMETHING FOR AN INTERVIEW, AND THEN I HAVE TO PRESENT IT FOR 15 TO 20 MINUTES TO A GROUP OF THREE TO FOUR PEOPLE. -THAT'S A LONG TIME. -THE WHOLE INTERVIEW THAT I HAVE TO BE THERE FOR IS THREE TO FOUR HOURS. SO, I'M LIKE, "OKAY, I HAVE TO TAKE OFF THE ENTIRE DAY FROM WORK." IT'S A REALLY HARD ASSIGNMENT TO EXPECT ANYONE TO DO FOR AN INTERVIEW. I HAVE TO DESIGN A TIME-TRAVEL APP ON THE iPHONE AND THEN BE ABLE TO PRESENT IT FOR 45 MINUTES TO EMPLOYEES AT YouTube. AND THEN FOR 30 MINUTES, GO OVER MY PORTFOLIO AND THEN ANOTHER TWO HOURS OF QUESTIONING [CHUCKLES] BY YouTube PEOPLE. -LOOKING TO SET HIMSELF APART FROM THE COMPETITION, ALLAH JESUS HAS A RADICAL IDEA. -SO, THE IDEA THAT I HAVE IS CALLED "JESUS FOR HIRE," WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH TAKING THIS PLAY ON MY NAME AND TRYING TO BE WHIMSICAL WITH IT AND A LITTLE SILLY. IT CAME OUT OF A VERY FUNNY PLACE BECAUSE MY FRIENDS AND I ALWAYS PLAY WITH MY NAME. LIKE, THEY'LL SAY SOMETHING LIKE, "OH, JESUS" AND I'LL BE LIKE, "YEAH?" [ LAUGHS ] OR "GOD BLESS YOU." I'LL BE LIKE, "GOTCHA." [ LAUGHS ] OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND IN THAT EXPERIENCE, IT WAS JUST LIKE, "OKAY, SO, HOW DO I PLAY WITH THIS IN A WAY THAT'S GOING TO SERVE ME TO SUPPORT WHAT I'M UP TO?" AND IT WAS LIKE, "JESUS FOR HIRE." LIKE, IF YOU WANTED TO KNOW WHAT JESUS WOULD DO, JUST HIRE ME. [ Chuckling ] YOU KNOW? I GOT THE ANSWERS. TRUST ME. I CAN FIGURE IT OUT. I THINK IT'LL GET ME NOTICED AND HOPEFULLY NOT OFFEND ANYBODY, BUT STILL, I THINK IT WILL SHOW MY CREATIVITY AND MY WILLINGNESS TO TAKE RISKS, WHICH I THINK IS GOOD FOR POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS. THE NEXT STEP AND GOAL OF THE CAMPAIGN IS TO GET ME AN INTERVIEW AND HOPEFULLY EVEN GET HIRED, SO WHAT WERE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THE "JESUS FOR HIRE" CAMPAIGN TO THE STREETS. WHAT WE HAVE IN MIND IS WE'RE GONNA GO OUT IN FRONT OF SOME OF THE COMPANIES THAT I WANT TO WORK WITH AND PICKET FOR THEM TO HIRE ME -- BUT PICKET IN A GOOD WAY. SO, THINK FRIENDLY "I WANT TO WORK WITH YOU" PICKET VERSUS "ANGRY MAN WITHOUT A JOB" PICKET. -AND IN SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND, TIFFANY AND SHALA CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR A HOME FOR CREATIVE COLONY AND FEEL LIKE THEY FINALLY FOUND A GOOD OPTION FOR THEIR TIGHT BUDGET. -SO, WE JUST SAW A SPACE THAT WE'RE REALLY HOPING CAN WORK. IT'S ABOUT 1,500 SQUARE FEET, WHICH IS MUCH SMALLER THAN WE REALLY WANTED, BUT IT WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT STARTING SPACE. WE WOULD NEED SOME BUILD-OUT, WHICH WE REALLY NEED THE PROPERTY MANAGER TO TAKE CARE OF, AND, LIKE, THAT'S IT. THAT'S ALL WE WOULD REALLY NEED TO MOVE IN THERE, SO... -SO, I'LL CONTACT OUR REALTOR, PIERRE, AND SAY, "YO, WE REALLY NEED YOU TO LIKE PUSH THIS TO THE PROP--" -YO? -YEAH, YO! "...TO THE PROPERTY MANAGER SO THAT WE CAN GET THIS SPACE, AND HOPEFULLY EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT PERFECTLY FOR US." -YEAH. -PLEASE! -PLEASE! -IN SAN FRANCISCO, LISI CONTINUES TO WORK ON THE INTENSE ASSIGNMENT SHE WILL BE PRESENTING AT HER UPCOMING INTERVIEW. -SO, ONE -- I WAS THINKING THE GOLDEN RULE AND SO SOMETHING -- I KNOW -- YOU KNOW, THE SPIRAL THAT'S ALWAYS PERFECT, AND SO, DOES ANY PART OF THE SPIRAL EQUATE TO, LIKE, WHERE YOU ARE IN TIME? SO, LIKE MAYBE THIS IS REAL TIME. THEN YOU'RE GOING BACK IN TIME. SO, SOMETHING IN HERE IS GONNA SHOW MOVEMENT. -THE NEXT DAY, LISI GETS SOME BAD NEWS ABOUT THE PROMOTION AT HER CURRENT JOB. -SO, I JUST HEARD BACK TODAY THAT I DIDN'T GET A PROMOTION AT MY COMPANY. I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT THE, LIKE, NOT PROMOTION MEANT SO MUCH TO ME BECAUSE MAYBE IT WAS THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT, LIKE, MAYBE I WOULD STAY AND TAKE A SABBATICAL FROM frog, AND NOW I'M LIKE, "I DON'T REALLY CARE ANYMORE," BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO STAY AND DO A SABBATICAL AND STAY AT THE SAME PLACE AND THEN ALSO BEING LIKE, OH. WELL, WHAT IF I DON'T GET THE YouTube THING?" 'CAUSE I WAS KIND OF FEELING LIKE THAT WAS AN EVENTUAL, LIKE IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. I'M THINKING, "WELL, MAYBE IT ACTUALLY WON'T," SO THEN I'M LIKE, "HOLY CRAP. AM I GOING TO LEAVE FOR INDIA IN TWO MONTHS?" THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO. YOU WANT ME TO JUST, LIKE, GO TO INDIA, DON'T YOU? -WELL, I WANT YOU TO, LIKE -- I WANTED YOU TO, LIKE, FIND SOMEWHERE THAT WILL GIVE YOU EVEN MORE GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FOR A WHILE. -ON A COLD DAY IN NEW YORK CITY, ALLAH JESUS' POSITIVE PICKET DEMONSTRATION IS FINALLY HERE. -BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL. AND NICE AND STRAIGHT. -I WISH THAT MORE PEOPLE WOULD SHOW UP. THE WAY THAT I ORIGINALLY PLANNED THIS WAS THAT I WAS GONNA BE BY MYSELF, SO I MEAN, THAT I HAVE WHO I HAVE HERE NOW, I'M EXCITED. IF MORE PEOPLE SHOW UP, I THINK THAT'LL BE AWESOME. WE NEED SOME DOUBLE-SIDED TAPE ON THIS SIDE. -OH. DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT JESUS WOULD DO? WE'RE ANSWERING QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW. -ALLAH JESUS AND HIS FRIENDS ATTEMPT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE "JESUS FOR HIRE" CAMPAIGN. MAYBE TOO MUCH ATTENTION. -JUST DO ME A FAVOR. STAY AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN TO THE SIDEWALK BECAUSE THE PEDESTRIANS WILL NEED TO GO THROUGH. -WE JUST RAN INTO SOME COOL STUFF. THE SECURITY GUARD TRIED TO GET RID OF US AND HE CALLED THE COPS AND THE COPS WERE ACTUALLY, LIKE, REALLY HELPFUL, [CHUCKLES] WHICH WAS COOL. AND SO, I AM CREATING A STORY THAT I NEED TO GET A JOB BY THE END OF TODAY, AND I AM ASKING PEOPLE TO HELP ME OUT AS THEY COME OUT OF THE BUILDING. -AFTER MONTHS OF LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT SPACE, TIFFANY AND SHALA PUT IN AN OFFER. IF ACCEPTED, THEY WILL STAY ON TRACK FOR THEIR GOAL OF OPENING IN JANUARY. -WE JUST HEARD BACK FROM OUR REALTOR, PIERRE, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED WITH WHAT HE SHARED WITH US. HE SAID THAT WE COULD GET THE SPACE FOR $20 OR $21 A SQUARE FOOT AND THEY CONSIDERED OUR BUILD-OUT STUFF AND SO WE THINK THAT WE'VE FOUND OUR SPACE. -YEAH, IT'S REALLY, REALLY EXCITING. I'M TRYING NOT TO GET MY HOPES UP. ONE THING I'VE LEARNED ON THIS JOURNEY IS DON'T GET TOO EXCITED ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT I KIND OF WANT TO GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS. -IT COULD BE OVER. IT COULD BE DONE. WE COULD BE SIGNING AND MOVING IN, JUST LIKE WE ALWAYS PLANNED. -YAY! -[ LAUGHS ] -BACK IN SAN FRANCISCO, IT'S THE NIGHT BEFORE LISI'S BIG INTERVIEW. HER TIME-TRAVEL APP IS COMPLETE, BUT THE STRESS OF THE LOOMING PRESENTATION IS EVIDENT. -MAYBE THIS MUCH TIME IS ALLOWING ME TO FIDDLE ON IT TOO MUCH. I'VE PUT QUADRANTS INTO THINGS OF INTEREST THAT I THOUGHT PEOPLE WOULD FIND INTERESTING. I KNOW I'M SMART. [ CHUCKLES LIGHTLY ] I KNOW I CAN THINK STRAIGHT AND EVERYTHING, BUT SOMETIMES MY BRAIN GETS A LITTLE BIT TOO BUSY OR MAYBE MY BRAIN CAN'T REMEMBER THE THINGS THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE SAYING. I'M LIKE, "OH, THERE'S WORDS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS." UM... [ SIGHS ] I JUST NEED TO REMEMBER TO BREATHE. -WITH SOME SURPRISE NEWS, TIFFANY AND SHALA ARE AT A CROSSROADS. -READY? -IS IT GOOD NEWS? -MM. MAYBE NOT. SO, THERE'S NO DEAL. "APPARENTLY, "THERE WAS A MISCOMMUNICATION BETWEEN TIM AND I. "NO OFFER TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS. "THEIR OFFER IS AS-IS AT $21 FOR 3 YEARS "OR $20 FOR 5 YEARS. STILL CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR ABILITY TO PAY RENT." -THERE'S NO DEAL?! WE ARE DISAPPOINTED. WE ARE LET DOWN. WE DID NOT GET THE SPACE THAT WE WERE REALLY HOPING WAS GONNA BE IT. WE WERE READY TO SIGN THE DOTTED LINE. WE CAME IN EXCITED. IT WAS GONNA BE A GREAT DAY. AND WHAT A LETDOWN. THE PLACE WON'T EVEN WORK WITH US TO DO ANY SORT OF BUILD-OUT, AND WE CANNOT MOVE IN AS-IS. -BACK IN SAN FRANCISCO, THE DAY OF THE BIG INTERVIEW HAS FINALLY ARRIVED. -I FEEL INCREDIBLY EXCITED, BUT I FEEL, LIKE, A LITTLE SCARED, AS IF YOU'RE JUMPING OFF OF A LIMB. [ CLEARS THROAT ] AND YOU'RE JUMPING OFF A LIMB, AND YOU DON'T KNOW EXACTLY IF YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO FLY OR IF YOU'RE JUST GONNA FALL LIKE THOSE LITTLE BABY CHICKS WHEN THEY FIRST START OFF. YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE, LIKE, A MOTHER HEN TO PICK YOU BACK UP, BUT... YEAH, I DON'T KNOW. I HOPE THAT I USE MY WINGS. [ LAUGHS ] -BACK IN BROOKLYN, WITH "THE JESUS FOR HIRE" DEMONSTRATION BEHIND HIM, ALLAH JESUS GETS A CALL FROM HIS MENTOR TO FOCUS ON HIS NEXT STEPS FOR LANDING HIS IDEAL CAREER. -SO, YEAH. NOW I FEEL LIKE I HAVE ALL MY BASES COVERED. THE PICKET WENT PRETTY COOL, AND IT WAS PRETTY SUCCESSFUL. WE HAD A LOT OF FUN. THE "JESUS FOR HIRE" CAMPAIGN IS LAUNCHED, AND THE WEBSITE IS OUT. THE PRESS RELEASE IS OUT, AND I'M GETTING SOME PRETTY GOOD RESPONSE. MY RéSUMé IS DONE, AND MY CAREER-SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS HELPING ME WITH EVERYTHING THAT I NEED IN THE TRADITIONAL REALM OF THINGS. AND NOW I JUST GOT TO KEEP DOING IT AND DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE -- SUBMITTING MY RéSUMé AND CALLING PEOPLE AND FOLLOWING UP. I MEAN, ULTIMATELY, IT'S GONNA HAPPEN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. YOU CAN'T BRING JESUS DOWN. -FIGHTING HOPELESSNESS, TIFFANY AND SHALA REGROUP TO WORK ON A NEW PLAN, A NEW SPACE, AND GETTING BACK ON TRACK, WHEN THEY GET CONNECTED WITH AN UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITY. -YAKOV. NICE TO MEET YOU. -SO, THIS GUY YAKOV COMES INTO OUR OFFICE AND JUST CHANGES EVERYTHING -- I MEAN, BLOWS OUR MIND [SNAPS FINGERS] LIKE THAT. -BLOWN. -AND IT'S LIKE -- HE'S LIKE, "YEAH, I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO GO TO AZERBAIJAN." -SO, MY COMPANY ACTUALLY IS WORKING WITH AZERBAIJAN IN CREATING INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND CONNECTIONS BETWEEN MARYLAND COMPANIES AND AZERBAIJAN PROJECTS. I SEE CREATIVE COLONY AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP THEM AS THEY SEARCH FOR COMPANIES TO DEVELOP THEIR CREATIVE SPACE FOR DESIGN COMPANIES AND OTHER I.T. COMPANIES WITHIN THE HIGH-TECH PARK. -"SO, ARE YOU AVAILABLE DECEMBER 2nd THROUGH 5th?" "YEAH, I AM. THANKS FOR ASKING." -[ LAUGHS ] -SO, WE'VE GOT PLANE TICKETS LIKE TWO DAYS LATER AND WE'RE GOING AND IT'S GONNA BE SUCH AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY THAT WE WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT OF EVER IN OUR LIVES. LIKE, I DIDN'T KNOW AZERBAIJAN EXISTED. -THAT WAS NOT PART OF THE PLAN. -NO, AND I'M A PLANNER. -SHE IS A PLANNER. YOU KNOW, WHEN I QUIT MY JOB NOT THAT LONG AGO TO PURSUE THIS, IT WAS REALLY SCARY AND IT WAS A HUGE RISK AND WE WERE CUTTING BACK ON OUR LIFESTYLE TO LIVE OFF POTENTIALLY ONE INCOME, IF WE HAD TO. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY PAID OFF AND IT'S REALLY TAKING US DOWN A ROAD THAT IS REALLY EXCITING AND SOMETHING THAT COULD GIVE US A REALLY BRIGHT AND GREAT FUTURE. SO, I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED TO SEE WHERE THIS COULD GO. -AFTER DAYS IN LIMBO, LISI FINALLY HEARS BACK ABOUT THE POSITION. -I DIDN'T GET THE JOB AT YouTube. -YOU DIDN'T? -YEAH. SO, I HEARD BACK FROM YouTube TODAY, AND IT WASN'T THE BEST OF NEWS. TURNS OUT THEY WERE HIRING FOR A DIFFERENT POSITION ALTOGETHER. SO, WHAT'S NEXT IS I THEN, AFTER I GOT THAT, I WAS LIKE, "OKAY, "WELL, I'M NOT GETTING THAT, SO I E-MAILED THE GUY IN INDIA." SO, AS SOON AS I GOT THE NEGATORY BACK FROM YouTube, I IMMEDIATELY E-MAILED THE GUY IN INDIA BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA GET THAT OPPORTUNITY FROM YouTube, SO I NEED TO MAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY HAPPEN. SO, I E-MAILED HIM. CROSSED MY FINGERS. -SO, NOW YOU'RE WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM INDIA? -YEAH. SO, IT WAS LIKE 3:00 IN THE MORNING WHEN I CALLED HIM -- OR, LIKE, WHEN I E-MAILED THEM. -OH, YOU'RE SAYING YOU E-MAILED THEM AT 3:00 THEIR TIME. -YEAH, YEAH. -I WAS LIKE, "WHAT?" -SO, I MEAN, WHO KNOWS WHEN HE'LL GET BACK. MAYBE HE'LL GET BACK TODAY, I MEAN, TONIGHT, TOMORROW MORNING WHILE WE'RE ASLEEP. -YEAH. YOU SHOULD PROBABLY CHECK YOUR E-MAIL 'CAUSE HE'S PROBABLY AT WORK AT THIS POINT. -WELL, HE E-MAILED BACK. -HE DID? -YEAH. -WHAT DID HE SAY? -IT SAID, "HEY, LISI. SO GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU" WITH A SMILEY FACE. -OOH. -[ LAUGHS ] "AND I'M GLAD OUR OPPORTUNITY SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD FIT FOR YOU. "ABSOLUTELY THE POSITION IS STILL OPEN "AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU COME AND WORK WITH US. "SO, I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO MAKING THIS HAPPEN. "NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS SOUNDS GOOD. "LET'S TALK THROUGH THE DETAILS SOON. CHEERS. AKASH." -OH, MY GOSH! -AAAH! -THAT'S CRAZY! -THIS JOB IS DEFINITELY A LAUNCHING PAD TO MY DREAM JOB AND IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME. AND INSTEAD OF SAYING, "HEY, "I'M GONNA WORK AT A FORTUNE-500 COMPANY AND MAKE THEM MORE MONEY," THEN I'M GONNA BE WORKING WITH PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEED MY HELP. WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY IS HAVING PASSION FOR WHAT I DO AND LOVING IT AND BEING ABLE TO KNOW THAT WHAT I DO IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLES' LIVES AND IT FEELS REALLY GOOD. I FINALLY FOUND WHAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR. -AFTER SEVERAL DAYS, ALLAH JESUS REFLECTS AND CONTEMPLATES A NEW DIRECTION. -SO, I HAVEN'T HAD ANY INTERVIEWS IN RESPONSE TO THE DEMONSTRATION YET, AND I'VE SUBMITTED RéSUMéS, SO, I'M NOT SO EXCITED ABOUT THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP SUBMITTING MY RéSUMé AND CHUGGING ALONG AND DOING THE THINGS THAT TRADITIONALLY YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET A JOB. ALSO, THOUGH, IN MY INDUSTRY, I THINK BECAUSE I'M CREATIVE AND I'M ASKING PEOPLE TO HIRE ME FOR CREATIVITY, I HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING ELSE. SO, I'VE ALREADY STARTED THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING, AND I'VE KIND OF GOT AN IDEA IN MY HEAD. -BY REMAINING POSITIVE AND FLEXIBLE IN THEIR PLAN, TIFFANY AND SHALA GET ANOTHER CHANCE. -SO, I MEAN, WE'RE JUST REALLY EXCITED. WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES, ANOTHER DOOR IS GOING TO OPEN, AND SOMETIMES, WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE THICK OF IT, YOU DON'T SEE THAT -- AT LEAST, I DON'T ALWAYS SEE THAT. I MEAN, WE'VE JUST STAYED SO FAITHFUL, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT TIFFANY HAS LET ME QUIT EVEN WHEN I WANTED TO. -SHE SAID TO ME THE OTHER DAY, "SOMETIMES I WANT TO QUIT, AND THE ONLY REASON I DON'T IS BECAUSE OF YOU." AND I WAS LIKE, "AW." -IT'S TRUE. IT'S TRUE. -IS THAT GOOD OR BAD? [ BOTH LAUGH ] CAN'T QUIT NOW. SHE'S IN TOO DEEP. -I KNOW, I KNOW. -SO, MAYBE YOU SEE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THESE STORIES AND YOUR OWN LIFE. WHETHER YOU'RE TAKING RISKS, BEING FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR PLAN, OR SHOWING RELENTLESS TENACITY, DON'T BE AFRAID TO PUT IT ALL OUT THERE, TO FIND BETTER. -TO MAKE YOUR DREAM COME TRUE, IT'S JUST REALLY IMPORTANT TO WORK *** IT. -YOU CAN'T JUST EXPECT EVERYTHING TO BE HANDED TO YOU. -AND THAT'S WHY YOU NEED TO GO OUT AND TRY TWICE AS HARD AND BE THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE. -ALLAH JESUS CONTINUES TO SEND RéSUMéS, WORK ON HIS PORTFOLIO, AND RESEARCH DIFFERENT COMPANIES TO TARGET. HE LAUNCHED A NEW BRAINSTORM PODCAST TO SHOWCASE HIS CREATIVE EXPERTISE AND IS DETERMINED TO SET HIMSELF APART FROM THE COMPETITION. LIKE MANY YOUNG PEOPLE, HE TENACIOUSLY WORKS TO FIND HIS PLACE IN A TOUGH JOB CLIMATE AND HE'S OPTIMISTIC ABOUT HIS FUTURE. -I FEEL LIKE YOUR PASSIONS ARE AT THE CORE OF WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON. -SO I THINK, FOR ME, ONCE I CAME TO THAT REALIZATION, IT WAS ALL ABOUT, "OKAY. THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO, SO LET'S JUST GET REALLY GOOD AT DOING IT." -WHILE TIFFANY AND SHALA'S TRIP TO AZERBAIJAN DIDN'T RESULT IN A BUSINESS DEAL, THEY DID MAKE A LOT OF PROMISING CONTACTS. THEY RECENTLY SIGNED A LEASE ON A SPACE IN SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND, AND THE CREATIVE COLONY OFFICES ARE SET TO OPEN IN LATE MARCH. THE BUDDING ENTREPRENEURS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO BOOKING TENANTS AND FINALLY BEING ABLE TO BUILD AND RUN THEIR BUSINESS. -YOU KNOW, I HOPE, GOING FORWARD, THAT I'M ABLE TO CONTINUE ON THAT SAME LIFE PATH AND BE ABLE TO FOLLOW MY PASSIONS AND THE THINGS THAT REALLY GET ME EXCITED IN LIFE. -I LOVE IT. I LOVE IT. I GO HOME EVERY DAY HAPPY AND GRATEFUL AND I FEEL LIKE I'M MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND I'M CHANGING LIVES EVERY DAY. -AND LISI IS GETTING SETTLED IN INDIA, EXCITED FOR HER NEXT ADVENTURE AND NEW JOB TEACHING CHILDREN DESIGN TO ALLEVIATE DROPOUT RATES. SHE FOLLOWED HER HEART AND HAS FOUND HAPPINESS IN MEANINGFUL WORK. WITHOUT THE COURAGE OF HER CONVICTIONS TO TAKE SUCH A RISK, SHE WOULD'VE NEVER FOUND SUCH A REWARDING EXPERIENCE. -WELL, THERE YOU HAVE IT. THREE STORIES, THREE DIFFERENT PATHS, THREE DIFFERENT OUTCOMES. AS ALLAH JESUS, LISI, SHALA, AND TIFFANY HAVE SHOWN, IT MAY NOT ALWAYS BE EASY, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY WORTH IT. WE HOPE THESE STORIES HAVE INSPIRED YOU TO DIG DEEPER, GO FARTHER, AND NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR PURSUIT TO FIND BETTER. GO FIND IT.