Chuck Fishman Feb 28th 2008

Manager, Media and Entertainment,
Cisco Media Solutions Group

This installment of our guest lecture series was one of the best, most interesting presentations in this series. Chuck Fishman, a musician, performer, radio producer, and digital media expert presented for almost 3 hours… and as far as the people in attendance were concerned, he could have gone on for three more! The main focus of his presentation centered on his early exposure to music as a child and covered the path to his current job with Cisco Systems. Although he explored a few other career choices, including a 3 year stint on the road with George Clinton and P-Funk, he settled on a job in the “entertainment” industry which allowed him to utilize his connections and various networks, while still producing and performing the music he loves.

His presentation showed images of his first keyboard in the mid-1980s as well as his first “Portastudio2” on which he recorded some of his first compositions. The presentation also detailed how he enjoyed map making and later studied Cartography in college. He talked about how he got an invite to join George Clinton on the road, and travelled with him on many tours over the next 3 years. He also told the class of 20 plus people about his first jobs in radio, which eventually landed him a position producing a morning radio show for the Wall Street Journal.



The presentation then turned to his current job, and here is where his focus turned to the entertainment business, and looked at a handful of factors which showed that the “Biz” is constantly growing and that the future looked very bright for anyone who was interested in this career arc. He spend about an hour of the presentation detailing with various charts and graphs, how the business is growing, and what sectors would be growing and providing possible employment in this new era of media and music.

He also detailed where (using a map of course!) many of these opportunities exist, and it turns out that many of the companies who are at the forefront of these new technologies and media platforms are located within walking distance of Pyramind. He pointed to companies who focused on everything from the technical side to advertising and marketing and promotion of these new media. He mentioned companies like Myspace.com, Cisco, IODA, InGrooves, Jambase.com, and many more all within a few blocks from the school.



In closing, he spoke about some really important aspects of social networking, and how to formulate a personal brand which would allow each of the students to present themselves in a positive and “relevant” manor. He spoke about the need to “do what you love”, “work smart” and to listen to the people you are working with and working for, and to always find a way to stand out when looking for possible jobs in the future.

Overall, his presentation was interactive, fun, and really gave the students, and all who were in attendance a complete understanding of how he has reached a level of success in his career, and that he has always been able to create and perform as well as being a great employee at a job that he loves. The presentation closed with a rousing ovation and many students rushed to give Chuck their business cards. We look forward to having Chuck Fishman back at Pyramind in the coming months.