Ran-DA-Man - One Man’s Quest to Seek Out The Amazing

A writer writing about another writer? I know, in the tradition of the me-first and me-ONLY world of internet journalism, where the days of blog-rings are long gone in a suddenly “every man for himself” craft, it seems a bit odd. With that in mind, however, it makes perfect sense to feature Ran-Da-Man, who has attempted to buck that trend from day one with his site, DefinitelyAmazing.com, where he features anyone, and anything, he considers amazing, even if it means driving traffic to a website other than his.

Full disclosure - Ran featured me a handful of months ago.

This week I caught up with this seeker of all things positive and inspirational to find out more about what makes someone, or something, “amazing,” as well as what inspired him to start his site, and what he’s doing outside of writing that he hopes will make a difference. You didn’t think a guy who created a site called DefinitelyAmazing wouldn’t also be doing some amazing stuff himself, did you?

Adam Bernard: Why don’t you start everyone off by telling us a little bit about who you are, where you’re from, and what you do when you’re not manning DefinitelyAmazing.com?
Ran-DA-Man: I'm just Ran from Brooklyn, New York. I'm a BK boy with a southern upbringing and a zest for entertaining people. I got my name Ran-DefinitelyAmazing-Man when I was a radio personality for WWLU 88.7FM, Lincoln University. One day a good friend and mentor named Malcom Murray told me “what you do is definitely amazing man,” and the rest was history. When I'm not being Ran-DA-Man I'm writing a screenplay, an exotic poetry book, and a guide on how to treat a good woman. So I guess I'm a writer {laughs}.

Adam Bernard: What inspired you to start DefinitelyAmazing.com?
Ran-DA-Man: Interestingly enough I was inspired twice. My first inspiration came from the success of my good friend Tionna Smalls (who is an author, media personality, relationship advisor, youth advocate, and starred on the VH1 show What Chilli Wants). Her drive inspired me and I wanted to create a place where people like her could be seen and heard. My second inspiration came from going to an event at the old YUME Store. I was introduced to so many intriguing individuals with clothing lines, and who were creating art, and doing music, it made me say “wow these people are amazing!” One week later DefinitelyAmazing was officially here.

Adam Bernard: How do you define “amazing?”
Ran-DA-Man: Amazing is something that sparks a mental and emotional reaction of “wow.”

Adam Bernard: Is the amazing something you seek out, or something you just happen to come across on a daily basis?
Ran-DA-Man: I would have to say it goes both ways. I always keep my eye out for amazing places, individuals, things, and styles. I also have a hunger for the amazing, so I do research and keep my ears and eyes in tune for new stuff to post.

Adam Bernard: Out of all the features you’ve run, what have been some of the most inspiring stories you’ve come across?
Ran-DA-Man: My interview with Alex Ellis (part I, part II) is inspirational and his organization, Tied to Greatness, is the type of organization we need in this world. I also really enjoyed Shanelle Gabriel's interview (part I, part II). It was wonderful getting to know the person behind her beautiful words.

Adam Bernard: Do you feel there’s a void when it comes to people celebrating things that are positive?
Ran-DA-Man: I truly think that talking about the positive, or giving others a chance in the spotlight, is something people in entertainment shun. I believe it has a lot to do with selfishness and negativity bringing ratings, or numbers, as they say.

Adam Bernard: The internet is notorious for celebrating the salacious. As you noted, negativity generates hits, which generates advertising. What do you think can be gained by flipping the script and celebrating the amazing?
Ran-DA-Man: The people, places, and things I highlight on my site give people a chance to see growth coming out of their own neighborhoods. DefinitelyAmazing is a place where you can find fresh new artists, models, clothing lines, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and more. Each of the people I showcase are young and motivated to bring their dreams into fruition. The benefit of showing this is that it inspires other to do the same, or even more.

Adam Bernard: Are you solely looking for others who you feel inspire, or are you doing things you hope inspire others, as well?
Ran-DA-Man: As far as what I do to inspire, I am working with some young individuals who I named Destined for Greatness who I mentor and help foster their different interests. I'm actually looking for new young individuals who want to learn about the entertainment blogging industry, or the anything we cover on our site. They can always contact me and I will always do what I can to help out.

Adam Bernard: You relaunched DefinitelyAmazing last year after taking a break. What was the reason for the break? Was there a shortage of amazingness, or did you have another reason?
Ran-DA-Man: There definitely wasn't a shortage of amazingness. In fact, I wasn't going to take a break, but I was forced into one. For the longest I was dealing with an undiagnosed chest condition which would cause me extreme pain. It made it hard for me to cover events, and even harder for me to post my work and go to my 9 to 5. So I had to take a hiatus from all my projects to figure out what was wrong with me. I'm actually feeling better and I'm working on preparing a new team of writers to help me consistently bring the fans “Amazing Personified” people, places, and things.

Adam Bernard: Finally, other than preparing your new team of writers, what do you have on tap for 2012?
Ran-DA-Man: I will be introducing new segments, and working on new t-shirts for the site. I am also preparing the release of a new mixtape featuring new artists and also new music from yours truly. I intend to stay focused and continue to bring people one step closer to “The Amazing Personified.”

Check out Ran-DA-Man’s amazing site at DefinitelyAmazing.com.