Home » TERRELL MACLIN – EYES ON THE PRIZE

TERRELL MACLIN – EYES ON THE PRIZE

TERRELL MACLIN – EYES ON THE PRIZE

In today’s online cover drop we meet the curator and creator of ‘the next big’ social movement platform iME (I Mean Everything) Terrell Maclin. In his first exclusive sit down, he discusses life in front of and behind the camera and the creative does not hold back. From self-love to lessons in life and finding your path we are honored to present this meaningful cover story.

For more information visit www.imelife.com.

Take Us through the Terrell Maclin Journey to date. What are the key moments that led you to the position you are in today?
This road, this journey is one that I have been on close to 3 decades. At 19 years young I headed to LA to be a Rock Star.  I saw myself as a perfect blend of Michael Jackson, cause I danced at that level, and Prince because I had that exotic musician swag and looks.  My artist name was “WORLD CLASS BOI”. My belief then is much the same as it is now. Back then “BOI“ was the acronym for believer of individuality, believer of independence. As a teenager, I knew, believed, and pushed the message that if you trusted and believed in yourself, that made you a world-class individual. I wrote songs with a global impact agenda and my goal was to inject the world with self-belief and self-love. But at 19 it was like having the keys to a brand new muscle car with a full tank of enthusiasm, but I had about 5 miles of life experience at the time. So from here the journey to gain and perhaps earn some life experiences began. I needed to go through the ebb and flow of life and take on some relationship responsibilities. I needed to experience some disappointment and perhaps some pain, heartbreak, and a host of other things that helped me to develop balance and knowledge. Along with the lows, there were many high points to draw from. From getting a record deal to managing many successful artists in the 90s then becoming a high-level executive working with the record label that originally signed me (Virgin records) and a few others. Along the way, I also appeared on the Oprah Winfrey and Steve Harvey show. Those were all very helpful and significant milestones. As an important footnote, I also worked in the Real Estate and Financial Service industry for nearly two decades. This helped align me with the biggest global banks which afforded me the opportunity to establish key relationship with a tremendously wealthy clientele. So all in all, time, knowledge, and relationship expertise were the necessary ingredients needed in order to fuse them into my message today. Now that I have driven many roads of life experiences and wore out countless pairs of tires, I have arrived here today.  And each new day I feel like a priceless vintage automobile whose value simply continues to increase with time. I still see myself as buff, strong and shiny, and I am poised to stay in position as a lead car in the iMe sponsored race to influence a new generation. Without question, I have my eye on the prize.

(iMe an Everything) is a brand-new platform that focuses on self-worth and love. What was the genesis of the platform? 

I Mean Everything is a power statement. And it is every individual’s opportunity to work, to love, and to take control of the most important asset they have (themself). And just like World Class BOI, I continue the message that there is freedom, peace, and power in embracing who you are and not making any excuses to anyone about what defines you or what makes you happy. iMe is committed to helping you understand you don’t need to fit into any perceived perfect box. We are committed to pushing you away from social media platforms that suggest you hide and cover-up those wonderful imperfections. The point is we have to get to the place of loving and accepting who we are and pushing others to take notice. So this platform was created to help us all find peace and love within ourselves.  I mean what’s the point of looking good on social media or tricking your family and friends to see you, as you are not. It is a growing concern that we have gotten to the place where people dress up on Instagram then hide in the house because they are too afraid to let the truth out when they need simple things like groceries. And although I love Amazon Prime, it also acts as a crutch that heightens this stay-out-of-sight mindset. It has also become more common to Zoom with our loved ones from the waist up and show them that big happy smile so that they never learn your truth from the waist down. The point is the hell with that life. iMe is here to push and support the understanding that living any falsehood is not healthy.  Our goal is to encourage individuals to build on their truth and lead them away from internal distractions and emotional demise. In our unique way we are simply here to remind you to be yourself and to reinforce self-love. The cool thing is that iMe produces content to make you laugh, dance, cry, re-evaluate your life and think deeply about the future (yes all that), and we can’t wait to have you join the experiences that will enhance, perhaps change your life

Your first collaboration is with WWE Superstar and a Lapalme cover star alum Ariane Andrew. Her new video Queen previewed on IMelife.com and the messaging ‘My Body, My Choice’ is as prevalent as ever. Why is this important? And why was this the perfect first collaboration? 
Truth be told, Ariane is the epitome of what iMe is all about. I won’t go into some of the tumultuous things she has overcome, but trust me, she is a strong example of not buying into anything that seeks to hold her down or define her. As a visionary, I am drawn to stories and will support and showcase the seemingly insurmountable achievements of men or women. A part of Ariane’s life story is represented in the video Queen.  It speaks to taking control of your life and standing firm in your own shoes.  This musical concept is purposed to push the listener to stop worrying about anything except being the baddest, strongest, amazing person that they can become. I started with Ariane because she’s a woman that represents a voice of power that cultivates change. My Body, My Choice, My Lips, My Voice is the full iMe campaign title.  Ariane and I both believe in the boldness and freedom of individual choice and the power to speak your mind.  Yet, in today’s environment and culture so many global entities (either government or your family) push to rob us of these social equalities’ and to this we say NO MORE. We must stand up and stop allowing others to tell us what we can and cannot do with our bodies.  We must push back when being told what gender to love and share your forever with.  We must fight against being muted in order for the noise of oppression to flood the arena and force this generation’s important keynote speakers off the stage. I elected to work with Ariane because she’s a fighter not afraid to carry the bullhorn and she has never been forced off any stage.  Her voice is bold and loud and her track record speaks to resilience through self-love and self-empowerment.  She has fought hard in and out of the WWE ring, and she represents iMe’s fervent commitment to help others learn to do what is necessary to overcome life challenges and win. 

How did you find your self-love? What was or is that journey of evolution and how can that help those that join the movement?
That’s a great question and as I think about it I am realizing how blessed or perhaps how lucky I am.  For as long as I can remember I have always had a baseline for sell-love.  I am fortunate enough to have had parents and a family structure that pushed in together.  We had a support system that put a value on self-love, and love for others in our circle.  That said, during various times in my life there were some challenges.  I have experienced various levels of self-doubt and or a lack of motivation.  I think some of that is natural and in most cases good for you as long as you overcome it.  For me whenever I go through times of self-deprecation I use the baseline of loving myself and trusting my intuition as the first dose of the antidote. Let me be clear I’ve had some tremendous lows.  Even with all that love in my underbelly, this world and its temptations have pushed me back and in some cases kicked me until I fell down. There was a moment in time I was addicted to crack cocaine. I used heroin and all kinds of substances to cope while trying to keep up with the Joneses. Hmm, or perhaps it was just me trying to cope with being molested when I was a child, which led to a multitude of practices with sexual misconduct. I don’t mind exposing this truth to the world because it is important to understand that my life was not all peaches and cream, yet was filled with elements of debauchery and self-destruction on many levels.  So whether you come from a so-called good family with a good upbringing, or whether you come from a family of dysfunction, violence, and abuse, the end result and the choice to overcome the myriad of life challenges are all up to you. Based on my life experiences, it is my opinion that the common thread to reaching the pinnacle of your life is realizing and understanding the value of self-love.  With that and as equally important, you must put yourself first. These two things must work in tandem. I liken this belief system to the first rule when cabin pressure is lost on an airplane.  You must put your oxygen mask on first before you look to work with or help anyone else. The second dose of the antidote is forgiveness.  You must be able to face your past and embrace forgiveness.  You must forgive yourself.  Soon after you must forgive and release anyone you know that has offended or afflicted you during your life journey.  If you don’t let go of that pain by the act of transcending forgiveness, you will never experience true peace or freedom. In order to truly embrace self-love, you simply have to forgive. iMe was created to remind you (us all) of how important, and how meaningful you are.  We consider it an honor and a privilege to encourage you and push you towards peace and winning

You have worked on various sides of the entertainment industry, in front of the camera, behind, and as an artist. What has been most rewarding in each?
Turns out I am in the service business.  I love to help and serve others.  Although I have gotten immense satisfaction in all the areas of the entertainment forum the most rewarding for me is discovering and developing talent.  There is nothing like the chill bumps or the smiles I garner from helping someone’s dream come to life. That is why the iMe platform is so important to me.  It allows me to speak to the core message of self-love and at the same time, I get to collaborate with and produce an array of artists and create campaigns intended to encourage, uplift, or perhaps change the entire world.I guess in some ways I still get to do it all, how selfish of ME.




What is happiness to Terrell Maclin?
Happiness to me, and what I treasure the most is peace.  When you have peace of mind not much else matters. You can only have peace by having self-love; exercising forgiveness and doing everything you can to push toward your destiny.  It’s important that you nor I measure peace by the amount of money you have or how many of the life goals that you have actually accomplished. Peace and happiness hold their place when you are waking up every day doing all you can and living your truth. Be you, love you, and do you is my motto.  That is why I am happy 99% of the time because I live by that code. Now you have to use wisdom.  To survive in the world you need a source of income, a place to live, and food.  Please be advised, self-love and truth are key elements as it relates to freedom and happiness.  That said, I would be remised if I don’t have you factor in a level of responsibility.  It’s almost impossible to find any level of serenity if you can’t eat.  You must find a palatable way to sustain. Yes, it’s ok if you are a waiter or a street sweeper on your way to being a billionaire, but own your responsibilities and take it all in stride.  And hey, if you decide to sleep in your car as part of your commitment to the journey, that works too.The point is, find peace in loving yourself and take ownership of what works in your life.  Ask me how I know, well I slept in my car, I worked as a cook and a waiter, and I drove across the country with $250 in my pocket to make a difference in my life. Sure I have had some rough moments and some times of doubt, but all in all, I have been happy and have been able to self-resolve or overcome the roadblocks along the way. And remember, peace of mind begets happiness. 

How do you see Ime (I Mean Everything) evolving in the next 6-12 months?
Well, you are sitting with a CEO that has two billion-dollar projects on iMe’s 36-month calendar.  The first is The Billion Dollar Dress; the second is The Billion Dollar Scavenger Hunt.  I see iMe being a very established brand over the next 6-12 months.  I see the global population as happy that we are here and that each subscriber will be excited to tune in to draw or learn from us.  That will be plenty enough for some but others will tune in to check out all the wonderful and sometimes wacky, fun ideas we come up with. One of iMe’s goals is to surpass 1 million subscribers (followers) by the end of 2022.  We have campaigns, contests, prizes, music, TV shows, and more to help us to get there.  So tell a friend to tell a friend and tune in often. But bigger than all of that iMe intends to connect and fundamentally support various communities and move toward improving social, economic conditions, and to raise our voice for gender equality. 

Can you talk about any upcoming collaborations?
So in other words you want the juice, the ingredients, the secret sauce, and the menu?  Well, I can’t go into detail publically about our Billion Dollar projects just yet as they are proprietary in nature. However, I can share a few things on the agenda for 2022.  As you know we have the My Body, My Choice, My Lips My Voice campaign with Ariane Andrew.  We just finished a hot edit of the Queen (Bad Chic) video.  This collaboration is near and dear to my heart because for me it speaks for my mother, my sisters, and many of our strong partners within the LGBTQA+ community that has overcome difficult life circumstances.  iMe loves to encourage everyone to take a stand.  So doing this with Ariane was a fun, bold choice for us. The next collaboration is the RED CUPS FOR LOVE project.  The campaign features TV/Film star Josh Henderson (Dallas, The Arrangement, Desperate Housewives, etc.).  Josh has an amazing voice and crazy swag and he and I created the RED CUPS vision shortly after I thought I was losing my life to COVID in July of 2021.  As Josh is like my little brother we were stifled at the life event with threatened my human existence.  Once I was healed by the grace of God, we realized and or were reminded of what is most important in this life.  Family and friends can be the key ingredient in the daily happiness and fulfillment soup.  So RED CUPS FOR LOVE is purposed to have everyone join us in a toast.  Grab your Red Cup and fill it up.  It is your choice to put wine, whiskey, water or milk, etc. in your cup.  But whatever is in your cup raise it up to toast to the celebration of life and the love of your family and friends.  We ask that you please gather with your loved ones either in person or via ZOOM, Facetime, etc., and send your pictures, videos, tik tok moment, etc. to redcupsforlove.com or post @redcupsforlove. We look forward to sharing this global event with you.  This next collaboration is with an artist I have known for years.  When I met J1 over a decade ago he played me a song.  The song was titled “What Is LOVE?”  I told him way back then that this song was special and that it would be embraced by millions of listeners around the world. J1 and the song went on to sign a major record deal and had some of the biggest managers in the world working on his behalf. But as fate would have it, not one of those opportunities pained out and the song is yet to be heard globally.  Well, that ends this spring, as I will re-introduce the artist known as J1 to the world. We played the song for Steve Harvey and his comments along with the J1 interview say sit all.  So stay tuned for the “What Is LOVE?” collaboration.iMe has 9 projects completed to date, so stay tuned, and please be sure to participate in each and every one of them.

You also have a book dropping ‘Too Cool to Love’ later in the year. Tell our readers what they can expect and why you are using the male voice to shed light on something seldom discussed in that tone?
Oh wow, yes the book, that book.  The book will have me getting either a lot of hugs or a lot of shoves after its
release (lol).  However, I am fairly certain it will garner a lot of hugs and perhaps only a few shoves.  Although the book is written from a male perspective, it’s a resource for both men and women.  I consider the book more of a tool, a study guide that helps to unlock relationship secrets that take the reader from various forms of devastation to self-love and passion. But please put on some amour when you take the Too Cool To Love journey because it will push you and knock you against the rocks quite a bit.  It will force you to take a hard look at yourself and everyone around you.  It will challenge you to address your absolute truth. Some of the questions we will ask and look to address are; why is everyone playing it so cool, acting like they have it all together?  Why does everyone look to be so picture-perfect when behind the social media veil they are nothing close to it?  And when will we stop measuring our happiness and perhaps our relationship validity based on the street life shown as the flip side of riches and fame as part of the urban struggle and social injustices? Yes, this book will push every reader to re-evaluate the effects of all their past, present, and future relationships and or life events.  And if you dig deep enough you may come to understand that you are dealing with someone that has the same agenda for you as the Spinochordodes Tellinii.  So as soon as you look that up, it may be your first signal to pick up the book. As a study guide Too Cool To Love will provide plenty of good information, solid advice and you will learn a lot about living your best life by discovering and living your truth.  Most of you will laugh a little, cry a lot, and likely get angry. But don’t be alarmed because after all that you will be given tools to purge, cleanse and reset.  After which, there will be nothing left but positivity and a smile.  You see love is not complicated at all.  It is actually very simple.  It’s all that other too cool shit that gets in the way. Too Cool To Love is slated to be released on April 6th, 2022.  April 6th is my mother’s birthday and the book is devoted to her as she watches over me from above. 

Where can our readers find more info on you and follow you on Social Media?
Thanks for asking.  We’d like everyone to go to the following and follow iMe and its projects: @poweredbyiime
@iamterrellmaclin
@redcupsforlove
@readtoocooltolove
www.imelife.com

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