Meet Mike Browne

We recently connected with Mike Browne and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mike, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

Being a creative, I have always expressed myself artistically. I started drawing seriously at about 5 years old. I would watch the Rams on TV and draw football players. As I grew up, I continued my art habit while pursuing sports. Baseball and football were my main interests. I was a decent shortstop and a wide receiver. To learn more about my position I would sketch what I wanted to achieve. I’m a pretty good artist, I had obvious talent.

I went to Catholic School for 10 years. I describe my schooling as prison, I did 10 years of hard time. My 8th grade teacher, Sister Eileen was 82 years old. We were her last class before retiring. She would fall asleep during class and had a really crooked finger. When she would point, there was confusion as to the aim of her accusations. I’ll tell you a story about how that finger changed my life.

There was a park near our school hosting a CIF softball tournament. All the students would come and watch including the “popular” girls. As any boy would do, your quest is to be a sports hero in front of the girls. This was one of those opportunities. The starting shortstop got hurt and I replaced him, setting the table for an ending that was literally, a game-changer. In the championship game, I made a diving catch and hit a home run to win the game. Kind of like “The Natural” minus the lights and Rob Redford. I basked in my glory after the game. I was “the guy” of the moment. This is where things changed. I have no idea why, but I was attacked by the popular girls with them literally flushing my mitt in the toilet as they kicked me with their saddle shoes.

If you know anything about Catholic Schools, girls wear plaid skirts, white tops, and saddle shoes. Every now and then they would conspire and adjust their outfits to be 50’s. Roll up their socks and sleeves, wear ponytails and red lipstick. They marched in blowing me kisses. You can imagine my anger. That’s when I started drawing my first serious cartoon. It included Sister Eileen’s crooked finger pointing at the girls. The caption was,”Young lady, you look nearly as ugly as I did at your age!” Sister Eileen’s wrinkles had wrinkles.

I passed it around the room. It eventually landed in her hands. Her eyes got really big, like frisbees. She asked, “Who drew this piece of pornography?” I had signed it. I was suspended for 3 days and my mother had to meet with the nun. When she showed my mom she chuckled. I miss my mom.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Over the years my role as an artist has evolved. I spent many years drawing in pencil, pen & ink, watercolor, and airbrush. Traditional experience gives you a unique perspective on how to use digital tools. It takes years of practice to master the Adobe Creative Suite. My favorite tools are Photoshop, Illustrator, Animate, and After Effects. Over the years, I have created cartoons, animations, character designs, car wraps, mobile art, NFT’s on and on. Enter AI.

A few years ago I was asked, what were my thoughts on the subject of AI art. I knew it wouldn’t replace me, but the landscape had changed. My first thought went, “How can I use AI to help me get more creative?” Midjourney was my first choice to create images. There are many to choose from but it still remains my “go-to” AI app. As an entrepreneur, I am always following the trends. I am often on a Zoom meeting learning about what’s next. I learned that your Zoom background can be a video and created some ideas. While attending a WITI session about AI, I was asked about how to make an animated background. I was sent a chat message telling me that was my next business. I agreed.

I used AI to develop a list of the elements needed to create a video background offering. Having experience using Shopify I knew that I could create a store where you can sell digital products. I used AI as an answer man and Shopify chat help to create ZūmBak.pro. I recently finished the site and am very happy with the results. What makes ZūmBak unique is the format. A typical Zoom meeting lasts about an hour. An animated background needs to be interesting yet tolerable for the long haul. A catalog of choices will be necessary to accommodate varied interests. Social media will inform the public about what’s available. This gets really interesting. I want to present how it would look to have a real person with an animated background. I decided to create a realistic character in Midjourney and then use HeyGen to create a video promoting ZūmBak.

YouTube

I also developed a program to teach subscribers of the Adobe Creative Suite how to make their own loops with the help of AI. Included in the course are short instructional videos and a template for easy creation.

Go to: http://zumbak.pro
Discount code Zumbak15

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1) The first quality that you need to be an artist is to find your niche. It is hard to be good at everything. Get good at something and make it your style. Everyone is a generalist, be a specialist.

2) Hang around creative people. You need some positive feedback to catapult your confidence. Non-creatives are often harsh critics. Developing a thick skin is part of the process. It’s a balance.

3) Read Betty Edwards, “Drawing on the right side of the brain”. The bottom line is to go to “the zone”, a place of unconscious confidence. Take out the trash, walk the dog, and clean the dishes. Free your mind.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Potential Partners

Adobe Creative Suite subscribers that use AI and Zoom. Combine tools to create loops using a template.

Video Content Creators

Partnering with popular YouTubers, TikTokers, or other video content creators could help showcase the background loops to a wide audience. These creators could demonstrate how to use the loops effectively in their own videos.

Educational Institutions

Schools and universities that rely heavily on remote learning could be valuable partners. The background loops could be promoted as a way for students and teachers to maintain a professional appearance during online classes.

Corporate Training Companies

Businesses that provide corporate training services often use video conferencing platforms. They could incorporate the background loops into their offerings to enhance the visual appeal of their virtual training sessions.

Virtual Event Planners

As virtual events become more common, partnering with companies that specialize in planning and executing online conferences or meetings could be beneficial.

Digital Marketing Agencies

These agencies often work with clients who need to maintain a professional online presence. They could recommend the background loops as part of their clients’ branding strategies.

Coworking Spaces

Many coworking spaces now offer virtual office options. They could provide the background loops as an added benefit to their members who work remotely.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://zumbak.pro
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beprolific/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zumbak-background-loops
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@zumbak58?lang=en

Image Credits

Midjourney
Mike Browne