Nick Hamilton of Nitecast Media: Getting An Upgrade; How Anyone Can Build Habits For Optimal Wellness, Performance, & Focus
To help develop these habits you can use podcasts, regulation, and home stretches. There are a wide variety of meditation podcasts and videos that you can look through and see what helps you most. Do these meditations during your break or before and after work for better effectiveness. Frequent short breaks can be developed through regulation. For every three small assignments done, take a quick walk around the department or grounds. For every big assignment, take one break to two short breaks to let your brain rest. Stretches are also great to do in your office space or home if there is no gym available. Simple stretches eases both your mind and body.
As a part of our series about “How Anyone Can Build Habits For Optimal Wellness, Performance, & Focus”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nick Hamilton.
Nick Hamilton is the go-to sports and entertainment journalist and founder of Nitecast Media. Nitecast Media is a black-owned digital media platform that offers sports and pop culture enthusiasts access to exclusive content and interviews. Nick strives to broadcast real stories about rising athletes, entertainers, and global leaders that mainstream media refuses to air.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
My grandmother raised me in a house she bought in the 60s in a neighborhood where she was the first black person. My parents are hardworking people and have always valued integrity, character, and the ability to make your own opinions. They are the reason for my resilience and my thirst for mass accessible information. But not everyone was supportive. I was told I would never be good enough.
With the support of my family and their lessons, I betted on myself and went back to school to try again, and I got my degree. I now have over ten years of experience. I’ve worked on significant outlets like NBC and iHeartMedia, covered all major sport and pop culture events, became a member of Pro Football Writers of America and National Association of Black Journalists, and am a founder of multiple successful podcasts.
What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.
My passion for journalism first started in high school. When I wrote the school newspaper in the 11th grade, my teacher, Larry Strauss, encouraged me to pursue journalism. He saw great potential as a writer and reporter.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
My mom always encouraged and supported me from an early age. At a young age when I would create stories in my mind, she would listen and write them done for me. Even now, as my vision weakens, she would remind me that there is no one way to do something and if I try hard enough I can’t create new methods. She would tell me that a few difficulties shouldn’t stop me from achieving success and when there seems to be no way out, create one. Her support shaped me into the man I am today and allowed me to build Nitecast Media so others have an opportunity to realize their dreams.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
I forgot your mic is always hot. During the commercial I started cussing and every listener heard. It was a blow to my professionalism but it taught me a big lesson. You have to be professional every moment until you leave the building, be it in your podcast or business. From your session to your bathroom breaks, be professional, you never know who is listening.
The road to success is hard and requires tremendous dedication. This question is obviously a big one, but what advice would you give to a young person who aspires to follow in your footsteps and emulate your success?
I would tell them that they first need a concrete understanding of what they want to do, never stop researching, and continue fighting till you pass the finish line. Do whatever it takes to reach that finish line. If you don’t want it as badly as you want to breathe, then you don’t really want it and you may not overcome the sacrifices that come your way. You have to be prepared to sacrifice time, money, friends, and family to reach that end goal. Never take no for an answer and keep pushing even when you think no one is watching. Finally, keep your circle close and diverse so you can get the best perspectives.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
The book that made the most impact on my thinking is Book of Five Rings. It is a strategic gem with multiple life lessons that changed how I approach business and interact with people. The biggest change was that it taught me to slow down, take my time, and use what I have gained from losses as advantages on my next endeavor.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?
My favorite Life Lesson Quote is “You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” This quote is relevant to my life because the success I have today is through betting on myself. I’m never afraid to take risks or chances in life or business. No matter how hard it is, if I have the slightest belief I can make it, I will make it. The greatest chance I ever took was becoming a single black father. There were many challenges thrown our way and more to come, but we will cross the ocean together.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
The most exciting projects I am working on now are focused on producing content that can resonate with a large and diverse audience, and a documentary that will provide a unique insight on our history in this country. More details will be made available soon, but trust me, it will be must-see TV!
OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. This will be intuitive to you but it will be helpful to spell this out directly. Can you help explain a few reasons why it is so important to create good habits? Can you share a story or give some examples?
It’s important to create good habits because they will always aid you in your journey to success. Each morning I meditate, organize my daily schedule, and determine the best solutions and techniques I will need to be efficient. I thank God for another day and opportunity to be alive, get my son ready for school, and head out for the day’s business. At night I usually workout to blow off steam from the day, a great way to decompress before heading back home to relax for the night. These good habits strengthen my consistency and keep my hunger fresh.
How have habits played a role in your success? Can you share some success habits that have helped you in your journey?
Habits have played a large role in my success because they teach discipline. I have what it is needed to get things done because habits sharpen your skills. Habits are so important because it builds a routine that helps you during the moments where you can’t get out of bed or have the motivation to do anything. The more you complete your routine, the less it takes out of you. The success habits I use throughout my journey includes being true to myself, observing the good I have done, reviewing my losses, and remaining professional at all times until I leave the building.
Speaking in general, what is the best way to develop good habits? Conversely, how can one stop bad habits?
The best way to develop good habits is through consistency and modifying common habits to best work for me and my lifestyle. Alternatively, stopping bad habits is just as simple as realizing they are not fruitful to your success and figuring out how to change them for the better. This way you still have the accustom of doing the habit but now in a more effective way.
Let’s talk about creating good habits in three areas, Wellness, Performance, and Focus. Can you share three good habits that can lead to optimum wellness? Please share a story or example for each.
Three good habits that can lead to optimal wellness are faith, sleep, and consistent snacks. I am a man of faith so I believe in a Higher Power that gives me the strength, creativity and opportunities for me to move successfully. Those who don’t share the same faith should utilize their faith in their accomplishments, hard work, and staff. Faith helps you keep a peace of mind because you know the gears are turning even when you can’t see them. It is also very important to have an uninterrupted sleep schedule, this would include setting boundaries. Every brain needs certain hours of uninterrupted sleep, this can range from 6 to 13 hrs. You need to find your set of hours that refresh your brain. You don’t want to oversleep or under sleep as this would only decrease your health. Lastly, you need consistent snacks on hand. Eating a few snacks throughout your day improves your health than eating 3 or less large meals. This diminishes all the side effects of hunger that upset your day.
Can you help explain some practices that can be used to develop those habits?
To help develop these habits you need to set boundaries, self-affirmation, and reminders. Setting boundaries is important when developing a sleep schedule. You need to make it clear that you cannot be disrupted in your sleep, including work. You should also refrain from working, sleeping, eating, or watching tv on your bed. Your brain begins to associate your bed with staying awake, which makes it difficult to settle down and sleep. Once you remove these distractions, you will fall asleep quicker. Self-affirmations in the morning and night are great for reminding yourself of your accomplishments and worth. Setting an alarm to remind you to grab a snack can be a bit distracting in a business environment so it’s easier to place some small snacks in your work drawer, your pockets, and non-spillage snacks on your desk by eye sight. These small placements will remind you to eat throughout the day.
Can you share three good habits that can lead to optimal performance at work or sport? Please share a story or example for each.
Three good habits that can lead to optimal performance at work are consistency, review, and communication with employees. When you bring up the habit of consistency it becomes easier to do tasks even in your lowest days the more you do them. Consistency is great for routine environments. Always take the time to review your tasks and their outcome. Every loss and success gives your vital insight on what skills are demanded. Reviewing the outcomes helps you minimize your losses and strengthen your success tactics. Lastly, communication with employees can make or break your company. Employees complete a large mass of work every day. They would have a deeper understanding of what is or isn’t working. When you keep a steady flow of communication, to gather various perspectives and solutions.
Can you help explain some practices that can be used to develop those habits?
To help develop these habits you will need a good support system, effective organization, and an open door or small team submission policies. Having a good support system is great for establishing consistency, this can include a reward system. Any method that can establish accountability is great for developing habits. You can mix this with some snacks or ask someone to check up on you a few times a day. Effective organization is great for reviewing loss and profit and should be easy to maintain. IF organization is not to your skillset, you can always try a class or some training videos. Developing clear communication with employees all depends on your team and what works best for them. You can try an open-door policy, an anonymous submission box, weekly meetings, or teams that submit a review. Try one or all and see what works best.
Can you share three good habits that can lead to optimal focus? Please share a story or example for each.
Three good habits that can lead to optimal focus are meditation, short breaks, and exercise. When you begin to lose focus, you can’t just push through it. You would be doing a disservice for yourself because it will not be to the best of your abilities. If moving to a new environment to work does not work, you need a break. It is important to take regular breaks so that your brain doesn’t get overwhelmed. Your brain is an organ and it needs time to re-energize. Meditation is a great way to spend time during your break or before and after work. It helps your brain focus on one thing rather than multiple at once. Meditation is like deep breaths for your brain. It helps your brain relax and concentrate. Lastly, exercise is another great habit to improve your focus. Many even work while exercising. Exercising increases adrenaline and wakes up your brain, like splashing your face in cold water.
Can you help explain some practices that can be used to develop those habits?
To help develop these habits you can use podcasts, regulation, and home stretches. There are a wide variety of meditation podcasts and videos that you can look through and see what helps you most. Do these meditations during your break or before and after work for better effectiveness. Frequent short breaks can be developed through regulation. For every three small assignments done, take a quick walk around the department or grounds. For every big assignment, take one break to two short breaks to let your brain rest. Stretches are also great to do in your office space or home if there is no gym available. Simple stretches eases both your mind and body.
As a leader, you likely experience times when you are in a state of Flow. Flow has been described as a pleasurable mental state that occurs when you do something that you are skilled at, that is challenging, and that is meaningful. Can you share some ideas from your experience about how we can achieve a state of Flow more often in our lives?
When I am in a creative flow, I use inspiration from whatever I am doing at the moment and write down a concept piece on what I feel is important for the audience to gravitate towards. From television to radio and audio you will always find inspiration in the most unlikely of places. The skill is to capture the idea and write down before you forget. Shortly after you will find connections to how it could help your business and the ideas won’t stop flowing. Being uninterrupted makes your flow that much sweeter to get out and see its completion.
Ok, we are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
If I could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good it would be financial literacy programs. Financial literacy is very important when building your business and wealth. This kind of information isn’t available to my community, it’s not in our schools or centers. If our communities learned how to effectively save and invest, we can do a lot of good.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)
There are so many people I look up to and would like to meet for a private breakfast or lunch. I can hardly count how many. But one I am most eager to meet is Gary Vee. He is very practical in his logic and reasoning, and incredibly effective in finding the work and life solutions. I would LOVE to pick his brain and find out how he got this knowledge, what started his passion in his field, and how he overcame the challenges he faced.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
They can always check out Nitecast’s official website at nitecast.com. It has all of our streaming platforms, news, and my email if they want to connect. They can also visit my YouTube channel @nhexperiencetv to get more content.
Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success.
