Telling people what to do or seeing what they should do next is something linebackers and senior producers have in common. Maybe that explains why Wyckoff, New Jersey native Derek King, gravitated towards the occupation after his days on the gridiron were over. King, who works for Malka Media didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do coming out of high school, but knew it had to match his personality. Thirteen years later, the former 6’ 1 linebacker is on an upward trajectory which has already consisted him doing projects with individuals and brands such as Philadelphia 76ers Ben Simmons, Las Vegas Aces A’ja Wilson, World Cup Champion Ali Krieger, Olympian Joss Christensen, LG, Hennessy, and Amazon.
“I always just knew I wanted to do something with my personality. I never really knew exactly what it was that I wanted to do. I still don’t know what I want to do. It’s like a day-to-day thing,” King said.
Although the certainty of knowing what he wanted to do once he graduated from college was unknown, King, a multimedia journalism major, dabbled in a couple of areas to test the waters. During his time at Florida Atlantic University, King wrote for the Owl Observer and interned at ESPN West Palm 760/106.3. Upon graduation, King was still unsure of what he wanted to do. After college, King was afforded the opportunity to work on the reality television show Cake Boss as a freelance production assistant. During this time the newly grad who had a bachelor’s degree with a focus in radio and broadcast, absorbed everything he could from the people he worked with since he was working in a field unfamiliar to him.
King playing for Florida Atlantic University during a game. (Photo courtesy of Derek King)
There’s a saying that goes, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. In journalism or production, some might agree this saying holds weight. King would be one of those individuals.
“… your connections and networks are everything. You have to make sure you’re constantly reaching out, keeping in touch, setting yourself up for the next opportunity. You really have to make sure things aren’t getting stagnant otherwise once you’re done with one project, you’re kind of in the world of what’s next,” King said.
Through networking, King has worked with several media companies and agencies such as Stick Figure Productions, Cycle, Laundry Service, Houze MX, Point Seven Labs, Epic Signal, SLAM, and The Players’ Tribune. During the interview, King pointed out that many people want to freelance due to the sex appeal that it has, but if they don’t put in the work, it can be a difficult road.
To get these types of jobs, Kings says, “When you’re performing whatever skill set it is that you’re doing whether it’s producing — coordinating—being a journalist, you really have to make sure you’re doing it as good as you can because you really want those people to recommend you. You want as many referrals as possible.”
Another tip King pointed out during the interview was being able to recognize opportunities. One opportunity King recognized was accepting his current job at Malka Media. King has spearheaded many projects working at the creative studio in Jersey City, New Jersey. To simplify it, King is the glue of projects created.
“The producer is the glue of the project … you’re really putting all the pieces of the puzzle together,” King said.
Whether it’s interviewing 18 and younger mini–moguls or traveling to Alberta to capture footage of an Olympic gold medalist, King enjoys the job he has. He loves meeting new people and traveling to new places.
King is focused on honing his craft. Joking with him, I said “If having kids is in your future, you can tell your kid: I interviewed the number one draft picks of the NBA and WNBA, a World Cup champion, and two Olympians.” Instantly, King responded, “Hopefully the story doesn’t stop here, I haven’t reached nearly the goals that I have set for myself.”
Look at King’s latest project: https://bit.ly/2VmIdWz
Follow Derek King on social media:
Instagram: https://bit.ly/2RuWBL9
Twitter: https://bit.ly/34tEJ8A
Vimeo: https://bit.ly/2VpBcEy
YouTube: https://bit.ly/2JXQMBT
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Editor’s note: If the work is put in, working as a freelancer can be great, but sometimes the unexpected can happen and affect one in a negatively. For example, crisis’ such as the Covid-19 can impact freelancer’s finances drastically if they are not prepared for these types of situations. Here is a link to several resources that can help freelancers during this time of need: https://bit.ly/3a0bBXG