Author: Christopher Pierznik

Christopher Pierznik is the author of 9 books and has contributed to numerous websites on a variety of topics including music, sports, movies, TV, personal finance, and life. He works in corporate finance and lives in northern New Jersey with his family. His dream is to one day be a member of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Categories
Life Writing

When the Writing Stops

I’m creatively empty — and I’m now at peace with that

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

There was a time, in 2014, when a full-time writing career seemed possible. My pieces were garnering tens of thousands of views, established writers and quasi-famous people were reaching out with kind words about something I had written, I was being interviewed as a talking head, and I was taking meetings with outlets about joining their teams. I had other very cool opportunities. The money just wasn’t there, and once I learned the economics of writing online I doubted it would ever be there, but I still had dreams…

It wasn’t a pipe dream and it wasn’t necessarily an attainable goal. It hovered somewhere between the two.

Then, something happened.

The attention economy changed. The internet changed. The way people consume content changed, especially the way they read (they don’t; they watch videos). The algorithm changed. My readership changed. I changed too — I moved away from my primary niche (hip-hop) and even my secondary niche (NBA) to write about other topics. This made me happier creatively, but almost certainly less successful.

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Categories
Books Hip-Hop Rap Reviews

A Thorough Yet Succinct History of the Secret Element of Hip-Hop — “Fashion Killa” Reviewed

While it is not considered one of the four original elements, fashion has been an indelible part of hip-hop from the beginning.

How an artist looked was oftentimes just as important as how an artist sounded, something that has only intensified as hip-hop and high fashion have become intertwined.

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Books Hip-Hop Rap Reviews

Before the Internet There were Mixtapes — “Do Remember!” Reviewed

In a half-century, hip-hop has evolved from the park jam to become a multi-billion dollar industry that sets trends and dictates a large portion of pop culture.

It is both powerful and ubiquitous.

But growth can be painful and, naturally, such an expansion for a lifestyle that is revered and protected by its longtime fans (and traditionalists) will lead to some disappointment and longing for the old days.

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Categories
America Books History Reviews

Worrying About the Nation’s Survival Is an American Tradition — “Fears of a Setting Sun” Reviewed

After nearly two-and-a-half centuries of (mostly) growth and prosperity, there is a segment of the American population that believe their nation’s success and power was inevitable.

Some historians have even fallen victim to this line of thinking, treating America’s founders as demigods that used their mystical powers to build an unsinkable republic that was rock solid from the start.

In reality, it was far from a fait accompli.

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Categories
Career Fatherhood Lessons Life

Life is all about trade-offs

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

With few exceptions, I would posit that we all want to be successful. It’s not often that someone proclaims, “I would love to be a failure!”

Of course, the question is how does one measure success? It’s true that we need to know what race we’re running, but we also have to understand the cold, hard truth that we can’t have it all. No matter how far you lean in, it’s simply impossible.

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Books Hip-Hop Music Reviews

Aphorisms of a Musical Genius — “Pharrell-isms” Reviewed

Anyone that has seen an interview or conversation with Pharrell Williams knows that he is a thoughtful artist.

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Books Writing

Ryan Holiday’s Best Book Is Not About Stoicism

photo via Penguin Random House

I’ve been a Ryan Holiday superfan since 2012.

He’s a modern-day genius and my favorite writer. I was fortunate that I was able to meet him and see him speak in a small venue back in 2017.

In the years since, Holiday’s popularity has exploded. He has spoken to senators and professional sports teams, executives and armed forces. While Holiday has become well-known for his work focusing on Stoicism, the best book of his entire oeuvre is actually one that is not dedicated to that philosophical discipline.

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Categories
Health Life

A Daily Walk Transformed My Life

Photo by Jack Skinner on Unsplash

“I’m not saying going for a walk will solve all your problems, I’m just saying there’s no problem that’s going to be made worse by going for a walk.”

— Ryan Holiday

It seems simple. So simple, in fact, that I was doubtful.

As someone that was reared on basketball practices where you ran until you vomited and exhaustive two-hour weightlifting sessions that left you feeling nearly paralyzed, I couldn’t imagine that something so slow, basic, and, well, pedestrian could have such an impact on my life.

I was wrong.

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Categories
Children Fatherhood House Life Parenting

Homes Are Not Museums

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

“You don’t have kids with the intent of retaining a clean house. Kids are sources of chaos and disorder. Get over that fact. Where does that disorder come from? It’s because they are experimenting with their environment. Everything is new to them.”

— Neil deGrasse Tyson

When I was younger, I had a vision for the way my home would look when I was an adult.

It would look like something from a Michael Mann film — all chrome and steel with clean lines and large windows. And it would be pristine. There would be nothing out of place.

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Categories
Business Career Knowledge

One Small Thing That Has Advanced My Career

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

I’ve had a varied career. It has taken me from nonprofits, to healthcare, to the top 25 of the Fortune 500 list, and back again. I’ve gone from finance, to IT, to analytics, and back again.

At the moment, I report directly to a senior executive and my duties and expectations are nearly all-encompassing. I’m the exec’s whatever-needs-to-be-done person.

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