Discovering Authenticity: Dark Joseph Ravine's Journey from Illusion to Truth - 2

"Welcome to the Transforming Lifespan podcast, where we explore the journeys of individuals who have embraced authenticity and transformation. In this episode, marketing expert and owner of Focus Five Group, Dark Joseph Ravine, discusses his transition from a dishonest life to finding his true passion in marketing. Joseph opens up about his past struggles with seeking validation and the pivotal moment that led him to embrace authenticity. He discusses the importance of self-awareness, confronting one's darker traits, and the role of marketing in achieving viral success. Additionally, Joseph shares insights from his book, "Watch Out, It's Nolan," which encourages self-defense and resilience against bullying. Examine Dark Joseph Ravine's ideas and understand how to be your true self in a world where social media skews reality.

Speaker 3
Really, we always start with a breathing exercise just for us to relax and be centered and grounded. So join me in taking a deep breath in through your nose. Hold that breath. Let it out.

Exhale through your mouth. Hold it. In. Hold.

Out. Hold. In. Hold.

And as you exhale, just let go of all the tensions that you have and the things that did not serve you today. Just let it go. And take a deep breath in. Hold it.

And let it go. Thank you so much for joining us for that breathing exercise. And today we have a guest. And usually I introduce our guests, but I'm going to allow our guests to introduce himself.

Dark Joseph Ravine. Welcome

Speaker 1
to

Speaker 3
the Transforming Lifespan podcast.

Speaker 1
Thank you so much for having me. I'm very excited to be here.

Speaker 3
So who is Dark Joseph Ravine?

Speaker 1
So Dark Joseph Ravine is my stage name that I used for my online presence. My name is theoretical for fighting against dark by putting light into this world and helping people and promoting positivity and trying to do as much good for the world as possible.

Speaker 3
how I'm hearing information, transformation from darkness to light. Yes. Let's say someone is listening to us or viewing this podcast and they're like, oh, I want to get some marketing out there. Would they get a discount from Focus 5?

Speaker 1
Yeah, of course. So they would contact us. They would tell us the specifics of their project and what they're looking for. And then I would talk with my team about the things I can offer them and do for them.

And then they can agree if they want to proceed or not. We also give free samples to all the people who are interested in getting to know our services. We provide multiple different services and we're always happy to help people. Of course, you know, it does depend what they want to promote.

We're not going to promote negativity or bad things. Whatever we promote, it has to be positive and good and has to align with our morals. Because when we promote something bad, then it just looks bad on us. So we are a little exclusive in that area.

And you have to be when you're a marketing agent. You don't want to set yourself up for struggle or looking bad or anything like that.

Speaker 3
What are some of the services that you offer?

Speaker 1
So let's say going viral on TikTok, where we have people in networks who engage with videos, as well as we have an ads team that gets the video seen in front of lots of people. We also do Instagram growth as well. where we have people who share content and get it noticed and seen. And then they get hopefully seen on the explore page or the recommendations.

And then we have as well YouTube services where we help people's videos get seen and discovered. in a way where hopefully they can rank SEO-wise or get suggested on recommendations and things like that. And then we also do, of course, like blog coverage where people want to build online presence. They get featured on sites.

And we also do like professional photography for events or things in general to help people kind of get those images seen online so that it could make them look good.

Speaker 2
And how do you find that AI is changing this space as far as bio? And I mean, there's these AI influencers and things like that. So from your standpoint, how is artificial intelligence transforming marketing?

Speaker 1
I'm glad you're asking me that because AI really is starting to take over the world. I did a lot of brand deals and had a lot of customers who wanted me to promote AI tools on my TikTok, which I did. And I actually think that AI is a great tool for a lot of things. And I think that it's definitely making life easier.

But I also think with AI, there is still limitations, like you can't use it for everything.

Speaker 2
And which social media channels do you find are the easiest for somebody to grow in today's environment?

Speaker 1
I would probably have to say TikTok, because with TikTok, you can post a lot and best believe one of your posts might hit the jackpot and get recommended and get seen by lots more people. But with my services, if you do it over and over and over, you have a better chance of getting discovered, more getting like posting a lot. and then doing marketing as well.

Speaker 3
Let's say, for example, there is a listener who wants to promote themselves, has content, but they lack the confidence. So they're afraid of Instagram because Instagram, you have to post photos. They're afraid of TikTok because you have to post videos. How would you encourage or work with that client?

Speaker 1
I always encourage every client that unless you really are serious about coming out to the public and serious about what you're doing and that you have a cause for running the social media account that you're currently running, I try to tell them don't go viral unless it's something you're very serious about. Like, for example, if you have a business, or if you have a blog that you want to teach people, or if you want to do something that's beneficial to other people. Because one lesson I learned in my life, life is never about you.

It's about helping as many people as you can. So one thing I do encourage clients is that unless you're benefiting people or helping others with your content and whatever it is that you're doing, I definitely don't encourage marketing at all. I think that you have to be serious about it.

Speaker 3
And when you say that they have to be serious, what do you mean? Can you expand on that a little? Do they have to post daily? Do they have to post weekly?

What being serious means?

Speaker 1
So I would say that they would have not daily, but they would have to post from time to time. You know, let's say they post one on Monday, then another one on Wednesday, then again on Friday. And then they would have to post and they'd have to get marketing done for those particular posts so that those posts rank. And then they get seen by more and more people.

And so, yeah, it's definitely a commitment. You don't have to post too much every day, but yeah, you do have to be committed to the page. Like, let's say, for example, you had a page about transforming lives, and let's say you made one video on Monday, and then another video on Wednesday, and then another video on Friday, and then let's say we put marketing and blew up all those posts, and then eventually we would repeat the same process in the next week, and then you keep having more, engagement on those posts then eventually you start to get discovered and people want to work with you and then people might say, oh, I really love what I saw.

Let's work together and maybe I'll pay you for it. putting me on your page or featuring me and things like that. Because that's actually what I did with my TikTok is I had one viral post and it got nowhere. But the minute I started having multiple viral posts over and over and over, then I started getting brand deals and invitations and people wanting to work with me and things like that.

So once I was committed to what I was doing, that's when I started to take a different turn.

Speaker 3
Got it. So there is a level of commitment on the client side.

Speaker 1
Yes.

Speaker 2
So in this current environment, can people go viral without showing their faces? Because there's a lot of people who are afraid to be on camera or to be talking themselves. And I know there are some AI channels and faceless, you know, YouTube video channels, but I don't know how, I mean, that might be like 1% or it might be 50%, I have no idea. So what is your take on that?

Speaker 1
My take on going viral without being noticed as a person, I actually would have to advise against it because the truth is when you come out to the public revealing your true authentic self, it's more like you're doing something for the love of doing it. You're making the sacrifices for your own love. When you hide your identity and you don't show who you really are, imagine if you went viral and let's say one day someone said, I want to work with you, but you have to show your identity. I want to pay you money, but you have to show your identity.

I can't work with you if you're not going to show who you really are and everything. And then, you know, you'd be in a bit of a dilemma. You wouldn't get the opportunity. So I actually, and on top of that, not showing your identity on social media also is dishonesty as well, in the sense that you're not revealing who you really are.

You know what I mean? But that's just my intake on it. I'm only one person, so.

Speaker 3
Wow. But that makes a lot of sense about not showing yourself could be a form of dishonesty or lack of authenticity, but they may not be ready. Like I said, they may not be comfortable in who

Speaker 1
they are on

Speaker 3
camera. and they might not

Speaker 1
be ready. Of course, a hundred percent. Definitely. And you know what?

At the end of the day, it's really not for everybody to go viral. It's not. It's not for everybody to be famous. It's not for everybody.

This is something you really have to be ready. Like you have to want it. You have to be made for it. You have to say, I can do this.

Speaker 3
I'm glad you said you have to be made for this because There's statistics of people who go viral, but because they weren't ready for the exposure, if I may say, the criticism, the condemnation, the ridicule that comes with going viral.

Speaker 1
Oh yes, a lot of hate, a lot of negativity.

Speaker 3
How do you prepare your clients to handle that?

Speaker 1
I tell them very openly that, you know, you'll have people writing nasty comments, sending evil messages. I have that all the time on my social media. I don't pay attention to it. I'm used to it.

I'm strong enough not to care, but not everybody is strong enough to handle hate and negativity. And I always try to tell my clients, you know, if this is something you're seeing, curious about and you can handle hate mail and negativity, then go for this. But if you feel like you're sensitive and you can't handle that, then don't bother going viral or anything like that. Keep things more low key.

Speaker 3
I appreciate you sharing that because I really think that having someone being honest right out the gate. This might not be for you because you will be ridiculed and asking the questions, how do you handle criticism? And if the person says, I can't handle criticism, this is not for you. I can't handle the hate mail.

Speaker 1
Yeah, a hundred percent. And I want to tell you something. There's so many people who want to go viral and especially teenagers and young people and everybody wants to be the center of attention and in the public eye and wants to be seen and things like that. And they're not realizing the downside it comes with, which is people hating on you.

People say negative things about you, hurting your feelings, scary people contacting you. all kinds of things like that. You know what? It doesn't make you an amazing person just to have a lot of followers and just to have a lot of traffic and engagement.

It doesn't make you an OMG person to do that. You're still an ordinary person. This is just something that you do for the passion of loving what you do. People really have to get to know this industry better because it's not just about how many people follow you and things like that.

And it doesn't make you an OMG person. It just makes you someone with a lot of followers who do what they love to do. But I always say, live the truth and tell the truth. Don't live a lie just so you can look good.

Speaker 3
How did you become resilient to the hate mail, the negativity, the ridicule, condemnation and criticism?

Speaker 1
Anytime you come out to the public, doesn't matter what you do, whether you do public relations, social media marketing, or advertising, or whatever you do, there's going to be people who will write nasty things, and you've got to be strong about that. I knew about that a long time ago. At one point, I wasn't crazy about it when I was younger, but as I got older, I started to say, you know what? These people writing negative things, they have no idea who I even am, and I don't even know them.

And we've never met before. So, you know, they can just say whatever they want online. It's not going to hurt me because I don't even know who these people even are. And on top of that, they're not in charge of the world or in charge of my destiny or in charge of anything they say.

They're just putting their own personal input. So why should I be impacted by other people's opinions online? You know, they're just one person.

Speaker 2
Hmm. I heard somebody once say, it doesn't matter what someone else's opinion is of me. Like it's none of my business. Like it just, it's not your, it's only how you feel.

And are you being true to yourself? And do you know that you're being a good person and are you out there putting forward positivity? And if someone has a problem with that, well then that's their issue, not my issue.

Speaker 1
Absolutely. I'm glad you're bringing that up because the truth is that sometimes people get offended by these opinions and things like that and they're hurt by it. them, but at the same time, I always say you chose to come out to the public and reveal who you were. You open the doors to things like this, so you have to be strong about it and just remember people saying what their opinions has nothing to do with you.

You shouldn't be needing that person's validation if they're going to say negative things. You have to be true to yourself, love yourself, represent who you really are as a person, and not let other people's negativity get to you, especially when these people don't even have power to hurt you. They have an opinion, but they don't have the power to hurt you.

Speaker 3
But Joseph, that's the position, because what you're saying is right. It's true. It makes a lot of sense. But you grew into that.

It was like a learning curve for you. Right? I have seen

Speaker 1
people

Speaker 3
crumble at the first criticism they receive. But how do you get from there?

Speaker 1
Oh yeah, a lot of people.

Speaker 3
How do you get from there to where you are? I don't care about your opinion. That comes with a lot of self-confidence and self-awareness. And on the authenticity, I don't care what you say about me.

I know who I am.

Speaker 1
I think that the reality is when people are really young, like in the teenage stage or even their low 20s, I feel like sometimes they still seek for validation and people's approval and the love from people. And I think that maybe that's why they might get sad and upset when someone has something negative to say or something like that. But I feel like as you get older and you become an adult, you start to realize you know what this person has no authority or power or any way of trying to hurt me or he doesn't rule over my life and he's not someone I'm working for or she's not someone I'm working for either and you know they don't have the power to to control me, so why should I care?

It's only when people have the power to control you, like in a situation where you work for someone else about their opinion, then you might take that more seriously. But someone you don't even know, someone you've never met before, why should you care, right?

Speaker 2
So as we're getting ready to wrap up this episode, what are some of the last things that you would like to leave our listeners and viewers with.

Speaker 1
I want to say to the listeners and the viewers, find your true calling, find your true self. Don't be hesitant to tell the world who you really are. You know, living a lie is going to suffocate you inside and living a life that you're not born to live will not get you anywhere. It'll really ruin you.

So be yourself and tell the truth and live the truth.

Speaker 3
Wow, that was powerful. Thank you for taking us, taking a deep dive with us into the mind of Doc Joseph Ravine. Joseph, thank you for pushing us to question what it means to be our true selves and for giving us a deeper insight into marketing. And I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Speaker 1
Thank you. You as well. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.