A couple months ago I sat down with actor, pop artist, music producer, screenwriter, inventor, former NJCU student and all around Renaissance man, Stanford Reid, to talk about his upcoming projects. As eager as he was to talk about his work, I was just as eager to get to know a lot more about him and what his plans are for the future. Together we sat at a window seat at Choc O’ Pain and enjoyed some savory samples of cheese throughout the interview.

Thoroughly engaged in the conversation I found out that Reid definitely has a lot to give. After attending NJCU for two years, Reid says that Jersey City is still his home and playground. “I love Jersey City; it was the first place I moved to when I moved from Maryland, but at the same time Jersey City is where I have a stronger connection. I have a lot of great connections here in Jersey City.”

Reid spends a lot of his time in Jersey City with friends but never forgets to neglect on the past shells of what could’ve been home for him.

“I come here pretty often and hang out with my old friends. Jersey City has a nice energy, especially in this Downtown area, its home. I don’t have a home, I’m originally from Baltimore, Maryland and that wasn’t really home, I didn’t even fit in there and I moved to Georgia when I was eleven, I went to high school and to middle school there. I didn’t really fit in but it took me away from that negative environment that circulates Baltimore that probably would’ve influenced me so I was happy that I didn’t have that time there in Georgia. Returning back to Baltimore after graduation, it had gotten worse, I had really got to see the realities of Baltimore and that’s when I made my plans to move to Jersey City.”

Reid explained that upon finding Jersey City, he knew it would be a great place to begin his career. “I found out about Jersey City, I looked into it and found out that Jersey City was the Hollywood of the east coast. I was like, “I would like to get into the entertainment industry, what a better place to start!” I came to Jersey City to visit New Jersey City University and instantly fell in love, I was like, “This is my new home.”

One of Reid’s most interesting projects which will open in the spring of 2016 is a gym called Eco-Fitness. Reid is the organizer of a campaign to develop exercise equipment that generates electricity by converting the kinetic energy produced during workouts into electricity with the use of turbines. Eco-Fitness was birthed by #PowerOurPlanet. As explained by Reid, “No other gym offers eco-fitness. The first place [will] be in Brooklyn and the gym’s electricity will be generated by them (the patrons) working out, at the same time it would be a way to unite the health of the environment and the health of the people by creating electricity in a way that will not hurt the environment.”

“I plan to open one right here in Downtown, Jersey City so it’s somewhere people can easily get to it from wherever they are. The Jersey City location will be a flagship location,” He said.

The #PowerOurPlanet Campaign is simply intriguing. As the world goes around us and we grow with each waking minute we could make for healthier lifestyles and reduce our carbon footprint. By utilizing equipment that literally transforms kinetic energy into electricity we can go from powering buildings and houses and when we’re done for the day we can power down. By maintaining steady fitness to be able to use physical power to power what we need, we can work harder and live longer!

 

Reid explained he plans on returning to Jersey City. “As I was sitting there at the Grove Street Plaza I was thinking, “There’s no better view of New York City than from Jersey City.” They’re coming up with a lot of new places; they’re higher, getting bigger and grander. Making a move to Jersey City would be a good move for me. Once I lock everything in with my endeavors moving back to Jersey City is something that I would like to do.”

Reid practices Nichien Buddhism to get him through the worst of his struggles. He believes that by changing the state of mind things will get better as time progresses. Reid extended his belief to me in saying that, “Buddhism isn’t a religion it’s a way of thinking. It all boils down to being positive and having a positive effect on the world.” To add to Reid’s overflowing list of tasks and endeavors he is currently working on producing his own show in Jersey City. “I do have a project that I have been working on with a graduate from New Jersey City University. He’s all over the place, back and forth from California and Jersey City since he has his own production company. When he comes back I’m planning on using my own money to produce a show that will be filmed right here in Jersey City.”

“I’m an aspiring screen writer so I have two sitcoms pilots that I wrote and full length movie. The full length movie is set in Jersey City and one of the pilots is set in Jersey City and so I would like to produce them myself and doing that we would like to film it right here in Jersey City and I can use a lot of Jersey City artists. I look forward to having that done next year.’

‘I plan on having my company off the ground with the first location opening in the spring of 2016, and so with the film projects that I’m doing, my full length album, and all that buzz will lead right into the opening of my company and to a new crowdfund for that which should also generate a lot of attention. By the time I do the production here in Jersey City there will be so much positivity circling around that it’ll attract a lot of local Jersey City artists,” He continued.

Reid explained that his work revolved around motivation, inspiration, and positivity. He believes that there are “A lot of people who lack ambition because they don’t have the thirst for it and they don’t feel they should have the thirst for it because nobody ever told them, ‘Hey, you can do anything, you can do anything. You can do ANYTHING that you want to do.’”

“We could change the world in so many ways but people just don’t believe that it’s possible; they don’t believe that they can be part of it. I always meet some people and they say, “Wow Stan you do all these things! I wish I could do something!” you can do something. Everybody has an expert ability, everybody has something they’re genius at you just gotta figure out what that is. Trial and error is a good way to figure out what it is and at the same time, it’s best to just stay positive. Different things will come out, you’ll go different places, you’ll see different people, [and] you’ll learn different things and different doors will be opened up for you,” He said.

Reid frequents hangout spots such as Surf City. When at The Iron Monkey he participates in Karaoke. “If you go there and rock the house they give you a free drink. I’m really good friends with this little group called ETYC, East Tribe Yokai Clan, and they frequent The Dopeness a lot. My EP, The Sound of Falling Trees wouldn’t have been quite as good if it wasn’t for ETYC and my connection with Jersey City artists at The Dopeness,” He reflected.

Reid offers an opportunity to all Jersey City denizens—“If you want to find out how it’s (#PowerOurPlanet and Eco-Fitness) getting done [and] if you want to be a part of the movement, I welcome everybody to be a part of the movement. I’m ready to work with anybody. It’s about moving forward together. No one person wants to be the only person that knows the language.”

 

 

To learn more about #PowerOurPlanet click here.

Check out the #PowerOurPlanet IndieGoGo Campaign.

If you’d like to learn more about Stanford Reid you can find him on check out his website, YouTube, and find him on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.