It was 2001, I was a Morning News Anchor at an NBC Affiliate in Tyler, Texas. After 3 months on the job, the News Director and General Manager who hired me suddenly resigned and left the station. With new management coming in I knew this could spell trouble. Two weeks into the new General Managers tenure, you guessed it! The General Manager informed me I am off the air and to start looking for another job. I was faced with a tough decision. I either quit and come back to Chicago and look for work, or continue to stay at the station and figure out what to do next until they find away to fire me. I decided to stay at the station. Anyone who works in the news business knows the deal. If you want to push a news anchor to jump ship there is one thing you have to do, make them a videographer. Guess what? That’s exactly what my new job assignment was. Not only did the News Director make me chase car wrecks and get video shots to use for the weather forecast, I was also the main shooter and editor for the guy who replaced me as anchor. There was no question I was miserable. However, I began to realize I was learning an incredibly important skill set. The news business is all about telling a clear and concise story. Every day I went to work, I became a better storyteller.
The Promotions Director took notice of my craft and convinced the GM to have me work in his department producing the station’s promotional content. So, I began to work as a promotions producer and at the same time shoot for the news department. While I was working at the station, Aziza and I were just married, and we made the decision to drain our small savings in our back account to purchase some video equipment to help start my own production business called Will You Marry Me Wedding Videos. YES, IT WAS REALLY CALLED THAT! After 2 months of getting completely made fun of by friends at the station, I changed the name to Rush Productions. I began producing videos for several local businesses in East Texas while still working at the station. In late 2002, The GM and News Director who pulled me off the air were both fired. The New General Manager asked If I would be interested in returning back on the air as a Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter. Of course, I said yes! I continued to grow Rush Productions while covering the East Texas sports scene including the Dallas Pro teams. It was a lot of work juggling the two. But I had no intention to give up Rush Productions as I saw the positive response from my clients. Since I never saw a pay raise in 4 years at the station, we definitely needed the extra income.
After the birth of our first child Adam in 2005, Aziza and I made a tough decision. We did not want Adam to live a life having to move every 2 to 3 years for the next big TV job. After nearly 6 years in Texas, we decided to come home! In 2006, Rush Productions was officially launched in my basement in Lockport, IL. Since then, we have filmed over 1000 events and produced hundreds of Commercials and Promotional Films. After running for congressional office in 2020, I am proud our team now offers political media consulting services for candidates who are taking the giant step to serve our country. Because of my background as a journalist, businessman, and candidate, my mission is to bring my passion and experience to serve you and all of your multimedia needs.