Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Reed.
Mark, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Graduating from Sam Houston State University in 2014, I immediately went into what I always wanted to do and that was to teach. Aside of teaching, I also wanted to keep my love for sports ignited, stemming from my college football career, so I started a non-profit organization called MARS (Make A Reality Surface) athletics where I help student-athletes become better in their crafts and help them get to college. I feel like I have been a great success story for what I have done in my community and for my community. For four years, I taught high school English in Aldine ISD before leaving the district to a private school to continue being an educator. I still do a lot of community work in the Greenspoint area with raising money for scholarships. Donating computers and supplies to the surrounding schools of that area every year.
With an English background, my love for writing has always been instilled in me since I was in middle school. I have been writing and even traveling (Houston, Phoenix, Kansas, etc.) to recite poetry for quite some time now. I published my first collection my senior year in college titled “Puzzles” and as of now has over 2,000 downloads. So, to capitalize on my love for these I started writing and scripting movies, skits, and short films.
My first project “Victoria and Elliot” was brought to me by a friend to complete a little over a year ago and I haven’t looked back since. My short film “A Night at the Carnival” has made it to the second round of selections at the FilmicPro Film festival. My next project is in the works now, titled “Broken Faucet”. A comedy written and directed by me, taking place on the North Side of Houston. It’s about two friends conquering a very annoying obstacle that came upon them after one crazy night.
I really have my hands in everything and it is all to really either help, entertain, and protect the people of my community cause growing up, there was nobody like me around to be there to do any of these things.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all. So many things have happened within the past five years to me and my family that I am so thankful to have made it through all the hurt. I lost my grandmother, father, and step-father all within a 2-year span. Emotionally, that struck me to the core. Before I can just really get to enjoy my time as an adult and to even begin to show my appreciation for all their hard work helping raise me, my grandmother and father, past away. My mom’s husband was a great man. I hadn’t known him long but he treated my mom like a queen. His death hurt me a lot more because I know it hit my mom even harder. Besides the extended family, my immediate family is very small which is why I will always put them first.
Please tell us about Drip Productions – what should we know?
Drip Productions – is a creative filming company that comes up with entertaining content. Anything from podcasts to movies, we have done it all. And what makes Drip Productions even more interesting, it is run by those of who I grew up with. So all the content you see through the company has been lived through real life. We deal with actors, writers, producers, musical artist and etc. Anyone who has a creative mind and will like to create something with us that will touch those of our community, we embrace the challenge and conquer it. We are mainly known for storytelling and comedy. Not anything to get confused with the clout of the typical famous social media handler. I am most proud of how far this business has come thus far. Starting off with this business plan and just a year later be at this point where I am about to independently put out a film.
MARS Athletics – is a non-profit organization that is based solely to help the young in the community. No matter if it’s sports or academics. A lot of sports training facilities get athletes in their gym and take all the credit for that athlete’s success. For me, I train and mentor kids from all over and most of the time ask for nothing in return. I take student-athletes back to my alma mater, Sam Houston State, and train those athletes and get them more information on college. Growing up I never had anyone that would do that, and I’m glad that I could be that mentor to do it.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My mom, brother, sister and fiancé, my family deserve all the credit. I have had plenty of supporters, clients, and teammates that play a reason for my success. From my teammates that gave me a place to stay while I was homeless during my second year in college to my family that got me through the devastating losses of the ones I loved.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 281-608-9519
- Email: thedriphouston@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/drip.production
- Facebook: facebook.com/thedrip713
Image Credit:
Javeon Butler (hand covering mouth picture)
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