We recently had the chance to connect with Ted Irving and have shared our conversation below.
Ted, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I spring out of bed at 5:30 AM—no snooze, just a guzzle of cold water to wake the body up and getting my first win of the day…making the bed. The first hour is my non-negotiable power-up: quiet time, a little devotion with the Mrs., and a solid workout. After that, it’s a quick shower, suit up, and roll out!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Voyage readers, prepare to meet the force driving a unique blend of media, education, and pure storytelling energy!
I am the founder of BeingUS.tv, a brand that believes every voice deserves a spotlight and every story should come to life with flair. We don’t just capture moments; we inject them with energy and soul.
What We Do: Beyond the Camera Lens
BeingUS.tv operates across several dynamic platforms:
Original Content That Matters: We produce compelling, high-quality projects like Soul Alley (available on Amazon Prime), a powerful documentary that celebrates culture and community connection. We also create dynamic broadcast feature stories that consistently shine a light on voices worth hearing.
Adventures with a Smile: Through our spin-off, TedCations, we take viewers on exciting, people-centered travel adventures that are a blend of wonder, laughter, and discovery.
The “Extra Icing”: We also create amazing stock footage for platforms like Pond5, ensuring our eye for detail reaches creators worldwide.
The Unique Mission: Media, Art, and Education
What makes my story—and BeingUS.tv—truly special and unique is the simultaneous mission to create original content while building the next generation of media artists.
I am actively working to establish Arts AV (Audio-Visual) media, and Arts AV AI media, training services tailored for local staff and students. This initiative is designed to be accessible across K-12 private, home school, public, and charter schools.
This isn’t just a business; it’s a commitment. By simultaneously creating original content and providing cutting-edge training, we are directly funneling real-world experience and skills into the hands of aspiring creators.
BeingUS.tv is more than a production company—it’s a storytelling engine that informs, inspires, and entertains, all while preparing tomorrow’s media landscape today.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The lens through which I see the world was forged not in a classroom, but in the red clay of a small farm, shaped by the hands of my Granddaddy, Ervin Cerf. He, along with my Big Momma, Loretta, built our world from the ground up, teaching me that true value isn’t measured by a diploma, but by discipline and dedication.
Our days began before the sun touched the horizon. The air was thick with the scent of dew and damp earth, the sounds of chickens, ducks, hogs, and guinea already stirring. My uniform was a pair of dusty overalls, and my job was crucial: fetching eggs from the coop, feeding the squawking chickens, and helping Granddaddy till the rich soil. That soil gave us everything—from towering corn ready for shucking to the peppery bite of mustard greens, collards, and snappy beans. I learned the stark, honest reality of self-sufficiency by helping clean the fowl for our weekly and holiday meals.
Granddaddy had only a second-grade education, yet his knowledge spanned wider than any textbook. His vocational skills—carpentry and plumbing—were the foundation of our very house, a testament to what focus and grit could achieve. He was a man of fierce discipline, a quality that was non-negotiable in our world, and supported by his local lodge as he was a 33rd Degree Mason. An institution that taught him a lot.
Then there was the quiet genius of his partnership with Big Momma. Despite her own sixth-grade education, they were quiet titans of real estate, owning and managing a multitude of property. They proved that vision and relentless attention to detail trumped any formal degree.
The greatest inheritance they gave me wasn’t property, but the blueprint for a life well-lived: the sharp discipline of rising early, the necessity of money management, the absolute urgency of being on time, and the wisdom of preparing for the future with wills and deeds. Everything I do today—my focus on operating a business and my deep commitment to property ownership—is simply an extension of the values taught on that little farm, all dedicated to preparing the way for the next generation behind me.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
You are strong, powerful, healthy, whole, determined, free, success filled, and worthy.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I always admired Muhammad Ali, aka, Cassius Clay. He was not a perfect person, but he stood on his beliefs and he, as with many throughout history, fought the powers and principalities of his day, and yet as he grew older, he could still reach out to others not like him and be warm, kind, and inviting. So much so that many became his lifelong friend. His character was an example of growth, maturity, and emotional intelligence.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If immortality were real, what would you build?
If the shackles of mortality were suddenly lifted, granting an endless timeline for human development, the first thing I would build is not a monument or a palace, but the Digital Media Academy: a revolutionary, year-round school for 6th through 12th graders. This vision fundamentally embraces the infinite journey of learning, making the most of a truly endless existence.
The core strength of the Academy lies in its fusion of practical, real-world application with intellectual rigor. Modeled on the Project-Based Learning (PBL) principles honed at BeingUS.tv, the curriculum demands that students constantly produce a product…meaningful digital media. This practical skill is buttressed by a relentless focus on the fundamental academic pillars: developing strong vocabulary, keen comprehension, and nuanced inference. The goal is to cultivate minds sharp enough to critique and create, ensuring that their technical skills are matched by deep critical thought, a necessity for a life lived forever.
The cornerstone of this immortal curriculum is the concept of Experiences. The antiquated classroom desk and board—a system I would permanently dissolve—are replaced by weekly and monthly excursions. Imagine students canoeing down a river, studying fluid dynamics, then immediately capturing the experience with high-quality cameras; or touring a regional business to dissect its branding strategy before applying those lessons to their own media projects. These are not field trips; they are mandatory learning laboratories. From the expansive geology of Big Bend to the historical artifacts in a local museum, these immersive adventures ensure that the education is visible, touchable, and actionable, enabling youth to see their academic concepts in vigorous, colorful motion.
The ultimate purpose of the Experiences component is simple: to abolish the stale, stifling confines of traditional education. When time is limitless, there is no need to keep minds confined to four walls. The world becomes the textbook, the environment the teacher, and the high-quality experiential content created by the students—the films, documentaries, and digital reports—becomes the final examination. In this immortal school, learning is not about retention; it is a creative, continuous process of engaging with the world, perfectly suited for an eternal life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.beingus.tv/
- Instagram: @beingustv
- Linkedin: beingus.tv
- Facebook: BeingYou.Me.US
- Youtube: @beingUStv
- Other: https://nextdoor.com/page/beingustv-houston-tx/
Image Credits
Ted A. Irving
Malkolm O. Irving
