Meet Douglas Emerson: Producer, Designer, Futurist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Douglas Emerson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Douglas, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Whenever I approach new business venture on the micro level, especially if it’s a large / longterm project, I always weigh it’s use-case against my personal bandwidth of interest and resources. Building a business isn’t something that’s easy and it needs to be done diligently, which means it needs the proper time, energy and commitment to succeed. It’s important to honestly look at yourself and whether or not you’re willing to put in the work and see it through to the end. A successful project also needs concrete market use-case to sustainably grow and generate value. The only time I commit to a project is if if the use-case balances with my personal interest in getting involved and I have the necessary resources and bandwidth to pull it off.

On the macro level, I see business as the path to freedom in our economic and political landscape. Capitalism as a social system is defined by the equal relationship between capital, power, and freedom. The more capital you have, the more power or freedom you have. And the only true way to live a free life is to build enough infrastructure to create a sustainable ecosystem in which your existential value is not dependent on the validation of others.

I think the crypto/blockchain/NFT revolution we are seeing unfold right now is the ultimate culmination of this use-case, bandwidth and freedom. This technology gives creators the ability to build audiences, create content, and share value without any middle men or censorship, while maintaining ownership. In fact, as discussed above, once I saw this recipe I invested into the ecosystem and launched a virtual NFT gallery (cryptoxob.space).

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

Cabana (cabanawaves.co) is a Social Content Network that provides an alternative to traditional commercial advertising. We create brand-sponsored top-tier original shows (think Netflix, Hulu, HBO etc.) released for free across all social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Twitch, etc). We call them Waves. Our model can match, if not outperform, traditional commercial advertising with the first Wave generating 2.6 Billion Impressions and 4.5 Million engagements.

Cabana is also integrated into the exciting new world of Crypto/NFT/Metaverse. NFTs play a large role in our campaigns, unlocking higher levels of access to content or direct engagement, and Virtual Movie Theaters created in The Metaverse provide direct touch points for engagement and community.

The most exciting thing about Cabana and this new paradigm of content creation, is that we’re finally getting to the place where the gatekeepers and middlemen of Advertising and Hollywood don’t have the ability to stop it. The proliferation of social media and democratization of film technology have opened the flood gates for any creator to step into a position where they can generate tangible market value. The era of closed doors and bloated bureaucracy is finally coming to a close.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Personally, I think the best parts of LA are closest to the beach. There’s something about that fresh air and beautiful light that gets me every time. Besides that, the closer to the mountains I can be, the better. Here’s a list of my favorite spots:

Venice – grab some coffee at Menotti’s, take a swim, and then lunch at Plancha’s Tacos (the tiger shrimp taco is my favorite).

Hermosa Beach (technically not LA, but I couldn’t not include it) – great waves and beach volleyball, definitely have to hit Cafe Rio in Manhattan Beach on the way home.

Studio City / Laurel Canyon – there’s an amazing burger joint called Twin Castles in Studio City at the base of the hills. Grab a bite and then head up into the canyon to get some views and inspiration. Maybe a hike in the area too.

Malibu / Topanga State Park – if you venture far enough off the road at a certain point, there’s a small oasis at the bottom of a valley with waterfalls, streams and ponds. Great place to take a day and relax, although a little tough getting down as there’s no path. It was actually protected by the fires these past few years somehow, with everything around and above it burned to a crisp, but inside this little eden is thriving ecosystem of lizards, birds, bugs and snakes.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shoutout Enrico Moses, my good friend and business partner. Over the past 3 years, Enrico and I have been building the framework of a new content company we just launched called Cabana (cabanawaves.co). In that time, Enrico has been integral in expanding my worldview through his perspective of society, culture, and technology. His instincts and intuition are unparalleled and the value he brings to the table, both intellectually and spiritually, have helped shape my story, as well as the one we’re creating together.

I also want to shoutout Victor Velle, an insanely talented director and one of my best friends. We worked on a feature documentary, 8 Billion Angels, together (myself as a producer – him as a director) that recently got acquired for global distribution by Abramorama. It was a long, intense, 4 year project and his vision carried it through to the finish line.

Website: https://linktr.ee/dougcreatestuff

Instagram: @dougcreatestuff

Twitter: @dougcreatestuff