Presidents' Day Special Bonus_Zendaya Edition

Wow, I can't believe it's been a year since the Future American President book was first released with a foreword by Zendaya. To celebrate, we are releasing the eBook with two amazing bonuses. The first bonus is "5 secrets for taking great pictures of children" and the 2nd bonus, and this one is REALLY special, is a complete behind-the-scenes pdf of the making of Future American President. To make it ever better, it features behind the scenes images of the shoot with Zendaya as well.

The eBook with the bonuses is only available until midnight at the introductory price of $15! After midnight the price will increase to $20, so get your copy today!

Order online at FUTURE AMERICAN PRESIDENT

Oh, and by the way, tonight during the Grammy's Cover Girl will announce their new face who is none other than our amazing ZENDAYA!

Happy Presidents' Day!

Always dream big

Who will be the future president?

The 2016 Presidential election season has been filled with interesting twists and turns and it will be interesting to see what happens come November. Who will become our 45th President? Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Bernie Sander, Ted Cruz or one of the other hopefuls? Will ex-New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg jump in the race? 

Last year on Presidents' Day we released the book, Future American President: 50 States * 100 Families * Infinite Dreams, with the goal of inspiring future generations to believe they have endless possibilities. While it's too early for any of the 100 children featured in the book to become president, it isn't too late to inspire every child. This year on Presidents' Day we are releasing the Ebook. To celebrate the release we will have a special bonus. Come join us in celebrating Presidents' Day and as always, dream big!

Did you send a holiday card this year?

Today's MASTER YOUR LENS podcast is all about the making of the images below to create a holiday card. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes to hear the story behind these images.

Happy Holidays and always dream big!

LAST DAY!

Today is it! The 30th and final day of the Future American President Kickstarter campaign. To celebrate, we have a few things.

1) We have reduced the price of the Master Your Lens photography workshops to $1297.00 for the early bird registration, and extended the deadline until Friday, October 16th at midnight PST.

For the Kickstarter

If we hit 15k by Monday at 5:02 pm PST we will upgrade all our Future American President Kickstarter orders to include two special gifts.

2 Our original American Map poster which kids can refer to as they learn about America. The map shows the birthplace of each U.S. president, their order chronologically, and years served in office.

3) We will also include our behind-the-scenes pdf of the making of the book, which includes images from the Zendaya photo shoot, taken for the books foreword and much more.

4)If we hit 15K by 2:00 pm PST, we will REDUCE the signed Zendaya book package, which include the original poster she holds in the book and a special edition book signed by Zendaya with your child's picture on the front and back cover. We will reduce the cost from $1000 to only $100!

5) We will host a PIZZA Party for all supporters in the Los Angeles area. At the pizza, for every parent who has purchased a special edition book I will  photograph their child for free! Date to be determined.

Gun Control and the Oregon Shooting

Did you hear what the Oregon shooter said?

"This is the only time I'll ever be in the news, I"m so insignificant!"

If a child grows up and feels they have no chance for success in life they can grow up and become our worst nightmare. On the other hand, if we make our children feel special it can have a profound impact on their lives and lead to greatness.

I know a lot of my  friends are tired of my posts about Future American President, but the reason why I created this project is to help children feel important. In How To Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie speaks about the importance of feeling special. If a child feel special the gun issue would be a concern.  I believe when a child grows up feeling special it can lead to a great future. The dangerous part is what can happen when  a child grows up feeling worthless.  Guess how the Oregon shooter felt about himself.

To inspire a child, it doesn't have to be our child, it can be a neighbor or a friend's child, but we all need to encourage kids to believe they have possibilities. I named my book project Future American President not because I was looking for children who want to become the president one day. I use the word president as a metaphor for greatness because if a child grows up believing they can become the president, they believe they can do anything in life.

To an adult, a picture of a child may just be a cute picture, but to the child it's a vision of themselves and endless possibilities.

Caption: Future American President

Caption: Future American President

If you believe in this message then please pledge 1 dollar today as a symbol to let others know this message is important and worth spreading. You can pledge here.

Caption: Future American President

Caption: Future American President

We have only 7 days left to bring this project to life. If it doesn't hit its 10K goal then this project will go away forever and no more books will be printed. However, we have a chance to make an impact on a child and keep them from feeling the way the Oregon shooter felt. Today you can make a difference. Please join us in bringing this project to life.

For each person who makes a pledge I will give a public thank you mentioning your name on Facebook, on my podcast and on my daily Periscope broadcasts.

Pledge here: http://kck.st/1UOLOn0

Make a child feel special here: http://kck.st/1UOLOn0

Always dream big,

Matthew

I CAN BE

FUTURE AMERICAN PRESIDENT

I CAN BE

FUTURE AMERICAN PRESIDENT

I CAN BE

Future American President

The Game

In today's American Map Game, the Havens family has discovered something unique and beautiful. Join us, and take a journey across America.

The Amerian Map Game is Level 1: http://kck.st/1UOLOn0

Caption: From the American Map Game story

Always Dream Big

Fox11 TV Interview

Yesterday a good friend, actress Nicole Ari Parker, was asked to do an interview for Future American President. It was the 2nd TV interview for the book, but the first where people were given a lot of information about it. 

Road Trip: Day 4

From The Haven's Family Road Trip

Mom asked what we wanted for lunch and I screamed, "CHEESEBURGERS!!"

"AAAHHHH! You always want cheeseburgers!" Raine screamed back.

"Well, it is funny Jayden wants cheeseburgers, because this state is actually home to...

To take part in the American Map Game join here.

Celebrating the American Dream

When you believe in a dream with all your heart great things are bound to come to life. There may be bumps along the way, but if you are persistent, your hard work will be recognized and pay off.

There were times when I wanted to stop working on this project, especially right before the book went to press. Today, however, I am happier than I've been in ages and excited about the possibilities to have a profound impact on a child's life through this project. 

The images below show some of the people who care about the message of this project and believe in it enough to help spread the word and empower children all over America.

Today, we are asking you to come and join us in helping to inspire the next generation. Whether you have children or not we need your support. You can do so my going to this link and joining the Kickstarter group that believe in the American Dream

Caption: Soul Food sisters at the Kickstarter launch party for FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM. Photograph by Ronald Pollard.

Caption: Actresses Nicole Ari Parker and Angela Bassett co-host the Kickstarter launch of FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM. Photographs by Ronald Pollard.

Caption: Host for the Kickstarter Launch Party, Dr. Pearl E. Grimes, Nicole Ari Parker, Felicia D. Henderson and Angela Bassett. Photograph by Rnoald Pollard

Caption: Oregon subject McKenna from Future American President with her father at the Kickstarter launch event for FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM. Photograph by Ronald Pollard.

Caption: Mike Freeze, Linda, 

Podcast host Marquetta Breslin and actress Angela Bassett at the Kickstarter launch party for FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM. Photograph by Ronald Pollard.

Caption: Boris Kodjoe, Nicole Ari Parker, Maki Sekine and Matthew Jordan Smith at the Kickstarter release party for FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM. Photographs by Ronald Pollard.

Caption: Actress Melissa De Sousa and Boris Kodjoe at the Kickstarter launch party for FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM. Photographs by Ron Pollard.

Caption: Make Sekine and Jessica JJ Rabone at the Kickstarter launch of FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM. Photographs by Ronald Pollard.

Caption: Photographer Matthew Jordan Smith and actor Courtney B. Vance speaking at the Kickstarter launch party for FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM. Photographs by Ron Pollard.

Caption: Photographer Matthew Jordan Smith and TV producer Gordon Recht speaking at the Kickstarter launch event for FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM.Photographs by Ronald Rollard

Caption: Guest Maithy at the Kickstarter launch party for FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM. Photograph by Ron Pollard.

Caption: Kids of Future American President at the Kickstarter launch party for FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM. Photographs by Ronald Pollard.

Caption: Darryl Havens and friend at the Kickstarter launch party for FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM. Photographs by Ronald Pollard.

Caption: The Kickstarter launch party for FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM. Photographs by Ronald Pollard. 

Caption: Photograph by George DeLoache

Caption: Matthew Jordan Smith, Gordon Recht and Chaz Guest at the Kickstarter launch party for FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM. Photograph by George DeLoache

Caption: Future American President covergirl Sky with sister Raine and mother, Ami Torres. Photograph by George DeLoache

Caption: celebrating the Kickstarter launch of FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM. Photograph by George DeLoache

Launching LIVE right now!

We are pushing the button to Launch 

in 

5

4

3

2

1

LAUNCH!

FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM

is

now

LIVE

on

KICKSTARTER.com

You can watch the launch event LIVE right now by going to Periscope and following Matthew_JordanS

I can't believe it!

It's finally here! After four months of planning, we are launching Future American Dream tonight on Kickstarter.com.

Starting at 7:30 pm PST we will make a live announcement and push the START button on our Kickstarter page.

I'm inviting you to watch it LIVE on Periscope as Angela Bassett and a host of friends help me launch a project that will inspire the world.

LAUNCHING TODAY

7:30 PM PST

KICKSTARTER.COM

UNDER FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM

Click the link to make your copy: http://kck.st/1UOLOn0

Always dream big

Come celebrate with me on Periscope

For anything amazing to happen in life there has to be a team. To learn how to become a great photographer, you need a team. For a child to grow up and accomplish great things they have to have a team behind them. Team stands for, Together Each Achieves More. 

I am inviting you to join me to become part of the team, to become part of the community that will inspire the next generation to become great. 

You can watch it LIVE on Periscope at 7:30 pm by following me at Matthew_JordanS

FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM

ON 

KICKSTARTER.COM

A PERSONAL WAY TO INSPIRE YOUR CHILD

T.E.A.M.

For anything amazing to happen in life there has to be a team. To learn how to become a great photographer, you need a team. For a child to grow up and accomplish great things they have to have a team behind them. Team stands for, Together Each Achieves More.

In two days, I am inviting you to join me to become part of the team, part of the community that will inspire the next generation to become great. 

FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM

ON 

KICKSTARTER.COM

A PERSONAL WAY TO INSPIRE YOUR CHILD

You are going to love this game!

 In  5 days, we will do something that has never been done before. We would like to invite you to play a brand new game called,

The Future American Map Game.

The objective of the game: To inspire families and their children in an exciting new way. 

The Characters: Mr. Havens & Mrs. Havens, Raine Havens - 11 years old, Jayden Havens - 7 years old (main character)

How to play the game: The game can ONLY be played on Kickstarter.com/FutureAmericanDream starting on Saturday,  September 12th at  7:30 pm PST. The game only lasts for 30 days.

To play the game make a pledge of $10 or more and you'll receive the American Map Game, which includes the map and cut-out figures of the Havens family. Use the map to answer one question per day for 30 days. Questions will be posted once a day and viewable only to pledgers.  To play the game, go to the Future American Dream page on Kickstarter.com

The game is played through a story and told by the youngest child in the Havens family. Over the course of the game, the Havens family travels to every state in America and has a variety of interesting adventures. During their journey, they meet some of the real-life children featured in the book Future American President.

The Family Journey: The Havens family is going on their first family vacation across America. Little Jayden Havens, seven, tells the story as his family drives from state-to-state and at the end of each day asks a question. Help Jayden answer the questions each day as his family travels across America.

Seven-year-old Jayden Havens is about to leave on the adventure of a lifetime and he'd like you to join him. 

Future American Dream - Only on Kickstarter - Starting Saturday, September 12th, 7:30 PM PST

Hosted by Angela Bassett, Nicole Ari Parker, Felicia D. Henderson and Dr. Pearl E. Grimes

Introducing the Havens Family

On Monday, I'd like to introduce you to a very special family. A week from today I will introduce the family in person during my  launch of my event at 7:30 pm PST, and then we will leave the next morning on an incredible adventure for 30 days.

Many of you know that I  shoot with Nikon camera's now. This week  I  learned that Mr. and Mrs. Havens are also  fans of Nikon camera's and has exactly the same gear as me. This week, to prepare for the trip, I added three new Lowepro cases and I'll get to break them in on this journey. The Echelon Line of Lowepro bags and roller cases are really amazing and I'm looking forward to using them on this trip. The Lowepro Echelon roller is just what I've been looking for and in one roller. It's going to make my travel with camera gear much better.

I share my excitement for my new Lowepro bags with Mr. and Mrs. Havens and they were super excited as well to see the new line. Mr.Havens said he was in need of new camera bags and was curious to see the line.

Until Monday, have a great weekend and I look forward to sharing what I believe will be an incredible week with you all next week.

Always dream big!

Have you heard about the Havens Family?

What an amazing family! In 8 days, they are leaving on an incredible journey and they have invited everyone in America to come along with them.

I'm excited to say I have decided to go with them and document the journey. Yesterday I met the entire family, and the son, Jayden, who is seven years old, is very curious about life and is hooked on Minecraft. All he talked about was Minecraft and just wanted my attention so I could watch him play. I asked him was this his favorite game and he said, "Yes, but I also like this new game called Plants vs Zombies and Paceman championship edition deluxe. It has the most ghosts ever. Instead of just four, there can be any amount." I laughed and loved seeing the world through his eyes. It made me remember being his age where nothing else mattered but playing with my friends.

His sister, Raine, was more reserved but also excited about the journey their family is preparing to take. I hope you can join us as this is going to be something we will all remember forever.

Always dream big!

What does Vine star Nash Grier have in common with Angela Bassett?

Angela Bassett, Nash Grier, Zendaya Coleman, Boris Kodjoe, Nicole Ari Parker, all have somethign in common, they all have their own copy of Future American President. Now you can have your own special edition version of Future American President too. Starting September 12th, 2015 at 7:30 pm PST, you'll be able to make your very own special edition book with your child on the cover.  

KICKSTARTER ONLY!  under FUTURE AMERICAN DREAM

September 12th, 2015

Launch time: 7:30 pm PST

Hosts: Angela Bassett, Nicole Ari Parker, Felicia Henderson and Dr. Pearl Grimes

Watch LIVE on Periscrope!

Caption: Nash Grier with Future American President

Caption: Angela Bassett with Future American President

Caption: Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker with Future American President

Caption: Zendaya with Future American President