Ascot Media Group Blog
Welcome to the Ascot Media Group BLOG! Visit our main website at www.ascotmedia.com

Entrepreneur At 6. Radio Host At 9. Wall Street Office At 13. Millionaire A Year Later. What Has Farrah Gray Done For An Encore? Farrah Gray Publishing

Farrah Gray Publishing is a premier, celebrity boutique book publishing house and one of the largest African-American-owned book publishing companies in the country.

Farrah Gray Publishing brings timeless, bold, and ambitiously contributive messages to an ever expanding, audience-base of self-development seekers. Through various formats of self-help and self-development literature, FGP is passionate about providing true access points of transformation to those who desire true change in varying arenas of their lives.

Farrah Gray Publishing has a distribution deal with Health Communications Inc.  HCI Books is world-famous for publishing the New York Times, USA Today, the Guinness Book of World Records and the No. 1 best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Chicken Soup for the Soul has sold more than 112 million copies, with titles translated into more than 40 languages. Total retail sales of Chicken Soup for the Soul-branded merchandise have topped $1.3 billion.

Farrah Gray Publishing’s CEO and Founder is Dr. Farrah Gray, acclaimed entrepreneur, international success teacher, and prolific book author himself.

Farrah Gray began his book career at HCI, publishing with his first book and runaway success, Reallionaire: Nine Steps to Becoming Rich from the Inside Out. Gray went on to publish other successful titles at behemoth publishing giant, Penguin Publishing Group in New York. However, with Dr. Gray’s interests forever being entrepreneurial at the core, he has stepped forth to carve out an even larger impacting legacy in the publishing world by launching his own imprint and publishing company, Dr. Farrah Gray Publishing, Inc.

Gray began his entrepreneurial career, personal and civic development as a stellar young citizen at six years old selling homemade body lotion and his own hand-painted rocks as bookends door-to-door. At age seven, he was carrying business cards reading “21st Century CEO.” He went on to foster companies as diverse as a venture capital fund to food manufacturing.

Between the ages of twelve and seventeen, Gray founded and operated business ventures that included KIDZTEL pre-paid phone cards, the One Stop Mail Boxes & More franchise, and The Teenscope “Youth AM/FM” interactive teen talk show.  Gray was also Executive Producer of a comedy show on the Las Vegas Strip and owner of Farr-Out Foods, “Way-Out Food with a Twist,” aimed at young people with the company’s first strawberry-vanilla syrup product. Farr-Out Foods generated orders exceeding $1.5 million. He also acquired INNERCITY Magazine from Inner City Broadcasting Corporation, the largest privately-held radio broadcasting company in the U.S. that primarily targets African-Americans.

His rise from poverty to international renown as an entrepreneurial icon and preeminent power speaker has inspired millions around the world and is now available to readers in Reallionaire; Get Real, Get Rich, and The Truth Shall Make You Rich. Gray’s books have been translated into Russian, German, Polish, French, Korean, Indonesian, and Vietnamese languages with book sales in Africa, Australia and Europe and in Central and South American countries. Gray’s books have also become required reading in university classrooms at Harvard and Princeton, among others.

At the age of 26, Farrah Gray has achieved more than many people achieve in a lifetime.  Raised in the impoverished south side of Chicago, Dr. Gray defied the odds and became history’s youngest self-made millionaire, beyond the field of entertainment, by age fourteen.  

Since his first interview at age eleven on KVBC Channel 3, Gray has become a celebrity, featured in thousands of print, magazine, radio and television media including The NBC reality show Starting Over, 20/20, Good Morning America, ABC World News Tonight, The Montel Williams Show, Oprah & Friends, Tom Joyner Show, The Michael Baisden Show, Russ Parr, Radio One, TV One, The Tavis Smiley Show, CNBC, BET, NBC, FOX, CBS, BRAVO, PBS, NPR, Bloomberg, Ebony, Jet, Essence, Upscale, Black MBA, “O” The Oprah Magazine, Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post. AOL Black Voices named Farrah Gray one of the ‘Top Ten Sexiest Black CEO’s’ along with Kenneth Chenault, Tiger Woods and Sean “Diddy” Combs. What makes him extra attractive is the stack of accomplishments he has achieved at such a young age. He is also a syndicated columnist with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) federation of 200 weekly newspapers reaching more than 15 million readers. As an AOL Money Coach, Dr. Gray gives advice to millions of AOL subscribers daily on leadership, personal development, diversity, strategic planning, creativity, business development and financial management.

Short List Of Farrah Gray Publishing Notable Authors:
 
Don Lemon
CNN Primetime Newsroom Anchor/Reporter
Emmy Award winner and Edward R. Murrow Award recipient
 
Kim Zolciak
Reality TV Superstar Kim Zolciak is one of the hottest and most talked-about women in entertainment today. The vivacious blond is most notably known for starring on one of cable TV’s most popular docu-drama’s based in Atlanta.

Ky-Mani Marley (Son of legendary Bob Marley)
Grammy® Nominated Musician.
#1 Album on the Billboard Reggae charts
Sony Pictures film star
Named ‘Philanthropist of the Year’ by Prince Albert II of Monaco
 
Flavor Flav
Rapper, television star, and member of the rap group Public Enemy
Flavor Flav and VH1 shattered rating records with 7.5 million viewers

Tasha Smith
Acclaimed actress Tasha Smith has brought style and intense character portrayals to the screen. Best known for her notable roles in Tyler Perry’s ‘Why Did I Get Married,’ ‘Why Did I Get Married Too,’ and many more.

Merald “Bubba” Knight
An Original member of Gladys Knight and the Pips
Inductee of the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame and Museum
President Bill Clinton and sister Gladys Knight are doing the foreword for his book
 
Russell “Russ” Parr
Host of the nationally syndicated ‘Russ Parr Morning Show’ with more than 4 million listeners in 45 U.S. cities and host of a weekend show, ‘On Air with Russ Parr’ that airs on more than 40 different (USA) radio stations.

Toya Carter
The Tiny & Toya Show has over 3 million viewers, making it the most-watched original series premiere in BET’s history.
The new show will be called ‘Toya’s Family Affair’ and will premiere this winter
Letters To My Younger Self – Priceless Inspiration Book foreword by Lil Wayne.

Victoria Rowell – FGP contracted the foreign sales and foreign distribution for the New York Times Best-seller The Women Who Raised Me
Victoria Rowell is a two-time Emmy Award-nominated and an eleven-time NAACP Image Award-winning actress. Victoria is known for her roles as Drucilla Barber Winters on ‘The Young & The Restless.’
 
And many more…

For information on Farrah Gray and Farrah Gray Publsihing visit: www.FarrahGray.com

###

TIP SHEET:

Bill Clinton, (Former) President of the United States of America: “I know Farrah Gray and we have discussed his future. His motivation determines what he will do. His attitude determines how well he will succeed at making a difference.”

O: The Oprah Magazine dubbed Farrah Gray an “all-star” with “priceless advice.”

Suze Orman, New York Times Bestselling Author: “You are just the best and the real thing.”

Good Morning America: “Farrah Gray is the ultimate American success story.”

ABC 20/20: “America’s Reallionaire.”

CNN: “Farrah Gray is the youngest African American of his generation to make his mark on Wall Street and to become a millionaire.”

MSN.com placed Farrah Gray on its ‘2010 Young Tycoons List’ along with Mark Zuckerberg.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

In My Own Words … “I Was Born Gay” by CNN Anchor Don Lemon

In

In My Own Words … “I Was Born Gay” by Multiple Emmy-winning CNN Anchor Don Lemon


New York, NY, May 16, 2011 — Using Ascot Media and Aston Publicity Groups’ innovative announcement tool ‘In My Own Words’ (IMOW) as the vehicle in which to speak out and put an end to the speculation surrounding him, Don Lemon is making an official statement to the media that he is gay.


The statement below was written by Don Lemon and it may be copied, printed and announced but cannot be altered in any way without the express permission of Don Lemon.


“Today I chose to step out on faith and begin openly living my own truth. And let me say right up front that I hope many of you will be inspired to do the same thing in your daily lives. Some of the things I’ve chosen to reveal in my book Transparent were very difficult to share with even those closest to me. 


There was a time when I was terrified of revealing these things to the person I love most in this world – my own mother. But when I finally mustered the courage to tell her that I had been molested as a child and that I was born gay, my life began to change in positive ways that I never imagined possible. Yet I still chose to keep those secrets hidden from the world. I, like most gay people, lived a life of fear. Fear that if some employers, co-workers, friends, neighbors and family members learned of my sexuality, I would be shunned, mocked and ostracized. It is a burden that millions of people carry with them every single day. And sadly, while the mockery and ostracizing are realized by millions of people every day, I truly believe it doesn’t have to happen and that’s why I feel compelled to share what I’ve written in Transparent


As a journalist I believe that part of my mission is to shed light onto dark places. So, the disclosure of this information does not inhibit in any way my ability to be the professional, fair and objective journalist I have always been. 


My book is dedicated to the memory of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, who jumped to his death from a bridge after his dorm mates streamed his private business over the Internet for the world to see. Tyler might still be with us today if more gay men and women had chosen to live proudly and openly. It is also dedicated to the millions of young, gay people who believe they are alone when dealing with their own sexual identities. You are not alone! There are people, like me and many others, who are thriving in their personal and professional lives and although we sometimes have a hard time with it ourselves, we are here to show you by example that you too can overcome any obstacle as long as you stay strong and, most of all, stay alive.” 

With love and honesty,

Don Lemon
May 16, 2011

 

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

In My Own Words – Flavor Flav, The Real Man Behind The Clock And Sunglasses

New York, NY, May 23, 2011 — Using Ascot Media and Aston Publicity Groups’ innovative announcement tool ‘In My Own Words’ (IMOW) as the vehicle in which to speak out, Flavor Flav: The Icon speaks to his fans.

 

The statement below was written by Flavor Flav and it may be copied, printed and announced but cannot be altered in any way without the express permission of Flavor Flav (William Jonathon Drayton, Jr.).

“To all of my fams (I’ve taken the ‘n’ out of fans and replaced it with an ‘m,’ because a fan doesn’t do anything for me but cool me off when I’m hot and a ‘fam’ is one that supports me), I thank you all for making me who I am today. Without y’all, I would just be an ordinary person in the street, no different and no better than anyone else – the only thing that makes me different is my job description. 

My life has taught me that nothing is really easy. Everything in life you want can come to you, but you really, really have to earn it and deserve it. You only get to live physically once in this lifetime, so while we are living this one time – we need to make the best of it.  When we die, we become nothing but memories to other people and we want to leave them the best memories ever.

If I could influence and mentor today’s youth, based on my past experience, I would tell them that I made some very serious mistakes in my life. I would like for everyone in the world to read my book about the mistakes I’ve made, so hopefully they won’t make the same ones. 

I have always been told I have a lot of interesting things to say and stories to tell.  I’ve often thought about doing my own talk show.  If I did, I would probably use the style of Arsenio Hall, but a Jerry Springer or Maury Povich style show should be a lot of fun. I have been asked if I would ever do Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice Show and my reply to that is it would be a pleasure to once again see and talk to Donald Trump. If I do come out with my own show some time, all I can say is… ‘Once again, Flavor Flav has reinvented himself.’ 

Anyway, I decided to write a book. My new book is called Flavor Flav: The Icon The Memoir (Farrah Gray Publishing). My book is edgy, compassionate and often hilarious! My book is a thrill ride from the heights of my stardom to the depths of my despair and Yo! I’m still here to tell it. I’ve been down some pretty dark holes – but somehow I always found the strength to climb back out of them.

I get asked about regrets but I have no regrets in my life and I would change nothing. The reason is because it took the past to bring the future, and if I was to change something in my past then today I might not be able to teach what I’ve learned.

I want to add that I think Ascot/Aston’s In My Own Words (IMOW) is a great idea for celebrities to say in their own words how they feel about their life and what’s going on in it. That’s why we, Public Enemy, made a record called Don’t Believe The Hype, which means…don’t believe everything you read or hear. The best source for the true information is ‘from the horse’s mouth!’

God bless you all with your life, your future, your goals, and your families. And once again, I thank you for making me who I am today – Flavor Flav: The Icon.  

God bless and peace to all. See y’all on my book tour!

Flavor Flav
Sunday, May 22, 2011

###

Additional Information:

Tour Information:

New York Tour – May 23 – 30, 2011

Los Angeles Tour/The Grammy Museum – May 31 – June 7, 2011

Freaky Comedy/Book Tour – Summer

Flavor Flav: The Icon The Memoir (Farrah Gray Publishing) Available Everywhere Books Are Sold.

Media Contact: Trish Stevens, Ascot Media Group – 281-333-3507 – www.ascotmediagroup.com 

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Ascot Media & Aston Publicity Groups Launch “In My Own Words.” Celebrities Speak Out With Their Own Official Statements In A Worldwide Distribution

Houston, TX, May 21, 2011 – Working together, Ascot Media Group, Inc., and Aston Publicity Group announced this week that they have successfully launched their joint project ‘In My Own Words’© (IMOW) that allows the media to receive official statements quoted directly from celebrities and written totally in their own words. These are not statements written by Ascot, Aston or any other company – they are the actual quotes from individual celebrities. 

Ascot and Aston give celebrities the opportunity to fight back against negative or incorrect information distributed by the paparazzi by allowing them to voice their side of the story in an official statement, written in their very own words and distributed in mass to all media outlets. On the night of Sunday, May 15th, the publicists of these two teams were the first to announce to the media, CNN News Anchor Don Lemon’s Official Announcement: “I Was Born Gay.”

“Today I chose to step out on faith and begin openly living my own truth. And let me say right up front that I hope many of you will be inspired to do the same thing in your daily lives. Some of the things I’ve chosen to reveal in my book Transparent were very difficult to share with even those closest to me. 

There was a time when I was terrified of revealing these things to the person I love most in this world – my own mother. But when I finally mustered the courage to tell her that I had been molested as a child and that I was born gay, my life began to change in positive ways that I never imagined possible. Yet I still chose to keep those secrets hidden from the world. I, like most gay people, lived a life of fear. Fear that if some employers, co-workers, friends, neighbors and family members learned of my sexuality, I would be shunned, mocked and ostracized. It is a burden that millions of people carry with them every single day. And sadly, while the mockery and ostracizing are realized by millions of people every day, I truly believe it doesn’t have to happen and that’s why I feel compelled to share what I’ve written in Transparent. 

As a journalist I believe that part of my mission is to shed light onto dark places. So, the disclosure of this information does not inhibit in any way my ability to be the professional, fair and objective journalist I have always been. 

My book is dedicated to the memory of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, who jumped to his death from a bridge after his dorm mates streamed his private business over the Internet for the world to see. Tyler might still be with us today if more gay men and women had chosen to live proudly and openly. It is also dedicated to the millions of young, gay people who believe they are alone when dealing with their own sexual identities. You are not alone! There are people, like me and many others, who are thriving in their personal and professional lives and although we sometimes have a hard time with it ourselves, we are here to show you by example that you too can overcome any obstacle as long as you stay strong and, most of all, stay alive.” 

With love and honesty,

Don Lemon
May 16, 2011

All eyes are now anxiously awaiting Ascot and Aston’s next official celebrity statement ‘In My Own Words’© (IMOW) that will be released at any moment.  “We are not saying who it is, or what it’s about right now, but we will say he is pretty much a household name worldwide,” stated Trish Stevens and Nicola Williams, the CEO’s of the two PR firms. 

“We hope at some point in the future to have the opportunity of getting a direct quote from Britney Spears, who we believe has been the brunt of a great deal of negative publicity over the years, and we feel it’s time she had her chance to have the truth heard,” commented Stevens. 

“If you see an ‘In My Own Words’ © (IMOW) distributed by our companies, you can rest assured it is a statement straight from the celebrity’s mouth and not misinformation or gossip,” Stevens added.

###

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail