RezX: A Short Story of Change and Survival (as a new Digital Media)

RezX CEO Chris Ross shaking hands with RezX TV Co-Hosts Erin Goodpipe and Cadmus Delorme RezX TV Series Premiere | Photo by Jarrett Crowe

RezX: A Short Story of Change and Survival (as a new Digital Media)

“Change is Mandatory, but Survival is Optional” is a quote a wise business man once said. And this is the unique situation where RezX finds itself in right now. We are going through a major transformation into a new digital media world while dealing with the challenges that come with it. So before we launch Season 2 of RezXTV and bring back RezX magazine after a short hiatus, I had to take a little more time to rethink how things are done.

But looking back at what we’ve done, it’s really been an amazing experience thus far. Our first season of RezX TV was a huge success, airing in 80 communities province wide to a potential audience of 238,000 viewers weekly on Access7. We made the front page of the Leader-Post when we premiered the show, yet didn’t have sponsors until the last episode (thank you Cree Land Mini-Mart). We also did a Christmas Episode, which was really fun to shoot.

When we launched the TV show last summer, the magazine was also doing well and all systems were moving along nicely. Although, running both a TV show and magazine had its own challenges. So it was my decision to begin making the move to digital, as I stopped printing my magazine to take a temporary break.

For the last 2-years, I have also been a stay at home Dad, raising my son (during times when my girlfriend, Tasheena was at work). I felt I could no longer put the time in to produce a great magazine anymore, let alone keep up with the fast demands of daily on-line news, so I also stopped doing the news all together.

My son Creeseaux buggin me in my office and laughing at me, he is about only 6 months here (he is now 26 months old)

Losing Loved Ones

Yet in the last six months, I’ve also went through some major personal loss in my life. My father, Allan Ross, who had a huge impact on my life, passed away on October 22, 2015 to cancer. My Dad was a very well known teacher and coach who had a huge positive impact on many Aboriginal youth in Saskatchewan and Alberta. His loss is still felt today, during times like these when the thought of failing in business is all too possible. What should I do, what can I do, how do I come back stronger? All questions, he would answer, all questions I now have to find answers myself.

Then last month on February 19, 2016, my Kohkom, Elizabeth Charles (my Dads mom) passed away to health complications. She was a very strong and kind woman, who had many children and grand children.

With her passing, I started the grieving process all over again as this was all too familiar in such a short amount of time.

These significant losses, would put everything on hold. I have to admit, it even left me questioning if RezX was even that important anymore? I even thought of giving it all up; the TV show, the magazine, my web design/graphic design business, everything. Yet I admit that thought still lingers today, but I keep telling myself I cannot give up.

Moving Ahead (Deep Breath)

So this has been the tough and soul searching situation I have found myself in today. I’ve given myself one month to reboot this company through relaunching the magazine, finding advertisers, and launching Season 2 of the tv show in search of sponsors, all while trying to continue this digital transformation.

Like Michael Jordan said, I can accept failure, but I cannot accept not trying. So now I’m putting it all out on the floor and giving it all I got. Yet people don’t realize that this has been my life story all along, failure after failure after failure to finally finding some championship success in recent achievements like; RezX TV, RezX Mag, and our participation in NAIG 2014 (North American Indigenous Games).

Yet throughout my 19-year career as a young entrepreneur, I have had so much setbacks in life, so much heartbreak in business and so many doubters. So much experience falling down only to get back up again, that I’am surprisingly comfortable in this situation, it’s all too familiar.

As one former Publisher of the Leader-Post once told me, “never say die”.

So before I go more in depth about everything else, let me update everyone on RezX’s future plans to rebuild and rebrand our company.

RezX Magazine to return in April with a new Digital Edition (with Limited Print Edition for Subscribers and Hardcore Fans only)

We are planning to bring back RezX in April 2016 as a completely new Digital Edition after a short hiatus, while also printing a limited amount of copies to serve our subscribers and hardcore fans. Subscribers can expect their subscriptions to continue then and run as long as they have subscribed for, as this will honour those agreements. So don’t worry we haven’t forgot about you. (Email us if you have any questions; rezxeditor@gmail.com)

RezX Digital will be a brand new looking magazine with all new interactive features of video, audio, podcasts and amazing photography and features that you have come to know RezX for.

April 2, is when we plan to release a sneak peek edition (16 pages), as this will serve as a preview for our complete full digital edition coming later this summer. However we cannot do it without the help of advertisers who want to reach an Indigenous youth market. Advertisers can begin booking ads for this special digital edition by downloading our ad package here, with a March 25 deadline.

RezXTV Season 2 On Hold Until March 27, 2016

RezX Co-Hosts Cadmus Delorme and Erin Goodpipe (Photo by Mike Dubois)

Although we already aired Episodes 1 and 2 of Season 2 with very little promotion, we will put things on hold until we confirm some more sponsors. We simply cannot continue our television show without some help, because TV production does cost money. Yet we are confident, that we will continue on. So when we do return on a tentative date of March 27, Episode 1 and 2 will have some minor adjustments and Season 2 will continue on from there.

Organizations/Corporations interested in Sponsoring RezX Season 2

For those businesses, corporations and organizations interested in sponsoring, you can sponsor the full season, a half season or a single episode. We’ve also included some incentives like website advertising and magazine advertising included. Download our sponsorship kit here.

Individuals interested in contributing to RezX TV, can do so at our Patreon Page

If you’re a viewer and supporter of our show, individuals can help out too, check out our Patreon page (to be posted later this week) which offers cool benefits like tshirts, back issues of RezX, on air mentions and more! This unique way of sponsorship will focus on the individual who helped us, as you can even provide feedback and suggestions of what events and stories we cover.

RezX Podcast Network – 3 New Podcasts Coming from RezX

Starting next week, we will begin posting our new RezX Podcasts beginning with the RezXPerts Podcast that features members of RezX discussing various Indigenous issues. The RezXPerts podcast discussions were also taped as segments from those will air on RezX TV Season 2. Currently 2 other separate RezX Podcasts are in development; The RezBirds (which is Jay Bird and his Bird family discussing current events) and The Chris Ross Podcast (which features me interviewing a special guest every week). Those 2 new podcasts should be posted in the coming weeks.  

RezX Indigenous Media Staying Independent

Throughout our 12-year history, RezX has maintained it’s voice as one of the real independent Indigenous mediums in Saskatchewan, free of any political influence or corporate backing. We’ve never compromised our principles for politics nor have been a mouthpiece for corporate interests and never have been government funded. Our support has come from both our Indigenous people demanding great content and finding advertisers to support that.

Our stories have always been positive and empowering, yet that will soon change. Our viewers, readers and listeners should expect stories of activism, environment, social issues, political awareness, feminism, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, community issues, Indigenization, Decolonization and more in the coming months. Although, our stories will focus mostly around Indigenous issues important to our people. 

Video news stories, podcast, digital magazines and our weekly TV Show will push these stories to the mainstream. But that can only be done if you share them and support RezX along the way.

I would like to finish, by thanking every one who has ever helped make RezX into the Indigenous Media Company that it is today. By telling our stories, the way we want, we are continuing to work hard for our people and for our Indigenous youth.

 – Chris Tyrone Ross, Publisher/CEO, RezX Indigenous Media 

RezX Editor, Chris Ross (photo: ryan peterman)