Meet Eric Bluestein | Experience Developer

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

Hi Eric, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I didn’t always want to have my own business. After working for large and small companies, I realized I craved the freedom to do what I want, but I needed to really understand how a new business starts. I took the first step on this journey by being the first employee for a start-up. It was a great education. I was involved in every part of the business: operations, financial, legal, creative, and was able to interact and learn how a start-up operates and grows.

After working for another small company, it reinforced that I thoroughly enjoy the creative process and telling stories. After working there for a few years, I decided that I finally wanted to take the risk and start my own business. I decided that I wanted to provide high quality services without another company’s rules and constraints. And, I wanted to combine the last few work experiences I had into one company: create interactive and experiential marketing and learning experiences or clients.

The timing also provided my family and I the opportunity to move from Los Angeles to Tennessee. The development of technology to work anywhere, anytime made starting a new business and moving a smooth process. Moving and being in Tennessee has been a great transition for us, and staring my own business made it possible.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At Cudzu Creative, we strive to provide engaging experience for our partners and their clients. We feel that people want to be engaged and entertained. When they are giving their time, the experience needs to be worthwhile and effective.

We use creativity and technology to create these applications and environments, From videos that entertain and educate, augmented and virtual reality to change their perspective and take them to new places, and role-playing experiences where people use their skills and knowledge in critical and tense situations so they are better prepared to act in the future. All of these opportunities are developed to provide immersion and make the experience fun. When people are having fun they learn and retain it.

We use storytelling to engage businesses clients. Yes, the term storytelling is overused, but at the end of the day, we are all a product of our stories and experiences. We focus our storytelling on how it applies to the users – can they see themselves in these situations, are they experiencing similar situations, and what can they learn that will help them in other areas of business and life.
We strive to work with partners that are interested in creating new experiences for their staff and clients. Partners that want to see “what is possible” and “what will differentiate us from the competition.” Clients with a desire to reach existing and new clients through providing them with experiences that they will not forget.

We do not use the term “partners” haphazardly. Our “clients” are really Partners. We work together with our partners for success. Their ideas and creative input is essential to success.

We are all life-long learners. We are constantly looking for new knowledge. I am driven by how immersive experiences can effectively allow people to learn. How we can use sensory inputs to engage people and support their learning. We want to take people from book learning and passive education to active learning. I am driven by being able to creatively develop these learning experiences that people can be an active participant in, learn, and develop the muscle memory to use in their business and personal lives.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Living in Bristol, TN, I would ensure friends are able to experience the area:

– Catch a show at The Paramount Center for the Arts. It is a great venue that has the old-style look and feel to it.
– Visit Abingdon, Va to stroll the Main Street. There are great little shops and restaurants for everyone to enjoy.
– See a play at The Barter Theatre. As the state theatre of Virginia, it is always a wonderful experience to see a play there. If the timing is right, it would be great to see a performance that is part of the Black Stories, Black Voices program.
– See a play at Theatre Bristol. Theatre Bristol is a wonderful community theater. Seeing a play in their art space is always fun and worth the time. The local actors and craftspeople put on great performances.
– Stroll State Street in Bristol. The downtown has built-up and there are great little shops and restaurants to peruse and walk through.
– For outdoor enthusiasts, a trip to the lake will be fun.
– If the trip is during the baseball season, seeing the Bristol State Liners team is always fun. It’s a relaxed, family-focused experience that makes the game of baseball fun.
– for the motor sports enthiusiast: A trip to Bristol Motor Speedway has to be on their agenda. Even going once is an experience they will not forget.
– I like coffee, so I need to take visitors to Fox’s Den Boardgame Cafe. They have great coffee and you can play games while you sip.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
While a lot of people and books have influenced my life, my initial mentor stands above the crowd. My first job was at an aircraft manufacturing company in Wichita, Kansas. I had the great opportunity to work for John McGrory.

John was always interested in “teaching us young people” (I was younger at the time :-)) about business. And, he did. His management process and knowledge had a great impact on me. I learned so much about management, business, and leadership from him. Knowledge that I could only get by working and having hands-on experiences. His guidance allowed me to make mistakes so I would learn why it did not work, and be able to correct it in the future. I use the knowledge I gained from him throughout my career.

More than business, leadership, and management. John has taught me about life. He has become a life-long friend. We still talk often about all sorts of things and just enjoy the conversations. His continued support of me, always asking how my business is going and what he can do to help means so much. I am proud to call him a friend above anything else.

Website: https://www.cudzucreative.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-bluestein-3571484/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CudzuCreative