From Newport boy to Media Man Media Man Int

From Newport boy to Media Man

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One of the more illuminating media websites belongs to Greg Tingle, a self-styled media entrepreneur who runs the public relations agency and news portal Media Man Australia. Tingle is clearly a man of many talents, describing himself as "a Sydney-based public and media relations consultant, celebrity property developer, publicist and promoter, TV presenter, journalist, radio broadcaster, internet author, and an all-round media entrepreneur and man of business brilliance". Is there anything he can't do? According to his online biography, Tingle's big break came when he phoned 2UE's John Laws and chatted on-air with the Golden Tonsils himself in 2000. This media man about town is also a budding author and finishing his book, Don't Bulls--- a Bulls----er - From Newport Boy to Media Man. His motto? "I say things others might think, but are afraid to say."

Greg Tingle book draft: From Newport Boy to Media Man. Chapter titles

Newport Days
Mum and Dad
The Kurrajong Farm and Friends
Brookfield Fair
Truckstops and the Sydney Waterfront
The tough Brisbane schoolyards
Military fun and games
Close Calls
War and Peace at The Sydney Water Board
Cable Guy to Big Tech
The Food Biz
Grappling with Life, Combat Sports and Business
Bohemian and Showgirls promoting
Bondi Beach Stunts
Red Carpet to Green And Blue Carpet
Maroubra Days
The Agency
Wins, Losses and Draws
Aboriginal and The Originals Connection
Off The Grid and Outback Adventures
Eco Warrior
Community People Power
Sports Cars, Trucks to No Car
The Higher Power
Chameleon and playing a role to suit
When news becomes too real; Censorship of truth and protests
Eye Openers
Fact is always stranger than Fiction
What now and what next?

Intro

Tingle here, or Fruit Tingle, GT, Maroubra Seal or Media Man depending on what circle of friends and associates you ask.

Firstly, thanks for waiting all these years for my book...God knows it's been a marathon wrestling match to have finally completed it and to have gotten it out of my head and into print. The world has been lifted off my shoulders.

Funny thing is I've helped promote dozens of books over the past two decades in the course of my Media Man business,.and things have finally slowed down just enough to finally finish my own. Back in 2010 I actually even got publicity for my own book in The Age and SMH, when the journos were doing a feature on my business and "Illuminating" website, as the journo X put it. So, it pays to be different - sometimes.

My earliest memories of Newport include learning to walk, spilling Weetbix down my bib at the beach grannyflat, visiting our horse at Bardo Rd, just around the corner from Newport Primary School, which I would end up attending, bamboo shoots on fire I the backyard, and getting buried up to my head in sand at Yachtsman's Paradise. The Newport connection is thanks to Mum and Dad, as I was born at Mona Vale Hospital and my parents met through the local school dance nights . Dad often parked one or two of his trucks and trailers in the large front yard at Yachtsman's and other time at the Newport Beach carpark, opposite 376 Barrenjoey Road, where we sometimes also lived. We had about three main based on the Northern Beaches, and then there were the Western Suburbs and Sydney Waterfront hauts, and the farm up at Kurrajong, North of Windsor and Colmo.

We ended up relocating to Brisbane s Western Suburbs when I was about 10 so we could have more of a stable family life, as my Mum Beverley was working as a part-time art teacher, specializing in oil painting and sketching, and Mum started to become more reliant on her Mum, Elvie for help at home, and later helping raise my sister Teena, along with my Auntie Annette. Dad's truck driving work was mainly in Sydney and this was a catalyst for disturbing our family life. When I was 14 Mum and Dad got divorced and Dad went back to Sydney. Months later I would join Dad courtesy of a one way plane ticket from Brisbane Airport after I started acting up at Nana's Brookfield estate.

From Newport Boy to Media Man

Why black and gold colour themes for many of your websites and business branding?

Numerous reasons. This will be fully answered in the book that will be public sometime in the future.

There was a series of events that influenced this decision, as there was for the choice of company name, Media Man, that eventually became Media Man Australia and then Media Man Int, part of the Media Man Group.

My late father Rick "Tricky Ricky" (Eric) Tingle, was a truck driver who then became a modest size trucking and transport operator, who went on to become a property developer and self-made multi-millionaire. His main truck of choice was a Mack R-600. Before this he had a few Diamond T's and Diamond Rio's. These trucks and in particular "The Black Mack" helped make Dad a very happy, wealthy, and successful man. He got up to approximately 5 trucks and a dozen trailers - container trailers, cattle trailers and all sorts. The second-hand truck largely did the job of a brand new, top of the line Mack Superliner or equivalent, that was about 5 or 10 times the price. Substance often beats style and glossy brochures, and hard work and big hours does have its merits. From around age 10 I used to wash the truck and trailers and I would help paint the rims (usually silver, rather than gold). The Mack Bulldog was gold in color.

Down the track I would become more fashion aware. I was in the position to buy just about any clothes I wanted. A van full of luxury designer brand fashion used to frequent the Northern Beaches of Sydney and stop by Newport Beach near one of our properties on Barrenjoey Road. It was shopping time one weekend per month and at less than half price! I discovered Versace as well as Benetton, Calvin Klein,and others and then I became aware of what gold coins and gold bullion was. I even had a coin collection stolen - expensive lesson. Then gold pro wrestling championship belts entered the picture and more non-coincidences.

Circa 2001 I decided to get some proper and professional business cards made up from a local (at the time) logo design, graphic designer and creative genius contact, Theo of T-Rex who was based just a stones throw down the road from my place at Waterview Street, Balmain. I noticed some gold and shiny silver themes in the portfolio that included a few rock stars. The silver and black design for magician Sam Powers grabbed me, so I asked Theo to a design based on Sam's card to match up to my prime website at that time: Media Man Australia ...a few days later I received the digital logo and 1000 or so business cards and was totally blown away.

I learned from a number of master media and promotions men including Harry M. Miller, Max Markson and Michael and Kevin Jacobsen, via interviews, the importance of standing out from the pack and being different and just being yourself.

Black and gold trimmings (boxing and wrestling reference) was (and still is) working a charm. No wonder we still love combat sports and the championship title belts in the likes of WWE,, AEW, NWA, and UFC.

On a side note we started to explore b2b online based gold bullion, gold coin and gold and silver themed NFT firms and traders. As they say, what will be will be. We're open and have been for over two decades.

At Human Statue Bodyart we helped create, sell, and manage dozens of gold (and silver and bronze) themed human statues, roving performers and models. Gaming, casino and VIP executives and tycoons (aka "whales") were in the mix of clientele.

Did I mention that one of my favorite movies of all time is 'Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory'.. Gotta win the golden ticket right Charlie! Another classic movie is simply entitled 'Gold' (1974). A Peter Hunt film and starring Roger Moore from James Bond fame.

We worked on some Bond 'Goldfinger' type campaigns also in our time with Human Statue.

Oh, then there were The Logies in Melbourne that I attended. I didn't win any gold despite a credit as an associate producer for 'Sum Of Existence' as per Internet Movie Database. Just maybe they should change their colors from yellow and black to gold black! We do the odd review for them from time to time, but I find there's never enough hours in the day to get everything done, with our without A.I!

Wonder if any of the new and future developments with X will help us more with time management and/or our own gold prospecting, virtual and otherwise. Still chasing 'The Internet Matrix Of Things' Holy Grail.

This has been the latest attempt of mine and telling more of my own story, rather than telling that or others.

Hope the readers are more inclined to award us a gold or at least silver for our efforts. We will still accept a bronze if offered. In the minds eye I've got the gold already, but the Internet Matrix is known to play tricks on occasion!

And if you made it to the end of this chapter, there is no trick nor is it a coincidence. Figure out what brought you here. And, where to go from now.

Scribed by (the real) Greg Tingle
Founder and Director
Media Man Group
Media Man Int
Media Man Australia

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