#38 Myeppo Talks To…. Jiman Casablancas

Asked what he loves most about his job, Jiman Casablancas has this to say: “My work continues to challenge me and it forces me to learn new things and re-learn what I think I already know, every day. And the number of interesting people that I’ve been able to work with continues to fascinate me.”

As founder and chief strategist of JC Public Relations & Communications (JCPR), Jiman is a self-professed workaholic. Find out about what inspires his work and personal life in the following Q&A…

What are you currently busy with? 

As Malaysia is already out of lockdown, things are somewhat back to normal. As a self-professed workaholic, I never stopped working even during the time when the country was at a standstill. I gave myself projects to work on and those who follow me on social media would know that I really kept myself busy with numerous endeavours. 

2020 has proven to be a challenge but I managed to successfully maneuver JCPR towards a largely tech and digital clientele which is important because that’s where the whole world is moving towards. Right now, we are busy servicing four big accounts which include Malaysia’s first high mobility armoured vehicle, the country’s first locally made Covid-19 self-test kit, Salixium and MyVitaLab. And I always try to mix things up to keep things exciting and sexy. I am very proud to also do PR work for local artists getting their feet wet with NFT initiatives and our homegrown punk band, Trophy Knives. 

Also, I am very proud of the fact that I have completed watching the whole Downton Abbey series, including its movie. I never thought I would do that but I am so glad that I did it. Lady Mary is my spirit animal!

What’s the biggest lesson learnt during the pandemic?

On both personal level and work wise, I learnt that we must not stop. We must continue to work on what we love and to keep ourselves updated with current news and innovations. I am particularly inspired by Balenciaga’s creative director, Demna Gvasalia. He is my current hero. What he does for the brand is nothing short of amazing. And what makes him great and admirable is that he doesn’t stop. There’s always something fresh happening where the brand is concerned. 

Another big thing for me when it comes to work, is collaboration. I truly believe that those days of working in silos and operating in a bubble has passed. With collaboration, it just expands your creativity and reach. There is an old belief that says one must adapt or die. That’s so true, but in this day and age, I believe that one must collaborate or die. I could be wrong. But that rarely happens. 

What is your grooming routine like?

Very basic. Too basic, its almost embarrassing. 

What are your must-have grooming products? 

I’ve taken interest in Le Labo of late. I use their deodorant and their fragrance, Santal33. I use it as an alternative to my other favourite fragrance, Noir by Tom Ford. Other than that, I use moisturiser from ADC which is a brand founded by my friend from London, Adam de Cruz, and face wash from Lumin. Locally, I swear on this brand called Debut, a men’s grooming brand from Ipoh, Perak.

When you have free time, what forms of wellness do you indulge in?

These days, I value my gym time and I try to run at least twice a week, one of which would be long run of an average 12km. I got into running about four years ago and I’ve done two full marathons. I used to be addicted to CrossFit and I did that religiously for a full three years, but I don’t think that is for me anymore. I am not a home workout type of person. So, during lockdown, I try to do the basics and even that was hard for me. I need to be in an environment that pushes me to workout. My dream is to run marathons overseas. That needs to happen soon.

What gets you down? And what do you normally do to get out of a negative situation?

I lost quite a number of friends during the lockdown and all of them were not due to Covid-19. And the process of grief while on lockdown gets me down because you can’t visit, you can’t be involved with their funeral and the worst part is that you sometimes can’t even say your final goodbyes. I was a total wreck when a good friend of mine passed away and all of her close friends in KL could not be in Kuching for her funeral. It’s like there is no proper closure. 

Every now and then I would still be in denial of her passing especially when social media would send me memory notifications on those fantastic times spent with her. But as a true Virgo, I normally don’t dwell on issues. I get bored easily and that applies to feelings as well. Keeping busy with work would normally do the trick. I am lucky to have best friends that accept me for who I am, warts and all, so I am not ashamed to open up to them. And I love music so I have playlists that I listen to for every situation and specific occasions. 

What makes you who you are today?

A lot of things. From puberty to mistakes, the highest of high to the lowest of low, success and failures, my wilding days, those mid-life crisis situations (or just plain stupidity), great experiences, my late parents, my amazing friends, pop culture, solo travels, my obsession with thing like fashion and music, my work, my clients, collaborators and the list goes on. 

And despite all of that, I am still able to surprise myself with the things that I am able to achieve and the things that I don’t know. I am grateful for God’s blessings. I may not be the most religious person you know, but I am definitely spiritual. I succumb to the fact that for whatever gift that God has given you, He can take it back in a mere second. So be nice.

What’s your advice to young people who want to follow in your footsteps?

First and foremost, they have to know themselves well enough. And it involves a lot of hard work. I believe that hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. Karl Lagerfeld worked until the day he died. So did my late father. What a great man he is. I plan to be just like that. 

And one more thing, if you want to follow in my footsteps, make sure you are consistently dressed for it, and always in a pair of amazing shoes. 

What does self-love mean to you?

It’s very subjective. It’s so important to keep yourself happy and to do things for yourself. It’s okay to be selfish sometimes. To quote the greatest philosopher of the 21^st century, RuPaul, “If you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love somebody else?”

What do you love most about your job?

I can’t say that I love my job. I’m just really good at it and I have so many people to thank for this – people who inspire me to be the best that I can in whatever it is that I decide to be involved in. My work continues to challenge me and it forces me to learn new things and re-learn what I think I already know, every day. And the number of interesting people that I’ve been able to work with continues to fascinate me. 

But to give it perspective, to do well in this industry, you need to be resilient and creative. It’s seriously a sink or swim situation, baby. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Myeppo Talks To… is a regular series in which we profile dynamic personalities. For more on Jiman, follow him @jimancasablancas on Instagram.