”
I usually get up somewhere between 6 and 6:30 a.m. I usually have e-mails that have come in from the East Coast or Europe. It usually takes about a half hour to respond to those. Then I’m off to 24 Hour Fitness. I usually do about an hour or hour and a half workout. I get out of there 8:30 or 8:45. I walk to our building and grab a cup of coffee or a muffin.
My company builds out software for transformation of film to digital cinema, and I’m in charge of international business. Every day that I’ve come in this week, I’ve had some kind of conference call with someone in Europe and India. We talk about business development of digital cinema opportunities.
There’s a company called DG2L that’s got a contract to install 2,000 digital projectors in India. And we’re talking to them about whether there’s some way we can partner in that initiative. I’m head of business development, so I’m leading the calls, taking the notes, looking for business opportunities, how to leverage what someone else is doing, or how to employ our businesses and services overseas.
I usually have a lunch appointment every single day of the week. It’s either a business meeting with one of the studios or vendors regarding a project. If it’s a lunch meeting with a studio person it’s on the studio lots, either at the Fox commissary or Paramount. Otherwise, the appointment could be with a major developer who wants to come into Hollywood. If they’re coming here to the office, we go to Off Vine, Vine Diner, or Velvet Margarita. I usually have a salad.
After lunch it’s back to the office, where I meet with various employees. We’re doing a huge international project with 20th Century Fox right now. We’re in the midst of a rollout of 2,500 digital screens. I conduct meetings, checking progress on those reports and seeing if there are any issues that need to be resolved.
Usually I finish all of that about 6 or 7 o’clock. Probably at least three or four days a week there’s something going on at night. It could be a business meeting or we’re going to the club restaurants my partner Jose Malagon and I co-own.
Jose and I have a new restaurant club opening up in one of our buildings called Citizen Smith. We own 15 percent of that company, and we watch it very closely. We’re also part owners in a place called CineSpace, which offers patrons dinner and a movie.
Since my regular business is somewhat related to the entertainment business, this is kind of a crossover. Usually I take someone from the movie industry there because they can relate to it. I also might take people from out of town to a dinner meeting there at night. Visitors, especially from Europe, are not used to the concept of having dinner and seeing a movie in a nice setting.
I’m out till 9, 9:30, or 10 o’clock. I go home, read, and look at the mail. I watch the 11 o’clock news religiously. Then the very, very last thing I do, which my partner’s always upset about, is check my e-mail or anything I have to send off to the East Coast the next morning.
”
As told to Katherine Gray
*Dave Gajda
Co-founder of Hollywood Software Inc.,; co-owner of Hollywood Media Center
Out-of-Towner:
Born in Dearborn, Mich.
Fave DVD:
“Gone With the Wind”
Sounds:
Progressive Jazz
Jet Setting:
Costa Rica is favorite travel spot
Preferred Cuisine:
Asian fusion
Charity:
President of the Police Activities League, which provides after-school programs for kids
Real Estate:
Owns nine buildings in Hollywood that house clubs and restaurants
Wireless:
Palm Trio
