James believes in right timing & good karma

MANILA, Philippines — James Reid has been in show business for almost a decade now and he believes that right timing made it possible for him. 

“Oh yeah, completely! I wouldn’t be in PBB if I weren’t in the right place at the right time. Sometimes, it’s like that,” James told The STAR in a one-on-one, while referring to the reality show where he was first introduced to Filipino audiences.

He further looked back, “The talent scout that got me into ABS, which is just luck and by chance that we met on a street, and then the next night, he also saw me in a restaurant, and then my dad made me go and try out in ABS so, yeah, it was really just timing! I just had moved to the Philippines (from Australia) a few weeks before. Timing was crazy!”

“Timing,” the now 26-year-old actor-singer-record producer added, “and good karma.”

The subject of time was brought up because it so happened that James has been selected as the first celebrity endorser of the US watch brand Armitron.

This was what we learned so far about Armitron, a relatively new entrant among watch brand options to Filipino consumers. It has been around for 60 years now and has built a reputation, mainly in North America, for offering “fashionable and affordable” dress and digital timepieces. 

It entered Asia, including the Philippine market, early this year. Last Sept. 16 was the perfect time for the watch brand to be formally launched in the country with some celebrity power courtesy of James. 

“It’s been doing well in the market but we wanted to take it to the next level with James,” said Linfred Yap, Armitron managing director. He added that their watches are available online (Lazada, Zalora and Shopee) and at SM Store, Robinsons and Metro Gaisano Department Stores. Prices start at P2,780 with the most expensive one at P5,980, all in stainless steel and having Japanese movement. 

During the interview, James showed us the watch he was wearing, which has since been called The James, which features a classic and sleek look and design. 

“I love that there’s a lot of options, different options for different outfits,” James added.  

James was the endorser of choice because he’s a “good embodiment” of the brand, him being a fashion-forward young man of different talents and passions. Said Linfred, “James is a multi-media guy, right? He’s into music, he’s producing, he’s an actor, he can sing and dance, he’s like a jack of all trades and in the same way, he embodies the brand really for us.” 

When it comes to juggling multiple interests, how does he balance his time? “Yeah, I have a lot going on, but it’s not just me, it’s the team that backs me up and supports me and helps me achieve what I need to achieve in a single day,” James said.

Recently, he was in the news for deciding to leave his long-time management team to reportedly handle his own career with his father.

He explained, “It’s just something that I felt that I wanted to take using my own direction. I didn’t renew my management contract but we’re all so good. We’re all in good terms. It’s just that I wanted to be more in control.” 

Asked when his fans can see him in yet another TV drama or movie, he readily admitted, “That yet I don’t know. No (timetable for that).”

At the moment, James is pouring his time and efforts into growing his music label. “My priority is my passion, which is music. My music label. I really want to see how far I can take it. Now is really the time if I want to make this happen. I want to uh, really see how I can take my music here.”

Putting up a music label, Careless Music Manila, posed a lot of challenges initially. “For the first few projects, we were just like, I had no idea what I was doing (laughs), I was just making music that I like so,” he said, noting that now they’ve been releasing at least a new track a week. “Now that the company is growing, the label is growing, the artists are making more music, I wanna keep that momentum, the soul of what we’re trying to do, which is the music that we like.”

Asked when he is most creative, James said, “I’m more of a night owl. But I’m trying to change that actually (laughs). But usually, I’m more creative at nighttime.”

He said he really enjoys the freedom he has right now and being his own manager. “It’s great and it’s also scary that it’s just me but I’m focusing a lot on the music label right now.”

For him, the big lesson to be gleaned from his experiences so far is that “there’s a time for everything.”

“There’s a time to just sit back and relax, and time to go 100 percent. I think you just have to trust the process. There’s no pressure, you just have to do what you feel is right.”

Meanwhile, when he isn’t busy being his own boss or attending brand launches like Armitron’s, you can find him spending time with his loved ones as he described his idea of the perfect leisure time. “It’s just downtime with friends and family like people that are close to you because I don’t get to see them that often. When I do, I’m in charge of it.”