What I’ve Learned From My Guests
Where do I begin? If you’ve heard me on social media, or on my podcast, then you know I have nothing but love for all of my guests. I invited them for a reason. Lately however, I sat and thought about how someone’s life can go completely differently from another. How one succeeds where another fails. Life is unpredictable, and someone my age is always going to do better or worse than me. Does it make me jealous if someone does better than me? No… A little, but life is about choices, not just circumstances.
My point is that after interviewing 38 people so far, everyone had their ups and downs, but they’ve continued on the path they’re on now. Some of the things I’ve learned from this past year ring especially true.
Be grateful for the lows. Episode 6 guest, Emma Steen, worked tirelessly on her application for the music conservatory at Purchase College, only to be told that they didn’t even see her application by the time the deadline had passed. Crushing right? Regardless, she persisted and applied again, and was included. Looking back on it now, she’s grateful for her determination and willingness to get back up again. Episode 2 guest, Ivin Huggan competed in the Shark Tank at Purchase College, hoping to get the grand prize and fund his startup. He ended up losing, but one of the judges pulled him aside and told him that they saw this going internationally. That kind of encouragement was more than enough for him, and he’s still building his company. The most rewarding journeys are hard before they become easy.
Just go out and do what you want to do. Everyone I’ve interviewed reinforced this, but Ivin Huggan and episode 19 guest, Shaine Holloway, openly encouraged this. Ivin himself told me that he saw that something was awry in the world, something that needed to be done, but wasn’t. Then one day, while still in college, he found that haircuts could be more convenient if the barbers came to the customers and not the other way around. With his idea and no doubt in his mind, Ivin took off on his journey. Shaine Holloway sees where he can contribute to stronger learning and uplift a generation, and he’s researching and building his brand. Just do it. There’s plenty of people who want to do the same thing as you, but something’s holding them back. Let nothing hold you back.
Be aware of where you want to go. I’ve had a lot of guests in the music business. I usually ask how they’re going to build their brand, how they’re going to navigate their stage life and personal life, and especially how they’re going to protect themselves against the music industry, which is notoriously exploitative. Let’s face the obvious, big industries, especially in the arts, will always be desired, no matter what story comes out about them. So, at the very least, people should be aware of what they’re getting into. My episode 47 guest, Monday, talked about how she almost got roped in by con artists pretending to be professionals that had her best interests at heart. The trick was to trust her gut and know when someone is really trying to take advantage.
Guard your mind. The world is a rough place, where everyone is going to go through something hard or even traumatic. For example, my episode 49 guest Jahleel Hills described getting stopped and frisked by police at 15. A terrifying moment where anything could have and would have happened to him if the police hadn’t confirmed he wasn’t a suspect and left. My episode 1 guest described how he was struggling with his mental health, which led to contemplating suicide. Life is a difficult journey, so the most important lessons are: surround yourself with people who support you, take time for yourself to replenish and calm yourself, and do things that give you peace of mind. More importantly, cut out what’s negative and holding you back. Getting dragged down is what will ultimately destroy you as you’re being pulled away from what you desire. Never let the world, or even yourself drag you down.
My guests all have their fair share of success and challenges, but it’s about how they meet those challenges that makes them worthy of being on the UPcoming. The next guest to come on, I can’t wait to see what challenges they’ve overcome.