You Create Your Own Luck | Jared Grimble

People love to say someone “got lucky.”

But what if luck isn’t random at all?

In this episode of Creatively Connected, I sit down with 3x Grammy-nominated artist Jared Grimble to talk about what it really takes to create opportunities in the music industry and why putting yourself in the right rooms can completely change the trajectory of your career.

We dive into the power of relationships, creating your own luck, taking chances, and why the people who seem to catch the biggest breaks are often the ones who consistently put themselves in positions where opportunities can find them.

Whether you’re a musician, photographer, videographer, entrepreneur, or any kind of creative, this conversation is a reminder that success rarely happens by accident. More often than not, it’s built through intentional action, showing up, and betting on yourself.

Creatively Connected is for creatives who are trying to turn their passion into a career.

You’re only one connection away from changing the trajectory of your life.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

I did um the voice. I did the voice for two seasons. I canceled my friend's wedding. I was supposed to be in his wedding and also singing at his wedding. People trying to have me uh send send my boxers in the mail to him. It's awkward, bro.

SPEAKER_01 0:12

What did becoming three-time Grammy credit did change for you internally or externally?

SPEAKER_03 0:20

Nothing. Nothing. It's just accolades. Do not allow others to validate your success. And what that means is you are as great as you believe you are.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

And welcome back to the Creatively Connected Podcast. I'm your host, Chris Rippy, and today's guest for you guys is singer, songwriter, all around creative, three-time Grammy nominated. Ladies and gentlemen, your guest for the day, Jared Grimble.

SPEAKER_03 0:50

Hey, thanks for having me, bro. Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

I'm glad uh glad you were in here today. We were catching up right before we started rolling uh about how we met, and it was a couple years ago, um, at a random networking event, and we're gonna touch on how important networking is here in a little while. But Jared, I'm glad you're here today. Um we'll start off by asking you one question. If every artist listening right now could only remember one lesson from your career this far, what would you want it to be?

SPEAKER_03 1:21

Don't block yourself from the opportunities. Um the reason I say that, um, I got two, but the reason I say that is uh when I started, I was very, no, this is what I'm doing. I can't let anything else come in front of this or this. But when opportunities are presented to you, you start shutting out things that might, you know, assist with your success. Um, you never know the rooms you might put yourself in, or the you don't even know the things that you're going through at that moment is gonna be the thing that's going to get you to that place of success. So um don't shut it off because you never know what's gonna give you, you know, your uh that that extra push. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

So far away to start. Never shut it off. Never shut it off. Tell uh tell the listeners that aren't familiar with you. You know, you I mentioned that you do you're you're a music artist, a singer-songwriter, three-time Grammy nominated. Uh you you work in in video production as well. So just give the listeners a little bit of uh background insight on on what it is you do.

SPEAKER_03 2:23

So uh obviously we're out here in Nashville, that's what it is. Um, I'm a singer-songwriter, producer. Uh, I've gotten to a place where you know I I do it a lot for fun. Um, and I think doing it for fun has just kind of opened up the door to just great creativity and just meet some cool people. But I do a lot of uh artistry for myself, but also I like to write with others, collab with others. I think the older I've gotten, the more I've like to um speak a lot of uh energy and success into others and just kind of help navigate them through a specific space. But no, uh do a lot of that, do all my music. I really focus on that. Also touch base on a little, or I touch uh on the creative side of a lot of video uh videography and photography. I love it's kind of like my outlet, and I've used that to kind of assist myself uh with my music.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

Yeah. For creative, talk about how important at least it is for you to have multiple outlets to go to because a lot of us, you know, might just shoot photo and video, or they might just be a music artist, you know, which is more than enough, but it sounds like you dabble within the music, and then you have more outlets that you can go through. How important is that for you or just a creative in general to stay creative and not burn out?

SPEAKER_03 3:35

I think the most uh the best thing to have is uh, as you said, a lot of outlets, um, so you don't get burnt. Um, but diving into all these other things, they can again assist you on whatever it is. So everybody says you need to be uh what is it, uh master of none or whatever it is. Um I think sometimes being just a creative in general and not putting myself in a box has allowed um a lot of as I said opportunity. So uh going to like video and things like that. Uh I had a camera, you know. I the person I got a camera, the idea from was someone from uh that I did a music event with. He put me on game. And so I was like, oh shoot, I want to get a camera too. I got a camera that led to one thing, but uh as I've gotten older, sometimes things get stale. So being able to again give yourself these opportunities, learn new things, and use those as outlets. Um, again, I like to I like to work out, I like to, I like my coffee shops, that's my that's my thing. That's that's my cooldown, that's where I meet people as well. But outlets are necessary because if you're and this not might not work for everybody, but if you are in your house knocking out music uh 24-7, you're gonna get stale, you're gonna get tired, you're gonna need to be rejuvenated. So then you step out. Um, I try not to like force myself to do something, but whatever calling is, so hey, look, I need to go out with the friends, go to the gym, go to the coffee shop. Um, yeah, having outlets and opportunities and also friendships has definitely helped me and assisted me on uh just being a better version of myself and just having a better outcome and just success.

SPEAKER_01 5:12

Yeah, I think it's super important. You said like one just having outlets and getting out of your house. Like you can be, you know, us, especially us dudes, like we're we're in that locked-in mentality, you know. I I put it out, I've been putting it out online for two years straight, like locked in, locked in, because I feel that way, but that doesn't mean you have to be locked into your into your house working on your craft, whatever that may be. I mean, it's okay to go through those those times, but get out and about too, because that's just as important to the craft as being locked in and and being so deep dived into the actual craft itself.

SPEAKER_03 5:47

Because how you how you gonna like you need to be inspired, exactly like where you're gonna get the inspiration, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:52

The inspiration and just the um decompression too. Like you can't just be so um caught up in whatever it is you're working on or or you're gonna burn out. Oh, yeah. It's happened to me many times, I'm sure you too, yeah, the listeners as well. Like, I don't know, back I I just think back to when I was first starting out on my video journey. It was like just work, work, work, work, stay up till three, four in the morning, get up at eight or nine. I miss those days, though. I miss those days. They're so important. Like, I you know, when you're in them, you don't realize those are like the the prime moments of the the hustle, but not that it it's not enjoyable as you you reach success, but the days where you're just grinding it out and figuring it out with no prior knowledge or uh or resources, um, those are very driven on nothing but excitement, bro. Yeah, yeah, and you don't know you're in them and and until they're gone, and then it's just your uh everyday life. So enjoy them while you're in them. Absolutely, for sure. Enjoy them while you're in them. Well, bro, you got independent artists, yeah, completely independent. Um, you've gained a lot of traction online, it seems like. You know, you've built up over 100,000 plus followers on on Instagram, I'm not too sure on TikTok, but talk about like how that has happened for you and just the evolution of putting yourself out there and and getting attention back from that. How how is that um if if an artist is listening, how can they go about that if they have no prior stuff out online?

SPEAKER_03 7:18

So half the people don't know how to just take a step. It's easy as it sounds, put out a cover, put out your own material. Yeah. Um, but no one ever, I mean, you don't know who's going to receive it or what algorithm it goes through. And I hate saying algorithm in the music industry, but that's what it is. Um but just taking a step. Like I've written so much so much music, and a lot of the music I write about is about taking that next step, whether it's been in a relationship or a life choice or whatever it is. Some people just don't know how to do it. Um, they can't wrap their mind around it. But taking a step and putting yourself out there um and just hoping the reason I do music is to give back what music gave to me. And when I say that is music hit my soul in different ways. Music definitely hit my soul in different ways. And um what it did for me, I'm hoping I can do that further. So I don't put it out selfishly to be say, look at me. I'm hoping it can connect with others in a way. So that is why I want to put it out. Other people might be like, no, they might laugh at me. Well, it don't matter. If you want to do it, you want to do it. If you don't, you don't. So I think that's that's kind of like the difference between those that are successful and those that aren't. Um some people just want it.

SPEAKER_01 8:33

So yeah. You said something perfect right there, and I agree that the successful artists, the ones that really, you know, go on to have long careers in this are making music for other people. They want to touch someone, they want to heal people, they want to connect in some way, shape, or form. And the ones who don't necessarily go on to have the long careers might just be doing it for them, you know. And it's uh you you see it, you see it every day. There's a lot of music artists out there. So I think building that community and that connection with with the the fans, and I hate even saying the fans, just the the listeners, the receivers of the music. You know, music is such a beautiful gift to people that it's uh you have to be creating for other people.

SPEAKER_03 9:15

But but people like even like to go back on it, like someone will post something and they'll be like, uh, I'm gonna take it down, no one's reacting. Yeah, well, like no one's reacting because this is the first time you ever done it. You don't have an audience, so people don't get that you have to build something, and again, starting from someplace, starting from scratch. Yeah, and uh again, you just have to take a step, probably.

SPEAKER_01 9:36

Yeah, do you think in 2026 a music artist can build a career without going hard on social media?

SPEAKER_03 9:45

Yes, I still think that is possible because when you look at some of these artists that are coming out, they're plants. We all talk about they know plant, they a plant, they're plants. So if a lot of people getting signed or people that are getting signed off of their follower, off their follow count, and we see it every day and we see it more and more, but there's still certain artists that people can believe in, and I mean they're branding points, so people know that they can make money off it. I do still believe that is possible because we know that music labels run the music industry, even though you say it not now. Yes, you look at Spotify, you look at Apple Music. I don't know if we can set it on this, you know. If you want to be a sponsor, come holler at us. But um, but the stuff that's on the radio is not our cohost lady. Yeah, you film it right here. So come on, send us send us a DM. But no, bro, like if you notice, anything that's on radio is label. Anything that's on Spotify that half the time beats everything that's on the radio is uh independent artists. Yeah. So, but I think the big money is coming from the radio, which is label ran. So, yes, that's that's the world we're in. It's still ran by the labels, and you still have success if you do not need the following. But uh, I mean, it definitely helps kind of create who you are as a person, but also if you want to, we can we can dive into Olivia Dean. She's been she was cranking out hits, riding with others and stuff like that. But her she's a outside of the writing world, like she's getting pushed by a label, not by her personality. I mean, yes, her personality, but like they'll post stuff, you could tell it's ran by the by the label or the manager, it's not it's not hers. Yeah, but so yeah, I mean, she's one that's right now that's just doing it. They saw an end, they needed that space, and they're not leading with you know social media, they're leading with just she's a great girl, we're just gonna put money behind her.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

Yeah, what's your thoughts on AI artist?

SPEAKER_03 11:45

So someone just sent me a couple records uh that were AI, and I was like, they want me to rip this on, but like it's this is an AI track, I can tell. Yeah, this is an AI vocalist, I can tell. Um I do think everybody's flipping out because uh people's jobs are getting taken, but you gotta look at it like this. Someone told me this, some some some guy here in the industry here in uh in Nashville went to a space, he was like, Look, all it is is innovation. And what's gonna happen? It's gonna get popular and it's gonna fall off again. But it's also going to have the other people getting more creative and more excited and better at it.

SPEAKER_00 12:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:23

Innovation's been hitting our hitting uh hitting this business for years, but we've always been able to get around it. Those that get around it are the ones that utilize it for the moment and then figure out how a way to make it better, then figure out how to leave it in the dust and go beyond. Um that's just what it is. So AI is cool, all it is is an innovation. I do feel there is something about human connection and human just, you know, that human touch. So it's cool, it's peace, definitely benefits from us, bit benefits us, but I don't think it's gonna ruin our world.

SPEAKER_01 12:56

Yeah, I agree. I think it's a tool just like anything else, just like the iPhone, just like a camera, just like a microphone. It's a tool that can't be used for good or it can be used for bad. The same way all the other tools can, you know. And you said it best, I I think it'll I think there'll be a we're we're early in it. You know, it feels like it's been around forever, but think back five years ago, you couldn't go to Chat GPT and ask it to to figure out any question or any problem or anything that you want it to figure out, and now how far it's advanced, and I think there'll be a season where it dies off, and that doesn't mean that it's going away, but you know, it like you said, it's a fad. It'll come in and out, but it'll still be used by the smart ones, by the innovators to to build more, to build because you have all these huge producers that are trying to pitch their records and they don't have vocalists, so they're doing it.

SPEAKER_03 13:45

Yeah, but but it's sad when you see you hear artists that are doing it. Yeah, and I'm just like, okay, I get it, but now you gotta make it better. Um, that does take away from the creative, but I mean to make it better is also creative too. So they're gonna figure it out. They're gonna figure it out. Just don't abuse it, yeah. Use it as a tool. Um, it's whatever.

SPEAKER_01 14:03

Man, what just I just love making an AI generated video and getting hate comments on Instagram. People be like, like mad, bro, mad, like threatening you type mad. I'm like, why why does it ask you?

SPEAKER_03 14:18

They tripping, but because look look at remember like iRobot those movies and stuff like that. It's like oh my gosh, they're gonna take over the world. And they will, um, in certain ways, but um, like even like those those those electric cars, stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 14:32

I seen three Waymos back to back to back the other night. It was at nighttime, bro. And it was just like, I don't know, you'd be driving at nighttime, sometimes you'd be zoning out, and I was just it was almost like a like a time travel, even though we're living in it now.

SPEAKER_03 14:46

But it's just dude, I saw I saw one that was getting it stopped in the middle of the street and it didn't know what to do because there was a guy directing traffic, and it got put in position, it's like, what do I do? And so, I mean, yeah, it's cool, it's an idea, but again, something about the human touch that will always be better.

SPEAKER_01 15:04

Yeah, and I think the world is like craving that right now. You know, I I think they're craving uh you know, I follow Gary V a lot, um, and he's always like the they're craving the analog. The world's going back to analog, they want to be in person, they want concerts, people are buying CDs and finals and and they they crave that in-person connection because everything online is up for debate if if it's even real these days, you know. Like you almost have to question everything you see, even if it's for a you know a fraction of a second, is this fake or real? And then your brain, it's kind of like something that's been integrated into our brains already with AI. So I don't know, it's interesting. I'm uh it's wild, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:44

It's a wild time. We're gonna see what's what pops off.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

Yeah, yeah. We might have to come back to this episode five years from now and see how outdated this one actually is. We might be flying a car at that point in time.

SPEAKER_02 15:55

We might be using AI software to edit this video.

SPEAKER_01 15:58

Literally, literally. I might be on to something now. So look, you've talked uh talk a little bit about your success with social media. Obviously, you've we talked about the followers that you built up, and you've just had a couple videos really pop off, it seems like like and get multiple millions of views. Um do you believe that there's a strategy behind that, or do you believe there ain't no strategy?

SPEAKER_03 16:26

I mean consistency, but again, some people some people can post something for the first time and go viral, and some people can post something you know once every day for five years and never go viral. Yeah, it it just depends, but again, it depends on what the algorithm wants. And I think the cool thing is if you find out what the algorithm wants and what trips it, it's consistent.

SPEAKER_01 16:49

What does going viral not fix that most people think it would?

SPEAKER_03 16:53

What do you mean? Alright, rephrase that.

SPEAKER_01 16:55

So you know, people that haven't gone viral oftentimes like oh, I want the that million views, like my life will change if I get a couple million views. Like, I guess for my instance, I thought that like I thought I'd just have clients galore and and no problems if I just went viral, you know. As a creator, that's the goal. So for me, it would that was like my problem, but um I thought that that would fix my client problem.

SPEAKER_03 17:22

It's not gonna fix your client problem because you look at going viral as an opportunity, not as your end goal. People like going viral, I'm there. What you gonna do after it? Yeah, so so uh the video you're talking about, I gotta think about six million videos, it's six million streams um and and whatever, and it's a Olivia Dean version. So, what I like to do a lot of times, instead of cover all the songs, I like to do my own versions of them, whether it's a reply, a response, a remix, whatever it is. And that went to six million. And I was like, oh shoot, what do I do now? Um, and I think a lot of these people, you know, you've gone viral, and you go viral for what? Because some of these people just want to go viral and got no plan. Yeah, some just want to go viral because they're gonna tell their oh my look at me, I'm viral. Okay, what are you supposed to do? Um so what I was able to do with going viral, and again, I've done this for years and I've gone viral a handful of times, but this one was probably my biggest one. Um, I'm a musician at heart, you know. Creating social media is not what I want to do, but it's what I do. And I was like, look, yes, I did a video, but what am I? I'm going to take this song, I'm going to actually do a live recording, and I'm put out a pre-save link and I'm gonna give it to the people. They want it. But then after that, what do you do? It falls off. As an artist and just who I am, I want I want that what feeds me is people receiving my music in a great way. So I took that viral experience and viral moment to uh enhance my career and be able to be utilized. So you put it out, and we're at about I think just shy of a million streams on Spotify alone. Wow. Um But yeah, no, going viral is cool, but like when you get there, what you gonna do with it? Yeah. I think that's the bad part with people nowadays. You get viral, but you don't have a strategy afterwards. If you want to be a music artist, know what you're gonna do when you hit viral. And once you hit viral, hit that follow-through plan. Because if you do it a couple weeks later, you fall off, you back to square one, and then you're trying to get viral again. For what? Uh viral is great, but it's an opportunity to seek more opportunity. That's it.

SPEAKER_01 19:36

Yeah. I couldn't have said that better. I I think a lot of people go viral by accident. You know, obviously they're trying, but then it happens and there's no business behind it. You have to have a strategy in place. They have to. I think of going viral as just letting a lot of people into the front door of a party. But then what? Is there a DJ over there playing music? Is there is there drinks set up? Is there lights? You know, like there's gotta be something that they're coming to and invited to, otherwise they're gonna turn right around and leave.

SPEAKER_03 20:08

Well, well, that's so you just said something pretty smart. So it's something it's viral because and they're they're looking at the video because it's something that they're interested in. That's something they're coming to, they're coming to it for a reason, and that's the same with getting to the algorithm. Once you realize that, for one, like I posted that video a couple more times and it did about close to the same numbers. Yeah, but that means there's something that the algorithm likes that you're putting out. Some people, and again, I'm trying to try to be honest and trying to be considerate because you know us as artists and creatives, we're very sensitive. Yeah, but we all want a certain we all want to do a specific thing, and if it's not exactly what we want, we hate it. We we hate it. So, for instance, you've gone viral off of this, you're like, ah, but that's not what I like. I'm gonna try to implement this. That's not why people loving you.

SPEAKER_01 20:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:58

Now, and again, that's those are true songwriters, those are people going for the business aspect. And I think both parts, both sides are great because you got to get paid. You want to do this long term. Same with all these big artists, they know what works for them. Look at Benson Boone. You come to see him for a backflip. Voice is amazing too. Let's not knock his voice. Let's not knock his voice. Usher, you got you got his falsetto, you got his sexy stuff, you got his abs. Like, if he stops that, you shut down. Yeah. Go and chance a rapper. I mean, that's that's my guy. Not my guy, like, you know, I met him once, but he probably don't ever remember.

SPEAKER_01 21:31

Sure.

SPEAKER_03 21:31

Um, but people came at him for acid rap.

SPEAKER_01 21:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:35

You know, festivals. And then when you start not hating, because again, I do believe as artists, we go with our heart and what we want to write about, and that's just that's our passion, and that that's our outlook. But if you change, those people that followed you for those specific reasons, they ain't gonna follow you. So, again, going viral, even if you got to decide, are you just doing this to have fun? Um, and if you're trying to create a brand, create something you like. It might. Might not pop off, but you gotta gotta be proud of it. You might have a couple followers, but a handful of true followers compared to millions of followers that follow you for something, you know, it's you gotta decide on what you want. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:12

So was that too much? Was that too much? No, that was that was sauce. That was game right there. I was just thinking right at the tail end of that. I had a viral moment the other week, and it it didn't necessarily align with me, but it was like it was me taking a photo at the Taylor Swift at Travis Kelsey wedding that I was not at. But that viral moment was different than any any other one that I had experienced because it came with scrutiny. Like I had Swifty Nation on my back, like pissed off.

SPEAKER_02 22:45

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You don't do that. That's that's a group you don't touch, bro.

SPEAKER_01 22:48

Yeah, bro. You don't mess with the Swifties, but it was just it just goes to show like not all virality come not all virality is good, but I think with any virality, you're gonna get scrutiny and you're gonna have haters. I've learned that with just networking like crazy on threads. Like people be writing on threads like there's no rules or regulations in this.

SPEAKER_03 23:09

I did, I went, I went viral the other day, but for all the wrong reasons. I did another cover of like a Tim's record, but I did my response from a guy's point of view, and some maybe 30% loved it. Everybody else, like, oh my gosh, she's toxic. Did you hear what she said? You didn't have to hit reply, she's talking to you, you didn't get what she was, and I'm just like, dang. That's the only video that they've done that too. Yeah, but like the thing is, how can you benefit from that? Because you got people, you got the traffic, so use it. Yeah, use it.

SPEAKER_01 23:39

I don't know. I I think with success comes haters and jealous people and and and envy and but also success comes with a lot of a lot of weird people.

SPEAKER_03 23:47

People trying to have me uh send send my boxers in the mail to them. It's awkward, bro. It's awkward. I've had a lot of I've had a lot of weird messages and uh audio messages, voice memos and stuff that's sent to me.

SPEAKER_01 24:00

I'm just like but at least you know they're real people. Bro, it's a white game, man. It might be AI. Yeah, there's some there's some uh creatures out there on on social media too that just lurk on for sure that have no like even draw or pull to the music or the content, it's just they just like to comment, stir something up, or just even spark a conversation, though.

SPEAKER_03 24:25

They're wild, bro. I don't get them. It's whatever.

SPEAKER_01 24:28

Um do you think a music artist has to become a content creator or just a better storyteller?

SPEAKER_03 24:39

Storytell, so I don't think every artist needs to become a content creator. Yeah, you don't and again, this goes back to like will a will an artist be successful if they don't engage with social media. Again, you don't need that, but that is a lot of what how the world is you know moving at this moment. But again, you can still get successful just being with label and them seeing the potential. Um and also just your work shows people that you're uh you're successful. So a lot of the people in this in this game, um they've just gotten to the place that they've gotten just because of straight success and just straight talent. A lot of songwriters too, like they don't got no social, they don't got no social uh imprint. So um yeah, I think artists first and foremost, artists need to be um storytellers. Um that's just what yeah, just I think storytelling is just who we are as artists. Um yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 25:44

Do you think an artist or creative in general has to be in or near a big city in order to have success?

SPEAKER_03 25:53

Nope. Um, no, not at all. Uh you just need to be seen, and that's when it comes with social media, uh, that's when it comes to email, um, going to work events. Because like, bro, like all the work events are in the big cities. There's some smaller ones out there. So if you get some people that are interested in you, they'll push you for sure. Um you can live your life on their social platforms um or their profiles. But I think let's say you lived in a small town two hours outside of New York City or LA. Um if you let's say if you go into the city for a network event and then leave, just so you can be seen, that's important. That'll definitely help because that'll give you more opportunity, that'll put you in front of people. Um, but if you're not in front of anybody, like if you are not in front of anybody and you're like a small town, you're not active, you gotta figure out how am I gonna get myself out there. I have to be seen. Um, and there's been a lot of random people that have been someone has seen them, so they have recommended them to somebody else. So things can happen from wherever, but you just gotta understand, like, you know, how is that opportunity gonna be presented to you and how these people are going to hear you or see you or whatever? So um if you yeah, I don't, yeah, I don't know. You can get you can get famous from wherever you are, you just gotta be seen, bro.

SPEAKER_01 27:16

Yeah. If I was to answer that question, it would be like, you remember that guy that blew up, I don't even know how many years ago it's been Dogface, the guy's yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:27

You talking about a dude with the uh with the cranberry?

SPEAKER_01 27:29

Yeah, skateboarding down the thing. Like, I mean, literally just a random street in I don't even know California, wherever they were, but it's just I don't know why that just popped in my mind. It's like you could literally he got famous from that. Now he's in commercials, brand deals, freaking dude.

SPEAKER_03 27:44

No, absolutely. Like he got all the he was getting free cars, he was getting free money, bro.

SPEAKER_01 27:49

It was wild. All because he was just on break at work and just decided to record. Like, that is it's the power of social media. Just because he was thirsty, bro. Yeah, just because he was thirsty, bro. He was thirsty, just because he was thirsty. Probably that's probably his way of transportation. He probably did that 50 times a day, you know, just decided to record it. I think that that's a prime example of like you just can't overthink what you're posting online. Sometimes you just gotta post.

SPEAKER_03 28:14

Well, bro, like, because some people don't even want success, they just like to show people what they're doing in the world. Yeah, I know like my sister, she loves uh she loves just posting, just sharing her photos because she wants people to see. She's proud. A lot of people are just proud of what they do, and sometimes if you're proud and it's organic, people can gravitate to that. I do believe that. So, and that's why some people like they just want to share something they think it's funny to the world. Not everybody's trying to go viral, they just see something as funny and they just want to show their friends, and it just pop.

SPEAKER_01 28:42

Yeah, I think if you do that enough and just make it a routine, just like brushing your teeth in the morning, they will pop. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like you ain't even gotta try for it. Like, bro, the least amount of effort I've ever put into a video is my most viral one at like 14 million views on Instagram right now, and it took me five minutes to edit. And here I am putting hundreds of hours into client work and my work, and it was shot on a GoPro 360 camera and video of me taking a video of my hand, and it's like, what? Like, why that? And it's dog dog face going down that, you know. It's some videos take a lot of effort to go viral, and some just are just random thoughts that you just have to act on when that thought arises.

SPEAKER_03 29:25

Well, let's break this down too. Like, so many people are hating those that are going viral, yeah. But it's like, why? Because so let's compare. Um, if you get found by someone that had that believes in you, like label head or something like that, you've they've been caught in your algorithm. You know what I'm saying? You does that make sense? Yeah, like something sparked something in them that wanted to put you on. That is the same as you sparking something in an algorithm or a platform and that putting you on. It's just we're allowing, you know, something that we've created, yeah, but in in a in a uh technical world, um is that's the difference. Um something is being sparked in something or someone that is putting something or someone on. So going having social media fame compared to you know, fame of someone discovering you, um, it's all given by somebody or something. So I don't see the difference. Some people think you know it takes more work. Um I do believe you have to, it takes the right person to see you, but it takes the right thing to pop. So yeah, I mean, however you can take from that, man.

SPEAKER_01 30:38

Yeah. How long have you been at this?

SPEAKER_03 30:41

I hate to say it, bro. So I'm 38. Okay. I might look, no, I might look a little younger. People used to say they're like, dude, uh, it's gonna work. You know, you look young for your age, it's gonna work when you get older. I don't know what that that means, you know. Um, but uh yeah, so I started doing music when I was probably right when I went to college, 18, 18, but I didn't have an understanding of what I wanted to do. I just started getting influence, and then I started writing with some people, and then they started putting me on producing, then I started doing that for myself. And then I think what what was it, maybe 2012, 2013, I decided to start putting out my own music, and I started doing it slowly. Then I think 2014, I moved to LA, and I will say every step and stage of my life has been so different, but so important to who I am currently. Um, so you got to go through those things. But I started that, I toured in LA, started putting out more music, collaborate, collaborating with a lot of other people, um, just kind of expanding and uh, you know, uh just advancing, if you will. And then I spent some time in New York, went back to Chicago after I left LA because I mean Chicago's that city. Yeah, and then I've been out here for three years. So I've been doing it for a while. Um, yes, the game has changed, as we all know. Um, some hate where it's gone, um, but it is a game and it is a business, so you gotta figure it out for yourself. But I've been doing that for a minute, and I've had some success in certain places and areas, um, especially on like the uh recording side and uh you know touring side and whatever, whatever have you. But uh being vi like social media, that has been a progress, man. That has been a slow burn and it's been taking time.

SPEAKER_01 32:29

Yeah. If someone were to find your page, you know, today though, they'd look at it and think, oh, this is a oh he's him. Yeah, it's an overnight success, but they don't see the whole decade and a half, two decades that have gone gone into the buttons every artist.

SPEAKER_03 32:42

People think, oh my gosh, this this new person, like this person, like been been at it for years, they've been at it for years.

SPEAKER_01 32:50

That's just what it takes to reach success. It's just you see it and think it's overnight.

SPEAKER_03 32:55

But you know how they say they say, like, look, some people don't know, but if you would have gone one step further, that could have been you know, and it is this is weird. This is so weird. When I was moving out to LA, me and my mom drove across the country and we go through Kansas and dust storms. Oh, yeah, when dust storms that that that swept that swept the highway where literally there were police officers and squad cars in front of these uh dust tunnels that blocked the road. So when it happened, you were like, Oh, I have to stop off the side of the road because you couldn't see past your windshield. But when that happened, bro, I was like, Mom, just if it doesn't get better in like 10 feet, let's pull over. In 10 feet, we're we're out of it. So, to my point, and safely, sometimes taking that extra step, if you think you're gonna give up, take one more step, try something out, and that could be the thing that does it. You never know where it is. Um yeah, man, like I was before I moved here from Chicago, I was literally I was about to be done. I left LA and I started slowing down as an artist. I want to do more writing, and my and she's not with us today, but my uh my English teacher, she's been with me. I was like, ooh, I hope I don't get emotional. Uh my English teacher, she would always reach out, she said, Jared, I think you got one more shot. Um I think you should go out to Nashville because leaving LA to go back to Chicago, yes, Chicago has some killer musicians, but it's it's very localized and um and it's a different culture. And so I went went came out here and then I started working with more people, and then I started going more viral, and just to have the people uh in the music industry around you that pushes you too. So if I would have stopped back then, I mean would have had this stuff that I'm get I'm finally getting royalty checks. Yeah, but uh again, sometimes just taking that one more step that you don't think you need, that's gonna place you where you need to be.

SPEAKER_01 35:01

So a lot of people give up right before their, you know, not even not even right before their big break, but right before the moment that's gonna get them to the big though. It's uh you see it all the time.

SPEAKER_03 35:13

Stop before I got my yellow belt. I had a white belt when I was a karate, bro. I was like six years old. And I went to one class that, like, you're not gonna get it today. I was like, I quit. I quit, bro.

SPEAKER_02 35:23

That was it.

SPEAKER_01 35:24

Never again though. That's how you hey, that's how you learn lessons, though. I guess, bro. Yeah. Well, you've been at it, you know, for a minute, and it's uh to to have a career that's prolonged that long of a time, you know. Yeah, you're doing something, right? Yeah, for sure. You're you're reaching some success uh in in some realm. What version of yourself did you have to let die in order to become who you are today?

SPEAKER_03 35:49

I never let any version of myself really die. I just allowed my specific version of myself to exist, if that's make if that makes sense. Um people could tell you, like, I am who I am. Like you say my name, you tell any of my friends, like, oh yeah, no, that that's Jared. That's who he is. Um the one thing I can say that I wish I would have had more of if you know, if I wouldn't have kept going, is more consistent friend groups, um, maybe family, bro, because you know, as a creative, we move around, um, we have a different lifestyle. Um, and people, a lot of my friends that are doing different things, they they question it. They don't understand what moves me. And it's not for them to understand. And someone told me that the other day, it's actually my step, my step pops. He uh he's like, yo, no one needs to understand your journey or who you are or what makes you tick. And uh so yeah, everything is always lived, it's never died within me. Um now, do sometimes I'm like, look, should I chill it out a little bit? Uh I'm more comfortable, I'm more tired of doing it like this. Yeah, but we always go back to what you know excites us.

SPEAKER_01 37:01

So what advice would you give to maybe an aspiring creative, or maybe they want to be a music artist that um is on a journey right now, but maybe they're feeling a a little bit doubtful that they can turn it into their actual career. What advice would you give to those people?

SPEAKER_03 37:22

For one, don't doubt yourself. If you have a gift, if you have love, if you have passion, that should validate it enough.

SPEAKER_02 37:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:30

Um, people say doubt because they want to be like they want other people to like them, but that's not why we do it. You know, we do it because we love it. But what I will say is do not allow others to validate your success. Um, and when it when it comes to that, like recently, probably within the last two years, I had a management company come to me and we went out, we played some music, and they're like, I said, they said, What do you want to do? I was like, I would like to be placed with this artist, this artist to write for them. I got into the big writing game, and they were like, you know, um, we'll put you with this group, this camp, they're writing now. Great. That one of the ARs were there, and the guy from the manager, I was like, Cool. So we he said, they said, Send us more stuff though, so we can and we'll work on this. We put together a uh a pack of three, put some stuff out. They were like, Unfortunately, our roster changed, and we're no longer taking any outside music, also, nothing I'm interested in. Congratulations and keep it going. And I'm just like, that's another broken promise in the music industry. So these people that are trying to get at it and you know, doubting themselves, you're gonna have a lot of broken promises in the industry, but do not allow others to validate your success. And what that means is you are as great as you believe you are. Um, once you start chasing other people to put you on, is when you are going to turn it around yourself. Um, after that happened, I said, Be honest, I was like, screw it. I was like, I don't need a label, I don't need a company, I don't need whatever. I'm gonna do music for myself. And I started creating probably the best work I've done with a lot of other people, been riding with a lot of other friends. Um, a lot of my good friends here in Nashville are my music, my music friends. Um don't allow others to validate you. I when I realized that I said, forget everything else, I'm gonna do it for fun, and I'm gonna work with who I want. And that stuff has started showing. And I'm in the best place I've been been out with music in a long time.

SPEAKER_01 39:26

So you said something a few minutes ago, going back to it, about just being in the environment, being around it, you know, being in Nashville has helped you so much connecting and being able to write and collaborate with other people. I think that's so important to like, I mean, you can be anywhere in the world, obviously. You can be in a small town in Tuscaloosa, near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, or something. Well, you're in Tuscaloosa. I'm sorry, yeah, yeah. Um, but you know, being in the mix or or near the mix, I think is is so crucial. I know I was living in Kentucky at the time for college, and when I came back to Tennessee and just close around Nashville, you know, I was around the mix. I was going out and and networking and and probably having too much to drink and calling it networking, but you know, making connections and and meeting people and and just in the mix of where I was trying to work, and that was in the music industry. And I think that was so important for me, just as a photographer and videographer. If you're lacking clients right now and you don't have any work, go out in your town. I don't care if you don't live in a big city, go to your local coffee shops, go anywhere that's having an event on Saturday mornings, go to the the you know, the market that's set up on your town square, like get out and and network and meet people, and that doesn't mean it's net people use the term network like it's some big term, and it's and it's scary when you you say it like it's hang out. Just just hang out. Go out and if you go out and smile, I promise you'll meet somebody, you'll get introduced. We oftentimes just sit there and have RBF and are too shy to introduce ourselves. Something that I've been doing a lot for the past like six months. I'll go out and take my camera with me. That's a conversation starter already, you know. Or when I'm going to the gym, don't wear my headphones so people don't feel so um nervous or scared to approach you. Stop looking at your phone all the time. Well, yeah, yeah, the phone especially. That's the one that 99% of the people probably deal with is yeah, get off your phone because you're not even actually doing something. You just do it as a little barrier. You remove those barriers, the world is your oyster.

SPEAKER_03 41:33

Well, dude, I have a lot of barriers, and when I say that, like people think, yo, I'm I'm an extra, I'm a I'm an extrovert and stuff like that. Nah, like I can be an introvert, but I think my me being goofy and funny and just loud is a way for me to get in and try to like cover up my awkwardness. Yeah, like I need to talk to you and chop it up. Or say, yo, what's up, my guy? How you doing? You good? Like, every I talk to my people at the coffee shop just to get to know them, or else it's gonna be awkward. Uh yeah, I'll do it.

SPEAKER_02 42:02

Yeah, I'll take a cold route, please.

SPEAKER_01 42:04

You know, um, yeah, no one wants to have a full conversation with that guy.

SPEAKER_03 42:08

But you have to try to talk and excite yourself and get past that awkwardness. But no, like just kick it, bro. But you know, and I know you've been to all these events where people are a little too professional. Yeah, it's when you sometimes when you leave leave with business, it's great because some people know, okay, I remember this guy, but like you really remember those people that were just cool to be around, and half the time that is what gets you in the door. Yeah, just someone being cool, yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_01 42:33

Good hang.

SPEAKER_03 42:34

Yeah, just good hang, bro. You talk to any of the big producers, like, yo no, someone invited me in because you know, I was good people. I went to, we were in LA and it was United Masters, something like that. I think it was United, and it was uh, they've changed a couple sh a couple times. I think it was the old ocean way, and I was in a I was in a recording session with some people, and then I went out to the lobby, and there was this dude, I think his name's like not his name wasn't tapes. I know a dude named Tapes, but uh anyways, this dude used to produce for Rock Nation, and we was just in the lobby getting a coffee and some stuff. I just started chopping it up, just to chop it up, because I just like to know what goes on in people's world. Sure. They say, yo, what'd you do? He's like, Oh, bet. You want to come here and see what we're working with? I'm like, Oh, that's dope. He's like, You're a vocalist, right? I got in the room with a with a rock nation artist. Her name was Casey uh red hair girl, can't remember her name now. She used to be signed to good music, but like just from having conversations, just for having conversation, got invited by the producer, and I started, I did some a slight vocal production uh in the arrangement just for chopping it up, yeah. But not trying to lead with my career or like my what I do, but just trying to chop it up, bro.

SPEAKER_01 43:42

Yeah, yeah. You went into it not being uh not self seeking, you know. You it wasn't for you, you're just trying to make connection and uh it's so I don't know. Like we said a second ago, net the term networking, it it has many different meanings, but just come to a networking, come to kick back, yeah. Come to a kickback. Back, just go out and and be human. Make can make a connection, you know. Don't don't worry about networking. Uh, the the previous guest I had on, we were talking about networking, and he he said it really well. He was like, networking is just the sloppy, greasy word that's just like thrown around and sounds like you know, sounds like you're going to some party in a basement or something. Like no one wants to go to a network, but it's important. Just don't do it in your own way, do it in a cool way, you know. Do it in a cool way. Do you believe in manifestation?

SPEAKER_03 44:35

Talking about like putting it out in the air and just kind of like believing in it. Yeah. I think I I think if one of you don't have belief, like, you know, you're gonna go in doubtful, you're gonna go in unsure. Uh I think if you put yourself out there in manifestation, you know, you put out to the world, um, that's kind of what they say. Like, if you want to what do they say? If you want a girlfriend, put up pictures in your house with you surrounded by girls, yeah, and that's the life you're gonna live. So I do believe it's take them down when the girlfriend. Yeah, take them down when you get there. But I do believe talking about it and being honest with it and putting it out there, that's the first step. Yeah, because if you can't be excited about it or believe it, it's not gonna happen. I don't, I mean, some people get lucky and that's not what they want half the time. Yeah, because you have a lot of artists that but you know, yes, manifestation. I do believe put it out there, speak it into existence, and yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:32

Yeah, I think you you can put it out there and speak it, but the work has to follow, you know. Exactly. I think a lot of people get that part confused. They think they can just write it into a journal and speak it five times in a row, and it's just gonna happen. It's like, no, the work has to follow.

SPEAKER_03 45:47

Well, some of my friends, that some not all my friends, but some of my friends, some people that I've encountered, um, they'll be like, Oh, yo, we almost we about to get it. Like, yeah, I got this beat coming through you. Boom, boom, boom, boom. And I'm just like, are you gonna put it out?

SPEAKER_01 46:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 46:02

But I think a lot of people like just talking about the idea, which is cool. Like, I think that excites them. So I'm not gonna knock that.

SPEAKER_01 46:09

Yeah. What you working on right now? Any projects on the horizon?

SPEAKER_03 46:14

I've had three projects that I've been working on that I've never put out. Um, but one I want to actually put out now. It's hard because, again, this is a doubting thing. When you put out some of your own stuff, some of it hits, some of it doesn't. But then when you do a viral thing that some people know and recognize, they gravitate towards it. And then when you put something, um, something, uh, an original out, they don't. So you start doubting yourself as I don't know if I should do this, should I put out another cover? They're not gonna take to it. So that's why I've hesitated a lot of times because I'll be like, look, I'll put out a few more covers and I'll drop this, and then I'll tease this, and they won't. But again, at the end of the day, you have to remember it's for you, it's for them, and you it's a business, but it's for you, yeah, not them, and and in hopes that they do receive it though. But I've been working on a project, just a little small project. Um, it's called Crop. Um, and uh the reason it's called Crop is you being a photographer and videographer, we cut out all the pieces that are unwanted and that people don't want to see, and we um arrange arrange the photo to make it look appealing to others. And I'm writing a record, it's uh album, Small Little Project, that's talks about the things we try to cut out of our life to make it seem a little bit better and brighter and more attractive. Um, but hoping I can open up and explore and showcase the things that we think are ugly, but the things that build these beautiful pieces.

SPEAKER_01 47:40

So at any point in time over your you know, career, you've been in it for a minute now. I would not have guessed you're 38, by the way. Appreciate it, appreciate it. I didn't know that. Well, we won't give everyone the secrets, but once we stop rolling, I need I need the the secret sauce. Um I forgot where I was going with that.

SPEAKER_03 48:02

You're saying, you're saying, uh, because we were talking about um where were we going?

SPEAKER_01 48:10

What was I talking about? Well, I was going somewhere with that. I don't know. Um, but if an independent artist right now that is listening knows that they have something there, they have the potential, they just don't know how to put out music and don't want to do social media. What advice would you give to them to get the ball rolling in it?

SPEAKER_03 48:31

YouTube University.

SPEAKER_01 48:32

Amen to that.

SPEAKER_03 48:33

YouTube university, bro. That's how we all learned. And I think if you want to know it, or you want to learn it, you'll seek it out. Yeah. Uh, I got a lot of buddies that we always teach each other different things. We've been in the game for a minute, but we're always teaching each other things. Uh, as I said, I like to go to coffee shops and I just like to talk to people. And I learn and then I try to, and but I say this because everybody acts as if someone needs to hear this information. I ask, yo, can I give you some advice? Yeah. You cool with that? Yeah. And then I say my suggestion. Um, some people want to really just push it into you, but I will ask and I'll give you advice and see if you would like it. But I think a lot of people have questions that I think they just don't know who to ask, and some people are a little timid, so they think they need to ask because they need their handheld. Um, but I've had so many people reach out on social that just had questions. I have no problem giving answers. Yeah. But you have to take that step to seek it out. After I give you that, you can't pause. Yeah, you have to go, you know, you have to press play.

SPEAKER_01 49:33

Knowledge without actions, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 49:36

Like, what why are you gonna ask if you're not gonna do it? Um, but no, I think, yeah, a lot of people just they need that step, and I love giving information.

SPEAKER_01 49:44

Yeah, I remember my question now. Over the course of your your career and the journey, has there been one connection that has just changed the trajectory of your life or career that stands out to you?

SPEAKER_03 49:56

So the one thing that stands out to me, a lot of people don't know this. I did um the voice. I did the voice for two seasons. Wow. Um, first of all, yeah, I mean, you know, we got we we we got our accolades, we got our our victories and stuff, we don't need to talk about them, I think. Um so what happened, I did, all right, let's rewind. So I did something called so far, and I was like, look, this looks like a cool opportunity. Um, it's in New York, they posted everywhere, people are gonna see it. So I was like, shoot, I'll do it. When I did that, they posted me on their on their uh on their page, and then someone took that video and they posted it, and that went viral on Facebook. After that went viral, I got reached out from uh from the production company of The Voice. So and it goes even by far than that. I don't know which one starts it. I butterfly effect. I do believe in that. And when I say that, so moved out to LA, saw my friend, no, even before that, Chicago, my dad. Let's start with my dad. We'll start with birth. I'm gonna get into it, try to get it quick. My dad was a musician. Um, he taught me my siblings how to do music, and we were inspired, that's just who we were. So I grew into knowing music, and that's all I knew. Uh, he suggested when I was in Chicago, go for an intern. I got an intern, locked that in. The intern I was at, all the music we were getting was coming from LA. So I moved out to LA. I started writing, started working with people. When I started working with people, some dude told me about touring. I was like, shoot, I want to do a tour. I put myself on tour. Um, I did a uh like a GoFundMe kind of thing. They helped me get on tour, and I did that. But the but this is where it starts to kick. Because that dude put me on game with touring. I went on tour. My bass player that played with me in New York City, one of uh the guy he worked for, he worked at a post-production audio company, he worked at a recording studio. The dude went to my show uh because it was it was one of his workers, he's like, Yeah, I'll come see you play. And he started talking to me and my mom and stuff like that. And very nice guy. So after that happened, I had the so far show. This was after my first New York City show. Did the sofar show in New York, my friend the bass player, was like, yo, we can play, we can do this at the studio, we can rehearse at the studio. I was like, Oh, this is sick. He's like, Yeah, this is this is this person. Um, he's letting us use the whatever. I was like, that's sick. So I did the so far show after we had the rehearsal. They played that, but as they played um this guy that I was able to rehearse at his space, he allowed me to stay there over the summer to record and create stuff. Because me going out to do the show gave me the rehearsal space to do that. That's why I also did my audition that I had to send to the voice, then the voice, all the people I met through that, it just started but it's so weird. I'm trying to get I'm trying I'm trying to get there because when I was on the voice, I met a lot of great friends. A lot of those people in uh the guy that put a camera in my hand, I met him on the voice. Wow. Who if I didn't meet him, I wouldn't have my current job to this day. And that goes in another direction. But when I moved out here, the guy that I moved out here to hang out like for about two months until I got a place was the guy I met on the voice. The guy I met on the voice. Um, and then when I stayed with him, and then I got my own place. The guy I work with now today, my my guitar player, I met him because another guy I met on the voice that I've always worked out, worked with, and I've done a couple shows all over the country with, he was playing at the Bluebird. Oh wow and so I went to see his show, and this is where it comes again to my time. I went to his show and he had a guitar player playing with him. That guitar player is one of my best friends, and one of the guys that I write with who also played on the Olivia Dean record that went six six at six million.

SPEAKER_01 54:06

That's insane.

SPEAKER_03 54:07

But then also, the one of the management guys that was there that stopped me from trying to get validated by others, he was also at that show. And he was the reason I redirected my course. Um, but and I hate to say this, I did a I canceled my friend's wedding is a good close friend from back home that I canceled a little over a month in. I was supposed to be in his wedding and also singing at his wedding. I did that for the show, the so far show in New York City. If I wouldn't take that step, it wouldn't have got me here. It got me on The Voice, which the voice made introduced me to friends. Uh, the voice introduced me to doing some work with some people in LA. The voice, then that LA people and the voice people started putting me on someone I could stay without here. And then the per the people that so it all, I do believe taking a step will affect you. So take all those steps that you need. And I know that was a big jumble, but just know starting the so far show. If I didn't do the so far show, I wouldn't have gotten on the voice. If I wouldn't have done the voice, I wouldn't have met these people. If I wouldn't have met these people, I wouldn't have been on tour. If I wouldn't have gone on tour, I wouldn't met these friends that allow me to stay with him until I got my own place. If I wouldn't have met those friends while I was out here, I wouldn't have met my guitar player who's one of my best friends, he wouldn't have played on the Olivia Dean record, that is my highest streaming song. So things happen for a reason, but you have to take that step. And as going back at you people right here, if you don't take a step to creating music or doing what you love, it's not going to lead you to a place of happiness. Um it's it's butterfly effect.

SPEAKER_01 55:40

Talk a little bit more about the butterfly effect for those who don't know what that is or understand it.

SPEAKER_03 55:46

So if I I hope I don't I hope I don't mess this up. Um it's kind of like a snowball effect. You do one thing, that one thing is gonna get you here. If you've done, if you didn't do that, that would if you did not do this piece, it was not have gone there. So everybody's like, what if? If you've done that, you would have gotten here. There's a lot of people, you guys have seen Back to the Future, bro? So they're like, if you do this, it's gonna change the course direction of your life or it's real. Every effect will change the way. So, you know, it's strategy, you know, plan. Take every opportunity because you never know what opportunity. So speaking of opportunities, again, if I didn't do the voice and my friend that was on the voice didn't put a camera in my hand, I wouldn't do what I do today. So, what I do today, I do a lot of creative work for uh for the organization I work for. Um, and I do a lot of video. I've traveled, I've traveled the country with them to be able to do that. Also, um, with them finding out what I do as passion and them finding if I didn't have a camera and I couldn't video myself for social media, they wouldn't have found out I was three time grammar credited. Yeah, and if that wouldn't have happened, I wouldn't have built two recording studios on military installations for the service members. That's great. So I teach uh I teach recording, uh, recording and production and learning how to use a recording studio to service members on military installation. Um, I built these studios with the assistance of you know my uh the org, but also I uh do sessions for a lot of them. And to be able to give them an outlet is amazing. Again, if you don't do this, it is not going to lead to this. People say, How did you do this? But you were doing this, you doing this. Do not stop the the blessings from coming your way. Blessings are things that are meant to bless you. Yeah, rock with it.

SPEAKER_01 57:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 57:39

Sorry, bro.

SPEAKER_01 57:40

Sorry, bro. No, bro, you're you're dropping game right now. I'm I'm loving it.

SPEAKER_03 57:43

But no, you you know it too, right? If you ain't take a step, that's not gonna lead you to this. If you did, if if me and you, if I didn't go to that event, this wouldn't have happened. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 57:52

That was probably what, four years ago? Yeah, that was almost 42 years. Four years ago, and we met at an event, and I couldn't even remember before we started recording. You helped me recount, you know, that that networking event that we were at. It's like you meet someone, you put yourself out there, might not come back around that week or that year or even two years, but now they get us who recorded. You're getting something from it too. Relationship making connection, and that's that that that is what it's all about. Um, no, you're you're you don't think you're talking, you're you're dropping complete game. I'm getting just so drawn into what you're saying, and I'm forgetting that I have a next question to always keep coming. So don't be, okay, all right. No, you're good, bro. You're you're totally fine. Um, what is something an independent artist believes that you think is completely BS?

SPEAKER_03 58:42

Everybody has a chance.

unknown 58:44

Who?

SPEAKER_03 58:44

Everybody has a chance. Like, some people think that can't happen to me. Like, when I moved to Chicago and to LA, all my friends were like, How do you do that? That's wild. I don't know how you how you do that. That's too hard. I'm like, you just gotta do it. You just gotta give yourself that opportunity to do it. You just have to allow yourself to do it. But if you allow yourself to do it, everybody has a chance. It's cake.

SPEAKER_01 59:09

What did becoming three-time Grammy credited change for you internally or externally?

SPEAKER_03 59:17

Nothing. Nothing. It's just accolades, right? Yeah, just token. I was blessed to intern and then be small studio, so you were the assistant. Um I I I was blessed to be able to have the opportunity to work alongside a lot of great people, and one that I talk to to this day. And um the accolades cool, but it I do think the experience that came with it, other than the actual accolade. Yeah, you get to tell people, but my friend, dude, me and my friends, we used to go out to the bars. My friends used to be like, yo, he's three Grammy, three time Grammy nominated. These girls like, okay. And I so it didn't do much, but the experience of getting those did so much for me. Yeah, that's what pushed me out to LA. Um, that's what taught me how to work with people, how to see producers work with writers, uh, singers, how to orchestrate, how to be a producer, how to just work in the business. So again, the accolades don't do anything for me. It's the experiences. That that is what that's what what I benefited from.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:21

The journey in it.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:22

The journey, absolutely, bro.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:23

That's I was uh, I mean, we kind of talked about it a little bit uh earlier in the episode, but I was having a conversation this past weekend on the road, and it's like the journey is everything. Once you get get to where you're going, it's like yeah, okay, then the goalpost kind of moves. It's like you really have to be present in the in the journey of it.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:42

Well, bro, like even with like even like Grammys, like bro, like if you look back when we was when we was young, man, you'd be like, if younger me could see what I'm doing now, yeah, like it's wild. Like if younger me would be like Jared, you have three Grammy nominated, you have plaques on your walls. If Younger Me knew that, he'd be wilding out. But like half these people that get these accolades, yes, cool, but for some reason in the industry or creative world, you know it's always about chasing the next thing. Yeah. But I do think you should celebrate yourself and and respect that. But like, bro, it's you know, accolades are just accolades. It's the experience and it's the ride. Um, but sometimes those can get you down because you're you're trying to you're trying to get back to being the best. And sometimes they say, you know, this is the best album, then after that they fall off. But like it's you know, um, don't measure yourself in your accolades, measure yourself in the experience.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:40

I love that. Do you think social media has people wanting lives that they wouldn't originally wanted?

SPEAKER_03 1:01:49

Yeah, yeah, look at look at the lives that we had back in the day. We're influenced. That's all we are. Yeah, like influence. I'll be honest, influence sucks because when you look at it, you see someone trying to showcase a life that for one is not theirs, um, and pushing it to others for others to think I need that life, and there's no happiness there. Yeah, um, and I can't speak for everybody, but on my side, bro, like um, yeah, it's just it's it's it's wild. That whole social media thing, it's it's crazy. It's a wild place. What a time to be alive. But what but like with this, I try to restrict myself from it to use it solely for business, but then sometimes you gotta search to find ideas. But like when you start trying to see this, especially with like girls, like everybody's like, I'm never gonna be pleased because you're looking at this woman or you're getting you know shown this person. There's so many options, bro. Not really so many options.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:44

Yeah, it can it's it can be a bad thing, it can be a good thing, you know. But it is just such a you really think about social media and as a whole, not to get too philosophical or too broad thinking, but it's just a really wild time to be alive and to be a creative. Like, I mean, I think at it, you've kind of live, you know, I'm a I'm a bit younger, I'm I'm approaching 28, so we're about 10 years old. It's more young. But it's like you've had a career in this kind of through all of the evolution and stuff, and then with social media changing, you know, I kind of got into video and photo and content creation, not when social media first got started, but when video was started really popping, you know, like 2018-ish, you know, when when TikTok was popping, all of that, short form video. And it's just like, I don't know, it's such a I think about it often, like probably three to four times a week, honestly, about how just blessed we are. If you're alive right now and building something, creating something, whatever that is, how blessed you are to be doing it in this day and age when there is so much evolution and change in technology and so much is at our fingertips to create. Oh, yeah. It's just I don't know. I think about it. I I like to say I'm an old soul, so that's probably why I think about it so often. But I'm actively building in the space in real time. So it's not taking it for granted. Yeah, dude. That's I try not to, man. I try not to, I try to be where my feet are. I feel like you know, you and I both are very blessed to get to do this, and it's um, I think if you're creative in general and you do that for your job or just for your your side hustle, your passion, if you're doing it and putting stuff out there like you're doing better than a lot. It's just you see on social media what you want to see and what you're trying to do, so you think that's just what everyone in the world is doing, and it's just like, no, man, like sit back, be where your feet are, and be proud of yourself.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:42

For sure, bro.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:44

How do you know the difference between intuition and your own ego telling you what you want to hear?

SPEAKER_03 1:04:53

Oh shoot, that's a good one, bro. Um I didn't tell him this. That's good, no. Like, I think ego you learn because it's a feeling that you have with not to get deep or spiritual, it's a feeling you got within. Um if you take it there. Nah, like, so I I had a good friend, uh, he plays guitar, like, dude, he knows everybody. Uh he's in LA, and I remember I wanted to do a show, and it was before I was moving back to Chicago, and I was like, I want to do a show, I need to do a show. Uh, you know, me not being here for a while, I need to do a show. He was like, Jared, why are you doing a show, bro? Like, I was like, because I need people to remember me. I was like, I was like, yeah, you you want so I think nowadays I look after I think of an idea and I'm like, look, what I really want out of this.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:44

Is it me trying to chase something or me trying to love something? Um, and so yeah, I mean, ego, when you trip on that, you start to learn, um, especially the older and wiser you get, you know. I'm I have a little wisdom. But uh I don't know, it's all learning experience. I think the older you get and the more things you've been a part of, um, and also the people that you have around you, they will tell you if it's ego and they will call you out.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:12

Um and when they they call you out, you then learn and you can then see it. But uh intuition is honest. I think ego is cringe, if that word can be can be used still. Yeah, yeah, sure. So that was a hard one.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:28

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I put it towards the end for a reason. Get people back on their toes.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:33

But no, ego trip, bro. It's don't ego trip.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:37

Yeah. Well, you see it ruin a lot of careers, you know, and and just opportunities. It's it's like don't ego trip.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:43

Well, well, you you also see that in like in like uh networking stuff like that. But the older trying to one-up the other person. Well, as you said, like bro, I didn't know that, or I didn't know that. The older I've gotten, the more I've not told people things. Sure. Because why do they need to know? Yeah. Why do I need to tell them?

SPEAKER_01 1:07:00

It gets brought up, it gets brought up, but it's it's like you're not leading with that. Like I respect that tremendously. Like, yeah, we were 40 minutes in and I learned that you were on the voice. I was like, that's crazy. Yeah, no, it's a um, I don't know, ego is a weird thing. It it's uh like I said, it can ruin opportunities, but it it can not even that, just ruin relationships. It's like be on a be on a middle ground with with the people you're surrounding yourself with. Yeah. Speaking of that, how important do you think the people that you keep around you is to achieving your your success?

SPEAKER_03 1:07:37

They're very important, but you also gotta understand. So let's see. I have a lot of friend groups. I've also been different places that they've been. Yeah. Um but again, for inspiration, to be grounded. Um for one, I think if you have a family, um whether it's husband, wife, mother, father, siblings, whatever that is, you know, being close to them is everything. Um, they've definitely helped me with my choices. Um allowed me to be honest with myself and make sure it came from a real good place, safe place. But the music people you keep in your life, those are important. Um I have different friend groups, bro. Yeah. Uh I've learned sometimes I wish I could, mingle all of them, but I love music. Uh I love working out, I love the gym, uh, I love kicking it. So I have people for like every pocket do everything that you like to do. But I think we learn the people that we want around, and we start to um we start to get rid of those that we don't. I think at the end of the day, if you're a good person no matter what, I will keep you around, and that is important because you need someone that's gonna feed you positivity, yeah. Um, and whatever group that is, positivity will roll over to you know your decisions in other places. Um no judgy people, yeah. No, but you need someone that's gonna keep you accountable, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:04

Sure. I think more people need to go at choosing their friend groups the way you you do, have multiple friend groups instead of trying to make the you know the non-fitness person go to the gym with you and go go shopping. It's like no, you find find your your crowd in that. Yeah, you can uh I don't know. I used to like kind of jump around from friend group, not jump around from friend group, but I would like I was kind of the same way I could pivot, you know, I'd have this group and then this group, but and I I never tried to intertwine them, you know, because it was just kind of there, those people that that was that vibe that I was going for that day. So um what role does detachment play in achieving success? Detachment meaning coming detachment from the outcome.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:55

Again, you always have to remember why you're doing it, you have to kind of like pull yourself away from that, um or dive into that. Uh some people don't know how to, as we said, put things out, put music out. Sometimes you have to just let it go. Yeah, um, but again, being honest with yourself, but that takes time. Some people are just have have a great mindset and have a strong mind, and Sharp had had great, you know, mentors that they know how to just let things go. Um, but even with projects like being able to just be comfortable with something, just let it go and let it let it be as is and just keep it moving. Um some people don't know how to keep it moving, bro. Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:37

Gotta keep it moving regardless. Yeah. If the day's bad, good, doesn't matter. That's one thing I've learned in my uh short 27 years is life is gonna keep going one way or the other, no matter what. Doesn't matter who who leaves, doesn't matter if who passes, what happens, life is gonna keep moving.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:58

But I do believe you need to keep in your feeling, not keeping your feelings, but you can feel about it. You can hit you. Let your emotions hit you. But as you said, bro, like the world's gonna keep going on. So like if you keep, you know, just you know, being sad about something or just you allow it to dominate your thoughts, you know, you can't move forward. As you said, the world's gonna time's gonna keep continuing. You can give it a minute, be in your feelings, press.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:24

Absolutely. Definitely feel. I definitely feel don't get that, don't get that twisted. Feel your emotions because then you're gonna be dealing with it for but don't don't allow it to run you. Yeah. I I've seen like, I don't know, I I've had not to get on a soapbox and take it sad, but I've had a couple people in my family over the last couple years pass away, and I've just seen so many people around it like just get stuck, and it's just like heartbreaking to me. I'm like, sure, it's okay to feel and be sad and like miss and and grieve, but like at some point in time, like after months or years go by, you have to take steps forward, you know. You have to you have to be moving, you have to keep it moving, and it's you know, we all heal differently and and do things differently, but you said that perfectly. You always keep it moving.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:13

But for well, for one, uh, I'm sorry to hear that about your family. Thank you, thank you. Two, um, I think the older we get, the more emotional we also get. Yeah. So sometimes those connections mean a little bit more. Um, so sometimes it's harder, especially when you take your time to build into something and you start to love and allow yourself to be loved. You know, sometimes it is harder to get out of it. But yes, I think understanding that's how life goes, and those people that we've lost, whatever, will want us to press forward. Sure. Because time will continue and we we're gonna miss it. Um, but uh yeah, man.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:53

I think traveling. I was having this conversation with someone the other day, like traveling so much has opened my eyes to how much like the world really does just keep turning. And like, I don't know, I was in Australia back in uh a couple months ago, back in April, and it was like 15 hours time difference. And you know, I was talking to my mama and she was going to bed, and you know, I was in the middle of my day, you know, noon or whatever time it was, and uh it's just like man, our problems that we get so caught up in in our day-to-day, yeah, they matter, and and you know, I'm not saying your problems don't matter to whomever's listening and receiving this, but it's just like they really are minuscule at the end of the day. Even this stuff that we think is like so great that we're building, like you know, I'm sure you have a song you're working on, or I have videos that I'm putting out, and I'm like, this is everything. It's like there's bigger things in the world, so much bigger things. There's so much bigger things. Big world out there.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:49

It's a big freaking world out there. It's a little bit, it's a little big.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:52

What's uh in the season you're in right now, near term, five-ish years, maybe maybe longer. What's uh what's success look like to you with reaching a goal or what would you deem successful?

SPEAKER_03 1:14:09

Just happiness, happy, happy with where I'm at. Uh sometimes it's easy to get feel stagnant. Um, because I love having chasing something or seeking out something or seeing that I have value. But just happiness, bro, family. Um, I want to be loved just like some everybody else does. Uh but being comfortable in my skin and where I'm at at that moment, but I think that takes you know time, commitment, and being honest with yourself, yeah. Um and allowing yourself to be honest and go for what you want. Um, sometimes we pause in life and sometimes we kind of don't know where to go or we're stuck. Give it time, be honest with what you want. Um, don't chase the ego. And once you let ego go, I think you're gonna be comfortable in a happy space.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:56

Happiness is key. Happiness is key. There's been a fire episode. Thanks, bro. Appreciate it, man. Where can the people follow you on social media?

SPEAKER_03 1:15:05

Yeah, so if you go to uh at Jared Grumble, you can find me on TikTok, uh, Instagram, Facebook, all streaming platforms, Spotify, Apple Music, um, every every place that exists.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:17

Sick. Make sure you guys go follow them. If you're a photographer or videographer and you're looking to upgrade your camera case and you're tired of traveling around putting your expensive camera equipment in soft shell cases like I used to, head over to the link in the description. I got the condition one camera case. You can pick one up, any camera case on their site. You can get 10% off using that link. I use the case number 300 and the case number 179. Those are my two favorite cases from condition one. But again, you can grab any case on there using the link in the description. Don't break a camera body, don't break a camera lens, don't be like me. Ditch your soft shell backpack and get a hard shell camera case from condition one. I'll ask you one final question to end, Jared, kind of similar to the one that we started with. If you could leave every creative listening with one belief that you think could actually change the trajectory of their life today, what would you want them to believe?

SPEAKER_03 1:16:14

As I said, everybody has a chance as long as you love yourself and you love what you do and you stay honest with it.

unknown 1:16:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:21

Ladies and gentlemen, your guest, Jared Grimble. Your guest. Thank you so much, bro. Appreciate you guys tuning in to another episode of the Creatively Connected Podcast. Be sure to like, subscribe, follow all of that jazz that the cool kids say these days. We'll see you guys in the next episode. Peace.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:38

Stay easy.