Chasing The Dream In America w George Sheppard #519

Ever wondered what it feels like to uproot your life and start anew in a city thousands of miles away? We invite you to join our journey as we recount our brave leap of faith - packing up our lives in Australia and moving to the music hub of the world, Nashville.

 We share the highs and lows of this transition, from the bittersweet departure from our comfort zone to the exhilarating adventure of starting fresh in a city oozing with opportunities. Hear our tale of landing three apartments side by side and the joy of sharing family dinners despite the change of scenery.

Nashville, a city where dreams are woven into reality. We delve into the vast opportunities that this vibrant city has to offer, from collaborating with talented producers to immersing ourselves in the local music scene. We talk about aspirations of touring, writing chart-topping songs and gathering a tribe of fans - dreams that seem achievable amidst the buzz of Nashville.

But along with the excitement comes the challenge of reinventing ourselves, the risk of slipping into old habits, and the constant reshuffling of our goals. It's a genuine reflection on our journey thus far, a gentle nod towards understanding that perfection isn't the goal, and a heartfelt conversation about embracing the beauty of imperfection.

Connect with George
https://www.wearesheppard.com/
https://www.instagram.com/sheppardgj/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6VxCmtR7S3yz4vnzsJqhSV?si=-JErk_bvTBK_xE05ijoeKQ

Chapters

• 0:00 Taking a Leap Together
• 13:11 The Experience and Opportunities in Nashville
• 26:25 Challenges of Reinventing One's Life

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Is this incredibly special to me. And I gave this big hug and she started crying and I started crying. It was just like one of those beautiful moments where you just like, okay, yeah, there's a good like connection, connection moment between my daughter and I.

Speaker 2: 0:16

Yeah, we are here to challenge your beliefs, redefine success and talk about the important stuff in a relatable way. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. My name is Lockheist Stuart. Let's get into it.

Speaker 3: 0:41

Episode 519. This is. This is 519. I have 19. I was actually checking Spotify before and that's 534 episodes posted, wow, but they got lost, so but just like us officially 519, 519, that's my lucky number third time fourth time.

Speaker 1: 1:00

I think it's my. I should have done research third time on this podcast. What a second time on my own. I was with Chris Wayne.

Speaker 3: 1:08

Yes, this is certainly the second time by yourself.

Speaker 1: 1:11

Yeah, I think so.

Speaker 3: 1:11

There you go. Yeah, ladies and gentlemen, I should have read up, but we've just come back from the golf course and I asked George the other night. I was like we should do a podcast because you've just taken this huge leap.

Speaker 3: 1:23

Oh, we all have mm-hmm and one of the Things that I know a lot of men struggle with is making change in their life, especially when you're extremely settled. Mm-hmm, you were extremely settled. I, too, was very extremely, very extremely, very extremely. I was very settled, yeah, but we've all picked, packed up our lives and moved.

Speaker 1: 1:43

We have it's been a Long, arduous process of trying to get everything organized. I mean, we were talking about this a year and a half ago, I feel like like we wanted our visas at this time last year and it was just a very slow and drawn-out process and I mean definitely didn't come without its Doubts. I like I knew when I was packing up my house I was just like I can't believe we're Packing down this beautiful apartment somewhere that we've worked hard to get into. You know, all of the hard work that we've done has led us to this moment and now we're just completely scrapping everything, see, ya, and yeah, I mean, you know we had a, I've got a daughter.

Speaker 1: 2:26

I had a cat I still have a cat and you still have a daughter I still have a daughter and Mom's back in Brisbane. It's just kind of like a lot of reasons for us to have stayed, but instead we we Went chasing a bigger idea, something that you know is bigger than any one of us, I think, and we've we've just sort of All been on the same page with it, which has been really nice. Yeah, and the fact that there's six of us working together on a singular goal Is is a pretty cool thing.

Speaker 3: 3:02

You think it makes it easy because there is six of us? Definitely yeah, that's a dumb question.

Speaker 1: 3:09

Are you serious right now? More brains are better. Yeah, yeah, for sure. I think being here on your own like I've got a friend, greta, who moved to Vancouver to chase the acting dream, yeah, and she left everything that she knew as well, but on her own. She didn't even go over with Damon, her partner. He still had a contract and had to work, and so he just Went over on her own and never lived out of home before and just moved to Vancouver On her own. It was no friends, nothing, and I think that that would have been an insanely difficult Thing to wrap your head around.

Speaker 3: 3:43

Oh man, I can't imagine doing it by herself I'm. When I lived over in France, I did that by myself. I had mum come with me for the first Whatever a couple of weeks, so that was awesome. She's out the house, but then after that it's literally like Having to go network. Even all the networking we've done has been easier because it's like if this conversation bombs, I can literally just turn to my right and you guys are there.

Speaker 1: 4:04

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3: 4:05

It's like, if you're like, when I went to that ski shooting the other day by myself, I was like, oh man, I need to find someone that I know and just hang on to them. Yeah, because it's just uncomfortable, but I think that's also like part of the fun. So when you take, take the leap, it's like okay, so much easier for us, because if we fall we're all gonna.

Speaker 1: 4:24

Yeah, we've got each other as a safety net, and the fact that we get to do this together is is I Mean it's whatever happens over here with the band, regardless. We've got this memory that we moved over to the United States, the six of us and we're in it together and we've got the same leg length of eases and all focused on the same goal.

Speaker 3: 4:44

Yeah, very cool and we all have apartments next door. So the for those who are following along at home and don't follow us on social media we were originally going to get a house together and we all wake up and go to bed at different times. Plus, we also like space. So we got apartments and this complex or this building just happened to have Three apartments right next door to each other, which works an absolute treat. Yeah, so drop on the photo. Yeah, yeah, we'll put. We'll post a photo on YouTube for those who are watching on YouTube.

Speaker 3: 5:15

But it's just so convenient because if you want your downtime, you've got your downtime. We still do plenty of family dinners, which works an absolute treat. And look, we're having just an astounding amount of emails from people saying, hey, you guys should start a reality show. We've actually only had that happen once, but I think there's there's so much that I want to document, and I think From all six of us, because we're all why we've got the same goal. We've all left stuff behind. You know your wife Kathleen left behind her. Yeah, physicist, yeah, her clinic doesn't set practice, but clinic sounds more professional.

Speaker 1: 5:51

Yeah, I mean, that was stressful for me as well, knowing that she was packing up and leaving behind a very, very good thing that she's been working her entire life for. What does that mean to you? Like, how does that that means that? I mean, obviously it shows me that she really loves me and cares about me and believes in me, which the wedding didn't do that Like it. Yeah, obviously weddings are one thing, but just to put it into practice and be like, no, I Trust you and I believe in you, yeah, I'm gonna say goodbye to my career for a little little while. Yeah, and we're gonna rely on you and chase your dream for a minute. Yeah, do you feel?

Speaker 1: 6:30

any pressure from that. Yeah, I for sure like leaving. I was just like telling I you should. Maybe you should stay and keep, you know, working on your dream as you know, because I don't want it to, I Don't want it to feel like she's losing something by coming with me.

Speaker 3: 6:45

I think that's Like I'm on the flip side on like Kathleen's, I verse like you sort of give something up, but I think that's what the Beauty of this whole experience isn't. I think there's a lot of people, some people miss the boat because they're just always over analyzing things and analysis by paralysis. Yeah, but we've definitely thought about things and thought about what could go wrong, and now obviously we're all to taking a significant cut in pay. And then you got the Exchange rate here, which is literally heart. It's horrible. I couldn't even afford a new podcast setup, hence why we're doing.

Speaker 3: 7:21

But yeah, yes, that sounds like George, not just right next door and up to my neighbor's door. No, sir, I'll give you milk and cookies if you come on my podcast.

Speaker 3: 7:30

And here we are, mm-hmm but I think that's I'm holding you to that, by the way part of the fun is like and we will, we're all well aware of it but Within taking the risk is like what if we didn't do this? We're gonna continue getting the same of what we've already got, which you know. We were very comfortable, we all had nice places set up, we had great friends, we were living a good life. Yeah, who likes any of that stuff? No one likes that Come on.

Speaker 2: 7:56

All we're doing is trying to just get more of that.

Speaker 3: 7:58

Yeah, we know, but I think you only really get like one shot, because all we get, the more responsibilities. As you said, you've got a daughter and I don't have children. Mm-hmm no to Emma and lamb. So the order we get more and more responsibility. So it's like it had to happen now and we could literally fall flat on our face, but At least we gave it a go, yeah, exactly, and fortune favours the brave, as they say, and no risk, no reward.

Speaker 1: 8:23

I mean, that's what our song, geronimo, is all about. You know, we had to try, exactly, had to put practice. Yeah, practice what we preach and Make the leak.

Speaker 3: 8:35

Yeah you know much wrote this song 10 years ago for this very yeah.

Speaker 1: 8:42

That's what it's for. You can't write a song like Geronimo and then go, and I don't want to go, I don't want to make the leap, I'm so comfortable. I'm so comfortable. It's way too easy. Yeah, no, it is. It is a huge thing that we've done and it still doesn't quite feel real like we're a month in now. Today, literally, we landed month anniversary. We landed at 520. Yeah, we've just ticked over a month. In the USA Am I feeling much fresher? Yes, well, a month ago definitely over the jet lag yeah.

Speaker 1: 9:15

So, sleeping hours. It's been a fun town, though I mean just being here is has already presented itself with, represented us, sorry with amazing opportunities and Networking events, and I mean the first show we did the other day at Bridgestone Arena. Yeah, came out of.

Speaker 1: 9:34

Just networking networking, yeah, going to an event that we didn't know anybody out, meeting somebody who was able to connect us with the right people and then, all of a sudden, before we knew it, we had a show offer, but the band stage at the press game in front of 18,000 people or whatever that sold it was a sold-out game.

Speaker 3: 9:52

Hmm, which was insane. And you just get all of this exposure, two more, more people. And then, if a social media like the ripple effect, yes, then also your own media of people going. What is she ever doing? I?

Speaker 1: 10:05

know it's what I was speaking to Chuggy I managed here on the phone yesterday and he's like oh, that photo of you guys at the arena. Everyone's shitting themselves. I know, well, credit to Wacky, but yeah, they all the label and everybody in the UK and everybody that is on our team was just like how did that what? What are they doing? How did they do that? We didn't, we didn't have anything to do with that. For you 13.

Speaker 3: 10:31

Yeah, no, but that this is. This is the cool thing, I think, when we break down, then there's so many different ways to create success, but ultimately taking it on and taking responsibility For is the best way to make it happen. And yeah, you know, as we've already said, just like we packed up our whole lives to move, which is a risk in itself, it's very expensive. It's also cost us money from income coming in from everyone. So that's like when you look at Finances, it's quite daunting, especially you have a daughter, we have a mortgage, you know we've all got a lot of bills. Yeah, today, and get over here and go. Okay, well, we know why we're here. Yeah, the goal is X. We're gonna do whatever it is to make that happen.

Speaker 3: 11:15

Yeah as likely as possible, yeah, as likely. And all of us are Compromising and say I'm normally that, you know I'd never go out on a school night. Mm-hmm, we haven't had a night tonight. It's our first night home. Yeah, I'm so excited. Yeah yeah, but it's a rule, you know everyone's all six of us are Rallying, which is sick.

Speaker 1: 11:37

Yeah, it's kind of want to remove as much Chance as possible. Yeah, and just like put yourself in the situations where you know luck Can happen.

Speaker 3: 11:48

So it's yeah, it's not even like yeah, exactly that it's like. Rather than making it certain. It's like a and that event the other night.

Speaker 1: 11:55

Oh, don't know if we want to go, but we're just like, let's just meet as many people, because we don't know what opportunity I was so lucky that we went because, for those of you who don't know it was, it was my birthday last weekend and we Kind of Didn't waste a moment of that day.

Speaker 1: 12:14

We were like, after we went that day, went to a barcade, went to, went tailgating, to the soccer, went to the soccer, and then we came back home and then we went out to Broadway afterwards and my friend Chris Anderson was in town For 24 hours, so we we had to make the most of this 24 hours and, just like you know, we partied hard, yeah, and I got like two hours sleep and that was that next day. When we're like, oh, do we want to go to this Canadian Thanksgiving dinner? We don't really know who it is, we don't know what it's for like, sure, yeah, and surely we can skip out on this one. And credit to Lockie, he was just like not, we're gonna do it, we're here for a reason and, yeah, we just kind of it was that took that leap of faith.

Speaker 3: 12:59

Yeah, and you know those connections that we met but that's the other thing as well is like everyone has been so welcoming for us as well. Definitely it's been phenomenal and, oh Okay, I've been going to. What's your experience been from the environment? We've been in here like welcome this ability or, sorry, people wanting you to succeed, versus back home has that? Have you noticed any?

Speaker 1: 13:22

differences? Yeah, I'd for sure. I don't know why, but for some reason people in this town are just overly like generous with their connections and their time and their energy. You know, we've been to families families like private dinners and homes and people. I just don't feel like a lot of people back in Australia would Would do that for strangers yeah, people that they've just met. But yeah, over here it's like. So.

Speaker 1: 13:49

Phil Barton, for example he's a songwriter that works with Amy quite a bit and we went and watched him at the listening room the other night, which is like a little bit of a songwriter's round, where there's a couple of different songwriters and they take turns singing songs, telling stories about where the songs came from. It's a very big honor to be on that stage as a Nashville songwriter and it was definitely on our bucket list of things to do within the three years. And then Phil just kind of uses up one of his songs and says, oh, come on, get up here you guys, and gets Amy up to do the song that they wrote together and then invited Emma and I on the stage as well and we did Geronimo for the listening room.

Speaker 3: 14:32

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 14:33

And it was just. He gave up his time that he had earned by writing music and being in Nashville. He gave us a moment to sort of invade the stage and take over the show for a minute, which I was very, very grateful for.

Speaker 3: 14:49

Yeah, it's something like we've never experienced.

Speaker 3: 14:53

It's the reason why, when we're here last year, I was like this place is where you want to be, like if you're in the years of your life where you're ambitious and you want to see what you can get and when I say get, I mean like maximized with your career. It's a place to be because everyone will connect to someone who has done what you want or can point you in the right direction, and stuff happens so much quicker. They're not here to mess about. It's like yeah, man, I'll do that, and you never hear from them again. It's like yeah, man, I'll do that. Next morning. It's like you get a message this is happening, you got to make this happen. You're like I wasn't even prepared for that.

Speaker 1: 15:26

Yeah, and it's. Yeah, it's very different how it happens in Australia. I don't know why, but maybe there's just less opportunities or there's not as much of a market in Australia, yeah, so, like any opportunities that do come about, people are like scrambling to get them, rather than over here, where there's just an abundance of people doing different things and producers and songwriters and events and yeah there's a lot more opportunities. So people are just like I got some spare opportunity here. Do you want to take some of that? It's kind of like very generous.

Speaker 3: 15:56

Yeah, I think now that I think about it when we think about even Brett, who's connected us to so many people, has never done so much for us, never asked for a single thing. But it's like we always go back to thanks Brett for the introduction or whatever it is, and maybe that's something we can take back to Australia where it's like, even if you just introduce people doesn't do anything for you technically, but your name is always there.

Speaker 1: 16:23

Yeah, in the back of the nation.

Speaker 3: 16:24

Yeah, for sure, which I think you know, helping people get to where they want to be, but I think I'm definitely guilty of having that back home is like if they get business out of that, then I won't get business out of it, but here it's just like 20 times as big as Australia, so yeah, it's pretty phenomenal.

Speaker 1: 16:40

Yeah, it feels like there's room for everybody here. Yeah, what do you?

Speaker 3: 16:44

what's the goal?

Speaker 1: 16:47

for you Nissan Stadium, I think it's probably your best American accent.

Speaker 3: 16:53

Sorry, nissan Stadium Nissan.

Speaker 1: 16:56

No, yeah, I obviously like short term. We want to be touring. We want to be kind of building up the fan base again, like we've got a fan base over here and it's still the biggest share of our Spotify listenership is in the USA, even though they're sort of spread out. There's more that we have in the US than there are in Australia, which is our home country. So getting out there and doing a tour, a tour or two next year, would be great. Yeah, hopefully we can get on the back of another bigger artists tour and be a support act and sort of go around the country that way. Yeah, it'd be nice Love to write some absolute smash bangers.

Speaker 3: 17:40

I'd love you to do that too.

Speaker 1: 17:41

Yeah, that'd be fun. So I think we're in the right spot for that. And then, yeah, just sort of keep building our fan base. To get to you know theaters, larger rooms.

Speaker 3: 17:53

What is it? Eventually a really good idea. What do you? What do you feel like?

Speaker 1: 17:56

it tastes to do that. I mean, it's just a song connecting yeah, that's that's a big part of it, and you being there to connect with the audience, that connects with the song, yeah, so you know, doing things that make fans feel like there's a personal connection there. I think that's obviously social media is huge and Emma and Amy obviously onto that big time, but yeah, it's something about like a personal connection that they have to a song or show. You know every time we play a show.

Speaker 1: 18:25

It's there's somebody's first show that they've never seen a band before and this is like their first time being at a live concert, and so they're going to remember that for the rest of their lives and you've got that sort of personal connection with a fan. Yeah, it's about building those one at a time, really, yeah. So, yeah, you can either have a big moment on TikTok with the song, or you can, you know, go to the hard yards and do the long road and just keep on playing shows, consistently, performing well, yeah, giving fans an incredible experience.

Speaker 3: 19:01

I feel like my eyelids are stuck together from golf. Is that why you couldn't get straight? Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 19:06

Man, I played really well today.

Speaker 3: 19:09

So, as a dad, how was it Because I'm just thinking about, like, what blokes are thinking back at home and you've already come to the club, yeah, and you've already covered some things that people think about it probably hold them back. But, like, as a dad, how was it for you making the decision to obviously leave your daughter back in Australia at the moment?

Speaker 1: 19:27

Yeah, Obviously it wasn't easy. I mean, madison doesn't live with me and she's never lived with me, yeah, which you know kind of I don't want to say it makes it easier, but we used to be living apart, yeah, so we like obviously being her dad and being there for her and like supporting her in any way I can, has sort of it's become a lot harder. Yeah, like I'm still FaceTiming her and chatting with her and giving her advice and all this stuff and, you know, sending her money. She wants to go to a concert, like things like that but I it feels weird to not be there.

Speaker 1: 20:07

Yeah, you know, when she's going through like formative years and this is when she's like becoming a woman and what kind of person she's going to be, and I have to try and do that from afar, which is which is a bit it's heartbreaking in ways, but I think we've still got a great relationship, yeah, and I know that she's well taken care of with her mother and her family over there in Springfield. So I think, as long as we can get her over and have some memories here, yeah, yeah, I think it'll be okay and we're only gone for three years, it's not that big of a grand scheme to think yeah as much as like yeah.

Speaker 3: 20:45

I think everyone's missing me.

Speaker 1: 20:46

Yeah, we'll be going back to a stretch of your point, but, like you know, say Gadi, for example, if he was to, just you know, go to a different country for three years, it would be a lot different. I think. Cause obviously he's the family man and he's got the wife and the two kids and it feels like someone keeps trying.

Speaker 3: 21:04

Yeah, no, that's what I was thinking. He had a bouncer on the door. Yeah, so people know this is happening, live time. Two VIPs in here, man the wife of my six is a counter that I can sit down.

Speaker 1: 21:16

But yeah, as a dad it's been probably the hardest you know decision to make, especially after that moment at Lehmann, emma's engagement.

Speaker 3: 21:27

Yeah, yeah, that was lovely.

Speaker 1: 21:29

Yeah, you saw that. I did See with anyone that saw that and you came back. I was gonna have my camera out when I did see it Did you hear it?

Speaker 3: 21:36

No, I was like looking at you guys. Yeah, that was a nice one, and then I came over to sort of like jump in on it, which was probably not good in hindsight.

Speaker 1: 21:45

No, no, it was like cause, I don't know. She's always. We've always tried to make her feel welcome in our family, but because she's not always around, she can be a bit uncomfortable, especially when she was a bit younger and there was like no other kids around and the house wasn't set up for kids. Yeah, yeah, I just wanted to reassure her that we love her immensely and we want her to be around as much as possible, and you know, amy and Emma and Liam and Locky everybody loves you and wants you to be here, and we're so glad that you were here for this special moment, like we'll all remember this for the rest of our lives. So the fact that you were here and you got to sharing it with us is incredibly special to me, and I gave her this big hug and she started crying and I started crying. It was just like one of those beautiful moments where you're just like, okay yeah.

Speaker 1: 22:39

It was a good like connection moment between my daughter and I.

Speaker 3: 22:43

Yeah, what would be, if anything, something that you would have done differently before we made the move, or do you wish you made the move sooner?

Speaker 1: 22:53

I don't think it could have happened any other way, to be honest. I mean, I know the last podcast I was on. We spoke about determinism.

Speaker 3: 22:59

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 23:01

So it's kind of a bit like that in my head of like we can't, it couldn't have happened any other way. I mean, kathleen already had a clinic and everything and she'd been studying before that. Like, last time we were in America Kathleen was at university and so that wouldn't have been a possibility to move everything over here Unless we weren't together anymore, which is not an option. So yeah.

Speaker 1: 23:30

I mean if I could have done anything differently. I don't know if I would. I think it was all the way that it should have happened and we've all moved over at the right time for all of us. And if we'd done it at a different time, somebody might not have been able to come.

Speaker 3: 23:49

Yeah, I'm going all over the place because I don't actually have a notebook here to go through it, but even then going, I want to dance this earlier. People know the song Dronomani. Like when you guys I keep saying when we Do they. Yeah, when you guys played the song multiple occasions, everyone's like oh my God, that's you guys. How does that make you guys feel?

Speaker 1: 24:12

It's a bit reassuring when that happens, it's a vote of confidence. Well, yeah, you're like oh, you know, people don't. We're going from, you know, being somewhat successful in Australia to just coming to a massive, coming to a massive pond of big fish and we're like a little guppy, just like 100, yeah, 100, yeah.

Speaker 1: 24:35

So like it just feels like we're starting again from scratch. Does that excite you? Not really. I mean, it is the prospect of like getting to start again. Knowing everything that we've known up until this point, so we can do it properly again, is kind of nice. But yeah, having pulled out Geronimo the other night and then people are like, oh, we know this song, yeah, of course we know this song, it's like okay, so we are not just coming from completely on the ground floor, like we might be on level two, two, but we've got to keep walking up to that penthouse, yeah, the penthouse is the goal.

Speaker 3: 25:15

It was something nice about. For me personally, it's like coming to a whole new space, being able to recreate who you want to be, because I think when you're in the environment that you're used to, there's so many things that are habits or they're stacked or linked to habits and it's really hard to break that because you feel like everything's sort of losing control. And I've said it to you guys and aiming at multiple times where it's like I want to sleep in a little bit longer when we move and I'm going to do this differently and it's like this fresh start because people don't have an idea of who you are and how you live your life. I still get up early, but I still do a lot of things the same, but I've gone out on school nights which is fucking blowing my mind and then doing multiple other things, but it's like now you get to see the world a little bit differently and also reflect on how you were living previously, which I think a lot of people never give themselves the opportunity to do. That it's just Groundhog Day.

Speaker 3: 26:09

Some people enjoy Groundhog Day, so let's just call that life. They enjoy that day in, day out, but they never give themselves to stop and just think about is what I'm doing, what I'm going to be happy I've done when I'm on my deathbed? And for a lot of men it's not, which is why midlife crisis is such a big thing. A lot of men's relationships are falling apart, their health's atrocious all of those sorts of things because, Not even because they want that to happen. It's just we're too busy focusing on yeah, I did, I think I was doing. Actually, I was writing this morning, I think it was we yesterday and I was.

Speaker 3: 26:49

I give out all this advice, but I'm still so bad at acting on so much of it. Still, with my clients, I would do an Certain things, like I'm like you need to sleep more. I checked my weapon. I've just pounded myself for four days. Yeah, I might do you need to sleep more, but then in my head, I'm like I have to, you know, because obviously, coming over here, I've sacrificed a lot of income, so all my brands doing is you need to get back to that income asap before you're comfortable. Yeah, which is Like this good but also bad thing, because you can't just enjoy you, so falling back into the same things, yeah you need to build back and that's the challenge.

Speaker 1: 27:29

Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's kind of like it is easy to just fall back into the same habits. Yeah, we're back at home, accustomed to when you're trying to reinvent yourself and you're trying to, you know, start a yeah, new thing going on. I mean, you know it's always gonna be that part of you. That's no matter where you go in the world, there you are, it's Wherever you go, there you are. Like we're on the other side of the world and it still feels like we're just here.

Speaker 1: 27:57

Yeah, you know, and a lot of people can fall into the trap of like trying to fix their problems with, you know, changing the environment and I've, obviously that that can help in some ways. But you know it's like the ghosts can follow you. Yeah, and because, because it's inside of you and Like you know, for me it's still a case of like, yeah, I'm in a, I'm in a very, because I was really trying to work on my drinking before I left, and now that we're in Nashville, it's like, oh well, now you're in a spot where there's even more events and like it's more late night and yeah, it's like part of the lifestyle of the music industry.

Speaker 1: 28:40

Yeah, to be like Going out, catching up, you know, mingling with people, networking. Yeah, you know you got the CMAs next week, so do you think things like that where it's just like there's so many more opportunities to fall back into my bad habit? Yeah, and so just trying to kind of keep on top of that and, you know, remind myself of why I'm here and what we're doing.

Speaker 3: 29:01

Yeah it's, it's definitely harder, even like we went to go before and send us Ryan Rose in is like beers, beers, beers yeah whatever, yeah, sure, yeah, and I was yeah, and the synergy said now is like I, but yeah, you don't want to feel rude as well at the same time but it's not.

Speaker 3: 29:19

Yeah, it's also like, as well, I will you want to enjoy these moments? Yeah, as well. So it is really tough and I, but I think you're right when you come back to why are we here? What's the the main objective? And is this gonna move me closer to that or is it not? And yeah, obviously as well. I think part of it is like, if you look at your calendar, the net, or for me, if I look at my calendar the next day, there's not too much happening. So it doesn't matter if I have a beer, a gold.

Speaker 3: 29:46

Yeah it's not gonna impact me, whereas previously it's like you're on from 430 till yeah, whatever time. Yeah, so there was a lot more responsibility, whereas now, as we're trying to, I guess, rebuild, you know, it's not as full. But then I'm thinking to myself Well, should I be working harder to get that? And that's where I think so many people and so many men's struggles. We're like we adopt this identity that we need to protect and provide, and we also, for me, is like I Want to make something of myself, mm-hmm. So therefore, until I've achieved that which, the goalposts continue to move, mm-hmm. I Can't stop, mm-hmm. It's a really fucking challenging thing to, yeah, to live. It's like my own worst nightmare. I'll be a fun patient, it's just wow.

Speaker 1: 30:35

Yeah, I mean, like it's probably just trying to have that balance of, like you know, doing what's required and what's expected of you. Yeah, I'm also trying to stay sane and have a good time and, you know, be professional and yeah, like it's just constantly this ever-evolving moving puzzle piece that you've just got to try, and you know, a navigate as best you can't. You know, no one's perfect and we're all. We've all got vices and hang ups and bad habits and good habits, and we're human at the end of the day. We're just trying to make it work as best we can. Yeah, so we got to stop being so hard on ourselves.

Speaker 3: 31:16

It's a good point because we are doing pretty well, like I'm massively Okay, yeah, when you take a Disassosia from the situation like our lives at the moment, like I'd love to be there, yeah, but then I'm also Thinking I'd love to be with that person is but we would. I think we're joking about it. The other day I was talking to someone at one of the events where it's like all the shit that we're going through right now, like how you guys Got a whole show ready in three days, as much as like from the moment we wake, woke up to when we went to bed, was chaos now, so I can look back and that's the best story to tell. Yeah, yeah, it's not actually even the thing.

Speaker 1: 31:52

No, it's just the whole lead up to this is not yeah the whole like Best story of the worst experiences make for the best stories. Yeah, yeah, that was not that. Not that it was the worst experience, but it was just very stressful. Yeah, trying to make sure because, like, I'm not a production manager, I'm, you know, just trying to. We won't. Yeah, I could probably put on my resume now. But, yeah, just you Instagram buyer trying to figure out what equipment we needed, like we're, how to get the backing tracks. Yeah, I'm having to play the backing tracks. We don't have any musicians, we need a guitarist, we need a drummer. You just sort of like, you know, have that checklist, but it's now. It's never that easy to just go through the checklist and, yeah, I'm off one at a time. Yeah, constantly going back and forth, like three phone calls when email comes in, and it's like you're just juggling all of these tasks, trying to be like, yes, down top of it all and without one of the crap in the shits at anybody.

Speaker 3: 32:47

Yeah, one of the hot like that highlights of that experience. You I Think you said yes the other day before it's like I feel like I can, I can do anything now, hmm, and for me it's like whenever you that's why I love fitness so much, as because when you push yourself to do a five-carat, whatever it is, you always push the limits a little bit more, get into that uncomfortable zone. You've now just proven to yourself yeah, limit that you thought Existed is now blown apart. Yeah. And then you're like okay, well, I can do that in three days. What can I do in two? It just keeps pushing and that's. I think we showed a mark. Oh, let's do it and let's start again, hmm. However, then you know, I think that's it once again. The beauty of Putting yourself in the situation was like you only get one shot, and I'm grateful that Brett Didn't go. Oh, yeah, no, let's be lenient, let's sort it out. Yeah, a couple of weeks he just looked at me was like this is the opportunity.

Speaker 3: 33:41

This is do it or you don't yeah, so many people want opportunities like that. So you figure it out. Yeah, and that's what I think makes Leads to a great life is your ability to problem. So, on the fly, and you know, sometimes it won't work out, but we managed to make it work and I think that's how I'm looking at this whole trip. Worst case we go back for some cool stories and whatnot. Best case we're going back loaded With bangers. Yeah, with bangers will have set out everything we wanted to achieve, which will be awesome when opportunity knocks, answer the door who's there.

Speaker 1: 34:21

That's what we did exactly opportunity. We've got a couple of special tickets to the Pratt's game for you. You want to come here?

Speaker 3: 34:29

Yeah, just remind me of Nathan then.

Speaker 1: 34:33

Thanks so much, so much, yeah. So let's see what Adventures await. Exactly. Every day is just a new thing that happens, like even today, like Getting invited to golf with a new friend, ryan, you know, and we're just like, all right, let's go. I'm gonna say yes, yeah, then we got in trouble for taking too long.

Speaker 3: 34:56

This dude. He was a cranky as bastard, wasn't he?

Speaker 1: 34:59

Oh Steve, if Steve ever listens to this, Shelby, you know, with with throwing some charm and humor at him at the start when we're renting the clubs and he's like how many walls you need? And I was like for an owner for a nine hole Course, 15 balls. And he's just like, yeah, he's just dead pan, you guys are bad. Yeah, it's like yeah, just that's the joke, man. Yeah.

Speaker 3: 35:26

I don't know if you were renting clubs.

Speaker 1: 35:28

Yeah, it's like we don't look like golfers, yeah, and like we're about halfway through the course, six holes, six holes in, and then this is go card comes over the hill, there's golf cart sorry, and it's Steve and he pulls up next to you guys. What does he?

Speaker 3: 35:42

say he's like, I've been looking for you. Why are you taking too long? Somebody said why you take it. Yeah, and we're like you're only six holes in, normally nine holes takes two hours. It's nearly two hours and we're like, yeah. He's like oh, I'm waiting on your buggies. Right, dude, we can't find the balls in this bloody autumn.

Speaker 1: 36:03

Yeah, as the leaves everywhere and we're hitting them in the book.

Speaker 3: 36:07

We were actually played straight today, which was good. Yeah, it's in Elizabeth but he just didn't have. It's just a cranky bug on me. Yeah, he didn't get it.

Speaker 1: 36:16

I was like, oh yeah, we're pretty average. He's like below average. Yeah, steve, yeah.

Speaker 3: 36:22

Steve's like just trying in the men's world.

Speaker 1: 36:24

You're, it's a golf course man, just relax. Just so it was peaceful out there. People want people come out here is to just kind of clear their minds. It was a beautiful day, yeah you know, you work at a golf course.

Speaker 3: 36:37

Just chill. So one final question how do you think you are like what is then managing or balancing? You know, he said we all got cast going on like what do you what? How did you go about looking to manage that? Um, this is a good question.

Speaker 1: 36:57

Yeah, look, I'm notoriously bad at like organization and any sort of management, very kind, like, I'm still just very much living in the present kind of Spirit and I just take everything as it comes and try to, you know, ride the wave, so to speak. Just keep on, yeah, keep on the surfboard, because I find that's that's where, that's where it's fun, you know, not knowing what the fuck's about to happen, and Things just surprise you and spring upon you and, and that's probably terrible advice Diaries, people, you know, make to-do lists and I guess I'm really lucky in the sense that Kathleen is very like. We're not. We're not opposites, but we are Yin and Yang in that sense.

Speaker 1: 37:52

You know, she's kind of like a very grounded, very responsible person and she's like the anchor on the kite. You know Forest Black, so it works well. I mean I think we make a very good team. The two of us, yeah, because I kind of I kind of lift her off a bit and she's able to keep me grounded, yeah, and then the six of us as a bigger team. I think we all fill a certain role and, yeah, you know, feel the gaps that might be in Our partners live or you know, you know our organization or Like Liam's a tour manager and he's filling out the calendar and making sure that we're all kind of at the right place at the right time. Yeah, I think it's just it's having a good team. Yeah, having a good team.

Speaker 1: 38:43

Yeah, that was a long way to say just have a good team.

Speaker 3: 38:48

That was a great way. It gave us an example of what a good team is. Yes, exactly, but, mate, I Want to have a bath. I know you probably want to have a bath.

Speaker 1: 38:58

We're gonna have a bath, okay, no, I know you probably want to eat. Well, that's for the extra subscriber.

Speaker 3: 39:05

Oh, that's exciting news, you guys, but something good is coming for you.

Speaker 1: 39:11

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 39:11

Yeah, thank you for jumping on. Especially, I'll give you your milk and cookies shortly. I'm waiting. I've been a good boy. Thank you, guys to train him. Remember, if you like this episode, like Share it on your social platforms. It's actually I've said to George before it's because I can check all the data in the back end, it's see where everyone's coming from, and now it's popping up. But I think it's because we are in the US that it's on, like Check out this podcast on Spotify in America, which is awesome, because now my American audience is bigger than my Australian audience.

Speaker 3: 39:43

Hmm, a lot of data in your back end America thank you guys for tuning in. We'll see you next week. Bye you.