Risky Business

Many of us try to analyze the ingredients needed to attain success, and in our search, we look to duplicate the key actions of those who came before us. And aside from hard work and talent, I’d point to risk taking as one of the most important facets found among the greats. I don’t believe in taking constant risks, but I don’t know anyone who’s succeeded without taking at least one huge leap of faith in their lifetime.

I remember the first leap of faith I took in my own music career. I was fresh out of college, and convinced two of my homies to move with me from Portland to LA. We jetted down the I-5, delusional and fully convinced we were destined to land a record deal upon arrival.

One of my boys had lined up a courier job at the Sony Pictures Studios, and a bedroom at his grandparents’ house. But the job didn’t pan out, and after both friends moved back home within a month, I was stuck in LA with no income and no place to live.

After a week of sleeping in my car, I reached out to my high school friend, who had already been in LA chasing his acting dream. He convinced his roommate to let me sleep on the floor of their tiny studio apartment in North Hollywood, with no air conditioning in the middle of August. It was brutal.

But I was running on adrenaline, and nothing was going to stop me.

I soon began a commission based marketing job, where I went door to door, unsuccessfully trying to convince businesses to download free software. It was a colossal failure.

But one day at work, I met another hungry young dude, who was trying to break into the world of film and photography. And even though he walked out of the job in the middle of his first day, we kept in touch, and our relationship laid the ground work for everything that was to come. He did all of my early art work and introduced me to the first producer I worked with. And even to this day, when I needed him to shoot a documentary interview a couple weeks ago, he pulled up with his team and delivered.

I say all that to say this…

To an outsider, the setbacks that occurred shortly after my move to LA may have seemed too difficult to overcome… No job, no money, and no place to live. But I embraced the struggle. I was young, and I was exactly where I wanted to be- working on music in LA. I didn’t care if I had to sleep on a thousand floors. I was determined.

And when I look back, I think of those times fondly. There’s no pain. No sadness. And no regrets. I only remember fun times, perseverance, and resilience. And I wouldn’t change my experiences for the world.

Obviously, there’s no one-size-fits-all plan, so I can’t hand you over the blueprint. But I will say, when I speak about my journey with young creatives and others in supporting roles, there is often a curiosity about whether a relocation to a larger, more active market is necessary.

For me, it was. Three times to be exact. Once to NYC and twice to LA, where I put myself dead in the middle of the action, and built my network through genuine relationships.

But the internet has changed the game. Now, we can reach complete strangers with a quick click of a thumb. So, you just have to decide what’s best for you.

Having said that, if you’re young and don’t have any kids or other factors keeping you tied to your hometown, I highly suggest you consider taking a leap of faith. Do it while you can still sleep on a couch without throwing your back out. Because if not now, when?

I know the world can be a scary place if you’ve never ventured outside of your bubble. But it can also be an amazing place filled with beauty, adventure, and mind altering experiences. I advise you to enjoy the ride.

Thanks so much for all of your support. I truly appreciate all of the love, shares, and positive messages. Please keep spreading the word to anyone who would receive value from this newsletter, and I’ll keep sharing the stories and lessons I’ve learned throughout my time in this industry.

Til next week.