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00:00:00Manhood, brought to you in part by Solomon's Bespoke.
00:00:06Manhood, brought to you in part by Superfarm.
00:00:13Welcome to another episode of Manhood, where we always aim to be better as brothers.
00:00:19And yes, I'm always going to say it, we're not speaking on behalf of all men.
00:00:23Or maybe we are.
00:00:24By now, we've been enough episodes into manhood, and maybe we are speaking on behalf of all men in certain topics.
00:00:33Because we've had so many brothers pass through, and had so many discussions, and we read so much about it,
00:00:40listen to so many podcasts, that certain things are just what men want, and who men are.
00:00:46But for the sake of that clause, the views and expressions and all of that,
00:00:51you know, we're not speaking on behalf of all men.
00:00:54We are a few men speaking to all men, to all women, to anyone that's willing to listen
00:00:59and make a change in their life for the positive, because that's what we're certainly aiming to do.
00:01:03And one of the topics today is just as important as any other topic that we've discussed,
00:01:07which is simply small steps to success.
00:01:11You know, the success that you see a lot of times was not easy.
00:01:15There's a hustle, there's a determination, there's a resilience, there's a stick-with-it-ness,
00:01:20there's a I-never-say-die-type attitude, and all we see sometimes is the glory.
00:01:26But we don't see the grind that it takes to get to that glory.
00:01:30So joining me today, Johanse IODK, Behavior Change Consultant in the Yellow Jacket.
00:01:36To his right.
00:01:37It's actually mustard, eh?
00:01:38Mustard, well, there you go.
00:01:40To his right, Nicholas Huggins, creative designer, so many hats.
00:01:46I mean, we'll certainly get into the accolades of this gentleman.
00:01:48I'm really happy that you're joining us here today, Nick.
00:01:50And to his right, the one and only, my brother, Etienne Charles, musician.
00:01:57I mean, I can't even begin to call the awards.
00:01:59We'd run out of space at the bottom of the CG bar.
00:02:01But I'm just really happy to have you here.
00:02:03It's a pleasure to be here.
00:02:04Thanks for joining us.
00:02:05So we're getting into small steps to success.
00:02:08You know, Etienne, Nick, people see what you guys have done and just think,
00:02:12oh, it came easy.
00:02:14They probably had a gold spoon in their mouth.
00:02:15They're lucky.
00:02:16All of these things that you hear and don't understand it.
00:02:19No.
00:02:19Even if you get a break or you get an opportunity in certain spaces,
00:02:25there's an element of grind and determination and knowing, you know,
00:02:29seeing that destination that now has you where you are here today.
00:02:36And I think it's a privilege to actually be, every time we do manhood and we have a different guest,
00:02:44it's a real privilege to be among great men.
00:02:48Right?
00:02:48And I say great men because once you stick to something and accomplish it, to me, you're great.
00:02:54That is the beginning of greatness because going to the gym for eight hours,
00:02:59you wouldn't leave buff and strong.
00:03:01But going to the gym one hour every day for whatever period of time is what will give you the success.
00:03:08So where these men are, we're always trying to define what is masculinity.
00:03:13I think one sign of masculinity is consistency.
00:03:17So, Nicolas, tell me about your consistency.
00:03:19Yeah, I mean, I would say, at least for me, I look at other creatives, I look at other designers,
00:03:25other artists, and I wouldn't say I'm by any means the best, right?
00:03:30But I would say the way that I try to differentiate myself is through consistency, right?
00:03:35So whether that is I have a goal every day, make something.
00:03:38It doesn't matter what it is, just make something every day.
00:03:40And every now and then, I'll do these challenges to myself,
00:03:44like right now in the middle of a 100-day drawing challenge, right?
00:03:46And it really is just, that is just an act of consistency.
00:03:51Like I'm not trying to draw something great every day.
00:03:54I'm just trying to draw every day.
00:03:55And through that process and through that consistency and showing up every day and doing that,
00:04:01I know that by day 100, I will be better than I was at day one.
00:04:04Yeah.
00:04:05And it's great just doing that.
00:04:07And, you know, someone said that, you know, if you spend just 18 minutes a day doing something,
00:04:14by the end of the year, you're better than 95% of the people in the world.
00:04:18Now, I just want a presence.
00:04:21You know, a lot of people who may be looking on, they may know who you gentlemen are,
00:04:25but there's specific things that I feel proud of.
00:04:28You know, one, Nick, you know, that Google, you know, the Google design with the steel pan,
00:04:35I mean, that put us, that really put us on the map.
00:04:38I mean, that was a huge thing.
00:04:39I mean, I know one of your proud moments, and it looks really cool,
00:04:43is doing a lot of Kess' designs and giving him that look and feel that he enjoys now
00:04:47and a lot of his, you know, videos on artwork, et cetera.
00:04:50But that Google moment must have been, you know.
00:04:53Yeah, definitely.
00:04:54And I mean, Etienne shared that moment with me as well.
00:04:57He was one of the musicians on the Google Doodle as well.
00:05:02And yeah, for sure, like, I speak for myself, but I know Etienne probably feels the same way
00:05:07in that that morning that that came out, it was like, it was crazy, you know.
00:05:11It was really a moment where I feel like the entire nation saw something,
00:05:17and the entire nation, but also the entire world, right, that was on Google globally, you know.
00:05:22So it was really a career-defining moment for myself, and it was really something that I could stand on
00:05:29and be super proud of, you know.
00:05:30We say the words all the time, you know.
00:05:32You're looking for something or looking for some information, you know, Google it.
00:05:36And then on that day, when you're Googling it, that's what you saw,
00:05:40a representation of our instrument, you know, the pan.
00:05:44And Etienne, you know, you're making so many groundbreaking moves.
00:05:49You know, you're also being, you know, represented or awarded from Ants Macal this year.
00:05:54You have so many other accolades.
00:05:56And the one that stands out even more recent than, you know,
00:06:02now that we're in this sort of carnival atmosphere, Tiny Desk.
00:06:06You know, that.
00:06:07Yeah, it's crazy.
00:06:08You know, it's interesting to see, you know, all these accolades come in, like, rapidly.
00:06:14Like, in the last two months, it was, like, getting knighted by France,
00:06:18and, you know, the number one album of the year, and then the NAACP nomination,
00:06:22and then the Ancelorio.
00:06:23You know, it was just, I'm just, you know, but to see that happen,
00:06:28but understanding that this is from years of, you know,
00:06:31Nicholas talking about 100 days of drawings, right?
00:06:35And I think of the little small, you talk about 18 minutes a day, right?
00:06:40There's 18 minutes in a day.
00:06:41You can convince yourself of something that you're going to do.
00:06:45You can do something.
00:06:47You can evaluate something, which a lot of people don't take the time to do.
00:06:51You know, for me, a lot of times, I have to take the time to evaluate.
00:06:55So I record a lot of what I do, and then most of the time is actually spent listening back
00:06:59and figuring out, okay, like, how can this, like, what's the vibe to make this a little bit better?
00:07:06So I think, you know, having time, you know, because we all are very busy,
00:07:10and for me, the most important thing, the two most important things are taking time
00:07:15to reflect and relax and taking time to evaluate.
00:07:19Because between those two things, you can really figure out what steps you want to take next.
00:07:25And I'm sure you see it with your drawings.
00:07:27Because with art, you see it right away.
00:07:29Music is a little bit different.
00:07:30Music, you need the time to evolve for the music to evolve.
00:07:32So that's one of the differences between our practices.
00:07:36So when you say you record, like, is it that you plan your day, you set out,
00:07:41or is it a reflection?
00:07:42Is it like a journal?
00:07:43Like, what is that?
00:07:45How can that benefit maybe some people that are listening on, like, you know,
00:07:48to help them in their process?
00:07:50You could do it in many ways.
00:07:51I mean, you could do old school and write things down.
00:07:54You know, I'm very disorganized, right?
00:07:56I'm very disorganized, but I'm very organized because the key to my disorganization
00:08:01is being disorganized in one place.
00:08:04So every day, I saw a lot of times, I'll record voice notes on my phone.
00:08:08I go on my phone, it's probably 2,000 voice notes.
00:08:11Everything, every idea I get musically goes right into my phone.
00:08:14I listen back.
00:08:15And then when I'm driving or something, I will record voice notes of what to do next with it.
00:08:20It's like G minor vibe, get faster, C minor, write something for the saxophone.
00:08:24You know, things like that.
00:08:25And then when I get back to the piano or wherever, then I know exactly what,
00:08:31because then you're no longer exploring, right?
00:08:33The exploration part has already been done.
00:08:36And then, you know, the thing with the art is the same way.
00:08:39With music, you have to let the music tell you what comes next.
00:08:44Yeah, I mean, you know what I mean?
00:08:45Within my, like, creating illustrations or whatever the case is, right?
00:08:49When I'm creating an illustration, I'm really working on something.
00:08:52And I might just, as you say, like, you have an idea.
00:08:55You just jot that down.
00:08:56Like, I don't really do a lot of voice notes, but I have a, every year, I have a note on my phone
00:09:01that will say, like, 20 to 24 ideas or 20 to 25 ideas.
00:09:04And right now, we're in February.
00:09:06My 20 to 25 ideas list is long, right?
00:09:10And when I'm looking to start doing something, I just go into there.
00:09:13And I just scroll through, and I'm like, okay, cool.
00:09:15This kind of, this hits me in this moment or whatever the case is.
00:09:19And then you might get that idea in January, and then you get other inputs throughout the course of the year.
00:09:24And you may not be able to actually execute on that until November, you know, because you are constantly filtering different things
00:09:32that could then help you create something that is, was maybe just a small idea in January.
00:09:39You know what I mean?
00:09:40So where does he, I mean, just to go into a bit of the background so that we have an understanding of, you know,
00:09:47we talk about the topic being today's small steps.
00:09:50Before you go into that, let me just say, based on what you say before, I'll lose your point.
00:09:55So, Etienne, what you're really saying is you're organized, you know.
00:09:58Because you're saying you're disorganized, but you're organized.
00:10:01And why I'm helping you clarify is because sometimes we use these terms, and the terms defeat us.
00:10:08Words of power.
00:10:09And that's even to the people listening.
00:10:10So sometimes, we have to look this specific kind of way that actually is not you.
00:10:15Because what you're saying there, you have your voice, so it is organized in your mind.
00:10:20And then, Nicholas, what you're saying?
00:10:21I do something similar.
00:10:23Sometimes I just write things to do, things to research.
00:10:26So then when it comes to mind, just search quickly in my notes app.
00:10:29So I say to even, I'm sure, Robert, have his methodology.
00:10:33Don't really try to be like anybody, right?
00:10:36Find your way so you can do it.
00:10:38Because if you try to be like something else, that consistency, now you're fighting.
00:10:42It's too much energy to try to be organized, right?
00:10:46And then you have to find the energy to be consistent.
00:10:49And then one other thing he said, he said, you know that all of us busy, right?
00:10:53Now, this is my personal.
00:10:54I don't believe in busy.
00:10:56I don't believe anybody's busy.
00:10:58Busy is not even a real concept.
00:11:00What it is, is each moment we have choices to make.
00:11:04So if somebody, I'll just give you an example.
00:11:05Say, come on, Lime.
00:11:06If you go to say you're busy, you're not really busy, you're choosing to do something else instead of liming.
00:11:12Yeah, you may get something else your priority.
00:11:14Correct.
00:11:14So when you have a goal or something you want to accomplish, you're never busy.
00:11:20It's just based with choices.
00:11:21So you either sit down and do what you have to do for the 18 minutes, you record, you create, right?
00:11:27Or you go and do something else that maybe is not to your goal, but you're never busy.
00:11:32So it's like organized chaos, you know, even within what you may be calling disorganized to someone else.
00:11:40Yes, but your method, there's method to your madness.
00:11:44And, you know, to your point with regards to, you know, the busy, you know, I always say, I need to be very clear when someone asks me to do something or asks me to go somewhere or anything I decide to do.
00:11:58Am I an option or am I the choice?
00:12:02Because, like you said, if they're conditioned to it, like, yeah, well, if we're doing so-and-so, I will come around and all that, then I know I'm okay with that.
00:12:12Because one, there was an honest discussion and I know where I fit in in that.
00:12:16It's like, if you have the time, I myself then can receive that in a way that I am now saying, well, if you decide you're going to pop in, I will decide whether or not I have the time.
00:12:26If something else comes up that's more important to me at the time, I'm going to make that choice.
00:12:31Now, if it's important to me to, in that area, to say really take on that, you know, like I really want to see that person, then that becomes my choice, even though I'm their option.
00:12:47But if that makes any sense, can everybody look at me like, I don't know if I was being, you know, just really sort of deep and...
00:12:55No, I understand what you're saying and a lot of things that come down to choice.
00:13:01Because when somebody is a success, it's because of choices they make.
00:13:05If it's not a success, it's because of choices they make.
00:13:08Yes, we all have different circumstances.
00:13:11But as everybody here and these two gentlemen, as they go into their background, we will understand a little more about their choices.
00:13:19So who diving in first, Nicholas or it is?
00:13:21So basically what we're trying to get to is the topic being small steps to success.
00:13:24So to do that, we all know the success you gentlemen have.
00:13:30You know, if you don't know, well, Google it.
00:13:34Pun intended.
00:13:35Pun intended.
00:13:37But again, we talk about these small steps today.
00:13:40Now, I know both of you.
00:13:42So, I mean, again, you know, it's kind of organic to kind of know where you came from and what struggles you have.
00:13:48But again, you know, in manhood, we're trying to relate to other persons.
00:13:51I don't know them.
00:13:52Correct.
00:13:52To understand where, I mean, you know, how it all started and the struggle.
00:13:57It wasn't easy.
00:13:59Now we're seeing my boy here, you know, nice hat, glasses, you know, award winner, tiny desk performer.
00:14:08Well, I mean, I mean, so small steps, you know, because, you know, part of my thing is like, it's the same way you say busy is a word.
00:14:19To me, success is a word as well.
00:14:21And it's a word I kind of ignore because for me, the journey never ends and it's a constant grind.
00:14:30It's a constant, you know.
00:14:33But I think of the people who inspire me and what they do daily that I took from them.
00:14:41And so one of my mentors and dear friends is a great trumpet player named Sean Jones.
00:14:46He's an incredible musician.
00:14:47He's the director of jazz studies at the Peabody Conservatory, which is the oldest conservatory in the United States.
00:14:53And he says, make your bed in the morning every day.
00:15:01Because at the end of the day, if nothing else went right, you know you did that.
00:15:08Right.
00:15:10Right?
00:15:11And that's at least one win for the day.
00:15:13Right?
00:15:13So that's one.
00:15:16Another, I try to do some sort of movement every day with my body, whether it's push-ups, jumping jacks, jump rope.
00:15:24And a lot of times I have a bike right next to my bed.
00:15:27And so there's a choice every day.
00:15:30Right?
00:15:30So I get on that bike.
00:15:32And the coach on the bike, his name is Alex Toussaint.
00:15:35And he says every day, he says, every day you are given an opportunity and a choice.
00:15:41Right?
00:15:42And I add to that is that success, the formula for me for success is when preparation meets opportunity.
00:15:51So if I do a small step every day to make sure I'm prepared, whether it's practicing or whatever it is, whether it's a concerto or a piece or writing a series,
00:16:00whether it's a certain amount of music, to be able to write quickly, because both of us get called for things that are last minute.
00:16:05Like, can you do this for next week or can you do this for two weeks from now?
00:16:10And there's a skill involved in being able to execute these things quickly.
00:16:13So to be able to get that going, I have to do a little bit of it every day.
00:16:19It's kind of like being an athlete.
00:16:20And those simple tasks daily for me are why I'm able to crank out large works that end up getting things like awards and whatnot.
00:16:34But where did it start?
00:16:35Where did it start?
00:16:36Like, you didn't know, you know, again, in these shows, it's always a bit different when you know the people.
00:16:43You know, it's because you want to let the audience know, like, where did it all start?
00:16:49You didn't always know that this is where you'd be.
00:16:51Right.
00:16:51So in music, for me, a big part of my practice, which is what I try to impart to my students as well, is a three-step method.
00:17:03Imitate, assimilate, and then innovate.
00:17:05And I do that over and over again.
00:17:06So the first step is to find something I like and then copy it verbatim, like literally sit down with the recording and write out every single note that's played.
00:17:16I did that for years with old Calypsos, Lord Kitchener, Spire.
00:17:20So I know all the horn lines, everything.
00:17:22I could show you all of my notes for, like, what the trumpet played, what the second saxophone played, et cetera.
00:17:28And then you assimilate.
00:17:29You work it into your own practice so that then it's at your fingertips when you need it.
00:17:34And then the last part is to innovate.
00:17:36Okay, okay, well, Fitzroy Coleman did this here, so let's change the key.
00:17:39Let's speed this up when we do it here.
00:17:41Or Rupert Nurse did this here.
00:17:42Or Vasa De Freitas did this here.
00:17:44And I could go down a long list of people because when you do that practice of imitating, immediately you're also learning the history because you want to know who did this or who did that, right?
00:17:54So I'm sure you've checked out Alf Kodalo's sketches or, you know, Carl, I'll try.
00:17:57You could go down a list of people that we saw.
00:17:59So naturally, in small steps, you end up studying a lot more than just a craft.
00:18:05And then, so now, you know, now I can do these whole concerts where it's like every single road march from whenever.
00:18:11And it's because of since 2004, 2005 was when I really started digging in to study in Calypso's, really.
00:18:19So you always knew you wanted to be, I don't want to dig deep, I try to get what I know, you know?
00:18:25That's going to ask, why you even chose that instrument?
00:18:28So I didn't choose the trumpet.
00:18:30That's the irony of it.
00:18:31So my uncle is a saxophone player.
00:18:35And he heard me play the recorder when I was in primary school.
00:18:38He lives in Canada.
00:18:39And he said, I'm going to send you a saxophone.
00:18:41And I was all excited because, you know, Sesame Street.
00:18:43And you're watching the owl hoots and he playing the saxophone.
00:18:46I wanted to be hoots.
00:18:48And so then next thing, a trumpet came because he got it.
00:18:54The trumpet was cheaper in the used, in the pawn shop or the used instrument store.
00:18:58So he sent the trumpet and then I just started learning.
00:19:00I mean, this is a different time.
00:19:01This is before cell phones.
00:19:03This is before social media.
00:19:04This is before cable TV.
00:19:06You know, so.
00:19:07The reason I wanted that particular story to come out is because, you know, most times we associate the recorder.
00:19:14You know, when somebody gets a recorder and they're blowing it as bloody annoying.
00:19:19You know, you just hear this recorder blowing tweet, tweet, tweet.
00:19:23And, you know, here's living proof, you know, of a success story as a result.
00:19:30That started with the recorder.
00:19:30That started with the recorder.
00:19:32Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:19:33I am 100% that.
00:19:34Yeah, for sure.
00:19:36All right.
00:19:36So, I knew, like, you know, in terms of your success now is phenomenal.
00:19:41You know, and I know you're about to open your gallery, et cetera.
00:19:45But that, that again, you know, it wasn't, it wasn't something that, that I, I, from the time I, you know, I knew I could have squiggled or drew or whatever, you know.
00:19:54But.
00:19:55Yeah.
00:19:55I mean, I look back in my life at different things that happened that if they didn't happen, things could have gone a completely different way.
00:20:04And I could have been, I don't know, another profession or whatever.
00:20:07Right.
00:20:07But one of those things was in my primary school, which is Bishop's Junior School, where this gentleman also attended, granted a few, good few years before me.
00:20:18I went to Bishop's Junior School and every year they had an art competition.
00:20:22And in the art competition, it was like, you had draw a carnival character.
00:20:26And every year I took part and never won.
00:20:29One year came through and I was real happy about it.
00:20:31But I just stuck with it, stuck with it, stuck with it.
00:20:33And then the art teacher at the time, one year, I think it must have been my last year in the school, gave me a big prize in front of the whole assembly for, because every year I was taking part in this art competition.
00:20:45Probably the, once again, back to consistency, probably the most consistent enterer in this competition, right?
00:20:52Even though I didn't really, came through it one year and whatever.
00:20:54So you got participation.
00:20:55Yeah.
00:20:55And getting called upon in that assembly and they gave me a little prize.
00:21:00It was like a calligraphy set and a paint set.
00:21:01I was like over the moon, right?
00:21:04But I always loved art.
00:21:05I always loved drawing.
00:21:06My dad used to bring home old calendars and I used to flip it over and just do drawings on paper, right?
00:21:13Like literally just drawing as much as I can, even as a child, right?
00:21:17Then I went to St. Mary's College.
00:21:19And when I was at St. Mary's College, I had an art teacher named Mr. Rez.
00:21:23And he was my art teacher from form one to upper six, right?
00:21:27And throughout that whole thing, once again, I wasn't necessarily the best artist in class,
00:21:31but any project, I used to run this man down to give me something to do, right?
00:21:36Because people, as you know, probably like form one to form three in art class are kind of taking it as a easy period or whatever the case is.
00:21:43Man, I was in that art room and I was like, give me something to do, challenge me.
00:21:47And he definitely challenged me all the way up to upper six.
00:21:51And then I remember when I was maybe in form four, my dad who works in insurance,
00:21:56he always used to kind of ingrain into myself and my sister, like open a business because the people that he was dealing with in his insurance dealings,
00:22:04he was like the people who do the best are the people who have businesses.
00:22:06So he always wanted me to, he always used to tell us like, try to do what you love, but find a way to make a business out of it.
00:22:14And be an entrepreneur.
00:22:15Yeah, and I was probably about 13 or 14 years old and he had a friend, well, he had a client actually who was an animator
00:22:21and he had a studio in Belmont and he took me there and I kind of sat there and I was like,
00:22:25wow, these people just like create art all day at work.
00:22:29And I didn't really understand that concept.
00:22:31I thought at that time, probably if you're an artist, you would be a painter and you just make paintings and have a gallery.
00:22:37So I didn't realize that this was something you could actually make a living and go to work
00:22:41and actually like you could go to work and be a creative person, you know?
00:22:45So that moment I remember vividly was like something that kind of shifted my perception of what I could do.
00:22:52And then ultimately, after form six, choosing what university to go to and what to study,
00:23:00my art teacher told my dad, he's like, you know, like art is an option, whatever, whatever.
00:23:04And I went to a school and the tagline of the school is a university for creative careers.
00:23:08And to me, like that alone is advertising enough to get me to come to your school, right?
00:23:13And so went abroad to university and I thought once again, I was like, I'm just going to do painting or illustration or something.
00:23:21Took a graphic design class.
00:23:23I just fell in love with graphic design.
00:23:25But what I liked about it is graphic design has a lot of rules.
00:23:28And whereas painting, yeah, you have your rules, but there's a lot of breaking rules as well.
00:23:32But graphic design is very strict in terms of you have to know color theory, you need to know typography,
00:23:37you need to know all these different things to create branding.
00:23:40And so I really fell in love with that.
00:23:42I love the order of graphic design.
00:23:44And so I ended up studying graphic design and then came back home and kind of taught myself illustration.
00:23:48And I think more so now the illustration is kind of what people know me for in terms of like the Google Doodle,
00:23:54the public art and that kind of thing, you know.
00:23:57So one thing, gents, is we can certainly say that there's success outside of academics.
00:24:06There is certainly a living to be made.
00:24:08But, you know, with that success, there's also, for all intents and purposes, a darker side.
00:24:15There are times when there is failure and it's coming out of that failure that leads to success.
00:24:20So we take a short break and when we come back, we delve more into that.
00:24:34Welcome back to Manhood.
00:24:36And we're talking about small steps to success.
00:24:39And I have a question specifically about, you know, about discouragement or the lack of drive at certain points.
00:24:49As a musician, as a creative, luckily for me, I have a high drive most of the time.
00:24:55A lot of times, any time I get discouraged might have to do with things to do with entrepreneurship.
00:25:00But as a teacher, as a professor, a lot of my students, they go through these moments where, you know,
00:25:08they might not be practicing, there might be a month or, you know.
00:25:12And what causes drive to drop?
00:25:17What normally are some of the causes that you've studied that lead to someone's drive to create,
00:25:27someone's drive to develop?
00:25:28The most common, because of course, because we are dynamic creatures, it could be specific to each individual.
00:25:36But generally, it is a lack of satisfaction.
00:25:40So the thing that you're doing, no longer bringing you as much satisfaction as it was before.
00:25:46Because the deferred gratification, so I could see where my goal is, right?
00:25:50I could see the future, that's a little too far.
00:25:53So you're not really getting the, if I'm going, the dopamine hit, right?
00:25:58Because it's so far.
00:26:00So if you're not getting early wins, quick wins, sometimes you become demotivated.
00:26:07Even though you love, let's say you love the instrument, you love creating.
00:26:10But today, I created, but I didn't feel the satisfaction.
00:26:15I didn't get some sort of reward from it because, as maybe the last two shows, I was explaining the reward system in your brain.
00:26:25Your brain doesn't give your body any energy to do something unless it could come up with a reward for that action.
00:26:31So if I know I'm supposed to practice something today, but there's no immediate reward, then it's kind of like, why are you doing it?
00:26:41I know it have 10 years from now or 5 years from now what the practice could do.
00:26:46But right now, there's no win, so I'm not really feeling to do it.
00:26:50Tell me your thoughts on that.
00:26:52So, as you said that, I was just thinking because literally every single time I write music, and I know, and I'm sure it happens to you too, that dopamine rush is a real thing.
00:27:07And for me, it's almost problematic because I will lock off people, things that I'm supposed to be doing just because you're just in the zone.
00:27:18And especially when you're writing music, you're immediately hearing it back, and it's telling you what to do next.
00:27:23And it's like, it's almost like you're in this state of...
00:27:27Euphoria.
00:27:29Yeah, but it's not just euphoria.
00:27:31In the zone.
00:27:32Yeah, but it's all these different people coming at you musically from things you've studied, and it's like, you could do that.
00:27:38And so that rush makes me never get discouraged.
00:27:43Right.
00:27:43I have a very low level of discouragement ever, but...
00:27:48Always?
00:27:49Very, like, when I, yeah, I always want to create, always.
00:27:53No, but like, when you say, because where's, there's that creative rush or that in the zone moment.
00:27:58Right.
00:27:59That thing, that journey, that quarter drives you, right?
00:28:03There's also, for most persons in life, everything's yin and yang, the alpha and omega.
00:28:07Right.
00:28:07So there's a crash or there's, you know, where there's a hill, there's a valley.
00:28:11Right.
00:28:12So I'm asking that, is it that you can say that, are you blessed that that's never, or never in a big way that you can say that's impacted me, you know, particularly that I could say I was in a, maybe even in a state of depression.
00:28:25So, so it's interesting.
00:28:28Creatively, we have, we have different ways of processing it.
00:28:30For me, I'll be brutally honest, when I focus on, when I focus on creating and getting the music done, there's no depression.
00:28:46When music gets out into the world and it's how it's received by people and you see it among other albums, that's when people start looking at themselves like, well, you know.
00:28:58And so, you know, so I'll give you, I'll be, I'll be brutally honest.
00:29:02When Creole Orchestra, my album that came out last year, which was number one for the year.
00:29:06And, you know, we did a bunch of shows and we, you know, we've got all kinds of reviews, all kinds of women.
00:29:11When I didn't get a Grammy nomination, I got depressed because I was like, wow, because the Grammys are your peers.
00:29:20It's the voters who was only other musicians and creators.
00:29:24So, I was like, okay, so the people like it, but the musicians don't.
00:29:29Where's the, but then I'm like, who do I make music for?
00:29:33So, but luckily, I immediately was able to snap out of that because it was like, then we got the NAACP Image Award nomination.
00:29:41Then I got knighted.
00:29:42Then I got, then I got the answer award.
00:29:44So, so, so it was like, oh, well, okay, so that's just one group.
00:29:49So, but to go back to the, the hills and the valleys for me, I, and I'm sure, I know Nicholas does this too, because we talk a lot, is you have to set time for nothing.
00:30:02Yeah.
00:30:03So, like vacations or like you have to set time.
00:30:07Quincy Jones called it the time for the Holy Ghost.
00:30:09There are all these different people that you leave space for the magic.
00:30:12So, all that, but you also have to set time for nothing.
00:30:16Yeah.
00:30:16So, I, I went through periods of work where I would just be like, go, go, go, go, go, because you're feeling inspired, whatever.
00:30:23But then you're like, wow, I now will go through a one week period where I'm like, I don't feel to do a thing, right?
00:30:31Like literally, whether you call that burnout or whatever you want to call it.
00:30:35But what I've realized is, is that what, like what Etienne just said, you find that space to do nothing, right?
00:30:41And for me, I try to find those moments rather than work super hard for six weeks straight and then crash for a week.
00:30:49Now, I've gotten within the last maybe two years into a better rhythm, whereby rather than waking up, boom, early and running to my computer desk to start work.
00:31:00I kind of ease myself into the day.
00:31:02I work, I take a little hour off in the, in the afternoon.
00:31:05Is that married life?
00:31:05I guess it might be, because actually, it coincides exactly, I got married two years ago.
00:31:10So, maybe it is.
00:31:12But yeah, take a little break in the afternoon.
00:31:14I'll go outside and just take in some fresh air.
00:31:17Look at the trees, maybe read, maybe sketch.
00:31:21Although, I guess with me sketching might be work, but I enjoy sketching for me is like journaling, right?
00:31:26It wouldn't be work.
00:31:26Yeah, sketching for me is like journaling.
00:31:29So, I'll go outside, maybe sketch or whatever the case is, go make sure I get my exercise in every, every afternoon.
00:31:35Like, Etienne, I'm very kind of religious with my exercise, whether it's, I just started playing pickleball or whether it's, whether it's gym.
00:31:43Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, pickleball.
00:31:44Pickleball.
00:31:45Pickleball.
00:31:45Whether it's, whether it's walking in Savannah, you know.
00:31:47And a lot of times during, during this exercise or during this downtime, that's where you find ideas.
00:31:54Exactly.
00:31:54You know, because if you're just working, working, working, working, you have, you're not giving the ideas kind of in the ether, the chance to get absorbed into your brain.
00:32:03I'll give any scientific explanation for that when you're finished.
00:32:05Yeah, it's like a tank, right?
00:32:07Yeah.
00:32:07And you need rain.
00:32:09But rain ain't falling every day.
00:32:10Yeah.
00:32:10But you drain in the tank every day.
00:32:12You know, you have to let it, you know, for me, I have, you have to have a time where, like, so there's, there's certain parts of the year where I don't write any music.
00:32:20And I'm quite content with it.
00:32:22And I don't feel any pressure.
00:32:23Because that's part of your process.
00:32:25Because it's a part, there's a part when I'm taking in and then there's a part when I'm putting out.
00:32:29So you can't see the picture from inside the frame, you know, as most people say, you know, you can't see the trees from inside the forest.
00:32:35And, and so in your case, and I, and I take what you're saying, Johan, say, when you said you sketch, because they say when you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.
00:32:44Correct.
00:32:45But what I'm trying to get to now, in your case, it seems that, is it, is it then that being a creative, because so many times you hear creatives, whether it be from, from the, the arts of acting or comedy or in music.
00:32:58And there's certain ways that people are digging deep into a part of their life that whether they suffer from depression or a moment in their life.
00:33:06And that's, that's why they can express, because what makes, what makes the stuff that is put out so great is the relatability of it.
00:33:15And I'm not saying that you went through a moment like that, but surely there must have been moments of, wow, I'm really going to do this.
00:33:25I'm going to take this step out here.
00:33:27Is this going to be my career?
00:33:28Is this going to be how I put food on the table?
00:33:30Is this going to be my career?
00:34:00I'm going to get to, and I know you're liking the puns, he knows, he knows, he knows, he knows, he knows, right?
00:34:06Two for two so far.
00:34:07Pickleball, right?
00:34:08Dad jokes.
00:34:09Dad jokes, correct.
00:34:11And it, it, I'm trying to get to that point of how did you get past that?
00:34:18What are some of the techniques, what, maybe a moment and how you really got past that to now be way back?
00:34:26Nicholas, before you answer, let me just touch on what you were saying before about the importance of rest, right?
00:34:32You all have heard the term neuroplasticity.
00:34:35So, neuro meaning the mind plasticity, plasticity meaning flexibility.
00:34:42That's how we learn new things.
00:34:44So, every time you do something new, right, a new connection between the neurons in your brain or a new pattern, it creates.
00:34:52So, then when you do it again, it becomes easier because there's a pattern that is created.
00:34:56So, you forget it in between and then it comes back clearer and then, yeah.
00:34:59Yes.
00:34:59So, when we rest, that rest period, when we're not using that pattern, your brain actually retraces it.
00:35:06So, I remember looking at a video and it looks like playing an instrument, like playing the piano.
00:35:13So, let's just say I learned something new.
00:35:15I, I, I, I learn a new song.
00:35:17I play a new song.
00:35:18I draw something new, right?
00:35:19What your brain does in the, in the downtime, it actually retraces it sometimes from the beginning to the end and then goes back from the end to the beginning, right?
00:35:28And, of course, that is done organically.
00:35:29You don't have to sit and force your brain to do it.
00:35:31But if you're always in a state of you're going, you're going, you're going, your brain have no time to assimilate it.
00:35:37And I remember you said one of your techniques was assimilation.
00:35:40And that, that rests to allow the plasticity to now become more, more permanent.
00:35:47Sometimes it could be 10 minutes, you know.
00:35:49Sometimes you could just, all right, I finished doing this.
00:35:52Let me, let me take it down.
00:35:53Or sometimes you may need a week.
00:35:55Which is why people often say they get the best ideas in the shower because it's like downtime.
00:36:00It's forced downtime.
00:36:01Yeah, forced, correct.
00:36:03You know.
00:36:03But I guess what, what we're talking about as well is basically like intentional downtime.
00:36:09So, I guess that, that was our moment to tell us.
00:36:12Almost like it's, it's the go to break.
00:36:14But, but, but, go ahead with your point.
00:36:16I was going to say the shower is really one of the, the, for me, that's the chamber where I, like, as soon as I get out of the shower, like, I go straight to the computer for something.
00:36:28Because, because you're free.
00:36:30And there's some, but for me, it's something about water.
00:36:33When I'm swimming, if I'm, if I'm snorkeling, I was in Madeira in, I'm, not Madeira, I was in the Azores in, in Ponte del Gada.
00:36:41Did a bunch of snorkeling in cold water.
00:36:44And, and just something about not focusing on work and just like, and then immediately the ideas come.
00:36:53Also, if I'm not driving, like if I'm in a car and I'm not driving, or even if I'm driving, but it's a long distance and you know that it's just like one road.
00:37:02For some reason, that kicks in.
00:37:05What, what that does, you know, we have different levels of brainwaves, right?
00:37:10And alpha is the, is the highest and the fastest.
00:37:12That's where, when we most alert.
00:37:14But the, the, the last one is four, is delta, which is the slowest, which is when we are asleep.
00:37:20But right before delta, there's theta, right?
00:37:23And theta is where we learn.
00:37:25Theta is where we assimilate.
00:37:26So theta is where sometimes when you're in the zone, sometimes.
00:37:30And so when you sit and when you're in the shower, right, you're not really, you're most active.
00:37:35You're just kind of relaxing, but you're not really asleep either.
00:37:39So your brain is in theta, even theta is where we, where we learn.
00:37:43So I help you understand to the importance of what we're doing, because sometimes even just going in the toilet, right?
00:37:49In the toilet, you get some ideas.
00:37:51So because in that moment, you're not in, in alpha, you're not quite sleeping, but you're right there in that zone where, where you're susceptible to learning.
00:38:00Can you imagine your brain being an alpha in the toilet?
00:38:03You know what I mean?
00:38:03He's like, I'm going to do this now.
00:38:05No pun intended, but you're not, you're not, you're not wasting time.
00:38:10Exactly.
00:38:10You're not wasting time.
00:38:11But again, like you didn't take the hint, you know, I wanted to help, help me with something.
00:38:16Help me go to the break after you heard that alarm go off.
00:38:18You're telling me not to take the hint.
00:38:20You, you run anyway.
00:38:21We're going to a break now.
00:38:30Welcome back to manhood.
00:38:34The topic we're talking about today is small steps to success.
00:38:38Robbie was asking me during the break, basically like during periods in your life, where if maybe feel unsure about yourself, how do you get out of that?
00:38:46Right.
00:38:46So I'll give two stories.
00:38:48Right.
00:38:48The first story is I basically came back home from university.
00:38:53I was working in, as an in-house graphic designer for a year and it's pretty standard stuff.
00:38:58Then I just pause it.
00:39:00Sure.
00:39:00One of the best universities in the world for what he does.
00:39:03I just put an art out there.
00:39:04Go ahead.
00:39:04So when I, I was working there for a year and then I saw on Facebook, like this great opportunity come up for a senior art director at McCann.
00:39:13I was like, cool.
00:39:13That sounds like something that I'm not qualified for, but I'm still going to apply and just try nothing.
00:39:19Right.
00:39:20Went, did two interviews, ended up getting the job.
00:39:23After like two weeks, I was like, wait, I am not cut out for this.
00:39:26It was completely different pace, completely different, like skill set requires a lot of like Photoshop work.
00:39:33We're doing a lot of work for like different, like big telecoms and alcohol companies.
00:39:37And it was just pure pace.
00:39:39And I remember after like two weeks, I was like, cause I had a probation period of a month or whatever it was.
00:39:44Right.
00:39:44And I was like, I don't know if I make an intruder's probation period where it was real tough.
00:39:48But the one thing I did to kind of get through that is every night I would literally go home and I would try to figure out what I was working on the next day.
00:39:55And I would go online, go on YouTube, go on, go and go on different forums and literally just try to figure out how to do what I had to do the next day.
00:40:04Right.
00:40:04And I think for me personally, just that alone, like I am always trying to learn.
00:40:09Right.
00:40:09And I think that that was almost like learning on a job because I wasn't really super comfortable with Photoshop and I didn't know how much Photoshop work it was going to be.
00:40:16Right.
00:40:16So it was basically a whole program.
00:40:18I had to kind of add a little introductory to, but I had to pretty much become pretty skilled at it in a very short period of time.
00:40:25So I'd say that was the first thing.
00:40:26And what really helped get me through that was basically kind of humbling myself and being like, you're not that good at that.
00:40:33Just look at it from a beginner's mindset and once you go from there, you can kind of come out of it once you are open to learn.
00:40:42Right.
00:40:42The next thing is now when I was leaving McCann, so I was there for two and a half years, made it through my probation period.
00:40:47Right.
00:40:47Clearly.
00:40:48Yeah.
00:40:48I was there for two and a half years, loved it, loved working with the team.
00:40:53And I ended up leaving my job in April and I knew I wanted to leave from November.
00:40:58And between November and April, I had to convince because I was leaving to go into the unknown to become a freelancer.
00:41:04Right.
00:41:05And it took me that period of time to basically convince myself.
00:41:09I was sitting down like I'd be home with my pencil and paper.
00:41:11All right.
00:41:12If I want to make my exact salary at McCann, how many logos I have to design?
00:41:15How many social media clients are going to need?
00:41:17How many packaging?
00:41:18Like literally going through it over and over and over.
00:41:21And it was like sleepless nights.
00:41:23It was so stressful to kind of go off into that unknown of not knowing that you're going to have a salary at the end of the month.
00:41:29You know, but when I look back, that was the best decision I ever made.
00:41:33And people ask me, do you know which you left earlier?
00:41:36And I'd really believe in looking back at anything in terms of like regrets or anything.
00:41:40I think I left at the perfect time because of how everything worked out.
00:41:43Right.
00:41:44Maybe in that six months that I stayed, I picked up different skills that helped me with something later on.
00:41:49So those were kind of two moments, funnily enough, the start of my advertising career and the end of my advertising career that kind of showed me when you're really scared or you're really unsure, like what you could do to kind of see through the other side of it, you know?
00:42:05Do you ever, because people ask me all the time when it comes to public speaking or even, you know, directing some of the productions that I direct, do you ever get over the nervousness or the anxiety or the fear of the unknown?
00:42:20And I say, not really.
00:42:22What you develop is not just coping mechanisms, but you understand that, listen, this too shall pass.
00:42:28I've been here before and this was the result.
00:42:32So there's no reason why that the result should be any different, especially if you prepare.
00:42:37Preparation is huge.
00:42:39And the knowledge of what you're going to do sets you apart because if I go up and I'm unprepared that I open myself up to all of this anxiety and the anxiety comes because I know that I'm not sure what somebody may ask or what I'm delivering or what my purpose is.
00:42:55But in that preparation there, that there's nothing that can really happen.
00:43:00I mean, you hear people say all the time, picture everybody as if they're in their underwear, look at the spotlight ahead and all of that, you know, hold on to a safety pin and squeeze it.
00:43:10Yeah, they're all techniques that may help you in oration or delivery.
00:43:15But for the most part, every single time there's some element of uncertainty, but the comfort comes in with that preparation.
00:43:23Do you guys, like, is it that you're now just totally comfortable in any step that you make or any diversification or is it that you're just now a better at understanding that, you know, this too shall pass?
00:43:37I mean, I think it's more about finding comfort in discomfort.
00:43:41You know, I think I'm very comfortable now being uncomfortable.
00:43:46So I am accustomed to living in the unknown state of not knowing what's going to happen next.
00:43:55I forbid that because that's part of being a musician is, you know, you can practice two ways.
00:44:02You have musicians who practice what they know and you have musicians who practice what they don't know.
00:44:07And you have musicians who do both.
00:44:08Now, if you're playing something, you know, you're not practicing.
00:44:12If you're playing something, you know, you're revising, right?
00:44:15The doubt of not being able to do something for me is the place where I thrive the most because that's when I'm learning the most.
00:44:26And then when I get back to what I know, it's even more solid.
00:44:30So I've gotten accustomed to the discomfort to the point where it causes a level of comfort because you know what the next step is when you're in this zone.
00:44:42It's like, okay, I know that if I continue to do this.
00:44:45And I think we as a society, and I say we as, you know, especially as men, right, because this is about manhood, right?
00:44:53There's so much about in traditional manhood constructs where control is such a necessity for, you know, the traditional Caribbean man.
00:45:08Control is key, right?
00:45:10But when you think in leadership, like, you get maximum control by letting go.
00:45:21So you mentioned.
00:45:23What you're saying there's resilience, right?
00:45:26If you're comfortable in discomfort, once you practice it, you become resilient.
00:45:31So any uncomfortable situation, even if it's not in the same realm, your brain already accustomed, hey, I know how to deal with it.
00:45:40And you can remember, because remember I spoke about the reward system.
00:45:43I remember the last 10 times I was uncomfortable, it had a positive result at the end.
00:45:50So this time, I've given you the energy to go forward and do it.
00:45:53You mentioned something, you know, I was like these little nuggets when people say, you know, like the word fashionably unimpressed.
00:46:02And you hear, you know, mental gymnastics, you know, as JW said, up to one of the other shows.
00:46:09And you said something there just now about if you're practicing, you know, then it's something that if you know it already, then you're practicing.
00:46:19So if you know it already, you're revising, you're not practicing.
00:46:22And that was a real key moment.
00:46:24But you also said when you mentioned about manhood, that Caribbean men are about control.
00:46:30Like, what's your understanding of that?
00:46:32I just want to touch on that.
00:46:33I mean, it's just, you know, I went to all-boys school.
00:46:36You know, we both went to all-boys.
00:46:37You know, I'm not sure that Johans went to school.
00:46:40But, you know, we come up in these systems in school where people control us.
00:46:47You have to wear black shoes with black socks, right?
00:46:51Khaki pants, belt, shirt tucked in, no visible jersey under it, no unruly hairstyle, right?
00:47:00And we had to walk in lines, right?
00:47:03You know, we had to assemble at particular times.
00:47:06Like, the schooling system just, you know, I'm not even talking about what we do in class.
00:47:12I'm talking about everything else to do with a school is a system that trains people to be controlled.
00:47:18And then when you get out of school, what's the first thing you're going to do?
00:47:23You're going to try to control others, right?
00:47:26And so it's something that people really have to pay attention to because as a creative, it don't work like that, right?
00:47:33Because when you're dealing with art, it's about being open and letting things come through you
00:47:40and knowing that your purpose is a part of a bigger picture where you might not be the boss
00:47:47or you might not be the one that's the most knowledgeable in the situation.
00:47:50You might not be the person who's the most useful for this task.
00:47:55But because of this conditioning, you know, for us, it was seven years, right?
00:48:01Seven years in St. Mary, seven years in Fatima.
00:48:03So there's this conditioning that we have to kind of break out of, you know, where, and for me, luckily,
00:48:09because I was, for me, the blessing is where I went to school, Fatima College,
00:48:14there was little to no music education at that time of my instrument, of composition, all that type of stuff.
00:48:21So I never associated that structured control system that we learned in school.
00:48:29I never associated that with music because it wasn't there, right?
00:48:36So is it that in that almost like what I'm getting is that because we have that system in place,
00:48:43that, you know, we speak about that in terms of sport in the same way that, you know,
00:48:46there's no real sporting programs or academies for athletics and swimming and football, et cetera,
00:48:54that at that young age, you know, most people that are successful are always those who break out later on,
00:48:59by which point they're practically plateauing and that natural talent propels them to at least give them a chance outside.
00:49:06Is it that then in school, the ones that are viewed at the time as unruly or mischievous
00:49:13and all the rest of it are really just persons that are supposed to be in a different area apart from left,
00:49:19need to go right and then become creatives like we see here today?
00:49:25Yeah, I mean, I definitely think so.
00:49:26Like, I was a decent student, but where I really found my energy was in art, right?
00:49:37And funnily enough, as Etienne was saying, like, you're in CIC, they have all this control.
00:49:42Like, it might be hard to believe I had big curly hair, right?
00:49:45So I was constantly under stress from the principal or the vice principal, like, cut your hair, cut your hair, cut your hair, right?
00:49:52And so what I found was that in the art room, you didn't, you weren't really under that, that sort of control, right?
00:50:01I remember you go to the art room because you're maybe dealing with paint, man, you untuck your shirt, you take your shirt off, you wear your undershirt.
00:50:07You know, you kind of find solace outside of the typical, like, you have to do this, you have to do this outside of.
00:50:16Yeah, you're kind of, yeah, outside of the constraints, right?
00:50:19And even for me, like, my first, quote-unquote, business was when CIC had a run in the intercall, I was made stencils and I was spray painting people's white t-shirts, right?
00:50:31Charging, like, $5 or $10 and then I lined up outside the art room.
00:50:35Intrepidation.
00:50:36Yeah, and literally, that then got me into screen printing.
00:50:39And because of screen printing, I was designing my own t-shirts in Form 6 and that's kind of how I got into kind of understanding, oh, well, you have a skill or a talent, if you want to call it that, you could actually monetize it or whatever the case is, right?
00:50:53And if it wasn't for being able to kind of exist outside the constraints of school within the art room environment, maybe that wouldn't have happened, you know?
00:51:02So, you know.
00:51:03I think about the question, too.
00:51:04So, yeah, you know, we had a question that was fielded.
00:51:09I mean, you'd probably remember better than I.
00:51:13The question was, how do you balance between the downtime, right, and then being productive to know when is enough downtime to know when to start back being productive?
00:51:24Yeah, well, for me, most of my work is client work because I'm a graphic designer, I have a design business.
00:51:30So, me and my team work on brand identities, packaging design, murals, blah, blah, blah.
00:51:36When it comes to stuff like that, that's client work, you're kind of living under the constraints of deadlines and that type of thing.
00:51:43So, for that, at least for me, I give myself enough time and I give myself deadlines that I know if I go through a period where I can't get it done in a week, I know I give myself three weeks so that I cover all my bases.
00:51:57If I feel like I can't think of anything, I know, cool.
00:52:02Within that three weeks, I know I could think of something, right?
00:52:04As far as basically knowing when to work and when to take rest.
00:52:10Time to do nothing.
00:52:11Time to do nothing.
00:52:12For me, it's really about understanding yourself and being kind of reflective and be like, what's working, what's not working?
00:52:21Or am I sitting at my desk for three days in a row and nothing is coming out to me, nothing is happening?
00:52:26And if that's the case, then I need to be like, cool, well, maybe this weekend, instead of going to that line that I was going to go to, maybe I just relax at home and do nothing.
00:52:36You know, and it's…
00:52:37Which is something.
00:52:38Yeah, yeah.
00:52:39And I mean, it takes time, right?
00:52:40Like, I can't say I was always like this and I know I could be better at it as well.
00:52:44Before, I just used to be like, inspirational, fine, you're at work, right?
00:52:48And I do agree with that sentiment as well to some degree because you still have to do work, right?
00:52:55You still have to put any work in the creative fields.
00:52:58But it's also about knowing when to rest.
00:53:00And it takes time and it takes learning about yourself and whether that's through a lot of self-reflection or whether that's through speaking to friends or speaking to therapists or whatever.
00:53:09And really being able to kind of understand how you operate as a person and knowing when to take those rests.
00:53:16So, you know, we come to that point in the show, always a very powerful conversation and, again, very insightful, I think, across the board because we always start off with our perception and our own reality.
00:53:28And then by the end of this discussion, you know, we always bet as brothers and the takeaway, hopefully we've inspired some persons or yourself, you've inspired some other persons and be inspired yourself.
00:53:41So, just real quick, you know, some closing thoughts because I want to spend the time learning, you know, at the end there with the trumpet ready to first, what do you call it, jam?
00:53:54Group session.
00:53:55Yeah, group session, group session.
00:53:57I mean, I don't have a musical bone in my body.
00:53:59Group therapy, music is therapy.
00:54:01But it is therapy.
00:54:02So, just real quick, Ronnie table, just some of your own closing thoughts, that message to your peoples.
00:54:11Yeah, I mean, I think that, once again, kind of using the topic to kind of guide this, Small Steps to Success is not about how do I get successful immediately.
00:54:20It's really about what can I do in my day-to-day life or what can I do in my design practice or my art practice or my music practice to really know what the vision is.
00:54:31And I know we were talking a little bit earlier off air about the journey to get to something.
00:54:36I don't really believe in there being a finish line.
00:54:38There's no, like, maybe when you're off the earth, that's your finish line, right?
00:54:42But ultimately, it's a journey.
00:54:44You're not really, you're working towards different things, yes, but the whole thing is a journey.
00:54:49And I think once you kind of understand that and know that, once again, like the dopamine hits and that kind of thing, that's coming from the journey.
00:54:56How, like, that's how I kind of look at it.
00:54:59I don't look at it like this is where I want to get to because the goalposts of success are always moving, right?
00:55:06So, it's just about how do I take these steps to be better every day.
00:55:09That's kind of how I try to think about things.
00:55:11What I do, everything I do is part of building a community.
00:55:22And I think we as men need to make sure that we work to build communities, whatever we're passionate about.
00:55:30Because you see, you see the fruits of it.
00:55:38But I'll say two things.
00:55:41One, you train, there's an old African saying, I travel to Africa a lot.
00:55:46There's an old African saying, you train a woman, you train a village.
00:55:49And so, all of our skills, we have to make sure that we make sure we train everybody.
00:55:57But with training women, you also, you train this village, right?
00:56:02The next thing I'll say is something that my mentor said.
00:56:06He said, community is the calling.
00:56:09Love is the calling card.
00:56:12And balance is the destination.
00:56:14And that balance is what we're talking about here.
00:56:17It's the small steps that cause a big output, outcome, right?
00:56:24It's the balance between work and life.
00:56:29Hustle, flow, relax.
00:56:32So, finding balance, and everybody's balance is different.
00:56:36But finding your balance will immediately cause everything to flourish.
00:56:42Okay.
00:56:44And gentlemen, thank you very much for taking the time to come.
00:56:47I appreciate it because hearing successful men gives me inspiration.
00:56:52I'll say just one thing quick.
00:56:53The Google Doodle was the inspiration for me.
00:56:57And then I remember, I remember when I was in my mid-twenties,
00:57:03somebody was talking about a Trinidadian that played jazz, right?
00:57:08And I was like, okay, that's cool.
00:57:10But what I pictured in my mind was an old guy, right?
00:57:13And then when I saw you, and I was like, were you young, right?
00:57:18And I was like, that was an inspiration for me.
00:57:20Not to play instrument, but to say that no matter what, Trinidadians,
00:57:25especially Trinidadians, we could do anything.
00:57:28We're so tired.
00:57:29Not can't do.
00:57:29We are already doing anything.
00:57:31So people out there, take inspiration from any one of the guests,
00:57:36take inspiration from myself, take inspiration from Robert,
00:57:39as we take inspiration from everyman.com,
00:57:42Betters Brothers, every small step will lead to your success.
00:57:47And so with that, let's jump.
00:57:49Let me get rid of it.
00:57:50Let's go.
00:58:20Let's go.
00:58:50Let me get rid of it.
00:59:20Let me get rid of it.
00:59:22Let me get rid of it.
00:59:24Let's go.
00:59:26Let me get rid of it.
00:59:28Let me get rid of it.
00:59:30Let me get rid of it.
00:59:32Let me get rid of it.
00:59:34Let me get rid of it.
00:59:36Let me get rid of it.
00:59:38Let me get rid of it.
00:59:40Let me get rid of it.
00:59:42Let me get rid of it.
00:59:44Let me get rid of it.
00:59:46Let me get rid of it.
00:59:48Let me get rid of it.
00:59:50Let me get rid of it.
00:59:52Let me get rid of it.
00:59:53Let me get rid of it.
00:59:54Let me get rid of it.
00:59:55Let me get rid of it.
00:59:56Let me get rid of it.
00:59:57Let me get rid of it.
00:59:58Let me get rid of it.
00:59:59Let me get rid of it.
01:00:00Let me get rid of it.
01:00:03Let me get rid of it.
01:00:05God is my witness, my wish this love never dismissed
01:00:09Can't separate me from a princess
01:00:11Cause you're the only one with all the ground
01:00:13Turn on my wicked smile, I'm upside down
01:00:15Every time we touch, we have to make five rounds
01:00:18And my love is so much, could never left my own
01:00:20It's full of maturity, I saw you move round
01:00:23Me, I give you security all when you move round
01:00:25Sacrifice myself, you ain't had this shit out
01:00:27That's how much of me love, you meet yourself
01:00:29That you know that you're one of a
01:00:32You make me feel
01:00:34Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah
01:00:37Okay, yeah, yeah
01:00:40Okay, yeah, yeah
01:00:42You make me feel
01:00:44Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah
01:00:46Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah
01:00:50You're one of a kind
01:00:52Manhood, brought you in part by Superfarm
01:00:56Manhood, brought you in part by
01:00:58Solomon's Bespoke