Noisy Neighbors

Barry Johnson can be labeled as a mixed media or interdisciplinary creative but he’s actually the poster child for how to take action and become whatever you want.

In this episode we discuss how he became a self-taught artist, using YouTube. Then transitioned from a business consultant to a full time artist, landing gigs all around the world and collaborating with big brands.

Everyone accepts their high rent, but you can actually reduce your cost of living as an artist or entrepreneur.

If you want to stress less about your living situation and focus more on the creative work you care about, then you need to learn how to negotiate.

We took the time to honor the legacy of Nipsey Hussle. Nipsey was a vital leader, a true artist, entrepreneur, and inspiring icon in hip hop. We discuss the blueprint he left behind in his music and what his impact means for all of us in the industry moving forward.

If you’re looking to spread your music and grow your brand, you need to build a fanbase on college campuses.

Students are hungry for something new and they have the free time and networks to promote you.

This past weekend, we hosted a live podcast episode at the Balanced Breakfast Summit in San Francisco. Lyle moderated a panel of entrepreneurs to talk about the businesses they built and how artists can be entrepreneurs themselves.

This week, learn how to plan for your release and get people to listen to your album. In this episode, Lyle gives you all the necessary logistics that a lot of people overlook and explains how having a strategy will prevent you from wasting time and effort.

This week on Noisy Neighbors Lyle sat down with Morgan Davis.

Morgan is the managing editor of Austin Music publication Ovrld. He's also an artist manager and a film and music producer.

It was only natural to have him on as he has a wealth of knowledge about the Austin music scene and the music industry in general. We talk about the role of local journalism in today’s music landscape, how to effectively pitch yourself to publications, and the need for strong infrastructure to support the arts community.

This week, I invited my my friend and collaborator, Spencer Davis. Spencer is a visual artist and design consultant in Seattle. We talk about how he finds balance as a creative who’s building a business. Why he chooses to co-create with his clients. And what it means for consultants and designers to evangelize for their customers. We also get into why every artist, creative brand, and business needs to build a visual identity now and hiss thoughts on why handwritten logos are the next big thing.

If you want a successful creative career, then it’s necessary to think of yourself as your own media business.

The future is in ownership. Owning your content, distribution and speaking to your fans when and how you want to.

Every artist has to not only own their content, but own their distribution and speak directly to their fans when and how they want to.

In this episode, we'll give a few examples of who is successfully doing this and how you can too.

In our pilot episode, we thought it’d be essential to discuss why everyone should be striving to focus on a niche following.

In 2018 you cannot and will not please everyone. You need to find a niche and focus on serving that specific market so that you’re creating without compromising.