The David Andrew Wiebe Show

It’s taken me a while, but I’m finally getting to something I know you’ve been waiting for me to get to – social media in 2020, 2021, and beyond!

It’s laughable how little has changed (beyond maybe esthetic) since a year, two years, or even three years ago (especially for us here at the HQ).

So, in this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, I take a bit of a different approach, and share author Joe Pulizzi’s five tips with you, and expand on them (video below). Enjoy!

Podcast Highlights:

00:41 – The evolving identity of Music Entrepreneur HQ

03:22 – This is essential to creating the life of your dreams through music

03:57 – Best social media strategies for 2021

04:26 – Tip #1: Narrow your focus

06:09 – Tip #2: Be clear on your message, your audience, and your niche

07:16 – Tip #3: Be helpful and interesting

08:30 – Tip #4: Create an ownership strategy

09:14 – Tip #5: Be consistent

09:41 – Key takeaways/action steps

10:54 – News and updates

11:26 – Leave a rating and review on iTunes

11:35 – Get a hold of David

11:44 – Your weekly action plan

Transcription:

Your content tilt is your unique identity in the world, how you stand out from others in your space.Share on X

Eager to live the life of your dreams through music? Can’t wait to experience the freedom that’s available?

To get there, we’ve got to build a foundation and take care of the practical side of things.

In this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, I help you figure out your revenue streams, so that you can travel more, live the laptop lifestyle, or create more options for yourself.

Podcast Highlights:

00:35 – The Music Entrepreneur Identity

01:34 – A record of David’s growth

02:47 – Do you like “what’s new this week?”

03:09 – Designing your life through music

04:00 – One of the keys to living a life of freedom

04:53 – David’s artistic brain

05:30 – The importance of focusing on high impact actions

06:00 – Marrying business with music

06:31 – #1: Make the leap from career to business

07:57 – #2: Take responsibility

11:05 – #3: Take more risks

12:39 – #4: Identify your revenue streams

15:17 – You can action these items!

16:12 – Go back and listen to episode 135

16:47 – News and updates

19:14 – Listener comments

19:23 – Get in touch with David

19:32 – Final thoughts

Transcription:

There’s a difference between a career and a business. A business is the upgraded version of a career. It does mean more responsibility. But because you take on all the risks, the rewards are also greater.Share on X

Have you ever had a project, like a new music release, fail on you? What did you do next? How did you feel when it happened?

In this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, I look at the three options available to you at this critical stage of your career.

Podcast Highlights:

00:27 – Comedic tribute to the 80s music project

00:59 – Squeezing the best out of yourself

01:28 – Furnace operation

01:46 – What do you do when a project doesn’t go exactly as expected?

01:54 – Something virtually every musician has experienced

03:45 – What do you do next?

04:24 – What is pivoting?

05:42 – An example of pivoting?

06:23 – The disconnect

07:43 – The origin story of Music Entrepreneur HQ

08:41 – The conclusion David came to

09:38 – The new brand

09:59 – What is Music Entrepreneur HQ?

Transcription:

Many people never pivot or reposition themselves to see things from a new perspective.Share on X

Have you ever thought of yourself as more than a musician? Do you see possibilities beyond the song others don’t see?

In this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, I pass the mic with author, entrepreneur, musician Andy Seth (A-Luv). He shares about his new book and album, Bling, his content marketing agency Flow, his meditation practice, and a great deal more.

Podcast Highlights:

00:27 – The Antidote & Spirit Searcher Vol. 1

01:14 – Publishing to Medium for 365 consecutive days

01:42 – Comedic tribute to the 80s music project

02:08 – Something special for episode 200?

03:15 – Growing up in a motel in L.A.

05:35 – The life-changing power of spirituality

10:04 – “Safety net” advice and whether to take it

17:32 – What is Flow?

25:29 – Bling

33:01 – What’s the last YouTube video you watched?

33:09 – What is Andy’s daily routine like?

35:19 – Is there a connection between meditation and success in business?

39:52 – What is the biggest challenge Andy has overcome?

43:36 – Andy’s greatest victory

47:15 – Andy’s book recommendations

51:32 – Andy’s special offer for you

53:28 – David’s three key takeaways

54:41 – News and updates

55:37 – Listener comments?

57:18 – Get in touch with David

Transcription:

David Andrew Wiebe: Hey, it's David Andrew Wiebe with The New Music Industry Podcast.

Following up with some of the news items from last week. Episode 435 of The Antidote podcast is live. I mentioned last week that I would be on the show, and you can now hear the interview at TheAntidoteRadio.com.

I was on the show with my friends Carla Olive and Frederick Tamagi. I think it turned out great. They featured some of our music there. Apparently, it's syndicated to something like 60 FM radio stations. Excited to see what the results of that might be.

So, if the Spirit Searcher, Vol. 1 compilation is something you're interested in, I would love for you to go and have a listen. I'm sure you can find it anywhere. Spotify, Deezer, TIDAL, Amazon. Wherever you look, you should be able to find it.

I continue to plug away at my coursework, of course, and I just made the commitment to publish something new to Medium every single day for the next 365 days beginning July 28. That's insane.

This is something I'll probably be sharing more about in an upcoming episode but if you'd like to follow along and see what happens, you can find me on Medium at medium.com/@davidawiebe. It's kind of like my Twitter handle.

With my current musical project, which I also touched on last time, it's a comedic tribute to the 80s. I've started working on the David Bowie style track.

There are a few other tracks, you know, that are the style of Robert Palmer or Van Halen or what have you. Of course, I'm not looking to create something that's so close to source material that I end up in a lawsuit. That's not the goal. But I'm always putting my spin on things and I think it's going to be pretty cool when all is said and done.

Okay. So, for today's show, some of you probably noticed that this is Episode 200. And you might be asking yourself, “Okay, D.A., aren't you going to do something special for Episode 200?” And the answer is, honestly, today's episode is special. It's special enough. It's more than special.

You may have heard me refer to myself as an author, entrepreneur, musician. Right? That is a true statement. Though, if I really wanted to, I could give myself a different tagline. The thing is, I can't think of a better tagline that better encompasses everything I do.

So, I know I'm building this up quite a bit, but I found another person who identifies as an author, entrepreneur, musician. Super cool! And because we had a lot in common, obviously, that proved to be fertile ground for discussion.

And to use a fancy word, “extrapolation,” which I like to think of as the process of taking an idea and imagining what isn't already there, we obviously had a lot to share. So, Episode 200 is special. And I hope you'll soak up every minute of it. Let's get into the interview.

Interview with Andy Seth

Today, I'm chatting with award winning entrepreneur and all round, fascinating human, Andy Seth. How are you today, Andy?

Andy Seth: Fantastic.

David Andrew Wiebe: Awesome. Love your enthusiastic response. Sounds like we have a lot in common. And so, this can be an exciting conversation. You grew up in a motel in LA from the ages of zero to 14, your family went bankrupt. And this is where you discover that following the status quo wasn't going to serve you. I think entrepreneurs often have that moment of clarity but what was it specifically that wasn't working for you?

Andy Seth: Well, there was a lot packed into there. Growing up in a motel and being Indian, first of all, you might think we owned it, we did not. We just lived in it. I grew up there for 14 years of my life from zero to 14. The kinds of things that you're around and what's happening in life that you would live in a place where you pay rent week to week, you know, I think there's a lot that I saw and experienced that made me realise pretty young the difference between just even having money, not having money, having safety and security. We saw a lot of people who were abused come live in the motel. You can imagine what we saw, right?

David Andrew Wiebe: Yeah.

Andy Seth: I think for the most part, childhood was innocent until it wasn't. And when we went bankrupt, that's really when it wasn't. I was lying to creditors and saying my parents weren't available. I would see that when they would call to collect and see the letters and stuff. I think that's really what woke me up to oh man, something's wrong. I just didn't know any different before. Things kind of sucked but I didn't know that it sucked until we went bankrupt. I realised that something's wrong. I'd say that was a pretty pivotal moment in my life.

David Andrew Wiebe: Yeah. I think you expressed it very well. In my understanding of human psychology, at some point we all have that wow-there's-something-wrong-here moment. Oftentimes, early in childhood. Maybe somewhere between four and six. Eventually, you have that realisation. It could be something small but suddenly you have that awakening that, “Huh. Everything's not quite right.”

Andy Seth: Ah-huh. Yeah.

David Andrew Wiebe: Now, on your about page, it says education, entrepreneurship, and spirituality showed you a life you never knew existed. I love the statement. The part that caught my attention the most was spirituality. So, what was it about spirituality that was so life changing for you?

Andy Seth: I think I've probably gone through a number of fits and starts when it comes to spirituality. I grew up in a house that was Hindu but my parents, like, they were really open about me exploring religion. And so, I mean, my educational path, I did end up going to a Lutheran School for a little bit before I went to Boston College, which was a Catholic school. I’ve obviously been around the Hindu faith for quite a while. And so, I've been around religion but it wasn't until 201 when I had sold my last company, it was the biggest exit I had had. I went through like this time of I've got money, I've got time, and I've got the ability to do a lot of things but I felt like this is it. I know it was cliche today and I knew it was cliche then. I was like, I know everyone's told me money isn't everything, and it's not, but at the same time, there's a great deal of happiness that does come when you have resources. There is truth to that. It's just that when I finished this work, I had nothing left. I didn't have this next purpose. And so, I really felt empty.

I was unfortunate. My family is from India but we're specifically from a place called Rishikesh, which is the birthplace of yoga. I still have family there. One of my uncle's is a really, really successful businessman. He's also quite spiritual. And so, I went back to India, really, just to kind of take some time and do a little bit of asking questions of my uncle. Like, how does he balance this world of being really materially successful, but yet he's got this vibe where like, if he lost it all, somehow, you knew he'd be okay with that. There's something about him. I was like, I got to learn how to do it. And so, I went to talk with him. And you know, when the student is ready the teacher appears type of situation. That's totally what happened. He's sat on this wisdom for all this time and never really brought it to me but I wasn't really ready until that moment. He helped me connect a lot of dots that I was struggling with.

The biggest dot that I struggled with was, how can I be so aggressive and ambitious? In some ways, I'm a monster when it comes to the goals and ambitions. I don’t mean monster, like I’m mean. I mean, I've just got that drive. It's innate and it's fired level. It's not that tame. And I enjoy letting that out. And yet, at the same time, I don't want to be suffering for what I've achieved or not yet achieved. And that's what was happening. I was driving, I was suffering. How do I get rid of the suffer piece? That's what my uncle helped guide me along and really showed me. It was so transformative that that's actually the influence for the book that I ended up writing. It's a parable but the main character is influenced by me. And then the guide is influenced by my uncle.

David Andrew Wiebe: There's so much there, I could say by way of comment. I guess I relate to the spiritual journey a little bit. I'll start there. I was brought up in a Christian home and went to church for the first 30 years of my life. Things started changing a little bit after that. I don't know how to quite express it in a way that people would be able to relate necessarily but I just started digging. I started looking for something more than the confines I had been brought up in. And then,...

Do you feel like there isn’t enough hour in a day? Or enough day in a week?

In this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, I share what you will discover when you go beyond productivity and time management.

Podcast Highlights:

00:27 – Berry picking and getting too much sun

00:40 – The coursework David’s been taking on

01:09 – Spirit Searcher, Vol. 1

02:13 – David’s tribute to the 80s music project

02:41 – The launch of the new 60-day program

03:00 – “Hey – this needs to be an article!”

03:52 – An important message about time management

04:14 – The downfall of aimless productivity

04:46 – What you really want

05:08 – It’s not about the number of hours in a day you’re working

06:12 – Never be down on yourself

06:53 – News at the HQ

07:34 – Spread the love

07:43 – Get in touch with David

07:55 – Get your free weekly action plan

Transcription:

Never be down on yourself for overworking. Never be down on yourself for underworking.Share on X

It’s not about how much time you’re at your desk because sometimes you can feel energized working more, and sometimes you can feel devitalized working less.Share on X

Do you wish you could sing better? Ever thought about extending your vocal range?

In this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, I pass the mic with Matt Ramsey of Ramsey Voice Studio. We get into singing technique, how to take care of your voice, speech level singing, and plenty more, especially around creative passions and pursuits.

Podcast Highlights:

00:33 – Addressing pain points

01:02 – Enjoying the season

01:25 – An important lesson in figuring out your brand

03:06 – Singing better

03:41 – Austin, TX is David’s second home

04:55 – Singing teacher or vocal coach? Both?

07:29 – Why get coaching?

10:35 – How do you take care of your voice?

14:15 – What is speech level singing?

16:57 – Signature singing styles based on wrong technique

18:09 – David’s vocal pet peeve

19:50 – Running into Tim Ferriss?

20:51 – Passions and creative pursuits

22:57 – Matt’s new vocal range app

27:13 – Sometimes backup singers are more talented than the singers they’re backing

27:58 – Find your vocal range

30:26 – How to extend your vocal range

33:10 – Matt’s giveaway

34:25 – Basic vocal care routine for touring musicians

37:25 – Getting your routine dialed in

38:22 – What is the biggest challenge Matt has overcome?

39:58 – Developing quality content for your audience

43:48 – Matt’s greatest victory

45:34 – Matt’s favorite books

48:41 – Matt’s closing thoughts

49:37 – Interview afterthoughts

50:46 – Three key takeaways from the interview

51:53 – New at the HQ

53:58 – Listener comments

54:42 – Have your say

54:53 – Closing

Transcription:

Doing something you love is still work. But it doesn't feel like as much work.Share on X

What people really want is to hold something beautiful in their hands. Invest in quality.Share on X

Do your eyes glaze over when you hear terms like “data” in relation to music careers? The truth of the matter is that actionable insights might be one of the most exciting developments in recent history.

In this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, I pass the mic with Beatchain founder Ben Mendoza, who shares the story behind the platform, how it came to be, and how it can be used to help you build your fan base and monetize your music.

Podcast Highlights:

00:45 – What’s new this week?

02:27 – A tool you should be using as a musician

03:03 – The advantages of being a tech company

04:25 – What struggles do artists have today?

06:33 – The right tools

10:48 – How Beatchain came about

20:46 – Leveling the playing field with actionable data

32:59 – Shiny object syndrome (you can’t polish a turd)

36:11 – What’s the greatest challenge you’ve overcome?

38:24 – Are there any books that have helped you on your journey?

40:27 – Closing thoughts

41:57 – Three takeaways from the interview

44:32 – News and updates

45:29 – Listener comments

46:30 – Get in touch with David

Transcription:

The old rules don't apply anymore. DIY artists and creators can be successful if they have the right tools to help them along their journey.Share on X

Ever wondered why I’m not a manager? You’re not the only one.

In this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, I get into why I’m not a manager, share about the path I’m on, and what function I serve in the music business.

This really should have been done a long time ago.

Podcast Highlights:

00:32 – Returning to Abbotsford

01:14 – A couple times David’s been asked to do something specific in music

02:44 – Why is David not a talent manager?

03:46 – Some crazy guy from Edmonton who couldn’t string two sentences together

04:42 – Another artist from Calgary who wanted to work with David

05:42 – The economics have got to make sense

08:33 – Every 90 days we come out with a new offer

10:25 – The value creation cycle

14:45 – Upside down content marketing

17:26 – Random James Allen quote

18:17 – Reach out to David quickly and easily

18:37 – Call to action for Rock Stars (you!)

Transcription:

We can all come up with excuses instead of living the life we choose.Share on X

Have you ever wanted to get hooked up with a booking agent? Curious how agencies have been navigating lock-down?

In this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, I pass the mic with Jack Forman of BiCoastal Productions. We have a great discussion about the future of live events, when artist are ready to work with booking agents, pursuing one’s passion and more.

Podcast Highlights:

00:34 – What’s new in David’s world

02:31 – What’s going to happen to live events?

03:43 – Glass half full

05:08 – Working from home as a booking agent

06:21 – The growth of live streaming

07:43 – Will live events be changing for good?

09:38 – How do artists get to work with booking agencies?

12:04 – Passionate about music

13:41 – The grind

15:52 – Not all artists are ready for a booking agent?

17:21 – Hope is not a strategy?

18:43 – The connection between perseverance and passion

20:02 – Trying to find the magic cure

21:53 – The greatest challenge you’ve overcome?

23:45 – Empathy and empowerment

25:32 – The greatest victory you’ve experienced?

26:30 – Are there any books that have helped you on your journey?

29:03 – Anything else?

29:43 – Three takeaways for this episode

30:58 – What’s new at the HQ?

33:12 – Listener comments

34:11 – The Music Entrepreneur Code

Transcription:

The adversity of the artist is part of what makes every great artist. You won't find anybody out there who's successful that just fell into it.Share on X

So, I got to thinking… Have I ever actually introduced myself on the podcast? Do you even know who I am? This has been on my mind for a while.

Even though we’re nearly 200 episodes in, in this episode of the podcast, I share a little bit about my past, who I am, what I enjoy and what I’m up to in life.

This episode also features HQ news and updates as well as listener comments.

Podcast Highlights:

00:31 – What’s new this week in David’s “exciting” world

00:51 – Income taxes

01:17 – Reflection and planning

01:32 – Building systems

02:59 – The promise of the podcast

04:25 – Today’s topic – long overdue

06:37 – Hi, I’m David Andrew Wiebe

10:49 – News and updates

11:14 – Listener comments

11:50 – Struggling?

Transcription:

People talk about working smarter, not harder. But unless you know how, you're going to end up working harder anyway.Share on X