Joining us on this week's episode of Bad Posture are Rohit Reddi and Rahul Chittipeddi of AlbumTradingCards, a group of 4 friends aiming to become the official trading card partner of the music industry. Sports cards have existed for 100+ years, and ATC wants to make that happen for music.
If you're here for the first time, the mission of this show is to help you grow and heal into the most authentic version of yourself by listening to stories of how creative visionaries like Grammy-winning musicians, filmmakers, and start-up founders are attempting to do the same, with actionable takeaways packed throughout each episode.
If you're interested in the following, this episode is for you:
- The challenges of starting a business with your friends (and why it's still worth it)
- Having multiple, non-linear dreams (like start-ups and screenwriting)
- Managing the egos and conflicts within a company
- How to prioritize and manage your time more effectively
- Overcoming perfectionism as a creative
- Confronting the fear of failure
Follow AlbumTradingCards - Instagram | Website
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Joining us on this week’s episode is Casper Sage (real name Cooper Shelton), a rising artist, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. While barely out of his teens, the 21 year-old student at Nashville's Belmont University carries himself with the emotional depth and philosophical wisdom of a man twice his age, writing with a sense of nostalgia shocking for someone still in the prime of their youth.
Over the past few years, the innate authenticity of this young artist's work has started to gain recognition with fellow students and fans alike, leading to sold-out shows, millions of streams, and coveted playlist placements.
Topics covered in this episode include (in order):
As always, whether you’re an artist yourself, an entrepreneur, someone who works in the arts, or really just a human being interested in self-development, healing, and actualization, this episode has something for you.
For more content like this, subscribe on your favorite platform for podcasts and follow us on socials!
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Joining us on this week’s episode is Matt Schonfeld, the Founder, Executive Producer, and Host of the music discovery platform NOT 97, now in the 9th season of its flagship podcast, produced and distributed in partnership with The Orchard & Human Re Sources. Schonfeld manages the rising singer/songwriter and producer Cleo Reed who recently released their debut album “Root Cause.” Outside of music, Schonfeld can be found at the dog park with his 2 year old hound DOOM, R&Ding breakfast recipes for his future diner, or climbing walls at the rock gym.
Topics covered in this episode include (in order):
As always, whether you’re an artist yourself, an entrepreneur, someone who works in the arts, or really just a human being interested in self-development, healing, and actualization, this episode has something for you.
For more content like this, feel free to subscribe on your favorite platform for podcasts and follow us on socials :)
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Follow Matt Schonfeld - Instagram
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Joining us on this week's episode is Gary 'Biddy' Burbridge, the head of A&R at Guin Records (Curtis Waters, Kevin George), as well as the co-founder of THE HEARD, a management company whose clients have worked on multiple Grammy-winning albums, including Kendrick Lamar's most recent album "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers."
A Los Angeles native born in Long Beach, Gary spent his entire youth in Baldwin Village ("The Jungles") and always envisioned a creative path forward. At 14 years old, he began raising himself on his own, while on a creative exploration as a means for survival. From poetry and journalism, to photography and production, Gary spent most of his time in the underground music scene of Los Angeles, until finally arriving in the world of artist management and development. As an A&R, manager, and executive producer, Gary has fostered a community of talent that prioritizes the essence of an individual's artistic capacity.
Topics covered in this episode include:
- Gary’s story (which includes long bouts of homelessness)
- Investing in loss (or, the hidden power losing)
- How to overcome being overlooked
- Reverse gatekeeping
- How to give better feedback
- How artists can approach the delicate balance of authentic self-expression and living off of their craft
- Taking wins wherever you can find them
- Why he’s not interested in winning unless his team does
As always, whether you’re an artist yourself, an entrepreneur, someone who works in the arts, or really just a human being interested in reaching your potential, this episode has something for you.
If you liked this episode, please subscribe on your favorite platform, leave us a review, and tell your friends :)
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Joining us on this week’s episode is Dylan Bourne, an artist development specialist from Dallas who broke into the music industry with a combination of creative instincts and good ole' fashioned brute force.
Dylan is the founder and CEO of Bourne Creatives, a diversified entertainment and music company that partners with world-class talent to represent and build their personal brands throughout all stages of careers. BC's current roster of artists, producers, and songwriters -- like JELEEL, DWLLRS, and Dazy -- have over 100M streams across platforms, as well as a number of Top 10 positions on various Billboard charts.
Prior to starting his own shop, Dylan had successful runs as both an A&R and creative director with the beat-leasing behemoth BeatStars, Darkoom (the Interscope-partnered label famous for helping launch Billie Eilish into the stratosphere), and music marketing monster Black Box.
Topics covered in this episode include:
- The venn diagram of personal and artistic development
- Learning how to speak to to an individual's needs
- Breaking into your dream job or industry
- Navigating creative conflicts
- Bringing strategy to self-expression
- The importance of viewing yourself as a brand
- How fatherhood supercharged his self-care
- How to be a pro both at work and with your family
- And much more!
As always, whether you’re an artist yourself, an entrepreneur, someone who works in the arts, or really just a human being interested in reaching your potential, this episode has something for you.
If you liked this episode, please subscribe on your favorite platform, leave us a review, and tell your friends :)
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Follow Dylan Bourne - Instagram | Twitter
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Joining us on this week’s episode is Morgan Jay, an award-winning musician and comedian with appearances on MTV”s Wild ’n’ Out, NBC, and even Comedy Central. A multi-hyphenate artist whose unique blend of music-based crowd-work and original songs have earned him millions of followers across social media, he's at almost 1M followers on Tik-Tok alone. Insane.
When Morgan's not touring the country and performing his craft in front of thousands of fans, he’s working on original music, streaming on Twitch, or preparing his next comedy special — like his upcoming special, recorded at legendary venue The Village in Los Angeles.
As always, whether you’re an artist yourself, an entrepreneur, someone who works in the arts, or really just a human being interested in reaching your potential, this episode has something for you.
Topics covered in this episode include:
- The double-edged sword of becoming famous on Tik-Tok
- A performer's moral imperative to be prepared
- Bouncing back from being boo’d by 4000 people
- The relationship between sports and art
- Much more
If you liked this episode, please subscribe on your favorite platform and leave us a review :)
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Follow Morgan Jay - Website | Tik-Tok | Instagram | YouTube
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Joining us on this week's episode of Bad Posture is Donavan Brown, of Troy Carter & Suzy Ryoo's Venice Music.
A creative soul raised in a military family, Donavan often felt alienated and confused by the clash between the military mindset and his own.
In this episode, we talk about how he learned to reclaim his creativity, what breaking the cycle of generational trauma looks like, why there is so much pain in today’s music, and much more.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on your favorite platform and consider leaving us a comment :)
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On this week's episode of Bad Posture, we welcome my good friend, award-winning engineer Elton "L10MixedIt" Chueng.
Based in Chicago, Elton started as an intern at Classick Studios in 2011, Elton worked his way to becoming one of the most in-demand engineers in Chicago. Since then, Elton has worked with Chance the Rapper, Smino, Da Baby, Kehlani, Clairo, Saba, Xavier Omar, Kota the Friend, No Name, Mick Jenkins, and many more. In 2017, Elton received a Grammy for his work on Chance The Rapper's critically-acclaimed mixtape "Coloring Book," which won 'Best Rap Album' that year. His mission statement is to help bring opportunity to Chicago, and create more resources for upcoming artists and producers to flourish.
Elton's most recent success was his significant contribution to Smino's latest album "Luv 4 Rent"
If you're interested in working with Elton - L10@classickstudios.com.
Follow Elton on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/l10mixedit/
Follow Elton on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/l10mixedit
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Follow Daniel on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/danielwitcoff
Follow Daniel on Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/dontfightghosts
On today’s episode, we feature my friend Giulianna Pino.
A professional gymnast since childhood, Giulianna competed as recently as the 2019 World Championships in Germany, before injuries and shifting interests took her into the entertainment business, where she currently works on operations at FaZe Clan, directly supporting President and COO Zach Kats.
Since its inception in 2010, FaZe Clan has established itself as one of the world’s most prominent and influential gaming organizations known for its disruptive original content and hyper-engaged global fanbase of over 510 million combined across social platforms. Earlier this year, FaZe Clan made headlines for going public at a whopping $725M valuation.
From Giulianna's not-so-distant days competing at the highest levels of gymnastics, to how she carved out her lane in the entertainment business, to reading 40 books a year, her journey with returning to self, and her most recent role at Faze Clan, this episode is perfect for current or former athletes, executives, entrepreneurs, readers, manifesters, & seekers.
Without further adieu, it’s my great honor to introduce to you all, Ms. Giulianna Pino.
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Follow Giulianna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giulipino/
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Interested in learning more? Subscribe to "Bad Posture" on your favorite platform and:
Follow Bad Posture on Instagram - https://instagram.com/badposturepodcast
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Follow Daniel on Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@danielwitcoff
Follow Daniel on Twitter - https://twitter.com/dontfightghosts
For today's episode, I brought on my good friend Justin Clough, a filmmaker who has worked with Halsey, Florida Georgia Line, Morgan Wallen, and many others -- and he's only 28!
I first met Justin during the Summer of 2016 while shooting the music video for "Crossfire, Pt. II (Feat. Talib Kweli)," a follow-up to an immensely popular song by another friend of ours, electronic artist Stephen. It was my first time in Nashville, the shoot was three days away, and the first words out of Justin's mouth were "we need to build a giant glass box that can fit the lead actor...and then we have to do that two more times."
For the next three days, I watched in awe as our director hand-built these boxes in the Southern heat, his body turning bright red from the blistering sun. Needless to say, nobody should ever question Justin's work ethic. Justin also excels as a story-teller, editor, and on-set collaborator, with an ability to manage his own ego that's highly unique on a film set.
In this episode, we hear Justin's thoughts on perfectionism, the various complexities of working with big personalities on a shoot, the balance between creativity and execution, the best ways to give, receive, and seek creative feedback, and why "Titanic" is the perfect film.
Interested in learning more? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform and:
Follow Bad Posture on Instagram - https://instagram.com/badposturepodcast
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Follow Daniel on Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@danielwitcoff
Follow Daniel on Twitter - https://twitter.com/dontfightghosts
For this week's episode, I spoke with JJ Parker, longtime manager to pop artist Harry Hudson, as well as a creative director who formerly ran a record label for Will Smith. JJ and I first met at a mutual friend's art exhibit and have been connected ever since. One of the most thoughtful people I know, we dive into what it was like growing up with a professional athlete, his multiple chapters in the music industry, somatic therapy, hustle culture, and finding balance whilst pursuing greatness. For anyone struggling with that last bit (most of us), there are plenty of gems in here. Interested in learning more? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform and: Follow Bad Posture on Instagram - https://instagram.com/badposturepodcast Follow Daniel on Instagram - https://instagram.com/danielwitcoff Follow Daniel on Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@danielwitcoff Follow Daniel on Twitter - https://twitter.com/dontfightghosts
For this week’s episode, I chatted with Wil Lee, the visionary founder behind NFT project The Littles. A shorter episode (~ 45 minutes), I was blown away at the philosophical and poetic nature of Wil’s mind and can’t wait to have him back in the future.
If you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing and leaving a rating/comment!
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A serial entrepreneur based in Vancouver, Wil has been successful for a long time. And yet, like so many in Web3, he has finds himself energized like never before when building family-oriented NFT project The Littles.
In this episode, you'll learn about Wil’s backstory, how he got into Web3, the incredible backstory behind The Littles, how to grow a following, finding your authentic voice, work life balance, and much more.
Follow Wil on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wilxlee
View The Littles: https://thelittles.io/
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2:00 - Background and how Wil got into crypto
7:00 - Origin of The Littles and the importance of emotion to an NFT project’s success
12:00 - How to build a twitter following, find your voice, and endure criticism
26:00 - Work life balance and the irony of starting a project inspired by your family, only to find yourself drowning in obligations
36:00 - Daily practices for cultivating clarity of thought and the humor in basing your blueprint for success based on someone else
41:00 - What’s next for The Littles and book recommendations
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Interested in learning more? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform and:
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Follow Daniel on Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@danielwitcoff
Follow Daniel on Twitter - https://twitter.com/dontfightghosts
Growing up in the rural province of Chaco, Argentina, YON wasn't exactly destined for artistic success. As one of the poorest regions in Argentina, most households are focused on getting their kids educated and employed; they can dream when they're asleep. Growing up with neither resources nor the support of his parents, a young Yon made the decision that he was going to pursue life as an artist, regardless of the outcome. If he ended up broke and alone, at least he'd be doing what he loved.
In this episode, you'll learn about Yon's backstory, cultivating internal validation, getting banned from Reddit, how NFTs finally clicked with him, and navigating the difficult balance of his dual responsibilities to himself as an artist and those that have invested thousands of dollars in his work.
Follow YON on Twitter: https://twitter.com/botfrula
View the Peaceful Groupies: https://t.co/p984EtqzRn
Check out the Discord: https://t.co/A2wBk5yXOp
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0:00 - Intro
1:45 - Growing up in Chaco, Argentina
10:00- - Internal vs. external validation as an artist
13:00 - How Yon’s “Assface” character convinced him he was a real artist
15:00 - Making album covers, getting paid in crypto, and getting banned from Reddit
21:00 - Being bewildered with crypto and blockchain
25:00 - Selling Counterstrike Go weapons for Bitcoin and finally understanding NFTs
35:00 - The origins of PEACEVOID and the Peaceful Groupies
38:00 - Overcoming FOMO, launching and selling out PEACEVOID
50:00 - Mo’ money, mo’ problems
54:00 - Launching a project in bull cycle; dealing with holder anxiety during bear cycle
62:00 - Navigating the balance between responsibility to holders and responsibility to the art
71:00 - What’s the big vision for PEACEVOID?
75:00 - What’s on the horizon for the Groupies?
78:00 - Yon’s advice on how to get noticed as a Web3 artist
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Interested in learning more? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform and:
Follow Bad Posture on Instagram - https://instagram.com/badposturepodcast
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Follow Daniel on Twitter - https://twitter.com/dontfightghosts
In 2012, Andre Benz launched Trap Nation on YouTube in order to create a playlist he and his friends could listen to while playing RuneScape. Just 15 years old at the time, the nascent channel exploded almost overnight, with Andre masterfully scaling it into one of the most successful music networks on YouTube, as well as a formidable record label which was approached for acquisition by every major label on the market.
Today, Andre is the co-founder of SoundMint, a generative audio-visual platform that believes the current version of music NFTs aren't incentivizing enough for fans...or even the musicians minting them.
To date-, the most popular incorporation of music into NFTs is to fractionalize ownership of a song and imbue it with some type of utility, whether that be giving holders a special access to the artist, letting them have input in the creative process, or discounts to merch and shows.
SoundMint believes that this format is more akin to a Patreon than a way to provide true value to holders, and they think they have the solution, which you'll learn about in the episode.
SoundMint is doing their first public drop with musician KLOUD and visual artist Alex Hooker tomorrow (01/14/22)!
Learn more at https://soundmint.xyz/
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0:00 - Intro
4:00 - Building one of the fastest-growing channels on YouTube at 15 years old by waking up at 3:00AM every morning
18:00 - Losing $100,000 during the 2017 ICO ("Initial Coin Offering) boom and getting jaded on crypto
23:00 - Skeptically returning in 2020 and how the utility of blockchain and NFTs finally won him over for good
28:00 - The origins of SoundMint and transitioning from the music industry into Web3
33:00 - How SoundMint uses generative technology to revolutionize music-based NFTs
37:00 - Why should musicians care? Why should collectors/fans?
43:00 - How SoundMint actually works
50:00 - Should every Web3 company start as a DAO?
56:00 - The long-term vision and biggest threats to that vision
59:00 - Andre's closing thoughts on protecting your mental health in Web3
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Follow Andre, SoundMint, and its founders on Twitter:
SoundMint - https://twitter.com/soundmintxyz
Andre Benz - https://twitter.com/benzspeaks
Paris Blohm - https://twitter.com/ParisBlohm
De-Fi Brian: https://twitter.com/DeFi_Brian
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Interested in learning more? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform and:
Follow Daniel on Instagram - http://instagram.com/danielwitcoff
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Follow Daniel on Twitter - http://twitter.com/dontfightghosts
In Episode #2, we interview MotivateMe.eth the pseudonymous community manager for Cryptoadz by Gremplin. Moti (moh-tee) came for the flip and stayed for the community, helping to launch one of the most successful NFT projects to date, bringing in more than $200M in only a handful of months. He's self-aware, cohesive, and incredibly patient, helping maintain the !vibe for more than 14 hours every day. If you're interested in how to build great NFT communities, why a project would choose to use a creative commons license (nobody owns the IP!), or how to participate in Web3 without being rich, this is the episode for you.
Learn more about Cryptoadz:
Follow Moti on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MotivateMeV2
Check out the collection on OpenSea: https://opensea.io/collection/cryptoadz-by-gremplin
Get updates on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cryptoadzNFT
Hang out with the community on Discord: https://discord.com/invite/cryptoadz
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0:00 - Episode Overview
5:00 - How a community manager allocates his time (14+ hours online per day!)
9:00 - From CryptoPunks to Cryptoadz
17:00 - Moti's favorite NFT projects (based on strength of community)
20:00 - Why he uses a pseudonym rather than his real name
28:00 - Vulnerability, mental health, and how the lottery dynamics hijack our emotions
33:00 - Dealing with jealousy and how to network in Web3 (without being rich)
40:00 - Building great communities in Web3
44:00 - How he evaluates NFT projects
46:00 - Why Cryptoadz uses a CC0 license and has no roadmap
54:00 - How a community manager recharges their mental health
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Interested in learning more? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform and:
Follow Daniel on Instagram - http://instagram.com/danielwitcoff
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Welcome to The Bad Posture Podcast, hosted by Daniel Witcoff.
Every other week, we'll bring you an interview with the artists, entrepreneurs, engineers, and innovators building the metaverse.
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In Episode #1, we interview Daniel Allan, the 24 year-old musician who made headlines by independently raising 50ETH for his Overstimulated project. At the time, that amounted to ~$200,000. Not too shabby.
From learning English as a second language, to teaching himself to make music, play D1 tennis, and reinvent himself as musician in the age of Web3, Daniel's entire story is interwoven with a beautiful self-reliance and willingness to bet on himself.
You can listen to Daniel’s latest single here, and take a look at his crowdfund campaign here.
Follow Daniel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/imdanielallan
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1:00 - The significance of butterflies to Overstimulated
3:10 - Daniel’s backstory
11:00 - On self-reliance, diving in, and why you don’t need to be qualified to start
17:45 - Moving to LA during the pandemic and the art of discipline
30:00 - Losing and finding himself in Web3
50:00 - How to make music NFTs valuable for fans (without ripping them off)
57:40 - On the surprising feeling following a dream achieved
66:00 - The reality of being an artist and what he’s currently focused on
69:00 - What he’s working on now
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Interested in learning more? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform and:
Follow Daniel on Instagram - http://instagram.com/danielwitcoff
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Follow Daniel on Twitter - http://twitter.com/dontfightghosts