Gone Newclear: Recent Episodes
James Newcomb
I recently sent an email to my list of subscribers (which you should be on if you're not already, visit https://jamesdnewcomb.com to do so) talking about the "6 psychological triggers" that enable one to ethically persuade, dare I say manipulate any type of transaction in your favor.
I had heard these 6 triggers from a package of sales type materials I purchased years ago, and it turns out the package I bought was echoing a structured set of "Laws" made famous by the great Robert Cialdini, author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.
That's where our guest on today's episode comes in. Mike Howard has been reading my emails for awhile, and he replied to the email wanting to discuss this topic. I said I'd love to, but let's get on a zoom call so I can record it and share with my audience!
He happily agreed, and what you'll hear in this episode is what came of it.
Oh, by the way, the 6 psychological triggers of persuasion are:
- Expert authority
- Likability
- Commitment and consistency
- Reciprocation
- Social proof
- Scarcity
And it turns out there's a seventh Law that Cialdini has introduced recently, Unity.
Enjoy this episode, and remember you're always selling something, even if it's in the most non-salesy environment possible.
What you'll hear in this episode:
-Influence yourself first and foremost before influencing others...01:45
-Mike's background and experience in the world of persuasion and sales...07:45
-The power of expert authority...10:15
-Good and bad when it comes to reciprocation...20:45
-Authority leads to "social proof"...26:15
-In praise of the "one trick pony": how to use scarcity to your advantage...31:15
-We all crave community...36:15
-Plus whatever your discerning ears deem worthy of your time and interest...
Resources mentioned:
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
Online Influence by Bas Wouters
Cialdini Institute
About the Guest:
Connect with Mike Howard on LinkedIn
For the past forty-four years Mike Howard has immersed himself in the study of change. In the late 1970s starting in the blue-collar wire extrusion mills of Worcester MA, Mike learned the intricacies of the manufacturing process. He experienced what were the most effective ways to manufacture a quality product in a timely fashion and accomplish it with consistency.
In 1980 Mike transitioned to the high-tech world of Semi-conductors and Personal Computers. Beginning at an entry level manufacturing position he enjoyed a ten-year journey in route to becoming Business Manufacturing Manager of 3 front-end Semi-Conductor Fabrication businesses within the company. This experience allowed Mike to fully understand the dynamics of different work groups existing inside a company and how to blend them into one cohesive organization that accomplished results far exceeding company goals and expectations.
In 1990 Mike left the manufacturing world to tackle a completely different opportunity. Forging out on his own he worked hand and hand for a decade with the World’s Foremost Authority in the field of Human Development, Anthony Robbins, as his exclusive New England franchise. Mike provided training in the areas of Sales and Influence,Teambuilding, Leadership, and...
I'm excited to share this episode with you. I heard of my guest Doug Pew from a man named Ben Settle, who is one of the top minds internet marketing today.
Doug is a terrific musician and accomplished composer of operas. In fact, it was after Doug got fired after getting an opera commissioned by the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC that he was put on his current career path which has proven to be quite profitable. In fact, he'll tell you in this interview that he made more money from one single product launch than he would typically earn in two years at his previous academic job.
The big takeaway from this episode for me was that it is possible to do what we love to do; and oftentimes being rejected from "The Plan" leads us to pursuing the path we've been meant to do all along!
What you'll hear in this episode:
-The appeal of opera to the modern audience which is inundated with entertainment options....01:00
-The major components of an opera, and how opera differs from musical theater...06:00
-How having an opera commissioned at the Kennedy Center led to Doug getting the axe at his academic gig...18:00
-How a raw deal in academia led to greener pastures in internet marketing...21:10
-How getting good at music can prepare you for success with jobs that actually pay money...33:45
-The MU.S.I.C. method of persuading people to dig what you have to say (or play)...42:45
- Misery
- Unique promise
- Sure solution
- Ideal world
- Call to adventure (clear path to paradise)
-And whatever your discerning ears deem worthy of your time and interest...
Resources mentioned:
Ben Settle's Email Players newsletter
How to Write Copy that Sells by Ray Edwards
Latter Day Musiversity - Doug's music writing program mentioned
Mentioned in this episode:
FREE audiobooks narrated by James Newcomb
If you enjoyed today's show, I invite you to visit my website and download the package of free audiobooks I've prepared for you. Titles include The Go-Getter, Obvious Adams, As a Man Thinketh, and more titles are always being added to the list. To download the audiobooks, go to jamesdnewcomb.com and follow the directions.
James D. Newcomb website
This Is What We C.R.A.V.E.
Community. Respect. Adventure. Vojdaan. Energy. Beyond the bare necessities, these are things we all C.R.A.V.E. to live a meaningful, purpose-filled life. My name is James D. Newcomb. Welcome to my little show!
The US Open is upon us, perhaps the most commercialized and ego-driven event of perhaps the most commercialized and ego-driven sport, which is individual tennis. Why doubles teams don't get anywhere near the attention of the individuals, I have no idea.
If you think about it, an overt showing of individual effort is a welcome change from all these "team sports" with a bunch of egomaniacs putting on a facade of "being all about the team".
Lionel Messi, LeBron James, Michael Jordan are "all about the team." Sorry, not buying it. These guys maybe found their teammates were necessary to achieve their status, but I'd bet if they had any say in the matter, they would have done it on their own.
Maybe that's why individual tennis is so appealing. It's one guy, or one gal gutting it out, relying only on their physicality, mental strength and force of will to win the match.
The spoils of victory are massive in this, and the individual doesn't need to share it with anyone else. It's to the point that the individual's public image is just as important as their game on the court, probably more so. If you win over the affection of the fans and win tennis matches, you and your family will never want for anything again for generations.
These folks are playing two separate, and equally important games: their tennis matches, and the game of maintaining a positive public image.
Most tennis players choose to play it safe with their public image. They don't want to rock the boat, in so doing put a bunch of unnecessary negative attention on themselves.
So when Covid-19 came around, along with the mandatory vaccines in order to simply get around in life, the vast majority of tennis players chose to simply get their shots, deal with the side effects, and get on with life. A few virtue-signaled about it, posting their vaccine cards on Instagram, but most did it quietly just to stay in compliance and make a living.
You can't fault them for this. The only reason I got the jabs was so I could travel to Vietnam and live with my wife Sana, so I understand where they're coming from.
But on the tennis arena, one person decided he had accomplished enough in the game that he could not get the vaccine and basically let his game talk on his behalf. It was risky, and it cost him dearly, both in money and in his public perception, but he stuck to his guns.
The person I'm referring to is of course Novak Djokovic. Novak has at times deliberately gone out of his way to be somewhat acrimonious in the public eye. For what reason we don't know for sure, but he's easily one of the most polarizing people in the history of tennis. You almost hate him for forcing yourself to acknowledge he's better than Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, but you can't deny he's the best to ever play. Sorry, but he owned Roger in the 2010's.
Likability doesn't win match point, a la 2019 Wimbledon.
I say all this to give some backstory to what occurred Sunday evening after Novak's victory over an unknown quantity in the tennis world. Everyone on the planet expected Novak to win fairly easily, including Novak himself, which he did in straight sets. However, the on-court interview after the match caught my attention. It seemed the interviewer was deliberately trying to get Novak to say something he would regret, and it made me wonder about what goes on behind the scenes in that world.
Mentioned in this episode:
This Is What We C.R.A.V.E.
Community. Respect. Adventure. Vojdaan. Energy. Beyond the bare necessities, these are things we all C.R.A.V.E. to live a meaningful, purpose-filled life. My name is James D. Newcomb. Welcome to my little show!
This Is What We C.R.A.V.E. is Produced by JNS Media
This is what we crave is produced by JNS Media. We do podcasts, audiobooks, email...
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Resources mentioned:
About the guest:
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Today I play for you my recording of War Is a Racket by Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler.
War Is a Racket was an important piece of literature for me about a decade ago while I was wrestling with my conscience as a member of the military. For some reason, I knew something was "off" about what I was doing, even a seemingly innocuous position as a military musician.
But General Butler's short pamphlet helped clarify a lot of what I was feeling inside and did a great deal to clarify my decision to ultimately leave the military.
I came across this pamphlet the other day, and thought I would just record it and share it with you.
Be warned: this book contains a good deal of cynicism, albeit from one who has earned the right to be critical of war in general, and the U.S. military in particular. I say this because I strongly believe in the Law of Attraction, meaning that which we put our focus ultimately becomes our reality.
It is easy to read or listen to something of this nature and become pessimistic. That is not my intention at all in sharing this. My hope is that you'll become educated, and like General Butler, come up with your own creative solutions to the problem of war-profiteering.
And what a problem it is.
Here are a few highlights you'll hear in the audiobook:
-Opening remarks from James Newcomb...01:00
-Chapter 1: War Is a Racket...07:32
-Chapter 2: Who Makes the Profits...14:55
-Chapter 3: Who Pays the Bills....27:22
-Chapter 4: How to Smash This Racket!...35:36
-Chapter 5: To Hell With War!...41:52
I hope you enjoy listening, and if you feel inclined, feel free to send me a note about it. james@jamesdnewcomb.com
One more thing: If you'd like a PDF version of War Is a Racket, I've prepared it with my business JNS Media's packaging. Just visit my website at https://jamesdnewcomb.com or email me with your request, and I'll get it over to you right away.
Mentioned in this episode:
FREE audiobooks narrated by James Newcomb
If you enjoyed today's show, I invite you to visit my website and download the package of free audiobooks I've prepared for you. Titles include The Go-Getter, Obvious Adams, As a Man Thinketh, and more titles are always being added to the list. To download the audiobooks, go to jamesdnewcomb.com and follow the directions.
James D. Newcomb website
This Is What We C.R.A.V.E. is Produced by JNS Media
This is what we crave is produced by JNS Media. We do podcasts, audiobooks, email campaigns and much more. If you have a project that involves hitting a button that says "publish", it's what we do. Call us for a free consult!
JNS Media
A few weeks back, I featured Gary Greenfield on the podcast to discuss his journey of discovering "Orthodox" Christianity after spending most of his adult life in the rank and file Protestant denominations.
Well, I was so interested in what Gary had to say, I began to do some investigating of various books and resources about Orthodox Christianity. One of the books I came across is Two Views of the Cross: Orthodoxy and the West, written by our guest on today's episode, Frederica Mathewes-Green.
Frederica is an incredibly gifted writer, and I couldn't recommend more strongly you grab a copy today if what is shared in Gary's or this podcast is of even a slight interest to you.
The book centers on two separate paintings depicting the crucifixion of Christ. One shows him ultimately victorious; the other hopelessly defeated. From this springs a vibrant discussion on how the Orthodox view of the cross and of our responsibility toward God is quite different from commonly accepted views within modern Christianity.
I was very grateful that Frederica agreed to join me for an interview. And I don't think we even scratched the surface of all there is to discuss from her book, even in a nearly 90 minute interview, so it's all the more reason to purchase a copy for yourself!
In this discussion with Frederica, you'll discover:
-Frederica’s spiritual journey from idealistic hippy to knowing God…03:30
-Lying is the death of reality…07:15
-War is hell on earth…09:30
-How Frederica discovered and embraced Orthodox Christianity…10:40
-Why young men particularly are disenchanted with the “coddling” modern churches, and embrace Orthodoxy…15:15
-The problem of "the race to relevance” among churches in any given locale…19:50
-The forsaken man and the venerated "single mother"...24:00
-How a Greek word meaning "divine energy" validated James' formulation of the C.R.A.V.E. acronym...33:15
-Controversy behind translating the Hebrew Scripture into Greek, and then back into Hebrew...39:15
-Why aren't native English speakers forced to learn Greek to learn the Bible?...46:45
-Doctrinal problems with mainline Protestant thought...51:30
-Orthodox (and most likely obscure) perspectives on common Bible stories...56:00
-Ways in which the crucifixion is depicted visually throughout history (re: two views of the cross), and how this informs one's theology and understanding of atonement...01:00:30
-Is sin a disease that needs to be healed, or a debt that needs to be repaid?...01:08:00
-How our individual sin contributes to the sinful world at large in which we live...01:12:00
-Why are we so inclined to embrace an image of God that is prone to anger and judgment?...01:18:00
-And much more!
Resources mentioned:
A few weeks ago, I published an interview with Judy Arnall on the topic of unschooling (listen here) which is a radical departure from the so-called "traditional" model of educating children. Well, I ended up having a lot of questions for Judy regarding parenting because I'm a parent myself and am often beset with questions as to what is the correct course of action in childrearing.
It turns out Judy has written a number of books on the topic of what she calls "non-punitive parenting." A couple titles are: * Discipline Without Distress: 135 tools for raising caring responsible children, without time-out, spanking, punishment or bribery * Parenting With Patience: Turn Frustration Into Connection With 3 Easy Steps
So I asked Judy if she would be game for a "round 2" for the podcast, she readily agreed. And as I began reading her thoughts on punishing our children, a few questions came to my mind I would want to ask her. Such as:
-What's the difference between punishment and discipline? -What are the most common objections to the non-punitive parenting concept? -Are these objections made with good intentions albeit misguided? -Why do you say it is unhealthy to praise a child? -How much adjustment did you need to make in your parenting vs. how you were raised? -What is the motivation for parents who punish their children? Is it rooted in pride? Shame? A desire to conform with the crowd? -How do parents bribe their children? And what are healthier ways of giving them what they want? -How can parents promote a healthy environment while laying down and enforcing house rules? -Don't you see it as problematic to teach children that there are no consequences for their actions when they'll be living in such a punitive society? -What are ways for parents to express frustration with their oftentimes belligerent children without allowing their anger to get the best of them?
Well I was able to ask all these questions of Judy in our second go around, and she didn't disappoint. If you're a parent and struggling with whether or not "punishing" your children with time-outs, grounding, spanking, etc. are going to have long-term effects on your relationship with them, this episode is for you!
In this discussion with Judy, you'll discover:
-The "aha" moment that led to Judy's philosophy on non-punitive parenting...02:15
-The need to model self-control in moments of anger...06:30
-Why we should be very careful with how much we praise our children for every little thing...12:30
-Psychological motivations for parents to punish their children, particularly in public...15:15
-The difference between discipline and punishment...18:35
-Why the parents should be the ones taking a timeout when the kids act up...21:40
-How to establish ground rules in the home without creating an overly permissive environment in the home...24:00
-How we bribe our children to get them what we want them to do...30:15
-The paradox of non-punitive parenting in a highly punitive and litigious world in which we live...35:00
-Long-term social effects of betraying the love relationship with our children by punishing them...38:00
-And much more!
Resources mentioned: Discipline Without Distress: 135 tools for raising caring responsible children, without time-out, spanking, punishment or bribery
Today's episode, released in June 2023, was recorded in June 2021 while I was living in Vietnam with my wife Sana. Although the name of the podcast was different, the message rings true for this show.
Rebecca Kiessling has inspired me for many years for her courageous public stances on maybe one of the most controversial topics in American culture, that being abortion. It's just refreshing to see someone with the sense of vojdaan to say what they believe is right, even though they know they'll be banished from the gates of Polite Society.
Rebecca literally would not be alive today except for a law that banned abortions (pre 1973). After finding out her own personal history, Rebecca made it her mission in life to advocate for the rights and literal lives of those who are the most vulnerable.
In this discussion with Rebecca Kiessling, you'll hear:
-"I felt targeted" by rape exception laws...02:30
-Physicians and feminists originally led the charge to make abortions illegal...05:15
-Feeling the call to become a lawyer and an advocate for the unborn...07:30
-How Rebecca's faith in God influences her work as an abortion advocate...15:00
-Spiritual warfare discerned in outrageous court cases where the wellbeing of the unborn is blatantly disregarded...22:10
-Success stories influencing powerful people in their views on abortion...33:30
-The Esther moment: Here "for such a time as this"...38:00
Resources mentioned:
savethe1.com
Rebecca's website
About the guest:
I was adopted nearly from birth. At 18, I learned that I was conceived out of a brutal rape at knife-point by a serial rapist. Like most people, I’d never considered that abortion applied to my life, but once I received this information, all of a sudden I realized that, not only does it apply to my life, but it has to do with my very existence. It was as if I could hear the echoes of all those people who, with the most sympathetic of tones, would say, “Well, except in cases of rape. . . ,” or who would rather fervently exclaim in disgust: “Especially in cases of rape!!!” All these people are out there who don‘t even know me, but are standing in judgment of my life, so quick to dismiss it just because of how I was conceived. I felt like I was now going to have to justify my own existence, that I would have to prove myself to the world that I shouldn’t have been aborted and that I was worthy of living. I also remember feeling like garbage because of people who would say that my life was like garbage — that I was disposable.
Please understand that whenever you identify yourself as being “pro-choice,” or whenever you make that exception for rape, what that really translates into is you being able to stand before me, look me in the eye, and say to me, “I think your mother should have been able to abort you.” That’s a pretty powerful statement. I would never say anything like that to someone. I would say never to someone, “If I had my way, you’d be dead right now.” But that is the reality with which I live. I challenge anyone to describe for me how it’s not. It’s not like people say, “Oh well, I‘m pro-choice except for that little window of opportunity in 1968/69, so that you, Rebecca, could have been born.” No — this is the ruthless reality of that position, and I can tell you that it hurts and it’s mean. But I know that most people don’t put a face to this issue. For them, it’s just a concept — a quick cliche, and they sweep it under the rug and forget about it. I do hope that, as a child of rape, I can help to put a face, a voice, and a story to this issue.
I’ve often experienced those who would confront...
Ever look back on your school days and wonder if there was a way it could have been done better?
I sure do.
I was a chronic underachiever in school until I began to excel in music in the 9th grade. That gave me a bit of motivation to do well in the other subjects, but still, looking back I feel like those years, well, could have been put to better use.
So when I heard Judy Arnall talking about this thing called Unschooling on Ben Greenfield's podcast while I was Ben's podcast editor a few years ago, it piqued my curiosity.
Judy hasn't written THE book on unschooling, but she has written A book on unschooling - and that will suit our purposes just fine for this podcast. The book is titled, Unschooling to Universityand will give you a broad overview of what unschooling is, as well as many real-life examples of its efficacy in educating children outside the "traditional" school model.
What's funny is that what we consider the "traditional" model is a fairly new concept, at least here in the West. It wasn't that long ago that children learned the ways of the world at home, or apprenticing with their fathers or others in the community. Then the Industrial Revolution occurred, which created a lot of job. Good thing, right? Sure, but what to do with all those kids who can't be left home alone?
I'll leave it at that, and let Judy fill in the gaps with how all that unfolded - as well as a lot of terrific information about unschooling, and how you can get involved with it yourself if you think it might suit your children!
In this discussion with Judy, you'll learn:
-Judy's background with unschooling...02:00
-How to contrast punishment with discipline, and how schools "bribe" children to learn...04:00
-A basic history of home education, and how modern schools came into being around the time of the Industrial Revolution...05:30
-Why the modern school systems are failing our children...07:00
-Common objections from parents when hearing about unschooling...09:30
-Public schools can't possibly keep up with how technology is changing society...12:00
-Why public schools will never recommend anything other than what they're able to provide when their methods prove to be futile...14:15
-The value of video games in educating unschooled (and schooled) children...15:30
-"Deschooling": What to expect when a family makes the decision to unschool...18:45
-How public schools (and even homeschooling) sucks the joy of learning out of children...22:20
-Do families ever go back to public schools after giving unschooling a try?...25:00
-When to engage in more formal education in preparation for university...29:45
-Tension between unschooling families and government-funded schools...33:30
-And much more...
Resources mentioned:
Khan Academy
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Website: www.unschoolingtouniversity.com www.judyarnall.com
Social Media Links: Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/JudyArnallEducationParentingConsultant/
Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/UnschoolingSTEM/
Twitter https://twitter.com/parentingexpert
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/judyarnall/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/JudyArnall/
Linked-In https://www.linkedin.com/in/judyarnall/
Parenting Courses Website http://www.professionalparenting.ca
Parenting Blog https://judyarnall.com/
Education Blog https://unschoolingtouniversity.com/
About the guest:
Judy Arnall, BA, CCFE, DTM is a certified brain and child development specialist and master of...
When I began the This Is What We C.R.A.V.E. podcast in January 2023, people would often ask me, "What's your podcast about?"
It's a completely honest question, although the answer I've developed in the intervening time would probably be overkill in a short conversation setting.
In the past, it was pretty straightforward. I had shows "about music." "How to make money with your music," "Trumpet appreciation," things of that nature.
But this one was a different can of worms entirely. In some ways it was kind of risky to take on this endeavor: a podcast that I don't entirely know how to answer the question, "What's your podcast about?"
I knew I wanted to do a show that went beyond music, but I didn't know exactly what this show was going to look like. So when someone would ask me that, I would predictably have the proverbial "calf looking at a new gate" look when this was asked of me.
Is it a bit embarrassing? Yes, but just a bit. The important thing is that I was doing what I knew in my heart was what I needed to be doing with the limited creative energies with which I've been bestowed by my Creator.
How to answer questions like that tend to work themselves out with practice; no use losing sleep over it when you're asked them.
In December and January, when I was booking interviews, or just explaining to people who inquired, "So what are you up to these days?" I would say something along the lines of, "Well, the show is about things that I'm into; things that light my fire, and I want to talk to subject matter experts on these things and make the interviews available for whoever wants to listen to them."
In truth, that's not a bad, nor inaccurate answer. It's a tad bit wordy though, so some thought as to how to refine the answer into a handy-dandy 15 second pitch was needed. Over time, I've answered the question by saying, "My podcast is about whatever we're talking about that day."
This past week, we had a podcast about a trumpet player who overcame depression and alcoholism by remaining devoted to his music.
The day before that, the podcast was about our dog Cinnamon.
Upcoming podcasts are about Unschooling, how musicians can claim long-lost royalties due to them, non-punitive parenting, and whatever else the Great Winds of Dialogue bring our way as we seek to uncover what we humans CRAVE during our time on this Earth.
I've heard people say something along the lines of, "Your podcast should be about YOU." I think I understand the sentiment behind that, but it has never completely sat well within me to think of it that way. I've been thinking a lot about these so-called "personality brands" and see more harm than good in taking that approach to a business, be it in media or otherwise. To say, "My show is about me" is narcissistic and sets a negative tone from the outset.
I view hosting a podcast more along the lines of a party I attended recently to honor the retired music director of the church I attended for several years. The party was at the home of a rather wealthy member of the choir, and while everyone was there enjoying good food and fellowship, we hardly saw anything of the hosts. They were happy to be in the background while their guests ate and chatted with each other, even doing a bit of informal networking. The party was at the home of this lovely couple, but it certainly wasn't about them. It was all about honoring a man who's earned a good deal of honor, and to a slightly lesser extent providing an enjoyable evening for their...
Chuck Copenace is our featured guest on today's episode.
In this episode, Chuck will share some of his experiences - some not all that pleasant by the way - growing up as an indigenous person in Ontario.
Music was the one thing that Chuck was good at, and it's probably what has allowed him to amount to anything of significance.
Today Chuck is just a few days away from releasing a brand new album titled Oshki Manitou, a blend of modern tech with ancient sweat lodge melodies, and featuring all indigenous musicians.
What a great thing!
That's the host's synopsis of this episode anyway.
To get the full story, you should listen to the man himself!
What you'll hear in this episode:
-Chuck’s trumpet origin story…01:30
-Trumpet becomes more than a passing hobby…08:49
-“That’s pretty good for an Indian”…11:25
-Confronting “reverse racism” within the heart…19:30
-How music “validated” Chuck, ie made him a person of value irregardless of the color of the skin…21:45
-Attending university, in spite of magnificent efforts to sabotage the effort…25:30
-The Great Lightbulb of Self-Awareness turns on as music takes a more prominent role…30:30
-How reconnecting with ethnic roots cultivated a unique blend of music…36:30
-Plus whatever your discerning ears deem worthy of your time and interest...
Resources mentioned:
Chuck's website
About the guest:
‘Oshki Manitou’ finds the Winnipeg-based, Ojibway musician expanding dramatically on his previous work as a trumpet player, arranger, and composer, fusing contemporary interpretations of sweat-lodge melodies with jazz and elements of dance and electronica.
Copenace’s distinctive voice and approach allow him to unify a wide range of styles beautifully in a way that’s honest and innovative in equal measure. “I shy away from traditionalists,” he explains. “When someone says, ‘this isn’t how music should be done’ or ‘if you’re playing this genre of music, this shouldn’t be there.’ That’s always bothered me.”
The result is a collection of eminently groovy, haunting, and, at times, ethereal songs that display Chuck Copenace’s signature voice and substantial skills as an interpreter, composer, and performer as never before. But that’s only part of the equation, he says, citing a larger purpose behind his efforts, for which ‘Oshki Manitou’ is just a starting point. “I’m committed to sharing my story to help heal and offer support to people, and I want to introduce young people to jazz, but I also want to bring indigenous musicians together. And I think my music can be a platform to further that...
Download my bundle of FREE audiobooks to listen in your car, at the gym, while walking the dog, or wherever you happen to listen to audiobooks!
Titles include As a Man Thinketh, Success and Failure, and Obvious Adams.
Just visit my home page and tell me where to send the audios!
https://jamesdnewcomb.com
Mentioned in this episode:
FREE audiobooks narrated by James Newcomb
If you enjoyed today's show, I invite you to visit my website and download the package of free audiobooks I've prepared for you. Titles include The Go-Getter, Obvious Adams, As a Man Thinketh, and more titles are always being added to the list. To download the audiobooks, go to jamesdnewcomb.com and follow the directions.
James D. Newcomb website
Sana and I just watched a video on Tubi about people who believe the Earth is flat. Pretty devoted people, and I to some degree admire their tenacity to hold on to something they believe is true in spite of overwhelming evidence that they're wrong.
So long as they're not hurting anyone, people can believe whatever they want. It's not exactly a pressing concern if people want to deviate from established science so long as they are respectful of those who disagree with them. In this case, about 99% of every human on the planet.
At any rate, Sana and I shared some thoughts on this topic on the podcast today. I thought I'd share the link with you in case you're looking for some end of weekend listening!
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Download my bundle of FREE audiobooks to listen in your car, at the gym, while walking the dog, or wherever you happen to listen to audiobooks!
Titles include As a Man Thinketh, Success and Failure, and Obvious Adams.
Just visit my home page and tell me where to send the audios!
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Mentioned in this episode:
FREE audiobooks narrated by James Newcomb
If you enjoyed today's show, I invite you to visit my website and download the package of free audiobooks I've prepared for you. Titles include The Go-Getter, Obvious Adams, As a Man Thinketh, and more titles are always being added to the list. To download the audiobooks, go to jamesdnewcomb.com and follow the directions.
James D. Newcomb website
Free audiobooks: I have recorded a number of books in the public domain in audio format, and I'm giving them to you for free. Titles include Obvious Adams, As a Man Thinketh, and Success and Failure. Just visit my website to download and enjoy them!
_____
When the music director of the church I attend told me about Tamra Jones' upcoming concert, he was gushing forth with compliments. So I naturally wanted to make it a point to be at the event.
And come concert time, Tamra did not disappoint. The performance was stunning and virtuosic.
What I found fascinating was blending pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach - written nearly 400 years ago - with negro spirituals sung here in America in the 1800's, and continue to be popular today.
So I wanted to get Tamra on a call and get her thoughts on how this unique combination of musical genres came about, and why they work so well!
We also touched on ways musicians can overcome the barriers when it comes to self-promotion, the vital need to choose a program that suits you rather than what is going to "wow" the audience, and much more.
Enjoy this episode!
In this discussion with Tamra, you'll discover:
-The founding origins of mixing Bach with spirituals...03:00
-Tamra's thoughts on managing applause with the gravitas of a particular program...06:00
-Tamra's background as a musician and discovering her voice is a gift to share with others...08:00
-The importance of dynamic contrast in telling the story of a performance...12:00
-Balancing the ego with the storytelling element of being a performing artist...14:30
-Tamra describes the music scene in the Boston area...17:00
-Why musicians struggle so mightily in self-promoting their skills...19:00
-Marrying your musical chops with your personality in order to get gigs and align with your personal vision of success...24:30
-The dynamic of a devout Christian performing repertoire that is decidedly not Christian...26:30
-What makes Bach and spiritual work so well?...32:00
-Tamra's perfect concert setting...34:45
About the guest:
Website
Tamra Grace Jones deflects stereotypes as an artist, storyteller, soprano, producer, and fundraiser. These labels only apply to content and contexts simpatico with the mission and values of Ms. Jones.
For instance, she confronted quarantine through co-founding a monthly, YouTube, concert series (St. Mary’s Quarantine Series, SMQS). SMQS employed 15 local professionals and raised $3K for the Food Pantry. Her passion overflows in cultivating a thriving music community in her local neighborhood of Dorchester (Boston).
The current iteration produces locally-sourced, free-to-the-community concerts, not limited to classical or vocal rep. She delights in welcoming new audiences to the classical voice in creative ways. If she has a say, Spirituals will always be present at her performances. This love spurred the curation of “The Passion: told through Spirituals and Bach arias”.
Ms. Jones credits Bradley Williams and Jean Greer with her vocal development and the incomparable John Moriarty for mentorship beyond the coaching session. When not producing and performing in Dorchester, you might find Ms. Jones on the stage with the American Spiritual Ensemble, Upper Valley Baroque (NH), Boston Lyric Opera, Connecticut Lyric Opera, and venues vested in producing “The Passion” concert - usually churches.
Like most singers, Ms. Jones ran the circuit to compete and perform. Her competition accolades consist of as a finalist in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Award, 2nd Preis at the Grandi Voci by Oper im Berg (Salzburg) and silver at the Vancouver International Music Competition, and 1st in the American Spirituals Contest.
Her roles include yet are not limited to Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Rosalinde (Fledermaus), Carmen, (Carmen), Marguerite (Faust), and Siegrüne (Die Walküre). Ms. Jones selected the New England Conservatory for her Master’s degree. When enjoying the beautiful world around her, you may find Ms. Jones hiking with her English Bulldog, running, swimming and cycling around Boston, or baking up a storm for her friends and neighbors.
Mentioned in this episode:
FREE audiobooks narrated by James Newcomb
If you enjoyed today's show, I invite you to visit my website and download the package of free audiobooks I've prepared for you. Titles include The Go-Getter, Obvious Adams, As a Man Thinketh, and more titles are always being added to the list. To download the audiobooks, go to jamesdnewcomb.com and follow the directions.
James D. Newcomb website
Free audiobooks: I have recorded a number of books in the public domain in audio format, and I'm giving them to you for free. Titles include Obvious Adams, As a Man Thinketh, and Success and Failure. Just visit my website https://jamesdnewcomb.com to download and enjoy them!
The other day I was working on a blog post with the title, “Good things happen when…” The idea was to list several things that are good things in my life, and good things happen in my life when I do these things.
I had a list of two or three already written down, related to performing music, making podcasts, being a husband and father. My intent was to write down a few more things, then write a little bit about each one, and boom, there’s my blog post.
Then my son Gabriel happened to look at the webpage where I was making this list. He thought about it for a moment, and then said, "Good things happen when I love my wife."
He was speaking from his dad's perspective, and he even typed those words into the blog post for me.
That may seem like an innocent enough thing for a 9 year old boy to say, but there is a lot to unpack with that small statement.
- Without going into too much detail, I can say with 100% certainty that Gabriel would never have thought to say that if his mother and I had tried to stay together to "make it work for the child." Sorry marriage purists, but there are times when divorce is the only peaceful solution to marital problems, and the one in which I was entangled falls into that category.
- Gabriel's words validated not just my decision to leave my previous marriage with his mom, but to travail the globe to get my present wife Sana to be presentin mine and my son's life. I believe one of the most important things a father can do for his children - aside from providing the basic necessities - is to set a proper example of how to love his wife. The boys will emulate it, and the girls will seek it - for better or worse. Sure there were plenty of available American women, but stats don't lie. This is not a culture that encourages success when it comes to marriage. I found it necessary to seek marital bliss outside of this broken culture. And while getting her over here was extremely difficult, I'm glad to say things finally worked out - and my son's words the other day made everything worth the trouble.
Maybe when I get around to writing that blog post, I'll say something along the lines of "Good things happen when I follow what I believe to be right and true, and persevere through the hardships and resistance that inevitably follow when I go against the grain of society."
What I just described is what Sana and I call Vojdaan. It's a Persian word that means "consciousness", going about one's life with intent and purpose.
Mentioned in this episode:
FREE audiobooks narrated by James Newcomb
If you enjoyed today's show, I invite you to visit my website and download the package of free audiobooks I've prepared for you. Titles include The Go-Getter, Obvious Adams, As a Man Thinketh, and more titles are always being added to the list. To download the audiobooks, go to jamesdnewcomb.com and follow the directions.
James D. Newcomb website
What is the difference between the Church as established by Jesus Christ and the many "Christian organizations" who meet every Sunday and sing Christian songs?
What if I were to tell you those "Christian organizations" who call themselves "churches" such as the local Presbyterian, Baptist, Roman Catholic, AOG and the endless storefront wannabe ministries were actually heretics rebelling against the ways and protocols of the Church as established by our Lord?
That might be a bit harsh and something of a stretch, but according to our guest Gary Greenfield, it's closer to the truth than many modern Christians would be comfortable admitting.
In today's episode, you'll hear the story of a man on a search for truth - but didn't find it until enjoying a providential beer and cigar in a coffee shop in Idaho where Gary met a man who introduced him to a world he "instantly knew was the truth."
Strong words, especially for someone who was past middle age and had spent his entire adulthood surrounded by the most devout of Christians.
But that's Vojdaan: advocating for truth, especially when no one else seems to acknowledge it as such.
In this discussion with Gary, you'll hear:
-Gary's early experience in the Roman Catholic church, which led to a spiritual crisis in his early 20's...04:00
-The moment Gary discovered a true relationship with Jesus at the age of 21...13:30
-A sense of emptiness in the church experience, in spite of being firmly ensconced in the American church lifestyle...16:00
-The moment Gary broke away from the Protestant church, after years of fighting an inner conflict regarding the protocols of his home congregation...25:00
-Discovering "Ancient Christianity" while enjoying a beer and cigar at a coffee house in Moscow, ID...31:05
-Examining the roots of division within the church from the earliest days of its history...36:00
-What is the difference between "modern day teachings" and a personal commentary published by an individual on a spiritual matter...44:00
-Unique aspects of the Ancient Christian worship experience...47:00
-How the Ancient Orthodox experience has affected Gary's life for the better over the years...55:00
-And much more!
Resources mentioned:
Church of the GOC in America
Gary's water purification business
Audiobook of the Month Club:
Join my new club! It's an audiobook released every month, along with regular discussions with other community members. It's not quite ready to go as of the time of this writing, but it's in the works, and I'll be announcing updates to the program here on the podcast soon!
Mentioned in this episode:
FREE audiobooks narrated by James Newcomb
If you enjoyed today's show, I invite you to visit my website and download the package of free audiobooks I've prepared for you. Titles include The Go-Getter, Obvious Adams, As a Man Thinketh, and more titles are always being added to the list. To download the audiobooks, go to jamesdnewcomb.com and follow the directions.
James D. Newcomb website
I'm sure you've seen the famous photo of "Tank Man", a symbol of the voice of reason during the Tiananmen Square protests and eventual massacre that occurred in April-June 1989. Here's the photo in case you haven't. (This is the full-scale photo, much more impressive than the BBC-approved version ;)
It turns out that there was something of a foreshadowing of "Tank Man" right here in the U.S. about 3 decades prior to Tiananmen Square. Recently retired U.S. Navy Captain Albert Bigelow and a crew of 3 men set sail from Los Angeles for the Marshall Islands - with a planned resupply stop in Honolulu along the way.
Now Honolulu is around 2000 miles from Los Angeles; the Marshall Islands are another 2000 miles from Hawai'i.
They set out to do this in 1958, when a lot of the standard navigational equipment on modern vessels weren't even thought of at the time. They relied on the stars and decades of experience to make their way.
Plus the Golden Rule is around 35' long. Some of the waves in the middle of the Pacific Ocean are twice that in height.
No easy task.
They had to have had a really good reason for doing something that many would consider outright foolish for doing.
Well in 1958, there was an existential threat of the annihilation of humanity via nuclear weapons. A couple well-documented nuclear weapons had been used in Japan in 1945, so the potency of such weapons was no secret. In spite of this obvious threat to humanity, the United States engaged in extensive testing of nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands, at no small expense and amount of harm done to the native peoples of the islands.
Why would the U.S. government do such a thing?
Fear. Another nation like the Soviet Union has the ability drop a bomb on New York City, or Washington, DC. We must be able to counter their supposed aggression.
Why would otherwise rational people with families and concerned mothers engage in such testing?
Probably the same reason those tank crew members opened fire on their fellow Chinese in June 1989. They were ordered to do so, and the fear of being ostracized from the pack is perhaps the greatest motivator of human action there is.
There's that word again: FEAR
Golden Rule set sail for the Marshall Islands to be a voice of reason amid this culture of fear. It was the rallying point for millions of Americans and others around the world who were horrified that such testing was taking place at the expense of the health and wellbeing of people that would be felt for decades if not centuries.
The crew was arrested in Honolulu. They were guilty of violating a recently passed law forbidding civilian vessels within the nuclear testing area.
They never made it to the Marshall Islands.
But the message was heard, and a few years later a treaty banning the testing of nuclear weapons was passed by the U.S. Senate and made official by President Kennedy.
Here in 2023, the threat of nuclear warfare is paltry compared to that era. Thank God for that. But the irrational fear of human beings of another skin color, another nation, another religion, from another part of the world remains.
So Golden Rule sails on as a symbol of peace, and a reminder of that era of our history.
What you'll hear in this podcast is the story of the Golden Rule voyage of 1959 told by Helen Jaccard, project manager of the Golden Rule; as well as interviews from crew members of the modern version of the boat and concerned local citizens who are sounding the clarion call agains the threat of nuclear weapons.
Here are the speakers you'll hear, along with the times you can hear their interviews:
-James Newcomb with son Gabriel and wife Sana...03:04
-Helen Jaccard opening remarks...11:42
-Golden Rule crewman Steve Easley...17:53
-Helen Jaccard describes the initial voyage of Golden Rule...27:17
-Norfolk-based peace activists Steve Baggarly and Ann Williams...38:00
-Helen Jaccard on the aftermath of the arrest in Honolulu...52:35
-Golden Rule crew members MaryAnn Van Cura and Steve Buck...01:04:32
-"What is the rationale?"...01:32:27
-Closing remarks and a call to action from James Newcomb...01:50:54
Resources mentioned:
Veterans for Peace
Golden Rule official website
If you like what you hear on this podcast, you'll LOVE what I'm offering on my brand new PRIVATE podcast feed.
Your subscription to the private feed includes one new audiobook recording each month, as well as bonus content such as pre-interview banter between myself and guests, questions for podcast guests that are reserved exclusively for premium subscribers, and much more!
To learn more and subscribe to my private podcast feed, visit privatepodcastfeed.com.
My lovely wife Sana sat in on today's podcast recording to give insights on the meaning of the Persian word Vojdaan, the "V" in the C.R.A.V.E. acronym you see in this show's title.
She also gave some insight on some of the nuances of Persian culture that all of us Americans would do well to heed IMHO!
Resources mentioned:
"What is Taroof" blog article from Middle East Institute
Today's podcast is brought to you by JNS Media. If you have a digital project that involves hitting a button that says "Publish" we can help!
Quit trying to figure everything out on your own, and give us a call! jns.media
I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by David Specht for his show, Keep This in Mind. David talks a lot about the proper mindset for succeeding in business and in life.
We met via the Podcaster's Paradise community, founded by our mutual friend John Lee Dumas, who you might remember was featured on this show a few weeks ago.
David asked me about my transition from the military to the life of a digital entrepreneur in 2016, how I came up with the C.R.A.V.E. acronym, and what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur. I'm looking forward to having David as a guest on this show in the near future!
"If you're going to live in Virginia Beach, you may as well live on Virginia Beach," I told myself when I first moved into a very nice apartment building literally 100 or so steps from the world-famous Virginia Beach Boardwalk.
It's a vibrant place to live, even in the winter months when tourist activity is low, and a walk along the ocean has become a staple of my morning routine.
I figure if I'm out walking, I may as well record something that's on my mind and share it with listeners of my show.
Thus was the "walk and talk" series founded in the Gone Newclear podcast feed.
Enjoy it!
https://jamesdnewcomb.com/podcast
Phil Snedecor is the author of Making Rain and Other Adventures on the Trumpet, a highly personable and oftentimes entertaining glimpse into the career of a musician who's "done it right". Of course, there have been some pitfalls and mistakes along the way, and Phil doesn't pull any punches about those. But at the end of the day, the short book delivers a ton of value and sage advice for anyone who is looking to "make rain", be it as a musician or in any field.I've featured Phil several times on my Trumpet Dynamics podcast, and now I'm thrilled to be able to share this brand new interview with you!In this interview with Phil Snedecor, you'll discover:-What is a "rainmaker" pertaining to musicians?...03:35-How Phil cut his teeth as a rainmaker by founding the Washington Symphonic Brass...06:10-You won't have a great connection with your audience unless you have a connection among the personnel...11:00-Phil explains the mantra, "The only gig you own, is the gig you own"...16:20-"Mental choreography" and tips on succeeding in high-stress performance situations...21:10-Finish what you start, even when everyone around you thinks you're nuts to do so!...25:30-And much more!Resources mentioned:Hart School Trumpet StudioPhil's websiteWashington Symphonic BrassAll-American Moving CompanyMaking Rain* Hard copy * Apple Books
About the guest:Phil Snedecor attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he received the prestigious Performers Certificate and was a member of the premiere brass quintet, the Canterbury Brass. While earning his degrees in trumpet performance and literature, he also studied arranging and composition with Professor Rayburn Wright, formerly arranger for Radio City Music Hall. Mr. Snedecor is a former member of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and has held one-year positions with the National Symphony, the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and the Baltimore Opera. Mr. Snedecor has performed and toured throughout the United States, Europe and Asia, and has appeared as guest principal trumpet with the St. Petersburg (Russia) “Tschaikowski” Orchestra, joining them on their 2012 US Tour. Recently Mr. Snedecor has been in demand as a guest principal with the Pittsburgh Ballet Orchestra and the Louisville Orchestra, and as guest trumpeter for the Boston Pops and Boston Symphony, both at Symphony Hall in Boston and at Tanglewood in Lenox, MA.As a show player, he has performed in the touring productions of Guys & Dolls, Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, Evita and West Side Story. He has recorded under the RCA, CBS, Gothic, Koss, and Summit labels. Phil’s solo CDs, The Lyrical Trumpet I and II are also available on the Summit Label.In 1993 Mr. Snedecor and National Symphony Principal Trombonist Milton Stevens co- founded The Washington Symphonic Brass, a 17-piece professional brass ensemble. They perform regularly for the Washington National Cathedral, St. Matthew’s Cathedral, the Basilica at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and with the Washington Choral Arts Society at the Kennedy Center. They were the official instrumental ensemble for the Papals visit of 2008 and 2015 in Washington DC and are heard regularly in their own concert series in DC, Maryland and Virginia. Their critically acclaimed CDs are available on the Summit and Warner Classics labels. Phil’s innovative programming and arranging for the WSB has led to several guest conductor appearances, including the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, the River City Brass Band (Pittsburgh) and the Breckenridge (CO) Brass.In 2012, Mr. Snedecor founded the DC Pops Orchestra, a 30-piece ensemble featuring some of the best Jazz and crossover artists in the region. This group has provided music for the elite of Washington in prestigious venues such at the National Building Museum and Mellon Auditorium.Mr. Snedecor is the Associate Professor of Trumpet at the Hartt School of Music (University of Hartford) in Hartford Connecticut, and a former faculty member at George Mason University, The Peabody Institute (Johns Hopkins University) and Towson University. Phil is well known by trumpetsers and tuba players alike for has series of brass etude books that are required repertoire at many colleges and conservatories. His arrangements and compositions have been performed throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia. Please visit his websites (www.wsbrass.com,www.philsnedecor.com and www.pasmusic.com) for more information.If you like what you hear on this podcast, you'll LOVE what I'm offering on my brand new PRIVATE podcast feed.
Your subscription to the private feed includes one new audiobook recording each month, as well as bonus content such as pre-interview banter between myself and guests, questions for podcast guests that are reserved exclusively for premium subscribers, and much more!
To learn more and subscribe to my private podcast feed, visit privatepodcastfeed.com.
I love my job. I get to talk to incredibly smart and accomplished people like my guest in this episode.
Laura Davidson is an Oxford-trained scholar who recently published The Logic of Freedom: Free Will, Human Nature, and the Rational Argument for a Genuinely Free World.
The book is not bedtime story material for a 9 year old child. But it is both very well-written, and in such a way that it causes the reader to think twice about the most basic concept we're taught from the earliest age: Freedom.
How free are we, really? We're taught that the United States is founded on freedom, but beyond a superficial understanding of the word, we really don't think that much about what real freedom is. Laura's book, and in a smaller way, this podcast will make you think about freedom, likely in ways you've never thought about before.
Enjoy!
In this discussion with Laura, you'll hear:Part 1
-What exactly do you mean by free will?
-How do you prove free will?
-What is consciousness and why do we need to discuss it before addressing free will?
-Why is Immanuel Kant important?
-What is the noumenal realm?
-How does this differ from the phenomenal realm?
-How can space, time, and causality exist only in our mind?
-Why does this mean we have free will?
Part 2
-Is free will absolute?
-In what ways is free will influenced by instinctual drives?
-In what ways are people uncooperative or violent?
-What's the difference between totalitarian regimes and dictatorships?
-Talk about crowd psychology.
Part 3
-What is entropy and how does it relate to human action?
-How do we prove that the nonaggression principle is in keeping with our humanity?
-What are the laws that flow from the nonaggression principle and how do we deduce them?
-Why should the laws only be negative?
-Doesn't this mean that libertarianism is uncaring?
-Talk about violent intervention in the market.
Conclusion
-How does this all fit together, and is there a spiritual element in all this?
Resources mentioned:The Logic of Freedom by Laura Davidson
If you like what you hear on this podcast, you'll LOVE what I'm offering on my brand new PRIVATE podcast feed.
Your subscription to the private feed includes one new audiobook recording each month, as well as bonus content such as pre-interview banter between myself and guests, questions for podcast guests that are reserved exclusively for premium subscribers, and much more!
To learn more and subscribe to my private podcast feed, visit privatepodcastfeed.com.
There are so many things we know of, but don't know that much about. I've realized that keeping one's curiosity is essential to living a long and happy life, so I decided to use my own podcast to learn things I most likely would never have learned myself.
What you're listening to is part of a series of interviews I've conducted with subject matter experts in their field called "Things You Know Of, But Not About." Each interview is a deep dive into the field in which my guest excels and will give us a basic knowledge of their craft.
No, we won't know everything there is to know about it, but we'll at least be able to hold our own in a conversation among polite company. Isn't that what really matters anyway?
P.S. This series of interviews will be transcribed and compiled into a book, so stay tuned for that!
This episode might be a little bit different from most podcasts you listen to in that you're going to have to actually work in order to benefit from it.
I get it. You're already bitten down to a nub, and you just want to crack open a cold one and listen to a couple of guys run their mouths for awhile. Well, there will be time for that in future episodes, but I think you'll be glad you put on your thinking cap and really listen in to this one.
Today we hear from John Foster, a man I met at an event where he was speaking on the topic of angel investing. After his talk, I approached him and asked if he would be willing to speak about angel investing on my new podcast, the one you're listening to now.
He said absolutely, he'd love to do it, and we were able to make it happen!
We begin with the audio of John's YouTube presentation, "Zero to Austrian in 18 Minutes"; then go right into the interview talking about angel investing.
I knew next to nothing about angel investing, outside of what I'd seen on Shark Tank, before I recorded this interview. And it turns out that Shark Tank, ahem, exaggerates the actual angel investing scenario for dramatic effect.
I promise you'll come away from today's episode with a genuine knowledge of what angel investing is. You might even find yourself snickering at your friends who are raving about the crazy antics they recently saw on an episode of Shark Tank!
Here are a few of the questions I was able to ask John about angel investing:
-Is there some connection between your company and angel investing? Are you really giving middle-schoolers MBA’s?
-What exactly is angel investing?
-How did you get get into angel investing?
-What does the private company ecosystem look like and where does angel investing fit in?
-What about accelerators and incubators?
-What sort of companies do angels want to invest in?
-What does the process look like? Is it basically like Shark Tank?
-What about just getting a loan from your local bank? What about grants?
-How do entrepreneurs get into this game? What should they look for? What are their chances?
-Is the recent increase in interest rates having any effect on the space?
-What’s with Silicon Valley Bank blowing up? Does that impact startups?
Resources mentioned:
Middle School MBA
Scott Adams: How to Fail At Everything...
About the guest:
John Foster is president and founder of Middle School MBA, an Ed-Tech company disrupting the business/entrepreneurship space.
John received his BS, Chem Eng, and MBA from LSU and was kindly employed for the next thirty-three years by Freeport-McMoRan, Stauffer Chemical, Rhone-Poulenc, and Innophos, Inc.
His industrial career failed its way through process engineering, plant operations, business management, M&A, and corporate strategy; finally failing big enough to exit.
He founded Middle School MBA to teach kids the lowdown on business, economics, and entrepreneurship, hoping they might fail bigger and sooner.
If you like what you hear on this podcast, you'll LOVE what I'm offering on my brand new PRIVATE podcast feed.
Your subscription to the private feed includes one new audiobook recording each month, as well as bonus content such as pre-interview banter between myself and guests, questions for podcast guests that are reserved exclusively for premium subscribers, and much more!
To learn more and subscribe to my private podcast feed, visit privatepodcastfeed.com.
Welcome to the show. Today is Wednesday, which means I'll be reading a few of the emails I've sent to my email subscribers from the previous week.
If you find anything I say in this episode to be interesting, you can have my thoughts delivered directly to your email inbox every day that I send one (which is just about every day.)
Just go to https://jamesdnewcomb.com to subscribe, and I also have four FREE audiobooks for you to listen to as a gift for subscribing. The audiobooks include: The Go-Getter, As a Man Thinketh, Obvious Adams, and Success and Failure.
If you like what you hear on this podcast, you'll LOVE what I'm offering on my brand new PRIVATE podcast feed.
Your subscription to the private feed includes one new audiobook recording each month, as well as bonus content such as pre-interview banter between myself and guests, questions for podcast guests that are reserved exclusively for premium subscribers, and much more!
To learn more and subscribe to my private podcast feed, visit privatepodcastfeed.com.
I'm very excited to feature my friend and longtime podcast mentor, John Lee Dumas, aka JLD. I've been a member of JLD's flagship program Podcaster's Paradise for over 8 years; in fact, I learned the ropes of podcasting watching his videos all those years ago!
John has probably forgotten more about business, podcasting, entrepreneurship etc. than most people will ever learn in their entire lives. He brings the heat every time he's behind the mic, either as a host or a guest, and he did not disappoint in this interview.
Enjoy!
In this discussion with JLD, you'll hear:
-Being around the right people makes all the difference...
- Regular in conversations
- Mindset, attitudes, focus
- Conferences
-Be your own niche...
-Be excited when something is difficult...
-"Kate embodies what I don't"...
-Thoughts on the ongoing AI debate...
-And much more...
About the guest:
John Lee Dumas is the host of Entrepreneurs on Fire, an award winning podcast where he interviews inspiring Entrepreneurs who are truly ON FIRE. With over 2500 episodes, 1 million + listens a month, and seven-figures of annual revenue, JLD is just getting started.
Visit EOFire.com to set YOUR Entrepreneurial journey ON FIRE!
If you like what you hear on this podcast, you'll LOVE what I'm offering on my brand new PRIVATE podcast feed.
Your subscription to the private feed includes one new audiobook recording each month, as well as bonus content such as pre-interview banter between myself and guests, questions for podcast guests that are reserved exclusively for premium subscribers, and much more!
To learn more and subscribe to my private podcast feed, visit privatepodcastfeed.com.
Welcome to the show. Today is Wednesday, which means I'll be reading a few of the emails I've sent to my email subscribers from the previous week.If you find anything I say in this episode to be interesting, you can have my thoughts delivered directly to your email inbox every day that I send one (which is just about every day.)Just go to https://jamesdnewcomb.com to subscribe, and I also have four FREE audiobooks for you to listen to as a gift for subscribing. The audiobooks include: The Go-Getter, As a Man Thinketh, Obvious Adams, and Success and Failure.
If you like what you hear on this podcast, you'll LOVE what I'm offering on my brand new PRIVATE podcast feed.Your subscription to the private feed includes one new audiobook recording each month, as well as bonus content such as pre-interview banter between myself and guests, questions for podcast guests that are reserved exclusively for premium subscribers, and much more!To learn more and subscribe to my private podcast feed, visit privatepodcastfeed.com.
Today is a really special episode. Not only because it's with a fantastic guest, Manny Laureano, longtime principal trumpeter with the Minnesota Orchestra, but it was one of those rare occasions where I was able to record a podcast in person.That does not happen often.
Manny embodies every value that I promote in this show: Community, respect, adventure, Vojdaan, and energy. He was one of my heroes as a young trumpet player in the Twin Cities, and it's a very special thing to embrace a friendship and be one of those guys who's always up for an interview :)
Manny and I just dove deep into a lot of things in our chat, and anyone who knows Manny knows that he is a very thought provoking, very well spoken, very articulate gentleman. And he did not disappoint in this interview. I'm just going to leave it at that.
So you get to hear the relaxing hypnotic wind chimes in the background, with an occasional cool breeze, but that just made it all that more special and all the more enjoyable.
And I think you'll really enjoy this one.
Here's what you'll hear in today's episode:
-Manny's "post-graduate" education, i.e. his first gig in Seattle...05:54
-The attributes of a successful musician in any field...10:03
-Factors that determine which equipment one should use...18:14
-Why Manny believes way too many orchestras are "playing it safe" today...27:45
-Why the great Roger Voisin would be unemployed in today's audition circuit...35:21
-What a creative might do if they find themselves disillusioned with the state of the "creative arts"...44:00
-Using gimmicks tastefully to make the serious stuff palatable to the audience...51:23
-What enables and motivates Manny to continually improve at the craft...
-And much more!
P.S. The titles and show notes for the Gone Newclear podcast are organically created by a living, breathing creation of Almighty God, not some creepy chat bot.
To find out more about the service I use to produce my show, check out podcastartistry.com.
In honor of Opening Day around the Major Leagues, I'm publishing an interview I did with Brian O'Leary of the O'Leary Review Podcast.
I am a former sports fan. What I mean by that is I used to really enjoy sports, the competition, the playoffs and such. But as you get older, and see generally speaking how the Sausage of Life is made, what was once cool is no longer as desirable.
Nonetheless, the games are fun to watch, and I do follow the pennant races and things like that, but I definitely don't have the emotional connection to strangers playing a game that I did when I was a child.
It's just life I guess. At any rate, I wanted to talk sports a little bit, so we did :)
Hope you enjoy and can relate to a little bit of what we talk about.
P.S. The titles and show notes for the Gone Newclear podcast are organically created by a living, breathing creation of Almighty God, not some creepy chat bot.
To find out more about the service I use to produce my show, check out podcastartistry.com.
In early 2022, my wife Sana and I recorded a series of podcasts on the topic of the 5 core values of the name of my business, JNS Media. While I've renamed my parent business to Gone Newclear Productions, the values remain and they are what guide me personally and professionally.
They are:
- Community
- Respect
- Adventure
- Vojdaan (loosely translated from Persian as "conscientious")
- Energy (connection with a divine being)
You'll notice this forms the acronym, CRAVE. These are things that we as human beings crave as necessary for a living a purposeful life beyond mere survival.
I enjoyed recording these with Sana so much I want to play them for you on my Gone Newclear podcast feed. Listening to them will give you a chance to know me personally on a deeper level. You'll understand what motivates me to do what I do, whether it is producing a podcast for myself or a client, writing copy for a sales letter or email campaign, or performing on trumpet or with my voice.
**Important note: You'll notice Sana and I like to have fun when we do podcasts - especially when it's at each other's expense. It's what allows us to have a happy marriage, and provides some entertaining content for y'all to enjoy. So if you're the hard core, "no-nonsense" type who is looking for "key takeaways" or "value adds" or other such gimmicky fluff in your podcasts, you might not enjoy our content. Consider yourself warned ;)
Enjoy!
This past January, I began a podcast venture I had wanted to do for a very long time.
Previously, I had focused primarily on music, interviewing musicians, talking music business, things of that nature. But I always knew I was capable of more than this. There's more to James Newcomb than trumpet and music, both professionally and personally.
This isn't to say I dislike trumpet. I like it quite a bit, but it has its place. These days, I don't play trumpet that often, and I am just fine with it. Sometimes I wish I played more often, but unlike say ten years ago, I can miss a day of playing and not be the least bit disappointed. I can miss ten days of playing and not feel like I'm missing out on anything. I probably regret not playing for ten days when I do have a gig and need to get in shape; but even that is manageable given how long I've played, how my chops are developed, etc.
I'm getting off track here - or I'm staying on the track I'm providentially predestined to be on. I guess it depends on one's theology.
But there you go, something other than music about which I love to think on, debate (respectfully), discuss on a podcast. Let others be a fly on the wall with discussions of more importance than trumpet pedagogy.
I decided I would name my new show Gone Newclear. In many ways it makes sense. It's a catchphrase pretty well-known in our culture, and is a clever play on words with my last name. All in all a winner looking at it on a superficial level.
But the word "nuclear" does have a certain stigma around it, doesn't it? As one who actively petitioned for discharge from the army as a conscientious objector, the cognitive dissonance was not lost on me to associate myself with the word. I rationalized it by saying, "There are positive and negative uses of any part of creation. I'm focusing on the positive uses of the natural elements which make up nuclear energy."
That does make sense on an intellectual level, but it does require a great deal of mental gymnastics to overcome that huge hurdle with the stigma of the word "nuclear". And the hurdle recently became insurmountable, to the point I felt compelled to immediately disassociate myself from the word "nuclear", change the name of my podcast and basically clean up the mess later.
This past week, I was given the honor of touring and sailing on a tiny boat called Golden Rule. Fascinating story about this little boat. It was commissioned in 1958 and set sail for the Marshall Islands with the intent of protesting the nuclear bomb tests that were going on there, and causing not a small amount of controversy all over the world. You may have heard the phrase, "Don't eat yellow snow." It has nothing to do with urine. It means if there's yellow snow, there is nuclear fallout in the area and you need to decontaminate yourself immediately.
It was a global atmosphere of absolute terror that we fortunately don't endure in this era of our history. I personally have never experienced the culture of fear that was a way of life in those days.
If you've ever seen the "tank man" photo of the lone man standing in the way of hundreds of tanks advancing in Tianenman Square during the uprising in 1989, you can visualize what Golden Rule was doing in '58. The Chinese tank commander was "following orders" but he also had a conscience he couldn't ignore. He could not bring himself to run over a man simply standing in the way of his tank, causing or threatening no harm to anyone. That's what Golden Rule set out to do. This tiny 35' boat sailing into the middle of the nuclear bomb tests, no military commander would continue the tests - so we optimistically believe.
It's a very complex and rich story, and I'm preparing an epic podcast about the boat, speaking to crew members, project managers, etc. so you'll hear more about it soon.
But when I was made aware of the absolute threat to humanity caused by the threat of nuclear weapons, I simply couldn't rationalize in any way the use of it in my podcast, even as a clever play on words with my name. For the record, I'm still on the fence regarding nuclear energy. I think it has a lot of good potential, but there are obvious drawbacks. I'm weighing the pros and cons and am still making up my mind on where to stand on the issue.
So I change the name of my podcast to This Is What We C.R.A.V.E. If you've followed me and my wife Sana for awhile, you might remember a podcast series we did on this. The CRAVE acronym stands for Community, Respect, Artistry, Vojdaan, Energy. These are the essential elements of what we crave as human beings - beyond the bare necessities of life such as food, clothing and shelter. It's what we crave to live purpose-filled, fulfilling lives.
Now I was going to make this a core theme of my show called Gone Newclear, but in light of the epiphany I had last week, I just decided to change the entire name of my show to This Is What We C.R.A.V.E. And it's opening up a number of options regarding the directions I can take, products to offer, bonus material to provide and we'll see what comes of that. I'll have more to say about the five "values" for lack of a better term in the near future. For now I want to focus on the importance of the name of a podcast, but the name that really matters when you get right down to it.
When it comes down to it, it really doesn't matter what the actual name of the podcast is, as much as the person's name that is attached to the podcast. This goes for any creative endeavor be it hosted by an individual, a corporation, or any combination of the two. If you see the two logos of the two names of my show, one thing in common is my name is prominently displayed. This is a personality brand I'm building, and whether the show is called Gone Newclear, or This Is What We C.R.A.V.E., or I Love Rocky Road, what is truly important is that the actual personality's name is on the banner.
Now I've pointed out there was a dilemma with using the name Gone Newclear for my show, and it was dealt with. Thankfully it was in the very early stages of the show, so I'm not dealing with a massive amount of rebranding. It's part of my story, and years from now if anyone asks why a different name is on the really early graphics of an episode for example, I'll point them to this post as to why.
I say all this because for the longest time I made the mistake that I see a lot of content creators make which is to put the focus on the name of the show, versus the name of the person or people hosting the show. This is done I believe out of a spirit of fear. Fear of exposure perhaps, fear of feeling vulnerable. What happens is rather than the personality really shining, the host or hosts kind of hide behind the name or theme of their show, even trying to ride on the coattails of the success of their guests to win approval from their audience. They unintentionally paint themselves into a corner where they're forced to focus on one certain theme or topic versus having the freedom to explore what their personalities really want to explore with their show.
I just had a sales call with a prospective client the other day where he was sharing some of his vision for his podcasting journey. He was debating have two separate podcasts, each focused on two different things on which he's passionate. I encouraged him to stick to one show and make those two elements the core elements of his show. At the end of the day, a show is about the host, not necessarily about the topic the host is harping on. The host or personality is the guiding light, the explorer in search of truth, the person holding the torch for others to find enlightenment.
I think in the last 60 days or so I've seen at least 3-4 posts on LinkedIn from people who've just been laid off their jobs. Now I'm not a huge fan of social media, and don't rely on it to any degree to build nor sustain my business. When it comes to client work, I've found the best strategy is to take care of the clients I have, to the point of overdelivering, and they in turn refer me to others if and when friends or colleagues of theirs are asked "who does your podcast?"
That being said, I'm on LinkedIn 2-3 times per month at most, so you understand that when I see posts at that frequency, it's not because I'm on the platform for hours each day. It's more like minutes once every two weeks or so. So when I see multiple posts like that, I can only assume there are many many more that I'm not seeing at all.
The post usually goes something like this: "Well, after what I thought was a sure-fire gig, I'm back looking for my next opportunity to grow personally and professionally. Wish me luck!"
Which I translate as: "I just got laid off from a job that I was once certain was going to provide the fulfillment and satisfaction in life I crave; I'm now looking for another job that will do the same thing and will inevitably lead to the same disappointing result."
Kind of psychotic when you phrase it that way, and maybe I'm exaggerating things for dramatic effect here, but I don't think I'm too far off the mark.
I've been roundly criticized over the years for some of my own career decisions, such as leaving the military when I was "only 8 years away from retirement." I realize as I type this that had I not left the military in 2015, I would still be one year away from "retirement". In fact, had I not left the military initially in 1998 to go to Bible college, I would have reached "retirement" from the military nearly 10 years ago, complete with a pension and the Universal Human Right we've been conditioned to expect in life called "free health care".
Had I chosen that path for my life, I would not be half the man I am today. I'll leave it at that - for now.
Sidebar: I just spent the day yesterday (23 March 2023) on a tiny little ship called The Golden Rule, which was built to take a principled stand against the proliferation of nuclear weapons. And it was quite effective in doing so. The man who initially captained the ship resigned his commission from the U.S. Navy less than a month before retiring as a Captain (or something way up the ranks) and receiving his full retirement benefits. He did so as a statement of principle after witnessing the devastation wrought by the atomic weapons used in Japan in 1945. And he paid a high price for his stand on principle, both with leaving the Navy, and in captaining the tiny boat,
A terrific episode of the Gone Newclear podcast is forthcoming documenting my day on The Golden Rule. It's a great story, and the boat definitely has a presence about it. So stay tuned.
All that to say I come from the perspective of making decisions that are considered contrarian compared to conventional thinking. So when I see posts like what I've seen on LinkedIn recently, I just shake my head and wonder, "What is wrong with these people?"
I get the wisdom of having a job and building a side hustle in your non-working hours. What I don't get is securing a job, then thinking, "Okay, I'm all set. My worries are over. I'll rely on "the man" to provide my income and security in life."
Pure madness from where I'm sitting.
What if these good folk on LinkedIn were to post something along the lines of, "I've just been let go from my J.O.B. Guess the Universe is telling me to kick that side hustle into high gear and make it my main gig."
But they don't. It's always something along the lines of, "Time to find a new master to serve. This next one will be the onethat gets it right." For some reason, the thought of having a business of their own that they can nurture and grow in a way that suits them, infusing their own values and ideals doesn't enter into the equation at any time!
The contribution of these people to the marketplace is limited to supporting what another man or woman can envision, bring to the marketplace.
The way I see it is if you can find a gig that is fulfilling, that resonates with your personal values even 50%, then you've hit the jackpot, because most jobs don't fit the bill. You certainly can't expect that to happen.
And you're seriously missing out on great things if you neglect your own calling or gifts to share, which are manifested in a business of some sort.
Maybe people think of the word "business" and are inherently turned off. Commerce is a necessary evil, one we do so we can have some fun at the end of the day and week, and two weeks out of the year.
I personally have found that when I have a job that I enjoy, and can manage to balance it with the rest of my obligations in life such as family, music, etc. that I don't need a vacation at all. It gives me energy, and even when I do travel I don't mind doing my work while traveling at all.
I recall my first time traveling to Vietnam to visit Sana in 2019. The airport in Hong Kong was shut down due to protesters blocking the runways, so my connecting flight to Hanoi was cancelled! First time visiting my future wife, and this happens. So I spent part of my time editing podcasts for clients, right there in the airport terminal. It wasn't an imposition at all, I was happy to do it. Of course, if there wasn't a deadline looming, maybe I would not have been doing that particular task; maybe I would have been writing a blog post about how I was stranded in Hong Kong of all places, and my meeting with my future wife was delayed by 12 hours, etc.
Point is I was doing work that suits me. Kind of like the advice I got many years ago to play music that plays me. When you're playing a piece of music that doesn't resonate with you inside, you just know it, and it becomes a chore. Mere notes, rather than real music coming from within.
You can force yourself to do work you'd rather not do when you're in your 20's and maybe 30's. When you get to be in your 40's and 50's, it's just not the same. I personally can't feign interest in a job or any other pursuit for which I'm not 100% committed and sold out in doing. If I were to interview for a "real job" i.e. one with health insurance provided, I think the interviewers would immediately sense my lack of interest and end the interview. I guess at this point in life, and having had whatever success as a solopreneur I've had, faking it just aint possible.
To that end, I'm working on a new project that I think folks might be interested in. It's work that "plays me" i.e. me running my mouth sharing things that really matter. I'm calling it the Audiobook of the Month Club.
Now this is a legit business which will take a lot of my own time, so I can't do it for free. But I do promise it will be a reasonable cost, and it will be worth the time you invest into it. Notice I said invest, not spend. I don't want people spending time nor money on anything I produce. But I do want people to invest both their time and money. It won't necessarily lead to a monetary ROI, but it will lead to you thinking twice about what is really important in life, raising your level of consciousness, that sort of thing.
If yer interested in checking out the Audiobook of the Month Club, click this here link: https://jamesdnewcomb.com/abom
"Start a podcast," they said.
"It will be fun!" they said.
"You'll make lots of money!" they said.
Yes, there is lots of money to be made in the podcasting craft - and it's also a terrible reason to get into the craft. Because podcasting ain't a bed of roses. It's hard work. You feel like you're speaking into the wind more often than you feel truly engaged with your audience.
Now this doesn't at all mean your audience isn't engaged with you. Those download numbers are real, assuming you're using a reputable podcast host like Captivate, libsyn, Podbean, (stay away from Anchor.fm, I've heard some things from circles I trust).
If you see numbers accumulating, you can only assume people are listening and being impacted by what is being said on your little show. Else why would they keep pressing play?
They just don't interact with you all that much. That's just the nature of the craft. If you absolutely need human interaction to validate your work, then don't get into podcasting. It's often thankless, lonely work.
Notice I said Often. It doesn't mean you're a lone voice crying in the wilderness. You do get recognized for your work at trade shows, conferences and such. And it's a great way to build a network of influencers within a niche, and in turn become an influencer in your own right within said niche. It's just that such interaction is few and far between.
I'm not saying all this to complain or discourage anyone from starting a podcast. Truthfully, I needed something to write for the day and I had just finished a set of show notes that began exactly how this post began, so I just ran with it ;)
The truth is there is something tremendously satisfying about having an idea come to mind, maybe while out for a walk, then writing it down, visualizing how an interview might go, then actually doing said interview, have the audio go through the production process with show notes, graphics and everything, then seeing it published on Apple or Spotify, or even your own website.
It scratches an itch that I didn't know I even had sometimes, and it's what keeps me coming back for more.
The money element? Go for it - after you've established your voice, your niche, your own unique way of delivering yourmessage. If you're parroting someone else, using a bunch of phony emotion to "build an audience" and whisper a bunch of sweet nothings into their ear that you don't even understand much less believe, you're doing it wrong. If any revenue comes from that strategy, it will be fleeting.
It's like meeting an attractive person of the opposite sex. You can get by on charm for about 15 minutes; after that you'd better know something. If not, that 15 minutes is all you'll ever get with that person.
That's the way it is with so many people who "try out" a podcast. It's fun for about 15 minutes (or maybe 15 weeks) then they get bored with it, and it's off to the next shiny object to play with.
Bottom line is if money is the motivation to get into podcasting, you'd be well-advised to find another motivation and quickly. Because the money won't come right away, and you'll soon be left with a bunch of wasted time, energy and gear sold for pennies on the dollar on Facebook marketplace. You'll join the ever growing chorus of wannabe's who didn't put any real thought into how or why they should do it - they just did it.
A better motivation? Have a compelling message that only you can share - and then share it consistently, in a way that's engaging to listen to. Give the audio a quick "haircut" i.e. edit, create some graphics on Canva.com. You'll instantly stand out from the crowd of half-hearted folk who are wallowing in the Great Swamp of Uncertainty. And you'll make yourself quite attractive to people who are interested and hungry for what you have to say!
P.S. The titles and show notes for the Gone Newclear podcast are organically created by a living, breathing creation of Almighty God, not some creepy chat bot.
To find out more about the service I use to produce my show, check out podcastartistry.com.
In early 2022, my wife Sana and I recorded a series of podcasts on the topic of the 5 core values of the name of my business, JNS Media. While I've renamed my parent business to Gone Newclear Productions, the values remain and they are what guide me personally and professionally.
They are:
- Community
- Respect
- Adventure
- Vojdaan (loosely translated from Persian as "conscientious")
- Energy (connection with a divine being)
You'll notice this forms the acronym, CRAVE. These are things that we as human beings crave as necessary for a living a purposeful life beyond mere survival.
I enjoyed recording these with Sana so much I want to play them for you on my Gone Newclear podcast feed. Listening to them will give you a chance to know me personally on a deeper level. You'll understand what motivates me to do what I do, whether it is producing a podcast for myself or a client, writing copy for a sales letter or email campaign, or performing on trumpet or with my voice.
**Important note: You'll notice Sana and I like to have fun when we do podcasts - especially then it's at each other's expense. It's what allows us to have a happy marriage, and provides some entertaining content for y'all to enjoy. So if you're the hard core, "no-nonsense" type who is looking for "key takeaways" or "value adds" or other such gimmicky fluff in your podcasts, you might not enjoy our content. So consider yourself warned ;)
Enjoy!
In early 2022, my wife Sana and I recorded a series of podcasts on the topic of the 5 core values of the name of my business, JNS Media. While I've renamed my parent business to Gone Newclear Productions, the values remain and they are what guide me personally and professionally.
They are:
- Community
- Respect
- Adventure
- Vojdaan (loosely translated from Persian as "conscientious")
- Energy (connection with a divine being)
You'll notice this forms the acronym, CRAVE. These are things that we as human beings crave as necessary for a living a purposeful life beyond mere survival.
I enjoyed recording these with Sana so much I want to play them for you on my Gone Newclear podcast feed. Listening to them will give you a chance to know me personally on a deeper level. You'll understand what motivates me to do what I do, whether it is producing a podcast for myself or a client, writing copy for a sales letter or email campaign, or performing on trumpet or with my voice.
**Important note: You'll notice Sana and I like to have fun when we do podcasts - especially then it's at each other's expense. It's what allows us to have a happy marriage, and provides some entertaining content for y'all to enjoy. So if you're the hard core, "no-nonsense" type who is looking for "key takeaways" or "value adds" or other such gimmicky fluff in your podcasts, you might not enjoy our content. So consider yourself warned ;)
Enjoy!
In early 2022, my wife Sana and I recorded a series of podcasts on the topic of the 5 core values of the name of my business, JNS Media. While I've renamed my parent business to Gone Newclear Productions, the values remain and they are what guide me personally and professionally.
They are:
- Community
- Respect
- Adventure
- Vojdaan (loosely translated from Persian as "conscientious")
- Energy (connection with a divine being)
You'll notice this forms the acronym, CRAVE. These are things that we as human beings crave as necessary for a living a purposeful life beyond mere survival.
I enjoyed recording these with Sana so much I want to play them for you on my Gone Newclear podcast feed. Listening to them will give you a chance to know me personally on a deeper level. You'll understand what motivates me to do what I do, whether it is producing a podcast for myself or a client, writing copy for a sales letter or email campaign, or performing on trumpet or with my voice.
**Important note: You'll notice Sana and I like to have fun when we do podcasts - especially then it's at each other's expense. It's what allows us to have a happy marriage, and provides some entertaining content for y'all to enjoy. So if you're the hard core, "no-nonsense" type who is looking for "key takeaways" or "value adds" or other such gimmicky fluff in your podcasts, you might not enjoy our content. So consider yourself warned ;)
Enjoy!
In early 2022, my wife Sana and I recorded a series of podcasts on the topic of the 5 core values of the name of my business, JNS Media. While I've renamed my parent business to Gone Newclear Productions, the values remain and they are what guide me personally and professionally.
They are:
- Community
- Respect
- Adventure
- Vojdaan (loosely translated from Persian as "conscientious")
- Energy (connection with a divine being)
You'll notice this forms the acronym, CRAVE. These are things that we as human beings crave as necessary for a living a purposeful life beyond mere survival.
I enjoyed recording these with Sana so much I want to play them for you on my Gone Newclear podcast feed. Listening to them will give you a chance to know me personally on a deeper level. You'll understand what motivates me to do what I do, whether it is producing a podcast for myself or a client, writing copy for a sales letter or email campaign, or performing on trumpet or with my voice.
**Important note: You'll notice Sana and I like to have fun when we do podcasts - especially then it's at each other's expense. It's what allows us to have a happy marriage, and provides some entertaining content for y'all to enjoy. So if you're the hard core, "no-nonsense" type who is looking for "key takeaways" or "value adds" or other such gimmicky fluff in your podcasts, you might not enjoy our content. So consider yourself warned ;)
Enjoy!
In early 2022, my wife Sana and I recorded a series of podcasts on the topic of the 5 core values of the name of my business, JNS Media. While I've renamed my parent business to Gone Newclear Productions, the values remain and they are what guide me personally and professionally.
They are:
- Community
- Respect
- Adventure
- Vojdaan (loosely translated from Persian as "conscientious")
- Energy (connection with a divine being)
You'll notice this forms the acronym, CRAVE. These are things that we as human beings crave as necessary for a living a purposeful life beyond mere survival.
I enjoyed recording these with Sana so much I want to play them for you on my Gone Newclear podcast feed. Listening to them will give you a chance to know me personally on a deeper level. You'll understand what motivates me to do what I do, whether it is producing a podcast for myself or a client, writing copy for a sales letter or email campaign, or performing on trumpet or with my voice.
**Important note: You'll notice Sana and I like to have fun when we do podcasts - especially then it's at each other's expense. It's what allows us to have a happy marriage, and provides some entertaining content for y'all to enjoy. So if you're the hard core, "no-nonsense" type who is looking for "key takeaways" or "value adds" or other such gimmicky fluff in your podcasts, you might not enjoy our content. So consider yourself warned ;)
Enjoy!
In early 2022, my wife Sana and I recorded a series of podcasts on the topic of the 5 core values of the name of my business, JNS Media. While I've renamed my parent business to Gone Newclear Productions, the values remain and they are what guide me personally and professionally.
They are:
- Community
- Respect
- Adventure
- Vojdaan (loosely translated from Persian as "conscientious")
- Energy (connection with a divine being)
You'll notice this forms the acronym, CRAVE. These are things that we as human beings crave as necessary for a living a purposeful life beyond mere survival.
I enjoyed recording these with Sana so much I want to play them for you on my Gone Newclear podcast feed. Listening to them will give you a chance to know me personally on a deeper level. You'll understand what motivates me to do what I do, whether it is producing a podcast for myself or a client, writing copy for a sales letter or email campaign, or performing on trumpet or with my voice.
**Important note: You'll notice Sana and I like to have fun when we do podcasts - especially then it's at each other's expense. It's what allows us to have a happy marriage, and provides some entertaining content for y'all to enjoy. So if you're the hard core, "no-nonsense" type who is looking for "key takeaways" or "value adds" or other such gimmicky fluff in your podcasts, you might not enjoy our content. So consider yourself warned ;)
Enjoy!
Whenever I tell someone in casual conversation I produce podcasts for a living, a lot of questions invariably arise. And for good reason because it's still kind of an unknown entity in our culture. I've also met many people who say they're interested in starting a podcast and want to pick my brain about it. The enthusiasm is definitely there, but they are overwhelmed with a seemingly endless list of tasks to complete before the idea can see the light of day.
Questions such as:
- Do I need sponsors?
- How do I get my podcast on Spotify?
- How long should my podcast be?
- Do I need to have guests?
- How do I find guests?
- Do I need sponsors?
- You mean people I don't know are actually going to listen to this? (Cue the music from Psycho)
Now, as one who has produced podcasts for myself and clients for 8+ years, I will say there is a lot of work involved in producing a decent podcast. So if you're considering getting into it, consider yourself warned. However, I believe if you understand the workload involved in producing a podcast, and more importantly can break the necessary tasks into a process, it is not only manageable but will soon be as natural as tying your shoes - assuming you wear shoes that are fit to be tied.
So in that spirit, I offer to you, dear podcast neophyte, the Two Essential Elements of a podcast. Once you understand this, you can begin to see how all the frills and accoutrements you see and/or hear on your favorite big-budget show with a small army of people working on it is mere window dressing.
Those two elements are: The Spoken Word, and the Written Word.
**Quick disclaimer. Yes, I'm aware that all podcasts have logos. You can't submit your show to Apple without one. What I'm talking about in this segment of the show is what is essential on an ongoing basis, meaning once the basic logo is done, what is needed to keep it moving forward. Customized graphics with an individual episode are nice and help a brand stand out, but are not essential for the show to be effective.
Spoken WordI begin with the Spoken Word. Perhaps you think this is the only essential element of a podcast since it is an audio show that you listen to at 2x speed while walking around the lake or folding your laundry. (That's actually a great way to listen to podcasts as the brain is capable of comprehending far more than we give it credit for, but I digress!)
I'll get into why the Written Word is just as essential as the Spoken Word, if not more so, in a moment, but let's discuss the spoken for now.
Let me ask a question, and the answer I give might be a surprise to you, but here we go?
What is the most important part of the Spoken Word? Believe it or not, the most important part of the Spoken Word is the times you're not even speaking!
This is something I learned from the great bassist Victor Wooten's book The Music Lesson. The way Victor put it is this: Imagine all the notes in a song (or words spoken for our purposes) were all played together with no space between them. It would be completely unintelligible. As Victor put it, nothing is what really makes the music! To correlate to the Spoken Word, it's what makes the biggest impact with our podcast.
Imagine a podcast where everything spoken is monotone, with no space between the words. Actually, it's not that difficult to imagine with AI bots explaining key scenes from The Godfather Part 2 on YouTube, so maybe we do have a point of reference. The point is a listener wouldn't make it past the first 60 seconds required for it to count as a download stat!
One must have soul and spirit in order for their words to persuade the listener you're worth listening to. Knowing when to have silence is far more important than knowing when to speak, or finding the right cadence and rhythm in our words.
When you're really in a groove when you're speaking on your show, it's like you're explaining something to your children. You're in that magical "flow state" and it seems like nothing can go wrong. Of course things do go wrong, but that simply adds a human element to the experience.
Now, this might seem like a shameless pitch for the podcast production services offered here at Podcast Artistry™, but hear me out. The spoken word is where a good podcast editor earns his or her bones. It's also why paying a few bucks for a good editor to go over your audio might not be a bad investment. A good editor is aware of this need for pacing, and more importantly, for silence at the most impactful moments. Knowing when to take out those awkward moments when either the host or guest is stalling for time with those "filler words" (um, uh, you know, etc.) $125 per episode is not chump change, I get it. But it's worth it when the finished product flows just the right way.
Written WordAs I've already said, the written word is right up there in importance with the spoken word, even if the product is technically an audio podcast.
Is it really? How will you persuade a casual browser on Spotify to check out your show on a whim? (That rarely happens by the way, you're much better off focusing on keeping your current audience engaged with your content, but I digress.)
How will you persuade a repeat listener to listen to another episode?
Sure there are the basic elements of the written word that are absolute minimum requirements to submit your show to a third party platform (TPP), such as a title, host, email address, etc. but we're talking about getting people to actually press the play button on your show, not just having it show up on Apple!
How about the title of your podcast. Think that's important? I may be wrong, but Gone Newclear with James D. Newcomb has more "oomph" than "James's Podcast". Then there's the tagline for your podcast logo, the copy for your show opening with either your voice or a hired voiceover. The questions you want to ask your guest.
You have the copy for the show notes. Sure you want solid SEO for your episode title, but what about something that really grabs the listeners you already have? Then a short but captivating description, maybe some highlights with time stamps, a brief resources section and a way to contact the guest.
It is quite a bit when you break it down, but breaking it down makes it oh so manageable with a process!
Something I love about my podcast host Captivate is the ability to create show notes "templates". At the click of a button I have a skeleton of an episode's show notes which I then fill with meat from the episode I'm editing. The "good enough" package here at Podcast Artistry™ includes the following with show notes: Title, description, time-stamped highlights, resources, call to action. Five basic elements yet are comprehensive and quite professional in appearance.
Note I'm not saying this to pitch our production services, I'm simply showing how important, yet how simple the written word really is.
The Third Essential ElementSo you see there are just two basic elements of a podcast, both of which can be broken down into their own processes and procedures in infinite, Lego-like fashion. But the most important element of any creative endeavor (and forgive the corny cliche), be it a podcast, a blog, a novel, a YouTube channel, or what have you is You. As I've stated many times in the various podcasts I've produced, and advise my own clients, Always model, never mimic. It's okay to use something that works for another podcaster as a starting point or frame of reference for your own show, and then make it your own. But nothing screams "INAUTHENTIC" more than someone copying the framework of what works for another person.
I've seen it happen so many times, and I've probably done it myself unconsciously. What these poor souls fail to realize is that this system and process works for Influencer X because it is tailored around the personality and tendencies of Influencer X, not them! Not to mention Influencer X actually does the work necessary for the system to generate results.
Are you going to stumble and fumble your way through your first few episodes? Of course. But you'll eventually find a cadence, a flow that suits you. It's a bit unnerving to stick your neck out a bit and do something your way, but it is deeply satisfying once you've actually done it.
The word "success" is pretty popular these days. With all of the opportunities to flaunt our lives on social media, or (ahem) podcasts, it's easy to focus on the great things going on. We want to exude a facade of success: happy kids, happy lives, everything is going great.
Until it's not.
My mom just shared with me a couple we both know are constantly sharing their amazing adventures with their children...and by the way have been divorced for 6 months.
Guess that didn't make it onto the Facebook feed.
We're so consumed with projecting our lives as "successful" we forget about the things that really matter. Things that may not get us on the cover of GQ or Vogue, but are all that matter when you're 85 years old, reflecting on the life that was.
In this episode, I share a few anecdotes on this faux success, real-life examples from my career as a professional musician, and end on a call to ditch those temporal successes and focus on the inner man.
I also have a special offer for you: An audio recording of a classic book titled Success and Failure by an English gentleman named Robert Horton. Click here to listen, or download for future listening: https://jamesdnewcomb.com/success-failure (I think I said the PDF is available, but sadly it's just the audio.)
Today I share a few thoughts I've had since recording last week's podcast on artificial intelligence (AI).
You could say I'm in favor of it, but in a way that's safe. There are definitely uses of it which are decidedly unsafe!
What are your thoughts on this? Am I on the right track? Am I batsh&t crazy? Let me know your thoughts at james@jamesdnewcomb.com.
The Machines are here, and they're not going anywhere. Permanently affecting the Sacred Winds of Dialogue for better or worse, it is incumbent on us to use the technology that best suits us and our businesses or however we might use it.
In this solosode, I share a few comments on Artificial Intelligence (AI) from the great John Lee Dumas, founder and host of the successful Entrepreneurs on Fire podcast, and Podcaster's Paradise group. John will also make an appearance on this show in late March or early April, so stay tuned for that.
I also share an interesting anecdote from another great podcaster, James Altucher, who had a funny (yet sad) experience being pitched to have an influencer of sorts as a guest on his own podcast.
I haven't taken a hard stance on what is proper when it comes to AI. I do use it to lighten the load on some of the more tedious elements of my work producing podcasts, but there's got to be a line somewhere as to what is helpful, and what is taking away from our natural creative abilities.
I'm sure there will be more to follow on the topic of AI on this show, this is hopefully the first of many discussions, so enjoy and send your thoughts to me via email: james@jamesdnewcomb.com.
P.S. The titles and show notes for the Gone Newclear podcast are organically created by a living, breathing creation of Almighty God, not some creepy chat bot.
To find out more about the service I use to produce my show, check out podcastartistry.com.
"Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray." --Rumi
Beth Peroutka had a seemingly unlimited future in front of her. Blessed with a musical upbringing, and an indomitable desire to succeed in whatever she did, she appeared to be on an unstoppable course to her dream gig with the "Pershing's Own" military band in Washington, D.C.
Of course, everyone feels unstoppable when they're young...
Beth played trumpet - a lot. Through high school, undergrad at the University of North Texas, graduate studies at Baylor University, and in her doctoral studies again at North Texas.
It's what she did.
And if you asked her, she probably would have told you it's who she was.
The pain in the lip began during the first year of doctoral studies. It would come and go intermittently, then gradually with more frequency and intensity in pain. Then one day during a symphony rehearsal, the pain seared through her face, going as far as underneath her eye. Her lip was the size of a golf ball; the bruising was extensive.
Beth's days as a trumpet player were effectively over.
Anyone in that situation would ask themselves, "What could I have done differently?"
Obviously not play so much. Maybe not play while teaching lessons; maybe pass on a few gig opportunities so you can get proper rest.
It's easy to be critical in hindsight, or from the sidelines.
What's not easy is to move on when everything you've done, everything that makes up your identity is no longer there.
Perhaps it was a quest to learn the precise physical issue behind her injury (to this day, its cause is unknown).
Perhaps it was a means of finding closure, of seeking a life full of the joy and fulfillment she once knew as a musician.
Whatever the case, Beth began a journey into the realm of nutrition, fitness and biochemistry. She eventually became a certified personal trainer, working out of her garage, helping her clients discover balance in their bodies, and in turn their lives.
Beth no longer mourns the abrupt end to her musical career. She's realized that whether she's playing a trumpet, or helping someone relieve pain in their lower back, she's on a big stage. The reward for performing on this stage is not the praise and adulation of paying patrons, nor from positive client testimonials.
It's being in sync with her Creator in body, mind and spirit, living her life in a way that He gives the thumbs up and says, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
In this conversation with Beth Peroutka, you'll hear:
-Beth's start on the trumpet...03:20
-Passionate, highly motivated and dedicated musician...07:00
-How the injury manifested itself to the point Beth could no longer play...12:00
-Coming to terms with the new reality...17:30
-Realizing what brings true fulfillment as a professional...24:45
-Practical fitness tips for everyday living...27:35
-What makes a successful life?...36:30
And much more...
Resources mentioned in this episode:Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell Esselstyn
549 Health and Wellness - Beth's personal training website
P.S. The titles and show notes for the Gone Newclear podcast are organically created by a living, breathing creation of Almighty God, not some creepy chat bot.
To find out more about the service I use to produce my show, check out podcastartistry.com.
Mentioned in this episode:
Podcast Artistry™
Think you don't have the time to do a podcast? You may not, but I do. See how a podcast can lift your business' credibility and authority in your market by booking a free 15 minute exploratory call today.podcastartistry.com
Podcast Artistry™
Things don't happen when we want them to, do they?
We're often told by the Universe, by way of our circumstances in life, to "get in line".
Wait your turn.
The results that are meant to happen will happen. But we need to worry about our mind, body, spirit; as well as our connection with our Creator, so that we can fulfill our purpose on this earth.
The ego wants us to rush the process, and the results speak for themselves when we do it that way.
In this solosode, I share a bit about our very long wait for Sana's immigrant visa to the U.S. to be approved, and a few insights to glean related to the "big picture" i.e. our Ikigai in life.
Mentioned in this episode:
Podcast Artistry™
Think you don't have the time to do a podcast? You may not, but I do. See how a podcast can lift your business' credibility and authority in your market by booking a free 15 minute exploratory call today.podcastartistry.com
Podcast Artistry™
**This is a replay of an episode of the Trumpet Dynamics podcast that was originally published in July 2021.
In 2021, I heard of a composer named Daniel Elder who has thus far survived an attempted career assassination.
His crime? A single Instagram post in the summer of 2020 that condemned the burning of the Nashville court house just a few blocks from where he resides.
Maybe the face masks were constricting oxygen with all that heat and smoke, and people couldn't think properly. Maybe we'll never know. Whatever the case may be, it got real ugly real quick.
Rob Soave gives a detailed account of how a single post on social media essentially ruined his promising career. Read about it here.
Daniel's story hit home for me because I've been the target of mob-like reaction to things I've said. The rhetoric is utterly senseless, and it's to the point that artists everywhere are terrified of one misstep ending their careers. This is what Rod Dreher of American Conservative calls "soft totalitarianism" in this article.
At any rate, when I heard Daniel's story, I felt compelled to reach out and lend my support and ask if I could perhaps interview him about his experience. He replied that he would prefer not to do spoken interviews, but he would be happy to do a written interview so as to think carefully about what he says.
Good thinking.
Add Daniel's experience to the ever-growing list of reasons to stay away from social media. Facebook, Twitter and the like are useful when used responsibly - but the end result seems to lead to the climate of fear Daniel experienced, and doubtless many folks who just want to provide for their families.
What follows is the written interview between myself and Daniel Elder. I highly encourage you to visit his website and send a note of support should you feel so inclined.
JN: Can you give an account of what happened from your perspective (specifically about the IG post and the ensuing backlash)? Were you at all known for being outspoken on issues such as race, current affairs, etc.?
DE: As a creative artist I have learned how to be especially sensitive to the human mind. It is crucial if I am to effectively communicate my messages through music. I had become increasingly disenchanted with social media over the past several years as I witnessed groupthink overtake the public discourse. Not just groupthink, but highly controlling, judgemental, and bullying behavior. Those engaging the most in this behavior hypocritically shouted the loudest about tolerance. These behaviors deeply disturbed me. However I had tried my best not to be public in my condemnation of toxicity online. I wasn't outspoken on political or social issues—I was fairly conservative in risking my public image. When I did criticize I usually took great care to be subtle.
The hysteria that washed over my social sphere and the larger populace following the George Floyd incident was a breaking point for me. For the first time I saw a frightening mob mentality of reckless, desperate abandon, played out especially in the violent acts of rioters all across the country. That buildings were burning in my own city was but an extra, acute reminder that it was all very real. In my music I have written warnings on mob mentality. I watched my instagram feed flood with posts and stories suggesting racists lay in wait around every corner. I saw this hysteria as a fatal step too far in the gradual advancement of illiberalism, especially toxic to my artistic field.
I chose to make my post not in a moment of weakness, but as an important message to my brothers and sisters—YOU ARE LOSING YOURSELVES. I crafted it carefully. I tried to be generous but firm. I strove to convey insight. I wanted to help. (I had conveyed to my wife that I was recklessly tempted to go downtown to try and put myself between the rioters and police, to risk my safety to deescalate the situation. She was my voice of reason. I restlessly stayed put.) My risky post was important enough to me that I didn't mind if I got pushback for my words. I didn't expect to go viral, however. That was a symptom of the very hysteria I observed—that at the time real activists lay in wait to slay any racist demons they perceived. As it turns out, I stepped right into their trap.
I didn't apologize because I deeply felt I had nothing to apologize for. Coerced public apologies unfortunately do very little to assuage the online mob. Additionally, I felt it vital not to empower this mob further by validating their accusations. However, I did explain myself in a three-page document I sent to my colleagues at GIA Publications and a couple close friends. With my consent one of these friends leaked it to a choral Facebook group for public exposure. I clearly outlined what I intended with my words as well as what I didn't intend, additionally including a warning about the dangers of cancel culture and mob mentality. It had no effect. The next day GIA, having read my explanation, nevertheless issued their public condemnation. After that single attempt to reason with the public, I chose not to parley further. I have no regrets about not apologizing. I felt it was not only the right thing to do, but was a vital thing to do.
JN: Good on you for seeing the futility of issuing an apology that is clearly not yours nor sincere. That no doubt would have made you appear weak in the mind of “the mob”, and more important would have compromised your own artistic integrity...
I was especially troubled by the reaction of GIA Publications. It seems fear ruled the day. Perhaps they felt their own business and reputation was in danger because of the backlash you were receiving. It’s very difficult to think rationally when your nervous system is on high alert like that.
What is your take on their reaction, motives, etc. Were you at all surprised when they more or less coerced you into doing this? What do you think they thought they had to gain by taking this action?
DE: Exactly—Fear did rule the day. I believe GIA felt tremendous pressure because the online mob, in entirely predictable fashion, was starting to call for boycotts of my employers. GIA rushed their statement through very quickly. It was the same behavior a couple other colleagues demonstrated—an eagerness to wash their hands of guilt by association as quickly as possible. In this period of time in our country, everyone was terrified of bloodthirsty activists. GIA's intentions were not malicious. But I wish they had chosen patience over panic; our relationship was a lucrative one.
JN: You make it sound as though the attack on you was organized to some degree. Do you have any insights on the level of coordination that was required to carry this out? And what would anyone stand to gain by taking down a composer of sacred music who until that moment had no history of social activism and kept his social profile on the DL?
DE: All this new activism is organized. "Call out culture" thrives on the strategy of individuals publicly amassing others to target someone ("hold them accountable"). The coordination isn't complex—it merely takes the right facebook post or tweet to be widely shared, perhaps with my email address or website contact page, and a call to action. From my perspective outside social media the attacks always came in concentrated volleys, and so I have always assumed they tend to arise from small pockets of social media activity like a single particular post.
As to your second point, that's the particularly twisted way activism has morphed in the present. When George Floyd died (mind you, there was never any proof of racial motive) many people immediately took as fact that "Officer Chauvin is racist" and "racism is everywhere," therefore "racists must be everywhere," and finally "we must find who the racists are." Overnight innocent people became suspect of hidden racism. With this logic it doesn't take someone actually having a track record of any misdeeds; it just takes them satisfying one wrong present criterion.
JN: It's easy to get caught up in the emotions of something like this, fancy one's self as a white knight of sort and play the role of peacemaker. But the reality that many don't understand is that when a mob gets worked up into a frenzy, it's almost impossible to reason with them.
What advice do you have for those who feel a need to be a voice of reason, on or off social media, but to do so in a way that encourages honest dialogue. And what should one do should they find themselves in a predicament similar to what you endured?
DE: First, I agree it's ineffective to combat an online mob. One is best off remaining consistent and calm, and to not engage in fighting the criticism. I chose to combat the mob merely by remaining silent (and leaving social media was a major aid in this). My lack of apology was the only statement needed. I feel that's often the most effective strategy.
Second, my advice to any inspired to be a voice of reason is this: stay respectful, be patient, but don't compromise. Obviously I don't speak of having a curious and open mind; I refer to those beliefs that are foundational to ourselves. Those are the ideas being threatened by the mob, and they mustn't be surrendered.
If anyone should find themselves in a similar predicament to mine, all I can offer is the simple but ardent promise that taking the harder path is worth it in the end.
JN: What avenues of sharing your music, making a living etc. have you discovered since all this went down a year ago?
DE: The only avenue I've discovered and pursued in this time is the blog page I've started on my website. It isn't making me money, and it isn't adding to my music catalogue. However, it's served as a vital way for me to communicate certain deep messages I otherwise can't, considering this past year's lack of performance opportunities. I've used my blog to share poetry, opine on the critical issues of our field, and speak of my deepest visions for my art.
I landed in particularly hot water with my essay advocating equality of opportunity, but I regret not a word. It's my humble attempt to nurture the health of the arts—even and especially when unpopular. You could say this blog has become my temporary artistic outlet while music hasn't been possible.
**Please forgive a bit of wind in the background. I did my best to shield the mic, but couldn't keep all of it out!
"The greatest overreaction in human history" is what I told my wife when the Covid-19 hysteria began to unfold in early 2020. Three years later, I stand by my words. Yet as we recover and attempt to move on with life, we can't allow ourselves to pretend it never happened. That would be convenient for the tyrants who exploited the pandemic for personal gain, wouldn't it?
In this short "walk and talk" episode recorded along the beach of the Atlantic Ocean, I share a few anecdotes from my own Covid experiences, and lessons learned from the ordeal.
Mentioned in this episode:
To follow and subscribe to the Gone Newclear podcast, head over to https://jamesdnewcomb.com/podcast.
Podcast website
"If you're going to live in Virginia Beach, you may as well live on Virginia Beach," I told myself when I first moved into a very nice apartment building literally 100 or so steps from the world-famous Virginia Beach Boardwalk.
It's a vibrant place to live, even in the winter months when tourist activity is low, and a walk along the ocean has become a staple of my morning routine.
I figure if I'm out walking, I may as well record something that's on my mind and share it with listeners of my show.
Thus was the "walk and talk" series founded in the Gone Newclear podcast feed.
Enjoy it!
Mentioned in this episode:
To follow and subscribe to the Gone Newclear podcast, head over to https://jamesdnewcomb.com/podcast.
Podcast website
Today I am replaying an interview that I did in early 2021 with Robert Borrelli. Robert was fully entrenched, rising up the ranks, so to speak, in the mafia, the Gambino crime family in the 1970's thru early '90's.
However, his lusts and impulses got the best of him. He got involved in drugs, and there's nothing that ever comes from being in addicted to drugs. Even the mafia rejected him, said that he was tainted goods. They didn't want anything to do with him. He ended up getting arrested by the federal officers and getting sentenced to a pretty long time in jail.
But in exchange for testifying against some of his colleagues in the mafia in New York, he got a reduced sentence and entered the federal Witness Protection Program. His book is his story of his downfall, and then in his words, being rescued by angels with guns, which were the federal marshals that arrested him.
And he became a faithful and devoted Christian while he was in prison. And now he lives a straight life. There's no other way to put it other than he just lives a wholesome great life and it's just a wonderful story.
We can find him on the web robertborrelli.com where you can purchase the book. And I actually had the pleasure of narrating his book, and that audiobook is for sale. You can go to my website https://jamesdnewcomb.com/audiobooks and there you'll see it.
Robert was very gracious to open up about part of his history that he would most likely just as soon forget. But if he's able to share things from his past that can perhaps, help others avoid some of the mistakes that he made, or perhaps inspire someone to get out of a hole just as he got out of a hole personally. I guess for him it's worth it, and that is noble in its own right.
And so with that, I will leave you with my conversation with Robert Borrelli.
In this discussion with Robert Borrelli, you'll hear:
-The reaction of Robert's friends in his new life when he mentions his mafia past...04:10
-"Angels with guns" mark the turning point in Robert's life...08:24
-Virtues found in the mafia lifestyle that are lacking in the "straight" lifestyle...14:00
-"Writing this book is going to be worth it because..."...18:40
-How Robert's experience as an inmate has inspired his ministry to the elderly...21:00
-The difficulty of choosing to testify against former mafia comrades...24:20
-The earthly pleasure most missed while incarcerated...28:27
-Robert's spiritual discipline practice...31:30
-Service to God skewed by personal (and sinful) biases...35:30
Resources mentioned:
The Witness: The Tale of the Life and Death of a Mafia Madman
The Witness in Audio Format
About the guest:
Robert Borelli was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1954, in the middle of the Gambino Crime Family neighborhood. As a young boy he quickly built a reputation as a little tough guy. Surrounded by real tough guys he began working for The Gambino’s by fourteen. By twenty he had two murder wraps and numerous arrests under his belt. He was being paraded around the neighborhood as the up and coming star of the feared Gambino Family, the same family which John Gotti would eventually bring into the main stream media and make a household name.
Over the next twenty-two years Robert fell hard into the mafioso lifestyle which involved money, crime, and drug addiction. In 1997, as a forty-four-year-old man, he found himself in jail, looking to serve ten to twenty years. With over 130 criminal charges against his name it was obvious he had become a career criminal. With no help from the Mob, or his friends life seemed hopeless.
Little did he know his story had just begun. In jail Mr. Borelli found redemption and a second chance. He discovered truth, faith and purpose like nothing he had ever experienced before. With a new outlook, on life, for the first time he decided to do right instead of wrong, to love instead of hate, to serve instead of take.
From there, Robert Borelli spent time studying the Word of God at both Criswell College and Christ for the Nations Institute. He gained some intense formal education in his newfound faith.
Mr. Borelli’s story baffles the mind and intrigues the hearts of all who hear it.
His passion and calling is to share his story as a preventive to those who are in similar situations, and encourage each of us to find the Truth about who we really are.
Today, as he tours around the world, he candidly, emotionally and passionately shares his life story with all who will listen.
For information contact robb@robertborelli.com
Podcasting is arguably the most powerful media available today for getting your message out there. It's accessible, it's relatively inexpensive, and perhaps most important, you don't need to fret about getting "cancelled" because you express an opinion not approved by Big Tech.
It's also overwhelming for the uninitiated at the very thought of doing it. Because let's face it; it is a lot of work if you want to do it right. And if you're not a business with a huge marketing budget, you probably don't have the funds needed to hire a professional producer (like your humble host) to do the lion's share of the work for you.
This is why I've created the Podcasting 0-60 program. I will show you the tips, tricks and hacks I've learned over 8 years in the business (and making my living producing podcasts) and will guide you through every aspect of the creation process so that you're up and running WITH YOUR VERY OWN PODCAST in 60 days or less!
It's not as difficult as you might think with the right training and coaching, and you won't break the bank getting started.
To learn more about how starting a podcast can improve your visibility and IMPACT in your market, visit podcasting0-60.com
In August 2019, I drove my son Gabriel to visit my brother and his family in Kentucky (they no longer live in KY being military family). Dave has two sons, and they both get along really well with Gabriel.
Now Kentucky is a 12-13 hour drive from my home in Virginia Beach, so even getting an early start it's a long, tiring day of driving. We ended up getting a later start than planned because of Gabriel's asthma acting up, which meant some treatments with the nebulizer, a quick doctor's visit, etc. But get going we did at about 1 pm.
I figured with such a late start I would drive 8 hours or so, then get an airbnb somewhere in West Virginia, then do the final 4 hours or so of driving to my brother's house. Since I'd been up since 5 am, it seemed like a sound plan.
So we made it to one of the towns in western West Virginia (kind of a mouthful, I know) where I had booked an Airbnb. We checked in, then went to Waffle House for some dinner.
It was at the Waffle House that I explained to Gabriel, then 5 years old, that we were going to spend the night in this town, then drive the rest of the way to see his cousins in Kentucky.
Gabriel was not going to hear anything of the sort. He had it made up in his mind that he was going to see his cousins that day, and that was that. He began sobbing at the very thought of staying at the place we had just visited that night, and not being able to see Evan and Aaron until the following morning.
I did my best to explain to him that daddy is very tired, that he needs his rest so he can drive the rest of the way to Kentucky, but I may as well have been talking to the hydrogenated food product melting on my waffle. It was falling on deaf ears.
He then said something that was so dang cute, mere words on the iPhone screen you're reading this email can never do it justice.
In between sobs, and pleading with me to not spend the night where we were, he said, "Daddy, you're not doing your best!"
We ended up driving to Kentucky that night, got in about 1:30 am.
How do you refuse a 5 year old child who simply will not be denied waking up the next morning and playing games with his cousins?
Short answer: You don't.
My son taught me an important lesson there in that Waffle House. No matter how much I've done, I can always do more to finish the job.
Of course I could have put my foot down and said we're done driving for the day. He would have gone to sleep just fine, we would have arrived mid morning the next day and all would have been well. In fact, Gabriel today at 8 years old probably wouldn't be so insistent on arriving in Kentucky that night. That's just the personality he had at that stage of his life.
It was one of those precious moments a father is given for a happy memory, and also a life lesson to pass onto others.
Doing just a little bit more than is expected for our Podcast Artistry™ clients is what keeps me motivated to continue doing it. It's kind of the magic of a service-based business; you can always personalize it, make it something only you would do. Kind of like those Far Side cartoons I mentioned the other day. There are about a kajillion cartoons out there, but there's only one Far Side; and its got legions of berserker fans to show for it.
If you or someone you know is looking to get their name and/or message out into the inter webs, podcasting is a great way to do it, and we've got space for just a few more clients before we need to close the doors for an unspecified period of time.
To learn more about what we have to offer, check us out: podcastartistry.com
**This is a portion of an episode originally recorded with my wife Sana and published on the Ba Vojdaan podcast feed in September 2022.
What hill are you willing to die on?
You've probably heard that phrase used in various ways. And it means something that is so important to you, so vital to you that well, quite frankly, you are willing to, as the founding fathers of America said, sacrifice your life, your fortune and your sacred honor for this principle or for this ideal, for this thing that you believe wholeheartedly.
The hill you're willing to die on should be the core theme of your podcast, your message, anything you do in life.
Because I guarantee you're probably among the only people on the planet who feel the same way you do about that issue.
Others have their own "hill" they're willing to die on, you have yours. Own that hill, and let others follow you!
Mentioned in this episode:
To follow and subscribe to the Gone Newclear podcast, head over to https://jamesdnewcomb.com/podcast.
Podcast website
**This interview was originally recorded and published for the Trumpet Dynamics podcast feed (owned and hosted by Yours Unruly in July 2022.
Steve Baker is a good friend of mine. We actually met when I played trumpet in his band Bull City Syndicate in the 2017-18 timeframe when I lived near Raleigh, NC.
Steve is a terrific trumpeter, and an all-around savant when it comes to business and even politics. He built from the ground up a massive following called The Pragmatic Libertarian, although these days he calls himself The Pragmatic Constitutionalist.
Steve and I recorded this podcast in July 2022, a year or so after we recorded a podcast where he dove deep into how the horrific pandemic lockdowns affected his music business to the point of being one cancellation away from bankruptcy.
What you'll hear in this episode:
-What the music business looks like in the post-covid aftermath...05:55
-Face mask compliance affected by tribal identity...13:00
-Money scarcity affects how many musicians are employed...16:25
-Steve's founding origins as a trumpeter and entrepreneur...19:00
-Working with the underground resistance in the Soviet Union...27:34
-Guilt dreams lead to picking up the trumpet again at age 39, after a ten-year layoff...31:23
-How you come to "own" a band...34:20
-The biggest mistake musicians make when they take the entrepreneurial leap...40:20
-Finding motivation to persevere when the money runs out...45:41
-Chasing the storm, and pursuing your passion to find success as a musicpreneur...52:41
-A first-hand account of the January 6 event at the U.S. Capitol building you won't hear on Fox News...58:46
-Plus whatever your discerning ears deem worthy of your time and interest...
Resources mentioned:
-Living Sound - the band Steve played in right after high school
-Pakhmutova trumpet concerto, performed by Timofei Dokschitzer (great listen!)
-Paid the Cost to Be the Boss, James Brown song
-thepragmaticconstitutionalist.locals.com
**This interview was originally recorded and played on the Trumpet Dynamics podcast feed in June 2021.
Steve Baker is a dynamic performer, amazing trumpet player, great singer, just a terrific all-around performer and stage presence. It was a treat to share the stage with him for a short time when I lived in the Raleigh/Durham area, and I learned a lot about being a showman and seeing the value of entertainment and knowing how to carry a crowd. And if I were to really examine my own music or my podcasting career, I would say that I've learned a lot or I've applied a lot of the things that I learned from him while with the Bull City Syndicate.
Steve was among the sector of society most affected by the covid pandemic: the live entertainment industry.
You don't do wedding receptions via Zoom, right?
So when everything shut down, he was hit hard, and was forced to adjust fire, as they say.
In this episode, Steve will share how the lockdowns affected him, and how he changed his priorities - and even discovered a calling in life he may not have heard without it.
In this conversation with Steve, you'll hear:-The initial reaction to the pandemic and lockdowns...05:32-The toughest thing to deal with regarding the lockdowns...12:43-A contrarian view to the virus and the government's reaction to it...17:46-Worshipping at the First Church of Covid...23:05-How our resilience and response to adversity changes as we age...30:51-How others within Steve's world have responded to the pandemic...46:15-The true story of how Steve got "fact-checked" by a Hollywood gossip columnist...55:40Resources mentioned:-Bull City Syndicate
-The Pragmatic Constitutionalist website
-Trumpet Dynamics podcast w/ Beth Peroutka
My wife Sana and I got married in Taipei, Taiwan in January 2020. When we met, I lived in Virginia Beach, VA, and Sana in Ecopark, just outside Hanoi, Vietnam.
So you know there's got to be a story behind how we met, right?
Well, there is, but the true story is so fantastic, most people simply don't believe it. So for the sake of expedience, and avoiding unnecessary strife among our fellow man, we simply tell inquiring souls, "We met online."
Technically, that's true. I mean, our first interaction was via email, then FaceTime, so it's not untrue to say we met online, but it's time we tell the world the REAL story of how James and Sana met.
It really is an unbelievable story, and we forgive you if you're skeptical upon hearing it.
**We're privileged to welcome my son Gabriel as a special guest in this episode, which was originally published on the Ba Vojdaan podcast feed in November 2022.
Like anything, it has positive and negative connotations. It really depends on the motivations and intentions of the person or people using it!
If you're merely interested in something, you'll do what is convenient for you.
If you're committed to something, you'll do whatever it takes to make it happen.
Today I share with you a short post I wrote a year or so ago about the biblical story of Jesus healing a paralytic after his friends opened up the roof of the house and lowered him down to be healed.
That's real commitment, doing whatever it takes to get what the man needed!
From Luke 5:17-26.
Let me tell you a story...
In May 2021, I was in the car with my wife Sana. I was literally ready to retire from trumpet playing, really having anything to do with the trumpet. In my mind, it was something that I had done and I had done it well, and I'd done some cool things.
But it appeared to me at the time that my life was going on a different trajectory, and trumpet was not a part of it. That's what I was thinking while my wife and I were traveling in a cab to a mall in Hanoi, Vietnam.
I had told her that I was going to quit and I was done.
And she said, "Well, James, I think that you should continue with it."
And I said, "I would have to have a really good reason to do that."
And she said, "I'm your wife. Isn't that reason enough?"
Well, that's a good point. If your wife says that you should do something, you do it for her. So I decided that I'm going to continue to play it. And if I'm going to do it, then I'm going to do it the very best that I can with the time and resources that I have at my disposal. And I'm just going to make the absolute best of it because that's really the way that you should approach anything.
So that was, I think, in May of 2021, and I believe it was just a couple of weeks later, I had been sleeping and woke up in the morning and just this word was in my mind that it was this word that was in my mind when I woke up, it was Ikigai.
Now I am not an expert on Ikigai. In fact, I had heard the word just once or twice listening to one of my podcast production clients, Ben Greenfield, who has mentioned that word a couple of times. That was really my only exposure to the word to that point. But there I was, I woke up and there was this word on my mind.
And it wasn't just a passing thought. It was really pressing on me. And so I went onto my smartphone and I opened up Amazon and just typed in Ikigai. I want to know more about that.
One of the first listings on Amazon was a book that was written by my guest on today's show: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life
I read the book thoroughly enjoyed it. And I thought, you know, if I have a platform such as a podcast, people should know about not just about the concept of Ikigai, they should also know the person who has written about it extensively. And so I just reached out and said, "Hey, loved your book, want to do a podcast?"
And he said, yeah, absolutely.
I just love stories like that. How things just kind of come together. They seem on the surface that they may be random, but I really don't believe that I don't believe in random meetings or random events like that.
It's just a real pleasure to bring onto the show, the author of Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, Hector Garcia.
In my conversation with Hector, you'll learn:-What is an ikigai?...05:40* Life and "worthwhile" * Not limited to humans * "That thing that makes you look forward to waking up in the morning"
-Why Hector is more interested in the word ikigai becoming famous than himself...-How ikigai is understood by different cultures...10:42* A compass
-Good resistance vs. bad resistance...15:00-How Hector discovered his own ikigai...19:00-How to pursue your ikigai without making reckless decisions for you and your family...25:02-Why a "real job" may be the exactly what you need to be a successful musician...28:10-Increase your productivity while working in a state of "flow"...30:50-What makes Japan so special?...37:45-And much more!Resources mentioned:Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life
Steal Like an Artist
A little bit about Yours Truly, and what drives me to produce this podcast, along with shows for ordinary folks like you and me!
Sarry Ibrahim founded Financial Asset Protection after learning about the Infinite Banking Concept (also known as the Bank On Yourself Concept). He saw this as an opportunity to save retirement accounts, real estate properties, and businesses from market failures and other risks. Sarry believes the number 1 rule to your money is to make sure it lives somewhere safe and accessible.
As Sarry states when working with clients “it is never an either/or situation, it is a both/and situation. We want you to integrate the solutions we recommend alongside your business and real estate portfolio to have a double-compounding effect on your money.”
In this episode with Sarry Ibrahim, you'll discover:
-Sarry's backstory and becoming a financial wiz...02:00
-The #1 stressor for Americans when it comes to money...04:28
-Reconciling our expectations regarding quality of life vs. exponentially rising cost of living...05:15
-Popular streams of passive income (that are not related to real estate)...07:40
-The criteria Sarry uses to decide whether or not he'll invest in a product/service...11:10
-How to "think like a bank" and create generational wealth without making a bunch of nameless, faceless bankers rich...15:00
-Challenges in reframing our thinking regarding finances and money...17:50
-Sarry's advice for Sana, who's just arrived in the United States, to make her mark in the American economy...22:00
-And much more!
Resources mentioned:
thinkinglikeabank.com
Today's short episode is an excerpt from my upcoming book, Podcast Artistry: It's Not Your Show, It's Your Legacy.
The interesting thing about visualization is that the brain doesn't know reality from what's in your head - if you do it right that is.
Mistakes are going to happen; it's a given. Rather than fear them, embrace them. Even better, get them out of the way in your mind so that when you're in the real deal interview, you're as prepared as possible!
(More info will be shared re: the Podcast Artistry book soon; keep an eye on this podcast feed by subscribing for announcements.)
Welcome to the show!
In this brief introductory episode, I'll share a few of my thoughts on this show, the purpose and meaning of it, and what you can expect from it moving forward.
I recently joined an accountability/mastermind type group that's hosted within the "School of Life" which was founded by my friend and in many ways mentor, Tom Woods.
In the group where we have meetings I got acquainted with a fellow podcaster named Brian O'Leary. Brian took it upon himself to interview 100 members of Tom's School of Life, and so he reached out to me to see if I'd be game for an interview.
Of course I am, I replied, and so we set up a time and got it done. I thought I would share our conversation on this podcast feed as it gives you dear listeners a chance to get to know your humble host a little bit deeper, and also learn a bit about my own philosophy when it comes to podcasting, publishing, building a personal brand and more!
In this episode with "guest" interviewer Brian O'Leary, you'll discover:
-Be serious, but don't take yourself too seriously...03:12
-James' journey to the Tom Woods camp...04:30
-Spontaneous sparks lighting the fires of freedom...07:00
-James' journey into the realm of digital publishing...09:15
-Why SEO is a waste of time...11:00
-How James got into podcasting in 2015...14:30
-James' experience leaving the military as a conscientious objector...16:00
-Describing the Ba Vojdaan podcast...19:45
-How podcasters make money with podcasting...21:30
-The future of the Ba Vojdaan podcast...26:30
-Opinions of others are the downfall of a personality-based brand...28:30
-Monetize your haters? or just let them have a bad day...32:15
-How James has made his living in the podcasting field...35:45
-YOU are the product...40:40
Resources mentioned:
The O'Leary Review
Ben Greenfield Life
General MacArthur's Farewell Address at West Point
Podcast Artistry™
Trumpet Dynamics
JNS Media
Ba Vojdaan Podcast
I first heard of Bitcoin around the time it was first gaining steam, circa 2010ish. I guess due to certain circles where I spent my time and education, it was only natural that it would come up in conversation. While it remained mysterious, I was brave enough to invest a bit of my own USD into Bitcoin in the 2013 timeframe, and have kept up with it somewhat through the years.
What attracted me to the Bitcoin "craze" at that time was how people who's opinion I respect explained that it's not an investment opportunity - as most folks think of it today - but it actually mimics the most sound forms of money in many ways.
Now with the recent revelations of the FTX scandal, Bitcoin is in the news more than ever. And while it's for all the wrong reasons, I wanted to bring on to the show someone who is informed on the right reasons to "invest" in Bitcoin. I use the quotes around the word invest because it's not a typical investment where you put a certain amount of government-issued currency then gain a return on it after a period of time.
It's actually much more complex (or simple?) than that.
Bitcoin is a means of exchange to pay for stuff that circumvents governments entirely.
Wesley Schlemmer of the Bitcoin Bay joins us on today's episode to explain the basics of Bitcoin, the Blockchain, the basics of sound money and more. While the fallout from the FTX misdeeds will be felt for some time, the upside is that Bitcoin is on people's minds, and we have an opportunity to learn about it, and learn how to do it the way the creators of Bitcoin intended it to be used in the first place!
In this episode, you'll discover:
-Wesley's personal background and becoming familiar with crypto...01:15
-Cypher Punks and a short history of Bitcoin (Hint: It's not an investment opportunity!)...03:45
-What is the Blockchain, and what is its relation to cryptocurrency?...14:15
-What is sound money, and what makes Bitcoin a sound form of exchange?...19:20
-
Three primary characteristics
-
Medium of exchange
- Store of value
-
Unit of account
-
Qualities of sound money
-
Durable
- Fuingle
- Divisible
- Portable
- Scarce
-How Bitcoin promotes self-responsibility..27:00
-What the heck happened with FTX, and what can we learn from it?...31:00
-How to get into the Bitcoin game, and the proper reasons for doing so...37:38
Resources mentioned:
Bitcoin Bay website
Cypherpunk Manifesto
Info about blockchain wallets Wesley mentions
The Bitcoin Standard
Muun Bitcoin Wallets
Bisq
Terms mentioned:
Blockchain
Litecoin
Ethereum
Block Chimes
Cypher Punks
Panopticon
Difficulty of Adjustment
Privacy v. Secrecy
Hal Finney
Blocksize Wars
BTC Token v. Network
Unit of Account
SAT's (not a pre-college test)
Stock to Flow Ratio
Seed Phrase
