Episode 131
How to Channel Your Inner Rock Star with G. Wright
When you see a performer at the top of their game, killing it from the stage, looking effortless in their ability - it can be easy to forget the hours, weeks and years of practice that went into that performance.
Did you know that Beyonce and her team rehearsed for 8 months for a 1.5 hour Coachella performance? This is what rock stars do. They practice, a lot.
Want to channel your inner rock star?
Listen in as I talk with G Wright, a Producer & Media Trainer at All Things Relax Studios, who has worked with rock stars, publicity departments, publicists, & record labels gaining insight into what performers do before they go on stage.
Drink of the week:Rockstar Cocktail
If you liked what you heard today, please leave a review and subscribe to the podcast. Also, please remember to share the podcast to help it reach a larger audience.
Julie Brown:
G Wright
Transcript
In 2010, Adam Levine and Christina Aguilera had us all singing out
Speaker:our car windows declaring that we had the moves like Jagger.
Speaker:Now take a moment and imagine what your company or your career would look
Speaker:like if you really did have moves like Jagger, if you had rockstar moves.
Speaker:Welcome to episode 1 29 of This Shit Works, a podcast dedicated to
Speaker:all things networking, relationship building, and business development.
Speaker:I'm your host, Julie Brown, and today I am joined by g.
Speaker:A former tour manager and sound engineer with over 25 years in the
Speaker:music business to teach us all how we can channel our inner rockstar.
Speaker:Welcome to this shit Works Your Weekly No Nonsense guide to networking your way
Speaker:to More friends, more adventures, and way more success with your host, Julie Brown.
Speaker:Here we go.
Speaker:As a tour manager, G worked with many publicity departments, publicists, and
Speaker:record labels to prepare artists and lead singers for media interviews for 25 years.
Speaker:G had a front row seat at these interviews and performances, gaining insight to what
Speaker:performers did before they went on stage.
Speaker:And now he's sharing these proven tips and techniques so that you can
Speaker:use these rockstar moves to promote yourself, your business, your book,
Speaker:your product, or your company, whatever it is you've got going on.
Speaker:Gee, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker:Thank you, Julie.
Speaker:Thank you for having me.
Speaker:I'm excited to be here.
Speaker:I'm excited to have you as well.
Speaker:I think the first question probably you get in every interview is how
Speaker:did you start in the music industry?
Speaker:Well, ever since I was five years old, I wanted to be a radio dj.
Speaker:So I used to pretend I was a DJ with my Mickey Mouse record player, and
Speaker:I played my mom's Barry Manilow and Carpenters and Beatles records, and
Speaker:I scratched a few of those, but.
Speaker:I was going down this path of being a radio dj.
Speaker:Then at 16, I actually became a commercial radio DJ for a top 40 radio station.
Speaker:So I was gonna follow in the footsteps of my hero, Casey Kasum.
Speaker:And then when I turned 18 and I graduated high school, I went on the road with a
Speaker:U S O type tour performing at Veterans Hospitals all throughout the country.
Speaker:And while we were on tour, I ended up sneaking into a Whitney Houston show.
Speaker:Meeting her tour manager.
Speaker:And watching the show from front of house while her front of house
Speaker:engineer was mixing the show.
Speaker:And at the time I was a front of house engineer as well for, you
Speaker:know, a much smaller production.
Speaker:But you know, Julie, when he put the headphones on me and I heard Whitney's
Speaker:vocal in my ears, I was like, this is it.
Speaker:This is what I'm doing.
Speaker:That's it.
Speaker:It was the crossroads and there was no, no choice.
Speaker:I was gonna be, you know, go on the road with bands.
Speaker:I'm gonna mix sound, I'm gonna be a tour manager, and I'm
Speaker:gonna go all over the planet.
Speaker:And that's what I did for over 25 years.
Speaker:How do you go from saying, this is what I'm going to do to
Speaker:actually doing it, because those are two very different things.
Speaker:the first thing that the tour manager and front of house engineer told me is that
Speaker:before you do anything, you need training.
Speaker:You need to understand everything about how sound works.
Speaker:You need to understand how this equipment works.
Speaker:You need to understand acoustics and different rooms and things.
Speaker:So you need to go to school to get this.
Speaker:So I went to a recording school in Orlando called Full Sale and went through their
Speaker:program and my very first gig out was working at Dollywood with Dolly Parton.
Speaker:Yes, I was.
Speaker:I was mixing a live band, 14 singers and dancers, full band.
Speaker:Everything was live.
Speaker:There was no tracks, no memorex back then, and I was doing
Speaker:that like seven shows a day.
Speaker:So I say the first thing if somebody wants to do something is get to training.
Speaker:Of what you wanna do and then put yourself in a position of
Speaker:where you do that every day.
Speaker:Because those five shows, seven shows on weekends at Dollywood is really where
Speaker:I learned my chops of how to mix sound.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I couldn't just walk up to a board like Whitney Houston had or any, any artist at
Speaker:that level and say, I'm gonna mix a show.
Speaker:You have to start not at the bottom necessarily, but you have
Speaker:to start, you have to be realistic.
Speaker:What education you have, what experience you have, and there's
Speaker:nothing better than just deciding to do it and then do it every day.
Speaker:So if, like, if you're a coach starting a business, it's one
Speaker:thing to say, I wanna do this.
Speaker:It would be great if I could do this.
Speaker:It's another thing to say, I'm a coach, I'm getting a training, this is what I
Speaker:do, and every day I'm just doing one step closer and closer to learning the craft.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's funny when you first started talking about listening to your mom's
Speaker:records, I like, I immediately started thinking of the records that I would
Speaker:listen to cuz you know, I'm of the age where we had records record player.
Speaker:Yes, yes.
Speaker:And so mine was Jay Gil's band.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:I would sneak that and listen.
Speaker:Cause I always thought it was so, I always thought it was so like adult because.
Speaker:The name of the album was Piss on the Wall or something like that.
Speaker:And I used to take it and like, and like snicker and then
Speaker:it was always Neil Diamond.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Like it was those two that I would listen to.
Speaker:And then if I went to my Nana's house, my nana was of a different era.
Speaker:She always listened to musicals.
Speaker:So like I remember the one record she would play over and over again
Speaker:was Man of Lamancha like, so like somewhere in the recesses of my brain,
Speaker:I know all the words to that record.
Speaker:I wanna get into, so now we know your history, you've mm-hmm.
Speaker:, you've had 25 years of watching amazing performers.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:on stage and also in the interview setting.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Let's talk about on stage first.
Speaker:What did you observe that the best performers did to
Speaker:connect with their audience?
Speaker:The very first thing that they did was create their content,
Speaker:write their songs, and create.
Speaker:What is the emotion that they want the audience to feel?
Speaker:So we would rehearse.
Speaker:For days and weeks and months in, in these, uh, um, you know, sound
Speaker:stages and rehearsal studios.
Speaker:And they would perform the show like they're playing in front of 10,000 people,
Speaker:even though there's nobody in there.
Speaker:Maybe the manager, the agent, somebody from the record label a publicist or
Speaker:something, but they would go out there on stage and we had training for them.
Speaker:There's people out there that teach 'em how to hold microphones, how to.
Speaker:You know, when you're, you're playing your guitar e everything.
Speaker:I don't wanna take away from band performance, but I will say that a lot
Speaker:of it is choreographed, especially when you're dealing with bigger productions.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, because sound needs to know what the artist is gonna do.
Speaker:Lighting needs to know, you know, when this guitar solo,
Speaker:the guitarist goes stage.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So the lighting is focused that way.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So it really gets into.
Speaker:Long before the audience ever sees a performance, there's a ton of rehearsal.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, and they have to, and this is what we talk about with rockstar, is they really
Speaker:step into their power and channel.
Speaker:They're in a rockstar even when there's nobody in the room.
Speaker:Even when there's nobody there yet.
Speaker:And it's repetition.
Speaker:Yeah, and it's learning the songs and it's going over and
Speaker:it's talking to the audience.
Speaker:Like, and I tour with some pretty big pop acts and they, in an empty
Speaker:arena, they have to pretend or imagine that there's 30, 40,000 people
Speaker:there and perform like they are.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And we would rehearse, you know, mistakes like in the middle of a, a pre-production
Speaker:rehearsal, the manager goes mute their in.
Speaker:I had a pop group that was singing in, in vocal harmony, and he
Speaker:is like, mute their in ears.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:While they're singing and, and they're not, no one's in the
Speaker:audience and this isn't a show.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, this was a test to see what happens if all of a sudden they're in ears
Speaker:that you know, the hearing aids.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:are things they have in their ears now everyone has in-ears with the AirPods.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:. But back then, if the in-ears go out, what are they gonna.
Speaker:You're on stage in front of 30,000 people and your iners go out, what do you do?
Speaker:Do you run off stage or do you continue mm-hmm.
Speaker:. So it's going through that rehearsal part.
Speaker:And like I said before, the repetition is really how it comes down.
Speaker:So by the time the audience sees them, they have that swagger, like
Speaker:Jagger, you know, , they have that.
Speaker:Gens, aqua the X factor.
Speaker:They have that and the audience is like, wow, that's amazing.
Speaker:Well, it didn't just happen, right?
Speaker:It takes a lot of practice, so I can easily.
Speaker:Make the transition from what you're saying into what I'm doing cuz I am a
Speaker:professional speaker, so I'm on the stage.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:So I practice with no one there.
Speaker:I ask questions to an audience that doesn't exist.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:I pause for laughter because I think what I said was just funny, but yes.
Speaker:What if what you do for a living doesn't include a stage, it
Speaker:doesn't include an audience.
Speaker:How can we translate that into maybe, An office environment, a
Speaker:boardroom, maybe perhaps interviewing.
Speaker:So, oh, how can we make that transition into the business world?
Speaker:That's a great question, and Julie, I think it really comes
Speaker:down to, if you look at every time you perform as a show mm-hmm.
Speaker:whether you go on social media, you're talking to your audience.
Speaker:If you're standing in front of a crowd and given a presentation, that's a show.
Speaker:If you're on a podcast like today mm-hmm.
Speaker:, that's a.
Speaker:So if you take that professional approach that every time you present
Speaker:yourself and your message to your audience, that's a show, then you
Speaker:can use the same, you know, tools and techniques that the rock stars use.
Speaker:Because here's the thing, when you're performing, it doesn't really matter
Speaker:how big your audience is, right?
Speaker:You just want to connect with that one person.
Speaker:. So even if you're going on social, like I, I refer to it in Rockstar as one way.
Speaker:You're on IG Live and you're talking to your followers.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But there's not really interaction coming back.
Speaker:That's a show.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:. Now the thing to remember is just because it's a show doesn't mean you
Speaker:have to put all this pressure and perfection on, but it's just like a show.
Speaker:The more you do it, the better you get at it.
Speaker:And that's what we cover in Rockstar with the set list.
Speaker:And we can talk more about that.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:As well.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That was gonna be my next question, because.
Speaker:I used to go see a lot of live music.
Speaker:I don't as much.
Speaker:Maybe I'm midlife, I don't know, but I just don't go see
Speaker:as, as much music as I used to.
Speaker:But you would always wonder what the set list would be.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:And so I think people might not understand like, Every group, individual,
Speaker:singer, performer, gets on and knows exactly what they're gonna do.
Speaker:And we've covered that.
Speaker:It's repetition.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:. Mm-hmm.
Speaker:. It's a show.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:. So what is the importance of a sentence list to a musician or a musical group?
Speaker:And then how can we create a set list?
Speaker:And I'm using air quotes here for people who are listening.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:A set list in our everyday light.
Speaker:Is it an everyday thing?
Speaker:Is it a weekly thing?
Speaker:Like let's dive into.
Speaker:So the set list for musicians performing are the songs that
Speaker:they're gonna perform in the order.
Speaker:Mm-hmm and for everybody on the crew.
Speaker:That's where you get your cues from.
Speaker:And sometimes it's a different set list, every show a lot.
Speaker:It's a lot of times it might be the same, but it's always like decided right before
Speaker:the show and then everybody on the crew has it because the lighting crew has cue.
Speaker:So when this song comes up and they, they start that scene, that's when all
Speaker:the lights go in the audience, and then the guitars, you know, the lead singer,
Speaker:the stool pops out on stage mm-hmm.
Speaker:, and there's another mic and an acoustic guitar, and the guitarist
Speaker:sits down and starts strumming, and the lights are perfect and everything.
Speaker:Well, that's all planned and that's all part of the set list.
Speaker:So in the professional world, it's the order of the songs that you're
Speaker:gonna perform in all the product.
Speaker:What we're talking about with rockstar and the set list is this is a list of
Speaker:stories that you have that you can share.
Speaker:Just like that story I shared with you at the beginning about how
Speaker:I started out as a radio DJ and the Whitney story and all that.
Speaker:That's part of the set list.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:So when someone says, tell me about yourself and what do you do, if you have
Speaker:this set list, I can show it to you.
Speaker:I know it's on video here.
Speaker:Yeah, no.
Speaker:Of all the different stories.
Speaker:That you can, and this isn't a script, that's the thing.
Speaker:We we're not opposed to it, but we don't teach our band members,
Speaker:our clients how to use a script.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, because we find with a script you have to memorize and then you're
Speaker:like, did I say the right thing?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So it's a set list of stories like, so why do you do what you do?
Speaker:Who do you help?
Speaker:This is what we refer to as the top five.
Speaker:You know, how are you different than other people?
Speaker:What is really your story, your transformation, your hero's
Speaker:journey, you know, so if someone says, how'd you get your start?
Speaker:Rather than, I mean, the key with this set list is it's not a resume and it's
Speaker:not LinkedIn , and I think you might see this like, whoa, I started here and I
Speaker:did this, and I did this and did this.
Speaker:Take all that, that, that's fine.
Speaker:Let's craft that into a story.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:of, when I was young, I always knew I wanted to be in business.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I had a lemonade stand or whatever.
Speaker:It has to be authentic to the person.
Speaker:It has to be true.
Speaker:You know, we're not mm-hmm.
Speaker:making up stories.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And then when you share that story with people, they connect more.
Speaker:So it's not the order of like every interview, you're
Speaker:gonna say the same thing.
Speaker:It's really just stories.
Speaker:And what's great about the set list is it's catered
Speaker:specifically to each show, right?
Speaker:Every interview you do, you can have different points that you bring out, and
Speaker:that's what we cover with the set list.
Speaker:So how does that list of stories, why we do what we do?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, like if I was even thinking back, I was like, well, geez, when I was a little kid,
Speaker:yeah, I was gregarious and outgoing, but I didn't know that that was gonna translate
Speaker:into talking to people on stages about not being afraid to talk to other people.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:So there's a little bit of a digging in there, but say it's somebody who's
Speaker:listening to this podcast, just they work in an office and they have colleagues,
Speaker:like what does the set list do?
Speaker:Situation.
Speaker:When you work in an office environment, we always teach the power of three.
Speaker:Okay?
Speaker:So if you're gonna give any examples of who you work with, what you do, how
Speaker:you're different, only use three examples.
Speaker:And if you look at amazing public speakers, people like Oprah
Speaker:or Obama or Brene Brown, they do this seamlessly when they.
Speaker:You don't have to come out and say, I'm gonna give you
Speaker:three points, number 1, 2, 3.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, because then the audience kind of loses interest and is like looking for
Speaker:a pen and well, what was number two?
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:But you go out with three points.
Speaker:So if you are given a presentation in the office that you're getting
Speaker:in front of the boardroom, you should have three objectives and
Speaker:focus on those objectives, okay.
Speaker:Of what, what you want.
Speaker:Narrow it down to three.
Speaker:and then with your set list you can focus on, okay.
Speaker:Are you talking about like, uh, human resources?
Speaker:If it's something like that, then you wanna share a story.
Speaker:Maybe you're gonna share a success story of a new hire to make that point
Speaker:go in that we need to hire more people.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, you know what I mean?
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Like if, if you're given projections and you're doing.
Speaker:Boring PowerPoint and you know, the fourth cube four went four, 4.8% up and all that.
Speaker:If you tie it into a story, I mean, look at Richard Branson.
Speaker:If you look at anytime Richard Branson talks, he talks in visuals.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:and Oprah talks in visuals.
Speaker:So you can take.
Speaker:The most boring or mundane information that you have to present.
Speaker:And if you present it in a nice story mm-hmm.
Speaker:, and it doesn't have to be like, back in my childhood, this is
Speaker:how I learned how to make money.
Speaker:You know, , it can be like, bring your c e o into it.
Speaker:You know what I mean?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:If you're presenting in front of your c e o, bring them into like sharing an
Speaker:engaging story that they can relate to.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, because here's the thing, Julie, people will never remember word for word what we.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:But they will remember and have a feeling.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Associated with.
Speaker:Yeah, I was real pissed off when I heard a statistic that 87% of what
Speaker:professional speakers say is completely forgotten by the audience within like
Speaker:I know that's a bummer.
Speaker:I know within like 10 minutes I'm like, huh, damn.
Speaker:I'll work real hard on this content.
Speaker:And so then I know when I know there's something that I want them to remember.
Speaker:I always pause and say, write this.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Write it down.
Speaker:Cause you're gonna forget.
Speaker:You're gonna think, you're gonna remember you're gonna forget
Speaker:Well, that becomes your sound bites.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So if someone asks like, well, what do we do?
Speaker:Will we show authors, coaches, creative entrepreneurs, how to
Speaker:speak with confidence and clarity?
Speaker:Create a crystal clear message and connect with their audience.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:You see how there are three examples in there?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, and it's really like confidence and clarity and connect.
Speaker:So that's what we talk about, what we work on with the band and in the
Speaker:band practices where everyone can come in and practice their messaging is.
Speaker:You've said this a couple of times.
Speaker:What is the band?
Speaker:Who are the band?
Speaker:Because you've mentioned that a couple of times.
Speaker:The band are clients that sign up for Rockstar media training.
Speaker:Oh, okay.
Speaker:We refer to them as band members because really, and all work together.
Speaker:We all, yeah.
Speaker:We think of it very much as a collaboration.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:With our band meetings.
Speaker:It's not just Sandy and I.
Speaker:Coaching and they have to sit there and be quiet.
Speaker:It's like everybody interacts and that's when the real transformation happens
Speaker:is when, you know, like, uh, in our last band meeting we went, everyone
Speaker:go around and introduce yourself.
Speaker:Who are you, what do you do, and who do you help?
Speaker:. Well, it seems like a very simple exercise, but then by the end of the band
Speaker:meeting, people are like, you're right.
Speaker:I am a storyteller.
Speaker:You're right.
Speaker:I am.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, I am a truthteller.
Speaker:You know, I am, I am a, a leader.
Speaker:I never thought of myself as a coach.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:. So it's the, the real, as I always say, the meat and potatoes, the real substance
Speaker:of it comes in when you have all these band members together and they're
Speaker:collaborating and helping each other out.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I think.
Speaker:Organization, any group where you're trying to crystallize an idea or come
Speaker:up with your why you do what you do and who you are and who you do it for.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, it's always helpful to do that in a group setting.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Because the, the group is always, it's always bigger than the sum of its parts.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:So it's, it's great that, that you offer that sort of environment.
Speaker:Give me an example of under covering your rockstar.
Speaker:Move.
Speaker:Under.
Speaker:Covering my rockstar move or discovering, let's say discovering, maybe under,
Speaker:covering was the wrong word, let's say discovering your rock star.
Speaker:I believe everybody has an XFactor to them.
Speaker:Everybody has a unique story, and when we talk about rockstar,
Speaker:it's really more of a feeling.
Speaker:It's a feeling of confidence that, okay, you're doing the right
Speaker:thing and, and you have a purpose.
Speaker:And, and this is what I do, present tense.
Speaker:It's not if you hire me, if you decide to work with me, it's when we work together.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, we will do this together.
Speaker:I've got you.
Speaker:We, we will do this together.
Speaker:That confidence is that rockstar feeling, like you were saying
Speaker:about moves like Jagger, you know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And, and Mick Jagger.
Speaker:I mean, what is it about Mick Jagger?
Speaker:You know, what is it about Keith Richards?
Speaker:What is it about Prince may rest in peace?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:You know, there was a level of confidence.
Speaker:Now offstage, they may be different people.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:And that's what I.
Speaker:I saw firsthand, I won't mention names, but a lot of the, your favorite
Speaker:performers on stage are really quiet and shy and introverted and even mm-hmm.
Speaker:, like socially anxious.
Speaker:Offstage.
Speaker:Offstage.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But when they step on stage, they flip a switch.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, and they become that person.
Speaker:So that's what we mean by really channeling.
Speaker:You're in a rockstar.
Speaker:So even if you're presenting in a boardroom and you, your job is
Speaker:to present this PowerPoint, but you make it fun and engaging and.
Speaker:Wow that I didn't understand all that tech stuff, but the way you explained it to me.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Now I get it.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:When you walk out of the room and you're like, yes, I nailed it.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, that's swagger, that's rockstar.
Speaker:And that comes and you said it at the top of the interview and I just
Speaker:wanna repeat it because that mm-hmm.
Speaker:comes with repetition.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:And I think people have to understand, and you mentioned it, like the training,
Speaker:getting to know everything you're doing.
Speaker:In the repetition comes confidence.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:In the repetition is discovering how you're most comfortable delivering
Speaker:something or doing something.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:I mentioned, I gave a keynote the other day and somebody asked me about being on
Speaker:stage all the time, and I said it asked if I was always as good as I was and
Speaker:I was like, well, thank you very much,
Speaker:No, I sucked when I began and I know I sucked cuz I videotaped myself.
Speaker:. But doing it over and over and over again, I realized what I
Speaker:was really comfortable doing.
Speaker:I re, I discovered my own voice the way I wanted to present.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:And disseminate information.
Speaker:And the more comfortable I got with it, like the more I got into like not
Speaker:the character of Julie, because I'm not a character of myself up there.
Speaker:I am myself.
Speaker:But you have to almost be yourself and then some when you're off on stage.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:You're sort of.
Speaker:You're plus size of yourself, , you're the performer, you're Julie, the
Speaker:performer, and that's what I mean.
Speaker:You're still your authentic self.
Speaker:But yeah, when we, when you walk on stage, and that could be even just
Speaker:going on an interview, you do flip that switch of okay, you know, but you really
Speaker:want your personality to come through.
Speaker:You really want that authenticity to come through, because that's
Speaker:what the audience remembers, right?
Speaker:That's what they walk away with, that feeling like, wow, that was.
Speaker:So we've talked a lot about performing.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:. Now talk a little bit cuz you mentioned it and I wanna segue into it.
Speaker:There was the persona that these rock stars, these musicians had on
Speaker:stage and that was very different.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:from who they are.
Speaker:Offstage.
Speaker:And we've heard that before, that you would be surprised how many of
Speaker:these large names are introverted.
Speaker:So how did they transition and also get energy to do
Speaker:interviews, one-on-one interviews?
Speaker:Like how did they, cuz it's, it's a very different energy.
Speaker:So there are times in our careers where we are, we have to have that rockstar
Speaker:energy, the plus size of ourself.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:. But then there's times when we have to dial it back and it's one-on-one.
Speaker:Like how did you see them make that transition?
Speaker:Mindset, . I'm like, okay, yes, we're in this small town on this TV
Speaker:station and I know the show isn't until, you know, nine o'clock tonight
Speaker:or 10 o'clock tonight or something.
Speaker:But these people like, you're there to do it.
Speaker:It's professionalism.
Speaker:Julie, it's, you're there to do a job.
Speaker:It really is.
Speaker:And I've, I've seen so many performers that just were not really able to perform.
Speaker:You know, they had medical things going on, they had
Speaker:family things, personal things.
Speaker:But you have to turn that switch on and when you're mm-hmm.
Speaker:Going on a podcast, you're going on TV or radio or anything, you know, and act
Speaker:like you said, it comes with repetition.
Speaker:and I worked with a lot of artists that I, I told 'em this.
Speaker:I said, look, you are always gonna be talking to somebody for the first time.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:So you've been asked the same question by all these journalists,
Speaker:how'd you get the name of your band?
Speaker:How'd you get the name of that song?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:What was it like when you wrote that song?
Speaker:But there's always gonna be somebody out there listening.
Speaker:And hearing it for the first time.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Who hasn't heard that story?
Speaker:Hasn't heard that story.
Speaker:And it's not about repetition, like you have to say the same phrase every
Speaker:time or you have to, you know, and it was tough doing TV cuz we're like,
Speaker:you know, 6:00 AM 5:00 AM call times.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:And the band has to perform and they have to perform at that same energy
Speaker:of, you know, 5,000, 10,000 people.
Speaker:And.
Speaker:TV is live.
Speaker:TV is tough cuz they're like, okay, 3, 2, 1, and you're on.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Ladies and gentlemen, here's the band and you've gotta perform.
Speaker:Go from zero to 100 stage time in a matter of seconds and perform
Speaker:to an audience that isn't there.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:That takes rehearsal.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:. So we would practice tv, we would practice, I remember us having chairs
Speaker:set up around the, the sound stage.
Speaker:And I'm like, okay, this is camera one, this is camera two, this is camera three.
Speaker:And you've gotta run around and you've, you know, and you got this
Speaker:much space and put tape on the floor.
Speaker:Like these TV studios aren't big.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:They're very small.
Speaker:So you've gotta condense that down, but yet have that energy that you're
Speaker:playing in front of 10,000 people.
Speaker:It does take a lot of training and that's why Sandy d and I, the Queen of
Speaker:Podcast Zen and I created rockstar is we feel that there's a need out there.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I think a lot of coaches and authors that are out promoting their book
Speaker:and their business are like, yeah, I wanna do that, but how do I do that?
Speaker:And that's why we created Rockstar.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So that's gonna transition into, you know, sort of wrapping up our conversation.
Speaker:Tell us what is Rockstar.
Speaker:When people come to you, what is the main thing they're main objective
Speaker:they're trying to accomplish?
Speaker:Um, and how do you work with people?
Speaker:We usually have like two different, everybody's individual, but we usually
Speaker:have like two different types of people.
Speaker:We either have like coaches or authors that are terrified of public
Speaker:speaking and they're coming in like I'm just terrified to public speak.
Speaker:So we take a different.
Speaker:With them.
Speaker:Then there's other ones that come in.
Speaker:Like, I have no problem being on camera.
Speaker:I have no problem speaking in front of people.
Speaker:I just don't know what to say.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, I don't know how to grab their attention.
Speaker:I don't know how to not go on and on and on and on.
Speaker:I don't know how to speak in sound bites.
Speaker:Soundbites.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:. And that's what that you take your soundbites and then you
Speaker:put 'em on the set list and Yes.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So when people sign up and become part of the band and part of the
Speaker:Rockstar Media Training program over at All Things Relaxed studios.com,
Speaker:then they're part of the band.
Speaker:And once you're part of the band, you're just like, what
Speaker:Those band members were like.
Speaker:We're very supportive of our band members.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And we have a private Facebook group where they can post up messages and
Speaker:post up videos and try things out.
Speaker:And then we've got the band practice, which is live on, on Zoom.
Speaker:There is a replay if people can't make it, but it's really about that collaboration.
Speaker:And going, okay guys, we're gonna talk about our why.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, why do you do what you do?
Speaker:And really get, that's where the real coaching I think comes in.
Speaker:And plus we've got all the training videos and the workbook and
Speaker:one-on-ones and all that stuff.
Speaker:But the transformation really comes in when they're around other band members
Speaker:that are just as supportive as Sandy and I, and that's what, that's what
Speaker:the band is, and they can find you.
Speaker:Repeat that website again.
Speaker:All things relax studios.com.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:And I can put that in the show notes.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:So before we leave, tell us what was your favorite either
Speaker:concert or tour to beat to work?
Speaker:Outta the 25 years, I will say, out of all the artists I worked with, this
Speaker:one, hands down is the most famous, and I, I'll keep it brief, but I've
Speaker:got a story of how she contacted me.
Speaker:Okay?
Speaker:And that would be Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul.
Speaker:Yay.
Speaker:May she rest in peace.
Speaker:She actually contacted me on my phone and left a voicemail message.
Speaker:And for anybody in the music business, you understand that it's usually a
Speaker:manager, an agent publicist, record label, somebody's contacting you.
Speaker:And she called me and she hired me, you know, left a message and said,
Speaker:call me back and if, if I want to call you back, I'll call you back.
Speaker:And if I don't, I won't.
Speaker:So I left a voicemail, she called right back.
Speaker:It was like, you know, Unknown number, and I'm like, Ms.
Speaker:Franklin?
Speaker:Yes, yes.
Speaker:She's like, I'd like to hire you to mix my show.
Speaker:And it was just one show, but it's really a highlight of my career because
Speaker:the irony is, is that the very first concert I went into was Whitney Houston.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And although I never got to work with her, I worked with a lot of her
Speaker:band members in different tours, but I never worked with her directly.
Speaker:But to work with her hero.
Speaker:And this was right before Aretha passed away.
Speaker:Uhhuh . This was a couple years before.
Speaker:So that's definitely the highlight of, I would say, you know, I've been on all
Speaker:the arena tours and done all the rock and pop acts and stuff, and they're great.
Speaker:But I mean, working for the Queen of Soul and talk about a voice.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:Jen Hudson's another one, and I would say has that.
Speaker:X factor, but uh Right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But you said everybody has the X factor.
Speaker:You just have to find out what your X factor is.
Speaker:That's the thing is that I think the X factor is, you can't go
Speaker:out and say this is the X factor.
Speaker:It's just by you being your authentic self.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, other people are gonna say there's something that really connects.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:There's something I really, I like what you said about that.
Speaker:I feel like that makes sense.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:, and that's the x.
Speaker:Gee, thank you so much for being with us today.
Speaker:Thank you, Julie.
Speaker:I wish we could go on because I'm sure you have way more stories, , but this
Speaker:was lovely and I'm so glad you came on.
Speaker:Thank you.
Speaker:You're welcome.
Speaker:When you see a performer at the top of their game, fuck, just killing
Speaker:it from the stage, rocking the house looking effortless in their.
Speaker:It can be easy to forget the hours, weeks, and even years of practice
Speaker:that went into that performance.
Speaker:For example, in 2018, Beyonce was the first black woman to headline Coachella.
Speaker:Her two hour performance included up to 200 artists and plus up force
Speaker:Beyonce and her teen rehearsed for eight months before that perform.
Speaker:Some days stretching past 11 hours, she rehearsed eight months
Speaker:for a two hour performance.
Speaker:This is what rock stars do.
Speaker:They practice.
Speaker:Those eight months of rehearsals were conducted in front of an empty arena.
Speaker:No audience screaming her name, no one's singing along
Speaker:to lyrics, just doing the work.
Speaker:It's what we do in the preparation time.
Speaker:In the rehearsal, in the repetitive practice that allows us to shine in front
Speaker:of the audience, no matter how big or small that audience is, wanna channel
Speaker:your inner rockstar practice being him or her over and over and over again until
Speaker:you know that you embody that swagger.
Speaker:I believe you can do it with practice.
Speaker:Onto the drink of the weekend, man.
Speaker:Did I get some fun results when I Googled rockstar cocktail?
Speaker:Lovely little ideas like rockstar recipe, flipped by a rockstar.
Speaker:That one included energy drinks, so as much as I would have loved
Speaker:to have made it cocktail week, the caffeine was a no-go for me.
Speaker:There was sweet and sour, rockstar, kinky rock stars, lots of different rock stars.
Speaker:I went with the regular rockstar recipe and if this doesn't give you
Speaker:some swagger or at least a little liquid courage, I don't know what will.
Speaker:Here's what you're gonna need.
Speaker:One part cinnamon schnapps, one part slow gin, one part triple snack.
Speaker:One part Jagermeister One part 1 51.
Speaker:Proof rump.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:That's a lot.
Speaker:You're gonna build it in a shot glass with no ice.
Speaker:Putting rum in last.
Speaker:You're gonna play that rum on fucking fire with a match or a lighter, let it
Speaker:burn, and then extinguish the flame by placing an empty shot over the fire.
Speaker:Before you drink this, make sure all the fire is out so you
Speaker:don't burn your fucking face.
Speaker:Okay?
Speaker:All right folks.
Speaker:That's it for this week.
Speaker:You are looking for more Julie Brown.
Speaker:You can follow me on LinkedIn at Julie Brown BD or on Instagram
Speaker:at Julie Brown underscore bd.
Speaker:And if you wanna sign up for my weekly newsletter, which is so much fucking
Speaker:fun, if I just say so myself, head on over to Julie Brown bd and scroll
Speaker:to the bottom of the page, sign up.
Speaker:As always, thank you for being here until next.
Speaker:Cheers.
Speaker:Hey, thanks for taking the time to listen.
Speaker:Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a tip.
Speaker:And remember, you can unapologetically be who you authentically are
Speaker:and still be wildly successful.
Speaker:That's a fact.
