Meet Emanuel Dominguez

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emanuel Dominguez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Emanuel, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
Regardless of whether I’ve had a good or bad day, I always remind myself that tomorrow brings a fresh start. The way I see it, I am regularly presented with two choices. After a bad day, I can either choose to stay upset and do nothing to improve my situation, or I can choose the proactive path and waste no time to get things back on track. Of course, there are more significant challenges that may require more time and effort to overcome, but what I’m referring to here are the minor disruptions to our everyday routines— dropping your iPhone while walking across a field of grass, only to discover the screen still ironically landed face down on a rock. Or perhaps when you’ve spent hours researching and learning about a company you’re excited to be interviewing for, just to find out there was someone more qualified they will be hiring instead. Or how about when you’re only three minutes away from home and then get rear-ended by a semi truck, leading to 3 chiropractor visits a week and months to resolve a totaled car situation. Yes, you guessed it— all of these things happened to me. And in each instance I was confronted with the same two choices. I could either allow these setbacks to cast a long shadow over my week, month, or even a whole year, or I could choose gratitude and resilience. A cracked phone screen was a minor inconvenience, especially when weighed against a recent big sales win at work that meant a bonus more than enough to cover the repair cost. Rejection from a job interview didn’t deter me from continuing my job search, ultimately leading me to even better opportunities with higher pay. Surviving a collision with a semi-truck in my little Scion-FRS might have led to several months of chiropractic visits, but I chose to be grateful for my survival and quick recovery.

My point is, unless we are facing a truly devastating loss, surrendering to bad news or allowing one negative incident to poison our entire week is counterproductive. The quicker we rebound or recognize our ability to overcome obstacles, the faster we get things back on course, and the stronger we become to prepare us for the next hardship we encounter. It’s also worth noting that a negative mindset can significantly impact our performance. When we dwell on negativity, it becomes harder to maintain our daily routines, leading to potential setbacks in unrelated areas. Perhaps a simple screen repair expense might distract us at work, resulting in missed sales opportunities. Or we might overreact to a minor request from a loved one because we’re preoccupied with frustration.

In summary, it’s perfectly normal to be upset by inconveniences, but it’s crucial not to let them hinder our progress or affect those around us negatively. Instead, let’s strive for optimism. Just as a negative mindset can hurt us throughout the day, a positive one can boost our confidence and enable us to achieve more than we thought possible. Even when positive outcomes aren’t guaranteed, maintaining optimism during challenging moments can help us stay resilient, keep our focus on our values, and work towards our goals.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
While most people may recognize me primarily as a DJ, many also know me as an artist, musician, music producer, and a creative, among other things. I prefer not to limit myself to a single label or even try to declare which one dominates, as it honestly feels like it changes on a monthly basis. One month, you might find me spinning tunes at various events and at a variety of venues, and the next, I could be hiding out in my music studio, posting weekly open verse challenges and working on my next original release. In short, when it comes to music, I like to think of myself as someone who dabbles in a bit of everything. Those who know me personally are aware that my journey in music began when I joined the middle school band. Since then, I’ve picked up several instruments, developed a passion for songwriting, explored music production, and even ventured into DJing.

After graduating from Baylor University in 2015, I entered the corporate world and settled into the typical 9 to 5 grind in tech sales. From 2016 to 2021, I viewed music as nothing more than a cherished hobby. I occasionally recorded covers and took weekend DJ gigs, but my main focus was always on maintaining a stable job and financial security. The dream of pursuing music full-time was always there, but it seemed like a distant aspiration. Over the years, this desire grew stronger, and by the time 2022 arrived, despite my career in sales still taking precedence, I found myself taking music much more seriously. Ultimately, I reached the realization that while it wouldn’t be an effortless transition, I possessed the confidence to step away from the corporate world and wholeheartedly embrace a career in music. Since October 2022, that’s precisely what I’ve done, and while I wouldn’t pretend it’s been a completely smooth journey, I can say with certainty that I have no regrets. I’m immensely grateful to have taken that leap of faith.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
There are three qualities that I firmly believe every successful person must possess, and these qualities have had the most profound impact on my personal journey: patience, confidence, and self-discipline. As humans, it’s in our nature to always seek quick results. When we take on a journey of self-improvement, whether it’s excelling in our careers, maintaining a consistent gym routine, or acquiring new skills, it can be tempting to give up rather than stay committed. We all face moments of discouragement—putting in extra hours at work without seeing increased sales, sticking to a gym routine for weeks without noticing a difference in the mirror, or dedicating hours to learn a new skill only to realize we’ll never be as good as the expert we watched in a YouTube video. Regardless of the situation, after genuine effort and still not seeing the results we were expecting, it’s understandable to contemplate quitting.

We’ve all been there, and as silly as it may sound, I’ve found that simply being patient, confident, and self-disciplined has helped me overcome every obstacle and challenge I’ve had to face. Often, we’ll have the urge to try something new, set a fresh goal, or take a calculated risk, which for the most part is eventually easy enough to convince ourselves to start. The “what if” scenarios fill our thoughts, the excitement keeps us awake at night, and the motivation feels stronger than drinking an entire mason jar of cold brew. We make the decision to start, and then the first inconvenience or obstacle we come across suddenly makes us feel like the time we bought that really expensive present for ourselves— one that felt justified at the time, until we saw the inflated credit card bill the following month. Buyer’s remorse, except worse, because we can’t turn this situation back in for a refund. In the best-case scenario, we’ve invested hours we can’t recover, or we face some embarrassment when we admit to friends that we’ve abandoned something we were once confidently pursuing. Not so best-case, we’ve quit our stable job to chase a passion and now we can’t just simply call the company begging for it back.

While for some, even taking the initial step can be difficult, for most, it’s the moments when things go wrong or the unexpected strikes that pose the real challenge. In these moments, our natural instinct is to protect ourselves, which often translates into reverting to what’s comfortable. While there may be situations where walking away is justified, more often than not, we’re so close to achieving our desired results when impatience drives us to quit. Patience means not allowing the delay of an expected outcome to disrupt our momentum. If we can learn to not be phased by the length of time required to achieve something, we’ve already won half the battle. Imagine a magical potion that could sustain our momentum, regardless of the circumstances—anyone with access to it would accomplish anything they set out to do. In short, the key is to guard our momentum against all odds, and that’s where self-discipline comes into play. In every journey there are ups and downs, and it’s essential not only to acknowledge them but also to persevere through the downs. By pushing through hardships and obstacles, we not only protect our momentum, but also find it increasingly easier to do so with each future challenge. From there, all we need is confidence. We need to always believe in ourselves and in what we’ve started. Remaining confident throughout our journey helps us keep our eyes on the prize. It helps keep the distractions and doubts away. Most importantly, being confident is giving ourselves the daily reminder that we’re absolutely capable of accomplishing anything and everything we set our mind to.

Learning patience will keep us motivated, even when the results we desire are not yet visible. Mastering self-discipline will help us stay on track when faced with any hardships or challenges, ensuring that we continue putting in the same effort we’ve been giving from the start. Lastly, having confidence in ourselves will help us overlook imperfections and remind us that progress, no matter how small, is still progress.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
Whether you choose to focus on your current strengths or invest in improving areas you don’t feel as strong in, continuing to always invest in yourself is very important. The allocation of your time holds significance and should be determined based on the things you value and the goals you set for yourself. If you have no desire to ever explore a different career path, different hobbies, or anything that is different from what you are used to, then I see no harm in going all in on your current strengths. There are many individuals, usually famous, that have invested almost their entire lives to mastering one particular talent. It allows them to really stand out from the competition, and it’s typically what they’ve devoted their lives to. These individuals are committed to their craft, and are typically in love with what they do for a living. They have no interest in investing any time to improve in other areas outside of their expertise. Consider, for instance, a vocalist whose only wish is to become a well-known singer. In this case, spending any time to dive into the intricacies of music production might not seem essential. That said however, grasping the fundamentals of music production, or even mastering the art of recording quality vocals at home, not only enhances their identity as a singer but also positions them as a proficient vocal producer. While it may not directly improve their vocal talent, it undeniably opens doors in the industry. Aside from saving money from eliminating the need for external recording and editing services, it also makes them a more appealing singer to producers and fellow artists who appreciate the time-saving and ease of collaboration.

Similarly, a debate exists amongst musicians and producers about whether they should stick to a single music genre or experiment with multiple styles. Some advocate staying within one’s niche, while others would argue experimenting with multiple genres can broaden one’s audience base. Both approaches have their pros and cons, and one isn’t necessarily better than the other. Ultimately, the choice comes down to personal preference and what resonates best with the individual. That said, we should never be afraid to step out of our comfort zone. Areas where we don’t excel in may bring discomfort and tempt a return to what we’re familiar with. Yet, it’s imperative to remember that the fastest route to personal growth lies in venturing beyond one’s comfort zone, and that discomfort signifies growth.

The choice may be more straightforward in certain scenarios, as we may not always have the luxury to skip out on learning something, perhaps due to constraints like limited resources, funds, or lack of fame. For the artist or producer choosing the genre of music to make, the decision can often be guided purely by personal preference. Some may find only enjoying one genre, while others find they love producing hip-hop as much as they do EDM. In either scenario, neither path is wrong. In other career paths or scenarios it can also vary based on many factors. In my personal opinion, although I see nothing wrong with going all in on the strengths you already have, I believe it’s always better to branch out and absorb as much as you can. Knowledge is power, and if learning a new skill set can make you more desirable to be hired or to work with, why not invest the time in other areas that could make you more valuable?

Contact Info:

Image Credits
@wgantphotography (for the 3 darker club images only)

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