We were lucky to catch up with Oliver Main recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Oliver, so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?
Every life decision I have made has been risky. I am not a privileged person. I grew up in a modest household in the working class and have struggled with my finances since gaining autonomy. I had been enabled for a long time by using my family as a safety net to catch me when needed. I abused that privilege and ended up with my back against the wall. Most of my risky decisions were made in arrogance because of that safety net. I ended up being homeless with a child and a wife and no one to turn to. My entire success story is built on risky decisions that have paid off. If you don’t take the risk you will spend the rest of your life wondering, what if?
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?
I am a college graduate, musician, and single father. My talents were the product of my environment in the local music scene in New Mexico. I was surrounded by many talented artists who I learned from and collaborated with. I was never traditionally trained but caught on quickly, much to the amazement of my bandmates. I started writing and composing for my first project without any training. I wrote two separate setlists that were popular with our fan base and colleagues. Unfortunately, I developed substance abuse issues after surgeries that saw me bandless and without a home. I never stopped playing music. I found instruments and apps that allowed me to keep my creative voice alive. I moved to Great Falls, Montana, and turned my life around. Once I was able to afford music equipment I invested in a guitar. I began composing small pieces as a solo artist while in Montana, one of which won me third place in the University of Providence talent show. My quick learning ability transferred to an academic career at two local colleges, Montana State University and The University of Providence. I graduated with honors from the former as a member of the honors society and student of the year. I graduated the latter with honors, cum laude, and with the Outstanding Achievement by a Student in Psychology award. I have an Associate of Arts in General Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a concentration on Forensic Psychology and a Minor in Criminal Justice. My Bachelor of Arts graduation was a special event with cultural and sentimental significance for me. I was instrumental in facilitating an inaugural Indigenous eagle feather ceremony that serves as a cultural right of passage for Native American students. The ceremony and the commencement walk were deeply gratifying due to the amount of perseverance I had to invoke to succeed. It’s been a surrel experience to say the least.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I have an innate ability to pick things up quickly that might be difficult for others. The music and experimental psychology assignments I aced during my college tenure were evidence of that. I have always had to battle adversity, even at a young age. Growing up in a working-class household did not supply me with sufficient resources, so everything has been a battle for as long as I can remember. I have a strange ability to resonate with people as an introvert. Most of my journey has been due to people willing to take a risk on me. You would have to ask them why that is, but I am eternally grateful for the vote of confidence. I have made every person proud thus far and plan to keep going.
If something comes easily to you, use it, Not every journey has to be a battle. You save energy by doing what is natural to you. hard times breed strong and resilient people. It may not seem like it at the time but difficult situations that are hard to navigate are crucial for individual development and self-efficacy. From my experience, the harder battles are the most satisfying when they yield success. Even if it doesn’t all knowledge is good knowledge. If you learn from your mistakes, then you never lose. Introversion might be the most valuable. Networking and effective interviewing are usually contingent on one’s ability to communicate properly and project extraversion. That can be extremely daunting to an individual who is not talkative and mostly introverted. You can see a lot of opportunities squandered because of that. You have to be vulnerable. That felt like pulling teeth for me and still does to this day. People can be nasty to introverted individuals. From my experience, you don’t have to be a skilled orator to gain someone’s confidence. You just have to be real with them. Your communication will be more genuine if they know you are trying to convey your message authentically rather than try to swindle them with flashy oratory.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
Self-improvement and mental health. I have been gifted with some unique natural talents that have yielded success. I have also learned that talent is useless if you do not take care of yourself. Toxic relationships, situations, behaviors, and thoughts will kill every bit of potential you have if you are not careful. No one is invincible and we are all extremely fragile whether we like to admit it or not. When you start to create healthy habits, everything becomes much easier. This is a lesson I learned through careful cultivation and delicate guidance from my mentors.
Contact Info:
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-main-971478264
- Youtube: @olivermain8143
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/oliver-main-185717938?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
