We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marcus Shaw a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Marcus, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
Being optimistic in whatever it is you are passionate about comes from always trying new things early on, so that you really know what you love doing after giving so many things a shot. Then when you find out what you like and what you have to do to continue to like it, try new ways of learning and perceiving your passion and your work. Music for example is something consistent that has been around for a long time and there is new songs written and listened to everyday. Music itself is ever evolving. There are genres and sub genres. Recognizable to one an unrecognizable to the next. One thing that is common about music is the love it gets from nearly everyone in the world. Music is a big part of my life. I knew i loved it and it would be in my life forever at a very young age. My parents and brothers were big music lovers and had a huge influence on me.
If you ever get stuck too far in one lane. Look for influence elsewhere. Look into your past or deep inside yourself and remember who you are and where you came from. Go back to the basics. Know what you like, know what you love, know yourself and. who you are. Be genuine, be your own guide. Be creative, make things up in your mind, Mesh. Mold.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
The past few summers I’ve been really into Cliff Diving and Bridge Jumping. I’m specifically into his niche style called Death Diving also known as døds. Døds is a Norwegian diving sport. Death Diving is when you jump at the water and go for a belly flop but then at the last second you close your limbs and impact the water with your fists and your feet with your legs extended and your head tucked between your arms. The impact of your fists protects your head and if you’re flexible enough your fists and feet close together and protect your stomach from the flop. In the history of diving this type of dive at first was more of a stunt or a joke in the diving community. Norwegians have been into death diving for years and it has become more and more of an official and respected sport worldwide. I think I’m attracted to this sport because of the freedom in the style and the general stoke from the culture. The death diving community reminds me of the skateboarding community in certain ways. It’s a sport filled with raw talent that accepts anyone who has the guts to try to give it a shot. I grew up afraid of heights and have been afraid of heights for a long time. I did grow up a good swimmer and I’ve always enjoyed climbing. These aspects can be found in cliff diving where you jump in the water, you swim, you climb out, and you repeat that process which ideally turns into a really fun exercise. I love exercising. I would like to compete and be considered a professional diver, it’s a goal of mine and I’ve been training a lot this summer. I’m supposed to go to Utah to compete in a competition but I might not make the trip this time around. There is also this invite only diving competition/camping festival that my friend organizes once a year at a different location each time. I DJed at this event the past two years and my goal is to compete at it this year. Cliff jumping was never something I thought that I would be into until I met Travis Sims and all the guys from Dallas who død. That’s another story for another interview. If you love swimming and have ever jumped off of a bridge or a cliff into water and want to get better at it, please contact me because I’m willing to give lessons and I’m always wanting to introduce people to the community. I offer DJ, Skateboarding, & Diving Lessons in Austin Texas. Instagram: djleftyatx
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Confidence. To build confidence and to have confidence are two different things. Building confidence can come from trial and error or failing until you succeed. Fail. Failing is one of the best things you can do because it teaches you how to assess situations better when they arise in the future. Learning. Learning new things and being genuinely interested in lots of different things gives you a better perspective. It’s good to understand things from different perspectives. Try new things, push your boundaries, step out of your comfort zone, and become inspired by new things. Love. Love who you are, love what you do, surround yourself with people who love you, and find reasons to love new things.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Yes I am definitely looking for folks to collaborate with and partner with. When it comes to music I DJ full-time and I’m always looking to DJ more private gigs. I give DJ Lessons so I’m always willing to meet new clients who are wanting to learn how to DJ or know someone who is wanting to learn how to DJ. I’m running my own resale business and I’m always looking for things to buy and I always have things for sale. I’m now offering skateboarding lessons and diving lessons or if you are already into extreme sports or if you want to film extreme sports please contact me so we can collaborate. I also have my hands in photography, videography, and editing. If anyone is looking for photos, video or photos and video editing, please contact me because I’m always looking for work. I have a lot of experience in events, promotion, and event planning. I also host a movie night a few times a month on Mondays at Spiderhouse Ballroom, If you work in the film industry and make short films or music videos or anything like that, please reach out so we can plan a screening or premiere.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: djleftyatx
- Facebook: leftyatx
