Meet Messieurs Swank

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

Hi Messieurs, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I believe my resilience is rooted in having confidence that whatever I put my mind and energy to, I can achieve. It sounds cliché, but it has a lot to do with my upbringing. My parents always instilled that idea in my siblings and I. To the point where we really believed it, no matter what it was. As I grew older I was able to take that confidence even further by recognizing the value of trusting the process and the grind of achieving my goals. There are aspirations that are coming to fruition in my life today that were set in motion many years prior. I don’t always know the exact path or have the right answers, but I never lose site of what I truly want to accomplish. I once heard the late, great Nipsey Hussle state in an interview that the distinguishing factor between him and those who did not attain their goals is that he didn’t give up. I wholeheartedly believe that sentiment.

In pursuing something worthwhile there is going to be failures, setbacks, and even some fear involved. I’ve found that the key is to embrace the process, the good and the bad, and keep pushing towards the prize. There’s a new level of confidence on the other side of adversities. I use that as fuel to get me to the next level of goals.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Two things I absolutely love are music and storytelling. They go hand in had in my view. Each can enhance the other. Which is why I chose a career in creating music for TV/Film, Ads and media in general.

During the pandemic, when life seemed to come to a screeching halt, I was presented with an opportunity to learn the business of music licensing (sync) from the comforts of my home. My DJ business had slowed down tremendously, as in person events ceased. I decided to invest in myself, upgraded my studio and go to work. This opportunity could not have come at a better time, as it gave me some comfort and focus during an uncertain time. I connected and collaborated with creatives all over the world the way most people were connecting at the time, Zoom.

Fast forward a few years and I’ve secured a couple dozen placements in shows and worked with some amazing people. I’ve had music featured on shows on HBO Max, Netflix, BET+, USA Network, and The CW to name a few. Music is now creating new opportunities that I never knew existed. I’ve added Sync Agent and Sync Administrator to my resume. Not only do I get to make a living creating music, I get to assist others in developing their music careers. As an artist/creative it feels good to do what you love, have it recognized and appreciated, and make a living from your work. I’m excited about growing my business and the opportunity inspire other creative entrepreneurs.

This year I plan to expand my consulting and production company, Sound Decision Consulting, as well as, continue doing more projects under Tape Pop, a production team co-founded with my partner Christopher Sanchez whom I met in a songwriting camp during the pandemic. You can check new projects from Messieurs Swank and Tape Pop where ever you stream your music. And follow @MessieursSwank on social media for the latest updates and announcements.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1) Develop and fall in love with processes and systems, 2) be steadfast in your pursuit, but be willing to pivot in your approach, and 3) take the time and the effort to learn and know yourself.

1) Study the process of the people you deem successful in their endeavors. Even if it not in the same field there’s always a lesson to learn and basic principles that apply to any endeavor. Develop and re-develop to make your process more efficient. Fall in love with the time and effort it takes to do this. It will be well worth it.

2) Be like water. Rivers flow constantly in the same direction to a particular destination around rocks, trees and whatever is in its path. Rivers adapt and adjust along their path to the ocean. Be coachable, learn from mistakes, and tweak your plan if necessary to achieve the end goal you seek. Just keep flowing.

3) Lastly, which should be first, know yourself. If you know yourself and what’s really important to you, you can better prioritize your time, energy, actions, the company you keep and ultimately your goals. Don’t be afraid to take risk to learn more about who your are and what your potential truly is. Do this as early and often as possible.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Building great relationships and collaborations is essential to success in sync licensing. I have an excellent team of producers, songwriters, and artist that I currently work with. We have a growing catalog of music in various styles and genres, as well as, the ability to create custom work.

My goal is to partner with more music supervisors, sync agents, original content creators and publishers to provide our services. I’m also always open to collaborating with other music creators, whether it be to create music or career consulting. I look forward to connecting with those working in or interested in sync licensing

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