Meet Jon Worthy

We were lucky to catch up with Jon Worthy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jon, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

I had always been on the more introverted side. In college, it took me quite a while to find my people. Eventually I was able to connect with some guys and start a band. We got lucky our senior year and got a weekly Friday night gig performing at a bar at Penn State. Getting to play those shows every week to drunk college kids did wonders for my confidence. Peoples eyes were on me. They were dancing and singing along to what we were playing. I started wearing clothes that I thought would make me stand out more on stage. After a while I was totally hooked and realized this was what I loved to do. Being on stage is an amazing feeling when the show is hitting right. And so those first true show experiences for me helped develop my confidence and self esteem.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a full time musician/artist/producer/songwriter. I write, produce, and sing songs for hire. I create my own music as an artist. I perform and release music as an artist. It’s been a little over 3 years now as a full time musician. My main focus is continuing to earn enough money as a musician to keep the dream alive and continue to release music, social media videos, and perform in order to keep reaching more people. I’ve made it a point in my life to see as much of the world as I can. And while I do that I try and book shows in all the places I visit. This year I have gotten to play in Mexico and have upcoming shows in Chile and Argentina. And in early 2026 I am working on shows in Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand. It’s a great way to spread word about my music, create momentum, and get to do what I love the most which is perform.

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?

I think number one is dedication. If you really want to pursue something you have to dig in and find ways to make it work. It may not be exactly what you set out for, but staying consistent and dedicated to the overall goal is super important. I’m not playing to thousands of people every night like I always dreamed. But I’m keeping the hope alive by grinding out a career in music in other ways like songwriting/production/small shows. And dedication may not always pay off the way you intended. Just because you give everything you have doesn’t mean it will work out the way you want. But it certainly sets you up for the most success

The second one which is similar, is never giving up. I’ve played more bad shows than good shows over the course of my musical journey. I’ve been told no or gotten no response by more venues than yes’s. Until the last few years I’ve spent more money on music than I’ve made. It’s a brutal industry with so many talented people all vying for the same thing. It’s truly unlikely to ever succeed as a musician, but the only way to ensure you don’t is by giving up. Learn from your failures and embrace the mindset of never giving up.

The third skill I would say is networking. This is the skill I have packed the most and paid for the most over the years. There’s very few undeniable talents in creative fields. People that no matter what will make it because their gift and skill is so great. Most of us need to get lucky, know the right person, be at the right place at the right time. The best way to make that happen is to network and have as big a community as possible. I wish I was a more natural networker because I think a lot of people that become successful are people that are talented, but also knew someone who could get them an opportunity.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

Just creating legitimate fans and momentum. I have people that truly love my music, that listen to it daily, that pay to see me perform. But it is nowhere near a level having thousands or even hundreds of people pay to come see my in any city anywhere. Trying to build a fanbase is extremely difficult. What I do now is I release a lot of music, post a lot of content on social media, and perform where it makes sense and hope that somehow something clicks.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.Jonworthythebends.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Jonworthymusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jonworthymusic
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@jonworthy
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@jonworthymusic?_t=ZT-90ctOFmdt3v&_r=1

Image Credits

Photos by Sheldon Hawthorne and Brent Mcquillin