We were lucky to catch up with Jay Montoya recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jay, 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?
It’s always been my goal to succeed in anything I do. I get this a lot from my mom who has been the best role model for me and shows me we can succeed through any obstacle that comes to put us down. Its best to always think positive no matter what and to smile through it all.
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 Musician and Graphic Designer! As a musician I have had great opportunities to perform and meet with some iconic musicians that I admire such as Tod Howarth, Howie Simon, Robby Lochner, Shawn Duncan, Gabriel Colon and others, all thanks to my best friend Giancarlo Floridia, who is the top songwriter for Frontiers Music SRL, or as I like to call him “Uncle Gian”. He also gave me the chance to work Behind the Scenes on Robin McAuley’s Music Video “Till I Die”. Its been such a journey but Im loving every minute of it. He’s been a great mentor and a great friend and is someone I count on.
Ive played in venues like the Whisky a Go Go, NAMM, The Rainbow Bar and Grill, Three Clubs and The Viper Room!
I’m currently performing with a super cool Metal band called STRYKE! They’re great, talented and fun guys to be around and its awesome being part of this band with them. Make sure to follow us!
As a Graphic Designer, Ive worked on lots of Posters, Merch for bands, logos etc. I have my own freelancing business called JM.Grafix, primarily focused on creating for the Music Business. I also make designs for my mom’s business selling T-Shirts, Sweaters, Stainless Steel Cups, and many others. She inspired me to do Graphic Design as it was just more of a hobby at first when I started High School. So thanks to her, Im doing another job I love! Its awesome bringing an idea to life!
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?
Well, I would say the three most important things that helps me is to always be positive, show proffesionalism, and keeping myself busy.
Being positive really shifts your perspective no matter what you go through. Theres ups and downs but in the end, its important to realize that these obstacles and challenges that we face is only to make ourselves stronger and better prepared for the future. Showing professionalism in what you do, makes you gain trust and become someone you can count on whether its in a band or when I’m at work. Keeping myself busy has really helped as well because it takes my mind off of whatever chaos that happens around me. Ive experienced some really difficult situations recently and by keeping myself busy, its distracted me a bit and helped me focus on other things to ease my mind a little. And that also helps me overcome those challenges with a better mind set.
Some advice I can think of is keep yourself busy and have fun in anything you do. It also helps to find a role model or someone that inspires you. At first things might seem nearly impossible to achieve but it is possible to succeed and achieve what you want for yourself. Also having someone to look up to has inspired me a lot. An example is my mom. She is my right hand in everything for me and she is someone I admire because she goes through so much, but she is always there to support me and my little sister no matter what. She makes it happen for us to be happy. She is my #1 fan and support in everything. With that I can also be a good role model for my sister who is an amazing kiddo. So having that role model whether its a celebrity, another musician, really anyone you admire, it can definatley help and think to yourself “Im gonna be successful like them someday. Im gonna make it. If they can succeed, so can I.” It sounds cliché but always work hard and be presentable in anything you do. Always smile, you never know how your smile can impact someone to have a better day. It really goes a long way. Just know that things do get better.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
I would say juggling with Work, Graphic Design and Music has been a little bit challenging. My daytime work schedule can be pretty strict so its been tough to squeeze in some performances and also do my freelance work. I think im a workaholic sometimes haha.
Sometimes it feels like a lot on my plate but I love being able to do what I do. Something that helps me is to just take it step by step and have it all planned out in my calendar as it keeps me focused and organized on what I need to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jmgrafixbiz.wixsite.com/jmgrafix/portfolio?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAb21jcAOIi1lleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA81NjcwNjczNDMzNTI0MjcIY2FsbHNpdGUCMTUAAafLIiv6yswS1jriCr30iMk-FClXCmJMCf3tcuvtcmafICMV8GbN8OsuLrT32Q_aem_KR4I20qCmm4KrsabzI3WaQ
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jay.montoya.rocks?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jay.montoya.146?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Image Credits
Enrique Sanchez Photography
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