We were lucky to catch up with Aaron Shook recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Aaron with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
Oh wow, these questions are a lot deeper than I was expecting. I think it really comes down to my childhood & teen years. I was told a lot of my life I was never going to amount to anything. Luckily, I had my Grandfather. He was a very positive influence on me. In a toxic environment, he kept me on a path of not becoming a product of that environment. All that combined gave me the personality to try & prove people wrong.
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?
There’s kinda of a lot, it comes with the ADHD. Never been able to sit still for long. I’ll try to keep this kinda short. I’m originally from Arkansas. When I was around 9 or 10 I joined beginning band & started learning how to play the drums. That’s been the longest hobby or profession since I still do it. Right now I currently play for a band, based in Orlando Florida, called Sid Stratton. We’ve already done a ton in the short times we’ve been together, our biggest thing so far was playing INKcarceration in Ohio with Limp Bizket, Slip Knot, Pantera, & many more amazing bands. The escape playing drums brings me is my favorite part. When the music starts on stage it’s like everything else doesn’t matter but that moment.
My main money making profession is barbering. That kind of fell in my lap. I moved to Florida in 2014 with no clue what I was going to do. Thankfully I was able to find work pretty quick in the retail world. Did that for a few years where I managed a surf shop & clothing store. While I was doing that I started going to barber school. I started making my own beard products for myself which ended up me creating my own beard line that did surprisingly well. The barber I was going to at the time encouraged me to become a barber. 8 years later & I’m still at it!
My 3rd main hobby, which I would love to be a full time profession, is photography. I mainly do wildlife photography because it is very therapeutic. It’s my dream to one day make a living traveling & getting all kinds of wildlife. I do portraits & crazy concepts from time to time. I got started in this hobby during my senior year of high school while I was in the newspaper club. I got dubbed the photo journalist & it sparked a passion.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
That’s a tough question! Don’t give up would be a big one for me. Also, be kind to yourself. We truly are our own worst critic & everybody has their own pace with how they do things. Learn patience & don’t take anything at face value, nothing is just black & white. As you’re learning things or trying to grow eventually what you’re working towards just clicks. I’ve been at all these different things for so long & I still feel like I don’t have it all together but I can see my growth when I look back on where I started.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
Not letting things get under my skin as much as it used too. I used to be really hot headed, sometimes still am, when I was younger but as I get older I’ve calmed down a lot & don’t take life as serious as I used too. My drumming has also improved a ton since I joined on with Sid Stratton. They’ve challenged me in ways I never thought & I can for sure see a growth in how I play & preform on stage.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://razorsedgesouthdaytona.com/pompsandplunderpodcast
- Instagram: Instagram.com/everygoddamnerror
- Other: Instagram.com/eyeofmuninnphotography Instagram.com/sidstratton
Image Credits
All photos are mine except the drumming one of me. Aaron Shook of Eye of Muninn Photography Last photo is done by Raine Media
