We recently connected with Andre Deon Walker Jr and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Andre , so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
There’s a natural presence that everyone carries, and you get to decide on what that presence is. Is it introverted, ghostly, or just downright confident?
Regardless of who’s in the room, like a chameleon shifting its colors, I’ll shift between these presences more depending on how I’d like to present myself rather than who is or isn’t in the room, resulting in me staying true to myself. The more and more I practice which presences I like to present, the more and more I present what being true to myself looks and feels like, all while still being mindful of how it influences others.
Being most comfortable in myself causes me to be confident, and being confident causes me to control how I present who, what, when, where, why, and how I am, which influences what I’m effective and successful in.
In short, self-comfortability creates self-confidence that causes you to be self-effective and self-successful. Your comfort and confidence don’t need to be fueled by who’s around you, whether those around you look like you or not.
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 love LoFi more than I love making LoFi beats. There’s a LoFi beat for most experiences, vibes, and moods; when you find it, you’ll become a fan of LoFi, making LoFi a universal genre of music.
I make LoFi beats for laid-back experiences, loft, bar, rooftop, kickback-type vibes, and chill moods.
If you’re into any of those experiences, vibes, or moods, search for Hanover Park on Spotify, and while you’re there, check out some of my 24-Hour LoFi playlists where there’s a song for almost every experience, vibe, and mood.
Hanover Park – https://linktr.ee/itshanoverpark
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1 – Read or listen to audiobooks on what you love.
2 – Continue learning what you love even when you’ve learned enough.
3 – Doing what you love and doing what you love for a living are two very different things.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was teach me discipline. Most of the time you hear people say where they would not be, but, I could not be who, what, and where I am today if my parents had not taught me discipline.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://andredeonwalkerjr.com/hanover-park/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itshanoverpark/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hanoverpark406
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-104180601?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Image Credits
Photos by Zach Taylor Lopez – https://www.instagram.com/imzachlopez/
