We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dan Radin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dan below.
Dan, 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?
Growing up, I spent a LOT of time with my mom. She was a stay-at-home mom who jumped on every chance she could to teach her eldest child (me) a tangible skill or impart certain wisdom. I picked up everything she put down. And to this day, she continues to be one of the most optimistic people I know.
My mom raised a working-class household that was chock-full of the roll-up-your-sleeves, blue-collar Pittsburgh that runs in our blood. She watched the dinner table as we became nightly members of the “clean plate club,” and she made damn sure I always had an income-driven job as early as middle school. On Sunday mornings, you’d find her at the kitchen table clipping out coupons from the newspaper. She usually had paint in her hair (she’s an artist herself) and would be spouting some form of often motivational life advice. We didn’t have a ton materially, but we always were keenly aware things could always be worse.
Gratitude was always one of my mom’s foundational life lessons. Being grateful for basic needs: we always had food our our plates, clothes on our backs, a roof over our heads. We were generally in good health, and were surrounded by both immediate and chosen family. As we got older, we came to recognize what a privilege it was to have a strong public school education nestled within a safe community. My mom highlighted our fortunes at every opportunity. These constant reminders compounded into more than just acknowledgments of the incredible things we had; the reminders to be grateful eventually settled into the optimistic mindset that now defines my worldview.
I came to realize that gratitude breeds optimism. When you look around and try to find things you’re grateful for, you train your mind to become optimistic. By looking for the good, over time, you’ll to start to scan the world for positive things subconsciously. You form the habit of finding the silver linings, identifying opportunities for improvement, and then begin to scheme about how you can make the world a better place. The path of the optimist is a slow, but natural, progression from gratitude. It starts with awareness of being grateful.
My mom taught me to recognize beauty, opportunity, relationships, privilege, humor, and joy in many forms. I’ve never heard my mom classify herself as an optimist. However, she is an expert in finding the good around her. And more importantly, she’s an expert in teaching others to do the same.
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?
I’ve been playing cello as a sideman and hired gun in Austin since 2015, and have performed for any opportunity that’s presented itself: bars, weddings, festivals, wineries, art shows, birthday parties, funeral homes- you name it. This year, I decided to release my first singer-songwriter solo album, titled “Romance for Antiheroes.”
The album documents a series of failed relationships throughout my adult life. The term “antihero” refers to the self-sabotaging thought pattern that weighs down interpersonal connections from the inside-out. Each song’s story has a sub-context of balancing millennial romantic expectations, struggling with self-worth, and learning to accept trust and love into one’s life.
I’m releasing a song a month from the album, starting with “Pickpocket” on September 1st. In the song, the narrator grapples with things left unsaid between himself and a former flame, ultimately leaving his imagination to make up a fictional dialogue between the two.
Join us on the journey!
Website: www.danradinmusic.com
Instagram: @itsDanRadin
Facebook: www.facebook.com/itsdanradin
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) Meticulous planning: I’d planned my escape path from my tech day job for years, identified actionable goals and milestones, and figured out a way to position myself to support myself sustainably. 2) Honing the craft: Daily practice. Taking lessons to learn from the top experts. Developing personal taste of what I like/don’t like. Creating something undeniably unique to you. As Steve Martin says: “Be so good they can’t ignore you.”
3) Hustle: Making the phone call, following up, following up again, and following up again. Packing out a schedule efficiently. Putting yourself in a position to succeed- getting into the right rooms in the right buildings in the right cities. Remembering that the ball is always in your court.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I’m ALWAYS looking for collaborators on all sides of the art.
Musicians: folks to write, record, and perform with. Artists to feature on my songs or who may need my cello for their own work.
Visual artists: graphic designers to collab on posters and merchandise, videographers, photographers. I especially love working with boutiques and solopreneurs.
Businesses: brands who are looking for active partners in both their audience development and product design, businesses who want live music for events, other creative co-marketing tactics
No matter who you are, I’m always open to a 30-second pitch. Email me: dan@danradinmusic.com
Contact Info:
- Website: www.danradinmusic.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/itsdanradin
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/itsdanradin
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/itsdanradin
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/itsdanradin
- SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/itsdanradin
- Other: Send an email, slide into the DM’s; don’t be a stranger!
Image Credits
Candice Ghai Photography Bill Mullarky
