Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to GVE Mike. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi GVE, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience forged through years of navigating seemingly insurmountable challenges—situations fraught with uncertainty, scarce resources, and daunting odds stemming from a lack of knowledge. In the face of such adversity, I consistently unearth solutions and bring them to fruition.
Reflecting on my upbringing, my family would habitually acquire new VCRs or computers without a clue on how to operate them. Driven by curiosity, I would eagerly delve into these technological enigmas, emerging as the household expert. However, the downside was that every glitch or malfunction necessitated my intervention, disrupting my routine to troubleshoot computers, routers, or any other perplexing device.
This pattern persisted when I worked at 2K Games in marketing. I assumed the role of the resident tech expert, addressing issues like malfunctioning consoles at trade shows or devising ways to showcase new facets of a game without revealing its unfinished elements.
This same tenacity characterizes my approach to music and entrepreneurial pursuits. Confronted with unfamiliarity or a sense of being overwhelmed, I draw on the wealth of experience gained from years of unraveling complexities. In those moments, I remind myself, ” “bro you can figure this out. You are smart enough to google this or search it on YouTube…”.
Breaking it down, my method blends confidence, meticulous research, and patience to comprehend the intricate nuances of challenging objectives. Once armed with understanding and a well-crafted strategy, I embark on execution, propelling myself toward the desired goal.
There’s an unparalleled satisfaction in achieving a goal and affirming to myself, “I knew I could figure this thing out bro!”.
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 an artist and music producer as music is my first love, but also, I run a small creative agency where I assist clients in developing creative concepts for social media content. Additionally, I provide strategies on how to effectively release content for maximum impact. I am also involved in filming content both on the road and in local areas to ensure we bring the full vision to life. I have extensive experience working with the iPhone 14 Pro-Max (with DJI Gimbal), and the Sony A7iii.
I am deeply engaged in sports content, particularly basketball, as I actively work on the HandleLife and Dribble2much brands on a daily basis. In 2024, I aim to onboard more basketball clients in the NIL space, and I am especially interested in expanding into the WNBA and G League realms. I foresee significant growth in these markets, considering the increasing importance of content over the past few years.
My experience includes creating content for prominent brands such as the NBA, Goalrilla, ASRV, Nike, Nocta, and more, through my basketball client, Dribble2much. This is supplemented by my previous roles at the advertising agency Translation and my work in video game marketing as a brand manager at 2K Games.
If you are in the sports or music industry and seeking ways to enhance your video content on social media for 2024, feel free to reach out to me on my Instagram account @gve_mike. I also offer consultations for individuals outside the sports and music domains!
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?
There are a million skills you can learn, and a ton of qualities to have, but if I were to narrow them down to 3, these 3 helped me the most.
Humility – Most people let their ego speak for them and even make decisions long before they enter a room. One thing I learned early on is to listen to those who are further along than you or have expertise in something you don’t understand. I learned so many things from people just because I was curious to learn and approached situations with no ego. In sports, this is called being “coachable.” Using a sports reference as an example, Kobe became the best because he decided to approach the best players before him and ask for knowledge but then listened. If you can listen and learn anyone (that has valuable input), you will be unstoppable!
Resilience – You are not going to be good at anything when you first start, whether it’s making a song, a YouTube video, or whatever. If you believe that you’re doing something because you love it, then you need to also understand it’s a lifelong process of growth. The more you learn and do, the better you will become, but this means fighting through all the “tough times,” like getting zero streams on a video that took 3-5 hours to make or your mom commenting on your videos when nobody else did. You have to remember that this is part of the process for everyone! Enjoy the process and appreciate it, but KEEP GOING! You’re always one video or one song away from your big moment!
Obsession – I don’t know if this is a quality or skill that sounds positive, but what I mean by obsession is that you have to obsess over a subject to really grasp it. To use music production as an example, study how to make beats but also ask why your favorite producer used the sounds they used, where the sample originates from, and what key the beat is in. There is always a reason why your favorite song went viral or has millions of streams. Compare other songs in similar keys and similar tempos. You have to really get into your research bag to become a true expert in your craft. This helps you break down your competitors or other spaces that you want to learn more about and eventually bring elements to your work. I’m sure you can tell I’m a Lakers fan at this point, but again using sports as an example, Kobe obsessed over what made Jordan so good on the court and off the court. He studied Jordan’s every move, every play and other peers to break down their game and then brought this knowledge to his team. It may sound crazy but you would be amazed how much you learn when you start to become a researcher.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I employ a couple of methods for different situations.
When I’m on location filming or producing for an artist in their session, and I feel overwhelmed, I take deep breaths and remember why I’m there and to go with the flow of the moment. I always seek a positive solution! For example, when I’m filming basketball games and training sessions, you only get one shot at a take because it’s a live moment. If I missed a shot or forgot an angle, I try to compensate by capturing amazing angles elsewhere to add value. Again, I always find the positive in a negative moment. The same approach applies when producing; sometimes, we may not find that amazing kick sample or snare right away, but we ended the night with an amazing vocal melody and an idea for the chorus. You can’t just give up when things look bleak.
Another method is remembering I have overcome so much in my life; this is just another thing to experience. I truly believe all things in my life are something I experience as a part of my character development. I could go deeper, but I try not to have a ‘victim mentality’ in life to make it simple.
Last thing, it’s also really nice to have friends you can vent everything to after these stressful moments. I always feel better, and it allows me to move on much quicker. You could also try writing things in a journal or vlog about them to create some content while you’re at it. For example, ‘You’ll never guess what happened on this video shoot in Mexico…’ or something like that.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @gve_mike
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-howard-7630139a/
- Youtube: GVE Mike
- SoundCloud: GVE Mike
- Other: Tiktok @gve mike
Image Credits
All photos owned by me.
