Meet Josh Rodriguez

We recently connected with Josh Rodriguez and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Josh , we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

Honestly, my confidence and self-esteem weren’t built overnight. They were earned the hard way.

When I was a kid, I was pretty confident. I loved sports, I played football, and I even started out as a quarterback. But over the span of a couple of years, I went from quarterback to offensive line. That was my first real taste of how my body was changing and how other kids noticed. I got picked on constantly, made fun of for being fat. I’ll never forget my best friend, a kid I’d known since I was two, left for a summer. When he came back, he barely recognized me. That crushed me. It was like confirmation of everything I was already feeling: that I didn’t belong, that something was wrong with me.

By my teens, food had become a coping mechanism. Eventually, that turned into drugs and alcohol. I kept getting bigger and bigger. And honestly, the hardest parts about living with obesity weren’t even the obvious ones. It was the small, humiliating stuff like bending over to tie my shoes, worrying if a piece of furniture would hold me, stretching out T-shirts that fit last month but didn’t anymore, even struggling to wipe my own ass. It chips away at you in a way that’s hard to describe.

By 25, I hit a wall: I was diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, put on meds I didn’t want to be on. I hated shopping for clothes, I hated going to theme parks because I couldn’t fit on rides. Being obese wasn’t just unhealthy, it was exhausting and embarrassing every single day. I knew I needed a change. But I also knew I couldn’t trust anyone else to hold me accountable. If someone tried, I’d find a way around it.

So, in 2015, after a ton of research and appointments, I made the decision to get bariatric surgery. My biggest fear? That it wouldn’t work. That I’d put my body through surgery, take all this risk, and still fail. But the alternative — staying the way I was scared me more. Since then, I’ve lost between 150 and 175 pounds. I beat diabetes and high blood pressure. I got off the meds. I felt better than I ever had. But that came with its own set of challenges. It’s wild how Suddenly, people treated me differently. They took me more seriously. I was “more attractive.” And that outside acceptance felt good, but also fed a very old, very dangerous part of me that still felt like I didn’t fit in.

So I leaned into it. I drank more. I used more. And here’s something a lot of people don’t realize: after bariatric surgery, alcohol hits you faster and harder. That’s a dangerous mix. I started blacking out for days at a time. I became a high-functioning addict, until I wasn’t. I got in trouble with the law, with my job, with my relationships. After some legal trouble, my boss at the time said you have two options. Check yourself into rehab or look for another job! So I checked myself into rehab. Rehab taught me a lot about myself and about addiction, but it didn’t “fix” me right away. What it did do was reignite a fire I hadn’t felt in years — my passion for music. I quickly realized I was wasting my life at a job I didn’t love, making good money but dying on the inside.

I was terrified to leave the comfort of that job — the apartment, the two cars, the bills that were always paid. But staying in a mundane, safe existence scared me more. So I quit. Packed my stuff. Moved to Florida. I was literally a starving artist for the fist two years. I had no idea what I was doing. But my best friend, my brother, my bandmate Greg helped me find my footing. we’ve know each other for damn near 20 yers now. we played in bands together, worked at the same jobs, were roommates and using buddies for the longest time. He started his sober Journey long before I did and i looked up to that, still do. he also did music full time, and I drew a vast amount of inspiration from him & his work ethic. Together, we started Austin & Zen one of the premier Duo’s in Tampa. He helped me get my name out there and I owe a lot of success to his friendship and guidance.

Eventually, the legal trouble I’d been running from caught up with me. Thank God it did, because it forced me to stay clean. That accountability, paired with AA and NA, saved me. I’ve been clean and sober now for over seven years. Today, I’m not just a full-time musician. with multiple projects Josh Austin Music, Austin & Zen, and The Supply Chain- A tribute to 90’s-2000’s pop-punk and emo music. I’m also a booking agent and creative lead with Tribute Brands LLC. Working along side a beast of a guitar player and visionary, Brad Balsama. I make a good living doing what I love more so than I ever did at that corporate job.

So how did I build my confidence and self-esteem? By building a life I don’t have to run from. I did the work inside and out. I’m not confident because everything always goes right — I’m confident because I know what I’ve survived, I know what I’ve built, and I know I’m doing what I was meant to do.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a full-time musician and booking agent with Tribute Brands LLC. On the music side, I perform as the lead singer for The Supply Chain, a high-energy tribute to the iconic Warped Tour era. Right now, I’m focused on expanding the band into new markets and connecting with audiences who are excited to experience this style of music live.

On the business side, I help run Tribute Brands LLC, a booking agency that represents premium tribute bands. What’s special about what we do is that we’re musicians ourselves, so we understand both sides of the stage. That perspective allows us to build relationships with venues and clients in a way that’s thoughtful, professional, and artist-friendly.

Currently, we’re working on growing our roster and creating more opportunities for our bands to tour nationally, while also innovating how we handle bookings and marketing. For me, the most exciting part is being able to combine my passion for performing with helping other artists succeed—creating experiences for audiences that are memorable while shaping a new kind of booking agency.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, I think the biggest thing that’s helped me is being teachable. I never went to college, so I’ve had to figure out a lot on my own. Staying open to feedback and new ideas—whether from other musicians, mentors, or just trial and error—has been huge.

Along with that, learning how to educate myself has been essential. If no one is around to teach you, you have to take the initiative to figure things out on your own—watch tutorials, read, experiment, and just keep trying.

Finally, I’ve learned to be patient and appreciate the process. Some things are really hard at first, but they get easier with time and repetition. Learning to embrace the “reps” and celebrate small wins has made all the difference.

For anyone just starting out, I’d say stay curious, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and lean into the process—even when it feels tough. The skills you’re building now will pay off down the road, so trust yourself and keep going.

How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?

If I knew I only had a decade left, I wouldn’t change a thing about the life I’ve lived so far. Every experience, good or bad, has shaped who I am, and I’ve learned to create a life I don’t have to run from. That said, I’d shift my focus even more intentionally toward what matters most to me: creating and cultivating my own original music and sharing it through touring.

I’d dedicate that time to building a deeper connection with my art, experimenting, collaborating, and taking risks I might have been hesitant to take before. Touring and performing would be about more than just playing shows. It would be about connecting with people, leaving something meaningful behind, and fully living the life I’ve worked toward. In essence, I’d spend the decade fully immersed in the creative work that makes me feel most alive, while savoring every moment along the way.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Dean Brewer @brewha photography
Shephards.com
Natalie Pytlarz @Pytlarz Productions LLC

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