Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to KPMADMAN. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
KPMADMAN, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
There’s no one like you in any room if you bet on your own lived experience. This society wants to change you into one of these corporate weirdos that have no personality and no life outside of the work you get paid to do. I bet on myself because people who influence me and continue to influence me, they are themselves to a fault. Be yourself because there’s no one like you.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I do many things in my life currently because I have many passions. I work at a farm teaching people about food justice as it connects to all the justices like housing and land justice. I make music, I’m a DJ, I run an internet radio station called SOONSPINS alongside Mothy Dula, I work in a food security program in my neighborhood called Las Vistas Neighborhood Collaborative (LVNC) and I do other communal work but these are the things that take up my day to day, everyday.
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?
If you’re early in your journey, get a mentor and become disciplined and focused. Become relentless in achieving your goals. Stop for no one and nothing. Becoming your most ideal self takes a lifetime and you got a lifetime in front of you so use it wisely but have fun and rest properly. Be around chosen family that pushes you to be your best self! Love yourself and your people. Don’t let one thing like money run your life cuz that shit is fake!
I learned about the urban core and geography in college and that changed my entire life. I learned about design and why people design things the way they do, from shoes and architectural models to roads, freeways and public policy linked to those things. That helped me understand a lot. READ!!! I never was big on reading because I got way too much energy for that most times but every answer is in a book somewhere, written by someone that you want to emulate so pick up a fucking book. Get off your phone because there’s nothing happening on social media really besides a bunch of shit other people are doing. Collectivize and learn with other people as well because you can’t do everything yourself.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My community that surrounds me currently. In no particular order: My Mom & Dad, Yaritza, Rey, Q, Irv, Miguel, Donald, Tim, Davon, Libby, Natalie, Paul, Ana, Aaron, Daniel, Emily, Clam, Coco, Chata, Dora, Tito, Taranika, Angela, Fabian, Malia, Carl, Rivers, my lil bro Jr, Kely, RA, Hari, Malick, Marquell, Lio, Eric, Alé, and so many others in which I interact with regularly! Find people that love you and love them.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kpmadman_/
- SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/D4K3jbraVYVizaaSA
- Other: soonspins.com
