Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mo Stockon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Mo with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I owe a lot of my work ethic to my parents and how I was raised. I am very fortunate to have an extremely supportive family and close circle of friends. While life always presents challenges – work ethic is thankfully nothing I feel like I have ever lacked. My dad was an entrepreneur and successful business owner – which inspired me to want the same for myself growing up. My mom was a stay at home mom that fostered an environment of love, care and creativity. I was always pushed by my family and those who cared about me to be my best and truest version of myself at all times… and that doesn’t just come without work. We were always taught a balance of gratitude and wanting/striving for more. Never settling for good enough. Without a strong work ethic achieving the outlandish goals I set for myself would not be possible. Once I was living on my own as an adult it was all about personal accountability/responsibility. If I wanted something (be it money, a position in my career or relationships of any kind) I knew I had to work for it – it wasn’t just going to be given to me, even if it was I wanted the gratification of earning it through hard work. I have been extremely fortunate to grow a solid and well rounded career very quickly and a lot of that has to do with my work ethic – continually taking on extra hours and experience opportunities, but the true battle comes in finding the harmony and balance between working hard for the things I believe in and making sure to take time to prioritize other critical elements of my life aside from work.
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?
As someone who is still only in my mid-twenties I am proud to say I have an extensive resume spanning a lot of various aspects of the event industry – corporate events, weddings, music festivals & concerts, golf tournaments, racing & motorsports events, non-profit galas, fashion and art shows, as well as an extensive hospitality experience in restaurants and bars. I have worked across a variety of departments, but my heart belongs most to my work in the music industry.
When I am not deep in my events career I manage a media collective based in Orlando (Carusel Collectiv) and two extremely talented Electronic Music Producers – Years of War (Formerly Rico & Miella) and Shaman. Years of War is an abundantly well-versed singer-songwriter edm duo based in Brooklyn, NY. – gracing stages at festivals like Groove Cruise and Bass Canyon with their melodic bass music featuring live vocals from both members of the group. Shaman is primarily an experimental bass DJ/Producer based in Orlando. With a performance resume of Zen Awakening, Groove Cruise, Home Bass and more – Shaman has a much greater focus in meditative/sound-bath experiences as well as high-energy bass DJ sets. My work with both Shaman and Years of War has taught me a lot and brings me further into the industry I have loved working in for the past 10 years and I am excited to continue to grow both projects moving forwards.
In addition to events and artist management – more of my “side hustles” if you will. – I own and run a design and fabrication company (AWY Designs & Fabrications) for a variety of events & different client needs – with products from installations, custom animation designs, gifts/event decor, apparel, custom art pieces and more. We are currently going through a HUGE rebrand to expand into larger fabrications and expand our reach/catalog into bigger and better experiences and creations. I am beginning a new path as a personal trainer and nutritionist as a “side hustle” to help reach into the aspects of physical and mental health through fitness which is a priority for me in my day-to-day life.
I love the diversity of experiences I am continually able to have in my life – from career to hobbies to interests. Between traveling a lot for work and continually finding new projects and skills to learn/teach myself it is rare I find myself bored or searching for something to do – which is exactly how I like it.
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?
Creativity/Adaptability/Resourcefulness – Nothing in events or entertainment goes to plan perfectly…EVER! The combination of these three skills are crucial for success in these industries. Creativity to think outside the box for new/innovative solutions to these problems while being resourceful and understanding the need to adapt and roll with the punches. It’s not being laid back or “chill” it is understanding there will always be pivots and bumps in the road, but it’s more about the ability to bounce back when you’re down and dodge obstacles as they present themselves.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions – especially when you’re starting out you will not know everything… and that’s ok. I am still constantly growing and learning in and outside of my career. In my opinion, it is better to ask questions if you don’t know something or even if you’re just curious how things run, even if it’s stuff outside of your realm of position. One of my first festivals I ever worked, I was a bartender in the artist lounge of a large music festival. The way the area was set up I was near the transportation department and anytime I had free time I went over and would ask questions and observe their operations (with their permission of course). I learned so much in my couple of days with them and was able to apply and execute a similar skill set in a position I accepted several months later. Fake it ’til you make it only gets you so far before your lack of knowledge or experience can start to show through.
Trust yourself. Believe in yourself. You are your best cheerleader – make the effort to show up for yourself and support yourself and your best interest.
While I actively seek new knowledge and training through schooling, books, experiences and online classes/courses these are three points that if I could go back and tell younger me to remember through my journey that I think are absolutely essential for everyone – not just someone searching for work in the events/entertainment industry, but any field.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @_mo1128_ // @_awy.designs_
- Other: Years of War (Link Tree): https://bio.site/yearsofwarShaman (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/shaman_music_official/ Carusel Collectiv (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/caruselcollectiv/
Image Credits
Justin Katz DJ Muldowney KsoFresko AWY Designs & Fabrications Hank Johnson
