Meet Paul Martin

We were lucky to catch up with Paul Martin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Paul, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?

My self-discipline is a product of knowing i have full responsibility for my actions, recognizing that my power lies in my choices, not in external circumstances. Because of this I’ve been able to push myself to keep on doing more of what i like and doing whatever i can when I’m able to, if something doesn’t go my way, right away. find the best choice of actions and continue down the path and keep moving forward.

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?

Hi, my name is Paul, and I run San Diego Showz (SDSHOWZ), an organization dedicated to boosting the incredible local music and arts scenes across San Diego and Southern California.

My journey to this point wasn’t a straight line. After facing a serious health scare (a brain tumor removal in 2019), I was left with one undeniable truth: life is too fragile to hold back. I realized my purpose was to build something that could genuinely help others and make a positive difference in the world around me.
This drive led me to co-found No More No Mas, an anti bullying foundation providing crucial resources and advocating for safer school environments. While that work was slowed by the pandemic, the mission to empower people never left me.

During the isolation of COVID, I found my new calling in the local concert scene. I saw so many phenomenally talented artists, bands, and small businesses in San Diego with little to no platform. That’s where SDSHOWZ comes in. We act as a hub that actively promotes shows and events to get the word out about local gigs, artists, and art events across the SoCal area. I attend these shows to take high quality photos and videos, capturing those electric, unforgettable moments. I provide all this free promotion, recognition, and media to local artists and businesses. To me, it’s not just promotion, it’s about building bigger crowds and fostering a stronger, more connected community / scene.

What excites me most isn’t just the music it’s the human connection and impact. When I initially started, the media wasn’t the main focus, but I quickly realized that capturing these events immortalizes moments that truly matter. I’ve had several people come up to me thanking me because a photo I took was of a loved one no longer with us, or a memory of a friend who moved away. Others thank me simply because our promotion brought a few dozen more fans to their set. I don’t just promote shows but help create memories and build legacies. Knowing that SDSHOWZ helps someone find their community, feel recognized, or hold onto a cherished moment is the interaction that fuels me every day.
I see this as just the beginning. I’m actively working to expand SDSHOWZ so we can do a whole lot more: Affordable Venues: My goal is to eventually establish or partner with venues to provide cheap and reliable spaces for local artists to perform. Empowering Creatives: I want to give other talented camera operators and media people a platform for promotion and recognition. I plan to integrate charity work more deeply, making and/or helping non-profits and causes like my initial work with No More No Mas with whatever support SDSHOWZ can offer.

We are a community in progress, and I invite everyone to come to a show, follow along, and be a part of building this movement!

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?

The health scare was a major turning point that gave me an urgent bias for action. It broke down the fear of failure and replaced it with the fear of inaction. Without the courage to simply start and to keep adapting after the initial setback with the non profit and covid neither project would exist. Action precedes clarity.

Both No More No Mas and SDSHOWZ were born from noticing a vulnerable community with an overlooked need. With the foundation, it was protecting students with SDSHOWZ, it was giving recognition to talented local artists who were struggling for exposure. My mission has never been about making the most money or gaining fame. it’s always been about making something bigger and having a community that’s tight and safe. When I get tired or discouraged, the stories of people thanking me for a photo, or the success of a band that grew its crowd, immediately refuel me. When your why is bigger than you are, it’s much easier to stay consistent.

Running SDSHOWZ isn’t a traditional business it’s a networked community. The key skills here were showing up and giving first. This involved consistently attending shows, learning the needs of the venues and artists, and providing value (photos, promotion) without expecting a transaction. This led to making genuine connections with some of the best people in the local scene. Consistency is the cost of entry for a community based project. I didn’t just promote a few shows. I made a commitment to be a reliable, visible, and positive force in the local music ecosystem. That trust is the currency of SDSHOWZ.

For anyone early in their journey, the first step is to Develop Your Bias for Action by practicing the Small Start. don’t wait for perfection, simply identify the single, smallest, concrete step whether it’s co-signing foundation papers or promoting that first show and start messy, not perfect. Build on this momentum by committing to the 1% Rule, where small, consistent daily actions, like sending one email or taking one photo, compound into massive progress over time. Next, Sharpen Your Empathy and Mission by finding a Pain Point that Hurts You, Too, ensuring you are personally invested in the problem you want to solve, and then clearly Define Your Customer’s Win so that your work always benefits the user first (like providing free media and a bigger crowd to a band). Finally, you must Master Consistency and Giving First: Schedule Your Non-Negotiables by treating your vital community work like a mandatory commitment, and always Give Value, Don’t Trade Value by focusing on what you can offer freely, which builds the goodwill and loyalty that forms the true foundation of any lasting community project like SDSHOWZ.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

When faced with the pressure it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but my main strategy is a combination of radical self awareness and intentional disengagement. My personal toolkit centers on actively reminding myself to just breathe and accept that I can’t do everything, which lowers the emotional stakes. I maintain perspective on the long game, knowing that I have a whole life full of wins and fails ahead, so my only job is to focus on now and how I feel. Crucially, I prioritize personal restoration going out with friends and family because without being my best self, I can’t be the best for others. For those early in their journey, my advice is to harness the Power of Non-Action by scheduling a True Disconnect (like a hike or a new recipe) and applying the 80/20 Stressors rule to delegate, defer, or delete the few tasks causing the most stress. Finally, Practice Present Moment Anchoring with simple tactics like the 5 Minute Reframe of deep breathing or a Physical Reset like a 15-minute walk, to pull yourself back from future worry and ground your energy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sdshowz.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sdshowz/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SDSHOWZ
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulmartincruz/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sdshowz

Image Credits

for pictures of myself its @Sanchez_Productions who took my photos and the concert photos are shot by myself