Meet Paulie Z

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Paulie Z. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Paulie below.

Paulie, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I developed my confidence and self-esteem through sheer practice and consistency. Sometimes people think confidence is something you’re born with, and while that may be true for some people, I believe that most of us have to learn it and nurture it from an early age. I was anything, but confident when I was a kid and my self-esteem was on the lower side. I was a chubby kid who couldn’t talk to girls and wasn’t in the “cool club”. It took years of trial and error to build true confidence. I had to fail a lot to learn what worked for me and what didn’t, but through that process of failing I learned to overcome fear and be comfortable with failure. I was lucky that I had a very supportive family and network of friends around me, which always made me feel loved and accepted, but it wasn’t enough to get me to the emotional level that I wanted to get to. I had to push the envelope on and off stage knowing that I may be embarrassed or laughed at. Once you fall down enough times though, it’s not so bad and then you feel more and more comfortable being yourself. Fear is what holds us back. Once you overcome fear, only then can you be your true self which in turn leads to confidence and self-esteem: knowing that you love yourself for the good, the bad and the ugly. Anyone can get it, but you have to work for it.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a musician and educator from Brooklyn, NY. What sets me apart from everyone else is that I excel in both the world of rock n roll and education. They are two very different realms, but I realized many years ago that my gift was to combine those two worlds. I am a singer, guitar player, vocal coach, producer, actor, educator and CEO of a non-profit. I am most proud of the fact that I set my sights high and always deliver. For me it’s “go big or go home” and I’ll go above and beyond to make it happen.

My younger brother David and I were in various rock bands together in NYC when we were young. Our first professional group was a power rock trio called ZO2 that lasted for 10 years and toured with bands like KISS and Poison. We also had a band called the Z Brothers that played children’s music and we did concerts and birthday parties. In 2008 we landed our own TV series called Z Rock which was a semi-scripted comedy about our dual life as a kids band by day and rock band by night. That lasted for two seasons on the IFC channel and featured many celebrity guests such as Jason Rivers, Dee Snider, Dave Navarro and many more.

ZO2 released three CDs and multiple singles. I released one solo EP and six kids CDs. I’ve also created multiple music programs for schools around the world. In 2011 I started a non-profit for kids music called Rock Asylum Foundation. In 2013 I moved to LA and started hosting and producing an incredibly successful jam night at the famous Whisky A Go Go called ULTIMATE JAM NIGHT. I did that every week for 7 1/2 years. In 2017 I was recruited by the legendary rock band SWEET to be their new lead singer. In 2020 I changed the name of my non-profit to the David Z Foundation in memory of my brother who was killed in July 2017. Since then I have travelled the world bringing music programming to underprivileged kids and have dedicate myself to keeping David’s legacy alive.

Since the pandemic I have been singing lead in my premiere tribute to Queen called BOHEMIAN QUEEN. We have been selling out venues around the country and gaining a loyal following. I also have tributes to Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Chris Cornell. My band ZO2 recently reunited with a new bassist and we are starting to play out again. During the week I teach pre-school music classes, private vocal/guitar lessons and work on the foundation. On the weekends I tour with my various bands.

I am married and have a 4 year old son and a new-born baby girl, I live my life with passion, ambition, kindness and love. I try to make everything I do epic and memorable and waste no time on this precious journey we call life.

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?
Passion, networking and manifestation.

More than anything, I think being passionate about what you are doing is so important because it pushes you past the goal line every time. Business in general is hard and the entertainment business is extra difficult so if you are not passionate about what you are doing, then it can very quickly and easily break you down. When you are passionate though, you don’t feel like you are working a day in your life and you forge ahead no matter what obstacle stands in your way.

Everyone knows that networking is a big part of this business, but many people have no clue how to do it properly. It’s more than just showing up to events and handing out business cards. It’s about building relationships. I suggest taking the time to learn and remember people’s names, touch base with them on birthdays and holidays, and always look for a win/win situation when creating opportunities.

I strongly believe in manifesting what you want in life. It’s not the same as praying, dreaming or hoping for something. Manifesting is a very powerful tool because it forces you to visualize exactly what you want and then trigger the sub-conscience to look for opportunities to achieve it. It’s something that all successful people do and I encourage everyone to incorporate this skill into their toolbox.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me is to support my creative endeavors 100%. My father is a musician so he introduced my brother and I to music and nurtured our love for it by listening and playing together. My mom is not musical at all and even though she had no idea how to help us directly, she supported my brother and I by buying us our first guitars, lending us money when we needed, selling tickets to our shows, etc. My parents went to all of my shows and still do because they are my biggest fans. A parent needs to make a child feel like they can do anything they want in life and my parents did just that which is why I am living my dream life.

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Image Credits
Marie Gregorio-Oviedo Jason Findlay Tamea Sheri Hastings Ray Braatz Jr. Tamea Agle

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