We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Zach Norman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Zach below.
Zach, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Looking back, I’d say that resilience has been both natural and cultivated in my life. Some of this is passion. Some of this is a desire for self-discipline and personal fulfillment. And some of this is wanting to overcome. Like most of us, our desire to endure is sustained by focusing our drive and creativity into our “superpowers”- our flow state & gifts to those around us. This is what expands our energy and potential for meaningful work. In my childhood, I somehow felt this unexplainable discontentment with giving less than my full potential- it was this interesting quirk of mine. I also never thought of myself as competitive- I just felt this internal drive. Through music and a more broad exploration into the arts, I truly started finding my voice. As
life has progressed, I’ve also learned how highly critical it is to have a vision. Not to prove anything to yourself or anyone else, but to pursue what compels you. For me this is wonder. To rediscover it, uncover it and to live that reality with everyone around me. We cannot create what we cannot see, and rediscovering wonder in my life has been the most healing and enlivening experience. Nowadays, I’m delving deeper into self-awareness driven by self-compassion, understanding more clearly my original design and what my contribution is in the world. After years, I’m finally getting past trauma, fear, anxiety, and even self. Wonder is changing everything.
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? I absolutely love creating. I love living in the future. I’ve also discovered a strong propensity for prototyping— immersing myself in new environments and meeting people that not only expand my knowledge and expertise but also fuel my curiosity to use new tools and expand my hands-on, tactical skills. One of the most relevant
examples of this is adopting Web3 and blockchain technologies. The surprising part is how these relate to the fragrance I’ve been working on for the last two years. That experience alone has been an immersion into a whole new domain for me.
Fragrance is like painting; you learn from each iterative work. If you want to refine a painting, you just have to create another layer or create from a blank canvas. Personally, I’ve been on a long journey of learning how to direct my perfectionism into its appropriate context without stifling personal growth and innovation. Diving into fragrance and Web 3 have been a part of this journey for me.
I have been anticipating the launch of the .WAVE fragrance by my brand, ZZN Collection for a while. The concept came to me in 2020 and I actively started the process in 2022. It’s going to be amazing, and I named the fragrance .WAVE after my non-profit, Wave Initiative Worldwide Inc., which aims to end mental illness through creativity, care, and community; encouraging creators to cultivate health, wholeness, and wonder in the world.
Beyond thought leadership or even the beauty of community, nothing motivates me more than the joy of creating compelling products and experiences. I definitely look forward to inviting people into this next season of ZZN Collection and Wave Initiative. My partners and I have been working on some innovative and interactive ways that I believe will be highly engaging, and they even come with exclusive rewards… Get your crypto wallet and install Base L2 on Ethereum. And DM me if you need help.
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?
Performing, creating and engineering. I had to think of these in their broadest sense because it gives me more runway to explain each one.
Performing live because it forces you to develop confidence in the face of a dead crowd or your own
insecurity. It forces you to bring an energy and inspiration that originates from an authentic place- otherwise who cares?
Creating because this encapsulates songwriting, brainstorming, copywriting and storytelling. It’s so important that, in the age of information, we bring our whole selves: our humanity, our curiosity and our ingenuity. Ultimately, I believe, a sense of wonder. AI can facilitate a lot for us, I think, in powerful ways, however, it’s the flow of thought and heart and soul that comes from a human being that brings true and emotive voices into the world. The original creators. Waves and voices of love. That part can only come from us.
Engineering because when I first started producing music in 2017, it was my first in-depth, kick myself in the face “I just want to be an artist—how do I find my sound? I’m designing sounds; I just mixed my own track” sort of process I had ever undertaken. I’m glad I did because it showed me that I am the artist and can also be the technologist to amplify my artistry.
This growth process is what helped me understand more broadly my interest and skillsets for technology, innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship.
My advice is always follow your curiosity and passions and force yourself to do the hard thing that will expand you into your next ideal stage of growth.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you? As an audio/visual artist, a composer and entrepreneur, I’m looking to find partners that want to create compelling and innovative products and experiences for a long-term customer base; a community who wants to co-create wonder together.
This includes a vision to build web applications, immersive environments and installations, epic audio/visuals, compelling digital art and film, interactive technology, immersive sound and creating products that people can take away with them like premium clothing and fragrance, connecting them to those experiences forever.
Scent is the most powerful sense to stimulate memory. Glass products in their translucence and elegance carry beauty and a timeless elegance. Our fragrance attached to digital collectibles will be an amazing step in this direction. Shout out to Keyspace Studio here in Atlanta for that one. Founder, Jonathan Hessing is doing some amazing things, and we have a strong community of innovative founders around the US with Keyspace Studio Collective.
I’m looking to partner with the right creative, marketing and experiential marketing companies that can help me scale a vision that resonates deeply and provides lasting value, cultivating a loyal and cherished lifelong audience. I want to provide a meaningful journey in dynamic community together. For the first time, I am seeking proper VC and private equity partners who can help me scale the compelling vision of ZZN Collection.
Contact Info:
- Website: zachznorman.com/about, zzncollection.com
- Instagram: @zachznorman @zzncollection
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/zachznorman
- Twitter: @zachznorman
- Other: https://linktr.ee/zachznorman
Image Credits
landscape and product photos by Anthony Hudson https://anthonyhudsonphotography.com/ model shots by Maiden and Moon Photo Co. https://maidenandmoonphotoco.squarespace.com/
