We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ish Barri a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ish, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
First, my work ethic comes from both my hard-working parents. Growing up in southeast Louisiana, my dad was in the medical field and my mom was a blue-collar worker. Every day I can remember, as far back as I can recall, they gave everything their all, at 110 percent. Growing up, that was the cornerstone in my family: to have a very strong work ethic.
Secondly, all the people I look up to, such as Mark Cuban, Nick Saban, Kelvin Sampson, Michael Jordan, DJ Vlad, and others, all have one thing in common: a very strong work ethic.
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?
My name is Ishmael Barri, but everyone calls me Ish, and I grew up in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. I’m the youngest of seven who grew up in a two-parent household. Growing up, I always had an interest in photography, and in 2011, I turned my hobby into a business and called it Barri Media. During the lockdown with nothing to do, I got into the world of podcasting like so many others and named my podcast “The Unrestricted Podcast.” I figured with my interest in technology, ability to hold a conversation, and having a wide variety of interests that starting a podcast wouldn’t be a bad idea. The most exciting thing about the podcast is having people from all walks of life to tell their story or to have a conversation about a specific thing they specialize in. As a photographer, being able to capture moments is something that I never get tired of.
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?
One, don’t be afraid to fail or make mistakes because trial and error is a great teacher. When it comes to both being behind the camera as a photographer or in front of the mic as a podcaster, I’ve learned so much from the mistakes I’ve made along the way, and it’s only helped me be better in both jobs.
Two, dare to be different. With so many people out here doing the same thing, don’t be afraid to put your own spin on things or try something new. For example, I know that bodybuilding isn’t a mainstream sport, but I happen to be a fan, so as a photographer, I have worked with several and had several on the podcast, which in turn is some of my most viewed and talked-about work.
Lastly, never stop learning. For me, I use YouTube and TikTok as a huge database to help me run my operations smoother, cut editing time down, and keep up to date with anything new in the world of podcasting and photography.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When feeling overwhelmed, I remind myself that I can only do so much in one day. One day consists of 24 hours, minus 8 hours for sleep, which leaves only 16 hours. Also, keep in mind that you have to eat and take breaks. With that being said, I try to prioritize things that need the most attention first, then focus on that until the task at hand is complete, and then move on to the next one. In my opinion, there is no point in stressing over everything and not getting anything done, so you have to prioritize and get things done.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theunrestrictedpodcast.com
- Instagram: @unrestricted_podcast
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557178401899
- Twitter: @BarriMedia
- Youtube: YouTube.com/TheUnrestrictedPodcast
