We recently connected with WIIM The Musician and have shared our conversation below.
WIIM, 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.
Growing up I was kind of a people pleaser. My mom tells me, even as a kid, I would always make sure other kids had toys first before I did. She never saw it as an issue, until I was old enough to realize my self-confidence was fleeting and conditional, making it a flaw. It wasn’t until a moment in junior high that I got in trouble doing a school prank with the “homies” and they threw me under bus. After that it hit me: No one has your back except for yourself. It was a blessing in disguise because it allowed me to work on myself and build myself up until I became the man I am today. In hindsight, I’d rather have to teach myself confidence, than to have to teach myself to humble myself. Some people still need that lesson lol
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I started making music at a very young age, playing guitar, singing, and eventually falling in love with rap. I couldn’t afford studio time, so I learned to record myself. But the quality was way under par, so over time I educated myself on the mixing and mastering process through YouTube and college. This led me to building my own studio, and recording other artists as well who need the service. So instead of paying for studio time, I get it free, and make profit from it. It took 10 years to get good enough but it was definitely worth it. I’ve performed live at many of Southern California’’s biggest venues such as Observatory (Orange County), Novo (Los Angeles), SXSW (Austin TX), etc. You can find my music by looking up WIIM on any platform.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
3rd person, I really admire my entrepreneurial spirit. My parents said go to college, and I dropped out. I didn’t want to spend my whole life punching in hours and building someone else’s dream. I asked myself “How do I become the person who people work FOR”. And I realized: it starts with doing something you love. For me, music was it. So against all advice, I got a 9-5 and pursued my dream of being a musician and I have no regrets. And since I’ve navigated the industry, I have found multiple ways to make income, you don’t have to be Drake to make a living as long as you have a business mindset underneath it all. The best advice I can give is to follow your heart no matter what people tell you, even your parents. If you settle, you will regret it on your death bed.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
Everyone gets overwhelmed at times, especially as a business owner, entrepreneur, or a creative. My advice when that happens is to go live your life. Whatever that means to you. Do something you haven’t done. Break the cycle. Interrupt the pattern. It can be as simple as eating at a place you’ve never been. Go see a city you haven’t seen. Refill that cup because you can’t fill from an empty one.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @wiim_the_musician
- Youtube: WIIM
- SoundCloud: WIIM the Musician
