Meet Zach Paradis

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

Zach, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.
The world of the generous is always expanding. But there is a scarcity mindset often feeding on our fears that tells us there isn’t enough room for everyone, so don’t give anyone what you have. I work in music–writing, producing, engineering, etc–and there’s definitely this unspoken thought that we have to use each other to get to the next level. I have been trying to switch my mindset, to give others a leg up and invest in them. I’m not doing this as a sneaky way of benefiting from those people later but instead, I truly believe that I can make both our lives better in the present by being kind and generous. The new thought is, if I grow, we grow together. For me, this stems from the teachings of Jesus, who was incredibly generous and modeled service and kindness perfectly. I try to remember that as we work and hustle, we’re not just building our careers, we’re building our lives. With some of my collaborators, I have mixed for free, taken lower backend percentages, or given away beats just because I believe in them and want to be light in a draining industry that has a tendency to beat us down over time.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Zach Paradis and I am a recording artist, music producer, songwriter, and audio engineer. As you can tell, I wear a lot of hats, as many of us freelancers and entrepreneurs do. What I feel is exciting about what I do is that I am a one-stop shop for anything song-related. Getting my start as an audio engineer and writing songs all my life, I have all the tools necessary to pull an idea out of my head or a client’s and turn it into a tangible idea that you can upload to Spotify. That feels like magic to me.

I’m focused on building my artist career and music producer career simultaneously. I have put out 6 songs so far this year under my name Zach Paradis, with more on the way. I feel so lucky to also be involved in many clients projects, whether it be as a producer, writer, or engineer. I’m incredibly grateful to be surrounded by music on a daily basis.

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?
There are many intangible skills across industries that will make you go far. However, in whatever field you work, I think the value of technical proficiency at your craft cannot be understated. So, in terms of music for me, that meant becoming well-versed and quick at the software I work in (Pro Tools). It’s not a crazy concept but I think the simplicity of it causes it to be overlooked. Most industries are hinged upon specific softwares, so buy the software and spend a ton of time in it. Experiment with it, try different workflows, watch YouTube tutorials. Learn the ins and outs and become an expert by investing your 10,000 hours. Also, find other people who work in the same software or related ones and trade secrets and advice. They probably figured out something you’re still stuck on and vice versa.

Secondly, be patient, positive and reliable to the best of your ability. Your attitude and countenance will make people like working with you or will get your number deleted. Jumping on revisions quickly, delivering assets when you said you would, fighting for collaborators or clients’ visions, and keeping a smile on your face while you do it will make everyone’s lives more enjoyable.

Third, be a good communicator. Clearly state what you bring to the table, what timelines you can handle, what you charge on the front- AND backend, etc. Even communicating your dissatisfaction with a process or a project’s difficulty in a calm way can bring you closer to the client and result in increased efficiency for next time. It’s amazing how much cleaner the process becomes when you communicate well.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
My biggest challenge over the years has consistently been time management. Maybe I’m alone there but effectively organizing my calendar so that it’s not overbooked or encroaching on my personal life is a struggle. This is mainly a personal growth challenge but there have been some practical tools that have helped, such as an AI calendar called Reclaim. I input all my tasks and it organizes when I should do it based on how long I think it will take and what is a priority. I recommend it to those needing a practical help in calendar organization. Also, having a consistent morning routine helps me feel in control of my day, starting from a firm foundation.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience is often the x-factor that differentiates between mild and wild success. The stories of

Productivity
Beating Burnout

Often the key to having massive impact is the ability to keep going when others

Leadership Development
Finding Your Why

Not knowing why you are going wherever it is that you are going sounds silly,