Birthdays are high-energy days from a quantum perspective. Today is mine. And I’m fired up to bring you this one.
Speaking of high energy, if you’d like the listen to a vibe to begin your day, check this song out from Ekoh:
If there was a New Wave anthem, this would be it. Ekoh hit me up.
In Surf The Wave, we compare the similarities between New Wave Coaches and independent artists like Chris Webby and Ekoh.
I tell Ekoh’s story in the book, so I won’t bother repeating myself on the blog. Think of this piece as an extra to the book. Took some inspiration from this tweet for some of the future content that I’ll eventually bundle:
This falls under the “links to further reading idea.”
Ekoh has a couple of bars in the song that we will focus our attention on to connect back to New Wave leadership.
Yeah, make a fuss
Takin' the game and we shake it up
We'll probably never make the cut
But none of us ever gave a fuck (Gave a fuck)
And they like "why you killin' it in every verse?" (In every verse)
Man, I only work this hard 'cause I'm so insecure
Ekoh speaks to a disenfranchised group. Independent artists. A group that has been told a million times, “you can’t make it in this industry without signing a deal with a record label.”
That was the Old Way. Old advice from the Old Guard.
Newsflash: Paradigm shift (The Wave) has already happened in music. This is why we chose to learn from them in the book. They went first.
If you can build a following by posting your personal brand content to connect with fans and really good music to Spotify, you get to win the game.
Without signing a deal.
That’s what Ekoh is doing.
He didn’t “make the cut” in the traditional way. Labels didn’t want him. Didn’t think he was good enough. Thought he should stick to one genre of music.
So he “shook the game up” and decided to play by his own rules.
He doubled down on his unique skill stack. And then he started getting attention from the labels. He speaks to this later in the song:
See I'm more ready than ever
'Cause when the labels didn't want me I just made my shit better
Learned to build it on my own without anybody to help
And when the labels call now I'm like "go to hell"
The thing about building an online brand, or career the New Wave way is that first you’re ignored by everyone. And then when you start to make it on your own and you don’t need help, everyone starts to notice.
It happens slowly and then all at once.
Doing what Ekoh is doing, is like being the new kid at school. Maybe you’ve been this kid:
This is the struggle of the New Wave coach.
Nobody wants to coach with you because your range and ability scare them.
You get told “no” for 3 years… Or you tell them no because you’re not a fit. Okay, maybe that part is just me…
But eventually, the NHL bubble that was created by the Old Guard is going to pop.
And we are going to win.
If you’re on the sidelines, outside of the game, or not in the position you want to be in… But are in this community.
Keep going. You’re equipped to Surf The Wave.
If you’re not in here yet, my advice is, “learn to surf.”
You have 5 years or less to capitalize on this.