First of all, thank you so much for doing this! So for our readers who might not be familiar with you, could you give us a short rundown on who you are and what you do?
You’re welcome. And thanks very much for inviting me to do it. Well, as this is a music merch company, I’ll start with that side of things. I’m one of the vocalists in the London Hardcore band, TRC.
Outside of music, I’m a professional coach. This basically means I support individuals and business owners going from where they are, to where they want to be!
So your band TRC has been going for more than 15 years now, which is insane! Have any standout moments or highlights that you’d like to share?
Yes, 15 years is a long time! God knows how we’re still about, and even though we might not be as active as we once were, people still love it, and playing live still remains one of the best feelings.
Stand out moment? Probably when I decided to do vocals instead of drums. I could say it was when we played Download and Sonisphere etc. but I always knew that was going to happen, but I think what really catapulted the band to the next level was when I became the frontman.
(is it really cocky if you know that it’s true? ; ))
You’ve got quite a big discography! What would you say is the best song for someone to start with who’s never heard TRC before?
I’ll give them two. The fan-favorite is 10,000 Hours. I think that is something that really showed our unique blend of what we do, but that said it didn’t feature Anthony our other singer. So for a dose of both us, I’d say check out Lifestyle from the latest EP, Lifestyle.
Have any advice for musicians out there who might be struggling to get a band together, or keep a band together?
Keep it light-hearted. It really has been the key to our longevity. If you’re not having fun, what’s the point?
Oh, and make sure you’re actually a good band, too. Don’t worry about the shiny logos, 37 t-shirt designs, and social media madness if your tunes are shite.
It’s quite the combination being a hardcore vocalist as well as a business coach. What made you decide to pursue coaching as a career?
Well, technically I’m not a ‘business coach’. I’m a personal coach, meaning I work with people as they look to maximize their personal and professional potential. Some clients might be looking to move forward with their business, some might be looking to figure out what they want in life, some might be looking to get healthier.
It’s all about helping people step into the person they’ve always wanted to be. ‘Life Coach’ is a term that’s misunderstood. People think it’s a bit weird and airy-fairy, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s all about bringing your best self to the table, and achieving some very cool things in life, business, and more.
Got into it through personal training, but realized I was far more interested in personal development rather than just biceps and abs!
What’s been the best or most notable experience you’ve had as a coach?
Every single client I work with. They’re all different, and supporting people as they step into their own version of greatness and finally start aligning themselves with what it is they’re all about is one of the best feelings in the world.
You started the Forward Motion podcast back in April and we’ve been loving it! What brought about the decision to start it?
I wanted to put out a really easy to understand, easy to implement personal development podcast that people could get their teeth into. A lot of the “self-help” world can be quite waffly and OTT. My aim was to create a simple, straight to the point podcast that could support people as they begin to work on themselves and bring their best self to the table.
Thankfully, it’s been really well received, and to anyone reading this, I’d highly recommend you check it out! Forward Motion
I’m fascinated by how different aspects of our lives can play into each other, even if they seemingly have no relation. Are there any lessons that you’ve learned or skills that you’ve picked up from the band that have leaked over into your professional life?
Yes. Patience and creativity are key. It’s very easy to get bogged down by day to day life, and we can end up losing our creative spark. Life itself is creative, so it always amazes me when people say “I’m not a creative”. You can literally choose to create your ideal lifestyle every single day with each thought you have!
A lot of people are struggling right now with problems that might be completely out of their control, do you have any advice on how to keep a positive outlook in genuinely tough situations like this?
You can only control the controllable. It’s very easy to get lost in all the noise and negativity of what’s going on around us, and I do understand it’s hard, but by taking a few minutes each day to check in with ourselves and ask “what’s in my control?” or “what can I personally do to improve this situation?” gives us more ownership than we might have originally thought. This then puts us in an empowered position to either crack on, or park it.
Social media is a pretty hot topic these days, some people seem to live their entire lives based on what would make a good Instagram post and while others claim that it’s the worst thing to happen to us in terms of mental health. You seem to have a healthy relationship with it though, can you explain your outlook on social media in general?
I do and I don’t. I’ve got much better at using it to connect and create, simply because it’s a vital tool for my brand, but I can still find myself lost in an Instagram wormhole or watching Youtube videos of bears on trampolines so you have to be careful.
One tip I could offer would to be audit who you follow every now and again. If you’re following accounts that make you feel like shit, or easily distract you from working on your big vision, delete them. It’ll take discipline, and self-awareness, and it might sound really obvious, but it’s a very powerful tool for swinging things back in your favor.
No matter how well our lives are going, everyone has those ‘off’ days where nothing seems to work out and you just don’t have any motivation, what advice would you give to someone to handle days like this?
Yes. Accept them as part of the process But I’m a firm believer in the saying, “you are what you consistently do, not what you sometimes do”.
As long as you are consistent over time and keep the big vision stuff your primary focus. You can stop worrying about being perfect every day.
Where did your beef with the word “should” start?
Should is not a commitment. It is a cop-out! “I should get to the gym”. “I should sort out my finances”. “I should start that new project” pretty much means it’s not going to happen!
Now replace ‘should’ with ‘will’ and see what happens.
“I WILL get to the gym”. “I WILL sort out my finances.”. “I WILL start that new project.”
Which one do you think sounds more powerful and likely to get done?
Don’t should yourself!
You seem to prioritize legitimate progress over short-term gains pretty heavily. Could you explain a little bit more about this and where it came from?
Small wins compounded over time lead to bigger, sustainable results.
Far too often, people try and change too much too soon and most of the time they struggle to maintain the changes.
By focusing on small, easy to do actions, and gradually turning them into habits. You’re far more likely to set yourself up for success.
I’d highly recommend the book ‘Atomic Habits‘ by James Clear for anyone looking for long term, behavior change.
Thanks very much for having me.