Imposter Syndrome

Welcome to another episode of The Rise! Join Skrizz (tuning in from Canada) and Adam (tuning in from Paris) as they talk about the concept of imposter syndrome.

They discuss the idea of being a successful artist and the pressures that come with it - the challenges of being successful and famous, and how important it is to maintain discipline and humility.

Skrizz also shared his ongoing world tour! So if you want to know where, just stay tuned and enjoy!

Transcript

[00:00:00] Adam: Talking music, building businesses, and the grit in the journey. We're Skrizz and Adam and welcome to The Rise

[00:00:18] Skrizz: and we are back. It is. And Adam, with The Rise what episode is it? 

[00:00:23] Adam: How'd a feel? You were gonna say that? 21, I think. 21. I'm, I'm almost saying 21. If it's not, it's okay. 

[00:00:27] Skrizz: If we're wrong, forgive us. This is episode 21 of The Rise with Skrizz and Adam. It is 8: 30 in the morning where I am at Adam. Where is it? What time is it where you're at? 

[00:00:35] Adam: It is 4:30 PM So I've I, I have a little bit easier than you right now, so thanks for waking up bright and early for us.

[00:00:40] Skrizz: I woke up, did not hit snooze, jumped right in the shower, splashed water on my face, and just like immediately, actually didn't have I didn't have internet set up on the laptop yet, so I'm like really down to the wire, but I'm here and I have no idea what we're talking about.

[00:00:54] So Adam. What's going on? 

[00:00:56] Adam: Well, first, where, where are you? 

[00:00:58] Skrizz: Right now? I'm in lovely Saskatchewan, Canada, where I'm constantly at, and I have a lot of cool actual local business opportunities I'm working on here. I had some meetings about, which I won't talk about now, but you know, wherever you are, just chipping away, as you always say. So I'm excited about that. Yeah. 

[00:01:13] Adam: Say so that you can use this and anyone can use this. Whenever you say chipping away, just say, chip, chip, chipping away. 

[00:01:19] Skrizz: What episode was that? Because I just think they remember like going over the audio and being like, ah, that's a moment.

[00:01:25] That was definitely a moment. Chip, chip chipping away. 

[00:01:28] Adam: Yeah. I feel like it adds like a little bit of a, a visual to it, but yeah. But yeah, so, so, so. What I wanna talk about today is something that I know in, in my world, in the startup world, it's talked about a lot and I have a feeling in your world it's probably talked about a lot, but it's, it's probably also.

[00:01:46] Maybe it's not talked about quite as much because of of the industry you're in. So I'll get to it now. So a big topic in the startup world is around something called imposter syndrome. Is that something you guys talk about at all? Like are you even familiar with that term at all?

[00:02:00] Skrizz: I've heard the term imposter syndrome.

[00:02:03] I don't know what it is. Can I make a guess what it is right now? Yeah, yeah. Make a guess. Oh, it's definitely wrong actually, I was thinking. Imposter. I have two guesses. Okay. Two guesses. One is referring to like the fake it with until you make it mentality in business. That's one guess. The second is that whenever you do accomplish something, you're so self-conscious about it that you feel like you're an imposter and you're not worthy of those amongst the ranking you're currently at. So is any of those correct? 

[00:02:31] Adam: Yeah, both. Both, I think are, are right online, like basically no e either. Yeah. You, you make it and you feel like you're just an imposter. You don't feel like you're the real deal. Or it's like you're, let's say you're starting a business and you're a CEO and you're young, or you've never done it before.

[00:02:45] You feel like you shouldn't be able to get the accolades. Or you shouldn't be able to build a business because you're too young. You shouldn't be able to raise this much money. And because of that, you feel insecure and you feel like you're not good enough to get there. And it's something that I've gone through, but, and I still go through to this day, honestly.

[00:03:01] And I know a lot of startup and small business founders, they talk about it constantly about feeling like they're an imposter, feeling like they're not good enough to accomplish what they wanna accomplish. And I feel like in the, in the music industry, People probably feel it, but the reason why I said earlier, maybe it's not talked about as much is because you almost have to be like the man.

[00:03:21] You have to feel well, that's right. You're Elvis. You have to feel like you're Michael Jackson. Like you have to feel like you're the man or the woman before you actually are. So like I, I, I thought it'd be an interesting topic to talk about. I want to throw around. 

[00:03:32] Skrizz: Yeah, that's, that's first, that's a great topic with, I mean, that, that applies to more than just business, that applies to anything in life, being in a relationship or being a parent or whatever.

[00:03:40] But I mean, my gut reaction that like had me grinning while you were saying that was like is it relevant music? I mean, of course, I mean of course it's relevant in music. It's definitely relevant everywhere. But in like, I mean, what you kind of finished saying was like, I mean, in music you have to, for lack of a better deficit, be a narcissist.

[00:03:58] Like you have to be egocentric. You have to be Muhammad Ali like in the sixties. Like you have to, like, you are the guy with the mic in front of a thousand people. Like you have to be that. So I'm sure people, I, I feel like probably the biggest artist on earth, like I think about like Morgan Wallen right now who's like on top of the world and he had all these things, just like dozens of people working around him.

[00:04:22] I wonder like, I'm sure he is cocky as shit, but I wonder if like deep down he feels. That way is like, how the hell did I end up outselling literally everyone in America right now? You know what I mean? And I'm sure that obviously goes down to the smallest level of two. It's like, how did I, how did I like, like you're, you're on the, on the surface very, I mean, you have to be on the surface very, very no, on the outermost surface, on the PR level, you have to be humble.

[00:04:45] And then on the surface below that, you have to be extremely cocky. And then on the surface below that you're. A confused nightmare of having no idea what's going on. So that's the three tiers of being an artist's mental state. 

[00:04:57] Adam: Yeah, like you've, you obviously are friends with and know a lot of successful artists, like you've, some, some, some of your friends are obviously very successful.

[00:05:06] And you've gotten to know them more than just on a surface level where you're actually able to have like real deep conversations where you can share shit that actually matters and shit that's actually real. And stuff that you wouldn't share publicly. So like when you're talking to your buddies who, yeah.

[00:05:19] And you being one of them, but are very successful and people on the outside are like, this person has everything they have, you know, the followers, the top songs, the money, all this stuff. Yeah. I mean, but when you're having the conversations and really open up. 

[00:05:33] Skrizz: I remember distinctly who, who won't name it was like, I was kind of expressing that I had a, I said I had I had someone in my life at that point in time who was, you know, calling me maybe a little too egocentric around certain things of my work.

[00:05:48] And then that person said, oh, like, you know, you know, fuck that. Like I'm the person. Who has to like, like, I'm not saying it like, like, yes, it's, it's glorifying to be the person with the mic in front of all the people and that everyone's staring at. It's like, no, I have to be that person, so I have to be. I have to be like, I like it's a discipline, you know what I mean?

[00:06:06] Like the egocentric that the Elvis thing you were talking about, like that's a discipline. I mean, try, I, I, I think the people that are, that are naturally, like, I am Elvis, I am whatever, like those are the people in LA that get wa that burned out on drugs and don't make it. You know what I mean? The people who can manage the discipline of like being humble on the surface and grateful on the surface.

[00:06:26] Then maintaining a really tough kind of, Thick skin of like, you know, wanting to be the star and maintaining that power. And then probably deep down having doubts every five seconds. It's like a really good checks and balance. It's just, I imagine that's probably how the biggest people make it. I, I, I, I refuse to believe the biggest artists on earth are just like pure.

[00:06:52] You know what I mean? I, I, I doubt it. I doubt it if that answers the question at all. But I, I think there are layers to it, and I think, I think being the man is, is almost a, a choice and a discipline. You know?

[00:07:02] Adam: Well, I think you kind of, I, I believe it's actually a good thing to have a little bit of imposter syndrome in you, right?

[00:07:08] Because it forces you, like I think of Tom Brady. He always will hold off that he was, you know, sixth or I think it was sixth or seventh or sixth draft pick, and he held that till the day he retired. Wow. And, and he always held that chip on his shoulder. Yeah. And I feel like that's something that we all kind of need to have no matter how big you get, because I feel like the second you get complacent and the second you feel like you actually are.

[00:07:32] You know, a God-like level, like, you know, we've mentioned Kanye obviously a bunch of times now is usually the time when people get, yeah, when people get a little bit complacent even and they feel like, no, I'm the best. I don't need to work as hard or don't need to be as disciplined to my craft. So I actually feel like a little bit of imposter syndrome's actually a good thing.

[00:07:48] And I feel like whenever I talk to people, I, I feel like they think they're the only ones that have imposter syndrome and I feel like really everybody does. It's just about how much they open up to it and how much they, and how, how it fuels them. 

[00:08:03] Skrizz: I think you nailed it. Cause like I literally, I literally just set up right here at a studio in the place I'm staying for the next couple months.

[00:08:09] So I'm staying in Western Canada with a friend really cheaply cuz I'm gonna be touring essentially the next four months. So I was just like, Setting up shop here and there. And I started writing a song and I just got really, really excited about this song I was writing. And again, like I've written, like I don't eat hundreds, thousands.

[00:08:23] I mean, I've done it a million times, but I mean, like sometimes it really feels special. I mean, a lot of the time I feel it really feels special a lot of the time. I'm totally wrong. But I was like working on it and I was just like, and like I was I had left the studio and I was driving and I wrote a second verse and I wrote a bridge on the way to, to a meeting of, and.

[00:08:40] And I was just like, and, and like, as good as it felt. I was like, I literally thought like, have I lost it? You know what I mean? Like, have I fooled myself? Like, have I fooled myself to being so complacent? This was an exact thought. Exactly what you were saying. Like, have I thought I have it, and this actually isn't good at all.

[00:08:59] You know what I mean? And I think about that all the time, and I really think about like, and it's almost like a fear of the day where it's like I write that second verse and it isn't good. You know what I mean? And I thought it was good the whole time, you know what I mean? I mean, and, and again, like I'm thinking right now, like, I might be totally fucking wrong.

[00:09:12] You know what I mean? Like, maybe I have declined in in my craft. I don't know. But if you're not afraid of declining on your craft, you're probably gonna decline in your craft. So, yeah, I mean I was definitely, definitely feeling that in terms of like the mechanics of my, my work, you know? 

[00:09:28] Adam: Yeah. It's one of those things I feel like you think is gonna go away as you mature in your career.

[00:09:32] And obviously at The Rise, the whole point is the journey. Yes. And, and hopefully the elevation to where we all hope we're going, but it's, and you, yeah, it's a lot of that. And you think like, okay, when I get to this checkpoint, The imposter syndrome's gonna go away. I'm gonna be like fully thinking I'm the best, I'm the goat.

[00:09:49] And you're never gonna have those kind of insecure thoughts that we all naturally do get. But the truth is, is no matter what level you get to, there's just a new level of like, oh, I'm not here though. And then even when you get to there, you're like, well, yeah, but I'm still not here and am I actually supposed to be down here?

[00:10:04] So I feel like the thoughts never go, truly go away, but I think it's about how you handle it. You don't want to become insecure. No. And feeling like being hesitant in what you're doing. But I think we should always be questioning like, could I have done this better? And what is the most effective way of doing it?

[00:10:20] Skrizz: I think what comes with time and what comes with maturity and what comes with the growth in The Rise is that like, You have more confidence in the process, but the process includes stout, if that makes sense. You're, you're confident that your process that you were going to create, you were going to question, you were going to revise, you were going to continue it's confidence in the process that over the next 24 hours, I'm going to go up and down and the checks and balances are going to yield a better product because of it.

[00:10:44] The second you start doubting the process along with doubting the artwork itself or whatever, not necessarily artwork, the the mechanics of whatever you're doing, then I think you have a problem. You know, I mean, back to the, I didn't know that about Tom Brady, but I mean him carrying, you know, whatever, six ground all the way to his last Super Bowl, like, that's incredible. You know, that's. 

[00:11:05] Adam: You kind of have to find that chair. Yeah. Like especially in your industry and in the, the, in the world of sports, because you guys have true fans. Yeah. Like, yes, there are certain entrepreneurs that everybody knows, you know, like, you know the Gary Vees of the world. 

[00:11:20] Skrizz: The fans don't really affect those people. It's just like a side thing. I feel like. 

[00:11:24] Adam: Yeah, it's different. Yeah. It's like they're the celebrity business people, but it's not as, as much like for an artist though. Like you, it's like you have true fans and it's like that's, that's how you survive. Like I don't ever need to have a fan to have successful business.

[00:11:38] But like in, in the world of sports and even more importantly in your world, like your business thrives off of people loving you as like the person and the personality. But I gotta imagine that makes it even tougher cause it's like people come up to you and they're like, oh, you're the man. Like for sure I'm so great to meet you.

[00:11:54] And then there's probably that other thought of you where it's like not living up. 

[00:11:57] Skrizz: Yeah, all the time. That's actually a really good one, actually. I haven't really thought about that. I mean, there is such a disconnect between like if I were to folly Kanye West and do something that pisses off all my fans.

[00:12:08] I go out of, I go outta business, you know what I mean? Whereas like that does happen in the corporate world, I guess every once in a while, but like. Not really. You know what I mean? 

[00:12:17] Adam: Yeah. And it's one thing back in like cancel, but which it's like I just, I, I don't need anybody to ever be like, wow, Adam Rosen, that you're, yeah, it doesn't matter.

[00:12:25] Like, it doesn't matter. It's like, can I get my clients and, and is that, can I build a business that adds value? Like that's what matters. But for you, you need people to be like, Skrizzly Adams, I want your autograph. I wanna go to your concert. I wanna listen to your music. Like, that's, you're built off of that.

[00:12:40] Skrizz: I mean, back to just kinda backtrack what you were saying like a second earlier. I mean like, I definitely. I, there's always like this post, I mean, for me especially cuz I, I do a lot alone like a post-show depression. And I think a huge part of the post-show depression is imposter syndrome. I mean, I get really depressed, usually make some phone calls afterward, like in bed you know, after a show, which is, I mean, I think it has to do with like a high energy, kind of low energy drain.

[00:13:02] But it's also like, oh, like that was so wonderful. Like everyone was celebrating me and it's like, who the fuck am I? You know what I mean? I think that's like, that's where. What I explained earlier was the imposter syndrome regarding like my craft, but like regarding like the, the show and like the presence, it's like yeah, very much feeling like I'm not living up to it.

[00:13:20] You know what I mean? Yeah. Think about even is very common. That has to be super common.

[00:13:24] Adam: Man. Now, more than ever, think about like in with, in, you know, influencers and it's like they're Instagram, they got tons of followers, tons of likes, and they're posting all this amazing content and it looks like they're the coolest person in the world.

[00:13:36] They're doing all these amazing things, but then maybe they go to bed. They're alone, they're not feeling confident. Maybe don't. 

[00:13:42] Skrizz: Money. A lot of them, I'm sure like. 

[00:13:44] Adam: Yeah. And then, then maybe the pictures they're posting are just like totally filtered. It's not really what they look like, not really the life they live.

[00:13:50] And then they go back and then it probably makes it even more difficult. And the imposter syndrome is probably eats, eats them alive. So I feel like imposter syndrome probably today is worse than ever because of social media and how much we think we know of so many people that we really don't know a thing about.

[00:14:07] Skrizz: Oh yeah, yeah, definitely. Like I, I've, I'm already like thinking of people I know that are like, yeah, like the person on social media that gets like, you know, the hundreds of thousands of followers or whatever is not an honest reflection of that human being at all. Like, personality with like, not even an accurate, you know what I mean?

[00:14:22] I mean, I'm sure that's super common. I mean, also like, I think about like the, the social media stars like. A lot of 'em are making like no money, like no money. And it's like, and then it's like, what are they doing? And not, not questioning that. Like, like they're doing all that and they're being fake and then they're making no money off it.

[00:14:39] It's like, what are, this is a weird, I think I, maybe I've said this story before, this, this story blows my mind. It's like, someone on TikTok had 14 million followers. Okay. And he made like short videos. He was someone who probably wanted, no, he definitely wanted to be in film and do something in film. And he used TikTok as a platform to elevate his profile.

[00:14:59] He funded like $40,000 to shoot a, for short film. And he did he did like a, an online premier where anyone can, anyone in the world can go sign into the online premiere. And I think it costs like, $9 or something like that. He had 14 million followers. Only 14 people went to the fucking, no way, only 14 people went to the fucking premiere, which goes to show.

[00:15:22] And he is like, at that point, he, he definitely feels like an imposter. It's like, I've been doing all this to get me to here. And when I got there, there was no fucking correlation at all. Like, that's wild. And he's promoting the shit out of it. Like from 14 million to four. It's like, then someone commented, I guess TikTok followers don't really matter. It's like, yeah, they don't. 

[00:15:41] Adam: Well, it kind of goes back to what you said earlier, and that's why we've talked about this a lot on the podcast or the different episodes, but around the, the process, because if you, if you only buy into the result, It'll either take you to be a really good high and maybe a high that isn't real.

[00:15:56] Okay. Or can take you to a far low. That also isn't real. Like maybe that was his first time. Maybe he just did a terrible job marketing it. Maybe he didn't do anything to market it and. All you have to do is X, Y, and Z next time. 

[00:16:07] Skrizz: One tweak in the way he promoted it and then it would've been, you know, 10,000 people.

[00:16:10] Yeah, for sure. 

[00:16:11] Adam: Exactly. So it's like you don't wanna buy into the result is not always the whole story, it's can you buy into doing the process. Right? Because if you can do that, right, maybe not right away, but time always balances things out in my opinion. And so over time the truth will come. 

[00:16:27] Skrizz: I agree. I agree. Well you know what? I wish I could message that guy. Wish we just send the guy this clip with the podcast and be like, Hey buddy. You might have taken an album first time, but just keep chip chip chipping away. You know? 

[00:16:37] Adam: Exactly. Just keep chip, chip chipping away. I'm telling that, that, that if everyone bought into the chip, chip chipping away, 

[00:16:43] Skrizz: I swear to God. We gotta like, we gotta get Gary Vee on board for like the, The Rise chip, chip chipping away like t-shirt or something. 

[00:16:51] Adam: I'm telling you man. Chip, chip chipping away. That's like, there, it's, it's such a good visual. It makes me think of Shawshank Redemption. And we should actually that's a good point.

[00:16:58] We should definitely get, we got a lot of people we gotta get on the podcast. Gary Vee. On the, we get him on, on, on the podcast at some point.

[00:17:04] Skrizz: Have you been to his have you been to his liquor store? 

[00:17:06] Adam: His parents? No, it's in Jersey. Right?

[00:17:08] Skrizz: I've been there like 8 million times. 

[00:17:10] Adam: Is it, is it a good liquor store?

[00:17:11] Skrizz: Yeah, it's nice. Typed up to be. It's really nice. Yeah, it's really nice. I've been there like a million times. There was a Taco Bell next to it. As a kid, I went to that Taco Bell a lot. It was like right where I lived. There was a doctor right around the corner that I, I still go to actually. So I, I've been there many a time.

[00:17:24] Yeah. 

[00:17:25] Adam: Shout out to the doctor and shout out to the doctor. We're giving some good.

[00:17:29] Skrizz: I dunno, it's Gary Vee. Good old Gary Vee. You know, before, before we end here, anything that you think is distinctly different about your imposter syndrome that anything I have mentioned?

[00:17:43] Adam: I think for me, like I always feel an urge. So I, I get on a, a lot of podcasts like in the past year, so I've been on over 50 podcasts, typically around startups and, and sales to share more of my, start my startup journey. And part of my startup journey was, and, and I teach a class too, to small business owners.

[00:18:05] Mm-hmm. And like I sold a company. Which is real. And usually when I say sold the company, people think like, must be rich must be rich from that. Must have been, you know, retired at 27 years old. 

[00:18:16] Skrizz: Didn't you just tell a story already to cut you off? Didn't you tell a story of like a massive sale where they ended up with nothing?

[00:18:22] Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah. FanDuel like, yeah, it was like a, like a multi-billion dollar sale though. Yes. CEO got nothing. 

[00:18:29] Adam: 500 and I think 60 mil and they got nothing from the acquisition, but, but yeah, like one of the things that I always feel the need to is like, prefacing my story of like, here's my problem with the startup world is that everything is over glamorized and I don't want to be part of the over glamorization and I wanna share the real shit, the good, the bad, and the ugly, because I want people to understand the truth of what it's like, at least the truth of what I went through.

[00:18:53] So like for me, I guess my imposter syndrome is always feeling the need. If I ever say I sold my company to be like, It was not a big win. It was not a big exit, but it was an amazing learning. So like for me, that's where my imposter syndrome takes me. And always feeling like I need to just prove myself.

[00:19:08] So I try to use it in a way that's that number one is beneficial to others where I'm not spewing shit that isn't real. Yeah. But then number two, to fuel me to work on my craft harder, to be better at what I do. 

[00:19:21] Skrizz: I love it. That's great. That is totally great. Well I think on that note, I think we've done some good topic. 

[00:19:28] Adam: Before we hop off. Tell, so you're, you're in, you're in Canada right now. Can you give us a idea of what's going on? 

[00:19:32] Skrizz: There's some plugs. Yeah. Is that kind of tour starts in three weeks? Three and a half weeks. Yeah. We're say. 

[00:19:38] Adam: When it is cause it depends on when this launch is. Yes. So right now we're filming this April 5th.

[00:19:42] Skrizz: Yeah. We're right now I I got a little, little, little setup here in Canada that I'm. As I'm constantly traveling, going back to Canada and first tour starts April 27th, Fort Collins. Then we go to Denver, then we hit up the Midwest, then we hit up the south, and then that's like a three week run.

[00:20:03] Yeah, we just added Chicago a couple days ago. It's new. Get tickets, it we'll sell out. Just added Alaska. I'm really, really fired up about that. Someone works with me, he says Skrizzly Adams, the artist who plays all the cities that are too cold for everyone else to play. That's like my business model.

[00:20:19] Yeah. I guess artists don't really play Alaska and the promoter that reached out was like you know, really able to set up a really good situation. So I was, and it's in July. So I was just like, I get to go on vacation and get paid to go to Alaska so.

[00:20:30] Adam: It's the worst place to be. That's a, it's a cool, it's a good like bucket list item thing too.

[00:20:33] Skrizz: Yeah. And it's like, I think I'm doing two or three cities in an Alaska tour. Yeah, we're doing that UK bunch of other stuff in the worst, but yeah, I'm gonna be everywhere in lots of new singles coming out and the third album is almost done, so that's what's going on. I'm just chip, chip chipping away on everything for 2024 actually right now.

[00:20:51] So I'm really excited about that. It's going off you.

[00:20:53] Adam: When, remind me when. So, I'm, I'm in Paris right now. So remind me when you're gonna be in when are you gonna be in the UK? Cause I'm gonna be in Europe for the next, oh, you know, I'm six, seven months. 

[00:21:01] Skrizz: UK, July. Yeah. Come through. Come through July, July 29th, I think.

[00:21:06] July 29th. Well, let's coordinate that. We do a live in London podcast. 

[00:21:12] Adam: Oh, I like that. Live in London. That's, it's got a good ring to it. It does actually Rise Live in London. 

[00:21:16] Skrizz: An EP called Live in London. Skrizzly Live in London. Yeah, so we're going everywhere. We've got a lot of other, other continents in the works too.

[00:21:23] So. We'll see you at the shows and hopefully I don't have imposter syndrome on stage and you know, we just, it's all just a good experience. Maybe imposter syndrome at the merch table, but hopefully not on stage, you know. 

[00:21:33] Adam: No, we're gonna get, we're gonna get the merch flowing. We're gonna get Yeah, the, every venue's gonna be packed out.

[00:21:37] Especially especially Alaska. Alaska. Everyone listening from Alaska show out and show, show you support. 

[00:21:43] Skrizz: Actually, the second I posted the updated flyer with Alaska, I was so thrilled. Like, like a woman commented in five minutes, like finally a good artist is coming to Alaska and I'm like, Yes, I am. I'm that guy right now, like.

[00:21:56] Adam: Hey, you know what, there's for the people, you're gonna be the, the face of Alaska soon, 2024. 

[00:22:02] Skrizz: That literally is my business model. Like I'm here in like Saskatchewan. I'm here in like Alberta, Alaska, like all these like really cold places that where artists don't want to go. I just go, you're a man of the people, man of the people.

[00:22:13] Yeah. I love it. Sounds good my dude. 

[00:22:17] Adam: I'll see you soon. Always nice chatting with you. And thank you for everyone, everyone for listening and like, subscribe, comment, do all those things. But we appreciate you and we'll see you soon. 

[00:22:26] Skrizz: See you man. Peace.