Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anthony Reddy. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Anthony, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken wasn’t a single moment it was a decision to stop hiding behind what I was “good at” and start showing up as who I actually am.
For most of my career, I had built a strong foundation in marketing. I knew how to create, how to grow brands, how to execute at a high level. On paper, everything made sense.
But internally, I felt a pull toward something more creative and personal, something that wasn’t just about building for others, but expressing my own voice.
The risk was choosing to follow that, even without a clear outcome.
There wasn’t a guarantee that a podcast would turn into anything. There wasn’t a roadmap for turning voice notes, thoughts, and life experiences into something people would actually care about. And there’s always a level of vulnerability that comes with putting your real thoughts out into the world.
I remember sitting with the idea for a while, going back and forth, questioning if it was “good enough” or if I was ready. And eventually, I realized that waiting for certainty was just another way of staying comfortable.
So I decided to start.
That meant recording episodes before I felt ready, sharing thoughts that weren’t perfectly packaged, and being seen in a way that felt unfamiliar. It also meant stepping into new creative territory, writing, songwriting, producing without needing to be an expert first.
At the time, it didn’t feel like a bold, confident move. It felt uncomfortable, uncertain, and a little exposed.
But that’s exactly why it mattered.
Looking back, that decision shifted everything. It opened the door to a level of creativity and self-expression I hadn’t tapped into before, and it allowed me to start building something that actually feels aligned with who I am.
The outcome isn’t just the podcast or the music, it’s the fact that I’m no longer waiting to feel ready to show up.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a storyteller at heart, and everything I create, whether it’s podcasting, music, or content, it comes from a place of wanting to express something real.
My background is a mix of creativity and strategy. I’ve spent over 15 years in marketing across music, tech, e-commerce, and AI, building campaigns, leading teams, and helping brands connect with people in meaningful ways. I was fortunate to be part of a Webby Award-winning campaign in 2023 for Best Social Commerce/Shopping Campaign, and earlier in my career I founded a clothing brand called Baysics, which was my first real experience building something from the ground up.
That foundation taught me how to build, scale, and tell stories but for a long time, I was doing that for other brands.
Born Reddy is the first time I’ve fully stepped into doing that for myself.
The podcast came from a period of reflection and transition in my life, where I started using voice notes and journaling as a way to process what I was going through. That evolved into creating a platform centered around raw, honest storytelling, sharing real-time thoughts, experiences, and perspectives without over-filtering them.
From there, it expanded naturally into writing and music. What started as spoken expression turned into songwriting and producing under Bay Reddy, and more broadly into building a creative ecosystem rooted in authenticity and emotional connection.
At a high level, what I create lives at the intersection of storytelling, self-expression, and human connection. Whether it’s a podcast episode, a song, or a piece of content, the goal is the same, to make people feel something real and maybe see themselves in it.
If there’s a “problem” I’m solving, it’s that a lot of content today feels overly curated or performative. I’m trying to create something more honest, where people don’t feel like they have to have everything figured out to show up.
What sets me apart is that I bring both sides: I understand how to build and grow things strategically, but I’m also willing to be vulnerable and lead with truth in the content itself. That combination allows me to create work that’s not just seen, but felt.
What I’m most proud of is simply starting, taking something that was once just internal and turning it into something real, consistent, and evolving.
If there’s one thing I’d want people to know, it’s that everything I’m building is rooted in being real. Not perfect, not finished, just honest. And I think that’s what people connect with most.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resilience, for me, has come from learning how to keep moving forward even when I don’t have everything figured out.
A moment that really stands out was a recent chapter in my life where everything felt like it was shifting at once. I had been in Ireland for an extended period, and while it was an incredible experience, it also became a time of deep reflection. I was thinking about my career, my identity, and what I actually wanted moving forward.
At the same time, I was navigating uncertainty around work and my next steps professionally. On paper, I had a strong background with over 15 years in marketing across music, tech, e commerce, and AI, including being part of a Webby Award winning campaign. But internally, I knew I didn’t want to just keep doing what I had always done.
Coming back to California was a reset, but not a comfortable one.
I didn’t have everything lined up. I was in transition, figuring things out in real time, and there were moments where it would have been easier to default back to what felt safe or familiar. That is where resilience really showed up. Not in some big dramatic moment, but in the daily decision to keep choosing growth over comfort.
During that time, I leaned heavily into creating.
I was walking, recording voice notes, reflecting, and slowly turning those thoughts into something more. That is where Born Reddy really took shape, not as a polished idea, but as something real that I could hold onto while everything else felt uncertain.
My dad played a big role in grounding me through that time. He has a simple way of looking at things. He always says as long as you are alive and kicking, you keep going. No matter what is happening, you keep moving forward. That mindset stayed with me. It gave me a sense of perspective when things felt unclear.
Starting the podcast, writing, and eventually moving into music was not just creative, it was stabilizing. It gave me direction when I did not have clear answers.
There were definitely moments of doubt. I questioned if I was doing the right thing, if it would lead anywhere, or if I should just go back to what I knew would work. But I kept showing up anyway.
That, to me, is resilience.
Not having it all figured out, but continuing to move forward, trusting that clarity comes through action.
That chapter taught me that resilience is not about pushing through, it is about choosing yourself, even when nothing around you feels certain.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think one of the biggest things non creatives struggle to understand is that creativity is not just about making things, it is about becoming someone honest and authentic with yourself first.
From the outside, it can look like you are just starting a podcast, writing songs, or putting content out into the world. But internally, it is a much deeper process. You are constantly facing yourself. Your doubts, your insecurities, your need for validation, your fear of being seen. All of it shows up.
For me, a lot of that has been tied to effort.
I have always been someone who leans on effort, and if I am being honest, that comes from a place of not always feeling like I am enough. So I try to earn it. I try to outwork it. I try to prove it.
Creativity forces you to confront that.
Because no amount of effort can fully protect you from being seen. You can put something out that is real, that matters to you, and still not know how it will be received. That is a different kind of pressure. It is not about how hard you work, it is about how honest you are willing to be.
That part is hard to understand if you have not lived it.
Another thing is that progress does not always look like progress. Sometimes the biggest growth is internal. It is choosing to show up when you do not feel confident, sharing something before it feels perfect, or continuing to create even when there is no immediate reward.
From the outside, that can look inconsistent or uncertain. From the inside, it is everything.
For me, creativity has been less about the output and more about alignment. It is about getting closer to who I actually am and expressing that honestly. The podcast, the music, the writing, those are just the vehicles.
I have learned that the best teacher in life is experience, and no one can substitute that. You can read, study, and prepare, but at some point you have to live it, feel it, and move through it yourself.
I think non creatives often look for results first. Creatives learn that the real work is becoming the person who can create those results.
And the truth is, that process never really ends.
You are always evolving, refining, and learning how to trust yourself at a deeper level.
If there is one thing I would want people to understand, it is that being a creative is not about having it all figured out. It is about being willing to figure it out in public, in real time, and trusting that something meaningful will come from that process.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.anthonyreddy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonybayreddy/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajreddy
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bay-reddy
• Other: Born Reddy Podcast:

  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5cJtTskjzGdL5tyOJDbBBg?si=95bed4ee65334499

  Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/were-so-back-its-episode-15-born-reddy-podcast/id1822652747?i=1000747643054&l=ca

  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bornreddypodcast/

  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BornReddyPodcast

  Website: https://bornreddypodcast.com

  Bay Reddy Music:

  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bay-reddy

  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4W7KKvWKnphMTVf6HQorM4?si=1b6a09483a3347c9

  Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/life-was-grand/1885960752