We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dustin Cormier. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dustin below.
Dustin, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
I have been studying the esoteric sciences of Yoga and Astrology for 8+ years, for which there aren’t many in-roads for a traditional education in College or university.
Through faith in something meaningful to me I have been pursuing these passions without much promise to really make anything financially stable out of them, although I felt like I could make an entrepreneurial enterprise out of theme eventually.
I similarly pursued making youtube videos for years on the subjects of teaching guitar on one channel, esoteric science on another channel, and eventually Astrology as its own channel. I similarly did not expect money to come right away but pursued it anyway.
I am still working a part-time job to make ends meet, but I am finally gaining traction and receiving enough passive income from all these projects to eventually pursue my dream of practicing and teaching astrology, yoga, and music full-time.
Dustin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have always been interested in subjects that are off the beaten-path. I pursued studies in neurological medicine paths like psychedelic integrative medicine for a while around 2010, and this exploration open the door to other off-beat pursuits like yoga and astrology.
At first my career started with a devotional intent to sacrifice my energy to a Vedic deity named Krishna, through applying myself to study of spiritual vedic scruptires and eventually creating youtube videos where I discussed such topics online.
My pursuit was a faith-based devotional gesture which, at the time, was almost like a therapy used to appease my childhood victimized guilt of not being able to keep my parents together and happily married.
I have since been in therapy and realized this victimization was my own neurotic projection.
By the time I realized my pursuit was a therapeutic one, i recognized that the work i’d done was still a good foundation for a brand in the social media world, so I kept at it as a recreational muse.
Creating this brand called “Howtorock” allowed me to passionately enjoy discussing the things I love (guitar, esoteric science, astrology) and teaching them in intensive ways, and making passive income from my videos over time.
Eventually i decided to pursue an online education through a reputable Vedic Astrology school called “Asheville Vedic Astrology,” which has given me the confidence to counsel clients online through classical Indian Astrology – this business tookoff during the covid pandemic because i could do it without leaving my home.
I receive many inquiries for readings through my youtube educational videos, which I have a passion for and continue to create.
I think my story is most unique because of my insistence and faith in giving something to the world as a gift, as a gesture of devotional worship to loving the world, a gift of compassion to transmute my grief into something meaningful.
It is through this insistence that I kept working and producing content, and eventually found myself with a social media foundation that i could expand in a more business-savvy way as I grew older and wiser.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I think the best lesson I could give in the world of creative business is the power of devotion.
It is through my devotion and faith in these things I am pursiuing which has always carried me to the feeling that my work is meaningful and satisfying to my soul, even when it is not necessarily successful or stable.
Having some meaningful reason to pursue a project, a skill, a venture or any objective is what keeps you sticking to the activity even when life throws you curveballs and causes you to come away from your dedicated path.
I had many times when i was unsure whether my pursuits would ever amount to anything that could stabilize me financially, partly because people dont often believe in the things i was pursuing ie mysticism, yoga, etc.
I kept receiving the occasional comment or email of people telling me how my sincerity affected them, and it is through that soulful feedback that I knew I was helping people even when my passions werent paying the bills, and i sacrificed much time to pursue them.
In my perspective as long as your heart is devoted to what you are pursuing and you feel you can uplift others through your work, you will feel compelled to sacrifice to continue the work. And that’s the most magical part.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
The best advice I can give for developing an audience in the world of social media is two-fold:
A – Keep producing content on a consistent schedule. Align with something you are passionate about so that you can feel good about creating content even when nothing immediately comes of it.
B – Collaborate with other fellow creatives. Find ones who have a similar follower count, and eventually also ones with higher follower counts.
Specifically look for their personal email, and email them with an idea for a video you have. Sacrifice your time to bringing them on your channel for a simple interview even though it wont immediately expand your audience, but it will help expand their audience. They will remember the favor and some (not all) will eventually bring you onto their channel to be displayed to their audience, if you prompt them with a good enough video idea.
Rinse and repeat. Once people see your channel includes these videos with other well known artists they will start to take you seriously, even if you dont have too many followers in the beginning.
Contact Info:
- Website: Dustincormier.net
- Instagram: Instagram.com/dustincormierofficial
- Facebook: Facebook.com/dustincormierastrologer
- Twitter: Twitter.com/dustincormier
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/HowtorockAstrology
Howtorockacampfire (20,000 subs)(Teaching guitar)HowtorockSpirit (14,000 subs)(Teaching esoteric science and Spirituality)HowtorockAstrology (5000 subs)(Teaching Astrology)
- Other: To get in contact for a reading please contact my personal email: [email protected]
Image Credits
First photo of myself with hippie clothes and beige tassled vest – @imagesbyDyrek Black and white photo – @Mirjana Simeunovich