We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Benny Cosmic a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Benny, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Ever since the age of 5 I’ve always been singing and dancing. I used to be in church choir with my Nana (grandmother) and people would tell me I had a great voice.

Then when I was about 12 or 13 I was busking in North Hollywood at City Walk where Universal Studio is and met Jason Mraz. He complimented me on my version of his song “Geek in the Pink” and told me to keep it up.

Fast forward to high school the entire student body basically pressured me into taking choir and from there the momentum started building.

Once I graduated, I began performing at house parties and eventually clubs.

So to summarize; throughout the years people who have had no incentive to support me and encourage me, chose to.

That’s when I realized it was my path.

Benny, 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?

For those of you interested in learning about me; I’d like to preface with this.

My life is and always has been about improving myself in order to improve the lives of my immediate family, community and then overall culture in that order.

With my intention being that of empowerment and enlightenment along with the goal of becoming one of the world’s greatest communicators.

These values have led me into positions and professions that were otherwise not accessible to me.

For example; I became a Realtor when I decided to help my mentor promote his business with my radio station.

Which I only had due to me wanting to help a separate community member with tech issues on their laptop.

So really Im a person who can utilize any situation and make a moment an experience.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

There have been so many moments where I’ve had my resilience and dedication tested.

Such as; all the times I’ve spent prepping for shows, mentally, physically, and financially JUST to have a promoter or venue owners cancel an event without any notice.

To dealing with homelessness on and off throughout the years because of the U.S being in late stage capitalism.

Or all the moments at house shows in the hood where hecklers/haters would either disrupt my acts or straight up try to rob me for my equipment.

Not to mention, the various accounts of being stranded in random cities the days after the show having to find a way home.

Through all of that though, I still love this path.

Believe me; I’ve TRIED to quit and just can’t, because the idea of doing what brings me joy being able to help others just keeps me going.

Always has been, always will I suppose.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Oh wow, there’s ALOT.

If I had to narrow it down,

I’d say the following have helped me the most in my pursuit of art as a lifestyle and profession.

“The Art of Gathering” by Priya Parker; in this book the author gives so many methods for turning ANY social gathering into a valuable, life-changing experience.

“The Art of Communication” by Thick Nhat Hanh; this book was perfect blend of sociology and spirituality that helped me bridge the gap between my honest feelings and how to translate that in a palatable format for anyone to absorb.

“This is Your Brain on Music” by Daniel Levitin, he was a Neurologist turned Musician who conducted studies on the physical/chemical reactions music has on our brains so in-depth that he draws parallels between brain waves and musical scales.

“Everything You Need to Know About the Music Business” by Donald S. Passman; as the name implies it basically gives a check list and road map of tasks and skills that you should cultivate to REALLY be in business musically. It has some outdated formats, but ultimately a great read.

Like I said, there’s WAY more but these 4 seem the most pertinent.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bennycosmic?igsh=MTlqZ3lzZ2h0Z3l2cw==
• Twitter: https://x.com/BennyCosmic?t=DpaXZAAm-fn8UDZIhNy2Tg&s=09
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@BennyCosmic?si=5UeFCgA8Ep0IKN1f
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bennycosmic?_t=8ilMZIeNsGg&_r=1

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