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

James, appreciate you joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I’ve often considered throwing in the towel and sticking to a regular job, even as recently as 2022. Even though as an artist I get to make whatever choices I want and generally don’t have anyone to answer to other than myself, the freedom I have also comes with the weight of my career being solely on my own shoulders. Any mistakes or bad decisions are mine alone and that can be hard to deal with at times. With a ‘regular’ job this really isn’t a weight that is felt, at least not financially, and at times it has been tempting to stick with a regular job. I’ve worked many jobs throughout life such as packing trucks at a shipping warehouse, working for a tree removal company, residential and commercial construction, among others. Over time I’ve learned that the ‘here and now’ is the only place you can find happiness and you have to work hard to maintain stability, no matter what you’re doing for work. Keeping this at the forefront of my mind helps me to keep pushing towards my goals and not give in to both external and internal pressures.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a singer/guitarist, playing solo shows at bars, breweries, and wineries in the Carolina/Virginia region. I specialize in acoustic 90’s rock covers (think Pearl Jam, Nirvana, etc.) and thoroughly enjoy what I do. I feel I’ve found a bit of a niche market for myself in 90’s rock, more specifically Grunge. I have a vocal quality reminiscent of the singers of that era, and I absolutely love the music they created. It seems not many solo artists in the region specialize in that kind of music, so I fill a bit of a void for venues in that regard. Performing for crowds helps give me a sense of contributing to others’ lives in small and large ways. Oftentimes I am simply background music for people enjoying their weekend and winding down with a few drinks, but there’s always a few folks who specifically seek out live music. When I see someone smiling and singing along, having a great time and forgetting their troubles, that helps me forget my own troubles and live in the moment as well. I was singing by the time I was a toddler and learned to play guitar at 11 years old. I’m currently 28 and have only just begun playing shows by myself as a full-time job. I’ve played in bands throughout life and have never felt comfortable alone on stage. The sense of pressure being shared in a band helped me to be more at ease when performing. It was out of necessity that I began performing alone. Booking full-time schedules as a band didn’t seem practical or possible, and I didn’t want to continue working regular jobs where I couldn’t be creative and grow as a musician and person. I jumped when I had the chance and haven’t looked back. I’ve definitely had my share of setbacks and have gotten in my own way countless times, but I’ve always tried to figure out how to move forward.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the biggest changes I’ve ever made occurred in 2020. I began pursuing music as a full-time job in 2019 and by early 2020 I had months of work lined up. We all know what happened next. All work was gone with no sign of when things would return to normal. I managed to land a job working from home for an online metal-building sales company. Things were going smooth, sales were flowing, business was booming; until it wasn’t. The company had scaled up very quickly as far as employees go and I was unfortunately let go as they heavily cut back. With music still being completely off the table, I took my savings and started my own online metal-building sales company and managed to successfully get it off the ground and running. It was a great learning experience and helped me get by while I was unable to continue pursuing music. I took a lot of lessons with me and applied them to my music career once the time came to shift back. Had I not started my own company, I’m not sure that I wouldn’t have gotten stuck in a more normal job with little options of quickly and relatively easily changing careers. It’s one of the biggest risks I’ve ever made in life and one I am very glad I followed through on.

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

‘The Brain’ by David Eagleman and ‘Flawless Execution’ by James D. Murphy significantly contributed to my management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy. ‘Flawless Execution’ taught me the value of strategic, thorough preparation and open, honest, and mindful reflection. The book is written with the intention of being read by business leaders. Taking the teachings into account has helped me to better understand why things go wrong and how to prevent future errors.
In reading ‘The Brain’ I learned much about how our minds are capable of both inhibiting and prohibiting change, and the teachings within helped lay a strong foundation for eventually overcoming severe depression/anxiety I’ve battled since childhood and overcoming various substance abuse issues. The more I understand how the mind works, the more I learn how to keep myself centered and focused, which has led to large strides in my work-ethic and overall efficiency.
Two honorable mentions that helped in scientific/philosophical ways are ‘A Brief History of Time’ by Stephen Hawking and ‘How to Be Free’ by Joe Blow. Understanding how small and insignificant we are in respect to our universe and ideas about the individual ‘me’ have been very beneficial as well.
My career and life have without a doubt benefitted from having read these books, some twice-over, and I am likely overdue for another reading of each.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jamesbrickey.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/jamesbrickeymusic
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/jamesbrickeymusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgeVQeYFo4WwMpYeUX7nAig

Image Credits
Erik Dahlager, Ben Singer, Mandy Barker