We recently connected with Joshua Covil and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Joshua thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I think you have to recognize your success in order to be successful. I think that life can make success look out of body, not within our natural capacities or just intangible. But success is apart of our core being. It’s all around us happening as a result of our existence. I believe that making decisions from a successful place creates opportunities for more success. If you don’t believe that you can be successful you probably won’t be successful. The amount of thoughts that multiply from that one thought will influence your actions to manifest that very belief. Tony Robbins says, “the strongest force in the human personality is the need to stay consistent with how we define ourselves.” I believe there are alot of things we as people define ourselves as because of many different reasons; but they are all identities based on our circumstances, not our essence. And throughout all the personalities of life, your essence is always something you can return to.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into this industry in the middle of homelessness with my wife. We made a bold decision to follow our dreams relentlessly. We had jobs, we had vehicles and apartments and we had newer fashion. But entertainment was a side gig for the both of us. We were doing our best to please the world, keep up with our friends and not disappoint our parents. We were working in fields that we didn’t love with hope that one day what we love will find us. Maybe it could’ve found us, but we weren’t willing to wait and find out. It was either jump into the entertainment industry or go back to school and get a nice paying salary job we can retire with and have good benefits. So we jumped! No parachute lol! Why do we love entertainment this much??? To jump no ‘chute?? Amazing question, thank you for asking! It brought us through our childhood, was there for us in the high times, low times, random times you didn’t even think would make sense but is entertainment at the end of the day. It’s how we found each other! Entertainment is a conduit that transfers energy and with this we have the opportunity to inspire others to live a life true to how they define themselves and the world around them with peace and love in the forefront. You don’t have to live a life opposite of what you believe you deserve because your circumstances “say so.” All My Friends is a variety show in Atlanta that pushes the limits of what a show is supposed to be. We are real people learning how to be our best selves and love in a world that promotes hate. It doesn’t make it easy to stay positive; but it’s not an excuse not to be. Consistency, determination and some stubbornness I believe helped get us to almost year 3 of this amazing show that is constantly growing. What keeps us going is knowing that we’re making differences in other people’s lives. Knowing that people can look at us and be inspired to make a difference in their community. Knowing that we are an extension of our ancestors paving ways for more love to transcend. We are today’s place for organic content aimed to inspire people to believe in themselves and spread love.

We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.

I can tell you how I met my cofounder/wife! A mansion party for a friend of mine! She came as a friend of a friend. She was standing behind the table with all the liquor on it. I wanted to drink something but the only liquor left was coffee liqueur. She offered it to me and we both looked at each other with complete understanding that it wasn’t going to work for either of us. After we laugh we mention the fact that we really think that we already know each other from school or something, but as we keep trying to figure out we find out that we were no where near each other lol. She grew up on the other side of the country but she sang and I played instruments and threw events and made flyers and what not; so I told her I’d make a flyer for her first jazz concert she was hosting herself at her school Clark Atlanta. A month goes by and she text me “how’s that flyer going?” I respond “going great can you just send me a picture of yourself so I can throw you on there?” Knowing good and well I haven’t touch a flyer since before I met her. I quickly take the pictures and make what I believe were some decent looking flyers. I send them to her within 15 mins and shes in love with them. At this point I’m feeling myself a little bit because she’s already beautiful but I’m not trying to be on that type of time because I’m focused and “business minded.” So I invite her to an open mic that same night to see who this person is because why not. My homeboy was performing and I figured we went and saw him. We end up signing up and performing that very night; she’s never heard me play and my first time hearing her sing was in the car because I asked if she had music. The performance was spectacular and from that day I never wanted to be separated from her. We lit a fire that day that spread. Together we have created many songs for ourselves and other people, started a business that has been a platform for over 100 different artist and 70 different businesses in the Atlanta area, made deep connections with mentors that also became sponsors, and created an empire for our future children to grow into and have space to become freely in and also inspire others. In this 4 1/2 years of being together we have accomplished so much with so much more to go and I’m grateful to be here.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

When it comes to capital; it cost almost nothing to start the business. Venue owners around the city are looking for live bands and showcases so that their customers can enjoy more entertainment. Combined with with really good energy you can make something work with the right person. I feel that funding comes from what you are willing to give in order to get what you want to receive. My motto is “if your receiving is off, check your giving.” It also works vice versa. Now there are other things like the cost of the LLC, paying people etc; but I believe we live in the business of the 21st century! People want to help each other grow. You have something people want and you can leverage that to get what you need! A lot of times people don’t get what they want because they don’t ask. When it comes to running this business, we ask! There is a false prophecy going around saying that you have to get “it” on your own. There’s no successful company I know today that sustains itself by itself without the help of other people/companies. Business is the financial representation of a connection between two entities. We believe that we deserve what we ask for because we endure anyhow. It’s a way of life for me honestly.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/all-my-friends-the-variety-show-season-6-tickets-394755102137
• Instagram: @allmyfriendsatl @kingcojo_
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/3OnGcaIwYXA

Image Credits
Alycia Desmond Kristi Ann Lungren Walker Travis Lawrence Zion Parker