Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Karl Powell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Karl, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?
My first client came to me through a refferal from a friend. I wasn’t even sure what to charge him but I handled the production for him and he paid me $300. I was so happy and proud of my self. I took my friends out to eat to celebrate. I knew if I could make $300 that I could make $3000, $30,000 and so on.
Karl, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m a music producer. I started producing in 2004. I started my production company The Colleagues in 2008. I’ve always had a love for music and wanted to rap as a young kid. As high school came I stopped thinking about being a rapper because I was playing basketball, but when I graduated I didn’t have a plan B. A very long story short I found out that my high school girlfriend was cheating on me and a friend of mine took me to his house and told me to play with this new program he had to take my mind off everything. The program ended up being Fruity Loops (Now known as FL Studio). I was hooked instantly and it changed my life.
What I’m most proud of is that I do what I love for a living and I’ve made my parents proud of me. There were times I didn’t know how I would progress to the next level but by the grace of God I never gave up.
I’m very passionate about my work. I don’t work anything I don’t feel or believe in. I’m very protective of my brand.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
As a producer, the most rewarding feeling is seeing how your music impacts the people you come in contact with. Seeing and meeting people that played your song at their wedding, used your song to get over a divorce, celebrated an accomplishment to your song is THE BEST feeling.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I’ve been told NO wayyyy more times than yes. I hear the No’s but I don’t. I look at No’s as your loss. The No that changed my life was when I sent a record to a artist for their album. I thought FOR SURE they would love it. I never heard ANYTHING back. I spent alot of money on the musicians to really enhance the record and nothing, no feedback.
I eventually sent the record for a different artist and two years later after sitting on my hard drive it became my first platinum record and biggest selling record.
Contact Info:
- Website: ProducedByTheColleagues.com
- Instagram: Thecolleagues
- Twitter: Thecolleagues
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@TheColleagues?si=Vp3w8LBPaPElnP1c