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

Alright, Mushin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

Mushin doesn’t believe in time.

Mushin believes in The Moment because The Moment is all we have, all we experience, all we are.

Mushin has always been built by moments. Moments shape who we are and what we do. They are the foundation of our very being. The option of starting Mushin sooner or later doesn’t exist because it would be altering existence.

Officially, Mushin Media LLC was established February 10, 2020. What a time to be alive!
A company fresh on its feet looking to take over the Karaoke scene and make an impact! At least until March of 2020 when a Pandemic hit and made sharing space (let alone microphones) a bit suspect.

That could have easily been the end of Mushin Media, but instead became the moment we knew Mushin Media is more than “taking over Karaoke”. That was no longer an immediate option, but the needs were still there. Something about Mushin just couldn’t be given up on.

When we couldn’t host anymore, we still wanted Mushin to be in our lives. To replace singing and jamming with our community, we took that time to talk to each other and build on what Mushin means to us. This prepared us to begin sharing more with the community when the time came.

So, when you look at it on a timeline, not in the moments as they occurred, who would want to start a company a month before a pandemic?? The only perfect time is The Moment, whenever that may be.

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?

Mushin Media started as two best friends with an idea. The origins can be traced back to 2004 in the small town of Maitland where we (Jacob Keene and Stefano Scocimara) attended the same elementary school. It was then that we entered our first legally binding contract in 5th grade written in crayon and signed in colored pencil. This “Friendship Contract” set the ground rules to nourish a lasting relationship.

Fast forward seven years to 2011, we decided to celebrate Jacob’s 17th Birthday at the local Applebee’s where they were debuting their Thursday night karaoke events hosted by Bill and Mike. As we submitted our first song choice (“Dream On” by Aerosmith), thoughts came racing through our minds all at once.
“What if we were bad? What if everyone laughed at us?” We sat there looking at each other, and almost as if telepathically, we decided to book it for the exit and call it a night.
That’s when we heard the dreaded words “Let’s hear it for Jacob and Stefano”.
After much resistance to the idea of being vulnerable in front of everyone, we finally let go and have been hooked on karaoke since.

This relationship with karaoke has continued growing over the next nine years. We were able to experience a variety of unique venues and a multitude of distinguished KJs (karaoke hosts). We eagerly accepted and utilized these experiences to shape the building blocks of Mushin Media.

Now two years in we have established a Model for Growth Momentum that we use to provide that feeling, the one we got all those years ago to everyone we interact with. We elevate the events we host by opening up and accepting people for who they are so that they feel comfortable to be themselves… comfortable to have a good time. Our primary focus is to create an environment that nurtures the core values of our company:

Be Awesome.
Be Beautiful.
Be Yourself.

When people open themselves to these values, they also open themselves to a like minded community to share experiences with… these Mushin Moments with. Whether your community is built around Mushin Karaoke, Mushin Mic Night, or any event where you are being your true self, Mushin is there.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

Mushin Media began and continues to be a passion project.

Whether spending 20 hours or 80 growing our “passion project”, it was never considered a “side hustle”. What has changed is the increasing value Mushin generates for the community that grants us more freedom to be ourselves and pursue the lives that bring us joy.

Some key milestones in our journey have included:

– building enough capital to purchase our first set of quality speakers
– designing and executing the Mushin Golden Gala Showcase
– going out on our first company expensed trip
– securing our first full week of bookings

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A clear lesson we had to unlearn is that “success comes from hard work or luck and therefore must be difficult or unachievable”.

Truth is, through faith, consistency, and discipline, anyone may achieve success.

There is no backstory as this lesson was learned through daily pattern recurrences and must be reinforced through daily practice.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.MushinMedia.com
• Instagram: @Mushin_Media
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MushinMediaOfficial/

Image Credits
Amanda Belawski – Mushin Media