Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Wes Watkins. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Wes, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
The story behind my mission is just never giving up to accomplish a goal. I am a Musician, Author and Entrepreneur who loves to motivate and encourage people any chance I get. There has been hard work put into everything I have and a consistent work ethic even when I wanted to give up. Being a drummer in the music industry can very tough at times. There are so many amazing drummers who can do exactly what you do and possibly do it on another level. When you find your lane and standout in the crowd and stay consistent this motivates you to go further. Through music I have been able to travel the world and work with some of the greatest artist we see on tv or listen to on the radio. As an author I have written books about finding your identity, your “WHY” in life, purpose, motivation and Fathers needing their kids. These topics have sparked conversation in lives that needed to be had. Showing people your past doesn’t define you but actually qualifies you for your “Next” in life. Becoming an Entrepreneur just showed me how drive I have when I get focused and become consistent. All of this helps my mission to motivate and inspire people to be great even when you think your not great.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I have been playing drums for 35 years. Started off in church and at the age of 7 I had the opportunity to play for Gospel Legend Richard Smallwood. My parents kept me in church playing and I started getting into GoGo which is heavy in the DC area. I have had the opportunity to play with some of the greatest bands in DC such as Lissen, What? Band, Backyard, NEG, Suttle, Vybe currently Sirius Company and Chuck Brown Band. While doing GoGo I also worked with artist such as Grammy Nominated Carolyn Malachi, Marcus Johnson, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Raheem Devaughn, Travis Green, Doug E Fresh, Big Daddy Kane, David Corey and more. On top of that I started my own band Got My Own Sound and recorded 4 albums and started booking my own shows to take control of my own music destiny and created my own audience. Music has been the bridge I use to connect to an audience and introduce them to my life outside of music. Writing my first book “The Life That Created My Own Sound” while on tour in 2018 gave people a look into my past life. Being transparent about suicide, lack of confidence trying to find my identity in life really hit home for people who were struggling with the same thing. Becoming an Entrepreneur and starting my own Fedora Hat Business was major for me. In the last year I’ve sold out of Brims 4 times. I am most proud to be consistent and show my kids you can be anything with prayer, confidence, faith, consistency and hard work. Never quit even when the process hurts. Respect the process and allow it to grow you for your Next.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
When starting a business as an entrepreneur you have to be mentally prepared for the worst to happen at all times. Investing your own money into something you believe in can be risky. You have to be a real Faith believer with a ton of confidence in your Vision. You must always keep your eye on the vision despite what it looks like around you. I went through a season when my gigs were getting canceled and my hats weren’t moving at all. My book sales were down and I still had bills and kids to take of. What do you do when those dollar signs are not hitting your account? At one point I went back to working a 9-5 because I was scared, overwhelmed and started doubting myself. Getting back on track to consistency took some time but I wrote my vision down and began to see it and believe it again.
How did you build your audience on social media?
The way I built my audience on social media was being consistent. I took a break from social media for a month in October 2018. Started thinking to myself about how could I make Social Media work for me. During this time I became serious and strategic about what I post. The content I created and posted was me playing drums to songs people didn’t think about and posting a new video every single day. After almost two weeks of posting consistent content that my audience liked, the more they shared and tagged the artist of the songs I covered. Lil Duval was the first person to make me go viral in the beginning of 2019. From that point on every video I posted received attention and also led to me working with various other Artist and companies. When building your audience think about who your core audience is and become consistent with them on a daily basis.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gotmyownsound.com
- Instagram: @wesgotmyownsound
- Facebook: Wes Watkins
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/The111wes/videos
Image Credits
Mickey Freeman Maurice Taylor