Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Zeke Man. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Zeke, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
Everyday when we wake up we have decisions to make. From the clothes we wear to what we will be doing that day. We have the option of reinventing ourselves everyday if we wanted to. I personally like making those decisions and taking risks when it comes to my career, I believe I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t by taking risks. A little over 2 years ago, during the pandemic, I started an unexpected journey repairing guitars and equipment for friends and people referred to me. This was met with great feedback and I decided I would be taking a risk and turn it into a business. That’s how Zeke’s Music Exchange, my guitar/music repair shop opened its doors.
After many years of experience in the music business I found a place to reinvent myself by serving others in the musicians community, which led me to meet and work with many great people along the way. It’s never an easy process, for those who know, running one’s own business is always a challenge, especially when it starts from the ground up without any big investments or a business plan for that matter. It all happened organically and its growth has been based mostly on hard work and word of mouth, which to me makes it all the better.
The financial and career move risk is something I learn to live with everyday. All of my income is based on what the shop produces, and it’s never easy when I don’t know what’s gonna happen next week, however, the positives always outweigh the negatives, and it’s a matter of staying on top of the game and understanding the process in order to be successful.
Going on your own in any business is not an easy step to take, we take risks daily, gotta learn to live with that anxiety. Many people prefer to have that job that’s secure and a steady income, but I wouldn’t change doing what I love and trying to make it better by improving myself and my business a little bit every day. It’s a long and tough process but at the end of the day people appreciate hard honest work, which is why I keep doing it every day.
I would advice anyone to take the risk they’ve always thought about but never did for some reason. Life is full of twists and turns and we have to make the best out of it, and I believe doing what you love is always worth taking a risk for.
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’ve been in the music business pretty much all my life, first as a musician but also as an engineer and producer. My love for music led me to learn guitar at age 12, drums at age 14 and many other instruments along the way. For the most part I’m self taught, but I also have a technical school background, so I’ve always took care of my instruments and equipment. Thanks to my father I also started working radio stations when very young, which taught me a great deal as a sound tech and engineering. All of this helped paved the way and gave me over 25 years of experience in the industry.
At Zeke’s Music Exchange I offer services for those looking to repair/upgrade or customize their guitars and gear. From guitar setups, resets, repairs, electronics, tube amp repairs, to live sound and recordings. I believe in small local businesses, and even though Miami is a big city for some reason it always feels like a small town, so I believe having someone you can trust handle your instruments is vital for musicians. They will tell you they don’t want just anybody messing with their guitars and that’s something I understand as a musician myself. I’m very happy and proud to have helped hundreds of musicians realize their dream project, repair that family instrument, or keep their guitars in top shape for all types of shows no matter how big or small.
Each project is very important to me and I always take it as if it was my own gear. Having been on all sides of the equation helps me understand the importance every job has, and I always try to study and keep on learning to stay on top of my game. There’s nothing more gratifying to me than helping others achieve their goals and dreams and that’s what’s all about for me.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I think society loves arts and creative spaces where you can see them perform or expose their work. At the same time I think we’re not doing enough to give artists those platforms where they can thrive at a government level. There should be more spaces, platforms and support from local government so everyone has access and means to showcase what they do. It takes time and resources but it can change the way people enjoy themselves and future generations see as a possible path to follow. All of the biggest and most recognized places in the world are always associated with arts and cultural history, and they make an effort to keep it that way, it’s something you build day to day, and eventually you get recognized for.
We get lost in the daily routine and see that as something that’s very far or “only for our days off” that we forget we can enjoy those great showings or performances at any moment if we had more access to it. I think it all starts with kids, once we show them there’s a way to be a part of and enjoy arts then they will grow up wanting to keep up with something they will see as valuable in their society, hopefully keeping it alive and growing for years to come.
But it all starts within, we can ask ourselves, what are we doing to make it better? Are we supporting our local artists? Or are we just being part of a trend? Are we trying to preserve the spaces in which art thrives or we’re just there for the party? Are we protecting those spaces so artists can afford them and keep on working? Or we’re just waiting for the next developer once the place is the new hot arts district in town?
Maybe if we all thought about that there would be more support in general for all types of art everywhere.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that connection with people when sharing the experience. Performing in a group or band is a way of getting to know people and share feelings that I wouldn’t find anywhere else. You get to learn, feel and share so much in the process. I would recommend for anyone to try and do it at least once, there’s an energy when performing together with others that you can see and understand but I think you can only truly feel it when you’re a part of it. And when those planets align and everyone is on their best game is when memorable things happen, where the best part of it is sharing it with others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zekesmusicexchange.com
- Instagram: @zekesmusicexchange
- Facebook: /zekesmusicexchange
Image Credits
Pictures by Dre Puente & Zeke Man