How to Build Confidence in Your Music Career with Sherm | Elevated Frequencies #37

Well, let's do it. What's the saying? My, my, my have the turn tables.

Sherm (00:43.487) Okay. Okay, cool. Let's do it! What an honor, hell yeah!

Sherm (00:56.323) Are you quoting The Office? Yeah, that was good.

olivia (00:57.922) Yeah, I guess so. We're doing a little switcheroo and I'm so excited. You know, I feel like I've gotten to know you so much better in the short time since I've been on your show. And to know you is to love you. And like, you're so fucking cool. And you have so much value to give to my audience. And so I'm just excited to dig into like,

Sherm (01:10.414) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (01:14.574) Hey!

olivia (01:26.146) how you do everything you do.

Sherm (01:28.446) Well, I appreciate that very much. The feeling is mutual.

olivia (01:31.49) Thank you. So you just came off of like a three weekend bender and the bender continues. Professional bender, okay. Like you were having fun, but it was... Correct. So what's... So talk to me about the bender. You're in the middle of a tour right now, which was super exciting. Tell me, set the stage for me.

Sherm (01:43.114) Professional bender, I like that, yeah. Paid bender.

Sherm (01:55.038) Yeah. Yeah, for sure. So I just kicked off a tour called the toxic tour. It's to promote this song I have come out on hood politics records on February 16. It's a premier track for the label this year. I believe it's the best track I've ever made. I collaborated with my friend Halil sensei who lives in Istanbul, Turkey. We discovered him just through him sending his demos.

and he's had a sister track last year called the Underground and it was one of our most successful tracks of the year. Playing in every one of my sets DJ Susan loves it and I said to this guy go my god dude like I love your style I would love to collaborate and that's the beautiful thing about music to me especially dance music particularly house music is the influences from people all over the world like there's foundations like his style of bass line is it is hood poly like this guy sounded so probably but

He was making music before he ever heard about us, right? And you don't have to be in the studio with people anymore. In fact, some people have trouble collaborating with other people in the studio because we all have our own flow. So anyway, that's all to promote this song coming out. And I'm really, really excited about it. The reception from when I play the song has been like insane. It's so nerve wracking to like play a song with lyrics, right? Like I've released songs with lyrics, but these are like...

People haven't heard these before. And I'm a DJ who like always keeps it moving really quickly. Like I'll play a song maybe they don't know, but I'll quickly fade out of it just to keep the energy and attention. But I'm playing this one out, I'm being patient. And the reception has been incredible. Like in Denver and San Francisco, two cities outside of Chicago that I've played in before. But yeah, it's just been so sick to see people actually dancing to it and.

just feeling their energy and where the track came from, which is a really a special place for me, which is like right inside the heart because the lyrics actually have a lot of meaning, right? It's, the vocals say like, baby, I'm not toxic. And it's kind of like that thing of like, sometimes people don't understand you until they know you, like you said. And the song has an energy sort of like a beating heart, right? So it's like.

Sherm (04:12.042) It builds, it builds, it builds. And then you get the drop for a second and then it goes away and you're like, well, could bring it back. Then the drop hits again. Then it slows down. And then I start to filter in the kick and the second break and it feels like a heartbeat. And then everybody just like, is like, damn, this shit hits. So yeah.

olivia (04:26.102) Wow, I think you're the first person on this show to actually explain like, like I don't even know the technicalities of it, but that's really cool. And what I find absolutely terrifying about DJing and what you just explained to me is that you are taking your heart and putting it outside your body in front of a large audience. And with the total gamble being they might hate this. And so that's...

Sherm (04:37.335) Yeah.

Sherm (04:41.351) Hehehe

Sherm (04:48.802) Yeah.

Sherm (04:53.486) I'm sorry.

olivia (04:55.522) the risk you have to take. So it must feel really good to be, you know, a couple dates into this tour and like getting that feedback.

Sherm (04:57.671) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (05:03.71) Mm-hmm. Yeah, for sure, Olivia. And this conversation comes up a lot, like behind the scenes with other producers where we make our music so that we can be a unique artist and have fans that love and appreciate us. But it's also scary sometimes. And in the moment, you're playing in front of this big crowd and, you know.

I don't know. It's just like, shit, I've pulled up so many of my songs before. And I know this will resonate with a lot of DJs. You pull up your song, you're about to mix it in. You go, I can't, I can't do it. Like, what if I lose the energy that I have by playing an unreleased track? Maybe they don't know this track. Like, and that's kind of it's a double edged sword because people do have a short attention span, even if they're already at the club. You know what I mean? Like they're there on the dance floor. It's my job to keep them there. I'm.

Like I'm playing these sets for them, but I'm also doing it for me. Like I want to feel their energy. Right. So it can be, it can be a little bit like, ah, shit, this is going to work. Should I play it? But I've been doing that more lately because artists were our own biggest critic. But the fact is people love discovering new music, especially people like you. You know what I mean? Like as a fan first type DJ, I love to go to sets where it's like unshazamable.

You know what I mean? Like it just makes you want it that much more. So I'm trying to like lean into that a little bit more, play my own music, take those chances. And yeah, going on a tour to promote a song.

is, you know, something completely new for me. You've seen some things like that, you know, like album release tour, right. But this is a single. This is the world we live in. So it's I just did Denver and San Francisco. I'm going to Minneapolis. I'm going to Madison, Wisconsin. I'm going to Atlanta, Georgia, right. All places outside of my own network, for the most part, home base, Chicago. So just by taking that chance to go on tour, to promote this song, they literally get it in front of people, not just on your Spotify radar.

olivia (06:43.406) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (06:55.73) has been a really fun experience so far. And it's been well received, which is amazing.

olivia (07:00.442) It is, it's huge. And like, you know, I've talked about this a little bit, but you are somebody who takes chances and steps outside the box that is Chicago. Chicago is the home of house. Obviously, we all have an immense respect for it and being part of this community, you know, as an artist, as a fan is a privilege, but you're somebody who says, I need to go beyond this and I need to

Sherm (07:04.674) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (07:11.499) Yeah.

Sherm (07:20.312) Hmm?

Sherm (07:26.999) Yeah.

olivia (07:27.562) put myself in uncomfortable situations, go to new markets, do something different. How did you build that confidence? Because it can be scary too when the community is small in Chicago, as big as Chicago is, the community is small. And you're saying like, sorry guys, I gotta go try out these other things. So how did you build that confidence?

Sherm (07:43.053) Yeah.

Sherm (07:49.522) Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Great question. And I'll say that it definitely has been

You know, there's been a long period of time where my confidence has been growing in terms of like, just putting myself out there, especially with making my own music. I think that has been really the hill that I've had to climb that has been tough for me because I started off as a DJ, like many DJs in college. I like I said, I was a fan first, right? And then you kind of just get this feeling like I want to try and do that, whatever it is, I have my own ideas, my own inspirations. So I'm DJing for a long time.

this people were producing but there was still not a lot of DJ DJs like there are today like people that just get a controller from their mom for Christmas when they're 15 years old you know what I mean I didn't have my hands on a controller so I was 21

Um, so these days, you know, the barrier to entry is so small and also with production, right? But to bring it back to me and where this confidence grew was I just started putting music out there on sound cloud, right? Like you can go to my Spotify and i'm never gonna take this track down because it's part of my journey It's called the Shermanator, right? So which has been you know, a joke my entire life that you know, i'm the Shermanator even though i'm not like him But whatever, you know, I don't care. Um, and I sampled

olivia (08:59.101) Thank you.

Sherm (09:10.75) in the first American Pie, I don't know if you've seen it, it's been a long time probably, where he hooks up with this really hot chick and he comes downstairs and they're all like, how did Sherman do that? You know what I mean? So I was just like, yo, this is crazy, my name is Sherman, this is a great clip, let me just see what I can make with this. And I put it out and it's a really fun track actually, but so many times before that, I was really afraid to just put anything out if it wasn't good enough. But the fact is, once you start putting things out,

olivia (09:36.206) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (09:40.406) You're going to be very surprised at the feedback that you get. And it's kind of like that's going outside your comfort zone. And that's something that I always taught was taught in sports and school and life. Once you go outside your comfort zone, that's where growth happens, right? When you challenge yourself. Um, so over the years, just kind of cutting my teeth as a Chicago DJ, like you said, this is the home of house music. Um,

while there is a lot of opportunity in the house music scene here, it's also very, very competitive because of the level of talent that producers have here, like your brother, you know, so that was a little daunting for me. So I kind of kept following this direction of being like an open format DJ. Like there was definitely a point in time where I thought if I could be a resident at town, like Metro, then I've made it right. I'm never going to be fucking Metro. That's my goddamn boy. Like he's literally the Chicago Bulls DJ and the White Sox DJ. Like that's his thing.

know, and I came to realize that's not sherm, right? I learned a lot and it definitely has helped separate me from the competition from a live show perspective, just because of all those years of open format DJing. But again, from the confidence perspective, to then come back and say, I've got the DJ skills, I've been doing this podcast, if I can just combine it with the music and my own sound, then I'm going to get to the place where I want to go, which is to be an artist who's known as sherm.

So to answer your question directly, I got the confidence I'm really just.

owning who I am, which is Sherm, which is why I go by Sherm. Like I don't know how to be anybody else. I can't put a mask on. I can't go by another moniker. I can't be that open format DJ that's gonna be better than everybody else. I'm not that underground, minimal guy. Like I thought that I had to be for a period of time. I'm Sherm. I make music that makes me happy. I put content out that I enjoy making. And all of that is coming together now. And I've never been just like more happy with where I'm at from a music perspective, a brand perspective, a growth perspective. So it takes time, long time.

Sherm (11:36.376) to put yourself out there for sure.

olivia (11:38.054) Yeah, this is the common theme that we talk about is the authenticity. You know, it like, if you want to experience, like you want to truly 10 X your life, like you just have to be you because masking is so difficult and it, and it holds you back. Like, unless you're like a master narcissist or something where you need that's like your skill is like, you know, manipulating people. Like it really is difficult. And like, what I think is, you know, so cool and like

Sherm (11:41.699) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (11:47.806) Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Sherm (11:56.482) Ha ha ha!

olivia (12:06.294) What I always see on TikTok is people talking about like people who want to be content creators. Like you have to not be afraid to be cringy. It's going to be cringy in the beginning because maybe you only have 100 followers and like you're like acting like you're some big time influencer, but you have to step into that persona because if you don't believe it, no one else is going to buy it either. And like

Sherm (12:17.815) Oh God.

Sherm (12:25.322) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (12:29.034) So true.

olivia (12:29.866) you have such a larger than life persona on social media, but it does literally match who you are in real life. So, you know, you just, you have it. Like that's all, that's another thing. I think everybody can like step into their power and, you know, be a personality per se, but then there's also people who just have it. And I think I have like a hunch that you were kind of just born with a big personality. Is that true?

Sherm (12:38.17) Yeah.

Sherm (12:47.82) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (12:53.687) Yeah.

Sherm (12:58.978) Yeah

olivia (12:59.874) Growing up when you were younger and stuff, were you like a really outgoing kid?

Sherm (13:04.17) No, you'd be surprised actually. My mom always tells this story.

I think it was third or fourth grade, you know, when you go to the parents go to meet with the teachers and they're talking about like what your son is like in class. And they were just like, yeah, that's he's a good student. But he's really pretty shy, actually. And my mom was like, really? Like, he's shy. That is not what he's like around our family and friends. Right. So I was like, and that's like in a similar world, like what you're explaining. Right. Like school is kind of like a show of entertainment almost. You know what I mean?

Like you're meeting new people, you're standing up in front of the class, you're like, I don't know, you're putting yourself out there. I guess the best way to put it.

But it really wasn't until like middle school and high school that I kind of came out of my shell a little bit more Just to share a little bit of a personal story as well. I've been talking to a lot of people about this So I grew up in Zionsville, Indiana, right? Indiana's Interesting state right? I'm half Jewish. My dad is Jewish. My mom is not I look like a Jew like my dad's out of the family is very Jewish like New York City Jewish like pastrami on

Sherm (14:15.744) spending time with them, right? And there was maybe only two or three other Jewish people at my school who were good friends of mine. And people would like label me as a Jew. And

You know, this is obviously like not necessarily as serious as some of the other things that we talk about these days. But I was put in a weird perspective and point of view where people would call me something that I wasn't necessarily because I was kind of being raised Christian, actually. So throughout middle school and high school, like I still kind of had this voice, except much higher and squeakier. I would get made fun of a lot, actually. So it was kind of tough for me to come out of my shell. But when I finally did and I owned who I was, that's when I started to really become like

olivia (14:40.863) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (14:56.968) Shurm, you know for a long time I was Maddie Sherman actually like Maddie And I know there's a lot of people out there that like I wouldn't say I was bullied necessarily But I definitely felt like ostracized a lot and I've really only started to kind of accept and realize those things these days actually as I fully owned who I am and pulled put Myself out there to the world. So actually as I'm explaining this it makes a lot more sense to me, Olivia like

olivia (15:09.621) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (15:22.162) Then I was afraid to put myself out there because people will make fun of me when I first started this brand and doing this podcast. I felt like I had the support of people. But then all of a sudden, like you realize all my friends and family aren't necessarily my fans, right? Like I have to do this because it makes me happy. But I need to own who I am in the process, which is really tough to do from people who suffer from like imposter syndrome, which is everybody to a certain extent. So

olivia (15:44.238) Mm-hmm.

olivia (15:48.402) For sure. Well, you know, the things that people, the things that kids tend to make fun of other kids for typically happen to be their superpowers, right? People see something in you even at a young age, like kids who are haters because they learn from their parents or whatever, they don't, you know, they, people can spot others who have a light in them.

Sherm (15:56.523) Mm-hmm.

Yeah, yes.

olivia (16:13.758) And it, and it upsets them because it shows that it shines the light on their insecurities. And so that's what they tend to pick on. And now you're saying you're made, you're made fun of for your voice or this or that. Now you're a podcast host.

Sherm (16:14.172) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (16:21.879) Yeah.

Sherm (16:26.87) Yeah, what, Mar- now everybody says your voice is perfect for the radio.

olivia (16:31.318) It is, it literally is. And like, you know, I always make, like I always talk about this too, because I was bullied severely in middle school. And in high school, yes, yeah, really, really bad. Like to the point where I still remember like crystal clear memories of certain things that happened, you know, and kids were awful back then. And in high school too, but it was like more cunning. But I always think about, thank fuck.

Sherm (16:40.898) You were. I'm glad I brought it up then.

Sherm (16:49.29) Same, dude. Same.

Sherm (16:56.971) Mm-hmm.

olivia (17:00.626) I did not peek back then because...

Sherm (17:03.114) Ha ha ha! Yes, I think about the same thing! Ha ha ha!

olivia (17:06.142) Yeah, I know people who did the piece some of the people that were my bullies and it's like I will somehow like they'll be recommended on people you may know or on Facebook and stuff and I'm like You know don't even need to say anything so

Sherm (17:11.24) and

Sherm (17:19.383) Yeah.

Dude, it's a chip on your shoulder a little bit now, right?

olivia (17:26.342) It is. I have worked to try to eliminate that. But you know, your formative years, when you are bullied, it does stick with you.

Sherm (17:27.763) Yeah.

Sherm (17:32.674) Yeah.

Sherm (17:39.294) Yeah, it does. It does. Yeah, I like your perspective on that. I guess I'm always someone who's like sort of been competitive with myself. And the second I feel like anybody gives me or well, somebody doesn't believe in me, I guess. And I'm willing enough to be honest about that. Like, I kind of like the haters these days, because that means that you're growing because the only people that hate on you are people that are below you. You know what I mean? And that's why I've gotten confidence to.

olivia (18:01.22) Exactly.

Sherm (18:05.47) interview big artists, to play on big stages, to put myself out there, to get to know people that are at a bigger stage than me because they all started where we are. So I think everybody's heard the saying, right? Like, once you do start getting haters, then you know you're at a point where you're growing, you're going somewhere. But it's all love for me, man. Honestly, like I don't I don't have any

any hatred towards anybody. Like, I just don't even have time for that in my life. So, but I, I do remember those, some of those things. It's funny you said that.

olivia (18:32.622) Of course.

olivia (18:36.594) Yeah, yeah. And it's, they do stick with you, but like you said, they can be motivation. And one thing that, one thing that I knew, like implicitly, but I didn't fully understand it until this person pointed it out to me. I had hired like, just like for a one-off consultation, some like TikTok, like coach, and she was really good. And like, she helped just from that one hour consultation. Like I, you know, grew a lot from it. And I told her like that

Sherm (19:04.227) Mm.

olivia (19:05.478) one of my business heroes is Bethany Frankel because she herself is this personal brand and she can dabble in all these different ventures because people come for her. So she can talk about 10 different subjects she doesn't need to have a niche. Anyway, what this coach pointed out to me was, she was like, Olivia, Bethany Frankel is popular because she isn't afraid of hot takes. She isn't afraid to be controversial. She isn't afraid.

Sherm (19:21.397) Hehehe

olivia (19:34.862) to that she isn't afraid that some people aren't gonna like what she has to say. Like she has a point of view. And I think that's like where like a lot of the haters come from too is like, you know, I know, like as I'm growing, like I have to take a stance on something, you know, and there's a way to do it where you're not like combative. But I think a lot of people, especially like relating this back to artists in Chicago are afraid sometimes to have a stance on anything.

Sherm (19:45.234) Yeah.

olivia (20:03.99) because they're afraid, oh, I say the wrong thing and I'm ostracized.

Sherm (20:04.215) Definitely.

Sherm (20:08.534) Yeah, that's a very real truth. Yeah.

olivia (20:11.842) And again, there's a way to say things. Like I think Luke Cotty is a really good example. I mean, sometimes he really, really stirs the pot, but he's gotten to a point where like, but like I think there's a way to be able to bring up topics, keep it respectful, but I feel like for you, like you're so unapologetic about who you are and that can piss people off because they don't know how to be authentic.

Sherm (20:17.77) Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Sherm (20:26.244) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (20:32.29) Yeah.

Sherm (20:36.007) It can.

Sherm (20:39.814) It's very freeing for me, though, honestly, like, and I can tell you confidently, I haven't like only in the past two years, I would say maybe after I after I got married and then kind of settled into that, you know, I would say then yeah, probably like the past year, really locking in, like, I'm doing a lot of things in life, right? Like I have a day job, I have a wife, I have a dog, I have a personal life, I have a record label, I have a producer career, right? And the only way

things is because I love all of them, right? Like the things that I put in my life, I'm able to commit to because I enjoy doing them. So it can be a tough thing to manage all those, of course, but I think that's why it's important to find your passion.

no matter what it is, even if it's not a moneymaking passion, right? Like I just said to you before we got on, like how much it costs to fly to places like Minneapolis, you know, like I'm not raking it in people. OK, I'm really not like it's extremely difficult to make it as an artist in the music industry. And that's why I still have a day job, because I want to make sure that I'm putting myself in positions financially to still live a good life. And there's two sides of that coin, for sure. But.

olivia (21:50.19) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (21:54.814) Yeah, it's just like, you get you get all these things going and you have to just jump right in.

olivia (21:59.918) I love that you are honest about your day job and I know you've been there for a long time. I think a lot of artists can tend to see it almost as a weakness, like, oh, I still have to have my day job. But for you, you're like, no. And one thing I've noticed about you now, we'll be talking about it soon, but this little project we're working on together is you really have amazing work ethics, strict boundaries, I've noticed.

Sherm (22:13.48) Mm-hmm.

olivia (22:27.982) about your time and everything else. And like, you can't, like, it's not a bad thing to have a day job. If you wanna still, you know, you have a wife, you have a dog, you have a nice apartment, like you wanna be able to enjoy life, but then do all those other things. You can do both. There's nothing wrong with doing both.

Sherm (22:29.497) Yeah.

Sherm (22:35.254) Oh.

Sherm (22:38.602) Yeah.

Sherm (22:44.874) Yep. Absolutely. And people ask me about this all the time. How do I do both? And I always think...

Well, maybe I might be further along if I would have fully focused on music. Like there was a period of time, actually. It was right before the pandemic started. I opened for Galantis at Aragon two nights in a row, right? Like the biggest shows I'd ever played. I felt so good about them. And I came into work that week. Like, I got to do this, man. Like, what am I still doing here? You know what I mean? Like nothing gets my company, right? I was just, it was just a great moment. And then lockdown happened and the pandemic occurred and that wasn't going to happen, right?

I was so grateful to have this job. I really got a new perspective on how important it is to me to have that stability. I think that's what it is. It's not just like the job, having a day job, right? It's the stability and the routine that's very important to me. Knowing what my weeks look like, knowing what my, I literally like, people think it's crazy that I say, I'm freeing two months on this Thursday for dinner. Can you commit? They're like,

No, I can't commit. I'm like, you should be able to commit to that, right? Because like, I know you are. And yeah, it's just, I don't know, I fully, fully go for what I'm doing. I don't want to say it's compartmentalizing, because I'm not like putting things away. But when I'm doing this, I'm focused. When I'm doing that, I'm focused. You can't multitask, the human brain is not built for that. So when I'm doing whatever it is, I'm committed fully in that moment.

olivia (23:53.06) See you.

olivia (24:15.25) Yeah, well, and you have discipline and, you know, not to like a poke fun at artists, but and they've done it themselves on the shows. Like I'm a DJ. I suck at time management. I suck at, you know, I know I'm sure and I'm sure you being so regimented, it can be difficult when you're collaborating with others. I experienced that too sometimes. And I'm just like, damn it, like what it you can learn to be on time.

Sherm (24:18.09) Yes.

Sherm (24:21.836) Yeah.

Dude.

It's a joke.

Sherm (24:35.377) Yes! Yeah.

olivia (24:43.99) So you have like you have the discipline and that is a key component to having it all. If you don't have that, something will suffer.

Sherm (24:47.142) Yeah.

Sherm (24:52.798) Absolutely, I've learned so many things.

Um, through just being a regimented person through my day job. I mean, I work in logistics, so it starts at 7 AM. Um, and I'm there till about 4.35 PM, right? Like before the pandemic, I was in the office Monday through Friday, just locked in grinding. And then I'd come home and I'd do the podcast. I work on music. I would DJ on the weekends. Um, and it was, it was a lot for me, honestly. Um, so now how I sort of regiment my schedule, it's funny. It's almost like another part of my life is actually making time for myself, which is something that I've.

learned in the past six months. Shout out to my wife, Maya, for being like, you are doing too much. Even like you need to take a long time, right? Like, yes, I'm certainly an extrovert, but I am certainly someone who appreciates time with myself. So I do that in as many ways as I can, even if it's for a short period of time, like going to the gym or going on a walk or reading a book or just not putting the headphones in and just almost meditating.

or taking a whole day to myself, whatever it is. And I think people need to factor that in because it's really, really important. You don't just like all of a sudden you have free time because it's hard for you to like actually engage and lock in.

olivia (26:02.722) Mm-hmm. You have to schedule it, honestly. Like you have to make it important. Like you have to put it on your calendar. Like we put our work appointments on our calendar. We put our doctor's appointments on our calendar. Like we really should be. And I could be better about that too, because like I have one of my books sitting here that like I just like, maybe how many pages? Yeah.

Sherm (26:09.09) You do?

Sherm (26:20.279) Yeah.

Sherm (26:28.95) Italian magic? What are you reading? Secret lives of women. Love that. Yes, it is.

olivia (26:34.646) Very on brand. I'm on pay 47 and I got this like a month ago. There's no excuse for this. Like I have the time, but I'll like watch TV or something. And so like you do have to schedule in those, it is regimented so it almost seems counterproductive, but like it's an important, like intentional rest is so important because if you're just like.

Sherm (26:43.084) Yeah.

Sherm (26:47.455) Yeah, I did.

Sherm (26:56.276) Mm.

olivia (27:00.97) You can't pour from an empty cup and how can you make good music when you're so fucking tired?

Sherm (27:06.334) Yeah, that's it. Honestly, that's a very, very good question because I had that I didn't actually start really locking into music and making music until I accepted that I have to give myself that opportunity and I can't just do it when I might have some time. You know, it's a matter of creativity and creativity can come at any time. And that's the funny thing too. I thought, okay, like if I've got a whole Saturday for eight hours, I'm going to be productive. I've got the time.

olivia (27:22.211) Great.

Sherm (27:35.89) I would sit there for like two hours and I'd be like, I'm just not feeling it. And I would get frustrated. So like when, when the time comes, you want to have the energy to do that. And that's been something that I've certainly struggled with and. I don't struggle with it anymore. I would say I'm, I deal with it, but I deal with it in productive ways. So yeah, I mean, making music and being creative, they don't go hand in hand, unfortunately, sometimes, because when you're ready to make music, you might not be creative. And when you're feeling creative, you might not have the opportunity to actually make music.

olivia (27:36.043) Okay.

Sherm (28:05.884) So I've gotten lots of different pieces of advice from producers who this sort of like mindset has resonated with so They'll literally have like in their voice memos like melodies just different melodies that they're singing, right? So even if they're at the club, they'll literally be like, oh shit. I just thought of something I want to go outside really quick, right? I know so many different producers that come back from festivals And are just feeling so inspired. I know producers like me who It just comes out of the clear blue sky

olivia (28:18.434) Smart.

olivia (28:23.991) Yay.

Sherm (28:36.364) I mean dude, it comes to me at random times like I just watched La Land, which is a great movie, by the way And just the piano and the jazz in that movie. I was just like, holy shit. I've got some ideas Thank God. I just watched this movie again. So you never you never really know when it's gonna happen but

olivia (28:52.458) Yeah, you have to be tuned in though. You have to be like, like present. Like being present is something I think about a lot cause that's when you can find inspiration. So it doesn't matter. Like you could take like your relaxing time could be scrolling TikTok or it could be watching a movie or whatever but just like be present in what you're doing because that is when like inspiration will strike. Yeah.

Sherm (28:58.506) Yes, you do.

Sherm (29:04.974) Thanks for watching!

Sherm (29:13.472) Yeah.

Sherm (29:17.266) Yes. Yeah. Isn't it crazy that so many people we know and certainly generations younger than us are doing three things at once with a screen. They're watching TV. They're on their phone. They're on their laptop, their tablet. Say it.

olivia (29:31.743) Plus, this is like so embarrassing, like this is actually fucked. I realized today that I had an episode of Drag Race on my phone in like little window.

Sherm (29:41.102) I'm gonna go.

olivia (29:45.687) and I was literally on TikTok at the same time.

Sherm (29:46.126) Thanks for watching!

Oh my god, that is psycho. Which one are you watching? I mean, seriously.

olivia (29:50.962) I was like, what the fuck is wrong with me? Oh my God, yeah. I can't, both? Like both somehow? I don't even know. I think I was reading comments maybe, I don't know. But like, I was like, wow, that's bad. I do, like as much as I, you know, I preach like wellness, whatever, like I definitely have room for improvement. So, okay, I want to, I wanna switch gears a little bit and ask you about Malort and.

Sherm (30:01.599) Yeah.

Sherm (30:09.03) Yeah.

Sherm (30:15.916) Yeah.

Okay.

olivia (30:19.118) And the reason why is one thing that you've naturally been able to do. Like you are in some ways an influencer because you've found ways to collaborate with all of these brands, but in a way that feels so natural, like you're not like a, you're not like the influencer in the sense that you're promoting some random like, yeah, right. Like you're not out here like

Sherm (30:35.807) Yeah.

Sherm (30:42.866) Yeah, you can tell it's an ad type shit. Yeah.

olivia (30:47.81) being like, oh my God, look at like my, you know, this hat, I love this hat. Like it's like, it's natural to your brand and placed to your strengths. So how did Malort happen? Because I think there'll be some value and you know, artists that want to branch out and find other, whether it's, you know, revenue making opportunities or just whatever. Like, so how did that happen?

Sherm (30:52.515) Yeah.

Sherm (31:02.906) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (31:09.854) Yeah, just brand partnerships. Well, let me just say first and foremost, that

I'm really lucky the people who run CH distillery who purchased Malore back in 2018 are such good people. The CEO Trimian Atkinson is like my long lost dad. Like he's such a solid dude and his story is really amazing. The marketing director, Anas Akutav is an awesome, like she's like 23 or some shit, 24 rights. And she like, she was all about this stuff right away. But to back it up where it all came from, I didn't even heard of the term,

Chicago handshake until maybe like 2017, I think I had taken a shot of Malort, you know, of course, someone bought it for me when you when you moved to Chicago. And I couldn't believe it because I'm the first person to say fuck no to a gross drink or something like that. But I didn't mind it, which is crazy, right. And everybody else at the table was like, Are you good? I'm like, Yeah, it's fine. Actually, like, okay.

So a few years go by, my friend tells me about, we're talking about two fisted drinks, right? Like a shot and a beer. And he tells me about Chicago Handshake. He just says it casually, go, what's a Chicago Handshake? He goes, oh, it's a old style or PBR and a shot of Malort. I'm like, oh, Malort, dude, people aren't, you're not drinking that casually. He goes, no, but it's at all these dive bars, just open your eyes and start asking them for it. So I'm at these bars and I'm like, oh shit, the Chicago Handshake is everywhere. This is insane.

olivia (32:18.435) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (32:39.802) So I started like drinking them with people because a lot of people hadn't drink Maloret and I felt like it's my duty as a Chicagoan to do this, right? And I start to meet more Maloret drinkers, some of which are my friends, some are new people, some are the bartenders, and I just start to have this weird sort of Chicago connection with people. It's a very strange thing. And you have this connection just like with dance music fans, right? Like you've told me about this.

Um, especially through your podcast, right? Like connecting with people about the love of music and being a fan. Um, so it's a similar world. Um, so on St. Patrick's day, I think in 2021, maybe it was 2022. I can't remember, but I'm with my friend and it's St. Patrick's day. It's a great day to be drinking Malort. We took this video. I did it on a balcony and

people started calling me Mr. Chicago because I was like drinking Malort. And you know, I'm always like the guy to ask for recommendations for restaurants, for bars, for events, whatever it is, you know, because I love this city so much. And I want people to experience it all the way to the taste of Malort. So my friend, Cy and I, I blow with the bag. He sends, he sampled this vocal and put it over a house track. I go, dude, are you kidding me? This is genius.

olivia (33:37.91) Thank you.

Sherm (33:55.946) And we started working on it more. And I did an interview with Danny Deal, a live interview, and she's, she's a Malort ambassador, so to speak as well. And she, she made me take a Chicago handshake in the middle of this interview with her and it didn't go down well. So we sampled that audio and we put it in this track called Chicago handshake, which we released on hood politics in June of 2022. It sort of had a mini viral, um, like moment, um,

with Chicago DJs, with Chicago influencers, things like that. And it's a great track, honestly. And what I started doing was taking Chicago handshakes with people in the crowd while I played this song. Right. So it became like this gimmick. And I loved it. It literally unleashed a side of me, Olivia, that like I didn't know I was capable of. Right. Like that. There's no DJs out there that like are one, like promoting an alcohol.

olivia (34:39.442) Yep. I'm on the.

Sherm (34:53.43) that most people consider gross, obviously, but like of their city, you know what I mean? Sure, people go out there and pour tequila down, you know, person in the front row, right? But I'm literally bringing my own malort and old style to events, you know what I mean? Like clubs don't have malort, well, Spy Bar does now actually. Yeah, I won't say it was a huge influence on my part, but it definitely was.

olivia (35:06.401) funny.

olivia (35:11.034) No, of course, Bye does.

olivia (35:16.91) I'm sorry.

Sherm (35:18.25) So I'm bringing these Malort shooters with me everywhere. I'm bringing old style. And people in the crowd just absolutely love it, right? Because I'm doing it with them. And I had this idea. I was like, I really want to do like an event. It's a headline event, but it's got to be really unique. Like, I don't want it to be just like another club show where I DJ. Like, I want this to be something where I can roll out an event. It's specific to Chicago. And it would unite people, not just in the dance music world. And I thought,

And like, wouldn't it be cool to like really unite, like iconic foundations of Chicago house music and Malort and they I was messaging them a lot and just kind of being like, hey, I would look like collaborate with you guys in some way because they always reposted me. And I came up with this idea for an event called the Chicago handshake party. Right. So I did it last year and I worked on my video for Colton who

helped me with all these ideas to literally go up to tourists in Chicago around the bean and ask them a trivia question and drink shots of Malort with them. And the shit went fucking viral, right? Like so many of the videos did extremely well. Everybody was asking me about it, talking about it. And obviously, CH Distillery was like loving it. And I interview the CEO Tremaine at the at where they make Malort at CH.

olivia (36:21.828) Yeah.

olivia (36:36.935) So cool.

Sherm (36:38.142) Yeah, so got the full story from him, played a set in there on top of Malort barrels and just like leaned into it. And it was so much fun for me because. Like you're collaborating with this brand in a very real boots on the ground way, like I know it's a little sales term, but like I'm literally in the fucking streets, you know, like pushing Malort, and they've just become really good friends of mine.

They're always looking to collaborate on new stuff. And it's been a really special thing for me to fully own that and really believe that because like, I don't know, it was just wild for me. I think I'm just some guy from Indiana, but I had a liking towards Malort and the culture behind it. And for a long time, I didn't even know I was going to do this event, but I was taking videos of me drinking Malort with people, friends, random people at bars. Um, and it just became this. So.

olivia (37:28.653) Yes.

Right.

olivia (37:35.15) So that's the being present thing, okay? Like, you know, like you realizing, wait, I have something here. And two things I wanna mention really quick because in any, like in my world, like the content creation influencer world, some of the most common tips for new influencers, people who wanna be influencers and wanna work with brands are always one.

Sherm (37:35.83) That's the story.

Mm-hmm.

Sherm (37:43.24) Yeah.

Sherm (37:47.447) Yeah.

Sherm (37:53.159) Mm-hmm.

olivia (38:02.83) Find a product that you love and use every day. Obviously you're not drinking Malord every day, we try to keep it so, but you're doing it, you know, it's part of your weekends, whatever. Like, I got a bottle right here. So use something, like find something that you use all the time and that you love, right? Like it's easy for you to talk about because you love it. And then make content with it for free, right? Like make a video and then.

Sherm (38:10.446) Thanks for watching!

Sherm (38:14.967) Yeah

Sherm (38:27.508) Mm-hmm.

olivia (38:31.802) send that video to the brand and be like, hey, I love your product. Like, here's a video I did about it. Especially if it does numbers, like that's even better. And a lot of the times the brand will just fucking pay you. They'll be like, oh, can we use this? Like, and we'll pay you, whatever. So like, it's the same concept. So like, I think that is a great, great tip for artists who want to expand their options and really build their brand is like, what is something that is like a staple for you? Like that kind of-

Sherm (38:31.83) Yeah.

Sherm (38:39.979) Yeah.

Sherm (38:43.54) Yeah. Yep.

Sherm (38:51.828) Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Sherm (39:00.845) Yeah.

olivia (39:01.75) You know, Malort and Dijang don't really coexist. Like you said, like Malort said dive bars, but you found a way, like they're not completely opposite. You found a way to incorporate it. And so like that is such good advice for people who want to do a little bit more with their career and like doing things out of the box. Like that is how you get noticed and that's how you elevate.

Sherm (39:08.402) Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Exactly.

Sherm (39:18.818) Yeah.

Sherm (39:29.122) Dude, I was nervous about the show. I was nervous about the content. I was nervous about everything, but I knew that what I was doing was different and I knew that I had the support of people that were interested in all of these things, right? So I had people that loved dance music that were trying Malort. I had people that had never been to a dance music show drinking Malort there, you know what I mean? So it was like, I fucking did it, you know? And there's a documentary that Colton made of it where he interviewed me.

olivia (39:49.59) This year. Cool.

Sherm (39:56.918) and just like the people that we got involved with, like the old style guy, Adam, like he sent me this.

this cutout where you could take pictures of an old style and then a Chicago hot dog and you put your faces in it, right? So we had that there. I worked with the local company called Transit Tees to make a Chicago handshake t-shirt that was like an emblem that had like, it was iconic things in Chicago, right? It was Malord, it was a house music, it was a music sign house, a house and something else. So I worked with all these local brands to really make this like very, very unique Chicago event. And it went great.

like, just think about what you do every day and what you like. Like I wasn't making I was making people I was making people drink Malort, but not thinking that one day I'm going to throw a party around this. Right. So it just kind of came together and artists by nature are a little bit true artists, I would say. Not all of them are just a little bit more shy. Right. So they're like, well, what content do I put out? Like, I don't want to just like record myself making music, honestly.

olivia (40:46.53) Right.

Sherm (41:01.998) fans of dance music probably the only people who want that are other producers and maybe DJs who are you how can you show the world who you are in a way that you're comfortable doing and if putting yourself out there is going outside that comfort zone then take that small step i'm not saying you have to go out on the streets and take videos and talk to random people

You know, most people would say that's probably easy for you. Sure. Dude, I am in a onesie, an old style onesie, walking around, trying to get people to drink Malort and I'm like, this is, this is honestly nerve wracking. You know, but I.

olivia (41:36.342) Male interviews are, they are, they're not easy. I remember from when I was in, but you, but you really, you, it's a, it's a muscle you have to exercise, putting yourself in uncomfortable situations. So you built up to that, you know, you were doing that straight out the gate, but like you said, you built that confidence throughout the years of like, you know, through being your authentic self, and now you're more comfortable taking those steps and like,

Sherm (41:40.562) No. Yeah, you know.

Sherm (41:51.146) Yep. Yes.

Sherm (41:56.884) Mm-hmm.

olivia (42:04.542) Everything you're telling me, everything you're saying, you're nervous, you're this, you're that, it never comes across in your content. You really, you fully send it, and we're all better for it because it's so.

Sherm (42:04.695) Yeah.

Sherm (42:11.446) Yeah.

No.

Sherm (42:17.522) Oh yeah. Well, I think all of that nervousness and anxiety is, at least for me and many others, is built up right until you actually jump, you know?

Like I still get really nervous for big shows, but the second I get up there and push play, it all goes away, right? The second that the camera starts rolling, I'm ready to go, I'm locked in. So you just have to believe in yourself to at least give yourself the chance to succeed and put yourself out there. So, you know, easier said than done, but I'm certainly living proof of someone that has put myself out there and it's worked.

olivia (42:50.294) Yeah, you get 100%. And also, like you're really someone who, I'm reading this book called 10X is easier than 2X. And the gist is they talk about like want versus need. And when you want something, it doesn't come from a place of scarcity, it comes from a place of I am going to create. Like I am not going to, I don't need.

Sherm (43:02.964) Mm-hmm.

olivia (43:17.946) resources, I'm going to create things that didn't exist before. And like everything that we've been talking about is like, you're living this like large life where you are creating, like you're 10Xing, like you're creating things that did not exist before. And that's, people don't do that. Like I'm not trying to like, you know, I'm laying it on thick here, Sharon, but like, people don't do that. So it's just really impressive that you continue to

Sherm (43:22.997) Yeah.

Sherm (43:27.958) Yeah.

Sherm (43:31.602) Yeah, I like that.

Sherm (43:37.774) I'm out.

Hell yeah.

olivia (43:46.798) to go for it and you're always doing new things.

Sherm (43:48.235) Yeah.

Sherm (43:51.798) Thank you so much. I really appreciate you taking notice of things like that. And I think sometimes I don't even take notice to the success that I'm having. And I try and do that. And I try and remind others as well that, you know.

you should just be grateful for the point that you've gotten to because you've gotten so much further than 99% of people, right? And that's kind of where this imposter syndrome comes from, right? Like everybody is like, I wish I was there. I wish I was at that point, or I deserve this, or I deserve that. Everyone has their own timelines to success. And it is your journey to follow at whatever pace that you 2x or 10x. And yeah, you're right. I 10x that shit. And that's the only way

olivia (44:25.998) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (44:34.226) Every time I think of a large goal, like obviously I want to play La Palooza. That's a huge goal for me. But that was a goal for me five years ago. And now I'm realizing that that's going to happen sometime. I don't know when, but I need to think even bigger than that. You know what I mean? Yeah.

olivia (44:47.83) Yes, absolutely. It is, a lot of people tend to only write down things that they think maybe they can achieve. And so they stay in like that bubble. And it's so much fun to like put huge goals down on the board, like, you know, like we've talked about, I'm a big vision boarder, because it really does, like when you put it out in the ether,

Sherm (45:00.095) Yeah.

Sherm (45:04.022) Yeah.

Sherm (45:12.224) Yep.

olivia (45:17.074) instead of keeping it inside, it will become more realistic. Think about it, you're saying, well, Lollapalooza is gonna happen, now I gotta think bigger. And I feel that way about certain things too, milestones in my business, my consulting business. I'm like, oh, that much money? That's fine, I can do that. Now I need to think bigger. But people get afraid. They get afraid to think too big because they don't wanna fail. But it's like...

Sherm (45:23.038) Yeah, for sure. Yep.

Sherm (45:35.054) Mm-hmm.

olivia (45:47.066) Why just go for here when you could like go up here and then you land somewhere in the middle, you know?

Sherm (45:50.594) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (45:54.474) Well, look at, let me show you some love. Look at what we're doing right now, right? We'll probably mention a little bit later, but I think unless we did it together, we probably wouldn't be able to. So you don't always have to do it on your own. Align yourself with other people that are driven, that are creative, that are empowered, self-willed individuals, right? Because together you can do more. So don't ever, like I couldn't have done those videos without Colton, you know what I mean? I couldn't have put on these events.

without the relationships that I've built, or made me like I make a lot of collaboration, because I'm very inspired by other people's ideas. And that's what drives me and I own those sort of things. Look at you, dude, like you're one of the only other people that we know of right now that does these podcasts and interviews people and you're a woman in this space, right? So you're like, you're really fucking going for it. I mean, we talked about it on my podcast, like you literally making that EDC thing happen is like

It's awesome. You did that shit. Like don't ever forget that. So I hope that people realize that anything is actually possible. You just have to like think big and think about what are the little steps I'm going to take to get there.

olivia (47:05.684) Yes.

olivia (47:09.826) and surround yourself with other people that inspire you, really, but the company you keep is huge. You talk about collaborating with others, like, it's so true, like, that's the only people I want in my life at this point is people who want more for themselves, because when we all want more for ourselves, we like can collaborate with others better. Like you have to have a healthy mind to be able to give, you know, it's...

Sherm (47:13.607) Yes.

Sherm (47:18.049) Yep.

Sherm (47:23.261) Mm-hmm.

Yes.

Sherm (47:32.334) Mm-hmm.

Sherm (47:38.256) Yes.

olivia (47:39.03) It's so true and so like it's exciting like I know we keep dancing around this topic of what you and I are putting together But I think it will be transformative because we both like are very personally motivated and we have complementing skill sets and it's gonna be dope and

Sherm (47:45.942) Yeah.

Sherm (47:56.746) Yep. It's gonna be dope. And our vision is big, right? Like we know it's not just a one-time thing. So I think that's what really, that's what is exciting to me about just being in the electronic dance music space because...

olivia (48:06.466) Right.

Sherm (48:15.546) there are unlimited possibilities to what the future holds with events, with just like cross pollination of different industries that come into this because dance music is such a small sliver of music, right? Like, I think it's, yeah, it's young. It's young.

olivia (48:30.127) and young. It's young. There's so much that can be done.

Sherm (48:35.522) So much that can be done. And if you look at popular music today, pop music, people don't know that pop music is short for popular music, right? Isn't it?

olivia (48:46.371) Yeah, that's so weird to think about. Yeah, especially because most of it's trash too, which is like crazy.

Sherm (48:53.358) crash. But guess what? A lot of those people are.

dance music producers. So think about the people that are I mentioned earlier that are coming into this space. I welcome young talent, I usher in young talent because they drive me to be better. And they also inspire me and I think we're seeing no matter what when you get older, you're not going to want to adapt, you're not going to want to change. I want to defy that stereotype and say I'm always willing to bend

and hear and listen and learn because we our generation brought in so many new like just like ways of life you know like Millennials were just were open we're accepting we're curious we're genuine we're creative people and I feel like younger generations are versions of us but now to them we're kind of like old people which is weird but like look at tick

Sherm (49:55.846) it do you need to be on TikTok if you want to be successful DJ? I say apps are fucking Lutely. Like, well, you need to define your definition of success or popularity because you certainly don't have to. But we were I was just on a call with this music distributor who works with TikTok and, you know, all these other promotional platforms. And they're like, you know, yeah, there were a lot of artists that like don't embrace TikTok. And I'm like, I embrace the living fuck out of whatever can get me in front of people, right? Like

olivia (50:23.714) Yeah.

Sherm (50:24.854) You have to adjust to the times. So that's why I think like there's so many things coming. There's gonna be another TikTok. There's gonna be another Instagram. And we're gonna have to adapt and we're gonna have to learn and that's exciting.

olivia (50:27.636) Yeah.

olivia (50:36.714) It is, no, you're right. Like the curmudgeons of this industry, like as talented as they may be, like nobody likes a curmudgeon, you know? And there's a lot of like curmudgeony cranky sticklers. And I get it, you know, I get it. It's tough. It's like, oh, fuck another thing that I have to do. But you know, either...

Sherm (50:42.376) Yeah.

Sherm (50:48.678) That's a perfect word.

Sherm (50:56.467) Yep. Constantly.

Sherm (51:03.15) I'm gonna go.

olivia (51:06.422) you know, take control of it or it's gonna overtake you. So, you know what I mean? Like you can't change it. So you just, you gotta embrace it.

Sherm (51:10.798) straight up.

Sherm (51:15.466) Make it your own too. I think that's one thing as well. Like you don't have to do what everybody else is doing on these platforms. Just know that there is an audience on these platforms that's a unique audience and that could be your audience. I think we talked about this when you were on my podcast, each social media has its own audience, right? Instagram, TikTok, even Facebook, like Snapchat even is still a thing to many, many people. So how you create your content might work better on one of the others.

olivia (51:39.126) right?

Sherm (51:43.446) Just find your voice and see which one works best.

olivia (51:45.854) I agree. Like one of your, you know, the politics BFFs, Chris Diaz, his content right now is killing me. He's so fucking funny. He's so fucking funny. And I'm like, and you can put a lot of thought into his content. And like, when you know Chris Diaz as a person, he's so like, it actually blows my mind how smart he is, because he's just like,

Sherm (51:53.858) Yes! I know it's so funny. He is.

Sherm (52:07.338) Mm. Heh.

Sherm (52:11.638) Yes.

olivia (52:13.686) When he's out, he's just like having a good time, like bouncing around, you know, a little bit of a stoner, but then like he puts together this content that like kills me, kills me, it's so funny.

Sherm (52:17.172) Yeah.

Sherm (52:24.682) Oh, he's he is an amazing example. And it's been great to see him do this 30 day challenge because I've talked to him throughout it. And he's like, it's been really tough, like, but it's also challenged me to like, just keep going and keep going because he's a perfectionist, right? I said, has this kind of helped you like look at how your process goes? He's like, yeah, dude, like I worry about too many little things, like these tracks that I'm making at their core, like amazing and unique because I'm not wasting time

on a time crunch. So he's like, maybe if I put myself on these, like, you know, I need to finish this track in this amount of time, then maybe he can start turning out more music and not worrying about the things that nobody else listens to or cares about.

olivia (52:56.377) Mm-hmm.

olivia (53:07.978) Yeah, yeah, that Barkley slash Claude, that's what he talked to me about too. He made 80 tracks in 80 days or something like that, like something crazy. Cause he was saying that, you know, prior, he would make put out maybe two a year cause he would like beat them to death, like, you know, perfect and perfect and perfect. And art is never done. Like there's no such thing as done art. And so his mentor,

Sherm (53:12.322) Yeah.

Sherm (53:21.606) Jesus.

Sherm (53:26.954) Yeah. Yep.

Sherm (53:34.443) Nope.

olivia (53:36.45) like said, you need to like just push it out. And like same thing, it like completely changed his perspective and the way that he approaches, you know, working. And so I think that's really smart to do.

Sherm (53:50.894) That's, that's great. Yeah. That interview was really good, by the way. It was cool to hear someone like that. Just, I don't know, just be completely honest. And you definitely got him out of his own comfort zone, speaking of. So it's just, you gotta like, I don't know, you just can't worry about what other people think. Honestly, it's as simple as that. Just, just do it.

olivia (54:05.89) Thank you.

Sherm (54:16.39) whatever your goal is, whatever your passion or your dream is, you can't get there unless you just do it and put it out there. So, you know, you're the only person in your own way.

olivia (54:23.17) just do it. I love it. That's been the theme of this conversation. And I think that's, you know, a perfect, perfect statement to end on because you wake up at five, six in the morning. What is it?

Sherm (54:28.883) Yeah.

Sherm (54:36.226) Hahahaha

Sherm (54:39.53) now I got a little puppy she likes to she's my alarm clock I haven't set an alarm in quite some time so it's usually between 615 and 620 we go out we go out to the potty yeah we hang out

olivia (54:46.806) Oh, that's brutal. Well, much, much respect to you. And I'm so excited. Like, I know we did that typical, like, DJ thing of like, oh, big things coming, like announcement coming soon type bullshit, but we actually do have an announcement coming soon. God, that's so funny. Like, that's like, like so typical, but thank you for being on my show.

Sherm (55:02.212) Hahaha!

Hahaha

Sherm (55:15.296) Yeah.

olivia (55:15.438) And I'm so excited to see what you 10x next.

Sherm (55:20.654) Nice, Olivia. And thank you for having me on the show. Again, I'm very inspired by you and your drive and your passion and you're a very unique individual. More people are needed like you in the space. So I hope at the very least, you've inspired men, women, whoever to just put themselves out there and know that you don't have to be an artist to be involved and make a difference in this scene. So I definitely want to acknowledge you for that. You deserve it. Hell yeah.