05/28/2026
→ This is post 1 of my Walking The Talk Summer Thursday series: a weekly post that provides a behind-the-scenes look at me building my product innovation brand in the music space, Toneoptic – a humbling and rewarding experience of me choosing to walk my brand talk while continuing my brand advisory practice ←
At 7:00 AM today, I interviewed the man behind the crazy-successful Parisian downtempo group Gotan Project.
This was not for Hitting The Mark. I did this for Toneoptic, and it is one of many brand marketing strategies I pursue.
When I started Toneoptic, I had to lean into what I knew and the resources I had. After hosting 130+ HTM episodes, I knew how to conduct an interview, create an interesting show, and I had the setup and resources.
But just when you thought this was easy, hold your breath. I set out to talk to icons of the music world, and only those who actually have a record collection, because I wanted to ask about the first record they ever bought and their rarest gems. I wanted it to be a thrill for my listeners.
I relied on personal intros to get the first two episodes of the show (Sound Habit) going. My most connected advisor rejected making intros because big talent seeks money in return, and we were not ready for it, he advised. Not an answer I was ready to accept. That habit I share with many early or innovative startup entrepreneurs; a "no" means "try harder."
So I spent countless evenings researching artists with record collections and DMing one musician after another. I was basically cold calling. Hundreds. It felt strange.
And then it happened. Fred Schneider, the frontman of the B-52s replied, and I got to tape him for episode 3. At that point, I knew it was the beginning of a successful show. Today’s interview with Gotan Project was only the seventh episode I taped because it is still very hard to get the right people on the show, but just like running a startup, it gets easier over time. Along the way, I made friendships and found advisors and collaborators.
I try to navigate diverse musical genres to attract a wide range of fans. It’s a hustle. A fun one. Like most of the hustles you will hear me talk about in this new WTT series.
🎧 Listen to Sound Habit: toneoptic.com/pages/soundhabit
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🙋 Want to hear me talk about something specific in my startup’s journey? DM me.
