Connection is Magic with Samson Shulman Connection is Magic with Samson Shulman

Kathryn Frazier (IG: @klfbiz3) is an iconic music publicist (and very wise woman) representing some of the biggest names in all of music including The Weeknd, Daft Punk, J. Cole, and Skrillex to name a few... She co-founded & was president of Skrillex’s record label OWSLA throughout its existence. Kathryn founded her boutique PR firm, Biz3, way back in 1996 in a tiny bedroom in Chicago! She got her start working as a publicist when a friend of hers gave her a bootleg copy of Death Row Records contact list. Biz3 has recently expanded beyond music, now handling key press for sports, tech, restaurants, chefs, film, books, festivals, parties, and marketing events. In 2018, Kathryn, a longtime meditator and proponent of personal and spiritual growth, began helping artists and executives alike as a personal life coach. Since then, she has life coached some of the biggest artists and executives spanning all of entertainment.



EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS //



+ How making simple life adjustments can often lead to the most profound shifts in our life+ Buying a crackhouse as a young adult with a government loan and that experience helping her grow as a person+ The toughest chapters in life eventually pass and we can use that understanding as fuel to get us through hard chapters+ Artists being able to tap into their pain and fans connecting to that shared human experience+ How our life is like an airplane, if we are 1-2 degrees off for a small amount of time it won’t affect us, however, over a lengthy period we will be in a whole different zone than we thought/wanted+ Kathryn’s daily morning practice that helps keep her dialed in intuitively & spiritually+ The healthiest way to deal with our haters from the perspective of everyday people to the biggest stars she has worked with at her company Biz3+ What she admires most about her clients J. Cole & The Weekend+ Kathryn’s take is that The Weeknd, Tyler, The Creator, Skrillex, J. Cole, have their eyes so locked in on the prize and their visions, they resist getting lost in online noise and other people’s opinions, we should aspire to do move through life this way+ Needing a healthy ego to be successful in life but learning to balance the shadow side of our ego+ What obstacles Kathryn had to overcome to start her successful PR firm Biz3+ Dealing with fake people in the entertainment industry+ How to not let our negative self-talk win and pull us off our destined path in life and how many people came into this world with a gift that did not get to be fully realized because they let their negative self-talk defeat them, don’t let that be you


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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/connectionismagic/support

In partnership with the 988 national suicide & crisis lifeline, we’re dropping this very special episode in honor of world mental health day – October 10th, 2023.

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health please call 988 from any cell phone to receive support and access to local resources in your area. *Suicide is not inevitable for anyone. If you or someone you care about is feeling hopeless, displaying extreme mood swings, increasing the use of alcohol or drugs, or isolated from others you or your loved one may be showing warning signs of suicide - but help is available. Call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for support. The Lifeline is available 24/7 across the United States and is free and confidential.

COACHING FOR ARTISTS w/SAMSON: If you are an artist in a transition or struggling on your journey, reach out to apply for 1:1 coaching with Samson @ https://calendly.com/connectionismagic

Justice Baiden (IG: @justicewearscoolpants) is an entrepreneur, co-founder and head of A&R at ATL’s hottest R&B label, LVRN. They are one of the only record labels that offers both its artists and staff access to a mental health program, which includes a stipend for therapy, gym memberships, healthy food and more. Some of his most notable signings include the multi-platinum and Grammy-winning artists, Summer Walker & 6lack, two defining voices of their generation in today’s music space. Justice was born in Kennesaw, Atlanta and raised by parents who are both immigrants from Ghana. Earlier this year LVRN received a $100 Million dollar investment from label & publisher, MUSIC, to help scale it’s operations and impact even further.

HIGHLIGHTS //

+ LVRN being one of the only record labels to offer a stipend for mental health support to its artists and how this came to be
+ How Summer Walker was at first super opposed to therapy (sidenote: Justice used to be as well) and how their feelings towards it eventually evolved + how he snuck a therapist backstage and passed her off as his friend to help Summer
+ Having to sneak his way into Summer Walker’s computer, because she was so shy sharing new songs at the time when he was A&R’ing her first project for the label
+ The pivot Justice made into pursuing the business side ofs music after his failed attempt at becoming a rapper
+ A helpful mindset on how to use social media as an artist in with a healthier perspective
+ The importance of having adversity so that we not only appreciate our wins more but to actually end up with a more cool & compelling story to share with others
+ Justice having to figure out how to navigate the music business prior to having all the information on it that’s available today
+ Discovering 6lack and helping introduce him to therapy and witnessing how much he’s evolved as an artist and human being
+ Helpful tips on becoming more resilient and bouncing back after going through bad deals as an artist
+ Why it’s so important when we feel lost to travel and leave our everyday surroundings to get a perspective shift
+ Understanding the dynamics of a team environment and exploring the pro’s & con’s + do’s & don’ts when operating within a team
+ Outgrowing friendships, why it happens and how best to navigate it
+ How we’re taught in school to stay inside the box but paradoxically, all the figures we teach kids about in textbooks are those who have stepped outside the box
+ Drake helping blowup Summer’s career after discovering her song “Girls Need Love” and jumping on a remix after Justice convinced her to ask him via IG
+ Focusing on the work not the results and how it always, always, always comes down to God’s (The Universe’s) timing no matter how badly we want it to happen

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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/connectionismagic/support

Stan Taylor (IG: @_Stantaylor_) is an LA based, super soulful silky-smooth R&B singer, raised in Central California. He moved to LA in 2009, after winning a reality television competition with ABC/Disney. This appearance would lead him to more opportunities to travel the world performing his music and building a fan base. Throughout his career, Stan has collaborated with many Grammy-winning music producers and served as the resident in-house singer for the popular LA night spot frequented by Drake, The Kardashians and many more called Delilah’s. Definitely go peep Stan Taylor’s most recent project, “Sweet Nostalgia” which dropped in March 2023.

COACHING FOR ARTISTS w/SAMSON: If you are an artist in a transition or struggling on your journey, reach out to apply for 1:1 coaching with Samson @ https://calendly.com/connectionismagic

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS //

+ Being super into athletics prior to music and how that drive/discipline served pursuing music
+ Being friends with the nerdy theatre kids while athletes clowned Stan for his choice of not pursuing sports
+ Super key takeaway: “Discipline is confidence”
+ How people get slept on all the time, and how even Kanye initially was slept on as shown in Netflix “Jeen-Yuhs” Documentary
+ The irony of people being so thirsty for authenticity, but most being terrified to share at this level
+ Keep a baby picture of yourself nearby so you can be kinder to yourself and remember your true essence
+ How wins and mini-breakthroughs can be the universe co-signing us and we can use them as signs to keep going
+ Being friends with people who can bless you with opportunities and the fine line of patience for it to happen naturally and asking for things, remembering, “closed mouths don’t get fed”
+ Snapping yourself out of funks by asking yourself… “how long do you want to hurt like this?”
+ Insight: “When we build a home in someone else, they have the power to make us homeless”

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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/connectionismagic/support

COACHING FOR ARTISTS w/SAMSON: If you are an artist in a transition or struggling on your journey, reach out to apply for 1:1 coaching with Samson @ https://calendly.com/connectionismagic

Coodie & Chike (IG: @Coodierock & @Cozah) are Emmy-Nominated and acclaimed producers, directors, and documentarians. They are the directors & visionaries behind Netflix’s documentary “Jeen-Yuhs,” the 3-part trilogy showcasing the never before seen, two-decade plus, behind the scenes life of Kanye West, starting from when no one believed in him all the way through launching a multi-billion-dollar shoe and clothing empire. The duo launched their directorial debut with Kanye West’s break through single, “Through the Wire” in 2003. Coodie started out as a comedian and was also the co-founder of the legendary 90’s hip-hop platform “Channel Zero” which featured some of the biggest icons of the genre early in their careers: Wu-Tang Clan, Bone Thugs N’ Harmony, Nas, and many others… Chike, has been a consummate student of the arts from an early age, attending the prestigious, Rhode Island School of Design as well as the Savannah College of Art & Design. Some of their other work includes: 30 for 30 “Benji” Documentary (on the life of an All-American high school basketball phenom who’s life was tragically cut short when he was killed in the south-side of Chicago), many iconic music videos including, Erykah Badu’s “Window Seat” and they are currently working on an upcoming documentary on the life of Ernie Barns Jr. a prolific, African-American artist, well known for his style of elongated characters and movement.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS //

+ How their acclaimed, ESPN 30 for 30 “Benji” Documentary came together
+ How it sadly takes tragedy to unite us
+ Being pressured by Hollywood executives into deals they weren’t ready to sign
+ Be patient, it takes time to get good at your craft!
+ Coodie dropping everything to move to NY to document Kanye prior to his success
+ Kanye having a habit of exploding whenever he hears someone use the word “Can’t”
+ Creatives with deep chemistry coming together to work & how rare and special this can be
+ Artists becoming the “character” and abandoning their former selves after success
+ Drake hitting up Coodie days before the release of the documentary saying he wanted to narrate the whole thing and Kanye saying he wanted Drake instead of Coodie to narrate it
+ Kanye West’s life and career spiraling downwards shortly after the release of the documentary they spent years putting together
+ The subliminal message of the documentary not really being so much about the Genius of Kanye West but rather to remind us that we all have a unique genius within and to give us the encouragement needed to push through the NO’s and resistance to cultivate and express it!

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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/connectionismagic/support

Christopher M. Bailey & DJ Wolvie (IG: @Chrisvsmyself & @DJWolvie) are local LA legendary cats by way of Tucson, Arizona. They’re both multi-hyphenate creatives and live on the bleeding edge of culture in both the clothing and music space. Chris established the super buzzing, Last One Left, clothing brand which has been featured in The Los Angeles Times and worn by some of your favorite entertainers. DJ Wolvie is a super talented DJ with a musical palette that spans many genres. He formerly worked at HipHopDX and is a frequent collaborator with the Last One Left brand. Chris’s life story was featured in the HBO Documentary, “Fake Famous,” which is a social experiment that highlights 3 up and coming creatives and manufactures turning them into “influencers” by hyping them up and buying fake followers for them on social media. DJ Wolvie was featured in the documentary as well. If you haven’t seen it, you should go watch it! Wild stuff!

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS //

+ Showing up to a job interview thinking it was for Pharrell but finding out it was for Jay-Z
+ Navigating closed doors and trusting the timing of everything unfolding
+ Feeling out of place and getting harassed by bros in the party scene of Tucson, Arizona
+ Chris watching his mom spiral out of control from addiction and watching her go in and out of rehabs
+ Wolvie leaving Arizona for LA to work at HipHopDX and only getting paid $150 per month
+ The origins of Chris’s clothing company “Last One Left”
+ The culture and nuances within the thrifting community for clothes and the idea of “compounding karma” within it
+ Suggesting an indie NYC nightclub to one of Jay-Z’s friends and then watching the surrealness of Jay-Z and Beyonce pulling up to the club that same night
+ Being in HBO’s “Fake Famous” documentary and the ridiculousness that Chris & Wolvie observed
+ Being super mindful of who you keep in your inner circle, and why it’s essential to realizing your full potential

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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/connectionismagic/support

COACHING FOR ARTISTS w/SAMSON: If you are an artist in a transition or struggling on your journey, reach out to apply for 1:1 coaching with Samson @ https://calendly.com/connectionismagic

Seano McFarland (IG: @teamseano) is a certified addiction therapist, life coach, and interventionist specializing in chemical dependency, sexual addiction and trauma. He’s been a longtime therapist to Mike Tyson helping guide & counsel him the past 15 years. Seano’s overall career in recovery spans 20+ years and he’s made notable impacts within his frame of work, including national lectures, appearances on Oprah, Dateline, and many other major media networks. Since founding Shell Recovery Center in Venice, CA he has helped celebrities and non-celebrities alike, and has also consulted for the NBA & NFL.

To book a coaching call w/Samson (host of Connection Is Magic & Training Therapist) click here: https://calendly.com/connectionismagic

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS //

+ Seano getting kidnapped as a child in Arizona
+ Overcoming our adversity and seeing it as a homecoming story
+ Being in the dark so long that we can run from the light because it’s so foreign to us
+ Staying in “the middle of the herd” / in the middle of community, where we are at our safest
+ Alcohol & drugs aren’t the problem, they are our maladaptive solution to our living problem
+ Why you should NOT keep secrets…. Seano philosophy: “secrets can kill you”
+ The shameful things we’ve done which we think are so unique, are truly not and why we need to share them with trustworthy people to heal
+ “The world doesn’t need to change, we do” + “the only person you suffer from is you” – Seano Sayings 😊
+ Seano receiving a DUI….. on a bicycle
+ Jeff Goldbum being a mentor to Seano and what he learned being around him
+ Seano getting hit by a car when his life was at a peak of success
+ What makes Mike Tyson so unique from others who are successful?
+ How Seano helped Mike Tyson navigate his way out of rock bottom

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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/connectionismagic/support