Ep. 105: Channel Your Inner Rockstar to Engage Your Audience with Confidence (Guest Gregory “G” Wright)

Our guest, Gregory Wright (aka "G. Wright"),  joins us to help you crack the code to unlock your inner rockstar. He shares his insider knowledge from over 25 years in the music and performance business.  He has traveled the globe working as a tour manager and sound engineer with bonafide rockstars. Through his experience, he has learned the techniques these performers use to captivate their audiences before they go on stage.

He is currently a producer and media trainer at All Things Relax Studios. G is passionate about helping entrepreneurs overcome imposter syndrome and tap into their storytelling superpowers to promote their business, book, or product. We discuss the importance of practicing your message and authentically staying connected to your "why." G. Wright also explains how having a "set list" of engaging stories can elevate your speaking opportunities.

SHOW NOTES:
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For more info, see complete show notes:  https://www.getthebalanceright.net/blog/episode105

CONTACT HEATHER:
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Heather’s Passion to Profits Group Program: Register
Get the Balance Right Coaching: Website
Book a Discovery Call (via Zoom) - Schedule
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Zeitzwolfe Accounting: Website - Facebook

Contact Heather: Instagram - LinkedIn - Email: heather@GetRadBiz.com
Get Radical With Your Business: Facebook - Website
Book a Discovery Call (via Zoom) - Schedule
Zeitzwolfe Accounting: Website - Facebook

Transcript

INTRO: 
When you were a kid, did you ever go up to your bedroom, close the door, get out of tennis racket, and start jamming in front of the mirror? Bringing out your inner rock star. Yes. Maybe you were trying to be. Jimi Hendrix or maybe it was Jim Morrison. Or maybe it was. Even Weird Al Yankovic. Whatever it was, you were living that moment.

It was with the door closed. And you had that confidence that swagger. Maybe you didn't have a tennis racket, maybe you did air guitar regardless. We all have that inner rock star within us. Even if we are.

An introvert and maybe that introvert really comes out. In the bedroom in front of the mirror when nobody is watching. You could do anything. You were a rockstar. How can we bring that out in ourselves now as business owners? So that we can profit from that. Because confidence sells. If we aren't confident in our product and our services, people can tell.

it's a matter of tapping into that rock star, that inner rock star, that Simon LeBon, that Patti Smith, that Cindy Lauper. And having those feelings, that confidence, that it factor that. Charisma come to the surface. So that you can feel comfortable in your skin. While selling.

That's what we're talking about today. Alright, Keep listening.

(MUSIC INTRO)

INTRO:
Hey, this is Heather Zeitzwolfe and you are listening to Get theBalance Right podcast. I gotta tell you this whole idea of being a rockstar in your business. Ah, In some ways I'm just kind of nauseated by this concept because you hear so many people that are like, yeah. Be a rock star and they don't look anything like a rockstar. They don't embody anything like a rockstar. And it's just a word that people have tossed around.

But I have to tell you that my guests today. Actually has worked with actual rockstars. So this conversation is true to form. We're not just saying, be a rock star. This guy knows what rock stars really are about. So my guest today is Gregory Wright. He goes by G Wright. He is a producer and media trainer for All Things Relaxed Studios.

Before he was a trainer. He worked with tons of well-known artists and bands as a tour manager and sound engineer for over 25 years, he traveled all over the globe and worked with. All kinds of rockstars. He can't tell us exactly the ones, but there is a name drop in here at one point.

Of one Aretha Franklin.

As a tour manager, he worked with. Many publicity departments, publicist and record labels to prepare artists. For them doing television radio and other media interviews. So he knows what he's talking about now he's sharing his tips and techniques that his performers used to use, that he is helping you.

Tap into that inner rockstar. Think about. Debrah Harry, David Bowie, Robert Smith, Morrissey Nina Hagen. Michael Hutchins. And Tenacious D, alright, here is my conversation with G. Wright.

Interview:

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “Do you go by Gregory, or is it just G?”

G Wright: “I go by G, because when I was on the road as a tour manager, people would mess up my name and say, Greg Gregory, George, Gary, I'm like, ‘Just call me G’ and it's stuck. And that was like 20 years ago.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “Cuz it's funny. It's kinda like ‘What up G.’”

G Wright: “I get that a lot and I liked it. It's good.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “Welcome to Get the Balance Right podcast. What is your background? I know that it has something to do with rock.”

G Wright: “I am the producer and rockstar media trainer for All Things Relax Studios. Prior to that, I was a tour manager and live sound engineer for over 25 years. I got to work with many well-known artists and bands and lead singers and travel all over the planet and do a lot of media while we were touring.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “Now you are helping people discover their inner rock star. What does that mean exactly? Their inner rockstar.”

G Wright: “There's something about these artists when they walk on stage. Whatever is going on in their personal life is just switched off. When they get on stage they're flipping a switch, they're stepping into their power and they're channeling their inner rockstar.

Authors, coaches, and creative entrepreneurs, every time you are talking on a podcast like this, or going on TV, it's a show. You can just flip a switch and then become that inner rockstar.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “Oh, I like that because that takes away all the nerves because oh, it's a performance. I'm putting on a show.” 

G Wright: “Any time you are talking about yourself, your business, you are presenting yourself. That is a show. Whether it's on social media, on a podcast like this, or it's on TV, the thing to remember is you're only talking to that one person just like you and I, it's just you and I having a conversation, and when you go into an interview like that, and you're not worried about how many downloads or how many followers or how many millions of people out in TV world are here in it. It's just G and Heather having a conversation. It takes away a lot of that fear and imposter syndrome when you know that you're just going on, whether it's on camera or not, just having a conversation with one person.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “We established that we are both E N T Js. In the Myers Briggs. For people unaware of this, it's a personality test. The E in that is being an extrovert. We enjoy being in front of people and hamming it up. For those that are out there that are more introverted — a lot of actors are actually introverts. They're able to switch on their inner rock star. For the people out there that are like, I'm an introvert and I have to be on video all the time, how can they find their inner rockstar?”

G Wright: “A lot of the entertainers and musicians in real life, off stage they are very introverted or quiet. They are very shy off stage and it's through their music, through their creating, through their performing, whether it's performing an instrument or their singing voice, that they really step into their power and they channel it.

Everybody has that inner rock star, that X factor in them. People may not recognize it. And it's hard. When we're too close to the business, it's hard to see sometimes the obvious. Especially with clients, right? Every approach that these singers and performers, actors, comedian, sports people have. You can do it when you're putting your messaging together.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “When you were talking about this, I was thinking about Jim Morrison, cuz he seemed like he was so shy and then on stage he was completely the opposite. You could have that inner poet or whatever, like a Jim Morrison. What are some of the things that we could actually do to channel that inner rockstar?”

G Wright: “I think it all starts with the, why you do what you do. We've gotta strip away everything else, not follow trends, not worry about what this coach over here is doing or this author's doing or this product that's similar to ours.

No. You gotta really get to the root of why do you do what you do. And then how can you share that in stories? If you're talking about your business, why did you start your business? And you have this great story. That's what people are gonna — it's authentic stories.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “I'm all about authenticity. When we're talking about this in a rockstar, we're not putting on a different persona. We're actually tapping into our own self and bringing out those really great qualities in ourselves.”

G Wright: “Yes, you nailed it.” 

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “And that's what that X factor is.”

G Wright: “Yeah. The X factor is like, let's take David Bowie.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “He's got a lot of X factor.”

G Wright: “What is it about those guys or any artists out there? He, she, they, what is it about them that stands out? There's many different things. There's the way they sing the songs, the way they dress when they're on stage, the way they perform. But there's something that you can't quite put your finger on it, but every time you hear that Prince song, that guitar riff, it's Prince. So that's what we call your signature sound.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “That X factor, it's this electric charisma, you can't really put your finger on it. Like when they walk into a room everybody's eyes turn and they don't have to be even that remarkable looking, as far as beauty, there's just something about, that is a big part of it. It’s feeling comfortable in your skin.”

G Wright: “Yes.” 

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “And okay. You had mentioned imposter syndrome, that comes up a lot. Especially when we're starting a business, we're putting ourselves out there and maybe it's the first time that we're talking about ourselves or doing these videos or going on podcasts. And it's really hard to put away those fears. Do you have any recommendations for like, how do you tap into that X factor, and is it like breathing techniques?” 

G Wright: “Breathing techniques are part of it. There's vocal warmups, and dynamics that a singer is gonna perform for an hour and a half on stage. Of course they're gonna warm up their voice and they all have different warmups where they do to get their voice ready, to get their body ready. Drummers are warming up their hands, guitar players are warming up their guitar before they play. It's the same thing when you're public speaking or when you're going on social media or going on an interview. So learning those techniques of how to really train your voice to be that sound that you want and maintain it.

Breathing techniques, and there's meditation. There's a lot of woo in it too, these artists do a lot more woo backstage than people realize. The meditation and the 440 hum, and everything to get in that zone. But for somebody starting out, I really think it's about practicing. Not being afraid to practice your messaging. And when I say practicing, I don't mean going on a show like this and practicing, I mean like practicing just into your camera, into your phone by somebody talking about themselves in a certain way, when other people see it, they'll get a different reaction. And they'll go, I really think you being a storyteller is what you should lead with.

That's what you do. You're an author. You tell stories. So now let's craft the message and shape it and add some cool stories to it and get that emotion.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “Yeah. Sometimes we don't really realize our superpowers. We actually need somebody on the outside to say ‘Hey, that's a really special thing about you,’ because we're so in our skin that we forget how fabulous we are. 

You mentioned stories. When you go on a show or even when you're in a sales meeting with somebody, you wanna be able to bring up other stories of maybe this happened with a client or I had this experience. Sometimes in the moment, it's really hard to come up with those stories. Cuz you want it to be cohesive. You want it to have a beginning, middle, and an end. You don't wanna end up rambling. And sometimes I'll start talking and I — what did I start with this story? This is not the good story. I should have had a different story. I've heard recommendations of having like a laundry list of different stories. And maybe being able to draw upon maybe that lesson that you learned, what are some things that you recommend that people do when it comes to stories?”

G Wright: “This is where you start with your set list.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “Oh, like a rock star.”

G Wright: “Every artist, before they go on stage, they have a set list. Now they put the songs in order, based on the emotion they want. The set list in this case is not the order of what you're gonna say. It's just having that go-to story. You are a coach and you have this great transformation story. You worked with this client who went from A to Z, so you have this story that's on your set list. You don't have to remember every detail about it. Because you're not using a script, you can't screw it up.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “It's relatable to your own life. So you remember the details the way you remembered them. And then you've gotta have a point, it has to relate to something. And usually it's a lesson or some example, like you mentioned transformation.

Do you recommend people put together a long set list and then they can pull out the things that they need?”

G Wright: “That's a great question, and we compare stories to songs. Every song has a beginning, a middle and an end. It starts with an intro. And then it goes into verse one, then a chorus. The chorus is the repetition. That's like the message of this story.

That's why we may not know the lyrics to our favorite song. But man, as soon as that chorus comes on, we're singing the chorus because it's repetition. And then it goes through verse two and then chorus and bridge, and verse three and then outro. But when you put it all together, it's complete and it tells a story. That's where the practicing comes in.

You can share a story over and over again and practice it, but it's not about having it word for word, that's where getting people's thoughts on the story really helps too. Cuz a lot of times I think the things that we will skip over in a story are the things that really grab people.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “Because it's that detail, right? I would imagine it makes it more real. Like you're actually there rather than skipping over certain things. It makes it more tactile, I would imagine.”

G Wright: “Right. Think about when we do something day to day, it may not be that exciting for us. Here's a story. I've worked with all these different artists, and usually when an artist reaches out to you, it's through their manager or their agent or their record label. It's very rare that an actual artist will call you up. I got this voicemail from this artist and I thought it was a prank. I was out to lunch with my friends and I was like, ‘Did you guys just prank me with this?’ And they're like, no. And we played voicemail. I'm like, ‘Oh my God.’And it was the queen of soul herself, Aretha Franklin. And she left me a voicemail saying, and I will say may she rest in peace first, so I don't wanna try to do an impression of it, but I'll just say that she says, ‘This is Aretha Franklin. I'd like to work with you, give me a call and I will not answer the phone, but if you leave a message and I like you I'll call you back. And if I don't, I won't,’ or something to that extent. And I was like, oh my God. And it was a Detroit number. So I called it back. And then of course, no caller ID shows up.

I'm like, yes. And yes, Ms. Franklin. And I got to work with her and she was just incredible. So it's like that as an example, there is a story that I, you see how it has a structure and it leads to it. And with the stories, you want 'em to create an emotion, like you could see your eyes just lit up when I said queen of soul. Now, it doesn't have to be like this crazy story. Like everyone has all this celebrity stuff. It can just be like, when I was growing up as a kid and I used to play in the front yard and my mom would come out, and that could be a story, whatever it is, as long as it's authentic, as long as it's real, not made up, not pretending to be somebody. Those stories that can be really personal or can really resonate with people.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “It's that being very personal that people do relate to. So when you said when I was a kid playing, everyone relates to that because they were all once a child. So they remember that. And that's always, that nostalgia too is like something. So people love to think back on those times when they were a kid.”

G Wright: “Yes.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “When I say rebels, freaks, misfits, geeks, which one of those do you identify with, and is it a mixture? And how can you explain why you identify with that?”

G Wright: “Wow. Now that is a great question. Rebel, because I don't like to follow rules, but also geek, because I just love data. I love pulling things apart. I pull messaging apart and go, okay, let's try this, change this one word. And I guess I'd have to go with rebel because I've never been one to follow what everybody else is doing.

At five years old, I wanted to be a radio DJ. I pretended I was a radio DJ, with my Mickey Mouse record player. And I played my mom's Barry Manilow and Beatles records and scratched a few. And then at 16, I became a commercial radio DJ. So I've always been like, if I decide I wanna do something and I think this is what. This is the message that we want people to get when they're sharing their story: When you decide to do something, you just do it.” 

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “Yeah.” 

G Wright: “Don’t worry about what everybody else says. You don't worry about what society says. Let's just be ourselves. Right. I love it.” 

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “Put yourself out there, and not really worry so much about what other people are gonna think. It's not gonna be perfect. When we're in business where we have to realize that we're gonna mess up and that's just part of the process, and going on stage and being your rockstar. Yeah. You're probably gonna fumble and maybe land in the audience or something. I don't know.”

G Wright: “And you keep going. How many times have you been at a show where the lead singer just puts the mic out in the audience? You don't know if they forgot the lyrics or not, they just keep going. And that's the same thing with messaging too. If we're tied into a script and tied into trying to be perfect, then we're gonna be like, don't screw it up. Don't screw it up. Don't screw it up. But if we're just having a conversation, we're just sharing what goes on in our life and it's structured and it's rehearsed, but it's not canned. And we just have fun with it, then you can't screw it up.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “Exactly. I love this. All right. Tell people how they can work with you, where they can find you on the socials and all of that.”

G Wright: “Okay. They can join the band and be part of the Rockstar V I P Media Training program at allthingsrelaxstudios.com, and you can follow us on IG @allthingsrelaxstudios. And our podcast is All Things Relax with Sandy D. She's the host, she's the introvert Virgo. That's the host. And I'm the extrovert Gemini who's behind the scenes. On the podcast, I was interviewed on one episode cuz she interviews inspiring and creative women as well.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “Very cool. We'll have all the links in the show notes for everyone there. All right, so do you have any last thoughts that you wanna put out to the world?”

G Wright: “I think what you're doing in your show is awesome. Congratulations on season three. And I just think this is awesome. We really do need to just stop worrying about being put in a box and what society says or what trends or whatever, and just be our authentic selves.”

Heather Zeitzwolfe: “Alright, G, thank you so much for being on Get the Balance Right podcast.”

G Wright: “Absolutely. Thank you for having me.”