Speaker 1: 0:01

The Journey Talks podcast, your favorite podcast to reconnect with gratitude and inspiration, hosted by Jorge Gonzales. Hello and welcome to Journey Talks podcast, your favorite podcast to reconnect with gratitude and inspiration. My name is Jorge Sallago Gonzales and I am your host. I am convinced that behind every gratitude, there is a powerful story waiting to be told, and through this podcast, I want to create a space where we can share these stories and inspire one another. As humans, we all share one thing in common, and that is the experience of being alive. We're all together on this journey we call life and along the way, we meet people that in go-through situations that leave a footprint in us. Some have a very short stay, while others hang in there with us for a little longer. Who are the people or situations in our lives that have opened doors for transformation and helped us become the person we are today? Through this podcast, I will be interviewing guests with stories of gratitude. My hope is that our willingness to reconnect with these stories will help us celebrate our shared humanity and give us an opportunity to reconnect once again with the unconditional love we all have access to from within.

Speaker 1: 1:23

Our guest today is an incredible musician, composer, arranger and percussionist. We studied music together a long, long, long time ago at the University of Puerto Rico back in the early 2000s. He has been a road musician. He has taught as a music professor for a few years at Middle Tennessee State University and just recently celebrated 10 years his 10 year working at Mino, a very well known company for percussionists. He works as a sales and marketing manager and in artist relations. He is the one responsible for making sure that your favorite drummers and percussionists have the right instrument with the right applications to get the best sound possible for you, the listener.

Speaker 1: 2:09

Besides his professional life, our guest is a husband, a father and an amazing human being. He is a beer connoisseur. He loves airplanes. You can ask any questions about airplanes. You can give you an answer. He loves cigars, a good bourbon and, last but not least, a good wine All the way from Bogota, colombia. Join me in welcoming the one and only Hermam Barato. Hermam, welcome to Journey Talks podcast and thank you for being with us. How are you today?

Speaker 2: 2:38

Hey Jorge, thanks for having me. What a treat to see you and what a treat to spend this time with you.

Speaker 1: 2:44

It is a treat. Indeed. It's been a minute, Hermam. I mean I think it's going to be maybe 10 years since the last time we catch up back in Nashville, when I was still living in Louisville, Kentucky Is that right?

Speaker 2: 2:57

I think so, and even that that was a treat because we kind of lost connection after we both left Puerto Rico and to reconnect was great and to be so close, you know.

Speaker 1: 3:10

I yeah, you know, I don't know if you remember this, but I actually lived in Nashville when I was doing my master's. I had to live in Nashville for the summer, so I was there for two summers, not knowing at that point that you were already in Nashville. But here we go, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I think it'll be fun to share with our listeners one crazy random fact about us, and that is the fact that, even though we study music together, we actually didn't meet at any music class. We actually met in French class, correct.

Speaker 2: 3:42

That's awesome, one of my favorite classes ever. We had such a great time and I think there was something about that class that kind of made for these kind of connections to happen, because it was low stress, it was fun, it was challenging. But the environment in the class was it made for really, really cool things to happen?

Speaker 1: 4:09

I think I think I agree with you. Do you remember the name of the professor, professor Hernández José Hernández.

Speaker 2: 4:20

I did not remember that, but I have his face in my mind and I don't even know where he is. But I hope he's doing okay.

Speaker 1: 4:30

Funny fact I want to say at this point. I was already in Louisville. I did a trip with the group of youth that I was working at the time to Puerto Rico. And lo and behold, we're walking around the streets of Olsen Juan and who do I see? José Hernández. I was like get out of here. It was crazy. What a great, great time we had to reconnect. At that point I can imagine.

Speaker 2: 4:54

Oh man, I hope I can see him again. I mean, he was a great guy, great teaching, great program. I think the language department at UPR is really good. I don't know about the other classes, but we had so much fun in French and, yeah, we connected and we had so much fun just practicing and just I mean we just hit it off right away.

Speaker 1: 5:18

It was instant. I mean we Really, because it was French in Antoine-Sif, remember José Antoine-Sif, and we were taking classes, the regular class plus the lab in the afternoons. So we will hang out, we willI remember we had lunch together pretty much every day because we had those classes together constantly. Anyways, all right, so let me. I have tried to introduce you and whatnot. I've said a couple of things about you, but why don't you just share with us a little bit more about where you are right now, what's happening with you lately and what's going on with you?

Speaker 2: 5:51

So, as you mentioned before, I'm sales and marketing manager for the Mineral Company, for all the brands of the Mineral Company. They're a German company based in Bavaria, in the south of Germany, and with also a distribution center here in Nashville, tennessee. I've been with them for 10 years and it's been a great experience. It's been a learning experience. It's been challenging, but that's what I'm about. I like challenges and new things happening. I'm still writing music for film and TV, trying to be a full-time dad. That's one of the most satisfying things in my life seeing my son grow and develop and I enjoy seeing him grow and do the things that he loves. And being a husband, which is also important and, yeah, I mean just staying busy, not playing much anymore. I don't have that much time, but every now and then I get to sub in some gigs and every time I get to play drums it's a fantastic day.

Speaker 1: 7:16

What car did you have in Puerto Rico? Because you managed to put your drums? I think it was a rather small car. Is that right or am I making that up?

Speaker 2: 7:23

It was not like an SUV or anything like that. It was a regular sedan. It was a Honda Accord 1994, 1993, something like that. And I mean, yeah, that guy took me everywhere. I mean I drove my drums to every corner of the island in the car and here in Nashville I drove Chevy Cavalier. That was a tight squeeze and it's a tight squeeze. So it's the drummer life, but it's what we love to do. And it's hard to explain to anybody the kind of joy that we get to play an instrument, that we get to play with other people. It's a strange thing that it's just hard to explain. I think.

Speaker 1: 8:12

There's a synergy right. It's something that just clicks and everybody's just speaking the same language.

Speaker 2: 8:17

you're vibing and it's just the magic of music is just beautiful, it's hard to explain and, yeah, it's a joy that we get to live and I don't know, I don't see myself stop playing anytime in my life. I mean, I still play drums. I have my drums in the basement of a co-worker here near the office. So on a lunch break I go and you know, get that fix, hook up the headphones, play with music that I love, and that's just it's a joy. It's incredible, yeah.

Speaker 1: 8:53

Well, no, herman, this podcast is all about stories of gratitude, and I would love to hear about your gratitude journey. Shall we? Let's do it, let's do it, okay. So let me ask you this first question what is the value of gratitude in your life?

Speaker 2: 9:12

It's interesting. I think gratitude is something that I've been aware more and more as the older I get, but it's something that I've had in my life for a very long time thanks to my mom. My mom always. She's always a very spiritual person and she's always saying and always thinking and always mentioning that as a young Herman I was like, yeah, sure, you know whatever. But the older I get, the more I connect with that. So I don't know if it's because I've been hearing that for my mom forever, for all my life, or why, but I'm becoming more and more aware of that. So for me it's very important.

Speaker 2: 10:12

It's, I believe, what people say, that with a heart and mind full of gratitude, there's no room for any other feelings or any other thoughts. So I think, as a good practice, I'm always trying to keep, no matter how difficult the situations are, I'm always trying to keep gratitude in the forefront as a way to stay grounded, as a way to stay present, as a way to stay, to keep the perspective, you know, because it's really easy sometimes to let negative thoughts or let other things come inside your mind and your heart. But if gratitude is there, I think gratitude is kind of like the, the one that feels the space, so nothing else gets in.

Speaker 1: 11:07

Yeah, I love that image. You know, I don't think I have heard it like that before. Thank you for sharing that. You know, when you when say it again. You said something on the lines and correct me if I'm wrong, I'm gonna paraphrase. You said that when you leave room for gratitude, it takes up the space for other things. There's no room for other feelings, is that? Is that? Did I paraphrase?

Speaker 2: 11:29

it correctly? Yeah, I mean with a mind and a heart for gratitude, there's no space for anything else really.

Speaker 1: 11:35

So really cool.

Speaker 2: 11:38

And it's true, that's the way I feel. You know it sounds okay, but once you practice it and you feel it, you're like, okay, well, this is true, it's actually true.

Speaker 1: 11:50

And so why don't we unpack that a little more like so what happens to you? I mean, the next question that I have for you is what are you grateful for? But let's, let's hung on tight for that before that. So when you what, what happens? What helps you to access that gratitude for you? You said you were inspired by your mom, but what takes place when you're saying, okay, let me, let me put gratitude in the form? What does that look like for you?

Speaker 2: 12:17

Well, you know it's, it's. It puts me in in the right now. You know, right now, like I have a house, I have a healthy son, I am healthy. I have a beautiful dog that is also healthy.

Speaker 2: 12:35

He's also obedient. I have certain things. You know that some people say, well, you know, but but you always want more. Are you like getting comfortable? I'm like, hmm, I think that's a different, that's taking it to a different place. I think by just being grateful for, for what I have right now, even if it's the simplest things, you know, the process of going through that automatically puts my mind in a better place. I'm not. I'm kind of taking a step back and looking at the picture and saying, okay, I might have this problem with this situation at work or whatever it is, but but that does not define me. It also does not change who I am. It does not. It's also temporary. I think that's also important.

Speaker 2: 13:34

When you start kind of becoming aware of the now, then you realize, okay, the tree fell and hit the electric cable and I run out of electricity and a lot of, a lot of cable. What a horrible situation, scary, but it's temporary. And the electric company came two days after fixed it. The cable came three days after fixed it. Oh, okay, so you know, so it takes. It takes a lot of. It takes a lot of connotations in your life, you know. You become more aware of what you have, and automatically that has other consequences, that kind of allow you to start a day a little easy, kind of like slow down a little bit, yeah, a little beautiful things start to happen, I think.

Speaker 1: 14:36

Thank you for sharing cause. I mean, I try to keep asking the same questions to people and it's just fascinating to see some repetitive themes, right, and that's the. I'm really happy to find that, as I go with this process of interviewing people and finding this whole, I'm a big proponent of the idea of our shared humanity and so these things just bring light to those aspect of our shared humanity, right, and I appreciate so much that that you're so willing to share this with me. So I did. I told you that I was gonna ask you what are you grateful for? And you kind of mentioned some of that. You talked about your son, your dog, you have a wife, you have a job. We can, I mean, if there are anything else besides that that you can say. You know, these are things that I'm grateful for. You talked about having a home, all these things, but besides that, is there anything else that really comes to mind when you think about gratitude in your life?

Speaker 2: 15:39

Man. I think that kind of sums it up. I mean, it's a live. I'm lucky to have a partner, which is my wife Marielena. We have been through so many things together and we try to support each other on multiple projects that each of us have. I couldn't do what I do without her. My family, my mom, my relatives, brother, my brother Ricardo, my sister Paola, you know, you know, thankful for the tribe that I have around me, that I get to enjoy their phone calls, thankful for health, you know, it's one of those things that we kind of took for granted until two years ago where pandemic started the work.

Speaker 1: 16:33

Yeah, just thankful for friends like you as well, I'm grateful for you man, listen, I am so thrilled right now because I mean listeners we don't want to bore you with the details of repeating time after time that we're excited to really catch up, but we are. This has been a long time and we connected so well during college and it's just fun to see where we are today. Hey, DeMan, can you think of someone or remember a situation that you went through and now, looking back, you realize you know yourself better because of it?

Speaker 2: 17:12

There's an interesting question. One situation I think right now that was a big change was I was going to be the first musician in my family and that kind of put a lot of pressure on me as a young adult 16, 17 year old. So thinking about what was I going to do after college, after high school. So I started something that I thought it was what I wanted, but it wasn't so. The situation is when I changed my career from electronic engineering to music 100% and moved to Puerto Rico so I mean a 20 year old guy that has been playing all musical his life I started playing piano at seven, then, when the 90s started, started playing drums. You know it's electronic engineering was kind of like the thing that I did to I don't know, maybe make my family happy, even though they never pressured me to do so. But to do that change kind of taught me. Okay, number one, you've been living with your parents all your life and now you're moving to a different country. You're 20 years old, I had not done laundry, I had not cooked, I had not done a budget, I had not done anything, and on top of that I was dedicated my life to music 100%. So that was a big change altogether change of career, change of country, change of dynamic. And it started a process of learning how to deal with my own character defects. You know, I realized, okay, I need to get to work, I need to really get to, because now it's all this. You know I'm on my own, you know it's a, so mommy and daddy are not taking care of me anymore.

Speaker 2: 19:31

And also music is. You know, when you start engineering, you're kind of like oh, you know, there's plenty of work for engineering civil engineering, electric, electronic, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah it's. I mean, you kind of take it up for granted. That might not be the case, but that's what you think. But in music it's a more competitive field, it's a more.

Speaker 2: 20:00

You have to be good at what you do. You also have to be a good person. You have to be a good guy, even though the other guy might not be your cup of tea, so to speak. But you have to be good because you, you want them to keep calling you, you want to be, you need to be liked right. So that's a big, it's a big thing in music. You have to be friendly, you have to be polite, you have to be, because people want to take you on tour and nobody want to take a jerk on the bus, you know, for weeks or months at a time.

Speaker 2: 20:33

So so I would say that that experience taught me a lot. But just also, moving to Puerto Rico, the music level in Puerto Rico, at that time Colombia was not at the level now it is, but at that time Puerto Rico, the level of musicianship, the level of musicians in the island, where they were so high, that just really pushed me like a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot. So anytime you are presented with that kind of situation, you you learn a lot just by because you're pushed, you're, you're pushed, you're, you are in situations where you're not comfortable. So that immediately kind of pushes you to the limit and you learn a lot about, about you in those situations.

Speaker 1: 21:28

You know what I heard. Actually, I heard a lot of courage in that story, because you had the courage to, to pursue your, this dream, this idea, this inquiry in you, this thing that was just burning inside of you, and you say, you know what, let me just, I'm going to go for it. And, and knowing that I that I went through sort of like a seminar journey and a different time because I did it later, it's, it takes courage, man, when you, when you live by yourself and you have to figure out all those things that you talked about, it's a big change. And but the most important part, I think, is what you said at the end, which is you get to know yourself better. And and so you know, that's pretty much what I wanted to hope, I was hoping that we could get into it, which is this process of, of self-awareness.

Speaker 1: 22:14

And you talked about the things that you were able to overcome. But what helped you grow in your mindset, what were the things that help you find that courage? I mean, do you think it was just the fact that you were young and perhaps and you have the time to make you know this idea of being a musician a priority, or was it something bigger? I, for myself, as a musician, I have I have to recognize that that dreaming aspect of wow. You know the energy that happens when you're playing, but then you have to confront it with the reality, which you talked about. Like you know you, if you want to be, you want to be likable, you want to find your gigs, you know. So what were the things that you feel like you were able to, to discover about yourself in that process?

Speaker 2: 23:02

Well, a lot of them, I think you know a lot of. I had a lot of deficiencies music-wise, so I had to, so I had to practice a lot and dedicate a lot of time to practicing. So I think that was that's essential quality that has held me all up in up until right now. You know, I can be a very disciplined guy if I'm determined. I can be a very disciplined guy.

Speaker 2: 23:31

I can also, if I put a goal, you know, in my mind, I can, I can stick to that goal and until I see that that I get there as well, I tend to stay also very kind of, very humble along the way, because I realize, man, you know, I came from a small town in Columbia and I kind of was feeling like, you know, you know, I might not be the best one, but I might be number two or number three, you know. And then you get to Puerto Rico and it's like all right, all right, yeah, exactly, not so, not so, yeah, not so easy cowboy. So I think those are a few things that I can think of right now. I'm also resilient, you know, kind of like through the process you get knocked down and then, and then you get up and then you keep getting knocked down and then you keep getting up. So you know, I think that's part of that determination, but also about not kind of dwelling on okay, I need to get knocked down, and let that define me.

Speaker 1: 24:57

You know. It's interesting that you talk about that because I have heard over the years the importance of your mindset. I never understood the power behind that statement and I mean it like you taught you because you I heard you say a couple of times that, oh, I had certain deficiencies and I had to work a little harder, but then you found, then you discover that you have discipline and by applying and being disciplined you were able to reach certain goals, reach certain dreams or benchmarks that you wanted. And I've experienced the opposite. It was very hard for me to believe in myself and when you're in that space to access, to even entertain the idea of confidence and just developing the skill of discipline was so foreign to me.

Speaker 1: 25:59

And what I've discovered is that if you put, if you just put a little bit, it's exponentially, it grows exponentially. And yet if I let the fear be the leading thought or energy and what I do, I am putting in jeopardy what discipline can provide for me and what I keep hearing from you and honestly it's true, you know, because when I remember our friendship, you were super disciplined I wonder how this discipline has any sort of connection to your ability to connect it to gratitude. How can you look at your discipline and that ability for you to overcome after you discover the self-awareness of oh, these are areas of growth in my life, but if I work at this, I can achieve this goal or I can reach this? Would you say that that rings true for you? Have you seen how your discipline and that dedication has gotten you or given you the opportunity to reach certain goals in your life?

Speaker 2: 27:09

Yeah, I think you know. I think, on one hand, what you say about you know, about not being so kind of confident about yourself, I think that's not uncommon and everybody I mean everybody in the music music can tell you that we suffer from that I mean me included. You know it's one of the toughest things. I would say maybe athletes are the other guys that could understand musicians in that sense, because our relationship with our work is different than anybody else. You know what we do is our work, but that's also who we are. You know the composition, the performance. That's me so.

Speaker 2: 28:05

And you get criticized all the time. You get exposed. You know it takes a lot of courage for a musician to stand in front of one person or two people or five people to play a simple piece of music. It's also hard to stand in front of 5,000 or 10,000 or whatever. It exposes you quite a bit. So that part of being self-confident about what you do and about yourself, it's really hard for a musician to do and at the same time I think it's healthy to have that, because sometimes we are our worst. I don't know critics, but that's also what keeps us going right.

Speaker 2: 29:00

The music started fast and then it went that way. It was 80% let's do it again, let's do it again. So we're never satisfied. So I'm always striving for perfection. I don't think that's a bad thing, I think it's a great thing. I personally come from a family of workaholics. My mom, my dad, my grandparents, everybody is like that. So I don't know what is it to not work? And I think that's what's behind my discipline. I think that's I kind of believe what I do. And so when you do that, especially as a musician, it's hard to quit or it's hard to say I'm going to take a break. You know, no, because you're always in it 100%.

Speaker 1: 29:58

Let me ask you this what do you do in order to connect with yourself? You like the German Barato, the inner child, the essence of German. What do you do in order to connect with them? So play music is one of those ways.

Speaker 2: 30:14

You know it's always been a refuge to stay with me, to connect with me, to express myself. So either piano at home or drums in the basement, or, you know, I also started cultivating meditation. Buddhist meditation since more than 10 years ago, probably close to 14 years ago got inspired by Philip Glass, a classical, minimalist American composer who also practiced Buddhist meditation, so then decided to start doing that and became kind of like the solution for a lot of problems for me, and one of them is that connection to myself, it's that connection to my inner self, my thoughts. I also do some journaling and by journaling I kind of like Tim Ferriss says you know, I put my thoughts in writing to see if they actually hold or if it's just, you know, in my head. Once you put your thoughts in paper it's like okay, you know that's a different perspective, and so that's also another way to create that connection.

Speaker 1: 31:40

Thank you for sharing.

Speaker 1: 31:41

I am curious and I love I'm digging a little deeper with you about this Zen Buddhist meditation and your journey with that. As you know, the reason why I mean you know this because you're my friend but the reason why I moved to Louisville is because I decided to study theology and I ended up going to seminary and that's what I did. I have a master's in theology and you know, along the way, I also was introduced to Zen Buddhism and the traditions and the one thing that I have discovered that really continues to ring through true and not only ringing true, but it's just a commonality that you find in all these traditions is that aspect of meditation and I'm curious as to I mean, if you're okay with it to unpack this a little more, just because I know what it has done for me and I have seen the results of what it has provided me with. You talked about how it helped you understand your mind and I would love to you can unpack that a little bit more. What would you have to say about it?

Speaker 2: 32:49

So what? Immediately, as soon as I started practicing? And what it did for me is that it pulled me out of of that kind of messy routine or that messy whatever was happening in my life, and it pulled me out and gave me perspective of okay. You know, what meditation does a lot is that it kind of empowers you to actually look at things as what they are, you know. Okay, so I have this, I have this situation at work or I have this thing going on and it's stressing me out. But it's so easy to get wrapped in all those situations and as a musician, you see that as a, it's a big problem because stress is the enemy of creativity and you don't want that.

Speaker 2: 33:52

So I actually started meditating because I thought that, you know, my adult life was kicking in, you know, like I was becoming a father or husband, and it was all kind of like ooh, all the sets of problems or situations kind of started clogging my attention and I was like man, this is, I don't like this, but of course you know I have to do it. So meditation kind of helped me put things in perspective, kind of look at the things and find solutions and at the same time I was staying in harmony and creativity had a place to come in instead of just, you know, because if you're stressed about paying the electric bill, paying this and that, and the car broke and my son is sick and I mean all of these things, I'm not saying they are bad, because it just life happens, you know, but my personality was not, my character was not digesting all that stuff and he was kind of, yeah, clogging my attention, basically, you know. So for some people that might not be a big deal. For me it was the path that led me to find Buddhist meditation and it could have been something else, it could have been another kind of discipline. You know, I just happened to stumble upon this documentary about Philip Glass, which is a musician I love and admire, and Buddhist meditation came into it. I decided to look into that.

Speaker 2: 35:48

Google Buddhist Meditation Nashville, tennessee, found a meditation group that was meeting that same Saturday, then went to that meditation group and left the place thinking, okay, this is, this is gonna help a lot.

Speaker 1: 36:04

Wow, I love listen. There are two things that inspire me or that you know are the jumpstarted in my life, and it's one is music and the other one is spirituality. So thank you for sharing that aspect of who you are with me and with the listeners. Hey, man, we talked about a few things so far, but and you have talked about the struggles in life and whatnot but maybe I feel like you probably answered this, but I'm just gonna ask it anyways, because maybe there's another event that really stands out for you. But what would you? What had caused you to step up your game and your approach in life?

Speaker 2: 36:44

I think that work, a holic mentality, that kind of I don't know what is it to be mediocre or to be content. I'm always looking for the next new thing, the next best thing, or what is it that I can do, or what is it that? You know I'm also kind of like an adrenaline junkie. You know I'm the guy that I do scuba diving and I see, and if I see, a shark I think that's a best moment in my life. You know I'm not afraid of that. So you know, I've taken my risks doing bungee jumping and doing all kinds of adrenaline things. But it's kind of like that, that love of life, that appeal to like man. You know, if I can do it right now, I'll do it. I don't want to wait until you know this or that. I kind of have that urge to try things, to do new things, to catch the wave. You know that's kind of the way I'm wired, I think. So you know, that's yeah. That's all I can say about that, I think, because it's not something I don't do it.

Speaker 2: 38:05

I do do it on consciously. I think that the word I don't wake up and say, you know it just comes from within.

Speaker 1: 38:14

It's organic in you, it's part of you. Yeah, just come from within If I see a challenge.

Speaker 2: 38:19

If I see anything, I jump on it, you know. And so I started at Mino, for example, doing artist relations for the United States, and I've been acquiring more and more responsibilities because I'm like, oh yeah, yeah, bring it on. You know, oh, this thing, okay, bring it on that other thing, oh, yeah, bring it on. You know, it's kind of like, I mean, I have, we have time. You know, I have a story that I always, I always tell.

Speaker 2: 38:53

I was in Puerto Rico and somebody from the university, a former you know collegemate he asked me hey, man, so I have a, have a gig in a few days and I don't have a bongo player. Can you do the gig? And I was like, yes, and you know how to play bongos, and you have bongos. I was like, yes, all right, cool, so here's the information. And you know, this is the dress code, this is how much it pays. And okay, see you then. Okay, man, see you then. Oh, he sent me the music, you know, okay. So goodbye, okay.

Speaker 2: 39:38

So now I had to learn how to play bongos, because I didn't know how to play bongos. I had to find a set of bongos, because I didn't have a set of bongos. You know bongos for people that don't know bongos are, you know, two drums attached together. It's kind of like a Afro Cuban tradition of drums and you know you play them a lot in Puerto Rico. So I did not have a set of bongos, I did not know how to play bongos, but I wanted to do the gig. So I was fearless about it. You know I said, okay, you know, so I call a friend. Hey man, I need a crash course on bongos. Okay, sure, can we do it today or tomorrow. Now, how about now? So I had to happen right away. Okay, yeah, oh. And, by the way, can I borrow your bongos?

Speaker 1: 40:38

yeah, for small fee, right so?

Speaker 2: 40:43

I'm all about that kind of stuff, man kind of like, I kind of put myself in the situation where I am. I'm not a hundred percent in control or I'm not up to it, but I know I can do it. I can, I mean, I embrace.

Speaker 1: 40:59

I embrace those challenges basically yeah, you know, it's funny because, I mean, the next question that I have for you is what do you, how do you handle fear? But I think you just answer that you're pretty much. You're pretty fearless, you know, and and I think that attitude makes things happen and her man and let me ask you this because the truth is, herman, I didn't had, I didn't allow myself to entertain that kind of thinking, you know, prior to for whatever other reasons, and maybe that's like I say, tell a pacota. That's another story and for another episode. But I keep hearing this fearless mindset, this approach to life. This is zest for life that you have.

Speaker 1: 41:42

And if people will really know you, I mean, do you have a poise about you? You're very chill, but definitely inside of you you, la maquinita is working, you know, and your mind is like brewing things and and, and you have the music eat up or dentro. You know the music inside of you, like a firecracker inside of you. Yet from the outside you look super poise, super chill, you know, but people have to see you play the drums in order to understand the energy that you have. But it's funny because the truth is that I would never forget how calm you are for the most part, you know you're a lot of fun, but you're a very calm guy, yet you are pretty fearless. Is that it's? I mean, what is your relationship to fear in in in your life? How do you deal with?

Speaker 2: 42:25

that that's interesting because you know it has changed with time. As a young hermon I was fearless, like I was nothing, and you know, every now and then it's good to have some, some self-preservation instinct, you know so you stay alive.

Speaker 2: 42:50

So I would say, at the older I get, the more, the more I am more conservative with the risks that I take. I think that's a valuable lesson. I think when you're fearless like that, you, you kind of you get a lot of good things happening in your life because you really stir the pot. You know you're like you go for it and maybe some other guys would be like maybe not, maybe not now, but but you just go like boom and it. That brings you a lot of good things. It also brings you my put you in some situations where you're like, hey, should not have taken the risk or should not have taken that, make that decision or and I think that's also valid.

Speaker 2: 43:41

You know, I think I am a big Formula 1 fan and this quote from Toto Wolff, which I'm very inspired by Toto and his story before and during, now that he is part of racing, but before he was in into in Formula 1 racing, he said you know, I take risks as long as I can, as long as I'm okay with the worst case scenario, and I think that I was like, hmm, okay, that's a good philosophy, I think you know. You know it's okay to take risks, you know, you have to just keep in mind what would be the worst case scenario if I make this decision, if I take this. What is the worst case scenario? I'm okay with that, yes, I'm okay with that. No, then that kind of does it, and I think that's a good, that's a good thing to to to apply.

Speaker 2: 44:43

I mean, I think fear is, is part of, is part of what moves us. I think I don't think fear is bad. I think fear is, you know, the fear of of doing something might be what kind of motivates you to actually do it, or or what kind of the fact of fear, something that also tells you something about yourself, something about okay, you know I should not be fearful about this, but I am. So let me, let me kind of think about that and you know so, I think it can be a good teacher and it can be a really good. You know, it can save you from getting in trouble as well.

Speaker 1: 45:35

You know what? Thank you so much. I so appreciate this conversation. I knew we had a connection, but it's beautiful to see the headman you are today and the things you have accomplished. This whole idea of fear it's true, man If we don't allow ourselves I mean it's the cliché of you only live once and you don't want to have regrets in life Regrets it's a really horrible feeling and energy and it eats you alive. I appreciate people that have this ability to look at situations and instead of, yeah, you have the fear, but go ahead and do it. Go ahead and do it because that's your story. No one can take that away from you. And instead of having a regret, now you have a lesson. You have an experience that you are a new person, a greater person, a deeper person, a broader person because of it.

Speaker 2: 46:35

I was listening to a podcast recently with Daniel Pink. He was being interviewed by Guy Kawasaki and Daniel Pink wrote a book about. I don't know if it's about regrets, but it mentions regrets and he was also saying that regrets are I mean, regret is human and also regrets can also be really good teachers, because once you regret something, you learn from that and change. So I don't want to say that regrets are bad necessarily or that fear is bad necessarily. I think we can take really good things about from both of those things and really, you know, regrets are. I guess they're part of it. I think it's an interesting discussion about that.

Speaker 1: 47:28

Maybe, maybe, maybe that's the theme for a future episode of Journey Talks podcast, right? Well, Hermann, listen, bringing this to a closer, I've asked people to share you sort of like did already to share like a quote or someone that they have inspired them over the years. Is there any particular person or quote or attitude that you hold on tight as a guiding, as a north for you lately?

Speaker 2: 48:00

I mean, I look for mentors all the time and I have tons of mentors that I follow and I get inspiration from constantly. You know, I always think about, for example, what Ralph Waldo Emerson said is not the destination, is the journey, because I don't see myself ending Like I don't see. How could I just say, okay, I'm retired, I'm just going to wear a Philip Lowe's all day and kind of do nothing, I'm done. I cannot picture that. So I use that always as a motivation because it's not, you know, it's, it's just the journey. Like you know, we've used the journey word a lot in these conversations. So I just I think it's appropriate to think about that. You know, it's not, it's not the end, it's just just enjoy it.

Speaker 2: 49:09

And you know, think in music, I mean, you never reached the destination. How beautiful is that? In meditation, you never read the destination, you're always learning and you're always. You know, even gardening, all those things is just a constant process. It's never. It's never that kind of like okay, I know this, I'm done, okay, so that I would, I would, I would kind of like identify strongly with that.

Speaker 1: 49:42

Right, right, well, thank you so much, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. And man, this has been incredible. I listen, I've said it. If at some point you you come through Miami, you have to please let me know, because I love to connect and we can have another beer or bourbon, or wine, whatever you want to call us cigar, whatever. Um and man, um, I've asked people at every episode who they think should be or could be a potential guest in the future for the show. Um, is this? Any person comes to mind when with this question?

Speaker 2: 50:18

Hmm, that's a good question. Not at the moment, but I would say I would enjoy a podcast with you as a Q and A. You know if, if a bunch of a bunch of us write questions for you and uh and let's make it happen. Get a gratitude Q and A with Jorge, so you will be the guest. You will be the guest.

Speaker 1: 50:46

We can do that. We can do that. There's one thing that I want to say is that I'm grateful for you, um, you were a true friend. You, you really opened a space for me when I was in college. I I went to, I was transferring to a new school, I was starting a new program, because I, I switched from the pre-industry and to music and, and you're, you have a beautiful energy about you. It's true, and and I don't, I don't, I mean, I'm, it's sincere, and I want to thank you personally because you provided me with beautiful memories and, and you know, those are the things that that that you know, um, and so you created a beautiful space for me, um, a path for me to walk through, um, that I will never forget, and I just want to thank you for it. I wish you wonderful blessings for you and your family. Um, you have been incredible. I'm grateful for you. I look forward to having you again in the future, maybe as as as a guest again, or maybe you ask me questions, whatever shape or form. That's going to be it. I look forward to it.

Speaker 1: 51:49

But, friends, this has been another episode of Journey Talks podcast. Thank you for listening and see you next time, take care. Thank you for listening. Make sure you like, follow and subscribe to our podcast. Share your feedback, hit that notification bell and let's keep the conversation going.