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How to Stay Resilient to Enjoy the Good Times and Thrive

Ever feel like life’s challenges are holding you back from enjoying the good times? This week we’re talking all about how to build resilience to overcome setbacks and enjoy the good moments without waiting for the other shoe to drop. We are joined by Matt Ferranti, who shares his inspiring story of taking a leap of faith by moving from Michigan to Nashville to pursue his music career and how he overcame adversities along the way.

Let’s dive into the key highlights from our conversation with Matt!

Matt's Journey to Nashville

Lisa: You moved to Nashville in 2013.  So take us back to that move for a second, and I can’t imagine what that felt like to be like. 

Matt: I was in a band called Take the City for a long time and that was kind of like a Warped Tour pop rock band kind of sort of thing. I was playing with the same guys from like seventh grade up until 2014 or 15. It evolved over time and so we moved to more of like an Americana, different kind of a sound and we actually added a girl to the band. It was from Gaylor and it was Lauren Dusky. We were kind of like Lady Antebellum. It kind of went from like alternative rock to like a harmony driven that way.

Lisa: How have you handled the ups and downs of the music industry, and what role has resilience played in your journey?  How has your confidence been kind of shaken through the setbacks, even if you have any examples for us of how you’ve kind of fought that adversity and had to have that resiliency?

Matt: Well, you know, I’ve got to give some credit to my parents because, and to God, I was taught at the very beginning to like you. You don’t have a choice but to be resilient. There’s a path to compare it, to take notes from it. So I’ve never shied away from hard work, but it’s different when you’re working harder, not smarter, right. I’ve fallen into categories of I don’t know what to do, but I’m not just going to sit around and not do anything. You know, I just keep swinging and I just keep throwing paint on the canvas until something sticks.

Setting Ego Aside

Lisa: It sounds like what you kind of did when you started is you took the ego out.

Matt: Well, there’s just no room for it. The city beats it out of you. The city Nashville, doesn’t play any games. Nashville is like there’s no room to suck. Like, being good is just a prerequisite. You think you should be celebrated just because you’re good? No, being good is what you got to do, just to wake up and go get a cup of coffee, you know. So it’s like how do you be good and not just be good? I tell people this all the time that the easiest thing I do all day is four hours of music. The rest of the day I’m doing taxes. The rest of the day I’m booking shows for four months from now. Being responsible, putting the whole plan together, executing all that is what makes just one day work. So those are valuable lessons. I didn’t choose egoless things. I got reminded that you don’t. 

Hard Work to Overcome Adversity

Lisa: Is there a memory in your brain where you’re like I hit my rock bottom, or I hit a wall, where I’m like I don’t know where to go, and if you wouldn’t mind taking us to that moment, and then how did you get out of that to have that confidence in yourself?

Matt: I was a bartender and I did a bunch of stuff. There’s this bar called Tin Roof and I think I opened up the bar next door. Somebody got injured and I had to come in and fill in for him as a bartender. I’m the worst bartender in the world. 

Lisa: Well, and I also think like, as I’m listening to that, I can imagine a lot of people listening in could relate to that. I’m going to put my hands up and say what am I doing with my life moment.

Matt:  It’s just managing expectations, right, because half the time you walk around disappointed is because you’re just holding my music career to an unrealistic expectation, or this relationship, or this thing. 

Lisa: When you think of having confidence to get through adversity, why do you think it’s important to have a really good work ethic and what does that even mean to you?

Matt: You just live, breathe, eat, sleep it. I’m not just naturally born talented. God gave me a gift and I put the work in.  I had to work very hard to go from 2013 playing in Bay City and I don’t even know how many shows I have played since 2013.

Final Thoughts: Encouraging Others to Trust Themselves

Lisa: Any thoughts you want to leave the audience with? 

Matt: You have to have trust in the things that you put into your body to help you. What you hear, what you take in, what you allow to touch you. You have to trust yourself and protect yourself, and that’s emotionally and physically.I try to find moments to love a little bit harder, because that’s just good for your soul. Have extra grace for people and have an extra willingness to help. I spend so much time either trying to get out of my own head or focus on this or do that, but sometimes, just helping somebody else is the thing that your soul needs. 

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