What up, guys, it's your girl Cheeky's and you already know what time it is. It's time for this week's episode of Cheeky's in Chill, and today we're going to be talking about something I'm really passionate about, finding your life's purpose. This is something I've talked about here and there on the pod, but I really never dug into it two d. So that's what we're going to do today, and I'm bringing someone really dope on the show to
talk about it with me. His name is Dramos. If you don't know him, he's a fellow podcast host here on the mic Udura podcast Network. He's also a DJM producer. He actually used to produce radio shows like The Breakfast Club. Okay, so Hi, welcome to Cheeky's and Chill Dramas. Thank you so much for being here.
Well, thank you. I'm really excited to finally get to meet you. And we've been a part of the fan for a minute now, so it's good to finally get to connect like this.
Yes, so thank you. I appreciate it.
And we're going to talk about finding your life's purpose, which I know that's something that you talk about a lot on your podcast. Yes, so I want my listeners to get an idea of who you are.
So why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself. Let's start there.
Sure, I think, like I don't know, I'm a creator. I guess like anybody else. At the end of the day, my background kind has always been in music, and that sort of led to media, from you know, radio in New York to working with the Breakfast Club and now
hosting my my podcast Life as a Gringo. And I've just kind of been on this journey of using my I don't know creations as a means of storytelling and hopefully adding some value of people's lives and saying yes to whatever random opportunities kind of pop up, you know, whether it's podcasting or speaking gigs or writing, whatever it is. I'm kind of just, you know, experiencing this thing called life, and I do a lot of random things that don't really make sense to anybody but me.
I think I love it.
You're bringing color to our world.
There we go. I love that. I'm gonna steal that, by the way, Yes, go ahead.
So, okay, where are you from.
I am from the New York areas, so I claimed both New York and New Jersey. I'm one of those obnoxious people. I was born in New York, raised there as a kid, and then moved to Jersey. But I've been kind of back and forth throughout the course of my life. So like this is this is home? I claimed both states.
Nice? Love it?
Okay, I like your style by the way, iking at your Instagram and I was like, I love his style, and I kind of felt like it has to be New York.
Yeah, yeah, it's the New York influence that's not the Jersey influence.
For sure. Love it.
So if you had to choose one thing, just one thing that you're passionate about, Like what would you say that you're absolutely passionate about, like.
One specific like job or like thing to do, like one thing.
Yeah, or just like what do you feel like because we're gonna get into your life your purpose. But if there's just one thing that you had to choose and say, hey, I'm passionate about this. This is what I feel I was made for, Like this is is it music?
Is it something? Like what moves you?
I mean I think my first love was music, So I always sort of revert back to that it's kind of like, you know, the toxic relationship that I can't seem to escape no matter how hard I try, Like it always just kind of pulls me back in, Like I've been running from it for a while and now I've just given up, Like I just have to embrace the fact that, like I'm always called to it, and when it's not a part of my life in some way, shape or form, I'm just not you know, myself completely.
So I guess if I had to, like say one thing, music is always that constant tug and pull from me.
Ah, yeah, I feel you. I feel you in that. Okay, So what so what.
Now that you talked about you know, we are part of the familia that my podcast network. Hey, hey, so what are the types of things that or the topics that you talk about on life as a getting goal?
So, I mean, I guess like the the initial launching point of it was sort of for the people like myself will always sort of struggle with not feeling Latin enough, you know, and this otherness, if you will, and not sort of having you know, a place to call home almost. I guess community wise, you know, that they felt accepted
in a place that they can truly be authentic. So for me, it was sort of about creating a space that I always want to where I can explore my Latin minus whatever that means, and have ties to my culture, but not feel judged because I, you know, didn't check some sni box that makes you a Latino, you know. So that is sort of the basis of the podcast.
And then I think it's sort of evolved, you know, as time has gone on, where it's really a podcast about self discovery and the ultimate goal of just trying to live life as authentically as humanly possible. So I think that's sort of the thesis, I guess of the podcast. I love it.
I love it because I totally get it.
I've always felt like I wasn't or I didn't feel people made me feel like, Okay, you don't talk like a Latina, Well what do you what do you mean? Like I got that once. I'm like, what are you talking about? Like how how am I so used to you know a sound? I guess, And and then you know, when I started singing, and it was just kind of like it is Masia, Yeah, you're more from America, You're not from MAXI I'm like dude, what like I love on that music, I look like I don't understand you know,
so I totally get it. So you guys please check out life is a good goal because I think a lot of you guys will definitely like if you love chicken and show, you're gonna love life as a good in go And I love how you explained it, So thank you.
For that, because of course do we get it.
And by the way, what's your sign?
Aquarius?
Ah?
H is that good or bad? I can't tell about your reaction? Good? Very okay?
Good?
My brother, my little brother is an Aquarius. Very intelligent. You guys are very artistic. Also, you guys feel a lot.
Like not as much as cancers. And I'm a cancer. I'm very boy.
I've had I've had some experiences.
I'm yes, wait, yes, okay, yes, okay, I'm so glad you brought that up. Okay, So was she a June cancer or a July cancer?
July cancer?
There you go, well, very different, very different. I'm a June cancer, but I still got a little I used to have a little crazy in me.
Because that's the thing.
If we're I'm telling you, I get it because let me scratch my head because cancers we are very emotional.
We feel our feels a lot, so if.
We are not grounded the moon, it's a lot. So I did it. But July cancer is different, very different.
Rusty, I know, I know, I know, I've learned.
So anyways, the reason why I brought you on the podcast is because I want to talk about not about you know, the signs and all that stuff, but I love to kind of like get to know people by like you know their zodiac sign. But also you talk about finding your life's purpose. What does that mean exactly to you?
You know? I think the definition continues to evolve for me a little bit as especially as I get older and as I kind of my interests begin to broad And I think for a while I thought it was just sort of like one thing that you do and that's your purpose, you know. But I think as time has gone on, I think it's far more broad than that, and I think you apply your life's purpose to everything that you do. It's sort of the lens with which you see the world is how I kind of see
it now. So I think for me, my life's purpose is about, you know, creating spaces that didn't exist before. Like, in the most broad sense, I think that's what I was put here to do, to create spaces that didn't exist or to disrupt existing ones that are no longer serving us. And I think that's sort of the grand scheme vent. And then from there I begin to kind of zoom in and refine it and ever find it over time, where then it's like, Okay, well, how do I go about doing that? And who am I trying
to serve? You know, who do I want to be in community with? I think through that, then it's like, okay, well, obviously I want to be a part of my community as a Latino, as a Puerto Rican, I want to be contributing something to my people, you know, and be giving back in that way. And then yeah, it's just
I think again, it just keeps refining and refining. But I think the broader, larger scope of it all is I'm somebody who just wants to create spaces that don't exist or disrupt ones that I feel we could be better at in some sort of way.
That's that's dope.
That's tight because it took me a long time, a long time to feel good with what I was doing because I felt like it would pull me in a dark place. And once I learned to separate Cheeky's from Jane, you know, Jane is like the person I was born, and then Cheeky's is the person that you see on social media and on stage and stuff like that. It really helped me because I'm like, Okay, I want to do this with love. I want to do this to
help other people. How can I do this? And once I got that, I'm like, this is my mission, this is my purpose, this is what I want to do.
It helped.
It just things started flowing for me, but it took a long time to get there.
Yeah, I feel everything you just said. I just think it's like it's it's it's this journey. And I think we're so obsessed with this finish line in general, as like human beings, and I think life has very few actual finish lines, you know, And I think that's sort of the thing you have to accept and like you
you have to go through experience. Is like, you know, I wouldn't have found I think, my greater life's purpose if it wasn't for music and the journey that it set me out on, essentially, right, because music led to me finding so many different things. Music is more so the vehicle than anything else, right, and oh my god.
Yes, right, sorry, no, no, you're good, You're good. No.
So I think that that's sort of like it's it's the journey and refining and getting to know yourself and then getting to know the new version of yourself as you continue to evolve. I just think that there's so much, like you know, to sort of continue to unpack in life and the idea around purpose. And I know there was there was somebody that had like a profound impact that I interviewed on my podcast, doctor Esther Zelda Dung.
She she sort of just like made me realize that the way with which I found success in what I'm doing now or in music, whatever it is, I literally can just apply that to any field in the entire world. Like I just have to change out like the characters and the setting that I'm doing it in, you know. But that's like my unique way of looking and my unique vantage point of how I see things can be applied to any other field that I find to be interesting,
you know. And I think it's you know, I think you mentioned kind of the dark place to a degree and like I can relate to you know that in many ways of like the times where I just tried to fit in with like what I'm supposed to be doing air quotes, that's when like I was just depressed as hell and it didn't matter if I was on like giant platforms or I was doing cool things that
everybody was jealous of. In like my gut, the fact that I wasn't, like, you know, creating something that I could be proud of personally, like it felt like the worst thing in the world to me, you know. So yeah, it's again, it's just I just threw a lot.
At you, but it's a lot of like no.
No, I yeah, I took it all in. I took it all in because I freaking I get it. I absolutely understand. And this is what I tell people all the time. We're evolving creatures. We are not meant to stay the same. So life is literally it's in waves. There's ups and there's downs, and it's not like, oh, finding your life purpose. It's not a destination like you said. It is a journey and you are going to change and with that things change, and there are seasons in our lives.
I talk about that a lot on the podcast.
You Know. I started off this fourth season of Cheeky's and Chill with an episode talking about it's not that I want to stop music. I just want to make it look a little different because it wasn't making me one hundred percent happy. I was happy doing it. I was happy being on stage, but then it was I was drinking a lot. I was numbing, like, I was so tired, so I would just drink and I would like it wasn't healthy for me. So I'm like, something
is wrong. I'm trying to run from something. And it was because of the air quotes that what I should be doing versus what I'm meant to do, What am I meant to do? What makes my soul happy? What makes me just want to live? Because there were times there where I was like, oh I can't. I'm so freaking tired. I just want to throw in the towel, like you know, yeah, yeah, I just throw a lot at you too.
No.
No, I'm like, I'm like, you know, I think I'm I'm talking to myself as I hear you almost because I relate to that so much as well, like and I think the the sort of weird irony or I think the thing that a lot of people are not able to see is sort of what happens when the thing you love then becomes your main source of income
or your job, your career. And it's a blessing, but it also then comes with a level of I don't know, like difficulty or just like there's this cheapness to it almost that happens because you now have to be delivering because it's the thing you sort of rely on as your job, as your career, right, or you have all these other hands and these people in your ear you
should be doing this. Or you found succeests doing this, give us the same exact thing over and over and over again, right, and it's like this new now you even whole new set of problems that you never had before when it was just something you did in your bedroom. Right, And it's like, you know, it's almost I don't want to sound like you know, it's like, obviously these are
good problems to have. It's a blessing, but it's a new set of challenges kind of to the point that you made of like where ever, evolving new things are being thrown at it as constantly we kind of have to figure them out in these new stages of our life.
And I think, I don't know. That's the one thing to me that was that was so surprising once it became a thing, once this whole thing became a job, where it was like, oh, this is like you know, now almost feels worse because now it's like this is all you ever wanted and you're not happy, Like, now what the hell do I do?
Oh?
Yeah, I know, I know exactly what you're talking about. Oh that's what I feel like was all of last year. I'm like, if I am not passionate about this, something is going on. If I'm not doing it just for fun. And is that where because I know you talk about something called or you call it purpose over paycheck. Is this kind of the conversation? Is this what we were where it goes?
Absolutely? I think if for me it's sort of I try to live by that sort of mantra and that's something I borrowed from dj Am. I heard him say it one time, And I try to live by that mantra as sort of like my guiding light almost when I'm making a decision in sort of things right, and I have this internal struggle where maybe it's ego, whatever it might be, where I want to check off the societal boxes that I'm supposed to be checking off, right, Like I want to win by the same rules that
everybody else is playing by. I want to be able to have, you know, the pats on the back for living the white pike it fence life right, like a part of me to that validation almost, you know. And at times there's two parts to be sort of at odds with each other, you know, the part of me who wants to be pure in his art and his messaging and in the way that he wants to touch people's lives, and the other part of me that just sort of wants the superficial validation from the outside world.
And there have been times where I've chased opportunities and gone down that rabbit hole of things that like everybody's you know, giving you like the pound and you're the man, and I hated it.
So I try to like adapt this.
Mantra of just constantly reminding myself passion over paycheck, you know, like I'm not gonna take a DJ gig that is high like even that's like the lowest like you know thing.
But but even for me, like I love djaying, I love playing music, but like if I'm playing a gig that I hate for people that I don't like, it could be a packed room if I'm not getting to play things that I enjoy, or it's a crowd that I'm not really that interested in that I'm not invested in playing something for then, like I'm miserable, I might as well be like an account in somewhere doing numbers in an office. It makes no difference to me. I'm
just as miserable, you know. So I have to keep reminding myself of like, there has to be something deeper to everything you do in order for it to actually make you happy. The money alone is not going to satisfy you.
AP's freaking lutely. So it's passion over paycheck. Because I had any written down here, perp okay, So it's passion over paycheck. This year is that for me? I stopped a lot of things. I said, I don't want to record another album. I don't want to go on tour. I want to step back, not step away, step back and fall in love with my music. And I want to be on a stage. Like you just said, if even if it's not sold out, even if it's just five hundred people versus three thousand. But I am happy
doing it, right. I want to feel that again. And not that it wasn't happy last year. It was just something was happening. I think I was so busy, there was so much going on that I didn't tend to my I didn't do my inner work as much as I should have, and it was affecting me in every way.
And so I love that passion over paycheck because it's something else that I say, Like when people say, oh, you know, this person sold their soul to the devil, it's not like, oh, I'm going to go do this ritual and I'm literally selling my soul to the devil.
To me, it's when you do things for money and.
You're not necessarily being authentic, and that's how you lose credibility because you're just doing it for the paycheck and not for the passion, for the purpose behind it, you know. And that's and I yes, so I totally understand that. That's kind of what I wanted. I wanted you to, like to make sure I was understanding it correctly. So I think I did right.
Yeah, No, I think you just summarized it amazingly.
How old are you traumas.
I'm thirty six.
Okay, if you don't mind me asking, I'm sorry.
Yeah, Oh you're good. I'm an open book.
I'm an open book. You're good.
I was just wondering because I feel like you're very like in tune and you know, and that that's awesome. Like there's not not that there aren't a lot of men like that, but they're I mean, I haven't run across a lot of them.
So I was just like, it's great.
I feel like we're on the same wavelength right now, and I'm lucky because this confirmation for me. So I'm like, I've been talking about it the whole season.
No, it's I mean, it's good to get that confirmation because sometimes you just feel like you're the crazy person maybe you know what I mean.
Like that's that. So it is nice.
That's why I love having like these conversations and these platforms where I get to meet people like yourself, because it's like, Okay, I'm not maybe I'm like, you know, a rarity, and I don't have many people around me who are in that, but I know I'm not alone and that's sometimes all you need.
I think, Yeah, and it feels good to know, you know what. Yeah, like you said, I'm not crazy. And even though maybe people are like, how can you let this opportunity go? Or how can you stop the momentum right now when everything's going good, like you just won your third Grammy and this, it's like it's there's so much more, Like, yes, I'm happy. I'm so grateful, don't get me wrong, Like that's all what I'm saying. What I'm saying is I want it to feel good from
the inside out, you know. And I'm like, before it starts getting crazy, let me stop myself and just recalibrate.
So, yeah, I love Addition through subtraction basically is how you like. It's you're adding more value to your life by taking away more of the things that don't give you that feeling of like joy, you know what I mean. So it's like less things in there, but it's actually adding more value. Yes, I want to cry, let it out, Let it out.
Yeah.
So I'm just gonna cry, man, because because I was like, oh my gosh, someone freaksing it freaking gets it, which is probably why I'm like, Thank goodness, you're on the podcast we're talking about this. See you, guys, I'm not crazy, Okay, this is I'm right where.
I'm meant to be exactly exactly.
Are you actively working towards like your purpose or like, how is it that you like make it happen on a daily basis? Like does are there times when you feel you you get off and you have to kind of like remind yourself, hey, come back here or give me that process?
Yeah, I mean I think it's it's a daily struggle. Every time I open Instagram, it's a struggle to like, you know, either go the easy route and like, you know, be a salacious you know, mediahead that just wants clicks and views, you know, and reports on nonsense or talks
about nonsense that doesn't add any value to people's lives. Like, yeah, because I see that, I see other people finding a great deal of success doing that, right, And the days where I'm feeling a bit down about myself, like as anybody does, I'm like, man, why am I making it
so difficult for myself? You know, in a world that seems like they really don't care about anything deeper than the superficial stuff, Why am I striving to like make my life that much more difficult by trying to make them care essentially right, and and I struggle with that a lot, but you know, and then it's it's just like the conversations with myself. You know that I literally,
like a crazy person, will talk to myself. You know, I'll have those those conversations where I'm just like reminding myself, hey, but you're you're here to make actual impact, right, like when you're when it's all said and done, when you hang it up, you know, years from now, I want to be able to look back on what I've done and know that there was a meaning behind every single thing, right, and whoever finds it finds it, whoever appreciates it appreciates it.
But I know that I sort of did my part in contributing something positive to this world, right Like I can. I can sit back, I can lay my head at night knowing that I didn't add more nonsense to the
world than there already is, you know. And my hope is that while staying true to that path and staying true to myself, that the right people will continue to find me, and the right opportunities will continue to find me, and I try to just like beat that into my brain every single day and just you know, go at my to do list every day on the things that I'm doing and always try to find a way to have deeper purpose and meeting and all the things that I'm doing.
Yeah, I mean social media it can definitely take a toll. I always say, is you know like you it's how do.
You say it? In English?
Like a double ed sword?
There you go? Thank you?
So yeah, I mean, good things come out of it. But I mean, and I've noticed that when I post something positive or I I'm not showing my booty to be straight up on socials, it doesn't get as many likes, and I don't get the algorithms all messed up. And for a while I was like, am I losing my mojo?
Am I?
You know?
But I'm like, I gotta get I want the people that are meant to get what I'm trying to say and the positivity I'm trying to radiate. Those are the people I want to like touch. Anyways, I'm like, so I had to kind of remind myself because it does. You know, we live in a world that numbers and clicks and likes and all this is become so important that it doesn't like we have to remember that's that's not what gives us value, guys. You know, it's not
really at the end of the day that important. It's what you are, the footprint you are leaving in this world. So I'm so glad you brought that up because it's it's real.
Yeah, yeah, it's it's tough, I mean, and it's it. It's not gonna get any any easier, you know. I think it's it's sort of it's why the quiet work, you know, inner work that you do every day is so important. You know. I try to start my day, like you know, at very early, like six am, you know, working on stuff and I'm writing or whatever. But that's like my quiet time to myself to feel good about like who I am before I let the rest of the world and you know, I'm not doing any social
media stuff. I'm not doing anything during that time. It's just like my time to be grounded, you know, to to journal, to meditate, whatever I feel like doing, and also work on like one thing that I'm super passionate about, regardless of like what it may or may not yield me as far as results. I guess that's what I do on a daily basis to try to at least start my day like on my own terms and to remind myself of kind of like what's important, you know,
And I guess that's that's like the greatest gift. It's like the fact that I have the ability to do that start the day on my own terms, I know I'm on the right path, and everything else is just to add on.
That's freaking awesome. I think you're me and a boy version. I think I swear. I'm like, dude, this is crazy. I feel like I swear. I'm like, whoa, yeah, because that's how I like to start my day. I'm like, hey, I got a medice I got ground myself because if not, I'm a cancer.
You know, so you know I'll be crazy.
Yeah, allegedly, allegedly.
Exactly allegedly.
Why do you think that it is important for people to find their life purpose?
To find?
I mean, I like to call it to your mission in life, Like, why do you think that's important?
I mean, I think you're sort of like you're you're just kind of like without it, you're like fumbling and bumbling throughout through life. At that you know, like I almost picture it like a bowling pin. You're just kind of being knocked around and like the day is taking you where it wants to take you, essentially right, like you're not in control, you're not present, And I don't think we as human beings were meant to exist that way, you know. I think there are so many people who
are not living fulfilled lives. They're sort of existing as like the zombies that sort of live for the weekend, almost because they never were taught that we don't teach us a society. They never you know, discovered it, never took the time to sort of discover their own internal purpose.
And I think, you know, that's also why were there are so many people who are just unhappy in life in general, you know, because there's sort of the things that we've been taught that are supposed to make you happy, right, go to school, go to college, get the job, get the house, get the you know, the kid, the husband, the wife, whatever, and then boom, life is good. It's like a happy ending like a movie, and it's just
not right. I think a lot of people are realizing how hollow that was, and none of that stuff really matters if you're not good inside first. You know, if you're not full as a human being, you know, solo, you're not really going to be able to experience the real joy of everyday life and the fruits of your labor, you know. And I think I'm incredibly passionate about this because I think I saw a glaring example of what
happens when you don't find your life's purpose. And it was my father, or is my father, I should say, And I love my dad death. He's an incredible person. He's a brilliant human being that I think was capable of doing so many different things. But life kind of came out him quick. You know. He got married young, had a kid young, and sort of never really had direction from a mentor to help him sort of achieve
all he could. And he sort of took the easy route of you know, the safe job and hated the job.
Was you know, miserable on the hour commute to work, miserable for the eight hours he was at the office, and miserable on the hour commute back home, and did that Monday through Friday for you know, decades and decades the majority of my life, right, And I saw kind of the shell of this person, and as I got older, it was like, man, I could see almost inklings of who this man could have and should have been by
the way he speaks about certain things. And I think that that had a profound effect on me of like not wanting to replicate that and sort of wanting that curse, if you will, to sort of die with his generation. Almost.
Yeah, it's we get caught in the rat race of life where it's like it just becomes a routine and I'm doing it because that's what I'm supposed to do.
So I totally get that.
And just to clarify, when I said that you are the boy version, I don't mean like boy as in life, like man, I should say, Okay, I don't want to like in any way.
Teez, I'm from New York. You're not gonna fend me very easily. Not gonna find me that easily. We're good. I've heard worse on the on the subway earlier this week.
We're good.
Oh my god. Okay.
I wanted to clarify that, but and I also want to clarify to the listeners because I think we also live in a world where everyone wants to be famous, you know, and I've talked about that on the pod, the responsibility behind that, and I'm not talking about finding my life purpose of being famous and rich and famous. This is deeper, guys. This is doing the inner work. This is also looking outside of yourself and saying, how can I help the world, How can I, you know,
be of service? You know, that is finding your life purpose and not thinking of just the money, the coins and how rich I'm going to am I going to get And eventually when you're doing things from the heart, all that stuff comes like just like magic, you know, because you're doing things with purpose.
The fame thing is a whole nother like monster of a conversation that like social media has only ten xt you know. But it's kind of like what we were saying where we shared that idea of like music being our vehicle almost right, Like the fame is a byproduct of like your purpose and your work, and it's a means to impact maybe on a deeper level. But it should never be the primary focus, you know what I mean,
Like the followers should never be the primary focus. They're just a means of being able to have you elevate you know what it is that you do, what you feel like you're meant to do, you know, And I think that's where so many people are mixed up in all this stuff, like you know, the famous fleeting you're
you're hot today, You're gone tomorrow, right, Like. It's a very fickle world, you know, and if that's all you're striving for, you're going to be left to feel very sort of empty, you know, the second the algorithm is not in favor of you know, your booty picks or whatever, right like, you know, so it's like exact, yeah, it
always comes back to the booty picks. But like, yeah, I think that that's sort of like a great reminder to people because it's like the fame without anything deeper is just a hollow thing that I think eats people alive. And we've seen so many, you know, sad examples of that throughout the course of the entertainment industry, you know. So I think it's a great you know, point to put on there for sure.
And this is why I have you dramas you You explained it better than I could have, So thank you.
That's a team effort bound this back and forth.
Yes, go, I love it. I love the energy.
Yea. So it's definitely substance over superficialness. Superficialness even a word, but you'll get it substance guys, and tell us a little bit more about life as a get goal.
Yeah, I think. I think for me, I initially got started in radio, like DJing led to radio, and then from there it was kind of like, all right, you know, radio is kind of like the goal I'm I started seeing that spark where it was like I'm sitting in a room where I don't have much experience when I'm kind of like holding my own and opportunities keep sort of like finding their way to me. So I'm like, all right, there's probably something here.
Uh.
And then you know, so I kind of began to get some accolades from people as like a personality and more so starting out like as a sidekick and a producer and things like that. But you know, again, it was sort of like this struggle of finding my who I was and how I wanted to what message I want to portray to the world, right, Because it's again for me, it's not just about having the platform, but it's like what am I going to do with it?
And what platform is it? Right? Because every platform is not the right platform for you, and you know, so I think I just sort of like I was in the top forty world originally and it was just kind of like all very superficial and it felt very empty
and like cool, but not like much to it. And then I got the opportunity to work as a producer on The Breakfast Club, and I think there is sort of where like the pieces started to begin to begin to fit together, and I feel like I started to make sense of where I wanted to be and who I wanted to be, and sort of seeing like, you know, this show that is incredibly successful, incredibly entertaining, funny, but also has an incredible amount of depth to it and
is truly making an impact culturally in the black community every single day, and sort of just seeing how they moved so unapologetically, like this is an unapologetically black show and other people can listen and you can tune in, and you know, we invite that, but like this is who we are. Take it or leave it. And I was like, oh damn, Like you can make a career of and find success while also being so true to yourself. And that started to begin to I guess plant the seeds.
And then at that time, Hurricane Maria happened, and I was watching like news coverage, you know, in the studio overnight at the radio station, and I was watching on TV, and like something just came over me, Like I was just like crying by myself, just like in the studio, overly emotional about what I was seeing, the destruction that happened on the island. And it was like this just strange thing that happened to me, This this feeling of connection that I think was always there, but I don't.
I don't, I never really recognize it on such a deep level. And it was like I need to be doing something for my people in some sort of way, right Like if if my gift or the opportunities that I'm getting right now are based upon my ability to you know, string thoughts and ideas together and speak into a microphone, like, then I need to put that into use for my people, for my community. And I think that sort of divine timing of having to happen to work at the breakfst Lub during that time and then
Hurricane Maria sort of led me to start thinking. And then eventually, you know that the concept of LIFECATINGO was born.
That's cool.
So so yeah, definitely this is a way of you fulfilling your purpose and helping your people. I think you're you're very good at explaining things. You're you elaborate very nicely and thoroughly. So absolutely, I'm glad we have life as a good and goal.
Thank you.
Honestly, I think it's it's.
Great and and that's why same, I'm like, I love podcasting is like therapy for me. It just even if I'm having a bad day, I'm just like I do this and I forget about everything else and it's just like, hey, we're doing something good for the world.
Yes, yes, absolutely, I think it's again, it's like it's that confirmation that you know, we kind of even started talking about, Like as we're talking to each other, we're getting that confirmation of like the way our mind works is not bad or weird or terrible. It's like it's
it's it makes sense right, Like we're not alone in that. Yeah, And I think and it's been my experience in some of the feedback I've got, and it's like as I'm honest and as I'm like talking out what I'm thinking, what I'm feeling on the podcast, other people are then having those same conversations with themselves and like, are you know, being impacted by it in a positive way, and like that's the most beautiful thing you could you know, sort of ever ask for?
You know, Yeah, I agree absolutely.
And if you could give anyone here that's listening some advice if they're feeling lost and they don't know why they were put in this world and they're just lost, what kind of advice?
What can you tell them?
I think you don't have to have much figured out. I think stop trying to think you have to have like the beginning, middle, and end of the story written before you get going. I think you have to really in like the most simplest terms. I think. I think
it was Robert Green. I saw a podcast with him and he was basically just like, if you're feeling lost in life, and I did this like a year ago because I feel like I've lost myself a bit, and he basically was like, just think back to when you were a kid, Like what were you naturally drawn to? What were you doing like when nothing else mattered, when you know you had no worry about paying bills or like what a job even was like, what were you
just naturally drawn to? And once you can answer that, explore that like as an adult, explore that interest that you had. And once you begin the process of exploration, then things begin to find you. You know, Like I look at it as like sometimes you just have to get in the car and start driving, right, and eventually you're going to get to where you're supposed to be. You know, you don't have to have the destination you know,
mapped out. You know you'll eventually get there just by the fact that you left your house and went and got on the road somewhere, you know. And I think that is where a lot of people get tripped up. I think you sort of have to say, all right, I have an interest in painting. Let me go explore that, right, And who knows where that's going to lead. I don't think you have to figure that out, but it'll probably begin to lead you to like minded people.
It'll probably give you a place that you.
Can sort of call home, like I guess a third home, right, like outside of your job and your actual house, and all of those things begin to sort of present new experiences and new opportunities or even just like new positive feelings within you, right, and and then you just keep
building and building upon that as life opens up. But it's just like, take that first simple thing that is like doesn't seem to make sense, but you're just naturally drawn to it, and just go explore and and everything else will kind of work out.
I freaking love that. That is great advice. It's just taking that leap of faith. I love the metaphor of the car just getting getting as long as you get in the car and you're just like, all right, I don't know, Jesus, take the wheel right, you.
Know, absolutely absolutely, that's literally what it is.
Well, uh, Dramo's honestly, I've really enjoyed this conversation. It gave me confirmation. It gave me peace in my heart.
And my mind.
I know that what I'm doing right now, just by this conversation made me feel like this is exactly where I'm supposed to be.
So thank you so much.
And to the listeners check out Life as a Gringo and is there, please share your socials with us.
I already follow you. You better follow me to I did okay, good, okay, cool?
I know I was looking I was like, wow, I was like, this is this is cool? So absolutely someone you guys want to follows, so share, share your your socials please.
Yeah.
Well, first off, thank you so much for having me, and thank you for the conversation. I feel I feel energized by it, so it's good. Yeah, I really do appreciate these convos. But at DJ dramos on pretty much everything. You can find me on there. I'm super active on Instagram, so I'll always be posting on there, and yeah, Life is a gding Goo and yeah, stay tuned for the evolution, right, yeah, every Thursday and then every Tuesday as well, so we
do two episodes a week now. So yeah, so to two episodes that keep you busy during the week.
Nice love that.
Okay, well great, you definitely have a listener here and I'm sure people really liked your vibe, so you guys listen to Life is a g Dingo. I said it again, So yeah, thank you so much, thank you, and yeah, maybe I can go on your on your podcast.
Please let you let me know where we're gonna we'll definitely do.
It, all right, let's make it happen, all right, thank you guys, thank you so much for listening. I love you, I appreciate you, and thank you for coming back every week to grow, to learn, and to flourish.
Let's Get.
This is a production of iHeartRadio and the Micaeldura podcast Network. Follow us on Instagram at Michael Doura Podcasts and follow me Cheeky's That's c h I t U I s. For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.
