Latest / Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections / Networking Unleashed: An Interview with Liam Golder and Michael A Forman, Professional Speaker

Transcript

Networking Unleashed: An Interview with Liam Golder and Michael A Forman, Professional Speaker · Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections

0:14
Welcome to Networking Unleashed, Building Profitable
0:17
Connections, the show where relationships create
0:19
opportunity and conversations lead to real results.
0:23
I'm your host, Michael Foreman. When people think
0:26
about networking, they usually picture business
0:29
meetings, conferences, and sales conversations.
0:33
But some of the strongest networking lessons
0:36
come from industries where relationships are
0:39
everything, and the music world is one of them.
0:43
In that space, talent matters, but relationships
0:46
create the opportunities. Who knows? Who trusts
0:50
you? Who's willing to open a door often determines
0:53
what happens next. My guest today works with
0:57
music clients and understands how to turn relationships
1:00
into real business outcomes. We're talking today
1:04
about how creatives can communicate their value,
1:07
how connections... how connections turn into
1:11
paid opportunities, and why understanding the
1:14
business side of relationships is what separates
1:18
those who struggle from those who succeed. If
1:21
you want to learn how connection drives both
1:24
creativity and profit, you're in the right place.
1:28
So I would like to welcome all of my listeners.
1:31
I would like to welcome Liam. Liam, you are the
1:34
professional that we're talking about. So would
1:38
you like to just introduce yourself and give
1:41
us a like, the cliff notes about you, how you
1:44
got here today? Hi, Michael. Thank you for having
1:48
me on the show. Yeah, music for me started at
1:50
school initially. And it's just something I basically
1:53
realized I was going to be in radio and TV and
1:55
helping people in music as well. Eventually,
1:57
I set up my own company in music. I got off a
2:01
different... things in London different music
2:03
companies and all that sort of thing and I thought
2:05
wow I'm gonna as well as doing my own music and
2:07
all the songs and all winning songs that I've
2:09
done and wrote and that sort of thing it's just
2:11
basically helping others in music and ever since
2:14
my early teens and then early 20s I got into
2:17
the music of helping others with the songs different
2:20
celebrities and unsigned acts and all this sort
2:22
of thing and yeah built it up over the years
2:24
and I always had this belief that would be my
2:27
career it just so happens that it built and built
2:30
and It's been absolutely thousands of people
2:34
that I've worked with, I'd say up -and -coming
2:35
talent and a lot of celebrity acts as well. Over
2:38
the years, well over 80 celebrities. Now as well,
2:41
different celebrity acts that have come through
2:42
to work and write with some of them and promote
2:45
some of them. And it's been amazing. Like everything,
2:48
it's ups and downs. You have your hard days and
2:49
your good days and sometimes struggles and sometimes
2:52
complete rewards of what you're doing. But it's
2:55
been a fantastic journey overall. It sounds exciting.
2:59
It sounds exciting. Yeah, it is. Through a lot
3:01
of struggle over the years as well comes a lot
3:03
of success. You kind of associate struggle with
3:07
that musician part of it. Absolutely. Whenever
3:10
you hear anybody who makes it big, they always
3:12
struggled first. Yes, yes. Oh, yeah, absolutely.
3:16
Absolutely. Yeah, it wasn't just literally just
3:18
handed over. It was like you have to go through
3:20
the moments of that process of... trying to be
3:23
a success with the music and it's like i'm successful
3:27
yeah people think you just turn up and that's
3:29
it sometimes they think that or and do something
3:31
that's going to help people help others and of
3:32
course you get all the naysayers you get people
3:34
skeptical you're trying to help people and sometimes
3:37
it's the people that you're trying to help actually
3:38
the biggest Because they're not reliable. They're
3:43
inconsistent. They come and go. And then they
3:45
go, oh, what are you going to do for me? It's
3:46
a two -way street. You're trying to help these
3:48
clients and help get these songs out to radio,
3:51
TV, magazines, record labels and all these different
3:53
places. But my heart's in it. I spend hours and
3:56
hours of my life, days, sometimes seven days
3:59
a week, just on the music and contracts. Anything
4:02
works while you put your time in. Yeah. I'm trying
4:07
to work with a lot of people. Yeah. I'm trying
4:08
to work with... bigger names as possible and
4:11
help the small guys as well and the people that
4:13
have got their different things. Sometimes it's
4:15
helping people that have got mental health. For
4:17
myself, I have mental health sometimes. So it's
4:21
actually trying to help people with their different
4:23
problems. I've got people with cancer that I've
4:25
helped with their music or different health problems.
4:29
One guy had 33 health conditions because he came
4:31
out of the army. And all that sort of thing as
4:33
well. So there's a lot of health involved as
4:35
well. And really trying to help the bigger names.
4:38
Rutan Clan, trying to help them at the moment,
4:41
like a famous hip hop band from New York. And
4:43
that sort of thing. And trying to develop other
4:45
big names that we're trying to work with. I've
4:48
known John Somerton from the Herman's Hermits
4:50
for years. I've recorded a lot of songs with
4:52
him. And that's been exciting. Potential others,
4:56
as I say, working on and off with potentially
4:59
hot chocolate once they get organized with their
5:01
music from the UK. So we've been back and forth
5:05
with them. So let me get into a few of these
5:09
questions. In the music world, relationships
5:13
often determine opportunities. Yes. How is networking
5:18
in that space similar or different from traditional
5:22
business networking? I think the networking with
5:27
musicians and the different songwriters and everyone,
5:29
it's been different because I think when you've
5:32
got their sort of dreams and all their things
5:34
in your hands, it's quite different with any
5:35
business or any occupation. It's always about
5:38
trust and reliability and being authentic. But
5:42
I think with the musicians, it's really having
5:43
that, the word again, really, consistency, having
5:47
that consistent bond. You're saying all the right
5:50
things. You're saying all the right things. Like
5:52
I said, it's a two -way street. People say to
5:54
me about helping them, and I say, but I have
5:57
to have them as well, like, doing their part
6:00
and being genuine. Within the networking world,
6:04
you named all the right terms, didn't you, Dick?
6:07
Although that term is being thrown around a lot.
6:09
Yeah, yeah. Consistency. Exactly. Consistency.
6:13
But trust, that trust factor is so big, so important.
6:18
Massively. Because nobody's going to do business
6:20
with you. Unless they trust you. That's it, with
6:23
anything, yeah. And there's so much to it. And
6:25
the other one, the communication as well, which
6:28
is, and timekeeping and all these things. But
6:31
it's a massive, so much goes into it. It's more
6:33
than just music. I say it's the health side,
6:35
there's the law side. There's so many different
6:37
parts of it. But ultimately, it's helping people,
6:40
getting results for people and the music. And
6:43
I say being genuine as well. And I say from both
6:47
sides, from what I'm doing and from what they're
6:48
doing. Because, yeah, so that's what it is. But
6:52
it's, yeah, it's very exciting. Good. How do
6:56
you help artists or music professionals position
7:00
themselves so people take them seriously? Yeah,
7:05
what it is, it's basically with all the radio
7:07
stations that I work with, it's getting them
7:09
positioned with radio play, interviews where
7:11
possible, podcasts, the TV stations and TV interviews
7:15
and different TV opportunities. And same with
7:18
magazines, magazine coverage and interviews and
7:21
any label deals, really. But further than that,
7:24
it's music to venues like airports and restaurants,
7:28
hotels and that sort of thing, shopping malls,
7:30
gyms. It covers such a wide spectrum of music.
7:34
And I say it's so many things, it's more than
7:36
just songs. It's really, it's bigger than that.
7:40
It's important about the songs, but it's the
7:41
message behind the songs and it's people's careers.
7:45
It's there for a lot of people. Music's their
7:47
whole life. So it's a very important job to help
7:51
them and look after these people. Yeah, it's
7:54
very personal. Yeah, it is. With anything, whatever
7:57
you're doing in life, whether you're a teacher
7:58
or a police officer or a lawyer, whatever you
8:01
are, a doctor, it's ultimately helping and it's
8:04
making a difference to what's going on. A lot
8:06
of people say to me, music saved them. Music
8:08
saved their life. If they're passionate about
8:11
anything, any type of profession, it's a part
8:16
of them. And if you're helping, it's a part of
8:18
them. So you're in the mix. You're in there.
8:21
And if you can help them, all the better. Let
8:25
me ask you another question. Many creatives focus
8:28
on their craft, but not their business. How does
8:32
that impact their ability to build relationships
8:34
that generate income? Yeah, because a lot of
8:41
the songwriters out there are really just writing
8:43
songs or just spend so much time in the studio.
8:45
And then after that, they don't really know where
8:47
to put their songs. So the income side of it,
8:49
a lot of time is that going on Spotify and streaming
8:52
things, which isn't doing a lot for a lot of
8:54
people. So they're not really attacking the right
8:55
angles. And then I come into it because I'm on
8:58
both sides as a writer, songwriter and performer
9:00
and singer, but also being... on the business
9:04
side of the other side of helping getting people
9:06
out there as well so ultimately building incomes
9:09
is through doing things differently it's very
9:11
easy getting things on tv and all that stuff
9:13
and getting the songs branded and obviously gigs
9:16
and touring all this stuff as well but ultimately
9:19
it's it's opening up angles like rather than
9:23
just releasing the song and hoping you know people
9:26
looking at youtube or whatever it's really just
9:29
getting the songs sponsorship behind songs and
9:31
all that sort of thing different things rather
9:33
than just relying on traditional routes as well
9:36
really just got as obvious as it sounds you've
9:39
got to be unique and just stand out really because
9:40
everyone's doing the same things otherwise and
9:43
say it's why it's important to get sponsorships
9:44
and branding and trying to get companies behind
9:47
you and all that sort of thing as well and other
9:48
companies not just not just music companies but
9:51
could be food companies or whatever Whoever will
9:53
sponsor you will generate some income. But still,
9:58
you have to realize that there's a business behind
10:01
the music. And as you understand the business,
10:05
it's really a part of it. Yes, exactly. So what
10:10
does a strong first conversation look like in
10:13
a creative industry where personality and identity
10:17
matter so much? Yeah, it's really the conversation
10:22
is working out what their vision is, what they're
10:24
trying to achieve. Because when I talk to different
10:26
musicians and singers, everyone's trying to achieve
10:29
different things. And then I have to say, how
10:31
about this as well? So sometimes they're focusing
10:33
on one thing, which could be just radio. I say,
10:37
how about magazines? How about record labels
10:39
or TV or other things as well? You know, getting
10:43
the songs out there in different ways. And then
10:45
sometimes... That's your job. That's your job.
10:47
Yeah, yeah. everything because sometimes they're
10:50
just focusing on one thing or just say i'm just
10:52
going to put my songs out to to i'm just going
10:55
to geek and that's it but not do anything else
10:56
yeah well they just put their songs out on whatever
10:59
they do instagram whatever they do and and that's
11:02
it and then they might say i would put my songs
11:03
on there and then so you try to open up different
11:06
pathways and different yeah yeah that's basically
11:11
your job though is to help them yeah absolutely
11:14
the business yeah yeah there's a lot of care
11:17
involved When I first got into professional speaking,
11:22
there are speakers who just speak. But there's
11:25
a business behind the speaking. And you have
11:29
to understand both. Otherwise, you're just speaking
11:32
for $500 each time. And that doesn't work. How
11:36
can someone communicate their value without feeling
11:42
like they're selling their art or talent? Yeah,
11:47
I think it's getting the message across in a
11:50
way that people can connect to. Everything to
11:52
do with the music, when you've got your songs
11:54
and things, rather than just saying, I'm a singer,
11:56
songwriter and everyone's, a lot of people keep
11:57
saying these things, but the message behind it,
12:00
what's the, what is the story of the person,
12:02
you know, as well? And I think that helps get
12:06
across, people can relate to. people going through
12:08
different situations my story is a lot of come
12:11
from anxiety and different mental health conditions
12:13
and i've still battled that but still been a
12:16
success in music and to then go on and and become
12:22
something really that when it thinks against
12:24
you and same with other people you know everyone
12:26
you know these success stories of people that
12:28
have had obstacles they've come from poverty
12:31
or they've come from illness or they've come
12:32
from everything being against them and they've
12:36
managed to pull themselves around homelessness
12:38
or whatever it is and suddenly become a music
12:42
success so really having that golden nugget of
12:45
what's their story and then people go oh yeah
12:46
i can relate to that or oh yeah that happened
12:48
to me or wow the love of their life died or something
12:51
like that and they've had to carry on their songs
12:53
have gotten through it and and so many things
12:55
i've come across what people have gone through
12:58
consistency consistency plays a major part oh
13:03
so huge all of this it's so huge yeah what role
13:07
Excuse me. What role does consistency play in
13:11
staying relevant and top of mind within your
13:15
network of people? Yeah, it's everything, actually.
13:19
It's something that goes through my mind every
13:21
day and I say to so many people because the consistency
13:23
is huge, if not the biggest thing, because like
13:27
today, we turn up on time for the meeting for
13:29
this. And then with people I work with, it's
13:31
getting to turn up on time for things or send
13:33
music through on time. or get things through
13:36
on times but and again it's it works both ways
13:40
because you can show up you can be there and
13:43
if the other person's not doing their part of
13:45
course it affects the whole structure of things
13:48
yeah so it's so important and they want the consistency
13:52
from you so you need to help me i want to help
13:54
please help me but then they've got to do their
13:56
part as well and it's that's what it is like
13:58
i said the consistency and trust and loyalty
14:00
and all these things are so important If you're
14:03
not consistent, they won't take you seriously.
14:07
It's like anything. Yeah. Maybe he'll show up.
14:11
Maybe he won't. Yeah, exactly. I'm always talking
14:14
about it. Absolutely. It's so on point that it's
14:20
ridiculous. But consistency is the number one
14:22
factor. Oh, it's huge. It's huge. I talk about
14:25
it pretty much every day to myself in my own
14:28
head and to clients. And I say that song needs
14:30
to be. there on tuesday and that's thursday well
14:33
and that sort of thing but of course i expect
14:36
you to be on on on point with everything of course
14:39
you have to be but you have to rely on them as
14:42
well so it's i say consistency is everything
14:44
throughout life isn't it yeah it really is whatever
14:47
you do you miss you're going on a cruise you
14:49
miss the cruise you're not on time miss the flight
14:50
because you're not there i expect the pilot to
14:52
be there but you've got to be there as well I'm
14:55
a former military member. I'm an Air Force veteran.
15:00
And there's a saying that from day one, if I'm
15:05
on time, if I'm early, I'm on time. So I'm constantly
15:10
early for everything. But my kids will kill me
15:14
because of it. But I am just that. It's in my
15:17
DNA. And that's the way it should really be.
15:20
Yeah, exactly. Like we say, like I was saying,
15:21
you get to a flight and you get there three,
15:23
four hours early, at least you're there. You're
15:24
there. You may wait around a little while, but
15:26
you're there. Yeah, you're there. Whatever it
15:27
is, we've got like going out for a meal when
15:29
you've got a reservation and you're like, oh,
15:31
30 minutes late and then, oh, get off at me into
15:33
the reservation or whatever it is. How do relationships
15:37
in the music industry evolve from casual connections
15:42
into real opportunities or paid work? Yeah, it's
15:49
really just building that bond and that connection
15:52
with who you're working with. And really, with
15:56
a lot of the musicians and different singers
15:57
and songwriters, famous ones and non -famous,
16:00
it's realizing that they realize you're a real
16:02
person. And also to help them in a way that no
16:06
one else is helping them. because there's a lot
16:08
of music people on this side of it, on this side
16:11
where there's a lot of scams, a lot of sharks,
16:13
a lot of people taking money and then running
16:15
off and you never hear from them again, all that
16:16
stuff, I understand. And I've had where I'm so
16:19
genuine that people can't believe it's genuine.
16:23
Because unfortunately, people are used to being
16:26
ungenuine out there because there's so many people
16:29
that don't do anything they say they're going
16:30
to do. And you have to be careful. You have to
16:34
be careful because you are so genuine and you're
16:36
truly trying to help. You can get hurt too. Yeah,
16:44
that's what it is. It's crazy. You're trying
16:45
to be different and you're trying to do something
16:47
different, like individual to everybody else.
16:49
And sometimes that's a blessing. Sometimes it's
16:51
not because people go like. What? You're going
16:54
to help? Really? What? You're going to help me?
16:57
What? They can't believe it because they're like,
16:59
what? Exactly. But someone's got to because otherwise
17:02
we're just going to go round and round in circles,
17:03
nobody helping anybody. Yeah, that's true. That's
17:07
a problem. That's a problem. Okay, so let me
17:09
ask you a question. Where do creatives unintentionally
17:13
limit their income by avoiding business conversations?
17:19
Yeah, I think what it is. They avoid conversations
17:22
a lot. And there's a lot of fear behind that.
17:24
I get it too, because I've been through it myself
17:26
a lot on both sides of being a musician and being
17:30
on this side of PR and marketing. A lot of times
17:34
I think they get stuck in their ways. And then
17:37
I've released a song a certain way. I'm just
17:40
restricting myself. And then the fear kicks in.
17:43
So then they're worried about doing that. I won't
17:46
do it. I'm worried about putting my songs out
17:48
there in case. they don't like my song or they
17:50
laugh at my song or i don't get enough interest
17:53
so they don't do anything so you'll see a big
17:55
part of life for me as an anxiety sufferer is
17:59
fear it can either stop you doing something or
18:02
it can dead in your tracks yeah stop you from
18:05
doing anything yeah or avoiding things completely
18:08
and thinking oh god i'm so worried about that
18:10
i won't do anything with it but then limiting
18:11
themselves because in the long run they're not
18:14
really getting out to their full capacity because
18:17
of fear a lot of the time or sometimes just because
18:20
they're disorganized and they haven't really
18:22
don't know what to do and the song just sits
18:24
there even great bands over the years led zeppelin
18:26
or whoever it is queen if they've just done their
18:29
songs and never told anybody of course like anything
18:31
it'd just be sitting there and no one would have
18:32
known what it was, what it was doing with anything.
18:35
And you just named two groups that I'm fully
18:37
behind. Yeah. Coming from England originally
18:42
to the greatest brands, I think in the world
18:45
as well. Yeah. Okay. So let me bring this podcast
18:48
full circle. Yeah. If a listener wants to turn
18:52
their passion into profit through relationships,
18:56
through relationships, what one networking habit
19:00
should they start immediately? It's really, it's
19:06
literally branching out. I'd say it's just get
19:10
yourself out there. Everywhere you can, look
19:12
at, because some sinners and some wise musicians,
19:15
they think they're doing everything. They go,
19:16
I'm doing it all. But they're not. They're missing
19:18
out on so many things they're not doing. So just
19:21
gig as many places as you can. Connect to as
19:25
many people as you can through music. And it's
19:29
been said a lot, but... That one opportunity
19:31
can change your life. It could be one email,
19:33
one conversation. Today, this is life -changing.
19:37
This today, this is great. And it's just have
19:39
conversations with people and get yourself out
19:42
there because if you've got the talent and personality
19:44
combined, you can achieve so much. You never
19:49
know who's listening. You never know who's listening.
19:53
I have thousands and thousands of listeners and
19:56
that one listener. And speaking of that, so you
19:59
know what, Liam, because you are such a great
20:02
podcast guest. Thank you. If somebody wanted
20:05
to contact you, whether to be mentored by you,
20:08
hire you, whatever have you, what's the best
20:10
way for them to get hold of you? Yeah, the best
20:13
way is actually the email is songheroesmusic
20:16
at gmail .com. and the website as well which
20:19
has been updated actually is www .son -heroes
20:24
-music -pr .com and so that's going through some
20:28
updates and a lot of changes on there from the
20:30
web designer but yeah so they can look me up
20:33
or get in touch through as the image of golder
20:35
or through son heroes music and say lots of updates
20:38
coming lots of changes and website updates and
20:42
i say new things coming so that's what it is
20:46
This conversation is a reminder of no matter
20:50
the industry, music, business, or anything in
20:53
between, relationships are what move everything
20:57
forward. Talent, skill, knowledge matter, and
21:02
they only go as far as the right connections
21:05
and the ability to communicate value early. When
21:09
you combine both, opportunities begin to show
21:12
up in ways you didn't expect. Take one step this
21:15
week. Reach out to someone in your network and
21:18
continue a conversation. Whether it's creative
21:21
or business, relationships grow through consistency.
21:26
If you found value in today's episode, make sure
21:29
you like, follow, and subscribe to Networking
21:31
Unleashed, building profitable connections so
21:34
you keep getting the best insights on networking
21:36
and communication. and share this episode with
21:40
someone who wants to turn their passion into
21:42
real opportunity. If you help strengthening your
21:46
communication and building relationships that
21:48
lead to results, visit Michael A. Foreman to
21:51
learn how I work with professionals, teams, and
21:54
organizations. So until next time, stay creative,
21:58
stay connected, and build relationships that
22:01
turn passion into profit. Liam, thank you again
22:05
for coming on my podcast. Thank you so much.
22:07
You're wonderful. Oh, thank you. It's been amazing.
22:10
I really appreciate it. And great talking to
22:12
you, Michael. Well, hold on, folks. Don't go
22:18
anywhere. Let's hear from our sponsors. David
22:22
Neal, co -founder, Revved Up Kids. Revved Up
22:25
Kids is on a mission to protect children and
22:28
teens from sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking.
22:32
They provide prevention training programs for
22:36
children, teens, and adults. To learn more, go
22:39
to revvedupkids .org. Henry Kaplan, Century 21.
22:44
When it comes to making the biggest financial
22:46
decision of your life, leave it in the hands
22:49
of a proven professional, Henry Kaplan. Henry
22:53
is a global real estate agent with Century 21,
22:56
celebrating his 41st year in business. No matter
23:00
where you're moving, Henry has the right connections
23:03
for you. You can contact Henry at 561 -427 -4888.
23:10
A huge thank you to our guests for sharing such...
23:14
insights today. And of course, a big shout out
23:17
to you, our amazing listeners, for tuning in
23:20
and spending your time with us. If you're interested
23:23
in my digital courses, being coached or having
23:26
me come and talk to your company, just go to
23:30
Michael and fill out the request form. Remember,
23:33
networking isn't about being perfect. It's about
23:36
being present. So take what you've learned today,
23:40
get out there and make some meaningful connections.
23:43
If you've enjoyed this episode, please don't
23:46
forget to subscribe. Leave us a review and share
23:49
it with someone who could use a little networking
23:51
inspiration. Let's keep the conversation going.
23:55
You can find me on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube,
23:59
or my website, foreman .com slash podcasts.