Travis Morris on Taking the Road Less Traveled
"The main thing that drives me is knowing that tomorrow is never promised at all." - Travis Morris
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Travis Morris is known as “The Hype the Hype Man of the Valley” at Fresno State. He is a Business Marketing major and percussionist at Fresno State University. At a young age, Travis realized he wanted to be an entrepreneur while still in high school. While viewing them as failures, he also took valuable lessons from those experiences and continues to apply them to this day. The energy and passion he brings to what fuels him are unrivaled. Travis understands everything he's doing is part of the journey to learn and grow. The major through-line for Travis is music. He started playing saxophone in sixth grade and would later switch to cymbals. Travis aims to make a positive impact on others, like music has changed his.
Connect with Travis:
Show Notes:
[00:04:05] Introduction
[00:04:40] What was Travis' Original Instrument?
[00:07:25] Cymbals Being His First Choice
"So for cymbals, for some reason, I felt like it matches my personality in general, I really like a loud environment, so I'm going to pick something that likes matches me."
[00:09:52] First Step of Being An Entrepreneur
“My first one because I did it with like a few friends, and the issue was we couldn't separate friendship from business.
The second one was just all bad. We invested in it, but we never really put the work in for it.”
[00:12:27] Taking The Road Less Traveled
“You don't have to be everything Society wants you to be, be something you want to be. So that's always been like my main thing. And I tell myself this every single day, take the road less traveled, do something nobody else wants to do.
Like playing cymbals, nobody wants to play it, but you know what? I'm going to do something with it, and let's see what happens with that. I've just taken that role. It's like, you know what? I'm going to be different, and I'm okay with that.”
[00:13:41] Looking At Failure
“But I really write those things down. This is one way not to do this. This is another way not to do it. It's another way to do it, and that way, it could just build my brand back up and help me as a person, try to encourage others, Hey, don't do this, and you don't want to start something for yourself. Don't do this, don't do that. And it just pushes down. That's how I look at failure.”
[00:15:41] You're Only Going To Be 20 For So Long
“Why do you like it? You're only, you're only going to be 20 for so long. That's how I think of it, you're only going to be 20 for so long. So it's just, keep on pushing it. I still live with my family going to school, so I'm fortunate enough to, I grew up in Fresno and my father, he graduated from Fresno state as well.
So I'm lucky he knows that if something does happen, I'll have money or anything, I have a household where I'm like, okay, well I have my family support. I'm not alone with anything that I do. So like when I see something doesn't go right, I'm like, you know what? It's cool; let's take the next step.”
[00:18:21] Boogie Mode
[00:20:19] What is authenticity?
“So honestly, I've always, especially at a young age, always had a lot of energy, but even like when this video got released, and people started seeing it everywhere. That's when people are like I went to high school with him. He's been like that for years.
You guys don't even know. When people finally see and ask is he really liked this? I'm like, ten times out of ten, every single day I'm like this. And it helps me, you know? Be the person I am and be okay with it. So like that's how I really like to define my authenticity when it comes to that performance side of it.”
[00:23:05] Learning From His Parents
“So they really instilled in my brother, and I was like, you can be yourself. You can do something great with yourself. Just by being yourself, and I think that's what really hit me. It goes back to what I said before, taking that path less traveled, doing something that you wanted to do, and being okay with it. Like who cares? I've been judged so many times just like, Oh, why are you like this? Why are you like that? Why are you screaming? Why are you doing what you're doing? And it's just because, and my answer to them is, it's just me. That's just how I am. And that's generally how I am. People are freaked out sometimes too.”
[00:25:11] Do People Wonder How You Get This Done?
[00:27:10] Making Time For Yourself
[00:30:32] Not Paying Attention to Negativity
[00:33:05] Advice to Others
“Not everyone's going to be like me, you know? I feel that's what makes me unique, but that's what makes everyone unique. Everybody has a unique trait that they have that makes them themselves so I would say being okay that people are not going to agree with what you're doing, but it doesn't matter because at the end of the day you're going to, you're going to be the one living with this.
You're going to be the one putting your head to your pillow every single night, knowing that I'm doing this. They're not the ones doing this, and there's something I'm going to run with. I'm going to run with it for 100% nothing less. And so I think that's what I would tell other people. Forget about what everyone else says. Hear it. Yes, you're going to hear it, but don't let that inflict on what you want to do with your dream.”
[00:35:02] How Do You Confront Negative Self Talk?
[00:37:30] Mentors or People He Looked Up Too?
[00:39:06] Being Impacted By Performance
“I watched this show when I was younger. This group is called Post Percussion. And I literally cried watching like how much passion they had. I'm like, Whoa, if there's something I want, I want that, what they were doing right now. I want that. And so I go back to that show sometimes, and I'm like, yo, I watched that live, and each and every day, I want to strive to have that same feeling that those players had when they were out there performing their show.”
[00:41:30] What Is Travis Working On?
[00:43:36] How Do You Get New Information?
[00:45:27] Mr. Ford
[00:48:09] Lifting Other People Up
[00:50:07] When You Feel Unfocused What Do You Do?
[00:50:54] Where Does His Vulnerability Come From?
“It's okay not to be okay. And if you believe you're okay, then you're definitely not okay.
That's like the big thing. I felt you were Oh yeah, I'm always good. I have friends like that. They're like, no, I never go there. I don't have any drama. You're definitely not saying something, then. Nobody's perfect. Everybody's going through something might not be on this same level or spectrum that maybe this person is going through. But you're definitely going through something.”
[00:55:13] How Would You Recommend Someone Find Themselves?
[00:59:31] Visualization - Fixed vs Growth Mindset
[01:00:51] What Well In 2019
Other episodes you might enjoy:
#82 - Brit Parla: Creativity, Finding Flow and Evolving
#31 - Nicholas Buegel: Finding Your Own Path
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Full Transcript Episode 83: Travis Morris: Taking The Path Less Traveled
[00:03:25]Erich Wenzel: Welcome back to another episode of Feeding Curiosity. And today we're joined by Travis Morris. Hey, Travis.
[00:03:32] Travis Morris: Hey, how's it going? Happy to be here. This is pretty cool
[00:03:35] Erich Wenzel: Yeah, this is awesome. So like I was just saying, we, I found your video on Instagram. You were shared on Zildjian and you attend Fresno State state university and you're like a hype man, I guess is probably the best way to describe it, at least in the video and your energy is just so powerful. And I just was hyped about it and I was like, cool, this guy has got fired up about something and I want to just see what you are all about basically. And so I shot you a message and now we're here during this conversation. So just take it away, man.
[00:04:05] Introduction
[00:04:05] Travis Morris: Cool yeah. So like you say, I attend Fresno state university. I'm a business marketing major. I've been playing music for most pretty much my whole life. I've been playing since like sixth grade. I didn't transition into percussive instruments until my junior year, and then from there I've been playing in college, so it really just took a part of my life and it's really formed me into the person I am today. So I'm still doing it. I love music a lot and honestly, like what I want to do is what I want to pursue, especially with my brand and just my major itself.
[00:04:40] What was Travis' Original Instrument?
[00:04:40] Erich Wenzel: Sweet. So what was your first like foray into music then if you, you just got into percussion and as your junior year high school. So what was your original instrument?
[00:04:50] Travis Morris: My original instrument. So I started off with the saxophone. So, I actually, that was like my to, I always wanted to learn how to play. So in sixth grade I finally picked it up and I was just like extremely bad, like horrible. Literally go home all the time and like practice as much as I could to really get really good.
[00:05:10] And I played all through high school still that was always my thing. Funny story, I actually marched tuba in high school as well. I had a really small frame then, and so I remember like my eighth grade year of my director, he asked like, depo, Hey, I'm like, who wants to march tuba?
[00:05:27] Because nobody wants to march it's like heavy all get out it's horrible. And so me being dumb, Oh, I want to march it, I want a march. Just playing around. And like little did I know, he actually wrote my name down. I remember that next year. He was like, Hey, like you're marching to with this here. And I was like, huh.
[00:05:44] Like, wait, what? I was one of the first ones to raise my hand. So, I'm March two, but in high school as well, and, play saxophone all four years in high school. And, but I didn't really hit the percussive. Or Casa pathway until my junior year when one of the players on the similar line that he previously, he's been in a similar line, dropped out.
[00:06:07] And so I knew from a fact like if I wanted to become a percussionist and like march, In general, you have to audition. And so I'm going against people that have been playing like forever. So I'm like, yo, like if I'm going to pick this up, I got to pick it up quick. But I knew I wasn't going to be able to pick it up as fast as others, especially if they've been playing for such a long time.
[00:06:27] So I was like, you know, I could pick up cymbals that can be that. I can crash two pieces of metal together. So I was like, you know, let's roll with that. And like, yo, like there what I thought, like that'll be something I'd be doing a day in college. Like it literally changed everything with me.
[00:06:45] Erich Wenzel: That's cool. So did you get any scholarships or anything for being in percussion or at least music?
[00:06:50]Travis Morris: They, there's here and there, like Zildjian offers some, there's like this other. another brand called CVine okay. They offered them well, but I currently don't have one now.
[00:07:00] Erich Wenzel: Okay. Gotcha. I was just curious cause it sounds like it just opened up doors for you and then, you know, it's funny that you kind of transitioned from saxophone into percussion cause that's not a normal pathway for most people.
[00:07:09] Because percussion is so like rudiment and you have to know like numbers and rhythm schemes and stuff like that. It's the one instrument I actually know how to play myself. But I'm an engineer so patterns and doing things like that kind of comes naturally to me. So that was why I got into drums.
[00:07:25] Cymbals Being His First Choice
[00:07:25] But, yeah, that's an interesting pathway. So for like the entry point for you, or at least how did it continue to keep like lighting that like inspiration for you?
[00:07:36] Travis Morris: So for cymbals, for some reason I felt like it matches my personality in general, I really like a loud environment, so I'm like, you know, I'm going to pick something that likes matches me.
[00:07:48] So I feel that's the main reason why I picked symbols and to it just something nobody else wants to play. Usually when you're auditioning for a snare drum, a bass drum or like required, if you get cut, the last resort is symbols. And so when other people, most of the people that are more Swift, they either got from one of those drums, and so I'm one the ones that asked you like, Oh, I'm going to ask them, Oh, what did you cut from them?
[00:08:20] Like, Oh, nothing like I'm actually playing cymbals. They're like, huh? I'm , yes, my first choice it's not yours. So they're like, Oh. I honestly that's what really pushed me towards percussion cause I knew from a fact you know I like being loud and I like playing loud so I knew cymbals was the right way to go.
[00:08:43] I even have the largest symbols in our group cause you're louder. They're a little heavier, but I'm okay with that. I'm like, as long as I get to play.
[00:08:51] Erich Wenzel: Hey, then carrying that tuba in high school paid off.
[00:08:55] Travis Morris: Oh, absolutely. My shoulders. Yes. Woo. Crazy.
[00:08:58] Erich Wenzel: That's so cool. It's really cool that you've owned like this instrument that is most people's like last resort, and I think that's why one, you're able to excel in it, but you've also said, no, I'm going to, instead of making this like my second option, you're like, no, this is my first option and I'm going to make it.
[00:09:15] One. It's already a part of you because you have like you, you still proclaim to be the loud one. You know, the, the one that had kind of comes in with the exclamation point, right? Like if you came on through the whatever, you're kind of like the Koolaid man.
[00:09:31] That's really cool. So, so as you kind of wrapped up high school where, where, what happened then? So like, did you know what you want to do for your major and things like that? Because I'm not sure. How old are you? Just a kind of, what are you, I guess, what grade are you in? Are you a senior, junior?
[00:09:46] Travis Morris: Well, I'm currently, I'm 20 years old. I'm a junior. I'm a junior at Fresno State.
[00:09:52] First Step of Being An Entrepreneur
[00:09:52] Erich Wenzel: So going into high school or college rather, sorry. what was it like? Did you have anything planned out for yourself? Like did, like you said, you're a, a business, a marketing major, did you know what you wanted to do?
[00:10:05] Travis Morris: So I knew from like, like growing up in high school, I just knew that I wanted to go.
[00:10:12] And be an entrepreneur. I knew I always wanted to do something for myself on my own business, so I actually went through two businesses through in high school that I created myself and they both failed pretty bad. I feel like it taught me a lot. My first one was actually like a music production.
[00:10:33]that was called Finesse Studios. I was gonna make beats and stuff for like local artists and like try to sell them or like they join under our studio to get my own recording sessions and whatnot. So, that was my first one that a lot, because I did it with like a few friends and the issue was we couldn't separate friendship from business.
[00:10:55] So that's what blocked that one. The second one was like, Like a revised one with Caio productions. And, that one was just all bad. We invested into it, but like, we never really put the work in for it. So I knew by my senior year, all right, let's do something that honestly would sell for me.
[00:11:16] So I knew from like my senior year out, I wanted to make a clothing brand, but I didn't know what I wanted to do with it. So I was like let's just plan out a year in advance to see what happens with it. When I get a job, graduate and see what I can do with this. So I didn't actually create my clothing brand called Boogie Mode until my freshman year of college.
[00:11:44] So that's what really transitioned me into marketing, business, marketing, all of the above, just really pushing my business.
[00:11:53] Erich Wenzel: Cool. So I guess the thing to unpack here then is what put the spark in you that you said, I can start something on my own, or at least with friends? I don't think many of us, especially even in high school, can even say like, yeah, I'm going to do this.
[00:12:09] You know, we all see these stories nowadays with Steve Jobs and things like that, but a lot of us. In my myself in particular, I feel like it feels more distant and more like unreachable to some degree. And you really just took your shot and tried already multiple times. That's pretty good. As only 20 years old, man,
[00:12:27] Taking The Road Less Traveled
[00:12:27] Travis Morris: I honestly grew up being top of my family. Everyone just like taking the road less traveled. You don't have to be everything Society wants you to be, be something you want to be. So that's always been like my main thing. And I tell myself this every single day, like take the road less traveled, do something nobody else wants to do.
[00:12:52] Like playing cymbals. Like that was like my main thing. Nobody wants to play it, but you know what? I'm going to do something with it and let's see what happens with the, you know, I've just taken that role. Let's show what really pushed me a lot in high school. It's like, you know what? Like I'm going to be different and I'm okay with that.
[00:13:08] You know? I was like, that was the cool thing with me. Like, you know, might as well, so. That. That pushed me a lot.
[00:13:15] Erich Wenzel: Yeah. That's really cool. So, so I guess, man, you got a lot of experience already for someone so young and that's crazy. To kind of unpack this even further is you already mentioned failure twice.
[00:13:29] And so how do you internalize failure for yourself? Like make it OK cause you're just, you're just rolled right off. You're like, yeah, what failed hard, whatever. Like it's like go ahead and unpack that. Like, how do you think about failure?
[00:13:41] Looking At Failure
[00:13:41] Travis Morris: I felt like, so with the two ones that I, two failures that I had, I felt like I found out two ways not to run a business.
[00:13:49] So I took those two ways. If I'm going to do this with friends, it's going to be with the group of people that I know that active, separate friendship and business with. And then what the second one time management. If I'm going to do something, I'm going to invest my time into it.
[00:14:06] So I'd take failure as what this is what we're going to, this is what I messed up on. What can I do to revise that? Get better for my next venture. And so even with my clothing brand now, I felt many times, many times I would money, clothing like getting things out.
[00:14:26] There have been multiple times where I'm, yo do I ever want to do this anymore? But I just really just write those things down. I'm like, all right, this is one way not to do this. This is another way not to do it. It's another way to do it, and that way it could just really just build my brand back up and help me as a person, try to encourage others, Hey, don't do this, and you don't want to start something for yourself. Don't do this, don't do that. And it really just pushes down. So honestly, like that's the main thing. That's how I look at failure.
[00:14:56] Erich Wenzel: I couldn't agree more with that. Because like for me, whenever I attempt something, especially on my own, like this podcast that we're doing right now, this is completely self funded by me.
[00:15:05] And,when I think of anything I'm going to try to do, I try to think about it. Okay. If this flops, like financially or whatever reason. I try to think about it in a way that if you're going to attempt something, make sure it has other positive benefits that are like already embedded into it, learning or connecting to people or whatever, so that even if it does fail, you take something away from it that you can then push into the next thing, whatever form that takes.
[00:15:33] Cause it sounds to me like you're completely okay with it, even if this clothing brand decides to fail because you'll come up with something new, you know, down the road.
[00:15:41] You're Only Going To Be 20 For So Long
[00:15:41] Travis Morris: Yeah. I'm always like, I've always had like that open mind where like, you know what, like I've always wanted to do multiple things or why not?
[00:15:50] why do you like it? You're only, you're only going to be 20 for so long. That's how I think of it, you're only going to be 20 for so long. So it's just, keep on pushing it. I still live with my family going to school, so I'm fortunate enough to, I grew up in Fresno and my father, he graduated from Fresno state as well.
[00:16:09] So I'm lucky he knows that if something does happen I’ll have money or anything, like I have a household where I'm like, okay, well I have my family support. I'm not alone with anything that I do. So like when I see something doesn't go right, I'm like, you know what? It's cool let's take the next step.
[00:16:26] Let's move on. Let's keep on moving. Let's keep moving. So I saw were you with your podcasts, like just looking through it, like, you can see like you invested a lot of time into that. I'm putting this together I appreciate it. That's really cool.
[00:16:41] Erich Wenzel: Yeah, I mean, I spend a lot of time and I, my brother for like full disclosure is a graphic designer, so he helps get my graphic stuff up online and I ask him for help and things like that.
[00:16:51] But I've also, I'm self taught in just about everything, like audio wise, recording wise, everything is done by me. Like whenever you look at anything on the website, it's like. It's, you know, with love and care and maybe some blood, sweat and tears too on top of that.
[00:17:07] You know how it goes, right? Like, so I guess as a 20 year old, cause I remember when I was 20, so I have a really similar story to you. I went to community college for my first two years. I took a year off of college myself. And when I came back into school, I went to community college and I stayed there for like three or four years to get as many transfer credits that I could.
[00:17:30] I went to the limit and then I went to a local state school, Northern Illinois University to finish my, my bachelor's degree after I'd already gotten my associates. And I had worked full time the entire way. So, and I live at home too, so I resonate with this so hard. It's like, well, if I have all of this opportunity, then like, I'm like, I'm at home.
[00:17:51] So how do I push my own boundaries? As much as I can. Outside of that, you know, like I really got into podcasts myself because I just love podcasts. Like I love the medium is not that this is like a popular thing to do and everyone's doing it. I love learning in long form nuanced ways to be able to unpack someone and be like, Hey, what are you all about?
[00:18:11] And like, this is, this right here is like a perfect example of that because I would never have had this opportunity otherwise.
[00:18:18] Travis Morris: Right.
[00:18:21] Boogie Mode
[00:18:21] Erich Wenzel: Yeah. So the, I guess to get back on track, the, the idea of, like you, you've already mentioned the music part and you have this business with clothing, and it sounds like you're trying to marry these two things together that maybe most people wouldn't really try to, to think about, or at least you'd focus on one thing, right?
[00:18:41] Is what people would tell you. So how are you trying to leverage both of these things in like your own unique way because you have your own unique spin. You've already been highlighting this a lot.
[00:18:51] Travis Morris: So, this actually goes towards the background of boogie mode. So I grew up with the nickname T boogie, inherited from my dad and kind of like, I decided, you know, why not like start something with music, with just that name.
[00:19:08] So everybody calls me football games, like, Oh, it's T boogie or T Boogie's at home. Like, you know, like, you know, when I'm at games, I'm like. I'll go into that, that mode. So why not create something called boogie mode? So like wherever I like when I'm at work, when I'm like performing anything I do, I'm in that mode.
[00:19:25] Boogie mode. Since I'm in music and it's like a self marketing tool for me, honestly, I can honestly use what I'm doing right now, both the brand at the same time. So Boogie Mode is actually a performing arts brand. It's similar to life brands. I'm really inspired by brands like Nike, Adidas, UnderArmour.
[00:19:47] I can see how it is there. Gear is your towards athletes. Anybody can wear it. But my brand is geared towards performing arts, but anybody could wear it. So I figured, you know, I already have this musical audience that I marched with all the people that I performed with or performed to. I already have the audience you might as well just put them together and try to create something that way, you know, it can really grow.
[00:20:12] So that's like how I put two and two together and so I'm enjoying both of them doing it at the same time.
[00:20:19] What is authenticity?
[00:20:19] Erich Wenzel: Wow. That's, that's unique. So I mean, for me though, I don't get the sense like you keep saying brand and stuff like that, but I don't, I don't get the sense that your like, perform is a performance, but I don't think you're faking it, if that makes sense.
[00:20:32] Like, right. Like it feels authentic to who you are. And I know authentic is like this word that gets thrown around like passion all the time. So I don't, I don't know if I want to unpack like authenticity to yourself, like, how do you, you know, do you have like some sort of philosophy of yourself or any way that you kind of contextualize, like what it is to be authentically you.
[00:20:50] Travis Morris: So honestly, you know, I've always, especially at a young age, I've always had a lot of energy extremely alive, but even like when this video got released and people started seeing it everywhere, that's when people are like, you know, like I went to high school with him. He's been like that for years.
[00:21:09] Like, you guys don't even know. It's just like, it's like. When people finally like really see a lot, we'll ask like, is he really liked this? I'm like, 10 times out of 10, like every single day I'm like this. And it's just like, it helps me, you know? Be the person I am and be okay with it. You know? So like that's how I really liked to define my authenticity when it comes to like that performance side of it.
[00:21:41] Cause yeah, like the bulldog, marching band, the band, the men, they were there to perform, obviously, but I'm having fun while doing it. So when people see it, they're like, Whoa.. Okay. Like you can see that it's real. But he's not putting on just a random show, like it's real. So I feel like that's where that energy really comes from.
[00:22:03] It just comes from, honestly, just like me just having a good time and that good time ends up being. Like crazy enough to get somebody to get a video of it on every time I watch it, I'm like, Whoa, like, what the heck? Yes. So
[00:22:19] Erich Wenzel: I'm assuming you're like in the moment, a lot of times, like present, you're like, you don't even realize like how in it you are until like you see a video of it and you're like, wait, this blew up. What?
[00:22:29] Travis Morris: Like for real, that's like really how it is. I just remember when it leaked out and I'm like, Whoa. All right, that's pretty cool. But when I saw get all these views on, people shouldn't be posting it and like, you know, when good morning America when they aired it, I was okay, this is way bigger than I thought.
[00:22:48] Like, what the heck?
[00:22:51] Erich Wenzel: There's something happening now.
[00:22:55] Travis Morris: So, that just like caught me off guard. I'm like, yo can I just do this all the time? It's just. One time someone has a video of me and it's just like, boom.
[00:23:05] Learning From His Parents
[00:23:05] Erich Wenzel: So for me, what you're, what you're basically, you're saying like for your authenticity, it's like this sense of confidence that you have in yourself where it's, you know, most people they get anxiety or they kind of get like performance anxiety where they're like, I don't want to look stupid.
[00:23:20] Or they stopped themselves from expressing themselves authentically. However, were you raised to be comfortable with your own uniqueness? Basically? We always talk about the special snowflake, at least in our generation, but it's not like that about you. Like there's something that you're able to be confident enough to, to say, yeah, I'm just going to be me and that's it.
[00:23:43] That's it. That's as far as it goes.
[00:23:46] Travis Morris: I think it goes back to, my family, especially my parents, they instilled, that they grew up like being harnessed. They grew up like, no, you can't do this. You can't do that. Like you can't pursue this and that cause it's not gonna work out. Like being a realist. You can't do as, you can't do that.
[00:24:02] So they really instilled in my brother and I was like, you can be yourself. You can do something great with yourself. Just by being yourself and so that, I think that's what really hit me and like it goes back to like what I said before, just taking that path less traveled, like doing something that she wanted to do and being okay with it.
[00:24:25] Like who cares? I've been judged so many times just like, Oh, why are you like this? Why are you like that? Why are you screaming like. Why are you doing what you're doing? And it's just because, and my answer to them is, it's just me. You know? That's just how I am. And that's generally how I am. People are freaked out by sometimes too.
[00:24:42] They're like, why are you like, you don't get tired, absolutely. I'm tired. Absolutely. I sleep the way you sleep and everything, like it hits, but like it's just fun to me. That's what. Makes me who I am, being okay with who I am.
[00:25:00] Erich Wenzel: That's so cool, man. Like you've really, you've done some work here and like your parents had totally laid an awesome foundation for you and your brother.
[00:25:08] Are you older or younger? Just out of curiosity.
[00:25:10] Travis Morris: I'm the eldest.
[00:25:11] Do People Wonder How You Get This Done?
[00:25:11] Erich Wenzel: You are the oldest. Okay. Yeah, I kind of make sense a little bit with how hard charging you are. Like do people ever like look at you and be like, how do you get all of this done? Like did people ever just like, aren't you like you just said you're tired, but like. Because it's for you and it's probably just like you just go. You just do it. Like it doesn't even register.
[00:25:28] Travis Morris: I think it goes back to my two failures, honestly. I just like to figure it out. Okay. The first one, group of people, second one time manage, and I took time management. Like that was the one that stuck with me the most.
[00:25:44] I'm like managing your time is huge because I know like for a fact, like you practice, especially for Ben, you're practice in three days out of the week and like it's like three to four hour practices and like you have a game day practice in the morning as well, so like you got to figure out, all right.
[00:26:01] All right. I work Monday through Friday. All right. How do I get my schedule around this with my music schedule and my school schedule? How do I get time to work on my brand? How do I get time to like, like for myself? And you just like, you kind of just like figure everything out where just that time management.
[00:26:22] It's still hard like he is. But like you, like you, like eventually, like you start figuring out, all right, like how do I organize my life so it can benefit me and I still get the satisfaction of doing what I want to do.
[00:26:35] Erich Wenzel: Absolutely. So one of the things I want, I want to like unpack here. It's like how do you, like you said, make time for yourself because you do have a really busy schedule with like practice and school and friends and all the rest of that stuff.
[00:26:47] Right? But I think in this newer paradigm that's kind of coming up is being able to relax, basically, like being able to just unplug because that's just as important as grinding, like legitimately. And I'm curious if you have any like ways that you use that to affect your time management or just performance in general because like you're still doing something just as physical as just like an athlete in many ways.
[00:27:10] Making Time For Yourself
[00:27:10] Travis Morris: I think, personally, the main thing that drives me is knowing that tomorrow is never promised at all. Especially with people like family members never know when. I've had multiple family members that have passed away the past two, three months and like you or, and friends.
[00:27:35] And so you just realize like you want to make time for yourself because you never know when like you're going to get tomorrow or next week or anything. So you just want to live every single day as if I hate to say it this way, but like your last day. So you really want to manage all of that and just realize nothing's ever promised.
[00:27:57] And you really want to push with that. That's my main thing. I'm I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but how can I make today the best day I can not just for me, but my family.
[00:28:08] Erich Wenzel: Amen to that one, man that's really good stuff. I couldn't resonate with that more.
[00:28:13] I came out with the podcast and I've gone through some similar things myself this year alone where dealing with loss and family that you grow up with them, they're your uncles and stuff like that, and all of a sudden it's like, Oh, they're not here anymore. And to some degree or another, even though you know mentally know that they will not be here one day.
[00:28:34] But when it happens, it kind of slaps you across the face and you're like, Oh, I wasn't ready for this. Right. And it puts a lot of stuff in perspective.
[00:28:43]Travis Morris: Yeah. That's real. Like you just really like to look at that and you're like, you know. You don't want to sit there and be like, I should have, I should have, I could, I should have.
[00:28:53] And that's the worst thing that regret feeling is the worst thing you could ever feel, honestly. And you never want to live your life living like that. And that's why I still loving one another and talking to your family as much as you can and express how you feel. It means everything because you never know when you're going to be able to do that a year. So that's what really pushes me.
[00:29:16] Erich Wenzel: I like that man. Because it's when you have the opportunity, especially there's like math, it's like 80% of the time that you have with your family is, or at least your parents, 80% of the time they would have spent with you is by the time you're 18 statistically.
[00:29:33] So the fact that you're still at home at 20 basically, our gravy to spend more time with how you're being able to spend more quality time with their parents because we take it for granted. That is, as we get older we start to segregate from our parents and give significant others and all that kind of stuff.
[00:29:52] So the time with your parents becomes less and less. And I'm using parents, but it's also family. So it's like brothers, sisters, things like that as well. So it's like this valuing of relationships, it's really important to me. And creating community I think is also like super important because it's like one of these things I think we've kind of lost.
[00:30:09] Like even though. I don't know what your thoughts are on like social media in general, but you know, we talk about it a lot and it's like a broad cultural base of like how much negativity there is about it. But I'm sure you've probably seen a lot more positives just from it because you're, you're kinda like this enthusiastic, you know, wave of, I don't know, just the energy.
[00:30:32] Not Paying Attention to Negativity
[00:30:32] Travis Morris: And so I've seen both things, especially once the video got leaked, like when I first got a Bleacher report. That's a sports page. And so when few people were like in the comments, or like last time I checked this was a sports page. And so people were saying some things. And honestly you sit there and you're like, you know what?
[00:30:53] They're right. That it is a sports page, but that's what makes it even better. That's how I take it as they posted something related to band on a sports page. Wow. That's crazy to me. So I'm like, yeah, you're absolutely right. Thank you for bringing that up. That makes me even more excited to see that. Yeah, you absolutely see that negative side as well. People just come down. There's a lot of people that have said, you know. Because I started like my little campaign on getting on the Ellen show and so people started like re-tweeting and people were like, why would you want him on the show?
[00:31:29] With one of the instruments that's not really big, you know? I take it as let them talk, you know, like that's okay. If they want to take that time to say what they want to say, they have a horrible time with time management then.
[00:31:54] Erich Wenzel: There's a really good quote that you probably resonate with. It's a Michelangelo quote, and it's criticize by creating. Instead of wasting your time and kind of sitting on the sidelines like anybody can do nowadays with Twitter and all those different things. You can sit on the sideline and say and feel like you're being productive because that's what the emotional person in used is doing right now because you're elevated in some way.
[00:32:17] Or you can go out and just kind of spend even a little bit more time and produce something higher quality. Because if something really annoys you, like don't actually go out and make a difference, at least that's the way I look at it. Don't sit on your hands, you know, proverbially, like if, if this really bothers you and it matters that much to you, then go, go, you know, do it. Like fix it.
[00:32:38] Travis Morris: Yeah, totally agree with it. Totally agree.
[00:32:41] Erich Wenzel: It kind of drives me a little crazy sometimes when I see people like that. I'm like, if you spend as much time as you did, you know, like, yeah, like pretending like, or like, I wish I could do that. I bet you see a lot of people that say that to you as you get more popular.
[00:32:54] Like, it kind of gets a little popular, like come up to you and, and say like, how do you do it? You know? Or they're going to start or they're going to start asking you like, how do you do it? You know, what, what would you say to them?
[00:33:05] Advice to Others
[00:33:05]Travis Morris: what I would say is what I kind of go back to, being yourself.
[00:33:14] And I feel like that's one thing. Not everyone's going to be like me, you know? I feel that's what makes me unique, but that's what makes everyone unique. Everybody has like a unique trait that they have that makes them themselves so I would say being okay that people are not going to agree with what you're doing, but it doesn't matter because at the end of the day you're going to, you're going to be the one living with this.
[00:33:42] You're going to be the one putting your head to your pillow every single night knowing that I'm doing this. They're not the ones doing this, and there's something I'm going to roll with. I'm going to roll with it for 100% nothing less. And so I think that's what I would tell other people. Forget about what everyone else says. Hear it. Yes, you're going to hear it, but don't let that inflict on what you want to do with your dream.
[00:34:08] Erich Wenzel: Killer man. People are going to find your profile and things like that nowadays, and you're going to see you on all these shows and it's going to be like, why him?
[00:34:22] Right? Like you're saying. And they're going to pretend like, or it's going to feel like you got popular overnight snap of the fingers when in reality. You've already painted a lot of this picture like you've been doing and surrounded by this mindset and this ability to push. And say no to the voices of others in many ways and just be like, I'm going to be me and no one's going to stop me.
[00:34:48] Erich Wenzel: And I think that's part of it. Like you have to make the decision like, well, this is what the heck I want to do with myself, so I'm going to do it no matter what anybody says. And then over the long term, you know, five, 10, whatever years it takes, then it's going to just manifest into something.
[00:35:02] Travis Morris: Right.
[00:35:02] How Do You Confront Negative Self Talk?
[00:35:02] Erich Wenzel: But to turn this back inward. So how do you stop the negative voice from yourself that, that tries to talk you out of doing this? Because like you said, they know you're going to put your head on the pillow every day and there's going to be 1,000,001 reasons why not to do something. So how do you keep that under control?
[00:35:18] Travis Morris: What I usually do is I'll go back and so I'll go back and watch like videos that were taken of me throughout the seasons that I've been pretty much been playing my whole life. So I'll look back at those and they're like this is why you do this. This is why you do this.
[00:35:39] Like, this is why you do this. Like there is a couple of times, I know like last month I had like a brief moment in my life where I just wanted to stop everything. I didn't want to play anymore. I didn't want to put up with the clothing brand anymore. I was just done. Well, we were at a football game, you know, and I kept on doing it, kept my composure kept on doing what I was doing.
[00:35:58] And so there was like a younger kid that came up, him and his aunt, and they were he's inspired by you, like he wants to be just like you stuff like that. And I was like, Whoa, wait, what the heck? So he's like, yeah, he wants to be a cymbal player. He wants to do everything.
[00:36:14] And I was like, that's already big and you want to be a cymbal player, bro. That’s nobody's first option. So when I heard that, I was like, yo, I let him like play. I let them, my practice then was a little bit with us at that point. I knew like this is bigger than just like my soul is bigger than yourself.
[00:36:34] Like no, like your impact. You don't realize your impact until people start showing you. People are like, yo no, you really inspire me. Especially when the video got leaked, I see all these other people releasing their videos. I'm like, Whoa, like where are all these videos coming from? And it's just like, they're just like, yo, like we've been, we literally come to the games to watch you and stuff like that.
[00:36:58] And then you realize like, yo, like, yeah, usually it really does change lives. That, and that's what really keeps me going. I'm like, despite all the negativity. Despite all the backlash that I'm probably going to get, and me fighting myself, honestly. I look back at that and I'm like, no, you're doing this for a bigger, probably doing this bigger.
[00:37:20] It's bigger than you, and that's what it's all about for me. That's what keeps me from all those negative aspects from bringing me down.
[00:37:30] Mentors or People He Looked Up Too?
[00:37:30]Erich Wenzel: So do you have any like mentors for yourself, like people you looked up to either as a little kid or even today?
[00:37:37]Travis Morris: For the most part, you know, obviously my family, they're always going to be my ride or die.
[00:37:42]if there was a person that I say, you know what? He's genuine and he does something. He does things that nobody else would do. Honestly, I would sapeople like, LeBron James, obviously athletes. I look up to him the most. He's created like brands like Uninterrupted, you know, letting athletes speak on like what they feel.
[00:38:06] You know, nobody will tell them, Hey, you can't do this. You can't let it go. You, you get to speak what you want to speak. players like Tyler Perry as a director. He's done many things with his movies. He's okay with, you know, saying and doing certain things that might make people uncomfortable, but it's going to teach you something.
[00:38:26] And you know, just a lot of other talk show hosts, like, I watch a lot of sports and. And, one of my favorite analysts is, Stephen A. Smith cause he just pops off all the time. He's always screaming. So like when he says what's on his mind, like that's what, that's the cool thing about it. Like if you're going to be 100%, you be 100% you,
[00:38:47] If you want to make something that's on your mind, obviously do it in a respectful manner, but do that. Don't don't hold that because once you hold that, keep all that info to yourself and like keep all those feelings to yourself. You're basically going to Whoa. And that's like what hits you the most? Like, like let it out.
[00:39:06] Being Impacted By Performance
[00:39:06]Erich Wenzel: So would you say like, or what was the time that you got emotional for like something you watched or maybe a music, like something that you, you felt it like it hit something deeper within you.
[00:39:20] Travis Morris: I would say. There was a show that I watched back like my freshman year was like a winter percussion show.
[00:39:30] It was pretty much winter percussion, just to give a brief background of it. It's basically the front ensemble instruments like marimbas, xylophone, piano, everything on the front, and then there's percussionist like bass, snare, quads cymbals. They're all in the back there probably have some visual ensemble dance players like on this floor, create a floor.
[00:39:52] I watched this show when I was younger. This group is called Post Percussion. And I literally cried watching like how much passion they had. I'm like, Whoa, if there's something I want, I want that, what they were doing right now. I want that. And so I go back to that show sometimes, and I'm like, yo, I watched that live, and each and every day, I want to strive to have that same feeling that those players had when they were out there performing their show.
[00:40:24] Erich Wenzel: That's killing it, man. So good. Like, cause there's just something about like when you just, you know, you're just feeling it and you're in it. You just know that like players are just putting all of their soul in it. You know, there's something about performance.
[00:40:42] And this could be in any domain, you know, when you put someone like out on the big stage or, or they're just. They're able to just like show up at a different level and you know it. It was only in this special circumstance right now in this moment that they could be playing. This way because of, you know, whatever the secret sauce in the room is, right?
[00:41:02] Like you feel it, especially in sports, it's such a common thing where you can kind of just tell, like, both of these teams are like pushing the edge and you know, you don't know who, like, they're both even, and so now they're just kind of trying to figure out who was gonna like slip up more than anything else.
[00:41:16] And that's kind of, that's kind of what I'm getting out of you, your like way of describing it, at least because of the music. It's, it's like they're just as close to like perfect flow as someone could get.
[00:41:30] What Is Travis Working On?
[00:41:30] It's so cool. Do you have any way of, cause you, you really talk about a lot of these different ways of just managing your own one mindset and external expectation and you, you don't have this closed off persona in any way. Do you have any points where you're trying to.like work on actively, or like, you know, you need to do some work in this area.
[00:41:58] Travis Morris: yeah, absolutely. just mainly, when to do certain things and when to not do certain things. So sometimes I prioritize things that I don't need to do. But I'll do those things first. Knowing that the tasks that I needed to get done first, it gets put to the side. So there have been times I, even when my school or work, I'm like, all right, let me work on the grand right quick, really quick and I'll go towards that.
[00:42:28] And I'm like, you already know that I have a homework assignment due tomorrow. This can come later. Like I think my prioritizing is a little mixed up sometimes. So that's like one of the big things I really work on. Even with practicing, like, when I played saxophone in high school, I would always practice the stuff that I knew.
[00:42:48] And you're never going to grow from that. Practicing is not fun. I know for me, I hate it. Practicing because you're working on stuff you're not good at, so you're going to get upset. Like you're just going to be like, Oh, I'm done with it. I don't want to play anymore.
[00:43:04] And so like I felt like that was one of those things as well, like prioritizing when you practice I already know this stuff. I'm not going to grow any more for practicing stuff that I already know. Let me work on the stuff that I don't know and get that up. That way that benefits you in the long run.
[00:43:22] And that goes for anything. Anywhere you go, you want to practice the stuff that you don't know, cause you're obviously going to know the stuff that you know and that's great, but you want to add more stuff to your arsenal. So that's my main thing. Just prioritizing.
[00:43:36] How Do You Get New Information?
[00:43:36] Erich Wenzel: So how do you get new information?
[00:43:40] Because you have a lot of different domains. Do you have any sources or ways that you absorb new information from like other people or, I don't know, maybe reading or books, things like that?
[00:43:49] Travis Morris: Personally, so, I watched a lot of podcasts. I listen to a lot when I get the offer for this, I'm like, heck yeah, I'm down. But I listened to a lot of podcasts.
[00:44:02] Erich Wenzel: Any recommendations for podcasts? I love podcasts too.
[00:44:06] Travis Morris: So I would say, so I've probably listened to the same ones you listened to. There's one guy from my church named Nick Han. His is called The Table podcast. He has a really good one as well, if you want to check that one out.
[00:44:20] And then there's one called, Beware Of The Bulldogs. It pretty much highlights all like the Fresno state athletes. Cool. Or like people that have made Fresno state the school. It is. So they have one as well. So those are the main two that I really lean towards. The most.
[00:44:36]Erich Wenzel: I'll definitely have links for anything. And any other things that you would use for information gathering.
[00:44:43]Travis Morris: generally from my instructors, I feel like I try to, especially my music instructor, anybody teaching me. I'm a sponge, so anytime they say something I want to like, I want to hear it. I'm going to record what you said and I'm going to do it multiple, multiple times as much as I can.
[00:45:02] Students should really work on that. I feel as if you're with an instructor that should be like your best friend, almost like you want to get as much information as possible so you can pass it on to someone else. So my structure is just like the big thing for me. Like I want to, I want to do anything and everything I can to learn from them cause that'll benefit me in the long run.
[00:45:27] Mr. Ford
[00:45:27] Erich Wenzel: Do you have any like a moment maybe in like grade school with like an instructor of yours that really made an impact on you that kind of said, Oh, maybe I can be whatever it is that they're teaching me in?
[00:45:39] Travis Morris: Yes. Fifth grade, Mr. Ford, Sean Ford shout out to him. He, actually, I know in elementary school I struggled a lot with like, just like school.
[00:45:50] In general, I just do my work. And so he was one of the first ones I, everybody was just like, Oh, just try your best. Do this, do that. He was the first one like, no, like enough's enough. You need to do that. You're like, now I don't care if you're in fifth grade or not. You need to figure it out by let's get it together.
[00:46:06] So when I heard that from him and I'm like, yo, like he's not babying me at all, he's the real deal. Why isn't my first teacher, I was, yo, he's like, no. I'll need you. I know you have a lot of potential, but you're not really pushing it. You should be doing this at a young age. You should be doing more like you have nothing to work.
[00:46:27] You like you, you live with your family, you know you have no reason to be lazy and not doing anything, you know, even at your age, fifth grade. And so when I heard that for now, I was like, yo. Okay. I'm like, you know, that was pretty hard, but I mean, it was real. It was so real. And so he transitioned, like he, he taught at the high school that I graduated from Clovis North.
[00:46:51] He was a counselor there. And so always knew, if I needed something, I'd go to Mr. Ford. Mr was always at one of them, be like, Hey, I'm gonna be real with you, like you need to do, you need to do that. You need to do that cause that'll pay to fix your future. So there's always that. He was always that one that'll, he always likes to try your best, but it was always try your best.
[00:47:11] But these are the ways that you can do your best. So he always gave me a background of what you need to do.
[00:47:20]Erich Wenzel: I love it when people have teachers like that. Cause it's like either you have a bad teacher and they put it in you, and then you get the student who says they're bad at math or something like that.
[00:47:31] Or you have the teacher and you have that experience and all of a sudden it's like they unlock a door for you and they, they say, Nope, you can actually be this. Or you know, there's some, like. It's okay that you maybe don't get this right now and just giving you the infinite possibility. Cause that's what it feels like for me just talking to you here for the last 45 minutes.
[00:47:49] It's like you just have this insane ability to just be like the world. Is this gem to absorb and learn and, you know, put it out back in the world in some way. You know, it's like you can take everything in and then put your own little unique twist on it and say, here it is. This is what I came up with.
[00:48:07] Travis Morris: Right? Yeah.
[00:48:09] Lifting Other People Up
[00:48:09]Erich Wenzel: Do you try to prop people up around you? Like, do you try to bring people up, with what you're doing? Or like. Cause it seems like you're, you're, you're somewhat of a leader with even just in the videos, like you have a really positive energy where it feels like people gravitate toward how they like it. Just a positive influence, I guess is the easiest way of describing it.
[00:48:29] Travis Morris: Yeah. I think personally, yeah, I do. I know a lot of the incoming freshmen or anyone that comes in that light don't feel like. You know they're out by, they're not, they're in the out crowd. You know, they are more to themselves. I'm like, no, I'm going to break you by the end of the season, you are going to be wild. You're going to have fun, you're going to be excited. And nine times out of - 10 times out of 10 they are all like that. I just encouraged a lot of them. There is nothing wrong with them having a little fun, especially like college, like you should be excited.
[00:49:08] Like, Hey, you're going to a free football game. You get to play with all your friends around you, pretty much your family, cause you spent like a quarter of a year with them. That's exciting. Like used to live that out and be like, yo, like this is cool. You know? So I try to inspire them as much as I can and just really, really, really cherish the moments you have with pretty much your family here because once the season is over, you know, you know, we're not going to see each other as much. Obviously, you know you're never, you're never going to get that experience again after you leave college. So you want to make sure that you cherish each moment you have with trends.
[00:49:47] I was desperate. I really tried to encourage, it just stays steadfast and really, really cherish these moments with your family cause that's really going to help you in the long run.
[00:49:58] Erich Wenzel: That's awesome. So whenever you feel like unfocused or you're like, you feel like you're drifting away from like cherishing that moment, what do you do?
[00:50:07] When You Feel Unfocused What Do You Do?
[00:50:07] Travis Morris: I talk to my friends, talk to my family. That's like the main thing that goes straight to like do call him. Oh yeah. There've been times where we'll get a call at like. One or 2:00 AM yeah. Whether that's me or someone else, but they always answer. They always answer, and it's just like, you know, like having that group of friends and family there is huge.
[00:50:31] It's crucial to have that because you know. Whatever you're going through, you're not alone. You have someone there to like, bye. I'm going through the same thing, bro. Let's go, let's go eat or something. I said, go talk it out. And like, we just really grow from that, you know? So those are the main things. I just try to try to not go through these problems by yourself.
[00:50:52] That's the worst thing you do. That's the worst thing you can do.
[00:50:54] Where Does His Vulnerability Come From?
[00:50:54] Erich Wenzel: Where does that vulnerability come from? That's not normal for someone either your age or even for guys in general. It's not normal to share vulnerability, which you know, is kind of sounds weird even for me to say it, but I talk about mental health on this podcast all the time. It's really important,
[00:51:09] Travis Morris: I think. well, when I grew up. I used to really hold everything in. And it's hard, you hold, you take everything and you're like, all right, whatever. Okay all right, I'll be good. And then you get to a breaking point, and you just glow and everything that comes out is all this pain from over time.
[00:51:34] And you're just like, what the heck? Like, yo, like. They are your family who looks at you and you're Whoa, like this isn't you. This is stuff that's happened over time. You know, this is stuff that's happened and I think the best thing you can really do is just really express everything. I know a lot of guys. He was like, no, I'm not going to express my feelings.
[00:51:57] That's dumb. It helps a lot, especially with your mental health, because. You know, and when you're in college and you got stuff you got to do, you're working you got, you have to talk things out. When you hold this stuff, it destroys you inside one more burden you're carrying on your shoulders like something you don't need.
[00:52:21] So one less problem you'd need. Like get that stuff out. Find somebody and talk with them. Just to really break that. I think that's the main thing that's helped me. I'm like, you know what? Especially with all the stuff that I do now. If I'm going to talk to someone, I'm gonna talk to that person as fast as possible so they can help me and I just get it off my chest.
[00:52:42] Erich Wenzel: Yeah, I mean, I agree. It's, it's just like when you have this like negative emotions and things that just weigh on you man. It's just like a festering wound. You just kind of collect it and then it just gets worse and worse and it feels like a, just a narrowing of the world. Like you just get sucked into this negative Headspace and everything around you just kind of becomes more or less gray.
[00:53:03] I mean, if we're being a little poetic about it, but it's just not a fun Headspace to be in for sure. And I think being honest about it is really one of the biggest things that we can do. And just being open and being like, yeah, we're not impervious. Like nobody is perfect and nobody is never not going to have a negative thought. Sorry it just doesn't work that way.
[00:53:25] It's okay to like feel down about yourself or feel just a little blue every so often it'd be like, Hey, maybe I could use a prop up like someone, you know, you know the, what's the song? Lean on me. I remember singing that and like, yeah, elementary school.
[00:53:39] Travis Morris: Like, no, that's real. It's okay to not be okay. And if you believe you're okay, then you're definitely not okay.
[00:53:48] That's like the big thing. I felt like you were Oh yeah, I'm always good. Like I'm good. I have friends like that. They're like, no, I never go there. I don't have any drama. I'm like, yeah. You're definitely don't do something, then. Nobody's perfect. Everybody's going through something might not be on this same level spectrum that maybe this person is going through, but you're glad you're definitely going through something. So that's huge.
[00:54:14] Erich Wenzel: Yeah. I normally look at people and like, at least for when it comes to mental health, there's this cool phrase where it's everyone's going through a battle that you know nothing about.
[00:54:23] You know, and it's a battle in between their ears and no matter who you are, we all have something that we're, we're dealing with and we're working through. And we, and, you know, we wish we could be better about right. I think that's been one of the big things that I kind of realized growing up.
[00:54:41] And then starting this podcast is like, I pretend to like, you know, I always, we always feel like we're different, right? Because we all are different to some degree, but it's this negative view of different, where it's like I'm different and no one else is going to be like me. And so I have to, you know, put a lid on it.
[00:54:56] And when you do that for too long. Then you start to view yourself as this fixed static thing and you're never going to find a place and like let your yourself self be well yourself
[00:55:08] Travis Morris: and the volcano erupts very quickly.
[00:55:13] How Would You Recommend Someone Find Themselves?
[00:55:13] Erich Wenzel: Yeah. Like I think you just gotta find an outlet. I think, I don't know, maybe you, you might be a good person to talk, talk about this, where it's like, how would you. You know, someone would look at you and say, they're a little shy and they don't know, like the freshmen you had described, right. They're a little bit more reserved, they're not as sure about themselves. What would you say to that person who's not as sure about who they are and say, how do I find out maybe what my thing is, right? Cause not everyone's going to have the same thing. Like, no, no one's not. Everyone's going to be like you and find the symbols. But everyone I think do, does have a thing that they're really good at. Like their own superpower. So like, what would you say for someone to like find their thing?
[00:55:53] Travis Morris: Well, the first thing I really hit with home and a lot of people, especially a lot of my friends who, who want to be entrepreneurs, but they don't know what they're really good at, so I'd tell them, okay, what have you grown up and so everybody has something, at least one thing, they grew up in miring at a young age.
[00:56:16] I know for a fact for me, like I've always wanted to be like an actor on Disney channel or something like that. So that was like something I admired. And so, it could be something as simple as that. What did you always want it to do that you never could do? Like you'd never thought that you could do.
[00:56:34] And then I would say, you know what? Like, look into that. See if there's something there that you can run with. And like, you know, you know, you never know where it can honestly lead to, maybe it's something you don't want to do, but maybe you can find something in that that'll lead you towards the next thing and the next thing.
[00:56:53] And I felt like at that point you're finding things that. Really match you. And so you always go, you, you always look to that trial and error. Like you're never going to find that one perfect thing sometimes, but there's always going to be like multiple times of find out. Alright maybe that wasn't the thing that I was into, but there's another step that I saw in there that led me to another thing.
[00:57:22] That helped me to the route that I want to be. There's always something towards the next thing, so I always encourage like, you know what? Find something that you liked or that you used to lead or whatever, and see what you can pinpoint like on that timeline and just really run with it.
[00:57:46] Erich Wenzel: Yeah. It feels like a discovery process in many ways. Sometimes you just kind of latch onto something or like a friend says something to you or. I don't know, like just there's these, these little moments that you don't realize they're like impactful or big until you start reflecting on it. A lot of my writing on the website for me is like reflecting on who I've become.
[00:58:07] And in many ways I was that person that you're talking about. I was this guy who had viewed myself in certain ways and very closed mindset and said, yeah, I'm not that kind of guy. And particularly there was athletics. I'd always viewed myself as the self-proclaimed nerd and I could never be athletic.
[00:58:23] And then somehow my friend had planted the seed that instead of saying like, you should work out, like a lot of people say, all he told me was, Hey, I started working out. It's been a lot of fun. You might like it too. That's all he told me. And then not only like six months later I wound up signing up for the gym and it changed my entire trajectory.
[00:58:42] Like I wouldn't be doing this podcast if I hadn't started working out. Legitimately, it's the craziest thing ever. Like if you, you know, sometimes you just gotta give yourself a reason to try something. And then you'll figure it out along the way, like, Oh wow, maybe I do have what it takes to do this.
[00:59:00] Travis Morris: Right.
[00:59:00] It's all about, it's all about trying exactly. Like you find something you're like at the gym you just brought up like you tried that and that. Honestly, like, all right, I'm going to try more things. Let me try it. Let me try to run with that. There's always, it's all about trying that discovery process you brought up it's all about trying little things that cool work for you that you don't know yet, but opening up other things, other pathways that it'll really help you grow.
[00:59:31] Visualization - Fixed vs Growth Mindset
[00:59:31] Erich Wenzel: I mean, I guess right now I'm just kinda thinking about it like if you want to do like a little visualization experiment. If you think about it, if you hadn't tried, say you just say, no, I can't do that.
[00:59:42] Right? So that's a door you closed for yourself without even attempting to turn the knob. But if you go into an event and say, I'm just gonna at least try, that means you at least crack the door open and then you get to see kind of like all these other, like, you know, however many doorways open basically because you said, Oh, maybe I could do this, because even if you like, that door wasn't the right one.
[01:00:01] You still walk through that door and you have something else than the other side.
[01:00:06] Travis Morris: Yeah. Right. Exactly.
[01:00:08] Erich Wenzel: I just thought about that right now. I'd never thought about it that way, but I think that's a really,
[01:00:13] Travis Morris: it was crazy. Cause like, you know, once you try more, you're going to want to try more things.
[01:00:17] That's what that big thing for me. Like just like trying everything and then seeing what happens with it. Honestly. I know for a fact, I probably will never go back to music production again. Like I hated that. I wanted it to be like the biggest producer ever in high school. But then I realized after the fact, I'm like, no, I don't think I'm cut out for this right now.
[01:00:46] I found something. I tried something yelled at it helped out, you know? So.
[01:00:51] What Well In 2019
[01:00:51] Erich Wenzel: Dude, that's awesome, man. And we're almost an hour already. This is probably like the fastest hour in the history of my podcast I've ever done. I'm not even gonna lie. This is crazy. And I've been ending this since this is the end of the year.
[01:01:04] We're, we're right in the middle of December. I've been thinking about this question, and this comes from positive psychology. I don't know if you've heard of this, the domain of positive psychology, but I'm really into it. But there's this question I've been asking a lot of my guests that I've been recording stuff at the end of the year here, which is what went well in 2019 for you.
[01:01:23] And that's, it could be personal, it could be professional, like you have a lot of things going on, but nothing, I don't want it to be around this like event that's happening cause it's organic. But just like if you reflect on the year right now, what are you surprised about and do like momentum you want to carry into 2020.
[01:01:44] Travis Morris: That I realized with myself, especially this year that I am good enough. I grew up, especially at the beginning of January, December, December of 2018 going into January of 2019 it was, it was tough for me., I was going through a lot during that time. You know, I had some things going on with myself, thinking, you know, am I good enough?
[01:02:11] Is this like, am I ever going to win? You know? And I really had to grow and figure out like, you know, like you, you are good enough. You are special. You are unique and I feel everybody like should know that. People say they are always not going to know. That's not the case.
[01:02:32] Maybe you haven't gotten to the place you need to get to. Maybe you haven't really opened the door a path that's on a path like this you want to go down towards and like. Once you do, like it just opens up a new world for you. And I feel like at that point you realize no, I am good enough.
[01:02:52] I am, I can do everything I want to do. I, if I want to, if I put my mind to it, I can do anything I want to do and no one could tell me different. So I think that's the main thing. They hit me in 2019 my, you are good enough and no one else can tell you that's, you're not.
[01:03:10] Erich Wenzel: Killing it, man. You're doing things, you're killing it.
[01:03:13] This is, Oh, I got goosebumps right there. Kidding you like it's so, I love doing this stuff where people are just so fired up and it makes me all fired up about the things that I'm doing. It is so freaking awesome and I am humbled and honored. It's so cool, man. You're going places and I'm excited to see where you go.
[01:03:35] So where can people connect with you on the internet?
[01:03:40] Travis Morris: So, you can contact me on Facebook or no. Instagram and Twitter at and T Boogs, TB, O, O G S S and or Facebook on Travis at Travis Isaiah Morris. Those are the main things I usually answer on. but yeah, like those are the, you can contact me anytime.
[01:03:58] You know, I'm a free person. I messaged anybody that messaged me out, always message them back as fast as I can. I'm usually really busy, but when I can on my art, let me go and watch the little quick.
[01:04:11] Erich Wenzel: Cool man. But yeah. Well, we'll have links in the show notes and everything like that. We'll have everything out there and people connect with you.
[01:04:18] Travis Morris: Awesome.
[01:04:19] Erich Wenzel: Thanks, man. This is awesome.
[01:04:21] Travis Morris: Thank you. Thank you.