Finding Purpose Through Music, Friendship & Family | Cory Mon & Clark, Ascent Life Ep. 32

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Can we learn to live our best lives through music? And the art of live performance, musicians Corey Maughan and Clark the bass player. Clark, I didn't get your last name, so- Cannon is my last name.
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Clark Ca- with, with a C? Yeah. One C- double C on that? Yeah. Okay. There's... That's a lot of Cs, and a lot ofNs, actually. A lot of Ns. Uh-huh.
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Uh, Clark Cannon, uh, who, uh, may be going to the hot tub soon, and he don't need no bathing suit. No. Never. Bath suit. Yep. Um, on the episode today, and we'll dive into living your best life as musicians.
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Welcome to the Ascent Life Podcast. I am your host, R. Brandon Long, with the mission to inspire one million people a day to live their best lives and become the best version of themselves. That's all.
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Healthy, wealthy, and wise. That is living an Ascent life.
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You can subscribe to the show on YouTube at Ascent Life Now, and also to my weekly email newsletter, um, at Ascent Life, at AscentLifeNow.com, where, yes, I do link each podcast so you never miss an episode, and also I dive a little deeper into what I've learned each week on the subject of how to live your best life.
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That newsletter link is at AscentLifeNow.com. So before we dive into our wonderful, beautiful guests here in the trailer, I have some wisdom from the pages. Picked up this book recently.
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It is The Meaning of Your Life from Arthur C. Brooks, and he studies...
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This is what he does for a living, and he wrote a book on it because he saw a lot of students coming into his office, and especially recently since the pandemic, a little bit before the pandemic, that people are feeling burned out.
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They don't know what the meaning of life is. They don't... They think, um, their life sucks, and so he wrote a book on it.
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And, uh, I think we can all sort of understand what he's going through and what he talks about in this book. I'm only on 95 pages in.
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I absolutely love this book and would recommend it right now without even finishing it. I would not say that about the last book, which was the Let Me Theory by Mel Robbins. Um, sure, it's fi- it's okay.
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Uh, I put a little video out on YouTube on that one. You'll, you'll get it within the first few chapters, and then the whole rest of the Let Men, Let Them theory is, like, pointless.
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Anyway, um, that's my hardcore review. That's- [laughs] See what I'm doing there is- [laughs] Cool... I'm dividing the audience a little bit. Yeah. Yeah, you are.
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See- You're like, "No, you have to read to the final page." Yeah, no. Ah, he- No, not at all... spared no word. Here is, um, some quotes that I found interesting from this book, The Meaning of Your Life from Arthur C.
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Brooks. First of all, he defines for us happiness. Happiness equals enjoyment plus satisfaction plus meaning. But how do you define meaning? Meaning is coherence plus purpose plus significance.
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And of course, you have to buy the book to understand what the hell he's talking about. Mm. But those are... That gives you an idea there.
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He says, uh, in the meaning of meaning, "The second element of life's meaning is purpose." 'Cause we... I talk a lot about purpose, and I feel like we... And I'm gonna ask the question, "What is your purpose?"
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But what is it? What is purpose? And he defines purpose as, "is the existence of goals and direction in your life." That's it. Can be that simple, as long as you have goals and direction in your life.
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"This is the belief that you are alive in order to do something. Think of purpose as the map of your life telling you where you are in your journey and where you want to go."
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And the odd thing is there are so many people, I guess it's a sad thing, who when they don't have purpose, it means they just don't have any goals.
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They don't know what they're doing, where they wanna goal, where they wanna go, et cetera. Uh, he brings... He, he reads a lot of, uh,
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Fyodor Dostoevsky and brings that up in here, 'cause, you know, you gotta, you gotta go with the old Russian guys. Um- [laughs]...
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it says here, "The modern world of technology is literally changing the way people use their brains." And he's talking about this thing Do- Dostoevsky talks about, the crystal, the palace of the crystal.
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He explains it all in here, but what it means is, "The modern world of technology is literally changing the way people use their brains, rendering them less and less capable of finding life's coherence, purpose, and significance."
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And that is the problem we are facing today and what he's trying to answer in this book. And then of course, he talks about one of my favorite authors, Ralph Waldo Emerson. I named my son after, uh, Ralph Waldo Emerson.
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Wow. Might not know this yet, but my son's name is Emerson, and, uh, he probably has no idea who Ralph is, but that's okay. I'll introduce him later. Uh,
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it says, uh, "Emerson founded the American philosophical school of Transcendentalism, which taught people to be self-reliant." And so what does that mean?
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"I have found no better manual than self-reliance on how in seven steps to rebel against the current psychogenic epidemic, epidemic that we are experiencing with social media," and, uh, depression around that and stuff.
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And so those seven steps are, uh, reclaim your privacy, stop conforming to others' thinking, like be a nonconformist. Number three, be true to yourself. Walk alone if necessary.
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Number four, defer gratification, so pursue, pursue long-term purpose with passion and perseverance. Five, things that are trivial, immoral, or silly, they're all just distractions. Six, be willing to change your mind.
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Be open to changing your mind often. And seven, speak the truth, not necessarily your truth, although that's the phrase of the day, but speak the truth always. And so that is your wisdom from the pages, uh... Yes.
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Thank you. Thank you. [applause] Pretty good. Pretty good. Oh, wow. We got a lot of people joining us on that one. Oh, a lot of people just, uh- Wow... they're, they're outside the trailer here.
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That's like a Corey Maughan audience- [laughs] A lot of people... all those people clapping. [laughs] I know y'all are used to that audience, so there we go. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thousands and millions of people. Yeah.
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[laughs] Thousands and millions. Maybe not all at the same time. Yeah, yeah. [laughs] But, uh, yes. Yeah. I'd like to welcome our guests for this show, onto the podcast.
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We have, uh, Corey Maughan, and now just officially Clark the Bass Player. We? We? Um- Yeah. They call theirs- With their new album, Olly Olly Oxenfree, sponsored by Hormel Chili and Evian, apparently. Yes.
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So if you wanna expand on the sponsorship, whoops, levels there. I kinda, I kinda wanna get a closer- Clark, Clark is contractually obligated to, to, to, to, you know, talk about his sponsors. Okay.
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So for- forgive us for a second. Yep. So, uh, I, I've got a, I've got this Evian Brumister right here, if you're, if you're watching on, on the YouTube. Is that- Yep... where this is streamed? Yep. Uh, they're a sponsor.
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Uh, it's, it's something that's just nice and refreshing. Yeah. If you're feeling a little warm, you just hit yourself a little-... little spritz- Um, and it's like, "Oh." See, oh, Cory's got glasses. Here. Yeah. Here.
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With the glasses. I, I'm- Oh, yeah. Yeah. Here we go. There we go. That's delightful. Evian. I missed the name. Evian, what is it called? Braumister. Brow mister. Yeah. [laughs] Brow mister.
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[laughs] Brau- But it's spelled like in, in German- Brau... so it's like- Braumister. Brau meister. Brau. [laughs] Yeah, yeah. 'Cause like ends in E-U-R, so... You just spritz that- Braumister...
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do a little sauerkraut- Yeah... you're good to go. Exactly. Yeah. You're set. And Evian, it's naive spelled backwards, so... It's, uh, naive spelled backwards. Mm-hmm. Uh, and of course, the Hormel chili.
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The Hormel chili. Yeah. With beans on this can, no beans on that can. Yeah. Just for each their own, yeah. Who- whoever wants it, you know? Yeah. If you're from Texas and you're a no bean guy, go for it. Yeah.
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But Hormel, feed the beast within. Oh my God. There we go. Well, I'm a little jealous, Clark, on how you made the connection here with these powerhouses, so. [laughs] Thanks. Yeah. Uh, congratulations. Thank you.
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You know, it's- Love it... nice. It's nice. Like, I'm really just waiting for a cease and desist letter is what I'm really- [laughs] [laughs] Well, when the millions of people see this podcast- Yeah, yeah...
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they'll like- Yeah... give you all the money possible, so. They're like, "Yes, Bill, we, we need to, like, hire you for real." Yes. For real, for real. Well, let's start light here.
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Uh, Cory Mon, musician, what is your definite major purpose in life? Oh, man. Bran- Brandon, what would you say? My, my... [laughs] I'm gonna turn it around on you. Uh, uh. Ask ChatGPT. Yeah, ask ChatGPT.
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Uh, yes, exactly, or, or Claude. Yeah, you could... Claude's better. Yeah, Claude. Claude's so cool now. Claude is awesome. Yeah. [laughs] Um, g- great question. We were actually talking about that on the way up. Yeah.
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Yeah. Oh. Yeah. We, uh... Uh, I, I would say, I mean, my life purpose, uh, was one thing, uh, and it was be, uh, me for so long, and, uh, it's still that.
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But the second I had a daughter, something changed. Um- Uh, isn't that weird? Yeah. And she's just the best. And really,
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uh, my purpose, and I'm not trying to sound sacri- self-sacri- sacrificial, it actually turns me back to exactly my purpose, but, uh, is for her, uh, to be her father, but most importantly, to be her best friend and a safe space for her.
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Ooh. Um, and in being that, the only thing I can be is continue to be myself and pursue the things that I love and, and make the most, chase my dreams, chase my, you know,
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chase wildlife, the, it, to what I need it, you know, chase kindness, chase goodness, chase bettering myself so that she can see that- Mm...
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and so that she can be that herself and, you know, it, to be an example of some sorts, but more importantly, I need all of that in order to be the safe space, in order to be who I am so that I can be the best father for her.
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So that's, that's my... I mean, that's how I see life these days. Good luck following that. I know. Holy hell. Great jeez. [laughs] Uh, mine is to be a sponsor for, uh, Hormel chili and Evian. Yeah, yeah.
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Clark's a little more, uh- Done, done... superficial. [laughs] But, yeah. Yeah. Uh, yeah, that's, uh, uh... Cory sent me that question last week, and I've seriously been thinking about it all week, and I don't, haven't,
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I haven't come up with, like, a def- definite purpose for my life other than that I want to do things that I love with people that I love. Um, I am one of the lucky people who just, I love my family. I love my parents.
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I love my siblings. We get together for a Sunday dinner every Sunday, and it is- Unless we're on the road... unless we're on the road, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
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But, like, my mom makes dinner every Sunday, and I just look forward to it 'cause I get to talk to them, and we have a fantasy football league. And, like, the, I think that, you know, I'm just being this side of 40,
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closer- [laughs] Closer, closer to 50 now. [laughs] But, uh- It's all uphill. A couple years you'll be this side of 50. You know? Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
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So, uh, but, like, I, I've tried to find what I, I love, and it, it is my family. And, like, I love doing stuff with them, and I, at the same time, I love working with clients that I love.
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I, I've been in residential real estate for 20-plus years, and I've done it full time. I'm getting back into it full time. I love being in a band with Cory.
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I've got a couple other musical projects that I'm on, and I love doing that, and I love the people that I'm doing that with. Like, I've, I've been friends with all of them for years and years.
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And so doing stuff that I love with people that I love is really what I feel like my purpose is- Yeah... in life. I think that's a great answer, and I also, uh, respect the fact that, um, you had to think about it. Yeah.
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It, I mean, it's... I, I didn't wanna just come up with some trite reply. [laughs] No, but that's the point of the podcast. I wanna be a good person. Yeah. It's like, "Pfft, boo."
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I feel like we don't think about it enough. Yeah. I agree. And I, that's m- my whole mission, is like, let's get people thinking about it.
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And, and Cory, you said, um, you know, you, you basically spelled out the mission exactly, and it's like, how do we, um, how do we become the best person ourselves so that we can, we can show that to other, be an example to- Yeah...
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um, to the... Now, you're a dad, a girl dad. I'm a girl dad. What I n- noticed as, um, as a girl dad, well, as a dad, period, is, uh, the difference between, um...
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I, so I would see these Facebook posts when, um, your baby is born, and then pe- and people would post, like, "I love my, I love my kids so much." And it's like, "Well, of c- of course." Of course you do.
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But I don't even know who the hell this kid is. Yeah. [laughs] Yes. Like, you know what I mean? Yeah. It's, it's, it's- They got a- It's a lump of flesh and bone... yeah, and I'm like- Yeah, yeah, yeah...
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no offense, peop- Yeah... no offense, child, but I don't know who you are yet. Yeah, yeah. And then as they g- as they grow and you grow to, and then their personality doesn't really start showing- No... for a few years.
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It's almost this- Yeah... sense of adoration for those first, you know, two or three years, you know? And then, I mean, sure, and not to, not to discount love of-...
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of a child, but it's, it's, you adore this little thing, you know? Yes. Because it's kinda part of you. Yes. And then when the personality comes out, you're like, "Okay." Oh, my goodness. "Oh, God." Yeah.
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"What, what have I gotten myself into now?" Yeah, yeah. Here we go. Here we- Here we go. Here we go. So when did that happen for you, Corey? [sighs] I mean, she started, uh, y- She has a big personality. Yeah, she does.
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Yeah. And, and that started peeking out at two. [laughs] Early on. Yeah, I mean, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and she's, she's kind of always just been very herself.
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Um, and, and I, and I mean, candidly, that's, a- at least I think that's kinda me, too, so it, I, it, it, it worked hand-in-hand and, and tandem, um, meaning it ju- just felt like my little buddy all along, you know?
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And I think everyone kinda hopes that for their kid, but, like, I, I had no other choice. [laughs] Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
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So what sacrifices have, and I don't know if you'd call, I don't know if sacrifice is the right word, maybe it is, but sacrificed money maybe or, or career, what have you done to be true to yourself, Corey, so that that's what she sees?
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Um, hmm. Good question. I did not give this one in advance. No. So, uh- But that one, that, that one's a harder in, in that, like, you just said, you know, what sacrifices. I don't, I don't know...
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I mean, so, but in order to actually show her, um, I would... Yeah, I mean, I'm not a money chaser.
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I, I, I, I chose to chase music a long time ago, and sure, I do many other things of, you know, marketing, uh, alongside of that all, all along, and, and, and you, you can't just be a musician unless you're that lucky
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3%, you know? Um, in my opinion. Percent's that high, huh? Yeah, I, I, I think so. Okay. I think so. I mean, well, so for instance, I moved out to, you know, uh, at one point in time to try to further be myself. Mm-hmm.
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Right? I was working this pretty corporate job. Uh, I was, uh, uh, the marketing guy for a, a record label per, you know, for, for the lack of- [laughs]... you know? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So, um- [laughs]...
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uh, it was, it was a religious, uh, record label here and, um, you know, uh, anyways. Um, but I just wasn't myself, and I- Mm-hmm... uh, uh, and I was try- we were still doing music, but it just, nothing ever felt right.
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And, and the amount of involvement that I had in this was just, uh, tumultuous, and, a- and was g- in, in my heart and, you know, head. So I moved out to Florida with my now ex. Clark's- Yeah... sister, by the way.
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My- My, yep, my sister. [laughs] There we go. Yep. So at, and so Corey's daughter is my niece, as well. Yes. Yeah. So, yes. Okay. And so if you see me- We're looking-... looking over at him, I'll... Yep. Yeah.
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There you go. Missing her. Yes, yes. I got- She's at Sunday dinner sometimes. Don't worry- [laughs]... I got Clark in the divorce. Yes. [laughs] That's what we all wanted to know, so. Wednesdays, every other weekend.
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It, it's great. Yeah. You know? Yeah, it's... [laughs] Um, anyway, so I moved out to Florida, much to probably Clark and Steve's chagrin. Oh, yeah.
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Um, but the whole idea was to just go in- investigate this full-time music thing because there's a demand for live music in, that's in Florida just because it stays warm all year round, and then it's this, you know, uh, a vacation destination all the time.
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So, uh, and I had vacationed out there, and I'd seen how much there was. I made connections, and so I went out there and did it.
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Um, so I mean, uh, sacrificing of, of, you know, maybe some stability here and there, but, uh, but that only felt right. Um, uh, yeah, if there's something, uh...
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Yeah, the, the way you asked it was more like what have you sacrificed in order to show her. I think, I, like, can I chime in here? Yes, please. I, I'm not [laughs]- I know, I'd love to....
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this wasn't my question, but- No... uh, I've noticed, uh, just the, the time commitment that music takes, where you're gone for weekends and things, and she's a, she's a little actress, and- Yep...
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m- you've missed a play or two, but we've also rescheduled gigs so that you can be at plays. That's a sacrifice, by the way. Yeah. Yeah, that's right, because you want to see them do every, every show. Oh, yeah.
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Every performance. A great for instance, I guess, is she is starring in Annie next weekend, and, uh- Yeah... and I canceled the gig. I was like- Yeah... "I can't." When it came up that- Yeah...
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it, it was in, it was a gig we already had ca- uh, booked, and I was like, "I absolutely can't do this." Right. She, she's only performing twice. I will not mi- miss one of them. Yeah.
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Okay, and Corey- And it worked out 'cause I'm gonna be Miss Hannigan, so. Yeah, yeah. [laughs] Like, I'm buying tickets now. [laughs] That's just all I needed to know. Crop top. So yeah, yeah.
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Crop, crop top Miss Hannigan, yeah. [laughs] Oh, God, I can't wait. Uh, but Corey- Yeah... not every parent can do that- No... or not every parent thinks about that. Yeah.
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Your head space is in a different- Thanks, man... place. Thanks. And it's, it's really just 'cause I adore the hell out of that little thing. Yeah. Yeah. Clark, have you made similar... Do you have kids? I don't.
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I had a cat once, but that didn't work out. Really close. Didn't work out. [laughs] Wait, how long... You couldn't, couldn't keep a cat? They keep themselves. Diabetes, yeah. [laughs] Yeah, it was, it was a lot of work.
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Yeah. [laughs] No. No, I d- I don't have kids. Uh- Okay... so. But sacrifices for the love of the game. Yeah, uh, like, there, it's, it's an interesting mindset being a bass player.
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Like, and I'm, I've noticed this because you're kind of a background person- What?... in a band for most bass players. Yeah, most bass players [laughs] are the background person.
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Like- Not otherwise mistaken for the frontman when he doesn't show up in a... [laughs] Exactly. Yeah, yeah. So, like, a lot of, there's... Oh, what, what was I gonna say?
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Like- Back, back, bass players are background players... as a, as a bass player, like, you kind of, like, sit back, and you're the support for the people up front. Um,
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and so you kinda sacrifice that, and I, I've been in bands where, where I've done that, where I've just sort of been the background guy and whatever.
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Um, and what I've really loved that we do As a band with Corey, is it's like everybody in the band is their own frontman. Like, everybody's there to entertain and make it so much fun.
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Well- So- Your frontman has to allow that. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And, and it's [laughs] not very often that you find a frontman who's willing to, to share that, the, the spotlight in a way. But- A- and I can even argue,
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n- not trying to fluff me up, I'm so awesome, I get it. [laughs] I, but, but I lit- like, I, it's- Mm-hmm... it's my favorite thing- Yeah, yeah... to just be sure.
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The band, it, it, it feels a little weird that the band is named Corey Mon. People will be like, "What is it?" And we're like, "Corey Mon." And we have our jokes with that, you know? Mm-hmm.
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Like, I am Corey Mon, and together- But there is an actual Corey Mon... we are Corey Mon. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So it's this weird thing, but I love readily giving that.
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Like, Clark is such a m- one of my favorite humans in the whole world, and, and just a great frontman in his own right. And Steve was a frontman of Clark's old band.
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And so, and Jagoda, who we've added to the band over the last year, is just an amazing character, and when we gave him a mic for the first time, he looked at it like it was so foreign. [laughs] Yeah.
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He'd never been given a mic in his life. But the whole idea- What is this?... the things he was saying were adding to our enjoyment. Mm-hmm.
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And we're really about standing on stage and inviting you into what it's like being in our friendship. And it- Yeah... and, and w- what is it?
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Clark does a lot of the talking and, and the joking, and the rest of us follow, and it's, that's kinda how we operate. Yeah. Oh. Yeah. It, and it's, it's so much... Like, it's so much fun. Like,
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it's just the enjoyment of being on stage. Like, you start the work week, and I'm just looking forward to, like, Friday and Saturday when I get to hang out with my best friends. Yeah.
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Um, I know you asked a question about what I've sacrificed, and I totally [laughs] derailed it in- [laughs]... into that. But, um, like, I, I, I, I don't, I don't really... Let me think about it, I guess. Fair enough.
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We can jump back. So the- I, I would say Clark, um, j- 'cause maybe I can speak for him as he spoke for me, like Clark, um, Clark sacrifices a, a, a lot for those moments, meaning, uh, those moments with people.
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He is readily available. He, uh, is always there. Uh, he's, uh, is dedicated [laughs]... I'm gonna cry... a, as a human being and as a, as a friend as I've ever known.
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Um, and he makes himself available for his friends, for his family. Um, a- and so, you know, he could be a very...
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Not that he even aspires for this, 'cause I think I'm similar, but, like, he, he could be running businesses, and he's, he, he's that charismatic and that smart of a human being. Mm-hmm.
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And he, he holds no regard for that. He is, he is there piecing his life together professionally to make money, enough money, but it's all about being there for his human beings.
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So I would, I would say that's very much Clark. And, and that's the kind of sacrifice that is probably most respected. Thank you. Um, when you sacrifice your,
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um, I don't know, your family for your job, I'm like, we're, we're like, I don't know what's going... What are we doing? Where's our priorities? Yes. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Um, very good.
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So free hugs, um- Free hugs... free hugs. [laughs] This is the, uh- #freehugs... #freehugs. Yeah. Not, not just a slogan. It's a vibe. Talk about... Corey, how... I- is this, like, did you come up with this?
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Like, like, what... The, the band... How did you- I-... implement this into the band? There's a lot of things that happened on stage organically. So we...
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And I think most of it we can actually credit to, we were playing bars way back in the day, like, just as the background music, and instead of being background music, we tried to make sure that we were the front ground.
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So we came up with bits. Mm. And I remember Clark- Yeah. [laughs] I, I think you started free hugs. Yeah.
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We were just entertaining, like, the bartenders, like- And we're, we're honestly trying to make each other laugh and the bartenders laugh. Uh-huh. Because the other people are there to, like,
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hit on each other or whatever. Yeah. And we're there to- What are people doing in bars? [laughs] We're, we're there to play our music and, and entertain. And, like, the bartenders would love it.
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But yeah, we came up with, like, the free hug thing, and then that... I, I think it transitioned into, like, "We'll upgrade you to a deluxe hug." Yes. Ooh. Which is a $2 value. Yeah. [laughs] Yeah.
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[laughs] And then the next show it came up with, like, well, what's a deluxe hug? It's like, it's a, it lasts longer- Yeah... and, like, you- Com- completes with a la- a linger longer and, and, and an affirmation. Yeah.
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Yeah. So you get, like, a whisper in your ear, like, it's like, "You deserve to take up space." Oh. Like- Yes. So [laughs] yes. This is- Yeah, see? Oh. Oh. Oh, yeah. This is good. Yeah. Just like that.
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So, uh, like, we would be at shows, and we would give s- I need, I need an affirmation. Oh, you need an affirmation? Yeah, yeah. Into, into your headphones? [laughs] Yeah. "You are welcome wherever you go." Mm. Hmm.
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There you go. Okay. [laughs] Free hugs. Yeah, free hugs. So- Free hugs. But yeah, like, we, like,
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we, we would just start something kinda silly like that, and it would become part of the band, and it became part of a thing, like, where we would actually just... Like, the whole band would, like, wrap around somebody.
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Yeah. And, like- At the end of shows, like, I think, I think one of the first times I remember we played, we had played Snowbird, um, 'cause we had done that joke at the bars.
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And, you know, sure, someone would come up and do that. Mm-hmm. But I remember at Snowbird some lady coming up afterwards and just g- and so we just- Like, it was a full band hug... yeah, the full band hug enveloped her.
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Circle around her. Yeah. Yeah. And so that became our new thing. Yeah. And she... Like, I remember she, like, kind of teared up a little bit. Yeah.
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She was just like, "Oh, wow, this is-" And she, she lives, she lives in Florida, and she... And this was in Utah, you know? [laughs] Like- Yeah.
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[laughs] And she still messages me to the day, you know, here and there like, "Oh, I love you guys so much. I've been following..." Da, da. Yeah, that's been- Well, it creates- We're making friends... true fanship.
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And it's something that... You know this 'cause you're in marketing. If you, if you did it as a marketing thing and it's disingenuous, it wouldn't work. Yeah. Oh, yeah. No, exactly. Yeah. Yeah.
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But it l- legitimately, we'd love to hug everyone unless you're a creeper, then we, we have no, yeah, yeah. I mean, I'll hug them still. [laughs] It's... Clark's like- Little, little bum tickle... I'll just- Yeah...
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I'll just win them over. Mm-hmm. You know? Just rest my hands on the lower back. Oh, yeah. So what you're saying then, uh, Clark and Corey, um, it's all about the money. Yeah. Yeah. It really is.
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That's all- It really is... it's all about. We're just in it for like the- Yeah... $30 that we make every year. Yeah. You should see our taxes. Yeah. [laughs] So many write-offs. [laughs] So many write-offs.
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[laughs] We don't- Well-... file taxes, we just file a Schedule C with everything- Yeah... that we spend. [laughs] Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. So why do you pursue the art, the creativity of, of music when there...
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It's so... You, you can't... It's so hard to make a living at it. Oh, great question. Uh, because I love it. Like, there's nothing quite like it.
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Um, music for me, uh, a- as much as we've become a little bit of a, like, comedy show slash... You know, like people will all the time like, "Ah, it's like watching comedy, but then the music's so good too."
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We hear that all the time. Yeah. Which is really cool, 'cause it used to be like, "The music's okay, but the comedy's amazing." [laughs] Like... [laughs] We've, we've just gotten better at music. Yeah.
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But, but we, we... Honestly, we've, we've- I think we've just inadvertently gotten better... we've always been funny... yeah, we have legit heard that. We have legit heard like, "We love your stand-up. The music's okay."
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You know? Like, uh, lately though it's, it's more like, you know, the other... Anyways. Mm-hmm. Um, so we're progressing apparently. Um- It's really funny. Oh, gosh... but, but the, the whole point...
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I for- even forget my whole point now. I, oh, wait. Uh, why we're doing this. Oh. It's for the money. It's for the money. Yeah, for the money. Yeah. [laughs] It...
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Music is therapy for me, so w- when I write and when I play, meaning in those, those moments where it's just kind of me or, you know, we're jamming, I'm... It, it's, it's a way for me, it's a medium for me. I hate...
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I love direct communication, but there's nothing worse than a song that's just exactly, in my opinion, like right on the nose. Like, you know? [laughs] Like, it, it, it's an actually an art form, so it's, it's...
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and, and, and the...
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I guess the point is this: direct communic- communication can get you places and, and get you understanding, and get you places, you know, uh, uh, communicate things, but you still can't communicate what you're, uh, what you ever w- really want to communicate.
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It's almost like in the midst of like your heart and your head and your past trauma, like, you know, what are you really trying to get forward? And music for me gives me lyrics and music and performance- Yeah...
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to get all those points across. It gives me three, or arguably even four, you know, like way- you know, elements to kinda seed that message, and it changes. Mm-hmm. The same song changes- Oh, yeah...
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depending on where, what you're at. And I, that's why I love music. Um, uh, and it's so damn fun. Oh, it's so fun. [laughs] Like, I, I, I pursue music because
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I love playing the music and I love rehearsing and I love writing new stuff, but being on stage and presenting some p- something that you've like prepared and watching how people react to it, like good, negative, whatever- Yeah...
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like, it is, it is so, I, I don't know, invigorating and f- like freeing. Yeah. And then being able to- Play off of that... play... Yeah.
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Like, uh, like when we w- in between songs when we get somebody who's just sitting there, you know, just sorta ho-hum, and we get them to smile, like that is one of my favorite things.
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And it's usually some stupid joke or- Yeah... some- something silly, and they're like, "Oh, okay. Well, I can smile at this." Okay.
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And then like I feel like at that point we've kind of got them as, as a friend, as a fan. And like, like the Hormel chili thing is so funny. We did our- So ridiculous...
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we did our album release, and we had a Crock-Pot on stage like cooking Hormel chili. And like, I had like 15 people come up after and they're like- "Can I-"... "Can I have some?" "Can I get some of that chili?"
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Oh my God, I love it. And I was like- [laughs]... "Yeah, sure." Yeah. Like, "You gotta share." But like [laughs] it was, it was just so, so much fun.
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A- a- and like it's giving them an experience that like you're just not gonna s- that's not a everyday experience. Yeah. Which is what I love about music.
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I, I think there's one thing that we do musically, and I, it, it, that really is about for j- just speaking of your purpose, Clark, like e- enjoying things with people, right? D- doing things with people.
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And I think it's, we really try to interact with these people and become friends with them. I- it's this weird thing, and I always...
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A- and the reason I didn't want to get into music at first, even though I wrote therapeutically in my bedroom and, and I loved it, was I didn't wanna be the guy that stood on stage and arrogantly thought I had something to say that they needed to hear, right?
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That felt really arrogant to me. Yeah. But it's... And then so I was marketing for this, this, uh, house concert series, and they had this touring artist come through.
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And they tried to get me to open, and I'm like, "No, no, no, I just write in my basement," da-da. And I remember him talking. He and I went skiing the day before, and, and uh,
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I, I talked to him and he said, "Well, yeah, why wouldn't you open? They said you were gonna try to get to open." And I said, "Well, I've n- one, I don't do that."
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And I told him that, and he goes, "Have you ever thought that by not getting on stage you're actually denying them something- Yes... that they need?" And that changed everything for me. Yeah.
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We c- I had to fix the camera. Very Rick Rubin. Yeah, have you read the book, Rick Rubin's book? No. I, I haven't, I haven't read... No. High... As a musician, as an ar- artist- Yeah...
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absolutely 100% read it because, yes, he talks about that. And, and he talks about that, um- It's been recommended to me a million times. Well, probably more than once.
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I've, I've- I've, I've, I've heard him speak on it quite a bit. Uh, I, I did a little, I did a little YouTube video on that one too. Pluck, pluck. Yeah. He do, he defines art in, and it's when you decide to release it.
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And so we all question ourselves, and we... It's, it's not perfect yet, and we- Yeah... there's more to do. Yeah. I, I don't like the way this sounds. Yeah. This, I don't like this lyric, whatever. Yeah.
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But when you decide- Bravery... to release it, that's when it becomes completed- Yeah, yep... you, you put it out there. Um, Clark, you, you said something, and then I... And it,
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it reminded me of something that I, I love. I'm not a musician, but- Yet. Yet. Yet. But- There's still time... the funny thing is I've thought about, um- [laughs] We're, we're playing Eden this weekend.
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We expect you to show up. Okay. I can, I can- We need to know, we need to know- I know about four chords. Perfect. Perfect. [laughs] That's all we know. Yeah. On an acoustic. You could grab a cornflakes box- Yeah...
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and still be a musician. Uh, but I think I could... I've, I, I think I could... I, I didn't know that just writing songs was a thing. Like, you...
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Wait, you could write a song and have someone else could play them for you? I'm like, "I can write songs." Yeah. Oh, yeah. Be a songwriter. I love, like, love music. Anyway. Yeah. And one of my... Speaking...
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And one of the coolest things that I like to watch on stage musicians do, and this is one of the things that I think I started noticing at Dashboard Confessional, when they would sing and the entire audience sang every effing word- Oh, yeah...
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to the song, how does that feel as an artist when you wrote it? You wrote it in your private place, you know, like in your basement, car, whatever.
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And then when you put it out to the world and enough people hear it, and you go sing it in front of someone, and the... My favorite thing is to watch the band, hear the audience sing it with them, and it will blow...
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It's the most beautiful experience. N- nobody sing- I'll have to-... nobody sings our songs... I'll have to tell you what that's like when it happens. [laughs] We, we did- Oh, yeah... we...
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Yeah, it, like it is, but it, it, we, we, you know, self-depreciate. But, like, um, w- we did actually, that last tour that we went through Colorado, w- we noticed, we were like, "Wait a minute."
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It's like, people are singing- "Wait a minute. This is Colorado. This is not Utah."
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We've seen it in Utah because, and they're usually people that we really, we know really well because that's, we get to know them really well. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
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But it was, it was interesting for us to go out to Steamboat and, and Fort Collins and see people, like, singing along.
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We're like, and we're like, "Were we s-," they're singing along to the songs that are just easy to, to repeat, like- To remember... Say, "Baby, do you wanna lay down with me? Say, baby," either- Yeah. [laughs]...
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where we steal Primus's so- song. Well, yeah, that's easy, but, but yeah, that- Like, they were singing along to choruses, and I was like- Yeah. I'm like, "What's-"... this is, like, the coolest- What's-...
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feeling in the world... going on? Yeah, yeah. [laughs] It, it was, I can only imagine what it'd be like to have a whole crowd. I was probably at that Dashboard- I would probably bawl...
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show that you were at, just watching all of those girls in their early 20s- Yes... just screaming Infidelities. Yes. Like [laughs] Yes. Like- The entire song... it's like weird. Every lyric. Yeah.
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And I'm like, "This is the craziest-" That's gotta be mind-blowing. It- Yeah... right? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Because it's personal to you. Yes.
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Like, when you're writing a song, it's a personal- That's the last thing, at least I would ever think of. [laughs] Exactly. Yeah. [laughs] Yeah. Also, Rick Rubin dives into that too.
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God, I need you to read the book because- I will. Absolutely... he, he says, you know- I'm gonna get it right after this... if you, um, if you put a, if you change a, a note or a lyric to please s- Someone...
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someone else, you're doing it wrong. Yep. Mm-hmm. Yeah. We definitely do not do that. [laughs] We, we don't. [laughs] We're in it to please ourselves. [laughs] We- we mainly, yeah- Speaking of pleasing ourselves...
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self-pleasure. Self-pleasure... yeah, sure. Okay. Yeah. [laughs] Yeah. Yeah. What is the meaning of my life? Self-pleasure. [laughs] Okay. This is a perfect transition to Corey, how do you define success, uh- Oh...
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as a human and/or as a musician? Honestly, that's funny. Happiness, uh, to me, uh, success in anything is if I am happy and it makes me feel, ah, excited to keep going, excited to, to, to, to...
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You know, that's how I measure most anything, and I know that sounds so simple and, and maybe even trite in some regards. But I,
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uh, I think there's times in my life where I was chasing acceptance or chasing, you know, um, to, to, to feel a part of something, right? Um, and that was all wrong. Mm.
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A- and it's really about- Natural. Yeah. But, um, how, how do you- Yes, quite natural- Mm... for, for us as human beings. But, but it did, it was not fulfilling. Mm.
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It was, uh, quite the opposite, you know, lonely, uh, led, led to depression, anxiety. N- n- no. I, you know, I, I just wanna feel happy and goddamn good in my heart. Mm-hmm.
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And as, as surface level as that, the saying that is, like, that's what I mean. Yeah. Yeah. Clark, out- outside of getting, landing, um, sponsorships like Cornell, how do you define success?
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[laughs] You know, I, I'm mostly in it for the chili is really why I- Yeah... why I get up in the morning. Is that the shirt? Yeah. [laughs] "I'm mostly in it for the chili." [laughs] I'm mostly in it for the chili.
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I'm in the, I'm in the band for the chili. Okay, we gotta make that shirt. [laughs] All right, let's get it. That's our new shirt. That's our new shirt. [laughs] Uh.
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That, that was one of the questions that, that you came up with as well, and I did think about that one a lot, and- You did... but- God, you guys did homework? I'm so proud. Yeah, like- This is great...
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like, 'cause it's really hard to, like... You know, when I was younger and, like, just starting out in my career, I was like, "I gotta get a big house. I gotta get a boat." Yeah.
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"I gotta get all this stuff, and acquire, and acquire, and acquire," and that's success. Consume, consume. Yeah. And, like, I, I was married.
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I got divorced, and then at that point, I was like, "I don't know what I'm gonna do. I don't have anything anymore." Like- I don't know what has a value to me anymore...
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exactly, and, and I really had to do some, some introspection and figure out, like, what, what w- what I was gonna do to be successful. Um, and it really came down to, like, I'm gonna do everything I...
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Everything that my family invites me to- Mm... whether I want to go or not, I'm gonna go to. And, like, [laughs] like, I'm just gonna be there. I'm just gonna be there for my friends. Um, and I w- like-
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That's, that's the number one priority. And I guess another level of that is I want to be able to wake up in the morning and not be like, "Uh, I gotta do this again? I did this yesterday." Mm.
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Like, that would just be so awful to feel that way. So coordinating my life with the things that, like, I'll wake up and I'm like,
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"This is what I want to do," whether it's play music or go help somebody buy a house or w- or whatever. Like, those... That's what I want to do- Yeah... is just to be there, to be helpful.
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And if I can do that for people, if I can, you know, lighten somebody's day by making some stupid joke, like- Which you, you do that quite often. I do that really well. Yeah, y- you, you force that quite often.
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[laughs] I was at the 7-Eleven, and there was this lady there who was buying, like, flats and flats of, like, Bodyarmor water. A- and, like, they had them on, like, a handheld- At 7-Eleven? At 7-Eleven.
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I was like, "This is a weird place to buy them." Yeah. But I was getting my soda pop, and, like, the girl who was ringing me up, I just off the cuff said, "Man, that lady's thirsty."
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And you would've thought this girl had never heard a joke in her life- [laughs]... by the way she reacted. Yeah. But she was laughing so hard, and I was like, "Oh, man, I..." [laughs] Like, I hope she remembers that.
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[laughs] I hope she goes and she tells her boyfriend- Yeah... or family or kids or whatever. Yeah. It's like, "This guy said the funniest thing to me."
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It's like if I can do something like that for people, like, that's, that's success to me. You have an advantage, too, 'cause you're this big old gruff-looking guy.
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[laughs] And then you say it, and, and then people just lose it. They're like, "What in the world?" What? What in the- Gruff-looking guys aren't supposed to be funny. Yeah, exactly. I know. Yeah, yeah.
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"Did that Sasquatch just make a joke?" [laughs] Where did you... Where did the wisdom which in your, uh... I don't know how old you are, but you are, you're nowhere near fifty- Just this side of 40... nowhere near 50.
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Just this side of 40. [laughs] Yeah. Uh, but t- but the wisdom to, to appreciate going to all of the family events. That's a pretty bold statement to say, "Well, I'm gonna go to all the family events I'm invited to."
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We are so, at least I was, uh, personally, I mean, typically as a society, we're caught up in what, um... N- not that when we, uh, fly the coop in our mid-20s or 30s or whatever, that's, like, the last thing we do.
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So how did you come up with, like, that equals success is being with my family? Ah, man, th- that's, uh, that's a, that's a great question with a long answer. Um, when I- And a unique thing to you in so many ways, yeah.
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Like, yeah, when I got divorced, um, at that point, I was 28 years old, and, like, I'd had really good financial success at that point, and it all sorta came crumbling down, and that was in 2008.
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And the real estate market in 2008 was notoriously- Oh, whoa... yeah, not good. I think I have a... [imitates sad trombone] Yeah, that's accurate. [laughs] That sound is exactly accurate.
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Yeah, it wa- it was- I was in the mortgage industry. Oh, yeah. Oh. So, yeah, it was, you were- I saw... I know why it happened. You were the one that caused it.
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[laughs] It was me and the, it was the reps who came in to me and said, "Make sure they make their first payment or it comes back on us." Yeah. And I'm like, "There's no way this can continue." Yeah, exactly.
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So, yeah, it was so bad. I was in the music industry, and that's the first time in my life I was like, "Oh, I could maybe buy a house." On a credit card. [laughs] On a credit card. Yeah. "Hey, Amex, can I buy a house?"
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"Yes, here you go. You can buy half of Detroit with this card." Yes.
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[laughs] So, uh, when, when my world collapsed, and at that point, I, like, I just kind of, like, let go of everything else in my life that, uh, wasn't serving me.
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And, and this has happened a couple times in my life where I just had to, like- Yeah, I was gonna say- Like, let-... which time?... let stuff go. Like, th- this was kind of the first time in- Yeah...
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in 2007, 2008 where I was just like, "What's important to me is my family because they're gonna be there for me no matter what." Mm. And, and so- And he has a very unique family in that they truly are.
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Yeah, like- Not, not to speak ill of other families, but, like, you know. But, like, it's really unique what, what we have 'cause we enjoy getting together.
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Like, people are like, "Ugh, I have to go home for the holidays," and I'm like, "Have to? You mean you don't, like- Yeah... just hang out? You don't go to, like, your niece's plays in Annie or, like, your- [laughs]...
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your nephew's, like, flag football games or, or just take off in the middle of a Tuesday to go play Halo with your nephews?" Like, it's... [laughs] Like, those are all, like, experiences that I've done recently.
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Like, it's just, like, I just... They are gonna be there for me, and in the recent years, my life caved in again, and they were there for me again. And, and so, like, just-
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I, I mean, and not to speak too much on that, but, like, Clark had a devastating, something that honestly most people wouldn't make it out of, uh, happen to him a- and, um- Yeah... his, his fa- My girlfriend died...
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yeah. Oof. Yeah, his, the love of his life died. Yeah. Let's not say girlfriend. Yeah. The love of his life died. She was both. Yeah, exactly. Multifaceted. Yes, exactly. Wow, she...
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[laughs] But, um, that, that alone, the way they rallied around him for that was, was r- truly inspiring, so. Mm. Yeah, 'cause I didn't wanna continue on. Yeah. And I drank like I didn't want to.
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We didn't think he was gonna make it. And my family and my friends and my bands got together, and they're like, "We want you here. Be here," and- Please be here... and they, they worked with me, and- I've,
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I've been here, and it, it's n- it hasn't been easy, of course, but, um, like, th- th- having, having them as support and having my friends as support has just...
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It, it was a choice I made early on, and I still think it is the key to, to life- Mm... is, is getting people that you love and love being around and love helping and love
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just sitting with and watching tennis or World Cup or whatever. Oh, first day of World Cup, but- Yeah. Yeah. [laughs] Yeah. I know. Uh, Mexico did pretty good in their debut, I think.
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They were doing good when I stopped watching yesterday. They did. I saw this. Okay. Yeah. Uh, yes, but when you experience, uh, loss, uh- Yes... of, of, of a loved one, family member, um, I, I p- I have.
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Father died when I was young. You, you have more appreciation, I th- think, for those who do remain in your life and watch, and y- who you are then around- Yeah... for a longer period of time.
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You're like, "Oh, well, shit, I could use, I could lose anybody at any time." Yeah. "I should probably go to all the family events." [laughs] Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah.
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Like, if, if you have the opportunity, if you live close to your family, if you live... If your family's not the group...
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Like, I've got friends that are, like, they, their families just have never been there for them, but they have- Yeah... a group of friends. So you, so you use family in a different way, you know? Yeah.
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Like, yeah, find your own family, uh, 'cause plenty, plenty have had to do that themselves. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Sometimes your f- your family just can't be there for you. Yeah.
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And you've got to make your own community and, and group, and it's, it's tough to do, but it's a blessing. Like- Yeah...
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I, I was lucky that I ended up with the same group that I started with, but I've got friends that have moved on from their original group- Yeah... and started a new group, and they're, they're the same way, I, I think.
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Thank God you're with us, man. Um, and thanks for being on the- Agreed... podcast with us as well. Oh, thank you. So, um, that's not easy to talk about, so I appreciate that. Corey, um,
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everything went, everything went right, and, um, you are now one of the most famous musician/bands on the planet. What does your life look like? [laughs] What does my life look like? Yeah. Everything's gone right. Yeah.
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Um, uh, man, more, more time for my daughter, uh, more time, uh, creating, uh, and sharing. That, that, that, that is, uh, you know, that is what my life looks like. Well, that would...
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That's an interesting question because you see these, um, the ones who, the ones, the musicians, the, the bands that are famous, and their touring life is intense and so- Yeah...
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and, like, do you bring your kids, and how do you bring your kids, and what do they see? And, uh, she's been with you, uh, for- Yeah, and we do a little bit of that now. Yeah. Like, you know?
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So for instance, in, in Utah, we can't, but, like, in Colorado, we can take her. There's, there's no really such thing as 21 plus there. Yeah. [laughs] So she'll come- Yeah...
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be part of the show and everything, and, and it's- Just hanging out with my- Yeah, I-... 11-year-old niece at a brewery. [laughs] Yeah, exa- [laughs] Yeah. And well, and then I think, I think that's what would...
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I mean, let's say, w- yeah, we... Something goes right and all of a sudden people like our stuff, you know? Like [laughs] But, like, we're, we're taking this show on the road w- when it's- All of a sudden...
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when it makes sense. Yeah. [laughs] When it makes sense for the group, you know? A- and, and we're sharing this, you know, traveling, you know, circus show of ours, you know?
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Uh, a- and I, and I, and I, I think it would be, uh, we, there would be definitely a, a unique approach to, to any of it all, and I hate to... You know, I mean, every artist, "Oh, you, you, I'm unique. I'm, uh-" Yeah.
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[laughs] "... you can't put me in a genre." Uh-huh. You know? But I think it would be, it would be celebrations of life, you know, love, and absolute fucking humor, you know? [laughs] Yeah. Yeah. Just smiles everywhere.
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Yeah, yeah. Like, uh, uh, if I can share an experience, at our album release about a month ago- Yeah... um, Corey's mom was there, and my parents came. Yeah. And- Shout out to moms. Moms.
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It was, a- and, like, my, my parents hadn't seen us play for probably six or seven years. Yeah. And they were just like, "That was so much fun."
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And, like, they, they like- [laughs] Like, we do, we do a cover of, uh, Gin and Juice, made famous by Snoop Dogg- Yeah. [laughs]... and made second most famous by Corey Mom and the Band.
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Yeah, yeah, Corey Mom and the Band. [laughs] And- Never known as Corey Mom and the Band, but j- just in this moment... my mom... [laughs] Yeah. My mom was singing that to me. Amazing. She's like, "I love that song."
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Your mom singing Gin and Juice. Yeah. Gin and Juice. She's like, "The way you do it is so much better than the original." [laughs] [laughs] I was like, "Oh, that is so fantastic."
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Clark watched his language that, that time. We- So Clark always watches his language, but the whole idea of making i- us play Gin and Juice was telling Clark he had to sing the real version- [laughs]... just to se- Oh...
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hear, just to hear cuss words coming out of his mouth for the first time. Yeah. Yeah. We have a recorded version that's, that's the, the album version. Naughty version. Yeah.
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And then we have, like, the radio edit version that we play at, when we do, like, old folks homes and bar mitzvahs and stuff. Bar mitzvahs, yeah, mainly, yeah. Yeah. Uh, bar, bar mitzvahs, they're hot. Yeah. Oh, yeah.
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Especially in Utah. [laughs] Yeah. [laughs] Quinces. Do you get quinces in Utah? Oh, yeah. Mm-hmm. Oh, so many quinces. So many. All right. Like, "Here's some Olivia Rodrigo," over and over and over. Wait, wait.
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Didn't she, uh, didn't she just do a little song with, uh, Robert Smith? I do not know. From The Cure Robert Smith? 100%. Really? Yes. Really? Olivia Rodrigo- On stage... and Robert Smith. Yes. Wow.
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Oh, I need to check that out. Yes. Uh, I- See, we don't know anything about pop culture. [laughs] [laughs] What, you wanna talk World Cup again? [laughs] Yeah. [laughs] NBA finals? Okay, Clark, um- Mm-hmm...
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next question. Uh, how do you wanna be remembered, either personally or as a, as an artist? Um, as an artist, I didn't think about that. Um, as an artist, I would love to be remembered as-
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The, the bass player that just smiled the entire time he played. Um, because it is, it is so fun for me to be up there on stage.
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Like, and if I can convey how much fun I'm having to the audience- Which you do quite well... that's, that's the pinnacle for me. That's the Everest. So it's not drugs. Um, I- [laughs] Okay. It's not drugs.
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'Cause I see bass players smile, though I'm like, "Are they really having this much fun or is something else-" Oh, yeah... "going on here?" Yeah. A bass player, he can't be having that much fun.
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He can't be having- [laughs] He's only playing root notes. Like, what... Why is that fun? But like, it's, it, like, if I'm remembered as that, uh, that's fantastic. As a person, if I'm remembered as somebody who,
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who made me smile... Like, if I was gone the next, like, today, and, like, people were talking about me, they're like, "Oh, the bass player from Cory Mon died."
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They'd be like, "Oh, dude, that was, that guy, that guy was so fun. That guy just made me smile." Okay. I would say I met, met you for the first time today, right? Yeah. So if you died tomorrow,
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I would say, "I really liked that guy. He was funny and engaging, and, and his personality will st- will stay with me for... Like, it would stay with me. Like, I would remember him- Agreed... for a while." Yeah.
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That, uh... Well, I'm- And that's pretty awesome knowing that you met him for the first time today. Well, I've peaked, guys. I'm done. Yeah. [laughs] So I'm just gonna- That's it, folks... take me out behind the shed.
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All right. All right. [laughs] I'll, I'll, I'll end you tonight, Clark. [laughs] Don't worry. Make it look like an accident so nobody- Right, it was an accident Yeah, exactly. [laughs] Yeah.
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Hey, was that real, what just happened to us? Was that real? [laughs] Yeah. Unbelievable. He just disappeared. [laughs] All right, Cory, how do you want to be remembered? Ah. Um, as me.
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Uh, and a- as, as simple a- a- as that is, as me, uh, who I truly am. Um, a,
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a father to Atlas, sure, but more importantly, just as Cory, someone who wasn't afraid to chase a- and play the hell out of music 'cause he loves it, share the music because at one point in time he thought, "I'm not gonna stand on stage and say, 'Hey, you know, you have something to hear, and you're gonna li- I have a microphone, so you're gonna listen to every damn word I say.'"
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[laughs] To, to, to quote Adam Sandler in the, in the- The Wedding Singer... in The Wedding Singer. But, um, someone who, who kinda got over his, um, the fear of just sharing and being me.
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Uh, I think, uh, one of the, th- as an artist, one of the biggest things I struggled with, um, early on wa- wa- was I, I think I wrote my first album just to write.
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And then my second album or second batch of songs, we had, we had gained some notoriety, and I, I wasn't expecting it. Um, and I, and I decided, "Well, yeah, I should write a little something like this.
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This will fit in here real well. This will fit in here real well." And I hated that. Mm. I, I didn't feel, uh, genuine. I didn't feel, feel completely me.
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And now that the al- the record still has some very genuine touches point, tou- touch points to it, but it, there were just some, some songs where I'm like, "Yeah, I can't listen to that song ever again." You know?
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Um, and I just decided I was writing for me, and I was, I was, I was writing to w- the, to get the things inside out, and I was gonna be not afraid to talk about it.
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In particular, like this, this latest album, I, I left no cards unturned, no what- You know, like, no... I, I, I pulled every stop.
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As a marketer who's marketed f- bunch, bunch of other things, but been a little hesitant a- at times, I've gotten more and more progressively okay with it.
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But this one, there, there were, there were no, there were no rails. Like, it was just- Mm-hmm... everything I can do, to the point that I was exhausted. And honestly, we, we haven't played in, like, a month since then.
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We played one show, and I didn't want to play that show 'cause I'd left it all out on the field- [laughs]... so to speak. But- Yeah...
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um, just someone who's not afraid to create, put it out there, and love the hell out of whatever happens. Mm-hmm. Another author you might like, Robert Greene, um, and he has a book with, uh, 50 Cent. Uh-huh.
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The 50th Law, and ta- kinda talks about his life. But something that, a theme that reappears in Robert Greene's work is, and he uses the word, um, your unique ability. So we are one of one. Like, you are one of one.
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Mm-hmm. You know? Mm-hmm. We're all one of one.
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And, and how to succeed and how to f- be, feel fulfilled is when you are creating art, you lean into that unique ability that is you, and then you, and you cannot be afraid to put that out there.
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Dave Bowie sort, sort of says something like that as well. Yeah. But yeah. Uh, you'd like that book, too, 50 Cent's The 50th Law by Robert Greene. 50th Law- Um-... by Robert Greene.
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V- Very, um, i- yeah, it talks, [laughs] 50 was a hustler, man, on the streets, and he took that into the corporate world, and it kinda... Once you...
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I read that book, and after reading that book, I was like, "Fuck yeah, I'm gonna rule the world." Yeah. [laughs] Like, I get to, like... It makes you feel like a badass, like, after you read- Do this... The 50th Law.
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Yeah, yeah. Let's do, yeah, let's do this. Let's do this. Let's... We're gonna... Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. [laughs] That's awesome. All right. So biggest fears, do you have any, Cory? Uh, um, yeah. That's it. All right.
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[laughs] Amen. I do. [laughs] I don't know what I w- I wanna verbalize them, but to, to, to lose my daughter would be catastrophic. It'd be catastrophic. Mm-hmm. That's...
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And, and, and I hate to even say that 'cause I, you know, like, I don't- Your brain kinda goes there sometimes. Yeah. You're like, "What would I..."
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'Cause your, I think, like, dreams, your unconsciousness, it prepares you- Yeah... you for things. And so every once in a while you, you are conscious and you think, "God, what would happen?" And then it's like, I can't.
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I c- I can't, n- I can't go there. You can't go to church. Can't go there. Yeah. Change, change the channel. Yeah. Yes, exactly. Yeah. [laughs] But yeah, that's, that's, that's...
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Ev- anything else, I don't, I don't fear much. I, I feel like I've lost- Everything in the past, I feel like I've, I, I, I, a handful of times.
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You know, I, I feel like I've, I've restarted, uh, so many times w- w- with many adventures, not just music.
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Uh, I'm not afraid of, you know, any of that, any- anything, but losing, you know, in particular her and, and other people I love, you know? So, you know,
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all the more kudos to Clark for how he's continued to navigate his life, and honestly been championing the hell out of his life since he lost his, you know, h- the love of his life, so.
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Yeah, Clark, you have a different perspective on that, so what do you fear? Well, I was gonna say sharks, but, uh- [laughs] I still... I fear sharks. Yeah. [laughs] That's why I live in Utah.
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[laughs] We don't, we don't have a lot of sharks here. [laughs] That's why you live in Utah. Uh, uh, th- that, I mean, the death of, of close people is, is terrifying, um,
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just because you miss them so much and you can't recreate the fun that you, and the love that you have with them. Um, and that, that is, uh, losing that is so scary. Um,
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as far as, like, other fears, I, I don't really feel like I have many. I have a lot of hesitancies and cautiousness. Yeah. Like, being too open and being, um, uh, too, uh, I, I guess too vulnerable is...
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That's always scary, to be vulnerable with somebody, and having that twisted and turned and used against you is just- Yes, there's nothing worse than that... that's the scariest thing to me. Yeah.
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And so- Oh, God, to be used against you? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like, that's... That, that's, that's a big fear that I have, I guess- Mm-hmm...
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because the people that you're vulnerable with, you- 'Cause you've had those experiences. You, you trust them. Yeah. And so- Yeah... it's like, yeah, that's, that's a scary thing. And then sharks on top of that.
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[laughs] I think some- something- And sharks... something I, I, I definitely feared, just to be as vulnerable as possible, uh, I always... You know, like, uh, the world kind of, uh, uh,
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lifts us up to, to believe in this, this romance thing, right? And that has not worked out for me. [laughs] Um, a- and that you're going to find the love of your life and whatever. I blame John Hughes. Yeah, exactly.
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[laughs] Yeah. A- and, and many, many people have found, you know, a awesome companion that they love, you know?
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Uh, but a, a fear for mine always was that they, that I would find that and they would leave me, but I've experienced that enough. [laughs] Th- th- like, like- Oh, no. [laughs] But, but, but meaning...
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But they weren't true loves, but, like, that is something I used to fear- Hmm... m- like, to the core, and now I... It just, it doesn't, it doesn't matter. I, the...
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And candidly, like, I have the love of my life in my daughter, you know? Yeah. And she's just the best friend and th- and s- the sweetest human being, and just...
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And if that's gonna change, the dynamic's gonna change, but th- th- that, that, this, it's beautiful. We don't, we don't leave one another. Hmm. You know? W- w- we'll be there, you know? So. Mm-hmm.
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Well, thanks for spending some time with us here on Ascent Life. I appreciate it. Um, Cory- Thank you... Clark, you guys are amazing. Thank you, man. Let's, let's promote a little bit. What's going on?
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New album, um, touring? [laughs] What are we doing? Yeah. New album, Olly Olly Oxenfree. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's on all the streaming services. It's got, like, five or six streams on it. Yeah.
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Yeah, it's doing pretty good. You gu- That is not fair. [laughs] I, I saw a lot more than that. [laughs] We, we have figured, uh, out a, a thing or two in the streaming world these days. Yeah.
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I, I thought I'd, uh, utilize- Spotify specifically, or...? Yeah, I thought I'd utilize my marketing chops to try to, you know, make something work. And it, yeah, it's gone really well. Yeah, it's doing great.
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It's gone exce- exceptionally well for, uh, the level of band that we are. Yep, and I put it on Pirate Bay, so if you're that kind of person- Yeah. Mm-hmm, yeah... who just- And you'd just like to rip it, go ahead.
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[laughs] Oh, you rebels. Yeah. We love it. You know? Yeah. So... Well, where'd you record? How long did it take? We recorded in Orchard Studios with Daniel Young, uh, just an awesome human being and pr- Bountiful, Utah.
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Yeah. The... No- Great studio... North Salt Lake. Great, great studio. There's a major difference. Yeah. Yeah, he's got this amazing vintage studio in his basement, and it's just...
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It feels so warm and so good, and it sounds so warm and so good. Yep. And the stuff that he gets out of there kinda has this, like, depth and darkness to it, it seems. Yeah.
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And that's really what we were kinda going for with this album. I'm like, you're so poppy live and- Yeah, yeah, yeah... and fun live. Yeah. Uh-huh. And you, but you wanted to go dark and...
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Uh, you, you can't really go dark with our music, but there's a dark element to it. A- Yeah... a, a, a, a rock element that... I don't know. I mean, I don't wanna take the,
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pull back the curtain and show the, the wizard, but- Yeah...
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in the song Too Broke, it's about what our society is dealing with at the moment, and that's the one where Cory just kinda gives up at the end and he says, "I'm going to the hot tub." "I'm gonna grab my suit."
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"I'm gonna grab my suit." [laughs] "Clark's going to the hot tub." "Don't need no suit." "He don't need no suit." [laughs] And that, that came about... That was really funny.
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I was writing the song, and I was kinda in this weird space. I was therapeutically working through what's going on in the world, uh, what was going on in the world, like, a year ago, and home, oh my God, since.
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Um- [laughs]... and I was just working through that song and, and I was sharing it with Clark.
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I was sending him a Marco Polo video of it, and, uh, uh, Addy and her friend Abby were there, and we had talked about going to the hot tub.
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And I was writing this, and I was showing you this song, and then they run through and they go, "Let's go to the hot tub. Let's go to..." [laughs] And that's... I didn't know where to go on the song- Yeah...
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where, where they... in this place where it almost became this bridge, and it was this weird place. And it's like what... How do you lament more or... here? And I'm like, "You don't.
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You say, 'Fuck it,' and you go to the hot tub." Yeah. You grab your suit and you go live your life. Yeah. There's a lot going on. We can worry about it for so long, but...
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And, and then I, then, then I sang, "Clark's going to the hot tub. He don't need..." And that, that was in that Polo, and I'm like, "That's the song." Yeah. That, that's how we outroed the song, and it is- Love it...
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it was pretty kind of fun. So there is that darkness, but with the Cory Mon spin of, like- All right, this- All right, yeah. We can only- We can control what we can control... we can only talk so long.
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[laughs] Let's work through the feelings. Let's work through the feelings. Get that- Then let's go enjoy life... get that darkness out. Yeah. And then let's go make a joke to the girl at the 7-Eleven. Yeah.
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[laughs] 100%. 100... That's very stoic of you. Yeah. Um, so the goal with the Ascent Life podcast is to help as many people as possible live their best life- Awesome... by design.
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Um, what advice would you leave for others, uh, with us on here on the podcast, uh, for them to maybe take their first step and, and live their best life? Either one of you. Oh, man. Um, I, I would suggest
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figuring out what your values are. When, when I, uh, uh, I, I ended up in rehab 'cause I had a problem. Um, and
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I was doing all of this, all of these, like, things to work through, and one of the things that I came to was like, "I need to really figure out what my values are."
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So I went through and I put down 20 people that I know that I was like, "They have these values," whether it's, like, accountability or thoughtfulness or practice.
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Corey always practices, and i- it's so admirable that, like, to be as good of a musician to actually still practice. Like, it's, not a lot of people do that. Um, and, like, patience and whatever.
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And, like, figure out what your values are and then rank them in what is important to you, what you do well, and what you need to work on. That's, that has made a big difference in my life in the last three years. Um,
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and, and just- My addition to that would be- Yeah... uh, I mean, and I love that, it, but chase. Fin- find, find what you love and what, who you are. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And chase. Mm-hmm. Run. Sprint.
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Like, fall on your fucking face, you know? Yeah. Yeah. So. And if you decide in the middle, you're like, "That's not it"- It's cool... fine- Pivot... change Pivot. If you're not a bass player, go be a guitarist.
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If you're not a guitarist, go be a drummer. Like- Maybe you're a belly dancer. Maybe you're a belly dancer. Yeah. Maybe you like stand-up comedy. Yeah. Maybe you're a gardener. Yeah.
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I do- And you wanna be the best gardener in the- I, here's, here's the... I started this podcast because of the overall theme is of, um, I want people to learn how to live their best life, but I'm such... I love shows.
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I love comedy and music. Oh, yeah. And I'm, I'm like more and more I'm thinking, this is why, Corey, when you said, "Can I bring Clarke?"
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I'm like, "Yes," because I kinda want the podcast to be more def- I am, like, so anti the bro podcast thing. [laughs] I get that. Oh my God. Yes. It's so- Here, hear. [laughs] Oh, my God.
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But it, but it, and you know that, and I fall into that with the self-improvement type genre, you know? Uh-huh. And, and so, but I'm like, God, if we could make it more of, like, a show- Yeah...
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where, but the overarching theme is how do we live our best life? How do we get musicians and people who are chasing the dream to tell other people, "Dude, go f- what's- Just-... go for it." Why, why not? Go for it.
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I mean, yeah. And we have people cracking jokes and other people playing music. Like, that's a show. Yeah. Like, that's, that's what I'm talking about. Yeah. Yeah. So we appreciate y'all. Yeah. This is- Oh, thank you...
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this is good. Thank you so much for having us. Yeah. I mean, you're welcome. Yeah. You're, you're very welcome. [laughs] In fact, in fact, we are known for that. That is- Next time you, we get paid. That's right.
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[laughs] It's like Joe, Jagoda, when he, when he entered the band, we became famous amongst his, his, you know, old musician friends because we were the first band that after the first song we, we turned to the crowd and said- Like, everybody applause...
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and we said, "You're welcome." You're welcome. Yeah. You're welcome. [laughs] Ah, fantastic. Thank you for tuning into this episode of the Ascent Life podcast. If you made it this far in the program, guess what?
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You're the perfect person to help someone else live their best life by simply sharing this episode with one other human being, and together we can fulfill our goal of helping one million people a day become the best version of themselves.
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If you are not already subscribed to us on YouTube, join us on the platform at Ascent Life now. And for your daily dose of visual inspiration, you can find me at Ascent Life on Instagram.
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Each week in my Ascent Life newsletter, I do give a little deeper insight into what I've learned each week, um, come, that comes to you, you know, when it comes to living your best life.
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So you can join me there, and that subscription link is below.
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Thank you for joining me on this journey as we all push towards creating a positive impact on the world using our unique ability to fulfill our purpose and become the best version of ourselves, healthy, wealthy, and wise.
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We'll continue our path together on the next episode of Ascent Life. Cheers, and godspeed. You're welcome. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.