In 2014, Russ had been sitting in his mom’s basement for three years, cranking out music non-stop. Unfortunately, he still only made around $200/month. Then, two record labels approached him. Both wanted to sign Russ. He passed. His gut told him the deals weren’t right.
Let’s pause here for a second. Can you imagine how insane that must feel? Especially if you’re Russ’ mom, making pasta for your son every day because he can’t even afford to go to McDonald’s. Can you feel the tension in Russ’ stomach? He knew what he put his parents through. He knew the meager existence he’d have to continue to endure. And yet, he said no anyway.
“I had faith something better was coming,” Russ says. “The offer was an acknowledgment from the universe that my work was not going unnoticed. [But] that is just the universe saying to you, ‘Keep going.’ It isn’t saying, ‘This is it.'” Wow. The nerves on this guy. Where does he find them?
When it comes to being decisive and sticking with your gut in challenging situations, Russ holds a simple philosophy: “The ‘what if’ will torment you. The ‘oh well’ will free you.”
Pick the path you want to pick. Make the choice you want to make. Worst case, it’ll make for an “oh well” and a good story. And if you get a reward for overriding your gut? Well, those never feel all that good, do they?
2014 came and went. So did 2015. But in 2016, Russ made more than $100,000 in a single month from his music.
Don’t ask “What if?” Make the hard choice, then rest easy. And if it goes wrong, and you have to try again, you can always say, “Oh well.”