“My journey with music has just also been my life journey.”

How do you go from a kid obsessed with drums to becoming a music producer, engineer, and eventually an independent artist? This episode traces Joe Louis’ music journey from his earliest memories in church to Atlanta’s music industry, Brazil, live streaming, artist development, and finally discovering what his own music is supposed to sound like.

It starts with drums at four years old, learning instruments by ear, struggling to read music, playing in school bands and drumline, and eventually realizing just how much of his identity had always revolved around music. After football temporarily removed music from his everyday life, discovering Logic Pro X opened an entirely new world: music production. That path eventually led to studying audio production, moving to Atlanta, becoming a full-time producer and engineer, and learning the music business through real experiences—including encounters with Jill Scott, Dallas Austin and Leslie Brathwaite, and getting the opportunity to produce with Adam Levine vocals for Maroon 5.

But succeeding behind the scenes created another problem: becoming so useful as a producer, engineer and music professional that being an artist kept getting pushed aside. A trip to Brazil became an important turning point when someone finally took his voice seriously and encouraged him to sing. From there, the journey moves through artist identity, live streaming, building an audience, letting people into the creative process, and discovering a sound influenced by gospel, Brazilian samba, R&B and Black rock & roll. After nearly a lifetime in music, becoming the artist feels less like the end of the story and more like the beginning.

#APodcastByJoeLouis #JoeLouis #MusicJourney #IndependentArtist #MusicProducer #MusicIndustry #ArtistDevelopment #musiccareer

Key Discussion Points

(00:00) - The Story Behind My Music Journey

(04:30) - How Drums Became My First Memory

(10:00) - Growing Up Around Music in the Church

(17:00) - The Musician Who First Inspired My Showmanship

(24:00) - Learning Piano by Ear Instead of Reading Music

(31:00) - Engineering Audio Before I Even Knew What Engineering Was

(38:00) - Performing on Drums for the First Time

(45:00) - Why Teachers Kept Giving Me the Wrong Instruments

(54:00) - How I Fooled Music Teachers Without Being Able to Read Music

(1:02:00) - The Teacher Who Finally Recognized My Musical Ability

(1:10:00) - “Are You a Music Man?”: The Report Card That Said Everything

(1:18:00) - Finally Getting to Play Drums in School

(1:27:00) - Drumline and Learning How to Read Music

(1:36:00) - Football Made Me Realize How Much I Missed Music

(1:43:00) - Discovering Logic Pro X and Falling in Love With Music Production

(1:48:00) - Choosing a Career in Music

(1:52:00) - Moving to Atlanta and Entering the Music Industry

(1:57:00) - Meeting Jill Scott and Learning How to Treat Artists

(2:05:00) - The Music Industry Lessons I Learned Behind the Scenes

(2:11:00) - Meeting Dallas Austin Without Realizing Who He Was

(2:16:00) - Quitting My Jobs to Pursue Music Full-Time

(2:20:00) - How I Almost Had a Song With Adam Levine at the Super Bowl

(2:27:00) - Brazil and Being Seen as an Artist for the First Time

(2:34:00) - Why Producers and Engineers Aren’t Your Competition

(2:39:00) - The Mixing Advice That Changed How I Work With Artists

(2:44:00) - Becoming Too Much of a Producer and Not Enough of an Artist

(2:49:00) - How Live Streaming Became Part of My Music Career

(2:54:00) - “Give Yourself First”: Why Good Music Alone Isn’t Enough

(2:59:00) - Building an Audience Around the Person Behind the Music

(3:04:00) - Finding My Sound Through Gospel, Samba and Rock

(3:10:00) - Discovering Black Rock & Roll and My Artist Identity

(3:17:00) - Why I Don’t Want My Music Put Into One Genre

(3:22:00) - Turning the Music Creation Process Into the Show

(3:27:00) - Why My Journey as an Artist Is Really Just Beginning

“I've been to the light and I'm back to show the unconditional love.”

What happens when a near-death experience completely changes the way you think about love, forgiveness, faith and your own life? In the first guest episode of A Podcast by Joe Louis, Glenda Oden shares how surviving a stroke and what she describes as an encounter with “the light” became a turning point in a life shaped by difficult relationships, loss, spirituality and a search for peace.

After years of feeling that she wasn't always loved in the ways she needed, Glenda explains why she made a conscious decision to start putting the love into the world that she wanted to receive herself. The conversation explores her relationship with God outside of organized religion, learning to forgive even when forgiveness isn't returned, finding peace in being alone, leaving toxic relationships behind and realizing that loving other people doesn't have to mean sacrificing yourself.

The conversation eventually turns toward self-love and healing. What does it actually mean to make yourself whole? Can you give someone your whole heart without becoming empty when they don't give the same thing back? From relationship advice and generational perspectives on love to learning how to enjoy her own company, Glenda's story is ultimately about choosing peace, giving love freely and discovering that healing has to include learning how to love yourself.

#APodcastByJoeLouis #JoeLouis #NearDeathExperience #UnconditionalLove #SelfLove #HealingJourney #Faith #personalgrowthstory

Key Discussion Points

(00:00) - “I've Been to the Light”: Glenda's Story Begins

(00:56) - Why Glenda Became the Podcast's First Guest

(05:53) - How Life Changed the Way Glenda Understands Love

(07:10) - Choosing Peace After Years of Dysfunction

(10:03) - Losing Faith in Church Without Losing Faith in God

(12:27) - Finding Purpose Through Giving Love to Other People

(16:09) - Why Glenda Tells People She Loves Them

(17:48) - Giving Love When It Isn't Given Back

(20:26) - Putting Out the Love You Want to Receive

(22:26) - How a Stroke Changed Glenda's Life

(23:42) - Why She Stopped Giving People Half of Her Heart

(25:27) - The Near-Death Experience That Changed Everything

(27:12) - Meeting “The Light” and Not Wanting to Come Back

(29:31) - Why Asking for Forgiveness Doesn't Require Being Forgiven

(32:45) - Faith, God and the Spiritual Side of Her Near-Death Experience

(33:15) - Losing Her Mother and Learning How to Grieve

(36:50) - How to Keep Going When Life Feels Like Too Much

(38:43) - Why You Should Tell People You Love Them While They're Here

(42:08) - Relationship Advice: Never Get Too Comfortable in Love

(44:22) - Has Modern Dating Made Romance More Difficult?

(47:44) - Love, Relationships and Younger Generations

(52:26) - Choosing Happiness, Peace and Acceptance

(53:46) - How Different Generations Learned to Love

(57:08) - Love, War and Why Older Relationships Lasted

(1:02:03) - What Does It Mean to Feel Whole?

(1:03:52) - Learning to Love Yourself for the First Time

(1:04:40) - Is Self-Love the First Step to Healing?

(1:07:24) - Healing After Toxic Relationships Starts With Yourself

(1:09:23) - How to Give Love Without Losing Yourself

(1:11:17) - Glenda's Final Message

(1:12:00) - Why Glenda Has Been So Important to Joe's Journey

“Do not take your lessons and confuse them as your purpose.”

How do you find your purpose and how do you know whether what you're doing is actually what you're meant to do? In this episode of A Podcast by Joe Louis, the conversation explores finding your purpose, understanding your identity, redefining success, and recognizing that something you're good at isn't necessarily your calling.

From football to becoming a music producer and engineer, working in Atlanta, and eventually stepping forward as an artist, the journey raises a bigger question: what if some of the things you succeed at are actually lessons preparing you for something else? Professional opportunities, music industry experiences, relationships, and different stages of life can all teach you something without necessarily being the final destination. That distinction became especially important when success behind the scenes started competing with the feeling that being an artist was something that could no longer be ignored.

Faith and spirituality also play a major role in this perspective on purpose, identity, and success. What is the thing that has never left you? What would you continue doing without recognition, money, awards, or validation from other people? And what happens when success stops meaning “Did everybody else think I made it?” and starts meaning “Did I actually do what I believe I was here to do?”

#APodcastByJoeLouis #JoeLouis #FindingYourPurpose #LifePurpose #FindingYourCalling #PersonalGrowth #Identity #success

Key Discussion Points

(00:00) - Can Failure Still Count as Success?

(02:15) - Why Purpose and Success Aren't Always the Same Thing

(06:10) - Redefining Success Beyond Awards and Recognition

(08:20) - Why Identity Can Be More Important Than Purpose

(11:45) - Who Are You Beyond What You Do?

(14:15) - The Early Search for Purpose

(18:20) - Finding Purpose in Helping Other People Grow

(23:30) - Faith, Relationships and Recognizing a Deeper Purpose

(31:00) - Entering the Music Industry Without Losing Your Identity

(35:30) - When Professional Opportunities Make You Question Success

(39:15) - Faith and the Music Industry Journey

(44:04) - Don't Confuse Your Lessons With Your Purpose

(48:30) - When Being a Successful Producer Became the Wrong Goal

(52:20) - Why Becoming an Artist Could No Longer Be Ignored

(57:30) - What Happens When You Ignore Part of Your Purpose

(1:02:00) - Purpose, Faith and Spirituality

(1:08:30) - How Becoming an Artist Changed the Bigger Picture

(1:14:00) - Live Streaming, Music and Taking Small Steps Toward Purpose

(1:19:30) - How Different Parts of Your Purpose Can Work Together

(1:24:00) - The Question That Can Help You Find Your Purpose

(1:28:30) - What Would You Keep Doing Even If Nobody Paid You?

(1:32:00) - Purpose, Death and Knowing You Did Your Job

(1:35:00) - Why Finding Your Purpose Can Redefine Success

(1:38:00) - Stop Measuring Your Success Through Other People

(1:41:00) - What Would You Still Do When You're Exhausted?

In this episode of A Podcast by Joe Louis, Joe breaks down the essential strategy for navigating the entertainment industry as an independent artist in 2026. Drawing from his experience as a dual-brain A&R and talent manager, Joe explains why traditional industry models are shifting and why your personality must lead your product.

We discuss the transition from behind-the-scenes production to becoming a front-facing creator, the importance of recognizing your divine window of opportunity, and why music has evolved into a passive product in the streaming era. Joe shares insights on the Kanye West model of branding—learning how to make an audience fall in love with the creator so they naturally support the art. This conversation is a blueprint for any independent musician, influencer, or creator looking to maximize their one hundred percent and build a sustainable brand through authenticity and active engagement.

No one knows you the way that you know yourself. In this episode of A Podcast by Joe Louis we dive deep into the concept of being an expert on your own life. Joe discusses the frustration of having others project their needs and expectations onto you. From family and childhood coaches to business clients and social media audiences many people claim to be an expert on who you are but they are only experts on what they want from you.

Joe shares his personal journey of rejecting the titles and paths others tried to force upon him. He talks about his time as a behavior specialist and the offer to become an elementary school principal by age twenty six. While he performed well in these roles they only represented a small percentage of his true self. This conversation explores how to stop the cycle of seeking external validation and instead start maximizing your own potential. You will learn how to identify your one hundred percent and why authenticity is the only way to silence the noise of outside opinions.

Every iconic artist has a signature and for Joe Louis it is the beat tag that started as a diss. In this episode of A Podcast by Joe Louis we explore the origin story of The Prince of the 269. Joe discusses how a sarcastic moment in a college apartment became a powerful brand identity that he refused to change despite what industry experts and managers advised. This conversation dives deep into the pride of being born and raised in Kalamazoo Michigan and the village that provided the structure and grit necessary to survive the entertainment industry.

Joe breaks down the psychological difference between small town hustle and big city laziness comparing the grit of the Midwest to the opportunities found in Atlanta. He shares insights on music production inspired by legends like Timberland and Kanye West explaining why a beat tag must work across all genres from hip hop to ballads. We also get a look into how Joe divides his identity into four distinct roles: the producer, the songwriter, the engineer, and the artist. By separating these facets he ensures that one hundred percent of his soul is present in every frequency and every lyric. Whether you are a creator protecting your brand or someone proud of where you came from this episode is a masterclass in staying true to your roots.

Watching life enter the world is the most intense energy I have ever experienced. In this episode of A Podcast by Joe Louis, I am sharing the story of my nephew Emrhen Jesai and the day everything changed. We dive into the reality of a water birth, the incredible strength of my sister Jordan, and the concept of the womb portal. I break down the realization that a soul is one hundred percent present from the very first breath and how that shifted my entire perspective on legacy and family.

This conversation goes beyond just being a favorite uncle. We explore the dynamics of being the oldest boy in the family, the secret to connecting with children through authentic joy, and the weight of professional obedience. I get honest about the sacrifice of personal desires like having my own children to make room for the higher calling God has placed on my life. Whether you are navigating your own spiritual growth or looking for a deeper way to love the people around you, this episode is for you.

In this episode of A Podcast by Joe Louis, Joe Louis breaks down the psychological phenomenon of Producer Syndrome. While many creatives excel at making others look good, they often struggle to step into the lead role of their own lives. Joe explores the thin line between being a music producer and being the artist, drawing deep insights from the Kanye West documentary and Michael B. Jordan’s intense immersion into his Black Panther character.

If you are a content creator, filmmaker, or musician who finds themselves giving 10/10 instructions but settling for a 7/10 performance from others, this episode is your wake-up call. Learn how to overcome creative insecurity, deal with the fear of the final bow, and shift your mindset from behind-the-scenes expert to the star of your own movie. Joe Louis discusses the entertainment industry's "desire ratio," the value of career longevity, and why producing yourself is the ultimate key to professional and personal fulfillment. Don't let your artistry take a back seat to your production skills. It's time to fire your triggers and cast yourself as the lead !