THE ED MYLETT SHOW - CHASE THE DREAM - With Dierks Bentley

Episode Date: October 1, 2019

Show up and be AUTHENTIC After being blown away by watching Dierks live, I just had to sit down with him! In addition to his brilliance as a performer, I really wanted you all to get to know how truly thoughtful and humble this man is. In this interview, we go deep...Deep into one of the most unlikely and inspiring stories you will ever hear to superstardom. We talk about him moving across the country to boarding school at 14, the risk he took with moving to Nashville to make music and many of the experiences that got him to where he is today. Dierks eloquently describes how showing up as your authentic self is the road that takes you to your ultimate fulfillment. When you are “Afflicted with the Love for Something “it never feels like work, and it's amazing what you will find yourself accomplishing.  He doesn’t believe that he is gifted, he believes that his love of country music was the catalyst for developing the SKILLS to become one of the greatest country artists of all time. This interview is raw and honest, Dierks and I come clean about how we don’t always want to go on stage. However, the moment we do, we realize exactly why we love it, and that’s because it feels like HOME. You’ll know you are living your PURPOSE when you feel it in your bones that you are exactly where you need to be. HOME! Give yourself permission to let go of the shame you might feel about a particular mess you might have in your life right now. Your mess will someday be your MESSAGE You are a RISER, stay BLISSFULLY dissatisfied while you go after the life you want. Get ready to hear a whole other side of Dierks you didn’t know!  

This is the admiral show. Welcome back to Max out everybody. I'm Ed Mylett. I'm fired up because I was at this guy's show last night. It was the best live concert I have ever been to. And you need to own that compliment. Let me get the wall out here. Yeah, it was huge going here.

It was legit, you got $11. $11. That wouldn't have worked anyway. Very rich man, evidently these tours don't pay off. But all of you recognize this gentleman on my left. We were talking about the stats earlier. He called himself the Susan Lucci of the Grammy Awards.

But 14 Grammy Noms, like over 30 CMT, CMA, nominations, like eight wins, millions of albums, records sold, a lot of nominations. A lot of Noms. A lot of Noms. A lot of wins too. No, that's a win. And my favorite artist and becoming my friend. So this is Dirk's Benley.

It's a pleasure to be on the show. I've seen the background. I've watched a lot of the podcast and video cast, so it's nice to be at your spot. Great to have you. I don't think I can hold up to some of the previous interviews you've had, like Rob O'Neal. That one blew me away, but I'll do my best. Oh, they're going to love you, brother. Because your story's so good, so.

Thanks, man. What I want to do, probably everybody knows you, but I want to do a little bit of the, there's always like the before and after. Yeah. By the way, I'm researching you, and it's actually Frederick Dirk's Bentley. And I thought I wonder if you went out as Fred Bentley had everything turned out the same, because you have the coolest name in the world, right?

Dirk's Bentley. My name's so tough, there's so many marquees. My name's still got spelled wrong. Dirk's Bentley or. Really? My friend's a, yeah, this thing. I didn't even think it was a real name. Dirk's generally a good bigot of,

but if they were Fred Bentley, I don't know, I don't know. I think all generally a good big at a, but if they're friends, so I'm not like, I think all of this would have happened as Fred Benley. I don't know. My mom, all of us go by our middle name. So my brother, my sister, my mom used to family name for the first name, and then our middle name was like the actual name. We go with, but I've had people

that I'm a whole career, we're like, is Dirk's a stage name? Yeah. You think I would choose that as a stage name? You don't think that's a cool name? I don't know if it's cool or not But it's hard. Directly just sounds Studdly to me buck Bentley That's good country singer name buck Bentley speaking of that. This is a weird place. We're gonna go all over the place, but

Doug Douglassen what's that so this is we're gonna go all over the place in this interview But he's got this like alter ego guy going right now. I love it. Where did he come from? So man, we, you know. This is hot country nights, everybody. If you haven't seen this, you have to see this. We, you know, we do this for a long time.

The road's funny. Get on the road and all the things going great and you haven't so much fun. You always reminisce about the old days, right? You're like, man, how much fun was that? We used to play in lower Broadway for tips and, your car get it toad, and just all the crazies used to happen in national and old days. It's like, man, it'd be so fun to go back there and do it again. But you really think about it.

It's like, the good old days are good because they're gone. They're fun to look back on, but like, was they really that much fun? Like lugging your PA system through lower Broadway to play a gig, but we love country music. We love 90s country. I mean, I grew up listening to Alan Jackson, Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Dwight Yoak and Marty Stewart, all that stuff. So, in the 90s, we were just a really fun period in country music, the clothing, the hair. You know, it's just great. So, we started playing these songs on our off days. We put a little band to play around town a little bit,

and we dressed in time. You know, in full-moat rolling. The moments, the high-molet rolling. The Mullets, the high-waisted jeans, the whole, the starched Wranglers. And then we took it on the road, man, we started just going out there and not telling the fans, and we just sneak on stage and play unannounced. And people are just going, but the main thing for us is that the music has to be like perfect. The music's great, you can get away with anything. So we really were trying to make sure,

we probably rehearsed like a ratio rehearsing to actually gigs at that point was like 101. That right, a lot of rehearsing. But we got dialed in and now it's like actually on the bill, so we're the openers for the openers, for the opener for us. So the first of four bands going every night, seven o'clock to seven 20,

and Doug Buggleson is my, it's me. It's my alter ego. Because all of you follow probably Dirk's and no Dirk's, but I don't know if you follow a hot country nights and Doug Douglason and you need to go all of this. Yes, hot country nights with the K, nights with the K, it's a clever, see what I did there. It's a plan word. It was clever and it's hilarious because I was backstage last night and all y'all came off the stage and they said, I really saw you.

I was there and you're in full mullet mode, but the guys in the band were in full character. Like, look, no photos. You know, they're, they're, there's just me back there. They put a little line around me so they couldn't, that couldn't get to them. It was so awesome. I think Rolling Stone was shooting some stuff there last night. And we were doing the same. The guys, please, like, no more paparazzi. But yeah, they're, they're like a really, they're home thing. It's just kind of being like a sad pathetic cover band that's can't take it. But yeah, they're like a really, their home thing is just kind of being like a sad,

pathetic, cover van that's trying to make it. It was awesome, but the key thing, as you said, is the music's awesome too. And so I wanna talk a little bit about, so kinda go back to those times for you. Yeah, I think on my show, I try to feature, I try to take this mega-chever, a max-out, a cheever like you, and have them see the real person.

You know what I mean? Like the real story, and the thing that I probably admire most about you is the kind of, I'm learning about you, is the kind of husband and father you are, and just the way I've also just observed you treat people, it's your humility. Like you're genuinely one of the most humble, successful people in any field I've met. I admire that about you. And I think maybe part of that is kind of where you come from. So, you tell me about your dad, Leon. Your dad was older when he had you number one. And what I get the feeling he was a pretty brother. This 10 years younger than me.

So I had my 62, my brother was born. You're kidding me. Yeah, my mom was keeping him young. Both second marriages are both my folks. Whoa. My mom was in a pretty, very, I'm not very good marriage. Her first go around, my dad's first wife, passed away with cancer.

So they met at different times in her life. My dad was 50, my mom was 30. And I think, yeah, he's 51 or 52, and I was born. And he's just a great guy, man. Great sense of humor, big people person. He was, he just always talking to people, loved all the, you know, I always, you always think your dad is one way, but I look back at my dad. Like, loved all the, you know, I always, you always think your dad is one way,

but I look back at my dad, like, he loved watching, like, we only had three channels on his heap, we never had cable, but he, like any of those celebrity shows, so like, you know, that he was always watching that stuff. He liked that stuff. He liked the gossip stuff, he wouldn't really know that. Really? And I didn't know that about him until I started making

as a country singer, and he was, he'd be up and all the latest stuff is going on in Nashville. And who's coming around me? And I'm like, Dad, it's not a, it's my dream. Let me hand it, just enjoy it. Really? Just come to the show and have fun, don't worry about it. My mom would tell me, stand up late at night worrying

about what's going on in the business and stuff. And the many nominations I didn't win. Is that right now? But they loved it all. He was just a great person, great guy. You know, he's one of those people I learned a lot through just because not through words, just through You never wanted to never wanted to disappoint him. He's a World War II veteran equipment in a small town You know just just one of the great generation of people and that's it. Well, Mark Williams dad was a World War II That yeah, probably I bet you that's something 80% of people don't know about your dad Yeah, but he was sort of a part, right? Yeah, probably. I bet you that's something 80% of the people

don't know about your dad. Yeah. But he was sort of a part of some kind of defining moments. I want you to picture little durs here, everybody. Not this guy in front of millions of people. Because it'll give you hope. Number one, if your life isn't where exactly you want it right now, like everything's not in order,

and you're gonna see where he was to where he's gone, I think it's gonna blow your mind. I think it's literally gonna blow your mind. And then for somebody that have children that maybe aren't- Do lives ever get in order? Them in the big range. That's a great question.

Is it a more time? It's small moments of order. I think you're always fine tuning, right? You know your stuff. That's why I'm here. That's why I listen to you. That's why I'm here. I'm always trying to tweak it and get it a little more work.

So my, by the way, clearly a work in progress. Somebody might even have teenagers that are a little bit, not on their eight game. Your parents sent you to boarding school. It did. Did you need it? I did. What was going on?

And what happened when you went there? I mean, I threatened to run away. I had friends parents that were going to let me stay at their place and not go. I mean, I had no desire to go to New Jersey. You know, eighth grade was a great year. I went to middle, you know, I was in public school in the Ingalls High Middle School,

and it was just such a great year. It was like, you know, passing notes to never class, the girls and the fights. There was always some fight after school every day, and it's like all different characters and types of people packed in this seventh and eighth grade. I'm at my wife there. I know you met your wife in high school.

Yeah, it was like junior high. And it junior high. It was just such an amazing time. But it was also a lot of parting. I think I had partied more in eighth grade than I did in the first few years of high school. Oh man, every day after school there's something you know, drinking, people smoking before, people for class and it was just, it was, it was a lot of fun. And my mom, my sister had gone to Culver Military Academy for camp and ended up going there for high school. So I think it's where my mom got in this whole idea of like, hmm, maybe sending us off to be fixed. And so yeah, she kind of said, you're going to, you're going to go away for high school and, uh, did a fix you or not? Well, it's where I got out there.

I was in New Jersey, I was the only kid from Arizona out there and made some great friends. I'm like you and I'm on a chameleon. I make friends, I just can fit in anywhere I feel like. I don't want to make friends no matter where I am. I feel like my whole life I've been a little bit of a I have a lot of friends, but I don't have a necessarily one super tight overall group.

I just have a lot of great groups I so I get to be part of them. Some of those friends from that school still have those friends around, and that's really where I got into country music, so it was a great experience. I was out there kind of, I had a lonesome feeling just being away from everybody, and as far as my dad goes, there is some sadness there because I was 14, you're kind of gone. I'm from Arizona, New Jersey, and so from that point on, the time I only saw my parents or my dad, and for a past away on, the time I was only saw my parents or my dad and for the past way, it was through Christmas vacation

or spring break, and I was pretty busy in the summers. But I mean, it's the nicest thing I think you could do for your kids is to give them wings and go chase, go find your own life. That's a kind of significant move though, right? Big move, yeah. So it's not real hybrid and going up in a box car. It's a little different type of way of getting there, but it's the same idea of just like though. Big move. Yeah. So it's not real-hagged and going up in a box car. It's a little different type of way to get in there.

But it's the same idea of just being on your own and being totally rooted from, you know, pulled out from your roots and where you're from and kind of trying to figure out what this world is and what you're trying to do there. I wonder if it dawns on you, on it does, like what's happened here? Because you're in the midst of doing it, right?

I don't, you know, oftentimes very rarely, whatever the good fortunes are that have come my way. Yeah. I don't know that it, Don's on me, you know, what the hell's going on. Do you, I mean, I don't think, I mean, I think that you, you know, are talking off camera about people who've influenced,

influenced that like Tony Robbins on his show. I have a lot of, a lot of friends out there that have been successful. My friend Blake Mckoskey from Tom Shoes. He's a guy that's always looking for ways to, you know, how to just get better at what we're doing. And I think when you do that, you spend a lot of time at the present.

You don't spend a lot of time at the past. I rarely, and that's like doing an interview like this, this is only their third podcast that they've ever done. Thank you for doing it. Oh man, this is probably been my last one. This is, I feel like, you can't, you might go out on top. But it's like, how do you, you know,

it's like, I don't know, it's time for reflecting on that stuff, when you do, it's kind of scary, you know, it's like you get into something, I'm sure all your businesses, it's like, you look back on now, it makes, there's a lot of, there's a linear line you can see out all the work out, but when you're on there, there's perspective looking forward. It's, I look back on that now and think like the kid

that was playing those bars and doing all this gigs, I was always present in those times. It doesn't matter where I was, playing a casino gig at two o'clock in the afternoon, sun's beating down, I was having fun. I'm playing a gig, this is amazing. So I never really, but looking back on it now, I was like, I can't believe all that stuff actually worked out.

What was I doing? I'm getting from Arizona. Right. Parents have no musical abilities. I chose to be a country singer. I won up a Nashville. It's all very, it's, yeah, it's kind of scary. Look back at it.

So I like being the present moment in the ear folks. You said it to me last night. I think it's like a running thing with you is trying to be more present. I think it's one thing I want to do. I was kind of trying to pull a little lessons. I think, I just gave a talk yesterday about this is one thing I want to do. I was kind of trying to pull out little lessons. I think I just gave a talk yesterday about this just oddly that you're saying and I was in Ohio. I don't even know where it came from because it wasn't in my notes. But I was talking

about how most achievers that I know are present or actually maybe even looking a little bit forward. Yeah. And most people I know that are struggling in their life if they were really being honest or running on old story. They're looking back. They're looking they're running an old story. They're looking, they're running this old story, they continue to, their life becomes almost like a boring book of one long chapter because they're repeating either like a previous victory. I was a quarterback in high school,

where I got my master's degree or it's something negative that happened, right? My parents sent me to boarding school. My dad was an alcoholic. If you're listening to this, this is a huge clue. Like if you got nothing out of today and you're gonna get more, it's that where's your frame of reference most of the time

in your life, is it past, present, or future? The happiest people are present. And achievers struggle, most achievers struggle with becoming present because they're looking forward all the time. And most people that are in pain, or are not achieving at their maximum potential earn a past frame of reference. Totally. So this is something really huge for most of it.

It's why actually when I do the show it's difficult for achievers to go, okay, I'll go back for you because you're asking me I'll tell you my old story. Right. But it's kind of uncomfortable, awkward, and it's gonna kind of not really me It's relevant. It's relevant to the listener. I'm gonna relevant to you you that's really I'm not so it's either one's like you know I think about a friend of mine Jesse Alexander with the song The Climb for Molly Cyrus and that song's about enjoying the climb it's not about the destination it's about enjoying the climb that's a big thing for it probably for overachievers yeah I just read that book before cream and that talks a lot about being you know Tom Brady recommended that to me.

Do you really? It's his, like, that's his reference book. That's the thing, you know, the Four Agreements. It's about this big. It's about four things, right? Your words and being peckable with your word. Don't take anything personally. Don't make assumptions, and always try to do better.

Those are the four things. But the early part of that book, it talks about being your story. But, and I haven't been through nearly what so many of your listeners have been through. There's so many traumatic experiences, especially for a lot of women out there. I can't imagine what nearly what so many of you listen to this so many traumatic experiences Especially for a lot of women out there. I can't imagine what that's like. Yes, but I still would say it's your life It's very short. You can it's some point if you're gonna have any happiness you have to like just you got it

Yeah, I didn't know we're gonna go there But I have this thing that I talk about often where everything in your life happens for you and not to you if you believe that to be the case. So, like, my dad's drinking and my dad's my best friend. He's been sober all the time. But it actually happens for me. I already talked about that. It's amazing. I would literally not be doing this.

I wouldn't been pretty good at like a value. My dad would come home. I'd have to kind of distinguish. Is it sober dad or not so bad? By the way, my dad's my best friend, literally. But it built these skills in me. It made you. When I went to work at the group home,

the other one here knows my story, but it happened for me. But if you're only playing it for me, yeah, if it's always replaying it is just the negative. It's gonna be a self-fulfilling prophecy the rest of your life. It's amazing how, and I feel like recently that is some I've been working on,

but just like when something happens, where you're always like, oh,'s damn yeah, it's like whoa And I'll tell them my wife who I'm like this could be a good thing, you know, so prime example There that was fishing in Colorado my festival. I'd have a fishing license, right? So I was on a private farm fishing a creek that wasn't expecting the fish It was just such a random thing my buddy Luke Bryan had been there the day before he caught a fish on there And so I had to go out there and try to top him, of course, the next day and I caught four.

And I posted on Instagram, really smart move, right? And I'm walking through town the next day and I'm taking pictures. There's some local people just kind of checking out how the festival was, having a good time. There's a wildlife guy there at this camera. And he's like, do you want to do this here or somewhere else? And I was like, my ego, I'm like,

he wants to say pictures with me, obviously. Yeah, we do everyone, man, I'm cool with what we do here. He goes, do you catch for Rainbow yesterday? And said, yeah, even license, I said, no. He goes, do you want to do this here or somewhere else? So I got a scar and he gave me a ticket. I saw this. And so I posted it on Instagram,

but I immediately took it down because I don't want to mess with Luke. There's a huge hunter of fish and fish. I don't want to mess with his whole situation. Right. He and I actually, yeah, like, it's not 10 million people here. By two off, for example, yeah, now they're, I'm just kidding. Well, here's a thing. So he calls me, because I took it down on Instagram situation right he and I actually yeah yeah 10 million people but to the

but well here's a thing so he calls me because I took it down on Instagram but I forgot about it still on Facebook on it's all linked at it I'm very good all this stuff and I was like man you know this could end up being a good thing because we need to own up to it you know we and you need to call the folks at Colorado Wildlife you might make some friends there might be you know might be something you know this is what you do he you know, call the folks at Colorado Wildlife, you might make some friends there. It might be, you know, might be something, you know, this is what you do. He is a hunter fisherman, that's what he does.

He's like, buddy, I talked to the folks over there, made some good friends, there's a 10 out of 10 conversation, you know, they got it, I paid them, I'm paid the best. So I just feel like everything happens to you before you get something you turn it before you. Because you can kind of spend it all into being a positive thing. The happiest people. If you look at any area you're alive eventually. I know people have been so horrific things. You can turn it into being something that makes you who you are. The heartbreak you go through that girl broke your heart but it made you the person that you are. I like to think that I think you're right. I like to think that it should have at least taught you something. Yes. There's a lesson. The only time to learn. That's when you right. I like to think that it should have at least taught you something. Yes.

There's a lesson. The only time to learn. That's when you learn. You learn to learn the heart. And I'm a huge, huge believer in that. And I think the happiest people don't wait for hindsight for that. They discover that in the present moment. Like one little random example is my dad's got cancer right now.

And you think, well, I got what the hell is good about your father suffering with cancer? Right? But to be candid with you, I've looked at my own family as the time more precious now. When the phone rings and it was my dad before, maybe every once in a while, I'd be like, yeah, call him back. Now it's like, oh, it's dad, I get to talk to him again. It just made everything more precious. It's not that like this stuff's not cool,

but like really, would I rather have a beach house or would I rather just be able to talk to my dad right so it's put things in perspective so everybody listening to this I just want you to understand something because this is why I wanted Dirk to talk about you know Some of his beginnings your mess does not disqualify you from being successful your current match the current thing that you're ashamed of or Give you anxiety or gave you pain you have our permission to that down, turn the page and start to write a new chapter in your life, and that's why. I wanna talk about some of those other chapters too, by the way, so with you, you're gonna say something.

You think it's amazing, it's for a little bit of life is that you can, I think it was a little easier probably before social media, but you can just be, I like being the idea, but it's a change you ever wanna be, I don't like being stuck in one type of person or whoever my parents were or whoever. I think when they got up in Arizona, there's almost less roots to a culture.

It's more just like just be who men, I'm in the South now and there's definitely a lot of legacy. Legacy, yeah, and it's like, that's good for some folks, that's fine, but for me, that's like, man, who do you want to be today? Yeah. Speak whoever you want to be, it's fun. That's what kids do.

I learned so much from my kids. By the way, the get to got through, got to go. I Yeah. Speak whoever you want to be, it's fun. That's what kids do. I learned so much from my kids. By the way, the get-to got through. Got to go. I was riding my, to school my daughter. And I was like, yeah, I got to write songs today with these guys. And I was kind of saying it like that.

And she goes, you get to. You got to, you get to. I was like, hmm. I was like, yeah, I get to. You lose perspective. You get something like a house or something. Something that would have changed your whole life. Your life would be perfect. You could just own a house, yes and then three years later you know you own a party kind of forget the you own a house

You're right. I'm a songwriter national Tennessee. I get to write songs amazing people actually with a song that they called I don't got to I get to And based on what she said, but how beautiful is it? Yeah, but I did this yesterday. It's so weird. After I spoke, I went to our team and I said, I have to go do this signing with the books and the pictures. And I said, immediately, I went, let me correct that. I get to. Totally. And I changed the whole experience for me.

Speaking of your children, nox is a smart dude. Yeah. Because he understood how much bigger my arms were than yours last night. He didn't matter. No matter how much I did, get him, he was like, I was like, the knuckle of justice was coming in there.

His arms were bigger. He's your identical twin by way. Well, a little mini me. That was so cool. So I want to talk about defining moment a little bit. I get the feeling because your dad was involved a little bit. Didn't you draw, was there kind of a significant decision you made

to just head to Tennessee? They did. What is that? What happened that? What happened there? I just knew after high school, I went to Vermont University for Vermont for a year and a great place. I don't know what the hell I was doing.

It's kind of drifting a little bit. I got in, so I went. I wanted to go to Boulder, where my wife went, but I did not get in there. I've never been a very good student. But I got there, and I just realized I just wanted to be able to obsess the country music. I've never been a very good student. But I got there and I just realized I just wanted to be obsessed with country music. I don't know why. I mean, I, there's been a couple of defining moments in my life. One was I was 17 years old. My friend Jack Brown

lives in Chicago. He sat me down. I was playing like, I was, I'd been into country music with my dad. He liked country music. So I listened to him because of him. 13 to 17. I was in anything that had power for it. Span Halen, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osborne, Pearl Jam, you know. I was just listening to anything. But I wasn't really, I hadn't really found a musical home, but I buddy sat me down and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played

me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one song by Hank Jr. and he played me a one a one song by Hank Jr. and he played like a coin going down a slot machine and hitting all the right levers or your being. I knew exactly what I wanted to do for that one moment.

He played me in Martyr Stewart's song and he played me in Aller Jackson's song. I can tell you the three songs. And I was like, yeah, I took the electric guitar down, get the acoustic guitar out. That was like I knew exactly what I wanted to do. And I moved to Nashville two years later. He actually went to school at Vannebrook where I was and did you know when you moved there like was there something for you to go to when you got? No, I had no family there.

I had no one though. You just chased the day. I went there and that's this time around when I applied to school. I wanted to talk to the admissions director. I mean she could see the passion in my eyes. Like I have to be, I have to be in Nashville. I have to be the school. You know, it's amazing how you can accomplish

when you're really, people can see that, that's authentic. You coming through and I got in the school there. And the first day I got to Nashville, I got a job as an intern to the Country Music Association. And I mean, how weird is that? You were an intern for CMA.

Oh yeah, I used to walk by the walkie talkie on and you know, a escorting Schneid to me and back to her bus and... That's so annoying. It's like stuff behind the scenes back there, yeah. Can you, are you all hearing this? Like I don't know if everybody gets this, dude was an intern at CMA, like that's... How'd you get that job, by the way?

Just got it, I wanted it, you know. There's the one quote that I carried around my whole, like, I had this binder that had like my songs in there, but I also had all my songwriting appointments. And it just kept with me. And I, there's a guy named Harold Bradley, who was a big, big figure in Nashville. And on his tombstone, he had this quote, I thought it was his. It turns out I think it's from Calvin Coolidge, but it's about how nothing the world can take the place of persistence.

And I could, it's, you know, it's nothing in the world team. Talent will not, nothing's more common than unrewarded talent. Genius will not, unrecognized genius is almost a proverb. Education will not, the world's full educated derelicts. Which is you? Persistence and determination are alone or omnipotent. And persistence has just always been like my thing.

I think I'm not the best singer by any means. I'm like, I'm really not that great of a singer, honestly. I'm like, I don't even know what you're talking about. I could have find a note and put a lot of air behind it. I have to travel to my voice and I'm like, I'm a good bar singer. You know, there's some unbelievable singers out there. They're on TV, they're all in the country.

I mean, it's called like the lottery. You have to be present to win. You have to be a national to do this, right? So that's the step one. And then, you just gotta be persistent. But it's easy to be persistent when you are afflicted with a love of something, right? I just love to country music.

And my buddy, yeah, it's more than a desire. It's like, it's an affliction. Like, I can't help it. Like, listen to this music. I love this music. I have to get the Nashville. I don't have any friends there. I have any family there. I don't help it. Listen to this music. I love this music. I have to get the Nashville. I don't have any friends there. I have any family there.

I don't know how it's going to work out, but I just got to be there. And I don't know how this is even going to work out, but I just love this music so much. And I'm such a fan of it still am. And I've done a lot of shows. No one's ever said that. Afflicted with the love of something. Oh, man. That's good.

trademarked that. That was good. No, I think sometimes we'll write that. That was good. No, I think sometimes also people that are successful take for granted things they're good at. One line, I don't care if it's a football player, a business woman I've had on the show or whatever, is the, and you did it. They're very comfortable stepping into spaces, buildings,

environments that they're ill prepared for. Like they have a threshold where they're like, I'm just gonna get in there and then I'll figure it out. Yeah. And that's what you did. You got in the car, you went to Nashville, you just like, you know, you Vanderbilt, you just like stepped in there, you'd figure it out.

Whereas most people go, I have to be completely prepared. I have to know everything. I have to have everything lined up. Then I'll take a step. That's amazing. You know, Sagu, he talks about the, he was going to speak somewhere,

I go, you're going to prepare for it, he goes, no, I just show up. And I was like, wow, it's amazing. What do you mean, your whole life's preparation, I just show, just be there, be present that moment, be authentic. You know, that's like some of my best shows, or the ones where I just walk on stage,

or that get to, add it to, that sense of joy and wonder, how do not walk on stage. Whoa look at these light bulbs. This is amazing. We have a video screen. You know how to kid walk on stage and and then just be be present and be be just be and all of the hell we're talking about now but uh yeah. No I love what you doing you're you're you're turning into a little bit of a Yoda.

So I like. No but no I I watch this last night with you. It's just too, dude, irony is we're talking about these really deep things in you and I are just sort of dudes, right? But I love this because- Well, I love this because I can talk to you about this stuff because I don't, I'm not going to talk to this about- Right, you're going to- The band guy is talking about this stuff, I probably won't talk about this at some stage tonight.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no and I'm like, he's really experiencing this joy and bliss and wonderment up there last night at gratitude. Yes, and you feel it because you're really experiencing it. Those of you that want to have an effect on people, it has to be authentic, right? You have to be experiencing it. Yeah, well my first lesson I got in singing was, I never had a real lesson.

I went to the bar, paid my $5 cover charge and watched this band play over Tuesday night. But the lead singer got him Terry Elders. He's like, you want to sing country music you you have to hear the words in your head, and then they have to filter through your broken heart of some sort, and then come out. You just can't go straight from here to here. That probably works in any business where it has to go through, like, some experience, some dramatic experience you've had.

Yes. It helps when you're especially in country music, someone like George Jones or Merle Haggard, and then they're singing. There's so many great technical singers out there. They can do all this stuff, but I don't personally, it doesn't like hit me. Yes. Like some of like George Jones who maybe wasn't always perfectly in tune and in G. Yeah, right.

But when he sings, you feel it, right? It's not my hearing, you feel him singing it. So my buddy Terry said it to me at the. I was like 19, and I was like, damn, I haven't like, you know, my parents are still living, and I haven't had any girls that really broke my heart yet. Like, have I ever been able to sing this music? And then I had some experiences that helped me,

that did break my heart and helped me understand what he's talking about, the difference between like listening is something actually feeling and hearing it. And I- Can you tell us what one of those experiences were mean, I've certainly started some relationships where you know I think I'm a romantic type even though I don't wish I was in it time So I you know, I really believe in the whole I think my parents, you know

Mary for 30 some odd years. I believe in that. I want that and some situations where It wanted a particular where yeah, my hair was falling out my mom some of these huge like horse pills and try to keep my hair I mean just come out and clumps in the shower that's true lost all this weight. I mean it's so skinny A buddy mine who's at the show last night Vaughn you might have seen him he uh he took me to the YMCA I try to give you back in shape. Well, I got a hernia because I was like, you know Just like this is working out too hard. It was bad times and I really And uh, I was just going down this really dark,

unnecessary like path. I mean, it's just so unnecessary. I remember my dad being like, Dirk's, your mom's been like a thousand women, I could have married. There's no one person for any of us. I was like, dad, of course there is. There's the one.

We're talking about, there's the one. But a friend of mine, it kind of like, someone listening to you just like snap me out of it. He's like, dude, stop. What are you doing? Stop. And he kind of pushed you up against the walls, kind of threatening someone listening to you just like snap me out of it. He's like, dude, stop. What are you doing? Stop. And he kind of pushed you up against the wall, was kind of threatening to kick my ass.

And it's like, something to snap with. And I was like, you're right, what am I doing? This is ridiculous. I still remember the date. And that happened. And where it was. And, but yeah, that like, that, that, and just sitting with my dad passing away

was a had a big impact on me too. Really kids, gosh, I think I get, I get to be a better singer and better performer just with each kid that comes along. So it's like, I read this quote of years about writing. Yeah. It fits this and you said, you can't write about stuff. You don't know, you have to live it.

You have to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. Live life, you have to live life to be a great communicator basically. You said that. I think it's great about country music. There's always going to be the 17-year-old kids like me that drive them to pick up, show up, get to go see Garth Brooks the first time. You love those party songs. Ain't going down to the sun comes up. Those are the songs that get you into country music. But what country music is really geared towards, I think, is for life experiences. And that's why it's got this beautiful fan base

of people that love the sad songs, man. You know, get the other genres of music. There's a whole, we love, sad songs don't make you sad. Sad songs make you feel like a friend. And wow, you know, a lot of kids, and when I was 17 or when I was 13 to 17, the country music really didn't speak to me because I didn't had those life experiences.

But I feel like for me now, your dad passes away, a son's born, the circle of life stuff, you look back, you've been married for 10 years, you've hit one at the top of one mountain, but there's a day of Brooks as a book out there called Second Mountain. You read a lot, don't you? My wife kind of got me into reading. We do read country singers. I do like, I do, I try to read more. But that's like you've reached the top one mountain career and family.

What's the second mountain going to be? And so these ideas, they, I think what makes the country music great, the older you get the more wisdom you get, just makes you a better songwriter, makes you a better singer, makes you a better communicator to your audience out there. You wrote, I hold on about your dad, right? I did. He passed away. And that day, the past wed, I was actually holding his hand as he passed away, which was

a, which was a, was a, a, a, not, not, it was, not overly important for me to be there, because I know it's such a chancy thing to be there when that actually happens, but I've been thinking about holding his hand, and how much I looked at my dad's hands in general, he always had a time ex-Irman watch, and he's hands could do anything, right? My dad was like the generation that could fix anything and doing his hands, and I was just thinking, I was driving around Phoenix thinking about him

and drove to this church we used to go to, and I still have the same truck that he and I drove to Nashville and we drove out in 1994 Chevy truck which finally just put new stereo in after it's running great and I was like why the hold on the truck why do I have his watch why do I hold on to these things and I wasn't trying to write a song I was just trying to answer some of those big questions to come when your dad passes away. And it ended up writing a love song that only would work in country music.

Because it's about, it's the love song of how, you hold on, why do I hold onto this old beat up truck? Why do I keep this old beat guitar and use those two analogies to explain your wife while you're never a lever? It's like, that would never work in any other genre of music. It's like, what do you mean,

you're comparing me to an old beat up truck. But country fans get it. But yeah, it was actually my biggest song. And honestly, in a weird way, have what have you believe in? When my dad passed away, like my career took a whole other, like, it actually began to really work. So I'm relieved. He's up there pulling some strings for me. I feel like that's beautiful, bro. I, very few songs, I don't know, affect me lyrically.

Yeah. I love Riser. I think that's one of them. All of you, even if you're not a country music fan, like if you go read some of the lyrics, this man's written, like they make a difference. It's actually don't, and I know you're gonna sluff it off as you know, you'll be humble about it.

Knock me a humble about this one. This is one of the songs I didn't write. Okay, you know, I know you're gonna sluff it off as, you know, you'll be humble about it. Not be humble about this one. This is one of the songs I didn't write. Okay, you like it. You like it. I love this song. It's like, some of us like poetry. Right, but like, that song gives me, I'm serious. I play that song literally when I'm going through

a difficult, it's a trigger song for me. Use it can be a trigger, by the way, to change your state. You all know that. You hear a song from your child that takes you back to that moment instantly. Music can do that to you. This song, Riser, for me, man, it's like, I just definitely do. Music's so powerful. There's a lot of times I get in a car from going from the airport to something.

I'm like, don't play music. Or I'm going to work out first thing in the morning. I'm really on my game and I do like a 5 a.m workout. And I don't listen to music in the way to work. I'm like, I just want to be present this moment because music is going to take me somewhere. The second year of song, I'm going somewhere. We're going back in the past, I'm getting pumped up, and maybe I don't want to keep my energy low.

Music's so powerful, it's crazy. It does, it can transform your life. That song, Travis Metta, Steve Mokeley wrote that song. It got sent to me. I was like, whoa, this is like who I want to be. This is actually, I still have some of the income. I hand last night from the guy dedicated that song to his wife had passed away. And I dedicated that song to him because that was their song.

I always meet people backstage that inspire me before I walk on stage. Those meet greets are so important for giving me the feel to walk out there and give this show context. But, man, what a great song. I became the corner. I named the album after the album was called the Ryzer album. And so yeah, there's some people in Nashville

that they write songs every day. And I go and try to hang in there with them which time to make albums, but I'm always just, what percentage do you write versus songs and so on? Some albums have written the whole album. Okay. Maybe too many albums, I've written too many

my own songs, it's hard to tour. And also be a great songwriter. And there's some times I albums. I've written too many My Own Songs. It's a harder tour. And also be a great songwriter. And there's some times I feel like I've written too many songs. It's probably 70, 30, I write. You write. Yeah, but Burning Man, you did not write. Burning Man, I did not write. Unbelievable lyrics too, right?

You agree with me on that? This song is unbelievable. I had that song for the loop dick. Oh gosh. Loop dick is the most song I had that song for the loop dick. Oh gosh, loop dick is the songwriter is not song and just unbelievable. Totally, it's not. It had it for two years. I cut it three different times trying to get right but it's such a

powerful song. It's so personal to me. But I think about country music, the more personal they are to you, the more you write. Look at Taylor Swift. She writes songs with a guy's name on them, you know. I know publishers that have told her like, hey, don't put it in Ned's name. And everybody knows Ned. She's like, well, that's who broke my heart. So I'm just gonna write it about it. The more personal you make it, it's amazing.

The more universal it becomes. So like, the songs like Rise or Burning Man, they're so personal. Let me, they release them out to the wild. And people make that, that becomes woven into the thread they're live. But I wrote, when they wrote that song, the wild and people make that becomes woven into the threader line. But I wrote when they wrote that song, they wanted it for you. I think so.

I've been writing with this guy. I wrote with Luke Dick a lot for my record and my thing is like, if we can write songs the other great, if you write something of me and mine, please send it to me. I don't care where it comes from. I'm trying to make just like, if you could writing a book, if you could have people write certain chapters, you're gonna make a great album. Yes. I'm not a son of a sir, like,

I don't want credit for each song, so that's about making a great body of work. And if I could borrow some songs from people to help say what I'm trying to say, instead of just trying to draw from the 70 songs, all right, if I can draw from 3,000,000 songs, I'm gonna make a much better album. Yeah, and you own them to half your life, you struggle,

half your life, you fly, half your life, you fly, half your life, you're making trouble, half your life, you're making it right one day, I'm the exception. Most days, I'm just like most, some days I'm headed in the right direction, and some days I ain't even close. Like this stuff, man. That's so good, right?

It relates to everybody. Yeah, it's so good. I love your music. Thank you, man. And I'm not, everyone knows me pretty well like I love songs that make me feel something and your songs make an impact on me. That's why I told you last time was the best live show I've ever been to before. A couple quick things. I just wrote some questions. I wanted to ask you myself. Yeah. So not like strange consciousness. Are you gifted

or are you skilled? Meaning were you born with a gift for this or do you think you've developed a skill? Definitely all skills. It's like even when I play like a guitar, I mean, it's all muscle memory. I wish I could tell you, but I actually took a theory class that I had to drop out. I don't understand how it works. I don't know.

And I'm not giving up on, I'm still student. I played Man de Linn. I love playing a man de Linn. It's like Mike and I go to like instrument I'm not giving up on. I'm still student. I played Man the Linn. I love playing the Man the Linn. It's like my kind of go to like instrument I'm trying to learn how to get better at. But it's all, I've had to just like take a round peg and hammer it into a square hole and just like, you know, it's all through like just sweat

and then physically sweat equity is the whole way I've gotten here. I want everyone to hear that. You tell me one of the most successful men in the history of country music, when you add up album sold and etc. etc. one of the most relevant people in the music industry today is telling you you didn't have a natural born talent for what he does and there's all of you out there you know that want to make some big dream come true there's something you want to pursue

you're thinking I don't have an incredible gift actually by the way you could have a gift part of that gift could be your ability to just be available. I just did a video on this. One of the best abilities is availability. Just keep, you're a grinder. Like this dude grinds, like he works his ass off, has worked his ass off, picture this at his level. He performs three times a night in his shows right now on this burning meadow.

He plays the first one like that acoustic set, right? You play that. 30 minute acoustic set and the play mentally, which is great. I do it the Hocken tonight is seven, and my main show at 930. But come on. You know what I do, this might be helpful, interesting to your listeners, but the worst part of your day or the worst part of your set list or whatever it is, I always try to

take that worst part and make it my favorite part. So that acoustic show I do at 615, it used to be me alone with a guitar. I'm a band, I like playing, I like like playing, me music is like people playing music together. Alone with a guitar, I can do it, but it's just not really fun for me. I don't know, I don't know if that great of a guitar player is like, so I used to do alone at 615, it's all, it's, yeah, it's even once come out with some extra money, you get food, drinks, and you get an acoustic performance, right? I do it every night.

It was like, it just wasn't the most fun. I got to leave the guys behind, we're in the dressing room, jack around like yeah I got to go do this. I got to go do this thing and then you know one of the guys started joining me and the two guys joined me just out of the love of doing it you know and and then all they all joined me and it's like you know let's take this thing and let's make this the highlight of our whole day and like I'm trying to get better with the mental and how about I get paid to do band men in practice every night so I put the guitar down. I got my mental end out, scared to death, plugged in.

They all sound so terrible when you plug a man in. And instead of just singing acoustically and I have my ears in, an awesome microphone, great speakers, we're up there. I'm getting a chance to practice bluegrass music for a half hour every night. And then I can take all that money and split it six ways. So the guy is making a bunch of money too now, you know. Everyone's making it's like become a really

fun. It's the, you know, I took something was just like, so aim the sillist, the part of the show that he's like, oh, this is not the bad. How do we, okay, how do we make that like my favorite part of the show? You keep like upping that. So it's a great lesson. In your day and every one's day, they typically avoid the thing they fear the most or the thing that's the most uncomfortable for them to do. And it's the very thing that if you did it would be your gateway to the next level. Right. That's so cool. Yeah, that's taken that. So you're not naturally talented. He's telling you everybody that he's developed this skill.

I got a question for you. I've asked a few guys at your level when they're... Are you afraid you're going to lose all this? Do you think about it? I just asked a few guys at your level when they're, are you afraid you're gonna lose all this? You know, I think I'm at a point where, I just like to go out on my own terms, but I think when it's over, we were talking about this off camera, I'm playing golf with Jack Nicholas on Friday Saturday,

which is ridiculous, so I'm not that very good at golf, but I'm a big fan of his because I read a book on him, and he talks about golf as just an extension of his competitive spirit, which is crazy. You think of Jack, you think of golf, you think this guy loves golf, you think he's like, because I read a book on it and he talks about golf as just an extension of his competitive spirit, which is crazy. You think of Jack, you think of golf. You think this guy loves golf.

You think he's like, it's like really, it's just like the way I get the competitiveness, and that's where I compete. And he's like, so when I stop being competitive at it, it wasn't hard for me to walk away from it. I think that's the same thing for me in music. When it stops being, it is, I mean, Nashville's a great community.

We're all such a cool community, compared to like the LA music scenes so I hear Because everyone is supporting each other these award shows we're all like a You know, yeah, it's like which he's hosted by the way, which you did great. Oh, thanks I got replaced by Riba, which is that's pretty good I'm a little too bad about that But yeah, it's like but we are it is competitive. I walk on stage I'm definitely competing for myself in a lot of ways and when it's I stopped being competitive

I think it's, I stopped being competitive. I think it's okay, I got, there's a lot of things I want to get to and do. And most involved is like water and mountains and stuff. So are you telling me you really envision a time? I'm surprised by this. You're telling me you couldn't envision a time where this is not what you're doing.

Really? I mean, I hate to put anything out there. Some of them believe in manifesting stuff. So I hate putting it into the universe like it have it come true. But it's some point, I mean, it's gonna end at some point, right? I mean, there are some guys that do it, real high, you know, you can die on the tour bus, you know?

I love that. And those are some believable. Man, at some point, it's gonna, I mean, hopefully you can do it on your own terms where like, George Straits doing it, you know, certain number shows a year and it still has a whole other situation going on, but it's funny. I don't know. It changes so much. I've had guys leave the band because they want to be with their kids, and then their kids like a year later, like, dad, when are you going back out in the road?

And they're like, yeah, I quit to be here with you. You're talking about that. Right, right. You know, my kids now, it changes where I asked, Evie, my 10 year old, I'm like, hey, what do you think? I can slow down a retire, what do you think? And she goes, how about 20, 88? I'm like, 104? That's awesome. Come on out, because they love the road, they love us. So, as long as it's fun for everyone,

I have such a great band, it's such a great crew. It's the whole environment out there. Anybody, if you're backstage in my show and anyone walks by, they're gonna say hi, they're gonna say hi, they're gonna's up. It's such a great community. It really is. We built that up. I hate to ever lose. That's, I'm more and more about losing that.

Yes. They have about being on stage and having my ego fed by it. You know, but I do have so much fun on stage. Nobody, I don't think anyone has more fun doing what I do nightly. The three shows, being on stage, it's like, not, I don't want to over-excend our time here, but I have some friends that do, I've been in these great, I could probably use one, like a therapist, have retreats, situation to really dial it in and break it down and bash it all out and figure it out. And I would love to do some like that, but if you look at my daily, my every day what I do, I mean,

Wim Hof, the water guy, and he talks about, one of the greatest reasons about getting an ice bath is because it sucks. And you should do some maybe it is sucks, right? It do something that is just not fun. Like something you have to do. Do I look forward to tonight, like the physical exhaustion of seeing three shows and all the meet and greets and all the information

I'm taking about somebody's son died in Iraq and this song is to that. And it's just, there's a lot to go through. It's like facing a mountain. It's like, there's a marathon I have to run tonight. I'm not necessarily looking forward to it, to be honest. I know what you mean.

I could just stay here and be pretty happy the rest of the day. But I think it's one of the most honest things anyone said on my show, because I'm the same way. But I'll tell you what I watched with you last night, because a lot of people, if they stripped their BS away, exactly what you just said is true. Exactly what you just said. And I'm that way too.

If I'm being really honest, there's times when I'm flying to go do a speaking, and I'm like, I would rather really be there. Right. And then, but something happens when I get there. Go ahead. Feet touch the ground and it's like electricity comes through. It's like, it's just like running.

My wife's a runner, I can't run very well, she can run a marathon, but I can imagine when I've done my workout, as you know, like the first couple reps, but then something, the chemical change happens, like it probably is biochemistry, and like all of a sudden you're like, you're home where you're meant to be, and it's like, it comes the greatest,

you can imagine life without it. Brother, that was the word I was just gonna use. It's your home, It's your calling. And it may not be forever. But when you get somewhere, you may not always want to get there. But when you get there and that electricity affects you, that dopamine kicks in, that energy surge happens where you're like superhuman almost. It's a feeling.

I don't care if it's a sales call. If it's coming home that you're caring for your children, you're walking out on stage to perform or speak like I do, whatever it is, something happens to you in its home. It's not home. It's where you're supposed to be in that moment. You weren't supposed to be in that moment. Not a way to do it. Everyone in my crew, whether Josh Brown is his T-shirts,

or everyone does what exactly they love to Josh. I've never had someone so excited about some T-shirts. And he knows the whole deal, right? I used to try to design T-shirts and so on. They were terrible. I found Josh, he's like, this guy, this is what he does. And he's really good at it. But for me, it's the whole thing.

The whole day is just like, I get there. And I'm, first of all, you use a wake up hotel room and you bump into some of the house keeping. So right away, you're just like, oh my God, I have such gratitude that I get to like, I'm not doing this all day long. So right away, it's like, it's the level of gratitude for being on the road.

Just for the people that are, you're meeting backstage doing security, how hard they work, and the caterers, and then you get to meet all these fans who have been through horrific stuff, and they're telling you one of their songs, changes their life. And for me, I found me in Greece,

I'm sure the same for you. It was like, the more open I am, the more easier it is. If I go in there trying to be like, if I'm all kind of guarded and like, just trying to get through it, it's gonna be a real pain. You know, my guys have to drag people away like,

Dirk's like, we gotta, I'm like, well, I'm sure in the story is, but you take all that in, and then I get to go on stage, well, I get to do a bunch of different stage stuff, but the main show, I go out there in the yellow and scream and pow my chest and blues my mind and lose my voice and literally jumping

and pounding on my chest and having, and then I go after that, I go see five of the guys in the band who are all married, most of kids, and we talk out, you know, whatever we need to talk out. And then that's just, I do it all in the next day. So it's like remarkable. It's the indirect effect that the road has, the benefits for me, beyond, like just totally separate from what people see out front. What it does for me is a person, is created,

the person I am, and how it gives me sanity, is something people don't see at all, but I think that exists in anything. When you get to do something you really can put your whole heart and soul into, it just, it does kind of self-correct any deficiencies. If what you're doing every single day never gives you the feeling that you just described, perhaps that's not where you're supposed to be. Perhaps that's not your home. It's not the approach to it.

It's when you're in the midst of doing what you do, is there an energy, a piece of superhuman quality to you, an enjoyment, a bliss, something in your spirit that feels right while you're doing it? That should be the indicator that you're planted in the right place because I know exactly what you mean and it's cool that you admit it because it's not something everybody. I love doing this. No, there are days that you don't love it, but when you get there and do it, you feel a certain way.

Just curious a couple more things. Sure. What do you think it would have done if you weren't doing this? I'm asked a great question. I'm so you'd end up with music when I'd be playing somewhere. You would be. I'd probably be playing somewhere. I mean, you would be. I'd probably be playing lower Broadway in Nashville, Tennessee, and that's not a bad place to play now.

When I was in Nashville back the day, there was really nothing going on down there. You'd take your friends out of lower Broadway. Lower Broadway is a stretch of streets from six down to the river. It's one street. It's an amazing place now. Back in the day, it was just bunch of old hockey talks,

and it was cool back then too too, for a totally different reason. But I mean, you'd have, you know, playing for tips, and sometimes I used to play for free drinks. Wow. So, but now, you can just make a great living down there, but more importantly, you can have a lot of fun. I mean, there's like, there's no more in bachelor's at destination in the country, more so than Vegas for capital.

So, it's like, I mean, if I had to get down I'd be like, hmm, no, I want to go on the road or just like stay here and let everyone just come to me. Yeah, I understand. So I think I'd still be playing music. And some capacity. I don't know what I really don't know what I would have done. You know, I have some friends just, from working with CMA, friends in the TV,

and Nashville Network, CMT, CMA, I could probably do in a production job, something. I don't know. But, uh. How about business? By the way, I should tell everybody that you and I are business partners in pick out ships. Yes, we should plug that today, at least. Yeah.

Especially if we've said that. So. I've done some crazy stuff. I like challenges. I don't know why I do them. I set myself up for stuff just to do stuff. I don't know why. I quit drinking most of last year.

Yeah. Did 70, did three 70 day breaks, which is hard when you're on the road with the brothers I set myself up for stuff just to do stuff. I don't know why. I quit drinking most of last year. Did three, 70 day breaks, which is hard when you're on the road with the brothers Osborne and Lanco. I can't even remember. These guys. I mean, but it was like, my wife and I kind of did together and it was like a really good physical challenge for me. And I've also, I took a year off of meeting,

actually a year and a half off of meeting meat in cheese. It's a band. We did it as a band together. We watched the documentary on Couspiracy. And we all just, we were playing a gig up in Syracuse, beautiful venue, but the lake next to it's totally toxic. You can't even like look at it, though your eyes stinging. And we just decided to try something. And then I'm all down for like just, just trying stuff.

And mom for experiments, it was hard. I'm back. I'm not on the training more, but I do, I actually, what's that? I saw that. I eat from much eating these days, but I do think, I learned so much from that experience about, I mean, I, now, I never really ate salads before that. Now I can see it, now I like, now I like, you can retrain your taste buds

to like literally salivate over like a cucumber, which is like so bizarre to me. I can see that I can see my mouth I can right now. I can like and I've been like cucumbers before but I had a year where I was just eating like a lot of the full plant-based diet. It changed my whole Wow DNA basically like of what I have I see food so now I'm more likely to eat you know I'll be telling our kids the stuff eat your vegetables, but then as adults were like when's that state coming around? Vegetables, oh

But so it definitely helped me kind of just become more conscious of my food stuff, but all four of them were like, there's a Navy SEALA wrote a book about eliminating yourself, like, you know, like, spend a week sleeping on the floor. Then you'll go back to your bed and be like, oh my gosh, I have a bed. You know, just, like, just do those kinds of things.

You do those kinds of things. I've never done that. But those kind of things though, you like to challenge yourself out. I don't, I'm surprised to hear it. I'm surprised that at the randomness of it though, like you'll do it with your diet or your drinking. Or working out, like, I do like, I did like a couple of months of five AM workouts,

getting up at 4.45. I do the cold, I have, I always do cold shower. I always cold shower, every morning if I take a shower at all. I love the cold. I on the road, I have a trash can. It's just like getting past. It's all about I think it's getting past the conscious, like retooling your subconcious. Exactly right. With the drinking stuff, you know, we're talking about

Sheldon. There's such drinking is just, you know, you just got to find ways to monitor that, you know, especially doing what we do. I have so many friends at the show last night. They're texting me about how hungover they are. I'm like, guys, you gotta learn how to break down, pass that subconscious a little bit, and know what you're... Be aware. Be aware of it.

Self-awareness is a huge thing. It's one of the things I think that's why you have so much humility. That's what I've noticed in you anyways. All right, I got something for you last. By the way, I've enjoyed this so much. Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

I've liked you and I've watched how you've treated people. All of our exchanges about your family and your children be in the center of your life. I just admire. Thanks, ma'am. But what I'm excited about our friendship for is like there's a depth to you that I really, really am so thrilled to see and explain your success to me.

I've been listening and learning. Thank you. I'm glad anything I can do to help Obviously, you know, I wanted amazing podcast. Thank you. If you had Advice to someone so everyone listen to this they got a dream of some type like you did Yeah, when you're a 19 year old dude and they want to make something happen whether it's a business or a relationship or They want to get their dream home or they're an artist. Yeah. You know, they wanna sing or play professional football or whatever it might be.

See, this is why I listen to you. I don't have the answers to this stuff. I don't know what that advice would be. Well, I'll say, well, I bet you do. I bet you do something. I'm gonna push you on it, because you do it. I mean, I think you did it myself if I observe you with crazy work ethic,

but I'll let you answer the question. Well, I do think there's something we talked about earlier about with crazy work ethic, but I'll let you answer the question. Well, I do think there's something we talked about earlier about the calling and finding something that really speaks to you. I mean, it's a lot easier to work hard and be persistent and have that, you find something that's like, that amount of off the wall is you could be one

to be a country singer from Phoenix, Arizona. It doesn't matter, just if it's something that really speaks to you, it's gonna be a lot easier to like, to go after. And you do need to take advice long away. And it's funny for me, I took this little positive advice that people would give me. I'd tend to stock that and be like, hey, he said, I remember one time I was just kind of pounding on my dashboard

or just a song and a bluegrass buddy of mine was like, you've really good timing. Like I'm playing my wrist. I was like, John Goldens said a good time. But it also, yeah, it really be realistic too, if you're not, if it's just, it's not working, then maybe, you know, you'd be afraid to. Course correct, cut bait, yeah.

Yeah, of course correct. Course correct, I love that. But I do think it's gonna come, a lot of, for me, it just comes down to, you know, I've played so many gigs and nobody wanted to play, right? I go play a crawfish boil. I'd played gigs where literally we, we like blended into the background, but me my cousin Avery on banjo me and guitar

like just might as well be wallpaper nobody even knows where they're you know or just any opportunity there was to play to get out there and do it I think people talk about songwriting you know don't talk about actually do it right a song a day yeah very good yeah I'm playing music if you're doing something to get out there and do it don't talk about it do it right a song a day. Very good. Get out and play music. If you're doing something to get out there and do it, don't talk about it, but I know. I got some respect. To me, it feels like everything just gets harder and harder as the world continues, man.

I feel like there are kids out there having to not navigate all the social media. And it's certainly for singing. I think it's just, it's tough. I do think it's a lot harder for girls in my business and for guys. And I's a lot harder for girls in my business with these guys. I got a lot of respect for everybody out there just trying to make it happen, man.

So do I. I respect the grind. I respect the effort. I was coming to the grinder. We were talking about hockey earlier. There's like the slap to the power D. You got the finesse guys. I've always just been the guy who goes in the corner and digs the puck out. I mean, that's kind of like what I'm.

I think you take for granted that you do that. I'm glad that you comment on it because there's two things I've observed about you and you've said them both, but I just want to say them back to you. One, I think that people that do things, everyone I interview, they do so many things very well, they think like isn't that big of a deal. So all the gigs you did play for nothing

or for a free drink or in the background or all those little things, there are millions of guys who also loved country music, who also wanted to be you, who passed on that stuff the second time it came out like, I already did it, I got nothing out of it, you went and did it again and again and again. And there's this thing with persistence as you said that eventually gets rewarded.

The best ability is available. Eventually you'll get noticed. Eventually there's a breakthrough. Eventually somebody sees you. And then last night I told Kristianno and we left. It was a lesson for me. I learned something watching you last night. I told her and I know we're in the car driving back.

She goes, you're thinking. You know, and I thought, I'll tell you, because I really admired what I saw, seriously. And your performance was unbelievable. I watched your backstage, I watched you talk with people, I watched you with me. And I told her, I go, that was a guy not working. And I said, just so you know, not all of that shit's easy for him. Not all that meat and everybody's easy for him.

He's found a way that it's like a fuel for him. He's found a way, you just so you all know, he not only performed three times last night, but he loves the business so much. He went backstage on the side of the stage and watched the other people perform. Like, you were in bliss last night when you were there. And I told her, I said, I need to be conscious

of being grateful for all of these opportunities I have because for a man at his level of success to be that Grateful and to still work that hard really inspired me They're really yeah, I think I'm just I'm a student of so many people out there And I I take what a you know, I think I can learn from and try to incorporate my own life. I think of a natural Love of of just of what I do, and I wanted to share with people, but I'm certainly, I'm aware of the first time I took my wife's cigar with Brooks,

and he, we went backstage and he immediately dis-sushered me. And I think it might as well as it's the last night and he's just one knee talking to my wife the whole time. He's like, I gotta see it, anyway. So, Cass, you were a marketing major. How was a marketing major? On one knee talking to the whole time, he goes out in the plays of three hours show. marketing manager? On one knee talking to the old time, he goes out in place a three hour show.

We're leaving. She's walking to the con course. She's got high heels on her feet or killing her. And I hear like, damn, is that? Did Cassidy have a good time? Like, how do you remember her name after like a three hour show? I was like, little things of that stick with you.

Taylor has always been so nice to when we go on the road. She's like, you know, she's just always seen such great care of us. And I say, you just, you draw from the people and it probably applies to everyone out there listening in the matter of what kind of line of work they're in. You just draw, you know, imitate, you know, draw from people that have inspired you.

And you get a chance to incorporate that in your own life. Don't want to go reinvent the wheel. Just like, look for people that are already kind of doing something you like doing and, and, and, you know, borrow from them. Great key. I call it modeling. Modeling.

That's exactly right. Why? I had no idea we were gonna to talk about so many relevant things today. They were going to talk about music. Hey, I did too. And I'm thrilled that we didn't just talk about it. It's fun because music's just the front for the whole, you know, for your life. I would say like, it's all combined. You know, you can't career, family, all these bits and pieces, people try to have. I want to win the overall the whole thing. You know, the whole game. It's to me it's like the career

family. It's this one life, right? to win the overall, the whole thing. The whole game. It's the me, it's like the career family, it's this one life, right? So how do you get the whole win on the whole deal? And I think this modeling is a big part of it. It's looking around and seeing people that start to your parents. You might, you know, some people have a harder upbringing. The other might have was a great model to start from. And I think there have always looked for people that I can model, stuff off of and draw from and incorporate in my own life, hopefully, and my own success. I think you're a good model. Thanks, man. And I picked up some stuff last night that I'm model stuff off of from Draftful and incorporate in my whole life, hopefully, non-success.

I think you're a good model. Thanks, man. And I picked up some stuff last night that I'm modeling. So thank you for today. This is one of my, I'll be honest with you, pleasantly so surprised with what we talked about today. I'll take that, man.

I'm really grateful for it. Thanks so much for being here, bro. Thank you. And we can do it against knife. I'm gonna go on the same. I'm just gonna go on the same. I would love that. I might jump on the plane and come on.

Come on, let's go. Hey everybody, I hope you enjoyed today's show. Obviously, I want you following Dirk's on his social media, on Instagram, at Dirk's Bentley. And I want to remind you, on my Instagram, to every day, we run the max out two-minute drill. I want to make a post every day on Instagram. When I make that post, you got two minutes. Make a comment. Get that comment in there, folks.

You make that comment. We do a drawing every day. If you make a comment in the first two minutes, or if you make a comment on other people's comments, or third, if you just make a comment every day on every post, we pick winners every week on Sundays, we announce them, you get rides on my jet, you get my book, you get coaching calls, you get max out gear, all kinds of cool stuff, and I'd love to help you with your life by picking you as one of the winners there. Maybe get a coaching call with me. So make sure you're engaged in my Instagram every day. Hope you enjoy today's show. Tell people about it. God bless you, max out your life. you