Paint & Pipette: The Art & Science of Innovation S2Ep03: Soul Surplus and Lifelong Learning with Wes Pendleton
When music producer and entrepreneur Wes Pendleton lost a sixty-thousand dollar deal over a licensing dispute that should have been easy to solve, he asked himself whether anyone else had experienced this infuriating problem. Fast forward to the founding of Soul Surplus, a full-service production company that creates original music compositions and digital media for music producers, filmmakers, content creators, and brands. Having built his personal music library for over a decade, Wes co-founded Soul Surplus in 2016 as a response to the recurring issue he was experiencing in the music industry as a producer and entrepreneur. We talk with Wes about the founding of Soul Surplus and how his observations about the marketplace helped him realize that he couldn’t do it alone. Wes shares how he and his team got together, what they each brought to the table and why he’s so grateful that none of them have a big ego. He describes the circumstances where they nearly lost everything in 2019, and how, despite major setbacks, they were still able to reach their goal and be successfully acquired by another company. Wes also explains how being a lifelong learner has shaped his life and why he dedicates three hours every day to learning. It was an honor having Wes on the show, he has a wealth of knowledge and we can’t wait to have him back on for part two!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing today's guest Wes Pendleton a music producer, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Soul Surplus.
- The difficulties that Soul Surplus faced during the summer of 2019 and how they almost lost it all.
- The advice Wes would give to his younger self in 2018: take your time.
- How Soul Surplus was still able to achieve its goals and be acquired despite major setbacks.
- What Wes considers to be one of his greatest creative achievements.
- Wes shares his approach to assessing talent and empowering people to do their best.
- What Wes observed about the marketplace that helped Soul Surplus stand out as a company: you can get more done with a team than with one person.
- The concept of the three-headed monster and how it informed the structure of Soul Surplus.
- How Wes’s experiences as a black man informed their exit strategy.
- Why it was important for Wes to separate his love of music from his business decisions.
- How Wes recognized a problem that needed to be solved and built his company around that.
- The posturing that Wes has observed in the music industry and why he chooses not to operate like that.
- How Wes schedules his day to include several hours of learning.
- A breakdown of what Wes includes in his learning hours, and what he included on the day of recording.
- Two moments in Wes’s life where he decided to take a low-pressure job to allow his mind the freedom to step back.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: