0
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I needed that feeling of unhappiness, because it was just what I was used to, which is quite crazy how our brains do that.
0
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I try to now attack everything that goes bad in my life with, OK, well, this is going to help somebody.
0
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That s beautiful.
0
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My next guest just secured his first Billboard Hot 100 hit.
0
SPEAKER_00
My next guest s music has been streamed almost 400 million times now.
0
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Please welcome back to the show, Teddy Swims.
0
SPEAKER_00
Please welcome Teddy Swims.
0
SPEAKER_00
Teddy Swims, everyone.
0
SPEAKER_01
I was working at Achilles, you know, in 2019.
0
SPEAKER_01
And me and all my friends at the time, we did the Michael Jackson s Rock With You cover.
0
SPEAKER_01
It was like the first cover I put up.
0
SPEAKER_01
We woke up, I think the next day it was like 10,000 views on it.
0
SPEAKER_01
We re like, holy shit.
0
SPEAKER_01
Wow.
0
SPEAKER_01
It s so great, like, how, like, manifestation really works, too, because we started June 25th of 2019, and December 24th of 2019, a day less than six months, I signed the deal with Warner.
0
SPEAKER_01
And the universe, God, whatever it is, is just, like, was totally,
0
SPEAKER_00
we all put our heads together and said this is what it is and life just... Your album s called I ve Tried Everything But Therapy Part 1.
0
SPEAKER_00
Have you tried therapy yet?
0
SPEAKER_00
I have not, man.
0
SPEAKER_00
What do you think is the thing that you re afraid to discuss or talk about the most?
0
SPEAKER_01
You know, I don t know, man, because I feel very vulnerable.
0
SPEAKER_01
I don t have anything I wouldn t talk about, but I think there s some things about
0
SPEAKER_00
Welcome back, everyone, to the School of Greatness.
0
SPEAKER_00
Very excited about our guest.
0
SPEAKER_00
We have the inspiring Teddy Swims in the house.
0
SPEAKER_00
My man.
0
SPEAKER_00
Thank you, man.
0
SPEAKER_00
So good to see you, brother.
0
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, you too.
0
SPEAKER_00
I m happy to be here.
0
SPEAKER_00
Big congrats on everything, man.
0
SPEAKER_00
I m loving.
0
SPEAKER_00
watching the evolution of your journey from a YouTube cover sensation to original music and just dominating the charts, dominating Spotify, YouTube, everywhere.
0
SPEAKER_00
I m loving the soul, the passion you bring in your music and your work.
0
SPEAKER_00
And I m just so happy for you.
0
SPEAKER_00
So congrats on everything.
0
SPEAKER_00
And I m curious because I ve been digging into some of your background, your story.
0
SPEAKER_00
You used to play football growing up, which I love.
0
SPEAKER_00
But you talk about your father in a big way as being like the greatest man you ve ever met in your life And just like the nicest guy who really showed up for you and your your siblings I m curious to start.
0
SPEAKER_00
What was the biggest lesson that your father has taught you about life music and love?
0
SPEAKER_01
Well, you know, I think I think my father man is if I could be after man he is at all in my life I think I ll be I think I ll be bigger than Michael Jackson, man I really truly cuz just just the heart that he shows to people man the time that he gives to people There s so many times I ve even introduced him to people as we ve been on on tour and stuff or I ve met friends through here and I
0
SPEAKER_01
You know, and I ve been like, well, look, man, you got a dad, man.
0
SPEAKER_01
My daddy will be your dad.
0
SPEAKER_01
Like, I swear he will.
0
SPEAKER_01
He s the best in the world.
0
SPEAKER_01
And he s sure enough, man, he ll call me.
0
SPEAKER_01
Hey, man, how s so-and-so doing, man?
0
SPEAKER_01
Or he ll call them and they ll call me.
0
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, just talk to your dad like last week.
0
SPEAKER_01
He calls me like every week and checks on me every week.
0
SPEAKER_01
And my dad is just really just...
0
SPEAKER_01
always got time for everyone and I think that s like one of the biggest things that he s taught me about love to start there is that there s always time you know and you re gonna make something work for and I don t care how busy you are if there s if it means something to you you make time to yeah say you know hi I love you or you make sure that that little time that you have with somebody they feel like they re
0
SPEAKER_01
Important and they deserve that time and attention and there s always a time to step away from something for what matters the most I think he s just always been so incredible about that man.
0
SPEAKER_01
He s just he s just steady, you know, and and I think in a and humans aren t very good at being Consistent, you know, and I think I mean, I think it s kind of impossible to be consistent always, you know because we re humans we re gonna fail or fail each other, you know, and and
0
SPEAKER_01
But I just I don t see that man is even some of the things he looks back and he thinks were like failures and his Raising of us.
0
SPEAKER_01
It s just like I look back at those ones.
0
SPEAKER_01
It s like that you hated that I like I loved that You know what?
0
SPEAKER_01
I mean?
0
SPEAKER_01
He was like when he was like he always talked about how when he was always golden softball better when when I was playing football He was he was also like, you know doing semi-pro at the time and he would always enjoy semi-pro Yeah, and he was he would come he d come like, you know take a
0
SPEAKER_01
Take me to practice in his pads and then come pick me up and I d go watch his games after he d watch my game He d be in his pads and and he was just like yeah, I was just too worried about playing at the time though I was still a kid.
0
SPEAKER_01
I wish I was more and I was like dad It was the coolest ever that you were like
0
SPEAKER_01
You know picking me up and I was in I was at your bleachers with my little pads on watching you I was like, that s the coolest my life, you know, it s like but he was worried about yeah, he was just like well, I think I was too worried about playing at the time and I was like That s cool, man.
0
SPEAKER_00
That was awesome watching my dad do that, you know So it s also you got to see a model of someone your father go after his dreams.
0
SPEAKER_01
Yeah and his passions and his love and and what he did for me speaking of that is that like, you know, his dad died when he was 15 16 something like that and so we didn t really have that much of a
0
SPEAKER_01
That much of a figure is growing up and especially that like prime time of growing and yes and evolving and I think I think he was the first one to and we went on his trip from Texas and I came home he s and
0
SPEAKER_01
When I was 19, I was in cosmetology school, going to cut hair.
0
SPEAKER_01
Really?
0
SPEAKER_01
My sweet mother, too.
0
SPEAKER_01
She s a hairstylist, too, and a barber, so what she was always telling me, like, you can pursue your music, but you can have this as a background.
0
SPEAKER_01
You can make your own schedule.
0
SPEAKER_01
You can have a backup plan.
0
SPEAKER_01
And so her sweetheart, man, she went and got her license to teach, like she was going to the same school I was at the same time to get a teaching degree in cosmetology the same time I was going.
0
SPEAKER_01
So she could just like, she s like, I ll just go get my teaching degree so we can go to school together and I can kind of teach it through.
0
SPEAKER_01
So I was like, hell yeah, mom.
0
SPEAKER_01
But my dad, he s the first one.
0
SPEAKER_01
He s like, look, son, if you want to sing, man, you should drop out of school.
0
SPEAKER_01
And don t go back to college.
0
SPEAKER_01
You need to drop out and just go for it, man.
0
SPEAKER_01
Because you re going to look back at your life and say, well, why I didn t?
0
SPEAKER_01
I go put everything into this.
0
SPEAKER_01
He says, it s not gonna happen if you don t put everything into it.
0
SPEAKER_00
So he encouraged you to drop out of school?
0
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, he s the one that told me, just promise me you ll never go back.
0
SPEAKER_01
And I did, and it took me 10 years to, you know, to get to where I was.
0
SPEAKER_01
And I mean, even further now, I mean, he s just the most proudest man in the world, dude.
0
SPEAKER_01
There s not a gas station or CVS or anything he walks into.
0
SPEAKER_01
He s now like, man, you know Teddy Swims.
0
SPEAKER_01
Look, that s my son.
0
SPEAKER_01
Dude.
0
SPEAKER_01
That s my son right there.
0
SPEAKER_01
He s just so proud.
0
SPEAKER_01
I m so happy and Follows me all over the damn world.
0
SPEAKER_00
It s just that s incredible man.
0
SPEAKER_00
So excited dude.
0
SPEAKER_00
He s the best guy in the world.
0
SPEAKER_00
That s amazing, man So how old were you when you dropped out of school?
0
SPEAKER_00
I was 19.
0
SPEAKER_00
Okay.
0
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, I was 12 years ago Yeah, and uh, yeah, then yeah by the time I was I think I I
0
SPEAKER_01
Signed in 2019.
0
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, end of December 24th in 2019.
0
SPEAKER_01
I signed to World Records.
0
SPEAKER_01
So it s five years ago.
0
SPEAKER_00
Yeah.
0
SPEAKER_00
One and a half years ago, right?
0
SPEAKER_01
Yeah.
0
SPEAKER_01
So I was, yeah, almost 10 years from that moment where we finally made it.
0
SPEAKER_01
But I ve been working on music for forever.
0
SPEAKER_01
I mean, he was coming to my metal bands when I was in high school and stuff.
0
SPEAKER_01
And he s like, I don t really like that kind of shit, son.
0
SPEAKER_01
But I mean, whatever makes you happy.
0
SPEAKER_01
Supports you.
0
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, yeah.
0
SPEAKER_01
And the kind of music I was making at the time, I don t know why he would give me that advice, because my bands were terrible.
0
SPEAKER_01
So I was like, I don t know why he was like, go for it, son.
0
SPEAKER_01
But I guess he s like, you know, I feel like if my son sucked at something, I would have been like.
0
SPEAKER_01
I guess you d still be supportive, but I mean, he ll find it, he ll get his way.
0
SPEAKER_01
At least he had some faith in me.
0
SPEAKER_01
I don t know how, if I had a son, I d be like, all right, you take your time with it, but it wasn t very good.
0
SPEAKER_00
I mean, 10 years of pursuing a dream until you, I guess, quote unquote, made it.
0
SPEAKER_00
What were you doing for the last 10 years?
0
SPEAKER_00
Were you having jobs?
0
SPEAKER_00
Were you singing at open mics?
0
SPEAKER_00
Were you just doing different bands?
0
SPEAKER_00
How did you survive and thrive for 10 years until you made it in the industry?
0
SPEAKER_01
It wasn t a thrive by any means, but we made it through.
0
SPEAKER_01
A bunch of roommates moving back to their parents  houses when it wasn t working out, and get stepped on and getting hurt a lot, and losing a bunch of jobs, and waiting tables for a long time.
0
SPEAKER_01
Also not a good waiter at all, by any means, you know, but I remember one of the best advice that I got from this guy, Roger Waters.
0
SPEAKER_01
He gave me the best advice when I went to the first place I ever waited tables at this pizza place in the small town, Social Circle in Georgia.
0
SPEAKER_01
And he d always be like, man, you re like the clumsiest server.
0
SPEAKER_01
You re like forgetful.
0
SPEAKER_01
Table one s been waiting on their ranch dressing for five hours now, you know what I mean?
0
SPEAKER_01
But damn it, man, you get good money because people like you.
0
SPEAKER_01
And as long as you make people feel comfortable and happy, though.
0
SPEAKER_01
they ll take a Diet Coke, even if they ordered a Coke, it s fine, we love Teddy, he s cool, whatever.
0
SPEAKER_01
And so as long as you treat people well, I found that that goes so far in life, just charisma and care for people, it goes so far, you can be stretched so thin, but just taking that time, to love on somebody, they re like, okay, I don t need a ranch dressing, I guess, it s fine.
0
SPEAKER_00
But you were fine, you had a good attitude.
0
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, that s all you can do, man.
0
SPEAKER_00
Nothing to steal your joy.
1
SPEAKER_00
That s for sure.
1
SPEAKER_01
That s great, man.
1
SPEAKER_01
So, during the last decade, I guess, while you re trying to, you know, figure it out and develop yourself, what was the most challenging time?
1
SPEAKER_00
Um, I think the most challenging time for me was like right in the between parts of, um, so I was working at Achilles, you know, in 2019, and, um, I was also, like, the things on the covers and stuff was starting to go off.
1
SPEAKER_00
Wow.
1
SPEAKER_00
And so,
1
SPEAKER_00
me and all my friends at the time.
1
SPEAKER_00
YouTube was like yeah you started that around 2018?
1
SPEAKER_00
Yeah 2019 June 25th of 2019 yeah and so uh June 25th of 2019 to uh we we did the Michael Jackson s Rock With You cover was like the first cover I put out because it was it was just 10 years since Michael had passed and
1
SPEAKER_00
So I like wanted to do, I wasn t like to do covers, but I just wanted to put that up and just be like, here, pay some homage to the goat, right?
1
SPEAKER_00
And we woke up, I think the next day was like 10,000 views on it.
1
SPEAKER_00
We re like, oh man, this is huge.
1
SPEAKER_00
We re getting hammered guys.
1
SPEAKER_00
This is massive.
1
SPEAKER_00
And I mean, 10,000 views now, if anything happens like that, I m like.
1
SPEAKER_00
Oh, he washed up.
1
SPEAKER_00
You know, it was just diminished returns, isn t it?
1
SPEAKER_00
But I remember we woke up the next day.
1
SPEAKER_00
It s like $150,000.
1
SPEAKER_00
We re like, whoa.
1
SPEAKER_00
And so we kept on doing the covers.
1
SPEAKER_00
And as they were coming in, we were basically, so me and my band, and my producer, Lee, and a bunch of us, we all moved into this house together.
1
SPEAKER_00
And my manager, still to this day, my best friend, Luke, he was living in LA here.
1
SPEAKER_00
Basically, I got this Prius pulled you on the back and drove it all the way to Georgia We all moved into a house together.
1
SPEAKER_00
It s like There was 12 of us live in this five-bedroom house and we just put plywood walls up to like, you know Separate bedrooms and then we made it like a nine-bedroom house with like two studios in it and we were just we were trying to so because we were at times like yo if we can take the pictures we can design a merchant and
1
SPEAKER_00
We were even in our garage, like, shipping out the merch as we were distributing it ourselves.
1
SPEAKER_00
And, um, so we had, like, 15 people over there all the time, just working and around the clock, doing the covers, writing our own songs, producing everything, playing everything.
1
SPEAKER_00
We just figured if we could do it all ourselves, I was like, look, dude, we just need, like, six months to just figure this out.
1
SPEAKER_00
If everybody would just donate all their time that they have to this for just six months, I promise you guys, in six months, this will work.
1
SPEAKER_00
This is, like, what I just put a promise on it, and, um,
1
SPEAKER_00
And so we all moved in together and that was a very tough time because not only were all of us on top of each other all the time, but I was in a place where I could work maybe one day a week at Chili s or not at all and I kind of had to quit my job before it was working, you know, and so you were just kind of like existing.
1
SPEAKER_00
Scrapping bys.
1
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, just kind of scrambling and trying to do whatever you could because work would take you away from
1
SPEAKER_00
this but then if you don t put everything into this then this stuff you know everything was suffering on both ends and so you had to just kind of make a choice to go for it and those guys really had to like kind of help me float by and and get by and we re we re really scraping it but um and even even when we first started doing that you know it was about october or november and stuff we were starting to go do label calls and flying to new york or flying here to meet with labels and stuff and it was
1
SPEAKER_00
You know, we were like broke as hell.
1
SPEAKER_00
So we were, we were also trying to stay in hotels, but also tell the labels that like, Oh, our YouTube business is crushing it.
1
SPEAKER_00
We re making so much money.
1
SPEAKER_00
We don t need you.
1
SPEAKER_00
So like to try to win in a hotel room, but to try to like, let them know we already had a great business going to, to try to get more leverage in the fact, but the real lie was, it was like, we were sinking in our, in our pants and being like, you know, all tough about it.
1
SPEAKER_00
Like,
1
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, we re good.
1
SPEAKER_00
We don t need this deal.
1
SPEAKER_00
Try to get a better one.
1
SPEAKER_00
I mean, thank God it worked.
1
SPEAKER_00
And my boys, I m so lucky to have a good foundation of a group of guys.
1
SPEAKER_00
And speaking of that six month, it s so great how manifestation really works, too, because we started June 25th of 2019 and December 24th of 2019, a day less than six months, and on Christmas Eve at that.
1
SPEAKER_00
well, I signed the deal with Warner and and and it like, you know put all the boys on salary and Wow, it was the craziest thing that just like manifestation just saying like six months is the time limit boys and I ll leave you alone if we can Wow, and it was a day last Mike just the universe God whatever it is it s just like was totally we all put our heads together and said this is what it is and life just
1
SPEAKER_00
Now were you were you aware of like manifestation or visualization beforehand or were you thinking about this or setting goals and yeah I mean I m always I m always like a I m always a big person of just like you know how just what you what you say and what you look for in life and what you what you think you want out of life it s like you know it s like a
1
SPEAKER_00
It s like going through your girlfriend s phone, you know, which you don t do you re gonna find something you re looking for, you know, but But it doesn t have to it s maybe not anything you re looking for but if you re trying to find something to look around and peek under a crevice for something there s gonna be like a I like that something that you re like insecure about you know, and and I mean that in like a way of man I guess I m using that as analogy for manifestation, which is a weird analogy for that Yeah, you know, I feel like you re
1
SPEAKER_00
Whatever you re looking for, you re going to find, is what I m trying to say.
1
SPEAKER_00
And whatever you want to heighten out of your life, you can.
1
SPEAKER_00
And you can make anything anything you want it to be, is what I m trying to say.
1
SPEAKER_01
Where did you learn this, though?
1
SPEAKER_01
When did you start to develop that skill set?
1
SPEAKER_00
I grew up, luckily, man.
1
SPEAKER_00
And I say this principle-wise, I m very fortunate.
1
SPEAKER_00
My granddad on my mom s side is a Pentecostal pastor.
1
SPEAKER_00
He s a very big, you know He s very straight by the book kind of guy, you know, and I I don t I subscribe to a lot of those principles and a lot of those the ways you treat people and your work ethic and stuff like that, but yeah, I don t know if I would have I don t know if I would like
1
SPEAKER_00
So like tell everybody they re wrong all the time though, you know I m not so that far and on the Christian belief of that anymore, but It taught me a lot so much about you know how to treat people and how to how to how to ask for things out of life you know and how to say that you want this and how to do the work to get what you want out of life and And I just think every time I ve ever said something there was so many times to what even even when we first started this
1
SPEAKER_00
this like this business, you know, and we got signed and we went through this pandemic and it was like, you know, two years of us not being able to play and we kind of built our our whole business or touring and so I had now I had my best friends, but we re also I guess in some way my employees now, you know, and and our business was like
1
SPEAKER_00
Fallen really we couldn t we couldn t we couldn t we weren t making money to do like going on tour or doing anything like that And so there was so many times where it s like Man, we we don t know how we re gonna make
1
SPEAKER_00
we don t know how we re going to make payroll this week, or we don t know how we re going to make payroll next week.
1
SPEAKER_00
And that s where it gets kind of weird, because the guys that you grew up with, that are your best friends since middle school and high school, that you re playing with, and you can t go tell them, hey, man, I don t know how we re going to pay you guys Friday, but just know that.
1
SPEAKER_00
Stick with me.
1
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, because you don t want to say that.
1
SPEAKER_00
But luckily, I would just always go in there and just say like, you know what, dude, something s gonna come through, somebody s gonna call, something s gonna happen.
1
SPEAKER_00
And sure enough, it was like always, whether, I mean, I know not to take away from Luke and Curtis, I m sure they were going out and looking for everything they could, but it would be sometimes too that,
1
SPEAKER_00
we might just get a call about a private event that would just pay us like 100 grand real quick.
1
SPEAKER_00
And it would be like, we re safe for the next couple months.
1
SPEAKER_00
It was just always something when it was just like, I don t know, man, just whatever we gotta do, just stick to the promise, stick to the promise, stick to the promise.
1
SPEAKER_00
And it just continues to, so every time I ever just get to like, if ever anything starts to be questionable or integrity gets on the line, it s like, no, just stick to the promise.
1
SPEAKER_00
We said this, and we re gonna stick by this word and stand on that and just,
1
SPEAKER_00
And I think just standing on a word is what I really learned from a very early age, that life is going to come to you if you just stand on your word.
1
SPEAKER_00
It s powerful.
1
SPEAKER_00
That s beautiful, man.
1
SPEAKER_01
Yeah.
1
SPEAKER_01
But it was like almost six or seven years of you after dropping out of school, I guess going all in on the music
1
SPEAKER_01
passion and career until something happened, right?
1
SPEAKER_01
It was like six or seven years until you started doing the covers and started getting attention and awareness.
1
SPEAKER_01
How did you stay, I guess, inspired for those six or seven years while you re working restaurant jobs and part-time jobs and trying to do gigs on the weekends?
1
SPEAKER_01
How did you stay in belief that something was gonna come from this?
1
SPEAKER_00
I just felt like that s what my life was.
1
SPEAKER_00
I just don t think there would be anything else I could do.
1
SPEAKER_00
I don t know.
1
SPEAKER_00
I would have never have gotten through.
1
SPEAKER_00
And I m very fortunate too that if I was working at this place and it closed down or I lost this job or I lost this house,
1
SPEAKER_00
I had people in my life, luckily, who were always just willing to just say, like, here, I ll float you for this.
1
SPEAKER_00
Or, like, you know, come sleep on the couch for a bit.
1
SPEAKER_00
Or, you know, my best pal Jesse, man, he s been my best friend since we were in middle school.
1
SPEAKER_00
And his dad, too, was like, he still plays guitar in my band, too, and writes with me.
1
SPEAKER_00
And his dad was just our hero, man.
1
SPEAKER_00
He would take me in.
1
SPEAKER_00
And, I mean, they did, like, commercial plumbing and stuff.
2
SPEAKER_01
So he would try to give me some job.
2
SPEAKER_01
I can t even drive a nail though, my dude.
2
SPEAKER_01
I m so bad at it, but he d go back behind me and be like, sucks.
2
SPEAKER_01
But he would just, you know, still, he d even take me to the backyard and be like, here, just build me a fire pit or something.
2
SPEAKER_01
Something you can do, I ll pay you $12 an hour.
2
SPEAKER_01
Just come out here and work.
2
SPEAKER_01
Here, cut my grass or something.
2
SPEAKER_01
Here s some money.
2
SPEAKER_01
Come sleep on the couch, man.
2
SPEAKER_01
You re good.
2
SPEAKER_01
And I m just grateful that I think everybody in my life was also like, look, we don t want you to do anything else.
2
SPEAKER_01
And so I know it s going to work.
2
SPEAKER_01
Wow, man.
2
SPEAKER_01
I m very fortunate to have had believers.
2
SPEAKER_01
I don t think I was ever in a spot where I know a lot of people in a successful place can say that all my haters and everybody that didn t believe in me.
2
SPEAKER_01
And I can honestly say I don t think I ve ever had that.
2
SPEAKER_01
point of like people just telling me no you can t do this no it s very slim chance that you could do this or you should think of something different because and I don t know if that comes from my um because people actually believe that or it s because of my willingness to say if that if somebody ever told me that that there just should not be in my life at all you know like I just I just don t entertain that idea and I don t I don t like I
2
SPEAKER_01
I would never entertain that idea for anybody else either that I talked to.
2
SPEAKER_01
If it s like you want to do something, go do it.
2
SPEAKER_01
I got permission from my father to go do something.
2
SPEAKER_01
And sometimes all people really need, especially children, is just permission to just go for it.
2
SPEAKER_00
And that permission goes so far.
2
SPEAKER_00
Some people don t have that permission from their parents.
2
SPEAKER_00
They re like, you know what?
2
SPEAKER_00
Stay in school.
2
SPEAKER_00
Go do this thing.
2
SPEAKER_00
Maybe you can try for a little bit this music or art or sports career, but really you need to go get a real job.
2
SPEAKER_00
And that s tough.
2
SPEAKER_00
It s hard to overcome that.
2
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, because I had one of my best friends I had since preschool.
2
SPEAKER_01
He worked with us forever.
2
SPEAKER_01
You know, his dad was always on him about that, too, and was like, you know, hey, man, or if his grades would start to fall, he would be like, it s because you re playing that guitar too much, or you re doing this too much.
2
SPEAKER_01
You know, and he was like a full-time electrician, you know, and so like a union electrician, and he kind of
2
SPEAKER_01
Wouldn t push his kid and look you need to be doing that you need to be you need to be focused on just a good collar job and Making sure that your family straight get a family get a kid and go to college and do this whole you know And it was just like I think I think in some degree.
2
SPEAKER_01
That s that s that s healthy.
2
SPEAKER_01
I m not I wouldn t be ever be mad at I
2
SPEAKER_01
some parents for doing that because I do understand the the ideal of wanting some sort of consistency for your child and safety and safety net for your child and I think that s a beautiful thing to do but just uh I think it s when it came to dampening you know the the dream or the like heart and that you can you could see the light kind of go out of his eyes every time that was just like put that guitar down you know and it s like sometimes you need a
2
SPEAKER_01
He and I m of course, I don t have kids so I would never tell anybody how to raise theirs But I think he did an amazing job.
2
SPEAKER_01
He s a great man, you know, but I just said if there would have been more chance for him to Permission, you know, he would he would probably be wherever he wants to be at this time.
2
SPEAKER_00
Yeah.
2
SPEAKER_00
Yeah permission is the key when it comes to
2
SPEAKER_00
having someone start to believe in themselves.
2
SPEAKER_00
I think a lot of people struggle with belief in themselves and their talents.
2
SPEAKER_00
There s so many people I ve seen over the years have way more talent than me in so many things, but not just go after what they wanted.
2
SPEAKER_00
How did you continue to believe?
2
SPEAKER_00
when you weren t making much money for those years though?
2
SPEAKER_00
How did you continue?
2
SPEAKER_00
Was there ever a time where you were like, ah, maybe this music and this career thing isn t for me, I m gonna go full-time into something else?
2
SPEAKER_00
Or did you always believe eventually it would happen?
2
SPEAKER_01
See, that s my thing, it never happened.
2
SPEAKER_01
Even those times where I was, one of my last bands I was in, there was a guy I was working with and his whole thing was like, look man, this is my last hoorah with this music thing.
2
SPEAKER_01
And if it doesn t work this time, then I m going to just give it up.
2
SPEAKER_01
I ve been at this for so long, and I ve seen things fall through.
2
SPEAKER_01
And I had a band that was touring for a while, and that fell through.
2
SPEAKER_01
And it s like, I m just getting old, and this is my last hurrah with this.
2
SPEAKER_01
And if it doesn t happen, then
2
SPEAKER_01
I m giving it up, and I m like, well, that s exactly why it s not gonna happen, man, you know?
2
SPEAKER_01
I think, and not to knock against anybody there, but I just, for me, it was just, this is all that I am and all that I have and all that I was going to be, and it was just very so important to me that there was never a sight that I lost of this.
2
SPEAKER_01
I never lost sight of, like, I want to do this and I need to do this.
2
SPEAKER_01
It s like, that was the only thing that I was gonna be happy doing.
2
SPEAKER_01
That was what I wanted and what I saw for my life from a very young age.
2
SPEAKER_01
I think I never lost that and I think that s the important thing.
2
SPEAKER_01
I mean, even though like, I think the self-belief is that I could get to where I wanted to be.
2
SPEAKER_01
Not that I ever felt like my talent was going to get me there, but I think I m just now even starting to, some of my first bands, man, are just so trash.
2
SPEAKER_01
Dude, you can find my very first band.
2
SPEAKER_01
I was a senior in high school.
2
SPEAKER_01
It s called Heroic Bear.
2
SPEAKER_01
You can find our EP on YouTube still.
2
SPEAKER_01
And it s so garbage, man.
2
SPEAKER_01
It s a metal band, too.
2
SPEAKER_01
And we re like post-hardcore.
2
SPEAKER_01
And it s so garbage.
2
SPEAKER_01
But I look back, and I m like, why did you guys tell me I could sing?
2
SPEAKER_01
This is so bad, dude.
2
SPEAKER_00
Really?
2
SPEAKER_01
Why did you tell me I could sing?
2
SPEAKER_01
It s so bad.
2
SPEAKER_01
But, you know, I mean, thank God they did.
2
SPEAKER_01
Because I knew I wanted it, man.
2
SPEAKER_01
And I knew we had something.
2
SPEAKER_01
And, you know, here we are.
2
SPEAKER_00
Did you rehearse a lot with your voice growing up?
2
SPEAKER_00
Were you singing all the time?
2
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, all the time.
2
SPEAKER_00
Were you trying different genres?
2
SPEAKER_00
Absolutely, man.
2
SPEAKER_01
And I think that s what s also so beautiful about the voice.
2
SPEAKER_01
It s an instrument that you can take and practice anywhere you go at any point.
2
SPEAKER_01
If I was a guitarist, you can t just use that everywhere.
2
SPEAKER_01
So I was never, never not singing.
2
SPEAKER_01
If I m walking around
2
SPEAKER_01
If I m pouring drinks to go to a table, if I m behind the bar pouring drinks, I m into myself.
2
SPEAKER_01
Really?
2
SPEAKER_01
Practicing little runs on my way home.
2
SPEAKER_01
I m just always singing.
2
SPEAKER_00
Always.
2
SPEAKER_00
It s the best feeling, you know?
2
SPEAKER_00
I mean, growing up in a small town in Georgia, though, and, you know, playing football, were you celebrated for that?
2
SPEAKER_00
Or was it kind of made fun of, like, oh, what are you doing with this singing thing?
2
SPEAKER_01
No, luckily for us, it was great.
2
SPEAKER_01
And I also got really kind of late started in it, you know, because I was, like, my 10th grade year, me and Jesse got into theater together.
2
SPEAKER_01
That year I was doing football in theater, and then I kinda, after that, stopped football and kinda pursued chorus in theater and all that stuff.
2
SPEAKER_01
It was not a thing.
2
SPEAKER_01
When we were doing theater in high school, it was cool.
2
SPEAKER_01
It was cool, huh?
2
SPEAKER_01
It was cool.
2
SPEAKER_01
Me and all my buddies were in there, and we d gotten all the dudes involved in theater.
2
SPEAKER_01
We d go to a big thespian conference, and it was like we had,
2
SPEAKER_01
we had so many guys in our theater program, you know, which was like, but just, I d like really like guys, guys, like shotgun and beers guys, you know what I mean?
2
SPEAKER_01
That s interesting.
2
SPEAKER_01
We had just, we had just, we had gotten everybody in theater and made it cool, you know, it was like, hell yeah, it was just, it was a dude s party in there, you know.
2
SPEAKER_01
That s amazing.
2
SPEAKER_01
It s quite fun, it was quite funny, because we ended up like, our school, I think, ended up looking for more girls than just straight dudes we had in there, you know, and I just had a, it was a blast for us.
2
SPEAKER_00
I think I just had a different experience on
2
SPEAKER_00
That s cool.
2
SPEAKER_00
That s cool, man.
2
SPEAKER_00
Now, Teddy Swims is, you know, your stage name.
2
SPEAKER_00
Jaden Dimmesdale is, you know, your birth name.
2
SPEAKER_00
What made you want to create a stage name?
2
SPEAKER_00
And do you ever have any insecurities being your authentic name versus your stage name?
2
SPEAKER_01
Oh, that s beautiful.
2
SPEAKER_01
Well, so, weirdly enough, Swims was like something I was going to go by.
2
SPEAKER_01
so this this project originally started with me and my best pal Addie Maxwell who who is a writer and Producer and guitarist my band as well and known him for years and we were working on this pan called wild heart I was in for a while and he started producing like hip-hop beats and stuff and was sitting on the certain artists and he s one day he was just like dude, we should try like, you know, just rapping on something and I
2
SPEAKER_01
So we did, and luckily my good friend Tyler Carter, he s in his band Issues, and woe is me, one of my biggest heroes, best pals in the world, my real mentor and friend, and just the dearest person in my heart, man.
2
SPEAKER_01
And he came over one day to get tracks ready for his tour with Issues in Europe, and he comes over here, it s like our one rap song, and he s like,
2
SPEAKER_01
Yo, this is dope.
2
SPEAKER_01
You guys should come on tour for my solo tour next month. 
2
SPEAKER_01
And we was like, well, we have this one song.
2
SPEAKER_01
He s like, look, dude, just get 30 minutes of music.
2
SPEAKER_01
I ll be back in a month and we ll go on my solo tour.
2
SPEAKER_01
Wow.
2
SPEAKER_01
So March of 2019.
2
SPEAKER_01
Me and Addie go on tour as just rappers and I was like the first Teddy Swims thing I was just gonna go by swims is like someone who isn t me sometimes and then Tyler at the time was like well Everybody already calls you Teddy.
2
SPEAKER_01
I ve just been called Teddy forever cuz you know just of my stature and joy I guess and and he s like well, let s put Teddy and swims together and call it Teddy Swims.
2
SPEAKER_01
It s awesome name and I was like I kind of
2
SPEAKER_01
hate that dude and he was like well that s my tour so I m putting it on the flyer and sure enough it just stuck and you know here s Teddy Swims now.
2
SPEAKER_01
Do you still hate it?
2
SPEAKER_01
No I mean it s growing on me I guess it s too late now isn t it you know but everybody hates their own name I guess and I think the reason I started getting called Teddy anyway is that Jaden was always kind of hard for people it was like
3
SPEAKER_00
So I was like, Jamie, Jason, Jamie, Jason, yeah, you know.
3
SPEAKER_00
So the more, especially when you re waiting tables, I m just like, hi, I m Teddy.
3
SPEAKER_00
And everybody s like, oh, yeah, Teddy.
3
SPEAKER_00
It s just like such an inviting, disarming name.
3
SPEAKER_00
And I think it just kind of happened.
3
SPEAKER_00
And I don t really.
3
SPEAKER_00
There s not really too much of a difference like I wouldn t say that Teddy Swims is ever a character I m portraying or or Jaden Demsdale s any different I think it s a I think it s a I look at as a nickname and not like an alias or like a character You know because it s always been a nickname and and I get called both all the time And so that s why I say, you know, I don t care what you call me as long as you call me, man You call me Jaden so I m like
3
SPEAKER_00
I got nothing but love for you, baby, and I m just happy to be in your mind at all.
3
SPEAKER_01
Wow, man.
3
SPEAKER_01
But do you ever get insecure on stage or have fear before you go on?
3
SPEAKER_00
No, you know what s crazy is that I used to, when I was in high school and I first started doing, like, theater and stuff, I used to get so nervous where I d just sit and stare at a wall, like, just blank for, like, three hours, not eat, not talk to anybody.
3
SPEAKER_00
I would just, like, throw up.
3
SPEAKER_00
I was just nervous as hell, man.
3
SPEAKER_00
Nowadays I find that I m like kind of more insecure or like anxiety riddled like all the time except for the stage.
3
SPEAKER_00
Now, I mean, I do get, like, the only nerves I really get before a show, I don t really get, like, no butterflies or anything, but I always know, like, 30 minutes before a show, like clockwork, man.
3
SPEAKER_00
If 30 minutes before a stage, I get a bubble in here, it doesn t matter how solid I ve been shitting, I m gonna go paint the back of a toilet, right?
3
SPEAKER_00
It doesn t matter, it doesn t matter.
3
SPEAKER_00
It s like, it just immediately is like, just turns to fluid.
3
SPEAKER_00
It s like, and I m like, must be 30 minutes.
3
SPEAKER_00
Yep, sure enough, it s 8.30.
3
SPEAKER_00
You know, and it s like- And it s like right up until the moment you gotta go on.
3
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, right on.
3
SPEAKER_00
This is the worst time.
3
SPEAKER_00
I used to have that in football too, man.
3
SPEAKER_00
Like, right before I had my pads on, I got to take them off.
3
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, it s always that.
3
SPEAKER_00
But, you know, I think also, too, if you stop getting those nerves, then, you know, then you don t love it enough.
3
SPEAKER_00
And I think there s got to be some sort of, like, nerves.
3
SPEAKER_00
If you walk in there, I was literally just on, I was on the shop the other day, and LL Cool J was on there, too.
3
SPEAKER_00
And it was so cool to meet him and hear some wisdom from him.
3
SPEAKER_00
And he said that same thing, and it really stuck with me, because he was like,
3
SPEAKER_00
You know, if you ever get to that point, there s no nerves.
3
SPEAKER_00
I mean, you don t, you don t care enough.
3
SPEAKER_00
You walk in there all caught, you know, I got this, I got this.
3
SPEAKER_00
It s like, man, no, you gotta, you should, you should have a little bit of like.
3
SPEAKER_00
some excitement and some anxiety about getting on there, but I ve always been, when I got on there, though, it s the most natural place for me to be.
3
SPEAKER_00
It just feels like home when I m up there, and it ll get my shoes off when I m on that stage, and I just get to feel solid, you know, ground and respect and try to create a safe place for people to, because I get to do this job where I get to walk up there and just,
3
SPEAKER_00
basically just trauma dump on strangers, you know and just get to just say like cry about some girl that broke my heart three years ago or something, you know and and put it out there for people and talk about my journey of like self-care self-love or when did I start but loving myself and when how did I hate myself for so long and and
3
SPEAKER_00
You know, I start just talking to people like this on stage and I get to really just have these moments of speaking just openly and vulnerably and I think that outlet that I get to do that has not only been so necessary and therapeutic for me, but it s also great when people get to come and we do a meet and greet or something and they say like, you know, this song got me through my divorce or, you know, my husband was meant to be here with me
3
SPEAKER_00
but he passed in October and so you know I brought my friend but I just want you to know like your music has got me through that or your song Amazing was our first dance and he s no longer with us and it s and it s like that kind of stuff right there is just like wow it s it s heavy but it s it s it s so beautiful to hear that kind of stuff because
3
SPEAKER_00
You know you you know that everything that you re writing about whether it s a love song or whether it s a from a place of personal pain It s it s so specific to my little personal pain and somebody else has their own personal pain or their own memories attached to somebody that they dated or
3
SPEAKER_00
Their own moment with doing them in a car when they first heard this song and now it s there and their girlfriends favorite song and and it s just such a beautiful thing and it makes you makes you feel like all the all the stuff that you went through was So necessary to go through like even that little heartbreak that I went through all the all the pain and anguish that I went through on something becomes now so necessary and and and the difference I get to make and and all that time I Spent moping around like they can woe is me or that I was hurting
3
SPEAKER_00
Now I look back at that stuff and I see how necessary it was for every little issue that happened in my life.
3
SPEAKER_00
I try to now attack everything that goes bad in my life with, okay, well this is going to help somebody.
3
SPEAKER_00
That s beautiful.
3
SPEAKER_00
I try to just look at it that way.
3
SPEAKER_00
I think that s a healthy way for me to look at it.
3
SPEAKER_00
every heartbreak I go that well this is going to help me and help somebody else and that s true and I think it s so wonderful that I get an outlet to talk about stuff and and I think it s so important that everybody has a voice and they talk about if you don t talk about your issues or tell your story to people then they don t also get to
3
SPEAKER_00
They can know that they re not alone.
3
SPEAKER_00
Or better, you can help them from ever going through that because you ve already been through that.
3
SPEAKER_00
You can say like, hey, don t make this mistake.
3
SPEAKER_00
And you can help somebody from going through it or just let somebody know they re not alone.
3
SPEAKER_00
And I think it s just important that everybody just speaks their pain.
3
SPEAKER_01
It s important.
3
SPEAKER_01
Now, you mentioned when you re on stage, you get to, I guess,
3
SPEAKER_01
unload your traumas and talk about all these insecurities or fears or love that you have in your heart at that moment.
3
SPEAKER_01
And you mentioned you used to hate yourself in some ways.
3
SPEAKER_01
What was the thing you used to hate about yourself the most?
3
SPEAKER_01
And when did you start to love yourself in a more full, authentic way?
3
SPEAKER_00
I think a lot of times in my life, there s a lot of things that came from
3
SPEAKER_00
I think from this place of, I don t want to like blame it so much on like religious situations, but I think some things growing up were just kind of like
3
SPEAKER_00
it was meant to be modest and to yourself and hold things in and not letting anybody know what was going on.
3
SPEAKER_00
And if there was anything kind of going on in our family, we re also tight knit.
3
SPEAKER_00
So it s like, you just kind of like, we kind of had to, you kind of have to look perfect as a pastor or something, you know, and those guys are also going through things.
3
SPEAKER_00
And sometimes they re not, there s not people that they go to and just can say like, oh, I m falling apart here.
3
SPEAKER_00
Or like, I m struggling with,
3
SPEAKER_00
thought to suicide or something, you know, there maybe is a pastor going through that, you know, and it s like and they can t talk about that openly with somebody or they can t talk about certain mental health situations that they got going on because they have to be the God is the answer and I m my life is perfect because I m so close to God and it s and it s just it doesn t work like and I think there s just a lot of things in my life that I kind of held in and
3
SPEAKER_00
kind of kept in and things that I was insecure about.
3
SPEAKER_01
Was it shame, or was it insecurity, or was it guilt?
3
SPEAKER_00
All of that stuff, you know?
3
SPEAKER_00
All of that stuff, I think, came in.
3
SPEAKER_00
And I won t just blame it all on religious things, but I think it s, you know, also just, I think a lot of time, too, in my life, I was always a big kid, and so I,
3
SPEAKER_00
I struggled with weight a lot, and the way I viewed myself, and eating habits a lot, and the way I viewed myself, and was eating to get through this, or was just handling situations in certain ways.
3
SPEAKER_00
I had a big, you know, problem with that growing up.
3
SPEAKER_00
And it s just always also feeling, I was just always sensitive little boy to everything.
3
SPEAKER_00
So everything was just so a personal attack, you know, and, and I think, I think it s,
3
SPEAKER_00
I think the moment that that really switched for me is right during the pandemic, or right before some time, I think it was 2020 or so.
3
SPEAKER_00
So I got a chance.
3
SPEAKER_00
Dominic Wilkins had hit me up on Instagram.
3
SPEAKER_00
Basketball player?
3
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, the Hawk, man.
3
SPEAKER_00
He s one of my greatest friends.
3
SPEAKER_00
I got to sing at his wedding maybe a month or two ago.
3
SPEAKER_00
Wow, that s cool.
3
SPEAKER_00
He s the best guy ever.
3
SPEAKER_00
He hit me on Instagram and was like, I want you to come play at my birthday party.
3
SPEAKER_00
So he actually coincidentally lives in Conyers, too, where I m from.
3
SPEAKER_00
So we went over there and we played, you know, and he gave me this signed jersey.
3
SPEAKER_00
I ve done a lot of stuff with him.
3
SPEAKER_00
That s cool.
3
SPEAKER_00
He s beautiful.
3
SPEAKER_00
And he s like, dude, are you a wrestling fan?
3
SPEAKER_00
And I was like, yeah, of course, man.
3
SPEAKER_00
I got three brothers.
3
SPEAKER_00
I m a huge wrestling fan.
3
SPEAKER_00
He said, well, Diamond Dallas Page is coming through.
3
SPEAKER_00
And Diamond Dallas Page is like, this is my hero.
3
SPEAKER_00
And I was, I mean, still my hero.
3
SPEAKER_00
And so I met him, and he d been waiting to buy me some cocktails.
3
SPEAKER_00
And I was like, hey, man, I was about 300 pounds at the time.
3
SPEAKER_00
Really?
3
SPEAKER_00
And I told him, I was like, look, man, you know, because he s doing the DDP yoga stuff, right?
3
SPEAKER_00
And he s like, look, man, you know, I really want to,
3
SPEAKER_00
I d like to try your stuff out or see if there s anything you can do. 
3
SPEAKER_00
And he s like, well, come over, man.
3
SPEAKER_00
Come over to the house.
3
SPEAKER_00
Come do some yoga with me.
3
SPEAKER_00
Come, like, let s get together.
3
SPEAKER_00
And he called me the next day, and he s like, look, man, I know we were drunk last night, but I meant what I said.
3
SPEAKER_00
If you want to come over, come over tomorrow.
3
SPEAKER_00
We ll start doing it.
3
SPEAKER_00
You can come to my house every single day, and we ll start talking.
3
SPEAKER_00
I believe in you.
3
SPEAKER_00
Your voice is amazing.
3
SPEAKER_00
Come on.
3
SPEAKER_00
He said, all you got to do, man, is get this six-inch piece of real estate figured out and own that.
4
SPEAKER_00
We ll figure it out Wow that dude gave me so much and so much and still to this day calls me He s calls me if not every day hits me every day.
4
SPEAKER_00
He calls me weekly and he s like we got to get weekly calls We got to get weekly calls stay on it.
4
SPEAKER_00
He s talked about like this year He s like I want to come out for like four or five days on tour and just come sit with you and you know Just make sure you re straight because and did he help me lose?
4
SPEAKER_00
65 pounds come on
4
SPEAKER_00
Yeah.
4
SPEAKER_00
I also, you know, I ve been put about 20 back home probably from tequila on tour last year.
4
SPEAKER_01
But I was going to say, based on your videos from four years ago, I was like, you look a lot leaner, you look a lot healthier, your skin looks better.
4
SPEAKER_00
Yeah.
4
SPEAKER_00
So there was a time where I was, at one moment, the biggest part of it was I was living in this house and I was kind of sinking.
4
SPEAKER_00
This girl I was dating at the time, she had a child and I d known him for a very long time, for about like, he was six at the time and for most of his life I d known him and his dad really wasn t around and his dad was just kind of in and out of his life and on drugs and stuff.
4
SPEAKER_00
I know what that was like because my little brother s mom was the same way and I saw my dad struggle through that and I think I found something and I fell in love with that kid while we were dating and she ended up kind of going back to her baby daddy and I really at the time was like I want to do whatever it takes to, even if I got to get a full time job and still pursue music, I would do whatever it takes to make sure that this kid s okay.
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I ended up really falling in love with that kid.
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We still talk to this day.
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I love that kid.
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But when that kind of split and she just left to go back to this unsafe thing, it really kind of put me down.
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And at that same time, that same time that she left, my roommates moved out.
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I was like four months behind on rent.
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My car had broken down.
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The transmission went out on the way to work.
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and I had to walk two miles to work, and then they tell me that the place is closing down.
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And so it was like everything at once just, like, really just fell apart, right?
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And so I was really sinking, and I had called my dad at the time, and I was like, look, man, I need to just come in and just, if I could just throw my mattress on the floor, I d be stoked.
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And he s like, of course, baby.
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And that was, coincidentally enough, was wild, is that was like right at the beginning of 2019, where we started working on the Teddy Swim stuff.
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Yeah, and because we were working in Loganville right by my dad s house on this stuff and the things like it s always like one gigantic loss for one I think when everything is falling apart in your life that was like that that was just making room for Everything to start building and and I find a life works so much like that to where there s just one gigantic loss for like something to I think it just kind of makes way for yeah good things and
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And now I try to change my perspective on that so much because of DDP, you know?
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You gotta own that six-inch piece of real estate.
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He taught me so much about just like, look, man, you gotta do small things like look into your eyeballs in the morning.
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Have you ever looked at yourself in the eyes in the mirror and said like, I love you, you re doing great, man, don t, you know, just talk to yourself.
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Tell yourself you re worth it.
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Tell yourself you re worthy of love.
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I felt like so long I was I was choosing relationships and I was getting stepped on by people because I wanted to give people love and a chance to do something but I was I was was taking more than than I should have because I maybe I was also trying to be some consistency for people that I never had or they didn t have or
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Maybe I was trying to do something unrealistic, I don t know, but I find it, I heard this one beautiful advice at a meet and greet not too long ago.
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This therapist was like, I m a therapist and I d like to give you a little word if I can.
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And she said, the way people treat you is a reflection of the way that they see you.
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The way you let people treat you is a reflection of how you see yourself.
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And it just like stuck with me and changed my life forever from that point on.
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I was like, yeah, okay, maybe I should just
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There s a way to treat people well and love on people, but there s also a way to notice when they re hurting you.
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I felt like so long in my life that I let people kind of... I think sometimes I just chose the same pattern because there was something about
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being hurt or being held down that I think was also, I was weirdly kind of needing for some inspiration to be the greatest like artist version of myself or to be in pain or something.
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I don t know why I wanted that.
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Maybe I needed, maybe that was the consistency was just being in just turmoil all the time.
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And I needed that, that feeling of, of unhappiness.
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Cause it was just what I was used to.
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And I d read something.
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Yeah.
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I d rather be familiar than uncharted happy territory, which is quite crazy how our brains do that.
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So now even in my life, I m with somebody now that s very good to me and I m happy and everything in my life is coming greatly.
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I find that I can still write songs.
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From a place of beauty and love and joy and peace.
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Even if I still write songs about heartbreak, I can always go back and tap into those emotions.
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I don t have to be there right now.
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I don t have to constantly put myself in hurtful places.
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I don t know why I do that.
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I don t know why we did that to ourselves.
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You hear these great songs where an artist created them from a place of pain or sadness or loss or heartache, right?
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And I always think like, okay, this is a beautiful song or this is a beautiful piece of art, but isn t there a way to create art from harmony and peace and love?
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There certainly is.
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That can also move and change the world.
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Yeah, absolutely there is.
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Yeah.
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And I m learning that daily, you know, and it s just like something I have to always see like.
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It s okay to be happy, dude.
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It s fine.
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Just be happy.
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It s probably the best for you.
4
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When did you start feeling happier and loving yourself, then?
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Did it happen overnight?
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Was it months of practice of doing these rituals and habits?
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It s an everyday decision, you know?
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I find that happiness is truly a decision you gotta make, and love is a decision you gotta make.
4
SPEAKER_00
You wake up every day with something that, like, in your heart.
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I mean, even if you re
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with a partner for a long enough time, you re not gonna wake up every day like, wow, what a great another day to love you again.
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You gotta wake up and you love things despite, you re happy despite of things and you have to decide, you gotta just continue to train your brain to say, you re not upset, you re happy, everything s good.
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Some days I find myself about stuff and I m like, what are you about?
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SPEAKER_00
Come on, dude.
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Life is good.
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Life is good and you re so loved and you re so cherished and people love you and you love people.
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good things and a great family and friends and foundation.
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Like, what the hell s your problem, dude?
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Come on, just get it together.
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SPEAKER_00
Like, why are you like, hmm, waking up all, yeah, you know, like, don t be a little, get up, just smile, man.
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SPEAKER_01
It s okay.
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Someone watching or listening right now might be thinking, well, Teddy, that sounds good.
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Cause you ve made a bunch of money now and you re famous and you just got success and you re going on world tour.
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So it s easy to be happy now.
4
SPEAKER_01
But what do you say to people that are like, I m struggling, I m going through it, I m working multiple jobs, my relationship isn t working out, I m overweight, I m not feeling good about myself.
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SPEAKER_01
How do you speak into them joy and positivity on how they can shift their mindset to feel loved and happy?
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I would say happiness is never easy.
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And I think anybody anywhere in their life is allowed to feel the way that they feel.
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I think I did the same thing when I always told myself, I ll be happy when I get to this.
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you know, or I ll be happy when I get to this level or when I get to this pace or when I can do music full-time, all my problems will go away.
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And that was the biggest wake-up call for me as when I was able to finally do music full-time, I was like the most depressed I ve ever been because I thought that was going to answer all my problems, you know, but that was like maybe answering a financial problem or like a
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Problem that I didn t get to do what I love full-time, but that was never the issues that was really happening The issues were way deeper than that.
4
SPEAKER_00
And so the main issues was was all the things that you know I ve been discussing the things that I ve I ve held in my whole life that I was that I was insecure about the things that I was hating myself for that the the ways that I was living the things that I was doing the people I was around that were
4
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were breaking me down and stepping on me and the things that the people that were not valuing me and me not valuing myself.
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And it all came from like, so when I got to this point, I said, well, something s clearly got to change.
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Because I thought once I got here, I d be happy.
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SPEAKER_00
And again, dude, it s still, it s not easy to be happy.
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It s not.
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It s something you ve got to, the pursuit is for everybody, right?
4
SPEAKER_00
You know, the pursuit of it is what we need.
4
SPEAKER_00
But happiness is something you ve got to wake up and choose.
4
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It s hard.
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It s harder some days than others, and it s hard on everybody.
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And of course, I can t speak for anybody with whatever their situation is going, anyone more successful or really struggling at the bottom.
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I can t tell them.
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how to be happy or that you should just wake up and put it aside and just decide to be happy.
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You can t do that either, but whatever there is in your life that you can find to cling to, that s what kept me alive truly, is that even though I got to that point and I was like, wait,
5
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underlying issues I wasn t addressing, I would tell you that I had a North Star of what I wanted and what I was here for.
5
SPEAKER_00
And so, I think the only thing that kept me going while I was in the bottom of the barrel was that this is what I wanted to be, and when I get here, I ll be happy.
5
SPEAKER_00
And I know that was not even true, but I had something that I was grabbing for, and I had something that was pulling me out of the bottom all the time, and I m grateful that
5
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there was something to stay around for.
5
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There s something to cling to.
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And as long as you have your reason, then I d just say, man, make sure you have a reason.
5
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Because if there s nothing for you, there s no reason, there s nothing to love that s keeping you here, then I hope there s a way that somebody can find that.
5
SPEAKER_00
And you just have one thing to cling to, one thing that just keeps you here.
5
SPEAKER_00
Absolutely.
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Without it, there s nothing.
5
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Man, what did you, I mean, for any artist, musician, singer, creative individual watching or listening right now who hasn t made it yet, who isn t making it full-time, who isn t making a full-time living or doing what they want full-time, but they have a dream and a passion to become more with their art, what would you tell them about fame, success, and money that you know now that you didn t know five years ago?
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I would say trying to be, that s a tough question.
5
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What has fame, success, and money taught you?
5
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Having it now versus five years ago, not having it.
5
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I would say that money now to me is, now that we were dealing with a lot more of it, but $20 still means what it meant when I was either buying a bottle or I was making it to work.
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$20 still means what it meant to me.
5
SPEAKER_00
And a dollar, the value of a dollar always stays the same.
5
SPEAKER_00
At least in my brain, I always try to make sure it stays the same and that I know how much a $20 bill can do.
5
SPEAKER_00
And no matter how many of those I have, I know what they can do and know how much that can do for somebody and in my life, you know, and how much.
5
SPEAKER_00
And I try to know that it s coming and it s going and it s fleeting, of course.
5
SPEAKER_00
And I think with success too, I find that, I think my version of success is, I think defining your own version of success and what success means is really what the whole ideal is.
5
SPEAKER_00
Because you can get to this level, but then there s such a different level.
5
SPEAKER_00
They say the human eye sees 20 miles ahead of it, right?
5
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So if you re looking 20 miles ahead, you walk that 20 miles and then there s another 20 miles and it s as far as the eye can see.
5
SPEAKER_00
And so I always find that I m just like, as soon as I get here, I m like, this is like, cool, but I won t, you know, I want like, if I d have died at number two, I d have been like, this sucks.
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And I would have been so hurt.
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But I m also like, like 99.9% of people don t even more than that, you know?
5
SPEAKER_00
And so I m like, why, why, why am I,
5
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So I try to constantly just, I think I find a way to define success and what success means to me and I think that s important for people to do.
5
SPEAKER_00
And I think what that means for me is this, I think success is like when you can offer somebody the opportunity or the ability to have the same success.
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And I truly think whatever I can do, when I ve been able to build a studio and I ve been able to put my friends on a salary or I ve been able to
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bring them into writing rooms and see them flourish as writers and producers and writing songs for artists that are putting songs out or being their own artists and putting their own songs out.
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And I think that s truly what I get my happiness, like my most success from is like watching them flourish because we were able to provide an opportunity for this person or that opportunity provided to this person.
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And it s seeing kids come up that are, they re at shows and they re standing in the front and they re nine years old and they come to the show and they re like, they want to be singers, you know?
5
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just reach out and give them a pair of sunglasses while you re singing up there.
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And you know that just changes their life.
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Or you bring them backstage after and hug on them and take a picture and give them a little word.
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SPEAKER_00
And it s like, that stuff is success.
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That s what success looks like, in my opinion.
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SPEAKER_00
And I think it s important for someone that, if you want success, it s important to define what that looks like for you.
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Because if you don t have a clear, definitive line of what success is, then you re going to be chasing it, never know you actually have it.
5
SPEAKER_01
And what about fame?
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What has fame taught you now that you ve experienced it and people know who you are?
5
SPEAKER_00
It s quite strange.
5
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I think I try to I try my best to be Like some some people I find are like there s this there s a certain hat like separation That happens when you have when somebody and it doesn t have to be fame.
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SPEAKER_00
It s like how famous you are to somebody I think that s like
5
SPEAKER_00
You could be a level of famous, but people treat you with, you re just a regular guy, right?
5
SPEAKER_00
But some people, when they look at you, and it depends on how big you are in their life, some people, I find that all they do is listen to Teddy Swims, and they re like, they re so, like, they re the biggest Teddy Swims fan in the world.
5
SPEAKER_00
I m so honored for that.
5
SPEAKER_00
I m so absolutely honored for that.
5
SPEAKER_00
But I find it such a weird thing when somebody s like, you know, they come to a meet and greet and they re like, you know, they re just shaking and they re like, I don t know what to say.
5
SPEAKER_00
I love you.
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SPEAKER_00
And, you know, and it s such a sweet thing.
5
SPEAKER_00
But it s quite an exchange that you have to get used to because you re like, you know, they start crying immediately.
5
SPEAKER_00
You give them a hug.
5
SPEAKER_00
Oh, that s such an honor that you like feel that way to be around me in my presence.
5
SPEAKER_00
You re like,
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all broken down and shaken and it s like, it s such a beautiful thing, but it s such a thing to get used to because you just want to be like, hi, how are you?
5
SPEAKER_00
Thank you so much for this stuff.
5
SPEAKER_00
I love you so much.
5
SPEAKER_00
And, you know, and they re just like, it s like, they re just blown away by just like, oh my God, like this presence of that.
5
SPEAKER_00
It s really not any different.
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SPEAKER_00
I don t know.
5
SPEAKER_00
Because to me, I m,
5
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I m just a fat kid from Conyers, you know?
5
SPEAKER_00
And so getting treated that way is such a beautiful experience, but it s quite a jarring experience to go through.
5
SPEAKER_00
People just not really thinking you re human, kind of.
5
SPEAKER_00
And you re like, oh, maybe I m... Bring it back down.
5
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, bring it back down.
5
SPEAKER_00
I m not all that.
5
SPEAKER_01
How do you manage your ego or your mind or your heart or your humility when that is going to continue to happen more and more?
5
SPEAKER_01
You re going to be number one.
5
SPEAKER_01
You re going to be selling out arenas.
5
SPEAKER_00
What s your process for making sure it doesn t you know, I don t make you a bad person I don t think it could man because I think I think there s there s a thing that happened I don t know why people change when they do this because humility and people and like
5
SPEAKER_00
I was taught one good advice, and I say this all the time.
5
SPEAKER_00
They said, you know who the most important person in the world is?
5
SPEAKER_00
It s you.
5
SPEAKER_00
Because when I m here with you, it s our time together, and I m making sure that I m fully engaged in this conversation.
5
SPEAKER_00
And if you get five seconds with somebody, 10 years with somebody, you make sure every moment you spend is right there.
5
SPEAKER_00
And your time is just as valuable as mine.
5
SPEAKER_00
I don t show up late to things.
5
SPEAKER_00
I hate to be, I m not knocking anybody a dozen on, sometimes things happen, but when you start acting like your time is more valuable than somebody else s, and even if it is dollar sign wise, it s not.
5
SPEAKER_00
Especially when people were dropping their kids.
5
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are bringing their kids to a Teddy Swim show and their time is actually what s so valuable.
5
SPEAKER_00
Their time is way more valuable than mine.
5
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They re investing in me and caring about me.
5
SPEAKER_00
I think when you start treating people like they re lesser than or that their time is less valuable than yours or that you are worth more than somebody, I don t think I have that bone in my body to
5
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to be like, I m this.
5
SPEAKER_00
I don t see myself as that.
5
SPEAKER_00
I don t plan on it.
5
SPEAKER_00
I never want to feel like, oh, I m the best.
5
SPEAKER_00
I think I will strive to be, but as soon as I feel like I m the best, then there s no growth left.
5
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, that s a good mindset, man.
5
SPEAKER_01
That s a great mindset.
5
SPEAKER_01
I mean, your album s called I ve Tried Everything But Therapy, Part One.
5
SPEAKER_01
Have you tried therapy yet, though?
5
SPEAKER_01
I have not, man.
5
SPEAKER_00
I talked about it to you before this album came out.
5
SPEAKER_00
I was like, look, dude, this is my positive self.
5
SPEAKER_00
When I get this album out, I m going to go to therapy.
5
SPEAKER_00
And it s been such a whirlwind.
5
SPEAKER_00
I mean, I know there s always time.
5
SPEAKER_00
Again, I can make time to do this and do a 30-minute Zoom here or here.
5
SPEAKER_00
And this whirlwind, I think I ve just been kind of like,
5
SPEAKER_00
maybe not ready yet or something, and I m planning on doing it, but I just... It took me until I was 31 to start, for me.
5
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, so it s perfect time.
5
SPEAKER_00
Right time for you, yeah.
5
SPEAKER_00
I think it is, and I think even more so now that I am in a good place, I think it might be a perfect time to start, and not being just like, you know, I think in a good place is probably a great place to start, you know?
5
SPEAKER_00
Absolutely, yeah.
5
SPEAKER_00
Because I think it s good at any time, and I agree that it s good for everyone, but I just, I don t know what it is.
5
SPEAKER_00
I don t know why I started it.
5
SPEAKER_01
Why did you want to title it
5
SPEAKER_01
even though it s something you ve never experienced yourself?
5
SPEAKER_00
Well, I think it was a funny name, too, just for the sake of, you know, I ve done everything except for therapy.
5
SPEAKER_00
You know, I ve done every... I ve tried everything that I could to make myself, like, you know, as good as I can, and therapy s probably the next step.
5
SPEAKER_00
And I think in naming it that, too, it started conversations like these, which is so important.
6
SPEAKER_01
to me because you know I think in times before and maybe that s why there might still be some stigma in my brain I m trying to get rid of because and some generational curse of people would just be like code it in it s tough it s and I ve been doing that my whole life you know we ve been discussing and so I think I wanted to just kind of open the door to talk about it and talk about it.
6
SPEAKER_01
That s beautiful man.
6
SPEAKER_01
And the more that I ve had conversations about this is you know been like
6
SPEAKER_01
Have you tried it yet or it also keeps me like accountable and it also keeps me talking about my emotional Place and beautiful man.
6
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, you know, I think it hopefully it just helps people Start opening the mouths about that more and maybe it inspires somebody else to or maybe when I do then maybe more people I probably gotta set the example by
6
SPEAKER_00
What do you think is the thing that you re afraid to discuss or talk about the most?
6
SPEAKER_01
You know, I don t know, man, because I feel very open and I can talk about anything.
6
SPEAKER_00
You seem very vulnerable.
6
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, and I m very lucky that I feel very vulnerable.
6
SPEAKER_01
I don t have anything I wouldn t talk about, but I think there s some things about my
6
SPEAKER_01
my habits of coping that maybe I m scared of changing, maybe it s the... Like from heartbreak or from loss or from sadness?
6
SPEAKER_01
I think it s just in general, like the certain things, the tics I do or the ways that I handle my stress and emotions or the ways that if I, the ways that...
6
SPEAKER_01
What if I find out, oh, there s a way better way of handling this than drinking?
6
SPEAKER_01
And I m like, well, I like to drink when I m sad, though.
6
SPEAKER_00
You re familiar with it.
6
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, you know, it s exactly.
6
SPEAKER_00
It s like a buddy.
6
SPEAKER_00
Yeah.
6
SPEAKER_01
It s like a buddy.
6
SPEAKER_00
You don t want to let go of your buddy.
6
SPEAKER_01
Exactly, man.
6
SPEAKER_01
It s a buddy.
6
SPEAKER_01
It s like a toxic relationship that you re not ready to walk away from.
6
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, yeah.
6
SPEAKER_00
It s literally putting poison in you.
6
SPEAKER_00
Yeah.
6
SPEAKER_00
But it s a comfortable, familiar feeling.
6
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, exactly.
6
SPEAKER_01
And I don t know, not just booze too, but I think just all my other coping mechanisms.
6
SPEAKER_01
Maybe it s even chewing on my nails or the inside of my cheeks.
6
SPEAKER_01
Maybe it s little tics that I have here and there.
6
SPEAKER_01
Maybe it s too much about discovering those things that I might have to change and not be so stuck in my ways anymore.
6
SPEAKER_01
I don t want to be stuck in my ways, but there s something so protective inside of me that s like, oh, no, no, no, no, don t change this.
6
SPEAKER_01
It s working.
6
SPEAKER_01
It s what s gotten you here.
6
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, exactly.
6
SPEAKER_01
So I think there s also a protection of that too.
6
SPEAKER_01
I fall on my face after I get fixed, which is not even a thing.
6
SPEAKER_01
Nobody, like, fixes you, but you know what I mean?
6
SPEAKER_01
There s just this stigma I think I m still working through, and I won t know until I really just go take the step, and it probably will be way different than I m even explaining it, you know?
6
SPEAKER_01
So I just gotta get there, you know?
6
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Well, the thing I love that you re talking about is, you know, on the humility and fame side of things and how you just feel like you ll always be growing,
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And I just feel like something like therapy, or call it coaching, whatever you wanna call it, it s gonna allow you to just keep growing as a human inside and outside, so you can serve more people at a better level.
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That s the way I look at it.
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And I look at you as, you know, this is the first time we ve met, we ve met online a few times, I ve seen your work for a while, but I see you, and the more I see you in front of you as an incredible leader and a voice to be of service to humanity, to express your voice in a beautiful, artistic way,
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that can connect with people with what they re going through.
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Whether it s something challenging or something beautiful in their life, you can use your voice and your artistry to empower and uplift individual souls, hearts, and minds around the world.
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And the more you continue to evolve, it s not about fixing or being perfect or like letting go of every negative habit that you have.
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But just being aware of the root cause of why you do these things.
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Yeah, sure.
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Saying, OK, does this serve me and my art and humanity at the highest level?
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Maybe I never get rid of this, but maybe I improve a little bit here and there.
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And I did a little bit of yoga for this season of my life.
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Now I m going to try something else.
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It s like I m going to enter relationships in a different way, whatever it might be.
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And then you re going to have that experience and be able to express that experience to humanity from a place of service and growth within yourself.
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And I think that s a beautiful thing that you re doing when you re on this journey.
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And just you even talking about it as the title of your album is allowing you to express this personal growth journey.
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So I m just really excited for you.
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Whether you do it now or in 20 years, I m excited for your journey of growth because it s impacting lives around the world.
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And it s really cool, man.
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You re an incredible talker, man.
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You re so good at talking, man.
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Yes, sir.
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I m just listening to you.
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I m just listening, man.
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You re so well spoken, man.
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That s so well said.
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Thank you.
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I appreciate that.
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Of course, man.
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You ve got a gift.
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I think the first thing I saw of yours was the cover you did with Shania Twain, right?
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Ah, she s, wow, what an angel.
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And the first thing I ever heard out of your mouth, when someone sent this to me, the first thing I ever heard out of your mouth, do you remember what you say at the beginning of that song?
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Yeah, it s my mom.
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I m a beautiful mother, man.
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That s what you say the first thing.
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Yeah, she s an angel.
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I love her so much.
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You say you dedicated this to my mom.
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Yeah, she s the best.
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And you re saying this, you know, you re still the one I, you re still the one I love, you know, all that stuff.
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So why did you decide to do that cover?
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I think it did over 120 million views.
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Why did you decide to do that?
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And why did you decide to dedicate it to your mom?
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Well, you know, that song, I mean, I always, that whole album, Rick, God, dude, that, she s just, she s, she s just incredible.
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And,
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That song just reminded me of my mother.
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I don t remember what happened where I was like, we should do this cover.
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But I think I heard it or something, and I was like, man, this makes me think of my mama, and maybe we should do this next.
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I can t remember which place where we decided, but I remember when we were recording it, I was just like, man, I m going to dedicate this to my mama, because it just makes me think of her.
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it s just such a beautiful song and that makes me think of us in the car and that song being on the radio and you know us going down the road and you know me me singing in the car and my mom s and just makes me think of home you know and wow and it s been such a beautiful thing too because not only has that changed my life so much but we still play it every night and
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You know, and a lot of people got married to my version of that song and stuff, too, which is so powerful.
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You play it on the road.
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Yeah, yeah.
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Oh, I gotta see you play that live, man.
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We ll always play that one, too, as far as... Because it s like... I think it s such a contrast.
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Like, seeing you with the physical body you have and the beard and your tattoos.
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Yeah, I think that s a lot of... Singing this sweet, beautiful song.
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I think a lot of that has been what happened in my career, too, has been because of, like,
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you know, the way I look versus the way I sound.
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And I think it s been a gimmick that we ve really been able to work.
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The contrast.
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Yeah.
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But it s so fun.
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We go out there, and every day I m like, yo, is anybody here with their mother this evening?
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Or is anybody else just a mom at all?
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And like, yo, for the rest of us, can we make noise for the most beautiful creatures in the world, you know?
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And you just honor mom for a minute.
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Every day is Mother s Day for me, man.
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Wow, that s beautiful, man.
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So I m just like, it s fun to go on stage and always just shout out to moms.
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And they re just like,
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you see somebody with their kid or you see somebody with their daughter and then their daughter s daughter, you know, and you see this generations of people in the crowd and all shapes and sizes and colors all just holding each other together.
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And this couple who got married to it, they re just slow dancing in the middle of the crowd.
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And you re just like, God, this is a way to bring people together.
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And I mean, that song, you know, that song just... What s a line in that song or a phrase in that song that resonates with you the most?
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you know, just look at us still holding on, you know, we re still together.
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And it s like that pre, and you re still the one I run to, you re the one I belong to, you know, you re still the one I want for life.
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You know, you re just like, that whole song, I think it s like, it s a love song, you know, and it s definitely about like a relationship with a person that has been, I guess, you know, together for a long time.
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To me, it s always reminded me of my mom.
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And when we really spin the lyrics, it can also be that way.
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We ve made it through everything together, Mom.
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And we re like, well, I love you.
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And you re still the girl I run to.
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My mom is still my everything.
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And she s my rock, dog.
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Have you always had a good relationship with her growing up?
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Or did you go through some challenges?
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We went through a lot of challenges, man.
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We did.
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She s always been, you know, and we ve grown, too.
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She one time told me the most beautiful advice.
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Well, I guess not advice, but just something that she said to me the other day.
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She said, she was like, you know, I was cutting somebody s hair, and I had pictures of you and Kaylin, my older brother, on the line.
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She said,
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Glenn, how d you raise such good boys?
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And she said, hell, they raised me, you know, and it just touched my heart, you know, because my mom is this, I realized, like, she was 23 or 25 when she had two kids.
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My dad was 21, I think, when he had two kids, 23 or something.
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It was like they re a couple years apart.
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And if I d have been like,
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Not even 25 or two kids.
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Holy ****, dude.
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Or 23 with two kids.
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I m the child.
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I m still like, I m still not a child, you know, as far as I m, like, I, I, so I, I just like, I, I see also too that all the times and all the things that, like, as I was growing up that my mom was doing, I m, as I m getting older, I m starting to see like, oh, she was like a kid though still, you know, she was still growing.
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and I was a baby raising a baby, you know?
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And, like, any mistakes that were made were just like, that s a baby raising a baby.
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God bless her, you know?
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She was going through hell.
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Trying to figure out who she was, trying to raise two boys, trying to maybe still also have a child, like, have some youth in her, too.
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And so, like, it s tough to navigate being a new parent at all, let alone that age, I m sure.
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And so...
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We had our times, and we had our stuff, but who doesn t?
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And I think I m just so grateful that she s really turned into this most beautiful woman and flourishing.
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And also, as my mother watched me grow up, to watch my mother grow up, it s been like,
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It s been a hell of a thing.
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We really grew up together, you know?
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That s beautiful.
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She s just a flower, man.
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She s the best.
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That s great, man.
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What s the lyrics or the phrase in a song that you feel like you ve sung the most to yourself throughout your entire life?
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Maybe your childhood or your adult life.
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What s the thing that you see yourself just singing in the shower the most or when you re in the car or just humming?
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What are those lyrics or that verse that you sing a lot?
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Maybe it s your own song, maybe it s another song.
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I would say for, but my favorite, I think probably the song I ve sang the most in my life is, it knocks me off my feet, Stevie Wonder.
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I just love like, that album, Songs in the Key of Life is the best album ever.
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I don t want to bore you with my troubles.
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Something about your love, you know that song?
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I don t want to bore you with it.
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I love you, I love you, I love you.
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It s just such an infectious, beautiful song, man.
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That album in general has just really always been something that s just so, so beautiful and powerful.
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It makes me just think of my childhood and just like growing up.
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That, and if I was to say my own song, the first song in my album is called Some Things I ll Never Know, and I find myself always singing that, you know, when did your heart let me go, I guess, some things I ll never know.
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And it s a song that s really helped me with a lot and acceptance of things, you know, because... How s that verse go?
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It says,
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What did your heart let me go?
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I guess some things I ll never know.
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It s how the chorus of it ends.
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What did your heart let me go?
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Yeah, I guess some things I ll never know.
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And if you haven t listened to the song, you should.
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It s such a beautiful song, man.
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And it s like, when it was written, it kind of was like,
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about just acceptance of, like, people walk out of your life, you know, and I say this all the time on stage, when people walk out of your life, it could be a friend, it could be a significant other, or it could be just a death and something, you know, but, um, there s no closure, I find, that when people leave your life, you know, and all you can do is hope that the best thing, they re doing the best for themselves, and if you really love them, you gotta just let it go, and you don t get closure.
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They re not gonna tell you, this is what you did wrong, this is why I m leaving, or this is why I m leaving,
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you know, has nothing to do, they re not gonna give you closure.
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You know, sometimes people just leave, and sometimes people don t say, they just go, and you gotta hope that, or find some way to give yourself clarity or some sort of acceptance or internal closure that you ll be like, well, I guess this is the end of that, and there s no,
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And I always found myself with relationships that ended looking for closure, like, why did this happen?
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I don t understand.
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And it s just the acceptance of the things that I can t control.
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And that whole song s just kind of about there s things I just can t control.
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And I just had to accept that I can t keep you here.
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And I found that there s two reasons.
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I think, anyway, there s two reasons why people hurt you.
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They either do it to specifically hurt you, or they do it to help themselves.
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And you just gotta hope that they re doing it for their better good.
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And if that s what they re doing it, if it ever takes you hurting me to make yourself better, then by all means, I would take that anytime, and I d be glad to.
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Well, I m not glad to, but...
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I can accept that, but it s always, I think, with me, when you re just trying to blatantly hurt somebody, I think that s when it s like, okay, you re giving me too much power, you re giving somebody else too much power, if they wanna hurt you.
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So I just hope that it s always to benefit, whatever you gotta do for yourself, you re number one, you take care of that.
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Man, this is a beautiful conversation, man.
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Yeah, I m glad.
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I ve got a few more questions for you if that s cool.
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But this has been really inspiring so far.
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It s a question that just came to me as you were saying this.
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I think you re close to or maybe you re over a billion streams already on your music in the last year.
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Platinum, you re selling out arenas around the world.
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So much is happening for you right now.
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I m curious, if you could go a year in the future,
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and you could think back about the gift you would like to receive, the internal gift you d like to receive from where you are now to everything you re about to experience and go through over the next year.
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What is that gift you would love to receive for yourself?
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That s a really beautiful question.
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I think
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I think I would like to, if I could look back a year from now and look back, I think I would like to just hopefully have a, and I ll say this as a gift, because I think I d like to just learn to let things go better.
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Just learn to let things slide off, because everything I feel like sometimes for me is so huge, and every moment s so gigantic, and everything is so massive, and whatever s happening right now,
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And there s, I mean, there s a thing about being present, but there s a thing about being like, everything is not the end of the world, you know what I mean?
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And if I could, I m sure, I m sure I m just gonna, and I m learning every day, but even if I could look back last year, I m like, all the shit that I was making such a big deal was not that big of a deal, you know?
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And hopefully I will have the gift of discernment.
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You know, that would be, discernment will be the gift that I would like, much better discernment.
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That s what I m looking for, yeah.
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I know a great tool that ll help therapy.
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SPEAKER_01
Yeah, you re right.
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Therapy has given me that, that s for sure.
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But all in time when you re ready, no pressure.
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You ve got your tour coming out.
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People can go to teddyswims.com to learn more about everything you re up to, but you ve got, you re on social media, Instagram, I love your Instagram content.
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Obviously Spotify, YouTube, all these different places, they can see all your videos and everything.
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SPEAKER_00
What can we do, where should we follow you the most to see what you re up to, how we can support you, how we can serve you, watch you live, where should we go?
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All those are great places, but personally, I m on Instagram the most.
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I have way too much screen time, probably, man.
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Yesterday, we went and got a new phone, so I can have my old phone, but that way, I can have one that s just for the family and also doesn t have any social media on it.
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If I just want to leave this one for a day, I can just go try to separate from it, but I m always on there.
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If you want to hear anything that I m doing, I ll probably post a stupid story, a meme, anything.
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Something about Parks and Rec, no matter what.
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That s great, man.
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But you re going to be on tour for a while, right?
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Yeah, we got Europe coming up, and then
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you know, Australia New Zealand and and then back to October we re in the States and Check out the tour dates and it s not sold out and get a ticket and scalp it if you have to but make sure you see see Teddy live anywhere around the world and
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SPEAKER_00
If you get a chance, you know, because you guys do like a VIP thing, people can get upgraded to see you before or after.
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SPEAKER_01
Yeah, we do like a 100-person meet and greet most of the time.
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That s great.
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It s the best, dude.
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It s the best.
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Before the event, right?
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Before the show?
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Yeah, and it gives me all the energy I need before the show, too.
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I find it s like quite a strange thing, though, because it s such an up and down of emotion.
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Somebody s like so excited, you re smiling, but the next person you got 20 seconds with, they re like sobbing, and then you re like, oh, and then you re like,
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It s just sucking loads of just up and down.
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And so that s where I m just, oh, yeah.
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You re ready to go.
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But I love it, man.
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That s great, man.
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I love just that connection with humans, man.
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SPEAKER_00
That s beautiful.
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Well, if anyone watching or listening goes and sees you at a VIP, make sure to give Teddy a big hug.
7
SPEAKER_00
Absolutely.
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And let him know what part of this show you enjoyed the most.
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and the conversation that we had, what you enjoyed the most.
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This is a question I ask everyone at the end of our interviews, and it s a hypothetical question.
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It s called the three truths.
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So I d like you to imagine a world where you get to live as long as you want.
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know another hundred years if you want to but eventually it s the last day on earth for you and you get to create everything you want to create you get to have the relationships you want the career you want you get to put the music out everything you get to do you dream up it happens you manifest it but on the last day ever you have to take
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all of your creations with you.
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This conversation s gone, your music s gone.
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Hypothetical, right?
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And for whatever reason, this happens.
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But on the last day, you get to leave behind three final lessons, three final truths from your life experience.
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They could be verses from a line of music.
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They could be what s on your heart or mind right now.
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They could be
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Anything at all, if you could fast forward to the future, that many years, and think about what you d wanna share to leave behind, what would be those three lessons or three truths for you?
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I would ultimately say the same thing, man.
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When you talk to somebody, you make sure that they feel like they re the most important thing in the world, and you make sure that time you spend is time well spent.
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I think also,
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Your time is no more valuable than anybody else s you know again, and and I guess yeah, and the sake of time You know I guess that s all because when you when you when you ask that question it doesn t really make you think about the time that you have or the time that you could have or what you re leaving behind and
8
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And I sometimes wonder if, before I get into the turnout, I also sometimes wonder if, like, am I doing this to be remembered?
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Because, like, eventually, oblivion is inevitable, right?
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So, like, even when I am gone at some point, I ll be...
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Forgotten so am I doing this to like make little exchanges here and there or just to make the most out of my life to have a blast or am I doing this to be remembered because I Always say certainly if I am doing this this business to be remembered.
8
SPEAKER_01
I m in the wrong business because Hey, there will be remembered way after I went way way long You know serial killers will be remembered way after we will so I think I think if you really wanted to be remembered You d probably just be a serial killer.
8
SPEAKER_01
So clearly I m not doing it for that reason so
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It s always tyrants and serial killers that are remembered forever for some reason I think it s like the worst you do on the world the more you remember it.
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So which is kind of weird in a way Yeah, but so I don t think I m doing it for that reason clearly But so I don t know like I never really think about what what I m leaving behind, you know But what would be the lesson the final lesson you think that you d want people to man just think about their lives.
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I
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I think there s only, I think there are some universal truths, you know, and there are a lot of things that aren t black and white, but there are things that are black and white, and I think it s just, you know, just love, you know, love yourself, love people, man, love people, just love people.
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I think there s, I believe in the inherent goodness of people, and I think everybody is, and I think there s just, I think bad things happen, and bad decisions are made, and I think people, just have a reason for what you re doing, you know?
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I love people.
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That s beautiful, man.
8
SPEAKER_00
Jaden, I ve got one more question for you.
8
SPEAKER_00
Before I ask the final question, I want to acknowledge you, man, because I love how real and authentic you are.
8
SPEAKER_00
Thank you, man.
8
SPEAKER_00
You too.
8
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I love your heart.
8
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I love your honesty.
8
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I love your authenticity.
8
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And I love that you have been committed to your dream and your voice for the last decade plus.
8
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And you ve gone all in on it.
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SPEAKER_00
Most people give up a year or two into their dream and you ve been 10 plus years into it and you re just getting started now.
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And so the fact that you ve been consistent, committed, you know, you ve been bringing your friends along the way with you, giving people opportunities.
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And it sounds to me like you ve been yourself throughout the whole journey.
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I think it s just a beautiful thing So I want to acknowledge you man for I hate you for everything you re up to and for Being of service to people using your voice in your town your gifts whether they listen they stream something whether they watch this or they go watch you live it s a beautiful thing to see man, and I acknowledge you for
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You know, doing everything but therapy and working on yourself.
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Because I think a lot of people get comfortable with where they are.
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They stay familiar, even if it s toxic or it s hurtful.
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And the fact that you said, you know what, Dallas Diamond Page, yeah, I ll come and I ll do some yoga and I ll start doing some things over here and I ll try to work on myself.
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The fact that you re doing that and not staying stuck in this, well, I m this struggling artist that has to be depressed in order to make great art.
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That s a beautiful lesson that I want people to take away from this as well.
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That you can be loving, you can be joyful, you can be growing personally, in whatever ways works for you, and make a difference in the world.
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So, I acknowledge you, man.
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And I m excited to watch your journey soar.
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It s a beautiful thing.
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One final question.
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Okay.
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What is your definition of greatness?
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I think it s got a... Man, that s such a crazy line.
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I think...
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feeling happiness, you know?
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I feel like greatness is, I feel like, I don t know, I don t want to say, what is the difference between satisfaction and contentment, you know?
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Because I don t know, is there a difference in those words?
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Because I don t want to say, I don t want to.
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Some people are satisfied, but they re not content.
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It s like they can be satisfied.
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I feel like greatness will maybe be satisfied, but I also don t know if I ll ever do that, so it doesn t mean I ll never achieve greatness.
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I don t know, maybe greatness is never being satisfied.
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There we go.
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That s what it means.
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Never being satisfied is, I think, my definition of greatness.
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Always striving for more and always growing.
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And yeah, that s a good one.
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We figured it out.
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There you go.
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Jayden, Teddy Swims, my man.
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Thank you so much for being here, bro.
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Thank you, bro.
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What a great talk.
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I hope you enjoyed today s episode and it inspired you on your journey towards greatness.
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Make sure to check out the show notes in the description for a full rundown of today s episode with all the important links.
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And if you want weekly exclusive bonus episodes with me personally, as well as ad free listening, then make sure to subscribe to our greatness plus channel
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exclusively on Apple Podcasts.
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Share this with a friend on social media and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts as well.
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Let me know what you enjoyed about this episode in that review.
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I really love hearing feedback from you and it helps us figure out how we can support and serve you moving forward.
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And I want to remind you if no one has told you lately that you are loved, you are worthy, and you matter.
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And now it s time to go out there and do something great.