On today’s episode of Creative Space, we have the pleasure of chatting with Yusuf Muhammad of Veteran Freshman—an entrepreneur, event curator and talent buyer who’s worked around the globe on music festivals, branded experiences and more. He’s also an artist manager and currently manages the super talented comedian and actor, Desi Banks.

Yuie’s creative journey is so organic and as he tells his story, he drops a ton of valuable wisdom on how to create a life doing what you love. From  developing his Veteran Freshman brand to managing talent like Distortedd, Christian “King” Combs, JIDENNA, and Desi Banks, Yuie’s work is fueled by a passion for creating joy and memorable experiences for others.

For more on Yuie, visit: instagram.com/yusufyuie.

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SHOW NOTES:

0:00—Introduction

1:00—How we first met

2:41—Growing up in Philly in the early 90s

5:10—The “control alt delete” to life

8:19—Yuie’s early passions: electronics and filmmaking

10:54—Going to the Art Institute of Philadelphia for film at 14

12:24—Yuie’s favorite filmmakers

13:45—Networking at the Student Affairs office

18:00—How becoming an RA led to his first event

20:10—Buying the first Canon TS1

24:56—”My career in concerts started with one event getting shut down.”

26:50—Coming up with the name Veteran Freshman

28:17—Yuie on the organic flow of creativity and success

31:33—The road to artist management

37:41—Being a manager should be a partnership with the artist

39:30—Managers are not miracle workers

41:00—Yuie’s definition of creativity

45:48—The things that you enjoy doing can be your life

47:50—A no just means I have to find a different yes

48:53—Being a jack of all trades as long as it’s fun

50:50—A lesson from Christian “King” Combs

54:09—Yuie on working with Desi Banks

55:45—Events and creativity

58:59—Teaching his children how to create for a living

1:02:00—Yuie’s greatest challenge so far

1:06:00—The importance of giving ourselves grace

1:07:00—Yuie’s advice for aspiring creators

1:13:00—Before social media, who were you comparing yourself to?

1:15:00—What’s next for Yuie