From Adorned To Equity: Inside The Business of Miguel
TL;DR
Grammy-winning artist Miguel discusses his return to music after an eight-year hiatus with his album "Cows," revealing how fatherhood reshaped his business priorities, his contrarian investment strategy targeting uncertain markets like Bitcoin, and his mission to build equitable systems for underserved creators through his incubator S1C.
👨👦 Fatherhood & Personal Philosophy 3 insights
Son unlocked clarity on finite time
Becoming a father made Miguel reprioritize his values and view time as his most valuable asset, driving him to justify every moment away from family through meaningful work.
Peak happiness through aggressive intentionality
He describes himself as the happiest he's ever been, focusing exclusively on three buckets: doing things with people he loves, for people he loves, and making things he loves.
Excellence requires time to hone
Citing Muhammad Ali's preparation between fights, he emphasizes that greatness requires stepping back to study oneself and clarify direction rather than constant output.
📈 Investment & Business Strategy 2 insights
Contrarian plays in uncertain markets
Working with adviser Michael Lawrence, Miguel targets investments where others are fearful, specifically identifying IBIT (the Bitcoin ETF) as having significant upside amid current crypto uncertainty.
Risk tolerance shaped by background
He identifies as a risk-taker who leans into opportunities others avoid, stemming from his upbringing navigating between San Pedro's Latino community and Inglewood's Black community.
🎵 Music Industry & 'Cows' Album 3 insights
Album reflects opportunity in chaos
"Cows" (Spanish for Chaos) addresses finding clarity and aggressive growth within uncertainty, which Miguel compares to a "five-star Michelin steakhouse" experience versus his previous work.
Touring metrics surpass streaming economics
Despite an eight-year absence, he achieved 93-94% tour turnout and sold out Radio City and The Forum, noting that ticket sales now correlate more strongly with artistic connection than album sales or streaming numbers.
Teaching at NYU sharpened artistic vision
His instruction role helped him identify what makes art relevant: being a reflection of the time while clarifying one's direction and values to ensure time is well spent.
🚀 S1C & Equity for Underserved Creators 2 insights
Incubator bridges creative and financial freedom
Miguel founded S1C to support left-of-center Black, Brown, and Latin talent from underserved communities, ensuring they don't have to sacrifice financial stability for creative output.
Addressing IP control inequities
While noting vinyl sales are at their highest since 1985 and the music sector is growing, he observes that corporations controlling IP capture most benefits, not creators; S1C aims to change this dynamic.
Bottom Line
Prioritize time as your most valuable asset by building ventures that align with your core values, investing contrarianly during periods of fear and uncertainty, and creating systems that ensure creators retain equity rather than sacrificing financial freedom for artistic output.
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