Start your band now, learn to play later, a punk rock conversation with Johnny B. Truant

If you like this, you should tweet about it:

Download episode of Art Heroes Radio as mp3 Click to Download
Free MP3

download episode of Art Heroes Radio in iTunesListen to MP3
in iTunes

Read Art Heroes review for this episodeArt Heroes Review
(in production)

Johnny You'll notice that Johnny B. Truant's photo is the first guest photo on Art Heroes to have color in it. That's because Johnny's a rebel, a rule breaker and, well, hell, kind of a colorful character. Also because I thought it looked good, but mostly 'cause he's a rebel.

Turns out— being a nonconformist has been the key to his success. It didn't happen overnight, or on the first try, but he did it his way.

Johnny B. Truant is an internet marketing nonconformist and punk rock entrepreneur. Within his first year, he used his own breed of “personality branding” (characterized by transparency, win-win-win thinking, and a healthy dose of disobedience) into a six-figure business.

In addition to running JohnnyBTruant.com and co-creating Question the Rules*: The nonconformist's punk rock, DIY, nuts-and-bolts guide to creating the business and life you really want, starting with what you already have. Johnny is a regular contributor to mega-blogs Copyblogger.com and Problogger.net, as well as to the cult hit small business marketing blog IttyBiz.com.

Johnny recently interviewed me as one of the bonus interviews for Question the Rules. Now that I've had a chance to listen to the whole course myself, I wanted to have him on the show and share his ideas about how artists can benefit from a DIY, punk rock, stripped down, simple and improvisational approach to business. Punk rockers changed the game by starting the band first and learning how to play after. In a lot of ways, most of the artists I know did the same thing.

We'll discuss why nonconformist businesses (like art) often work better if you launch them before you have a plan; why uncertainty and the possibility of failure are comfortably part of the success process; why the things that stop you from moving forward may not even be neccesary, and more. Tune in, because this one is gonna be fun, fun, fun.

Learn More about Johnny B. Truant

  1. Visit johnnybtruant.com
  2. Visit questiontherules.com*
  3. Listen to Charlie & Johnny Jam Sessions
  4. Follow Johnny on Twitter or Facebook
  5. Why I thought Question the Rules totally rocked

*denotes an affiliate link.

Further Resources: Johnny B. Truant guest posts

  1. "The Johnny Project" on Ittybiz
  2. Copyblogger guest posts
  3. Problogger guest posts
  4. Finance Your Freedom guest posts
  5. Mattress Police guest posts
  6. Professor JBT at Project Mojave
  7. The Discomfort Zone guest posts

Show Highlights: Excerpts From the Conversation

Once the transcription is completed I'll include some of the best portions here.

« Connecting art to tradition is how you move forward, a conversation with Mary Anne Davis | Main | How to plan a successful trunkshow for sales and exposure, a conversation with EC (Lisa) Stewart »

Add your thoughts or questions here

subscribe to free updates

Don't miss an episode of Art Heroes. Subscribe below with Itunes, your favorite feed reader or by email.

Listen to Recent Episodes

Statement + Bio | Curriculum Vitae | Bibliography

I'm best known as an artist and designer. Relaxing makes me tense, so I tend to put in a lot of hours on diverse projects.

On the way to a successful art career I've been a poet and writer, a tech geek, a print and web designer, illustrator, industrial designer, musician, teacher, actor, set designer and even a paid guru once.

It's all the same thing in the end— I wake up most days thinking about how I want to change, fix or improve some aspect of the world. And after a couple cups of coffee I get started on it.

My specialty is impossibility remediation: if it can't be done, I'm on it.

Mobile: 231.584.2710 (9 to 5 PST only) | Email me
Twitter | Skype: johntunger | LinkedIn | Facebook

You should follow me here

If you have a question for Art Heroes guests during the live show, ask me on twitter. Type @johntunger followed by your question and I'll try to work it in to the show. Tag twitter comments about the show with #ArtHeroes.

Twitter Logo

    Art Heroes Buzz


    Art Heroes on Facebook

    Art IS my day job


    Popular Pages + Entries

    • All content © 2010-2013, John T Unger.