Meet Slimtronic5k | Just Some Guy

We had the good fortune of connecting with Slimtronic5k and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Slimtronic5k, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Well… what’s “success,” right? That has to be defined first. For me, “success” is nothing more than “a quantifiable accomplishment of a goal.” It seems foreign to me that someone would assign a dollar or follower amount to the definition of success.

My goal was to use my art to pay my bills so that I didn’t have to work a desk or labor job. In that regard, I’m successful and I believe everyone can be successful in their “thing” too, it just requires a few things:

1. Passion
If you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, you could make a million bucks but you’ll still be miserable

2. Commitment
I’ve been doing what I do for three decades, and professionally since 1998. Anyone who thinks I just showed up on stage and left it breathing hard has only just met me. They didn’t see me in the trenches and they certainly don’t see me in my studio grinding it out day after day. I work WAY more hours than I ever would at a corporate job.

3. Quantifiable Goals
One of my dear friends, Diamond Dallas Page always told me “don’t just THINK it… you need to INK It…. write it down!” That one piece of advice was paramount for me. I make goals that are easy to obtain and I attack them one at a time.

4. Humility
An understanding that “success” has little or nothing to do with your bank account and status in the world is key.
I ain’t nobody. Neither are you. Humble yourself and just do the thing. Everything will work out just fine.

5. Confidence
Sounds weird right after “humility,” right? Know you were put on Earth for one reason: to do the thing. When you get in the endzone, don’t be surprised… it’s what you were supposed to do in the first place. Act like you’re supposed to be there. 😉

6. Support
It’s a blessing to be where I am today, and I only got there because so many people rallied around me to support me in my weirdness. Nothing about me is “self-made.” I’m nothing without them.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My “career” started when I was just a toddler, as my mother put us kids on stage in her theatre and musical work in the church. She was one of the pioneers of the music camp and large musical performances at churches through the ’80s and beyond.

Although I didn’t know it at the time, all those years of stage experience, acting, doing comedy, singing, dancing, and playing instruments were setting me up for a world as a vocational entertainer and artist. This is something I struggled with at the time. Like many people, I thought there was no opportunity to make a living as an artist. So while I was touring with my bands and playing shows locally, I still had a 9-5 job.

Now, my job was everything but a “normal job.” As the Creative Director (and often times the SOLE creative on staff—photography, videography, graphic design, etc.) of churches was tough. It was in the early 2000s as my mother’s generation of creatives was replaced by a new breed of church creatives with a wild and aggressive aesthetic.

Eventually, during the use of psychedelic therapy, I realized that I needed to leave the church and corporate world and pursue my artistic and creative urges and better use them to impact my community.

We packed up and moved to Colorado to start a production company. We moved in the winter and it was really hard to sell video contracts for real estate when everything is covered in snow. Yeah, big oversight by me.

I ended up working as a Ranch Hand at an Alpaca Ranch the next country over and spent several months doing hard labor in the snow taking care of Silken Suri Alpacas, horses, goats, chickens, etc. This is how far I wanted to be away from the corporate world.

Music was tough there. I took for granted that I had always lived in places with at least decent music scenes and always had places to play and perform. This was no longer the case. I started to lose my mind even more as I became more and more broke. Even though I didn’t want to, I had to get a corporate job and spent 4 years without playing or performing. This killed me.

After a trip back home to SWFL, I was reminded that there was a huge group of people who loved hearing me make music and sing silly songs to them. Why am I not back there doing what I’m supposed to be doing for them? Something I love and that they love.

We moved back and I took the leap to only pursue art full-time. Playing, performing, writing, painting, shooting videos and photos. Art on art on art.

This was the best move I’ve ever made. Despite the setbacks of COVID, I’ve been incredibly fulfilled.

From there, it was a matter of “okay, now that I’m doing art again, how can I use it for good?” Which introduced the birth of The Music Hub, and the Gulfcoast Musician Relief Fund. The two things I’m most passionate about these days.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite special date: The Bohemian in Bonita Springs, FL (where I live) My favorite atmosphere: Mud Bugs Cajun Kitchen in Sanibel Island, FL (where I play every Wednesday from 5-9p)
My favorite drinks: Chartreuse Craft Cocktail Lounge in Bonita Springs, FL
My favorite happy hour: Liki Tiki in Naples FL (where I play every Friday from 5-8p)
My favorite food truck: Yabo Mobile with Chef Ryan Kida
My favorite beach: Bonita Beach

You can’t come here and not catch a show at Hertz Arena, Barbara B Mann, Sidney & Berne Davis Arts Center, or any of the theatres here. Music Walks and Art Walks downtown show a lot of the art scene here as well.

Really, there’s so much more art and entertainment down here than most people realize. Come here just for the nightlife and entertainment!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
One of the biggest motivators on my journey is my dear friend Sheena Brook. We’ve been making music and doing art together for close to two decades. We met when we both had full-time “regular jobs” and have seen each other grow into our own things, opening our own businesses and pursuing art full-time.

She’s further than I am on my journey and she helps me see my own potential and helps steer me down the right path, even when she doesn’t realize it.

Website: https://www.slimtronic5000.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slimtronic5k

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/slimtronic5k

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slimtronic5k

Other: https://www.themusichubus.com

Image Credits
Zack Heffner