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Every artist gets told the same thing: get bigger. Bigger rooms, bigger festivals, bigger numbers. But do you actually need any of it — to be happy, or even to call it success?

Deeper Purpose isn't sure you do. The Croydon-born house DJ and producer — championed early by Jamie Jones and Lee Foss — walked away from a management team that only wanted him to scale, and realized he was happiest playing 200-capacity, dark and dingy clubs. In this episode he sits down with Olivia Mancuso to talk about figuring out what you actually want from a career, and building one — along with his label, In 2 Deep — entirely on his own terms.

What you'll take away:

* How to figure out what you actually want from your career before you chase someone else's version of success
* The power of saying no, and the six-month check-in he uses to course-correct
* Why becoming a great DJ — not just a producer — is what actually builds a career
* The honest, unglamorous truth about running your own record label
* How getting burned on money at 19 taught him to watch the business side early
* Building a career you can sustain and be happy in, instead of chasing scale

👉 Want personalized guidance on your music career? Book a one-on-one consultation with Olivia on GreenRoom where you can get tailored advice on branding, business strategy, and sustainable career growth: https://greenroomnetwork.com/creator/OliviaMancuso

👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliviamancuso__

👉 Video Editor/Audio Engineer: James Fixx

00:00 — Why Chasing Bigger Never Felt Right
02:24 — Growing Up Between City Life and the Farm
04:05 — Real Farm Work and Country Roots
08:22 — Sneaking Into a Club at 17
09:51 — Learning to DJ on Weekly Club Nights
11:10 — Early Lessons in Shady Payouts
13:07 — Becoming a Dad at 19
16:06 — Discovering House Music
17:02 — Dubstep Roots and the UK Scene
22:22 — Jamie Jones, Hot Natured, and the Bridge Into House
24:04 — Why DJing Matters Before Producing
26:11 — The Value of Open Format Skills
30:55 — What a Record Label Does for an Artist
33:48 — Why Originality Matters in Music
37:24 — Why Smaller Rooms Feel Better
40:49 — Knowing When an Opportunity Is Wrong