Episode 32 | Tristan Kelley
Daily content is a sure fire way to gain the attention and admiration of social media users. Part of the reason why I feel these types of projects gain so much notoriety is the level of dedication and discipline that is required to actually stick with daily content. I am certain that many of Tristan's followers are looking to him as a source of inspiration for their own aspirations and admire BeatADay. Tristan Kelley is an individual that pursued this (at the time this was written - 07/19/17) 1173 days ago. That to me is really impressive and really difficult to fathom. Heading into this interview I had so much curiosity surrounding the idea of daily content and the process that he uses to constantly keep up with this daily obligation. Can he do it forever? Does he ever find it difficult to continue this pursuit? Is there pressure from sponsors or from the followers to continue? I will admit that my mind runs to the defeatist mentality with daily content, but only because I could never do it.
Tristan and I begin by discussing his personality type and how BeatADay serves him to move past the perfectionist mentality that plagued him, prior to BeatADay, to complete projects. To Tristan, larger projects are mentally crippling and so BeatADay is perfect for him for just putting out content. It has in many ways relieved the need to perfect everything he produces and that’s not to say the quality of his content is poor. In fact, it is some of the most polished and consistent material you will find on Instagram, but if the notation to his videos are off slightly or there is an additional note played from one slide to the next, he doesn’t let it get to him anymore, unlike in the past. He actually states that an error in his content in the past may have led him to delete his account and start from scratch, regardless of the time invested.
So what will succeed BeatADay? Tristan explains this next avenue as a “sophomore syndrome” as he feels that BeatADay has been very successful but that he isn’t sure what can top that and so that places pressure on someone like Tristan who is in high visibility online. I can understand this completely. As one project becomes successful, the audience places expectations on your next effort. Also, Tristan is considering his personality when it comes to his next project. He is considering a subscription based venture but this will mean a lot more work for him and again with his “perfectionist” mentality, he will have to negotiate this trait and use it to leverage the quality of his work, instead of allowing it to prevent him from moving forward.
In short, Tristan has gained a great deal of support from his fans and his sponsors who include, Meinl, Ronn Dunnett, Vic Firth, SJC, Lowboy Beaters and KBrakes. Through a simple yet effective concept that he has managed to uphold for over three years, he has put himself on the map and I truly believe that if Tristan utilizes strategy moving into the next transition of his brand that he has firmly established, the world could be his oyster in the music industry.
You can find Tristan on Instagram and at his website www.tristankelley.com
Music by: Instant Empire
Songs in order:
1) Young Adult Fiction
2) Mirrored Mouths