"Philanthropy is the rent we pay to be on this planet."\n- Usher Raymond IV\nHey everybody, welcome back to ONKEN RADIO, the podcast where we explore the body, mind, and soul of the creative entrepreneur. It\u2019s my goal to help you take your creativity, business, and life to the next level. I\u2019m so glad you\u2019re joining me on this journey!\n\nToday, I want to talk to you about priorities. Our lives are busy, right? As creatives, we\u2019re constantly hustling to keep making, keep growing, and keep alchemizing our gifts into something beautiful. But sometimes, our true priorities get lost in the chaos of it all, and it can be challenging to find our way back to alignment with ourselves.\n\nI want to ask you some questions: What are your true values? What relationships matter most to you in this life? How are you investing your time?\xa0\n\nMy guest today has a genuinely passionate heart, so I thought he would be the perfect person to bring on the show and discuss some of those questions. You\u2019ve probably heard of him \u2014 his name is Usher.\n\nIf you haven\u2019t heard of Usher, you can give him a Google. But seriously, this man is a legend. I met him a couple of years ago on vacation with our mutual friend Scooter Braun, we got to talking and hanging out a little bit, and today I have the pleasure of joining him in his studio in Philly for a little podcast recording.\n\nAnd our conversation is incredible. Today, Usher and I are going deep on the things that matter most. We\u2019re going to talk about family \u2014\xa0both our literal families and our found families \u2014\xa0and how the people around us shape our lives and careers. Then we talk about personal passion and how, as creatives, we have to be driven by love for the craft and desire to connect with an audience. And finally, we get into Usher\u2019s philanthropy work and talk about the importance of mentoring the younger generations.\n\nI am so excited to be bringing you this interview today. Usher is a huge inspiration for me personally, and I know his wisdom will inspire you too \u2014 let\u2019s dive in.\nWho Is Usher Raymond IV?\nUsher is an absolute icon. He\u2019s an international pop star who has been turning out hits for over 20 years now. He\u2019s a talented musician, vocalist, dancer, and showman. And I think the most impressive thing about Usher\u2019s artistry is his ability to bring all of his talents and performance elements together to create a live experience that is unlike any other.\xa0\n\nIt\u2019s no wonder Usher\u2019s gotten so good at what he does \u2014 he\u2019s been doing it since he was just 15 years old. Up until that point, he\u2019d sung in the church choir and been part of a little dance group with some friends, but at 15, he moved to New York City to really try to become a professional recording artist.\n\nWith the help of some of the all-time great producers like Sean \u201cPuffy\u201d Combs, Usher released his first album, Usher, in 1994. Since then, he\u2019s released six more studio albums and sold over 65 million records.\n\n65 f***ing million.\n\nWith staggering numbers like that, you might expect Usher to act like he\u2019s far above the rest of the world. But that couldn\u2019t be further from the truth. Usher\u2019s success has driven him to give back. He remembers what it was like to be 15 and have a little bit of talent and a dream, and that\u2019s why he created Usher\u2019s New Look, a non-profit organization that works with under-resourced young people to help them grow into influential world leaders in every field.\n\nBut beyond being an insane creative force and a philanthropic giant in this world, Usher is one of the most grounded people I know. Even though his music career has taken him to heights plenty of people only dream of, he remains firmly rooted in his family and work ethic. As a self-professed, \u201cSouthern boy,\u201d Usher has a deep respect for his roots, and he knows that his family is the start and end of his career. Let\u2019s jump into the interview and talk about why the people we love should be our first priority.\n\u201cIt Takes a Village\u201d