Don Faro shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Don , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I’m called to build a legacy, not just a career. Legacy means planting seeds in a garden I might never walk through, like Hamilton said. I used to fear that because it felt too heavy, now I see it’s the only thing that matters. The money, the music, the books…they’re all vehicles to make sure my people and my family never start from scratch again.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Don Faro IT engineer, musician, author, and cultural architect. I don’t just make songs; I craft movements. My brand blends neo-soul, hip-hop, and hard truths with the same energy you’d get from a Sunday sermon mixed with a TED Talk and a juke joint. I’m working on my new album, Grand Theft Atlanta, and just released my latest book, Together We Rise. Both aim to do the same thing: educate, inspire, and entertain…so you dance, but you leave with something to chew on.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Two words break bonds: ego and ignorance. People so full of themselves they can’t see each other, or so clueless they mistake loud opinions for facts. Social media feeds both like a buffet. What restores bonds? Humility and curiosity. Neil deGrasse Tyson said, “The highest form of intelligence is knowing you don’t know everything.” I live by that. When folks start asking more than they’re telling, that’s when real connection happens.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Growing up in the projects in Fort Valley, Georgia, I learned that survival breeds gratitude. I’m a millionaire now, but I still shop like that little project kid because I know money is a tool, not a trophy. Success never taught me hunger. It never taught me how to stretch a dollar till payday or how to spot the difference between real love and what people show you when you’ve “made it.” Poverty sharpened me; success just dressed me.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
A lot of “smart” folks got Dunning-Kruger syndrom…they don’t know what they don’t know, and social media made it a breeding ground. You got people with Wi-Fi and Google acting like they’re astrophysicists, philosophers, and economists all before lunch. Intelligence ain’t about how loud you can tweet, it’s about how much you’re willing to listen and learn.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
That we’re not the center of the story. Mankind thinks we’re the main characters of the universe, but we’re a blip in something infinite. Look up at the sky, those stars don’t care about your 9-to-5 or your Instagram likes. When you get that perspective, life hits different. You live with more gratitude and less ego. Or, like my great grandma used to say, “Baby, God don’t owe you tomorrow… act right today.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://a.co/d/9cT7NcK
- Instagram: Trumuzik
