Five for Fighting – an Interview with John Ondrasik #142

<blockquote> <p><strong>“Sometimes failures or challenges force us to think out of the box and they can be blessings.” — John Ondrasik</strong></p> </blockquote> <p>Millions of people gained solace and inspiration from the song <em>Superman (It’s Not Easy), </em>a worldwide smash hit that served as an unofficial anthem of healing following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In this episode, Brian interviews the voice behind that song and many others, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter John Ondrasik, better known as Five for Fighting.</p> <p>From song-writing, to producing, to performing, John has faced plenty of rejection and struggle on his road to success. He tells Brian how, today, he combines his life as a musician with working in his family’s fourth-generation wire manufacturing business and discusses themes of creativity, entrepreneurship, and collaboration.</p> <p>Are you a <a href= "https://www.brianbuffini.com/podcast-interest-list.aspx">Buffini Show Insider</a>? What are you waiting for? Join today!</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Inspirational quotes from today’s interview:</strong></p> <p>“This is a golden moment for people who own small businesses.” — Brian Buffini</p> <p>“At the end of the day, it’s still about relationships, whether it’s relationships with a supplier who sells us wire for 25 years, or a radio programmer who plays my songs.” — John Ondrasik</p> <p>“Music sounds very romantic, but behind the curtain it’s really about an exercise in failure and writing hundreds of songs to get the ten you hear, and writing thousands of songs to get the maybe two that the world knows.” — John Ondrasik</p> <p>“I was very fortunate. I had success at a late age.” — John Ondrasik</p> <p>“For me, it was a 15 year overnight success story…I appreciated the 15 years of getting the door slammed in my face. Unless you have that, you can sometimes think it’s all about you.” — John Ondrasik</p> <p>“Focus on relationships…persevere, and then have your core values.” — Brian Buffini</p> <p>“I’m convin