What Nardwuar Taught Me About Life

The Power of Persistence and Consistency: Lessons from Nardwuar

On June 17th, 2024, my buddy Dayan and I attended a meet-and-greet for Nardwuar's Video Vault in Chicago. For those of you who may not know, Nardwuar is a famous journalist, radio personality, and content creator who has interviewed a wide array of notable figures, including Kurt Cobain, Snoop Dogg, Seth Rogen, and even the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau. What I found most interesting about this event was the invaluable advice I received in a place where I least expected it.

Nardwuar shared an embarrassing story from his childhood that left a profound impact on me. He mentioned that he ran for his school's cross-country team, despite being the slowest runner on the team. In one particular race, as he approached the finish line, he noticed only one person waving their hat in the air and calling his name – his mother. Everyone else had packed up and left. He was always the last to finish, but his consistency eventually wore out the rest of his competition. He shared an analogy: if there were 30 runners, he would finish 30th; if there were 20, he would finish 20th; if there were 10, he would finish 10th; if there were 3, he would finish 3rd; and if there was only one other person in the race, he would finally finish first.

Nardwuar correlated this example to his early career as a radio personality and journalist. When he started, securing interviews was challenging, and even when he did, people didn't take him seriously. A notable story he shared was about his interview with Kurt Cobain, the iconic singer and guitarist for Nirvana. After landing this incredible interview, Nardwuar was ecstatic to debut it on CiTR radio in Canada. He expected a flood of phone calls, which was the metric for gauging listenership back then. To his surprise, nobody called.

Hearing this, I was taken aback. How could nobody tune in for an interview with Kurt Cobain? But then I remembered that this happened 30 years ago, in a time when gaining an audience was just as challenging as it is today, if not more so. Nardwuar recounted how a kid once complained to him about only getting 25 views on a video he posted. Nardwuar exclaimed, "That's great! That's 25 more people listening to you than I had when I played my Nirvana interview on the radio."

Nardwuar's key message was that his success came from consistency. Despite always being in last place, he kept going, and eventually, he reached the top. The interview he mentioned is now sitting at 2.9 million views on YouTube and is just the first part of a three-part series with Nirvana.

As a creative, I often forget that constant progress is better than none. Nardwuar's story is a powerful reminder that persistence and consistency, even when you think nobody is watching, are crucial to achieving success. Every step forward, no matter how small, is a step toward your goals. So, keep going, stay consistent, and remember that every bit of progress counts.

Final Thoughts

In a world where instant gratification is often expected, Nardwuar's story is a testament to the power of perseverance. It's easy to get disheartened when your hard work doesn't immediately pay off, but remember that every successful person started somewhere. They faced challenges, disappointments, and setbacks, but what set them apart was their ability to keep going.

Whether you're a creative, an entrepreneur, or someone working towards a personal goal, take a page from Nardwuar's book. Embrace the journey, stay consistent, and trust that your efforts will eventually lead to success. The world may not always acknowledge your work right away, but with persistence, your time to shine will come.