Jesus ‘Juno’ Parlange
Jesus ‘Juno’ Parlange is a man known and loved by several of the people I’ve already interviewed. There’s probably no better proof of the power of a positive attitude than this guy, and it was a pleasure to grill him about all the things that make him tick. He’s lived an interesting life travelling from Mexico City to Vancouver and picking up a Juno Award for his music along the way. Here’s some great advice he has for all of us…
On Following Your Passions
“It was like a snowball on fire” Juno said of the path that took him from writing music to running his own company. What he never stopped doing was following his passions as they developed. He started by pursuing his love of music, and everywhere he followed his passions, it ended up opening new doors for him.
On Transitioning into New Things
Juno doesn’t see much of a difference between the things that he does now and the things he used to do. To him, it’s the same set of skills and passions that brought him from creative work to entrepreneurship. While he no longer produces music, he doesn’t see it as doing something different. As he says: “I Produce…Things.”
On Attracting a Mentor
“Persistence. I think it was persistence“ Juno says of the attitude that gave him the chance to be mentored by one of Vancouver’s most respected most respected music producers. What was might have been a one-time meetup turned into a relationship when he pursued the chance for collaboration by throwing everything into it.
On Managing Stress
“Zebras don’t feel stress” Juno says as a way of explaining his state of mind. He sets up an example of how zebras survive on the plains of Africa. A lot of things can stress out a Zebra, such as the rustle of grass that might mean a predator nearby, but as soon as the danger has passed, so has the stress. Juno thinks people shouldn’t dwell on past stress, instead of calling it up again and again.
On Starting a Late Learning Habit
Like me, Juno took a break from books when he had finished school. Also, like me, he fell in love all over again when he started. Once fed again, he found that his love of learning came back again in full force. “When I started reading after that gap…I wanted to learn about the economy, about relationships. Now I want to learn about finances. I wanted to master everything”
On What He Would Tell Everyone
What would Juno say if he had the chance to say it to everyone? Something pretty nice. Help someone today, he says. “Sometimes for you, it means nothing, but them, it’s something amazing. We’re here for each other”.
