David Nichtern and Danny Goldberg talk about honoring your intuition in your work, what it really means to manage an artist, and setting up a spiritual practice that works for you.

This is part two of a conversation between David Nichtern and Danny Goldberg. If you haven’t done so already, we suggest listening to part one, Not Knowing, before listening to Honoring Your Intuition.

Danny Goldberg, host of the Rock & Roles Podcast, is a music executive who has spent decades in the business. As a manager, Danny’s clients included Bonnie Raitt, Nirvana, The Allman Brothers Band, and Sonic Youth. As a label executive he was President of Atlantic Records, and Chairman of Warner Bros Records and the Mercury Records Group – among others. His latest book, Serving the Servant: Remembering Kurt Cobain, is now available.

Honoring Your Intuition

David and Danny answer questions about moving your career to the next level, the benefits of business relationships, and the crossroads of politics and music. Danny talks about the elements that have made his career a success.

“So the first thing is perseverance, the second thing is honoring your intuition. And if something really touches you deeply, rearrange the rest of your life to follow that.” – Danny Goldberg

Who Am I? (22:10)

David and Danny explore Danny’s spiritual life. Danny talks about the evolution of his spirituality, and how he was finally able to set up a meditation practice that works for him after many years of trying. In the meantime, if you can’t meditate, Danny says you can always pray.

“To me, rock and roll, spirituality, and activism were always part of the same notion of a light that I was chasing.” – Danny Goldberg

The Essence of a Manager (37:15)

Danny answers questions about what it really means to manage a music artist, and what kind of meditation practice he does. David ends with a moment of contemplation about the current state of the world, and how we can’t ignore all the suffering going on.

“My job [as a manager] is not to guide them, it’s to help them accomplish what they already want to do.” – Danny Goldberg