We’re looking forward to introducing you to Tom Maher. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Tom, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I’ve been incredibly self-conscious for a very long time. I am now just starting to get out of my shell and feel confident. I’m proud of what I’m doing–proud of myself even when what the universe shows me is contrary to how I hope things work out. I trust myself more. I believe in what I’m doing. That shows up in my posts on social media, my process in putting together orders, how i communicate with other people, and what or who I compare (or don’t compare) myself to. It’s more about the process now than anything truly quantifiable and I’m cool with that.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Tom Maher and I run Kismet Records (AKA Kismet Creative Center) out of the Wink Incubator Space in Dutchtown. We’ve been selling physical media of music for over 11 years in the St. Louis area. We are devoted to selling under-the-radar records, cassettes and CDs. We have a few different irons in the fire. One is continuing to order music from underground and independent artists and labels. Another is to acquire record collections from our customers and people in our neighborhood. A third thing might be “Tape Club”–a mix-tape collective of customers sharing music with one another, analogue-style. Now that the winter season–and the new year–is soon to be upon us, we’ll be carrying the Slingshot Collective’s Yearly Planner which goes over very well with our customers.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
As I was saying before, I’ve had low self-esteem. Often I’ve seen myself and my business as being one rung below everyone else, falling into self-doubt and critiquing my every move. I’m kinda over that. It’s hard to live the dream if your value is constantly in question. Now I just put one foot in front of the other and move along. It doesn’t matter what other people are doing. I’m gonna do my thing anyway.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Probably the fear that people won’t like me–that I gotta tap-dance to get what I want. Don’t get me wrong, I love talking to people–especially about music. But, I find, in general, I give a lot away unnecessarily. Often I feel exhausted coming out of conversations with other people because I put them first.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Competition matters, I think. That goes for a lot of industries, though. I’m personally trying to move from scarcity to abundance, to believe that there’s enough for everybody. Also, we all struggle. It may seem like someone is doing great, being successful, but one doesn’t really know what’s going on behind the scenes–what everyone else is dealing with. It’s all a great mirage we convince ourselves of.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What false labels are you still carrying?
That success or failure has anything to do with me. If I don’t succeed, then I fucked something up. I did something wrong. And if I succeed, I did something right. There’s more to it than that. It’s a bad character gauge.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kismetrecordsstl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kismet_records/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tomkismet/
- Other: www.discogs.com/user/exvegan6697
www.depop.com/kismetrecords
