Donnie B. GotDaBeats | Music Producer & Recording Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Donnie B. GotDaBeats and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Donnie B., how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
This is a work in progress for me…. Work life balance, for me, is something that requires a great deal of extra effort to maintain. I’ve worked really hard, throughout my life, to get really good at the skills and talents that I have. However, People seem to underestimate how busy I am, or can get, which ultimately affects my balance daily. It has soured some of my relationships and I’ve lost some really good friends in the process. With that said, I’ve had to make sure that family and my kids’ well being are at the center of my balance in order to ensure i’m focused on the most important pieces of my puzzle.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career aspirations have lead me through some extremely tough times, but I was able to push through with determination and perseverance. I actually started my music career over 25 years ago. As a youth, I wasn’t the most talented nor the most popular person. I was met with more doubt and disbelief in my abilities than optimism. Those days were hard for me because I eagerly sought the approval of the people that I surrounded myself with. Most times, I had to prove to the people in my own circle that I had the talent and skill to accomplish the things that I did. At that time, vindication was the answer and energized me in my career pursuit. I believed that people should’ve just been able to see what my talents were and believe that I could do the things I said just because I dreamed them. Obviously, that was wrong and I was a slave to my own headspace. It wasn’t until my 3rd child was born that I realized that if I wanted more for my children, then I needed to do more. Realizing that I couldn’t amass the level of success or level of financial comfort (due to the options that were available to me at the time) that I needed to support them, I left them with their mom in Washington, D.C, and I moved to Los Angeles, CA in search of of better opportunities. I struggled for a bit my first 2-3 years in L.A. but found my stride and I am now working the plan with me being able to celebrate my successes with my kids as they follow my career and have grown to be big fans of my work.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I think the most engaging and endearing thing about L.A. is that the city, itself, is electric and has an amazing energy. There is always something to do, somewhere to eat, and you can always be around people (obviously pre and post COVID-19 pandemic) no matter where you turn. You could go to Long Beach and go shopping by the water. You could go to Hungtington Beach and try to catch a wave. You could go to Newport Beach for a nice day of adulting. For amusement, there’s always Knotts Berry Farm, DisneyLand, Universal Studios, or (my favorite) Magic Mountain.If you want to leave L.A. altogether, you could take the 2 hour ride to San Diego/TJ or 4hour ride to Vegas. But the allure of Los Angeles is frequenting the various shops, restaurants, bars, speak-easies, and events just by riding through a L.A. County.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I dedicate my shoutout to my family and friends that have been continuously supportive of me throughout my entire career and I’d like to shoutout my kids, niece, and nephews who are my biggest fans!