S3E4: Erik Adofo-Mensah

Episode Transcript



Evie: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Erik: Sorry, are we podcasting?

Bill: It's already live.

Erik: It's not live, right?

Bill: So to you guys who'd like to hear more episodes, look for us on social media.

Erik: I'm here. I'm also here. My name is Erik. But, yeah, who brought you to Amsterdam?

Bill: Well, we were...

Evie: Plane!

Erik: Thank you very much.

Bill: Fine. Yeah.

Erik: Wow.

Bill: She's got a whole tight five on...

Erik: Apparently.

Blesz: That’s the whole show.

Erik: That's it.

Bill: Just Evie with jokes.

Erik: I'm going back to bed.

Bill: Where are you guys from? Where are you guys? She just does crowd work.

Erik: Yeah, right?

Bill: Look at this guy over here. Look at this guy.

Blesz: This episode was produced and sound designed by Burgundy Sound Studio. Burgundy Sound Studio. Sound better.

Evie: Hello, and welcome to "Word Up Podcast". I'm Evie.

Bill: And I'm just Bill.

Evie: How are you, Just Bill?

Bill: I'm fine. I'm only Bill. That's all I can be. Don't expect me to do any more than that right now.

Evie: Yeah, you're having a good time?

Bill: I am having a good time. I bring the fun with me wherever I go, Evie.

Evie: Yeah, you're a...

Bill: I'm a one-man fun contest. Yeah.

Evie: Yeah, a traveling circus.

Bill: Traveling circus. Like the thing with the hammer, you hit the hammer and the little thing goes up and makes the noise with the ding. I'm like that, except I'm a guy.

Evie: You're the ding?

Bill: I'm the ding, yes.

Evie: So how do you feel about today's guest?

Bill Today's guest is great. I've known him for years. I buy all his products, I use all the services. I recommend that everybody looks up this guest.

Erik: Do you remember my name?

Bill: Yeah, Greg.

Erik: Nope. Nope, nope, nope. Absolutely not.

Bill: We're going to do guessing games.

Bill: No. Unless you want to bring in Erik now, let's talk about him?

Evie: Sure.

Bill: Okay.

Erik: Hello?

Evie: Hi.

Erik: Bring me in like I wasn't in the room already. Oh, let me sit down. Okay, wow. Wonderful. Hello?

Evie: Hi, Erik. Good.

Erik: Hello, Evie, how are you, how is it going?

Evie: I'm good.

Erik: Just Bill.

Bill: Just Bill.

Evie: Very nice to have you over.

Erik: Thank you for having me here. I feel very, very welcome.

Evie: Would you like to introduce yourself to our listeners?

Erik: Sure. My name is my name is Erik and I'm the guest. Well, I am a large black man. I moved here, maybe, seven years ago, and... Wow, where do I begin? I always think it's such a funny question. People are like, "Tell me about you." Well, I was born in a cold winter's day in December 18th, 1984. The world was different back then, I do believe Ronald Reagan was president. And then after, I don't know, 27 years, I just skipped, I moved to Amsterdam. I have a very strange life. I just ended up here accidentally, literally accidentally, I was on a layover.

Evie: What happened?

Erik: I was in Paris visiting a friend and his family around my birthday time in 2011, and then we had a stopover from Paris to Amsterdam because we were on KLM and going back to Florida where we lived. And then I ended up going on this app called Grindr and meeting my now ex-boyfriend. And we stayed in touch long-distance when I moved back to the United States. And then he happened to be a flight attendant so he would fly back to the United States to see me. And then we developed a long-distance relationship, and then after a couple of months he was like, "Do you want to move back to Amsterdam and live with me?" And I said, "Yeah, of course." And I did after about a year. I split up with him, it didn't work out. And in order to live here as an American, you know, they have something called the DAFT. I don't remember if it is DAFT or DAFTA.

Bill: DAFT.

Erik: DAFT, right? So the Dutch American Friendship Treaty. So what I did was, I had to figure out a way to stay here. Well, the first months I lived in Amsterdam, I was actually very intimidated by Amsterdam. You know, even though everyone speaks English and it's beautiful, I was still American living in Europe. I had no idea what was going on. The language, I didn't understand it at all. This is 2013. So I remember my boyfriend at the time said, "Why don't you just go on a tour of Amsterdam?" They have all these walking tours of Amsterdam, "Just go, and just enjoy, and just figure out yourself here. I'm going to go fly to..." He flew to, like, South Africa or something. I was like, "Great, have a great time. I'll figure it by myself." So, I ended up going on a walking tour. And I hated the walking tour, I hated it, hated it, hated it. God, it was terrible, I still remember it. It was like 70 people in a group. It was a free walking tour. I remember that was the year that Donald Trump was just starting to do campaigning so people were asking me what I thought about it. And I was like, "He'll never be president." And then I just remember, I didn't really enjoy the tour because it was too many people, was so disorganized. The tour guy was very nice but I didn't like the way... I guess I'm still very American in this regard when it comes to being superficial so I didn't like the way he was dressed, so I did not enjoy that. I just felt like, if you're providing a service, even though it's a free walking tour, I still feel like you should show up, you know, in your best dress. You know, we're all doing a podcast, but in my opinion, we all look very, very well put together today.

Bill: I agree.

Erik: You know what I mean? I was looking at you and I was like, "This guy has a handkerchief in his over coat.

Bill: Yes, Sir, I do.

Erik: And I think that it's just so suave and smooth, and no one can see him, no one cares. No one gives a crap, but I do but that's what matters. But, anyway, I went on a walking tour. I hated it. But at the end, I remember standing behind the tour guide. Like, I wanted to give him, I had no money at this time so I had, maybe, I saved up all my money, all my pennies, to move here but I didn't have a job yet and I was still waiting for the approval of my visa, which the process of being things being approved here is hilarious sometimes as a foreigner. For stuff, when you're Dutch, it's great. Oh, I do that too. Okay. For stuff as a foreigner it's a difficult process. When you've lived here and you're inbergeren or when you're... How do you say that in English? When you're...

Bill: “Encitizened?”

Erik: Yeah. When you're encitizened, you really learn the processing and it becomes more fluent. But I stood behind him and this guy, like I gave him two euros, that's all I had to my name. And I was looking at people giving him money and he made €195 for a two and a half hour walking tour. And I looked at him the way he was dressed, and I was like, "I could do that. I can do a walking tour. I know history." I love history, I love facts. I love history, I've always been that one guy that if you go on holiday somewhere, I'm like, "Oh, you see that building over there? So that was actually built in the year 1861 by the architect France Joseph during the second..." And, like, I would just go on for an hour. So I love doing that naturally. So I was like, "Okay. Well, let me put together a walking tour." So I found this website called GetYourGuide. So I have a very good working relationship with them. They are headquartered in Berlin and I still talk to the same woman. It was funny, well, she started at the company the same year as I started advertising my little walking tour there. And she had, you know, grown with the company, now she's in, like, a senior-level position and now we still talk. We're still in very good contact.

Evie: Cool. Yeah.

Erik: And because of her, I was able to meet the CEO, CEOs and COOs of these companies. You know, this is later in life. But at the time, I ended up meeting GetYourGuide and they started advertising my tours. And for the first month or two, I didn't get anything. I mean, nobody wants to take a tour. And I just thought, "Okay. Well let me try a different type of tour," because I was just doing a normal historical walking tour which is what everybody was doing. And I was like, "No, but Erik come on, you went to school for business." I went to Drexel and I went to University of Tampa, that's in Florida, so I studied international business when I was there. And you have to work on your niche. What makes you special? What makes you stand out?

Evie: Yeah.

Erik: Well, Amsterdam is famous for a lot of things. We've got beautiful canals, great cheese. There is, I don't know if you knew this, but prostitutes and you can use many drugs here. One of the main drugs...

Evie: Yes. Well best kept secret.

Erik: No secret. And everyone comes here for the cheese and, you know, the tulips...

Evie: Clogs, drugs.

Erik: ...clogs, the stroopwafel, which is delicious. I gained 5 kilos because of that but then I said, "Let's focus on the dirty stuff. Let's focus on what makes Amsterdam Amsterdam so let's focus on the Red-Light district and the coffee shop scene." Well, I started getting a little bit more traction there but still not a lot. Unfortunately, I was having a lot of relationship problems during that time and I ended up getting very upset with my boyfriend at the time and I did a Tina Turner. So if you watch the movie "What's Love Got to Do With It?" There was a very poignant scene where Tina Turner, whose birthday was yesterday, where she walked, she is Sagittarius just like me, where she walked out of the hotel room she was staying with Ike Turner because they had a huge fight. He beat her up in the limo and she finally got sick of it and beat him back and then she just ran out the hotel room. She had 75 cents on her because he kept all the money even though they were wealthy beyond all get out, she had 75 cents on a her, ran across the street to a hotel, bloodied, snotted, and said, you know, "I have no place to go. Can you take care of me? Can you help me?" And that was when she was able to start off on her own career. Well, I wasn't bloodied or anything like that. Me and my boyfriend at the time were not violent but it was a lot of emotional damage, a lot of emotional problems for both of us. You know, I would never just blame him, I'm sure it was me as well. And I ended up just getting fed up and just walked out. And I had, I think, €20 in my account. Packed up my teddy bear, and my clothes, put it all in one big suitcase. And he's like, "Where are you going? You don't have any place to live. you don't have any money." I was like, "I'd rather live on the streets than live here with you," and I walked out. And I was like, "Erik, what in God's name have I just done? Where am I going? What am I doing?" I'm like, "I have no friends here." I'd only lived there, at that point, I think for about a year and our relationship was such where, you know, there was a lot of insecurity there, so I didn't really have a lot of friends. I did have one particular friend who was like, "You can come live with me." I went and sat at the bar. Well, of course, with my only €20, told him what happened, they're like, "You need a drink." I was like, "Yeah." So he was just feeding me drinks and I was like, "What in God's name am I going to do?" Well, this friend, and I still talk to him today, he is like, "Come stay on my couch." He's like, "You just started a business, a tour guide business. You need to grow your business." And I was like, "Okay, bet. Let me grow this business, figure out this breakup, hopefully get back with my boyfriend, and then I'll just make enough money to go back to America and start all over again." Well, I'm sleeping on his couch and trying to go through the breakup, and then little by little, I started getting more and more tours. And I remember one day I just said, "Oh, let's try something different. This website is headquartered in Germany, in Berlin, let me just put that we can do it in German." So I put that we had it in German. So at that point I was getting like one or two people coming on a tour as Americans, sometimes other countries speaking English and then I would make like €20, €40, so I was using that to buy a marijuana, basically. I thought that's what this would be. Well, one day I remember it was like maybe August, 2014, still sleeping on my friend's couch, oh, no, July, 2014, I was still sleeping on my friend's couch, I got a booking for €600...

Evie: Wow.

Erik: ...from a group of 41 Swiss-German girls that were coming to Amsterdam and they wanted to go on a coffee shop tour. And I'm like, "Great. I don't speak German," and they wanted it in German. But I was like, "But I need this money so I could, at least, buy a plane ticket and go home," is what I was still thinking. So they showed up, right? Do you know it was an all-female soccer team from Switzerland ages 17 to, I would say about 60?

Evie: Okay.

Erik: And they're just looking at me and going, "Okay, hello. Willkómmen We hebben eine tour gebucht." Now, I can speak a little bit German. But they were like, "We hebben eine tour gebucht. We booked the tour." And I'm like, "Yeah. So, just kidding, I don't speak German." And they're like, "Oh, okay. Do you speak English and French?" I'm like, "Mais, bien sur." I learned French when I was in university so I was like I can communicate in both. They were like, "Okay, then we can do the tour." And I was like, "Well, obviously I need the 16 and 17-year-olds to stay out of the coffee shop, that's fine." And I was like, "We're going to have a lot of..." I do a lot of history, you know, so that's, kind of, the way that I set up the tour. I knew that people are going to see Weed Tour and think, "Okay, let's go and get high,” and then boom, I'm going to go and give them a lot of education information about where we're walking. So I try to balance it out. Well, they loved the tour. Loved. I did not expect it. We had a great time. They were so sweet. I still have the picture. The picture is on my website. If you look back, the first pictures, it's them. Kept in touch with them and what Germans are good at, Germans are some of the best customers you can have in the world. Toughest customers too, but best customers in the world. And they ended up writing me a review in German and French. And that review was not one sentence, it was a whole paragraph. I mean, detailed. You would have been looking at the instructions for the Department of Homeland Security. You know, it looked like that. I mean...

Bill: Swiss precision, right?

Erik: Swiss precision, just a Rolex mixed with the knife, you know? So they wrote this long review. Well, I didn't understand it at the time, but that is a huge part of SEO. We started getting a lot, and I mean, a lot of German bookings that started coming in. So the German bookings started elevating our position on the website, which then got us noticed by the Americans, Canadians, Australians, British people. So I would say within a month, I was able to move off my friend's couch and get my own apartment.

Evie: Wow.

Erik: So that was when I was like, "Okay, maybe there's something to this. Maybe I'm good at it so let's keep on going." And then over the years, so that was 2014, it's 2020 now. So I would say like that first month we were getting like maybe 40 people, 50 people, which is very encouraging because that was still enough for me to just live, but it kept growing. And then last year, 2019, we had, I counted 17,000 people we had on a tour.

Bill: Jesus Louises.

Evie: Wow. Yeah

Bill: Wild man.

Erik: And I'm not sure because those are the bookings. So some bookings had 1, some had 20, some had 15. So I always say we had between 20,000 maybe 25,000 people that came on a tour. I had a staff of about 10 guides that did the tours. I still did the tours as well. And, yeah, it grew into a company. I always say that I created a monster because, when it took off... It took off, really took off in 2016. That is when I remember GetYourGuide was like, "You need to come to our offices in Berlin. We need to talk to you." I was like, "Oh, God. Okay." I thought I was getting called to the principal's office. You know, Germans are lovely people but they don't sound fun when they're asking you to come to visit. They're like, "You need to come now. Come. We need to see you in our office." Yeah. So I was like, "Oh, God. Okay." And I ended up having like a meeting with the CEO. And they were like, "Oh, my God, you're the ganja guy?" And like, "That's what I'm... This is €400 million company and this is what I'm known as?" Like, "My mom is going to be so proud. Thanks. The ganja guy." They have offices in Brazil, in Hong Kong, in Korea. I don't even know they were just worldwide and they were doing world conferences and stuff and the COO mentioned me in their conference around the world. They were like, "The ganja guy." And everyone was like, "Oh, the ganja guy. Yeah, Erik." I'm like, "Oh, God damn it."

Evie: I'm making the way through the world.

Erik: And especially at that time, I was like, "I don't even smoke marijuana." So, yeah, that's basically it for the... So the tours, we did a Red-Light District tour and a ganja tour. I've had celebrities come to my tour, some I'm not allowed to mention because they made me sign an NDA, a nondisclosure agreement. I think the ones that I can mention, Chingy. He's a rapper from United States, he did a song called "Right Thurr." Oh, he's on "Saturday Night Live." Oh, he's so funny. Well, it's on the website. Go look on the website, you'll see pictures of me with celebrities and I'm smiling looking very happy.

Evie: Of course.

Erik: He was famous for doing his Eddie Murphy impressions.

Bill: Oh, J. Phoenix?

Blesz: Jay Pharaoh?

Erik: Jay Pharaoh. That's it, Jay Pharaoh. So I was just walking behind him on the street and I was like, "Jay Pharaoh." He turned around and was like, "Oh, my God." I was like, "Hi. My name is Erik, I'm doing a tour. Do you want to join?" And he was like, "Sure." And then we walked around and had a great time. I showed him Amsterdam and it was the best. And I was like, "Can I take a picture and put it on my website?" He was like, "Yeah." And he put me on his Instagram story. Just lovely. So I've had a lot of celebrities, members of parliament from England, Senators. Also, definitely not allowed to say which Senators. I had the Mayor of Nairobi, that was hilarious. Members of Parliament from Kenya. It's been a wild ride. All the people we've seen and met, they did a documentary on us in Germany because Germans are very intrigued by this Dutch system that we have where you can smoke marijuana and not, you know... That it's a beautiful country, isn't it? Amsterdam is one of the safest places in the world and people don't understand if you have decriminalized drugs and legalized prostitution, you think it's going to be like Sodom and Gomorrah but it's the opposite. It's a lovely city where you can have children and grow up, friends, family, and all these wonderful things. I made a lovely life for myself here which is why it's all so, for me, it doesn't make any sense to go back home because my family, my life is here. But I ended up just starting this company and then, I started expanding it into... My passion is music. So I'm very good at business and very proud that I can say that from all the things that I learned and that I learned in university, but music is the thing that really gets my soul going as you know. You've seen that. You haven't yet, Just Bill, I'm sure...

Bill: No. Sorry, I've not.

Erik: It's okay. One day. I'm going to try to do it more with Ennio We're going to do more music. But, basically, I'm a singer at heart, playing the violin, and the viola, and the piano since I was about seven, maybe eight. I don't even remember anymore. It was the '80s, you know? And I started branching into music so... I feel like I'm talking too much. I can really keep on going. Is that okay?

Bill: This is a podcast.

Erik: I know. But no one is talking. No, one is...

Evie: I'm listening.

Erik: I know. But I'm just talking like bleh.

Bill: She told me I'm not allowed to speak so that's why I'm staying quiet.

Erik: No. But talk. I just feel I don't want to...

Evie: Why, thank you, Erik.

Erik: Okay, you're welcome.

Bill: You've given us the permission. Thank you.

Erik: I'm so sorry.

Evie: I really appreciate to be included into this.

Erik: In your podcast that you invited me on, please be included. I just feel like I'm just rambling. Like, anyway.

Bill: You're one of those people that just sounds like, first of all, you do a million things all really well at a high level and that's interesting. I think people want to hear somebody talk about competency in all things. It's engaging, it's electric, it's magnetic. I love being around people who know how to do a lot of things really well. You know, because I feel like I'm one of those people that does one thing really well.

Erik: What's that one thing?

Bill: I'm not even sure yet, man.

Erik: Stop.

Bill: I'm going to figure it out at some point.

Erik: You have personality, you have the gift of gab as we would say.

Bill: I do have the gift of gab. Right? It's a hollow Potemkin village, though, which is a nice thing, nothing to back it up. But, yeah. I'm curious. It just sounds like you're, kind of, like a polymath where it's like almost anything you set your mind out to do, you wind up excelling at it.

Erik: No. Because you know why? I cannot draw and I would love to paint or draw if I could. And I have tried it for years. I've tried it for so long and all I can give you is that stick figure, hopefully, with a smiley face, nothing better than that. So is not that I can do everything well, it's more that I know what I can do well and I focus on those things, and I know what I don't do well, and I stay away from those things. But, no, like, I know what I can do well. I can make a business. I can build a business. I've learned how to do that from Oranje Umbrella, the company I started. I know I can build a business, that's something good. And I know I'm good at getting people together, organizing functions and events. That's what I'm really good at. Being... Oh, God [foreign language 00:20:20]. So creating just a lovely atmosphere.

Evie: Jolly?

Erik: Yeah. It doesn't translate that.

Evie: I know.

Erik: Not jolly because that's like Santa and I'm not fat.

Bill: Nothing in this language translates.

Erik: Nothing translates. But I am just really good at bringing people together and keeping them happy. So I'm good at that, I'm good at music, cooking, and languages, that's it. Those are the four things that God gave me.

Evie: We can work on your drawing skills.

Erik: Thank you. I would love to draw. That would be something that I'd be so good at, but when it comes to anything else... I don't even know what else there is there. I closed it. I closed my mind to it. I'm like, "No, I can't. I'm not good at that." "Okay, gardening?" "Absolutely not." "Wilderness stuff?" "No."

Evie: I don't see you as a wild person.

Erik: No. Everyone says, "Erik, do you want to go camping?" I'm like, "Sure. Is there a Sheraton nearby, or a Hilton, or a like DoubleTree..."

Evie: Jacuzzi?

Erik: "Jacuzzi?" I need four walls of something. I'm good at talking, I talk a lot. Sidetracks, so the second company, I started dealing with music, love music, and I've always wanted to sing and do things. I've made songs, of course. But, yeah, there's no blueprint on how to be a musician or an artist, you have to get noticed, and you have to, kind of, have something super...

Evie: It's a lot of luck, right?

Erik: It's a lot of luck.

Evie: And then, like, placement, charisma, yeah, yeah.

Erik: Placement, the right time.

Evie: Context, yeah.

Erik: And I'm, that is also something, apparently, not good at. I was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, the wrong everything because I am not a famous or a huge successful artist yet. Who knows, maybe. But I've always wanted to do music. So it's a funny story how I... I'm a deejay as well. And it's always so funny how, I guess, the businesses that I've created have come out of pain, it's interesting. So the first one where I was the Tina Turner moment, I walked out on my boyfriend at the time and I was like, "How am I going to survive?" Built the company. Now the company had 20,000 people. Great. So this one, the deejaying, so last year, 2019, which I thought was already a crazy year and look at 2020. But, last year, last summer, there's a bar that I love to go to here in Amsterdam called Taboo. It's all on the gay street, Reguliersdwarsstraat, and, I mean, it's the kind of thing of, like, "Cheers." You know, there's a show in America called "Cheers." And, like, you walk in like, "Hey, Norm." And like, "Erik, welcome back." And like, "This is so embarrassing, don't do that." Like, "Everyone thinks I come to this bar every day." Like, "Yeah, but you are here every day." I'm like, "No, no. It's not that. I don't come here every day. I just come here like four days a week, you know?" You know, I try to not make it look like I'm a lush. But I love the spa, and I love the people there, I love the staff, I love the music, I love a good Martini. It's my favorite thing.

So I remember there was one particular night they were just having a normal night, it was very quiet and one of the drag queens there were like, "Hey, Erik, you want to play, like, some songs on the playlist? I need to go to the bathroom." Like, this drag queen usually would do the playlists of the songs and the music, whatever. She's like, "I need to go take a break, I'm just tired." She's like, "Why don't I teach you how to do this?" And I was like, "Okay." So it was a little booth and little sound system thing. And she took me behind their, Reuben. Well, that's her boy name. Monique de la Fressange, that is her drag name, right? So Monique was like, "Here, let me teach you." And I was like, "Okay." And I remember it was a really quiet night, it was a boring night, and I remember there were like three people, and it was a Thursday. And she taught me, and I was like, "Oh, let me put this song on, let me put that song on. I want to put on this song." Well, after two hours, the bar was packed, and I mean full. People were on the street going, "Oh, I love this song," and coming in. And after three hours, they were like, "Erik, okay, were going to give you drinks, because, A, were so busy now, no one can focus on the music so you need to focus on the music, Erik." I'm like, "All right." So now, you know, it's like midnight now and I'm wasted. I'm like dancing behind the bar, I was doing Beyoncé moves that's why I got my hair long. Shout out to Beyoncé one day. You never know.

Bill: NDA, NDA.

Erik: NDA. Oh, sorry. I love Beyoncé. I love you. She's my everything. But I was, like, doing Beyoncé moves or whatever and everybody was like, "Oh, my God." So people were taking pictures of me behind the bar and they're like, "Yeah," I'm on their Instagram. So I'm like, "Wow, I'm really good at this thing," like, selecting songs and, you know, bringing people together, having a good time. So the bartender was like, "Stay on. Stay on the deejay booth. Just keep choosing songs. We got to get all these people." And it was a random Thursday night, full, sold out. They had to stop letting people in. People weren't leaving because they were enjoying the music, they were enjoying me.

Evie: And it's a small place so...

Erik: It's a small place. You've been there?

Evie: Yeah, yeah, of course.

Erik: We've been there before, yeah. So it was a very small place so it was packed from top to bottom, right? So I was like, "Okay, I'm really good at this." So I was like, "Okay, I'm going to come back the next night and bring a lot of my friends." Well, like maybe 10 of my friends came over to my house and they were like, "Yeah, we heard about you from other people." I'm like, "What? Really?" They're like, "Yeah. Well, let's go." I'm like, "Yeah, they'll probably let me do it tonight. I know this bar. I knows everybody behind the bar." Well, I go and I do it. And Monique was there, he's like, "Yeah, Erik, go for it." I'm like, "Okay, sweet." So all my friends they're waiting. And the manager, one of the managers was there and was not happy that I was behind the deejay booth.

Evie: How come?

Erik: Because I am not an employee there. So they were like, and you noticed I'm being very careful with my pronouns because I don't want, you know...

Evie: Them to know?

Erik: ...them to know. But they were like, "You're not an employee here, you can't be behind..." Because, technically, it is also behind the bar.

Evie: Right.

Erik: It's right next to the bar where the cash register and everything is but it's a separate area. And they were like, "Yeah, you can't be behind here, you're not an employee here." And I was like, "Yeah, I'm just playing songs. Come on, it's me. Like, I've been here four days a week for the last, like, five years. Come on, you know who I am." "Yeah. But you don't work here." And I'm like, "I know I don't work here." He's like, "Well, you can damage the equipment." I'm looking at the equipment, I'm like, "This is from like 2002." Like, it was all old equipment and, you know, now, so my company is very successful. I'm like, "And if I break something, oh Honey, I'll buy another one for you, no worries." You know, which maybe I sounded very condescending there. But I was just like, "Don't worry about it. I got it. If I break it, I'll buy it. You know, no big deal." And then they started yelling at me and I mean, we're in a public place, my friends are watching me. And I'm like, "Okay, you don't need to raise your voice at me," like, especially with my friends watching because now I'm feeling embarrassed. I'm like, "So how about we go outside and talk about it?" Very buurgelijk is what we say here in the Netherlands. So I was being very civil. Took me outside, and, I mean, they handed me my ass in front of my friends as well. And I was about to really complain and start yelling back and I was like, "You know what? I'm going to let this go." Because at first it felt like the person was under the influence of something. I couldn't tell you what. It could have been drugs, it could have been alcohol but I noticed it. And I was like, "There's something off here." And I was like, "I'm not going to argue." So they handed me my ass, they just yelled at me in the middle of the streets, busy night, Friday night. My friends were looking at me like, "What's going on?" And then they walk away, gave me a shot, a free shot. I'd be like, "Okay, well, I'm sorry. Just don't do that ever again." I'm like, "Okay." And I stood in the middle of street and I cried.

Evie: Oh, no.

Erik: I cried for like a good 45 minutes because I felt embarrassed. I invited all these people, my friends were there. People came back and were like, "Yeah, we wanted to see you play." And I'm, like, being yelled at by the manager of this bar.

Evie: Oh, some kind of entertainment.

Erik: Yes. For everyone else. For me, I felt like the worst guests on the Jerry Springer Show, I was so embarrassed. And, you know, like I said, I'm a Sagittarius so when I feel emotions, any extreme emotion, I run, I bolt. So I cried in the middle of the street, kept drinking, then I went home, woke up the next morning, and I remember I texted my best friend and I texted my mom. And they were like, "Are you okay? I heard you had a rough night?" And I'm like, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm at the airport." And they're like, "What?" I'm like, "Yeah, I'm at the airport." They're like, "What? Where are you going?" I'm like, "Portugal." They're like, "When?"

Evie: I remember that.

Erik: Remember that?

Evie: I remember that.

Erik: Everyone saw it on Instagram and Facebook, I'm just in Portugal. They're like, "When did you make the decision to go to Portugal?" I was like, "This morning." They're like, "You flew to Portugal this morning?" Like, "Yeah." And they're like, "When are you coming back?" I'm like...

Evie: Some time? Never?

Erik: I went to Portugal. I was like, "Screw you. I'm going to Portugal." That was, kind of, like my FU to them because, you know, my company is successful, I knew I can do it, I did very well and I didn't feel like there was any reason to be so mean and so hurtful about me playing music. It's not like I was a stranger. The person that yelled at me is someone that I knew for at least a year, maybe a good two years so I thought that I had developed some kind of rapport, some kind of trust. They are a Dutch persons so Dutch people are very direct and can be very rough for a little bit, or just “meh,” you know, when it comes to the way that they express themselves. And I'm still, maybe, very American. I'm also very African. So Africans, we do not do the emotional thing. We do not do the yelling a lot, it is going to be just a lot of looks, you know?

Bill: Same here.

Erik: Yeah, you know?

Bill: Yeah.

Erik: So he's obviously African too.

Evie: Yeah, that's how we roll.

Erik: Yeah. But we're just, and maybe that is also American but we're not going to make a big scene.

Evie: But it's not professional either.

Erik: That's not professional.

Evie: Thank you.

Erik: Because I'm really in creating reality TV so we make scenes. No. But it was just unprofessional and it was embarrassing for me. I felt so embarrassed and I realize that at the time I had nothing to be embarrassed of because they were just being a dick. But, at the time I felt very embarrassed so I ran away. I went to Portugal and I think I stayed there for like two weeks. I stayed in a hotel, like a nice hotel somewhere and then end up switching to an Airbnb. It was like I lived there. And I remember I stayed there and my friends were like, "Erik, when are you coming home?" I was like, "I don't know. I don't want to come home, meh meh meh." I was licking my wounds, you know, like a hurt alley cat that just lost a fight, you know? But I remember after like two and a half weeks there, I was like, "You know what, let me stop this. Let me go back to my company." You know, because my guides were running the company, they were doing everything. I was like, "Let me stop being dramatic and go home." Went home and then something was like, "Why don't I just learn how to deejay?" I was like, "Because they're not going to let me do it there," I'm like, "That's not the only bar in Amsterdam."

Evie: Of course not. Yeah.

Erik: No. They were fucking mean, all right? And was so hurt, I ran away, came back. You know, I was like, "This isn't the only fucking bar in Amsterdam." I was like, "There's a lot of bars in Amsterdam." And also the Netherlands is known for deejaying.

Evie: True.

Erik: Armin van Buuren, Tiësto, Martin Garrix, a really good friend. I'm going to give him a shout out now, his name is Dyro. He's also a very huge EDM deejay here with like 800,000 followers on Instagram. I don't know why he wants to be friends with me sometimes but I love him. But, yeah, so I'm just like, "This is the place where I can do what I want, you know? Let me look for a deejay school." So there is a deejay school in Amsterdam and it's called DJ School Amsterdam.

Evie: Wow. Original.

Erik: Yeah, very original. And it's at the Q-Factory. And then, so I went and I told him the story. He was like, "Oh, that's really rough. Let me teach you how to properly deejay." So he had the Pioneer decks there, USB stick, it was like €50 per lesson. And I remember registering it and he gave me like one little lesson and I fell in love. I was like, "Wait. What? This is deejaying? What? Oh, yes, bitch. I want to do this shit. Yes." So, you know, he took pictures of me. And then, like, he was feeding off of my energy so there's, like, pictures of us, like, jumping up and down from me learning one thing. I learned how to turn up the volume, "I'm..." Shit. Sorry. The volume, I just hit the microphone. So I'm like jumping up and down, I was so excited. I felt like, "Wow, this is something that really fits me and I'm also good at it." So when I find something I'm good at, I will run with it all the way to the end.
Well, I had one lesson, right? Some really good friends of mine, this is just the universe. The universe is so weird. Some really good friends of mine, so Edgar and Demi were like, "Erik, you're really good at business. Well, some friends of ours own a bar on the Reguliers, on the gay street and they haven't been able to make it work." I'm like, "Which bar?" Like, "The Burlesque Bar." I'm like, "Oh, I loved that bar." I would go there. I would sit there by myself and drink a bottle of champagne by myself and then go to Taboo because they had better champagne. But it was always empty which I love as well. But they were always empty so they weren't making very good money and didn't make a profit.
And they were like, "So they were going to let us take over the bar for like six weeks over the summertime." They were like, "Do you want to come and help us?" I was like, "Sure. How can I help?" They were like, "Well, we remember that night where you tried to deejay and didn't get a chance to do it. Do you want to deejay there?"
This is the same week I got back. And I'm just like, "Let's do it." But then I'm like, "Wait. Shit. I had one lesson. I can't be a deejay at a club now." And this is way bigger than Taboo. The Burlesque Bar, you know, was way bigger than Taboo and I'm like, "Oh, God, Erik, you did it again." I only had one lesson so I, like, I called the deejay back, the guy that gave me the first lesson. I was like, "Justin," His name is Justin Timbers which I love because I'm like, "You're like half of Justin Timberlake. That's so cool." And he's like, "Erik, what's wrong?" I’m just like, "Yeah." So I'm a resident deejay now." He's like, "Where?" I'm like, "At a club." He's like, "Where?" I'm like, "On the gay street." He's like, "Erik, it's been one day." I'm like, "Yeah. So you've got to make me the best deejay ever." He's like, "How long do we have?" I'm like, "Well, it's Tuesday, I deejay on Thursday." "Let's go."

Evie: Wow.

Erik: Yeah. And so I booked a two-hour session so he's like "Erik?" I'm like, "I know. I'm sorry. I don't know how else to live life, I just go. So if I'm going to be a deejay, I'm not going to just be deejay at my house, I have to do it full-blown..."

Evie: All the way.

Erik: "...all the way." And the funny thing is that I told you this bar is next to Taboo. So I'm like, "I got hired to be a resident deejay at the very place, right next door where they said I could not deejay. Fuck you guys."

Evie: To your face.

Erik: Aha. And I'm like, "You're going to see me walking by every day," And now my hair is long so I'm doing my hair like flip, flip, flip, flip walking into the bar, right? So I get there and I remember the first day, like I had a couple of lessons and so now I had like two or three lessons.

Evie: Massive. Yeah.

Erik: I'm like, "All right. Let's deejay. I'm going to be the resident deejay at a bar." And at first, they were like, "Should we pay you?" And, of course, I had the company. I was like, "I'm very comfortable. I do not need your money. I'm really just excited to do this because it's fun, it's my passion, I'm doing something with music. Finally, I'm in my element." Well that weekend, they had a massive crowd. They said it was the busiest nights they had in the two years since they opened that place. They had a couple of busy nights, of course, but this was the first time that it was consistent. And they said they made a bigger profit. That was something that the owners told me. And I'm still friends with them too. And I was just like, "What?" I'm like, "Okay, let's run with this." So we was doing it Thursday, Friday, Saturday night for, let's see, that was the beginning of summer last year. And then the goal was just to do it. It was like a pop-up, so just to do it until Gay Pride. That was going to be, like, my crowning achievement and then we'll see what happens. So we were getting busier, and busier, and busier. I mean, and I was really taking over so I hired, like, boy strippers, I had, you know, genres and drink specials and we all worked together. We all, kind of, put all of our energy and creativity in it and it was this beautiful little bar family that we were creating. And I was the deejay and the dance floors were full and I felt so special and so happy because I felt like my music was contributing to that. Well, after a couple of weeks, maybe three weeks, the week before Gay Pride and we are full on, I'm deejaying three nights a week. Every night, I'm walking by Taboo and I'm like, nuh. Like, you know? I'm like, "I'm deejaying, I don't need you." And I remember, a lot of times they would be walking by. I'd see the bartenders or that person that also yelled at me, like, walking by looking in, "What's going on in here?" I'm, like, "I'm deejaying, bitches. What do you want, yeah?" Well, Amsterdam commended us, the Amsterdam City Council...

Evie: Municipality?

Erik: ...Municipality caught on to it and the owners were like, "We have to shut down. We have to shut down." I'm like, "Wait, what?" And they showed me the official letter from the Amsterdam Gemeente, and now I could read Dutch. But it didn't matter that I could read Dutch because all it said was, "Deejay Erik, Deejay Erik, Deejay Erik, Deejay Erik." Well, they only had a permit to be a restaurant not a club. We have a lot of rules and restrictions here for businesses. So I was hosting a party that really blew up, that really got big and someone ratted us out to the Gemeente. They came in and they were like, "Who is this Deejay Erik having parties?" This is not supposed to be a party. You have to have a three-course menu, a chef, you have to be open these hours, not too late, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah." I didn't really know that. That was nothing in my control, that was up to the owners. But they thought, "We're just going to run with it, see what happens, and then close it," and they wanted to sell the business. But the Amsterdam Gemeente found out, shut us down, and they were about to give them a €25,000 fine for my parties that I was hosting there. I was heartbroken. I was like, "Again, again, again." Like, "Come on." I'm like, "Now we're being shut down because now we're doing so well and it was starting to take some of the business, you know, from the other bars." So I don't know who ratted us out, I don't know who said it or what did it, but I felt like, you know, maybe that person that did not like me got their revenge. Because I remember there were some nights when we were super busy and I would walk in and I would see in the other bars were busy but not as busy as we were. We were going for it. And I mean, my exes were walking in and you'd see me behind the deejay booth and they would stay. And I'm like, "Yeah, you're going to listen to my music? You're going to dance to my music? Yeah. I'm deejaying. Yeah, all right. Good. Look at me having a great time and then everything got shut down." And I was like, "All right. Well, let me just continue with my deejay lessons and see what happens." So I continued my deejay lessons for a good couple of months. And then fast forward, so that was summer 2019. We're going to fast forward.

I wasn't deejaying then, focused back on my business, took some lessons. End of last year, another bar right next to The Taboo as well, Bar Blend, I was like, "I want to have my birthday party here." Because I love Taboo, still go there, but I was like, "No, I'm going to move venues now. Just, kind of, move on, do other stuff. Well, I'm going to go to Bar Blend." It's a new bar that opened up also last summer. And, "I'm going to go there because I liked them." I loved the staff. And I went inside and I had a couple of Martinis feeling a little full of myself, probably. And then it was also my birthday month, December. So I was like, "I want to have my birthday party here." They're like, "Okay." And I was like, "I'm going to buy three bottles of champagne right now in preparation." They're like, "Oh, okay. That's very nice." Bought three bottles. And they're like, "Anything else?" I was like, "Yes." And I was like, "On my birthday night, I want to deejay here." They were like, "Okay, you bought three bottles of champagne, do what you want." I'm like, "Yeah, that's what I thought. That's right." So my mom was here, you know, so I was excited for her to see me deejay, all my friends came, everyone came. Well, it's time so I went shopping. I had a little crown on, I went in the deejay booth, we had dinner, everyone came, like 40 people showed up and their deejay system was completely different than the way I learned how to deejay. And I'm like, "Oh, God damn it, not again. Everyone is looking at me and we're getting ready for me to deejay and I have no idea what to do." This system was older, it was like from 2000, like '10 and it's 2020 and I learned on a 2020 system. And I'm like, "You guys, really, really?" So I'm like, "Oh, God damn it." So I remember drinking more. I bought three bottles of champagne so I had one bottle by myself. I'm like, "What am I going to do? It's happening again," like, 40 people are staring at me. My mom is there with her camera and, like, really excited. And she's, like, smiling, like, "My boy is going deejay." I'm like, "No, I'm fucking not. I don't know what to do." So I remember, I did my usual, I squatted underneath the deejay booth, I started crying with a bottle of champagne and I'm just drinking it, like, "I don't know what to do."

Evie: Such a diva.

Erik: Such a dramatic person. I know. But it's not like I'm doing it for attention that's why I hide underneath the booth. I was just crying and I was, like, I'm freaking out, "It's my birthday, I don't know what to do." And then someone was like, "Erik, get it together. Come on, let's just fucking do it." And I just get up and I'm like, "Okay." And I just get up and I started deejaying just to the best of my abilities. And it wasn't perfect but it was okay. And then after a while, I started getting into the flow and I was like, "Oh, figuring it out, "Oh, that's how you do that. Okay, this is older. You don't have to do that. Okay, figured that out." My mom was smiling and dancing, and then she does her usual. I get this from her. After like 20 minutes, she's like, "Okay, I'm going home. Love you. Bye." That's me at a party. I'm like, "Oh, great. Yeah. Okay, bye." I've had enough because it's too much socializing. So my mom did that and then, you know, it was okay but then it wasn't full, it wasn't very crowded. And I was like, all right, I'm going to deejay for like one more hour and then I'm going to go enjoy my birthday because this was stressful, you know? And the bartenders were like, "Hey, you're a good deejay." I was like, heh heh heh, wiping, like, the mascara from my face. I'm like, "Thank you. I'm so excited you enjoyed it because I did my best." They were like, "No, you did a really great job." I'm like, "Thanks," just, you know, I went on with my birthday. I had fun with my friends, whatever. Well, two weeks later the owners of that bar found me on Facebook and they were like, "Hey, the bartenders said that you are really good that night and they asked, "Would you, maybe, be interested in coming in and, maybe, deejaying once again for us?" And I was like, "What?" They were like, "Yeah, why don't you come back and deejay?" And I was like, "And get paid for it?" They were like, "Yeah." I'm like, "What?" So I went back two weeks later and they're like, "Yeah, we'd like to give you two nights here per week and you can deejay at our bar and we'll pay you for it." And I'm just like, "What? I did it again. Yes." So they started paying me to be a deejay, and that was when I started my deejay career. So at first, I called myself, like, I was trying to be really serious. You know, I'm like, "I'm an artist, you know? I am and artist so I have an artist's name." So I was trying to be, like, I think I called myself Dico, or Docu, or some shit. It was Buddhists, and it was a really cool name.

Evie: So cool you don't remember.

Erik: So cool I don't remember. It was really complicated. It meant, like, the balance of female energy so Doci. That was it, Deejay Doci. I had friends make me a sign and stuff, but everyone started calling me Deejay Erik. And I was like, "I like that. That's so simple, that's me just Deejay Erik. Just call me Erik, that's really it. I don't really need anything." Usually people call me Deejay Erik which in Dutch, when you put the ya at the end of it, it means you're smaller so it's like a diminutive. So, like, in Spanish, they do like -ito. So here, the do ya. So it's like little Eric but it's funny because I'm a large black man. You know, I just walk into a room and I'm like, "Hello, I'm 6 foot 2 and like 200 pounds, I'm Little Eric. Nice to meet you." So it's like calling me tiny without a prison sentence. So, basically, that was the start of my deejay career. So that started December, 2019 and then I was deejaying and then it grew so then I was getting gigs outside hotels, bars, restaurants, starting deejaying at Soho House as well for events there and it just kept growing, and growing, and growing. And then corona happened. Corona. Oh, corona ronie, ona. Right. And I was at the point where I was starting to get between €200 and €500 for a gig now so that was a huge increase. I've only been deejaying at that point for like six months. I'm already getting €250 for two-hours sets. They're inviting me back, I'm getting free champagne, €500 for a four-hour set. I'm like, "This is great, you know?" I felt like I was getting into my groove. My company was still running, you know, so I'm like, "Okay." And then corona happened and everything just shut down and I'm like, "Okay, great." So what I did was, I said, "A deejay company. Since I can't deejay, I'm going turn it into an event-management company and create events." But then corona, the regulations got more and more strict now that's all shut down. Now we are up to date. That is the two companies that I created, how I created them, why they were created and, here we are now.

Evie: And you sound so busy and...

Erik: I do sound busy. I was. That's why you were saying, "I haven't seen you in a long time." I'm like, "Yeah, because I was either deejaying at the time." I was also in a relationship so, you know, you want to spend all your time there. The relationship is over now so I have more free time. But I was deejaying, and running my company, and training guides, and still doing tours. And then, I love to travel so this is as long as I've ever been in Holland 10 months. I just realize it today and I felt very depressed about that because I love to travel. I need to experience new cultures, new things, activities. I love doing it and I haven't had a chance to do that so this year has been very hard for me with the breaking up, with the relationship, not being able to travel. Both my companies shut down, those things are my passions so I haven't been able to do that. Financial difficulties, obviously, I'm surviving like everyone right now, we're surviving on government money and my savings ran out quick fast and in a hurry. American Express, I love you guys, please don't cancel my card.

Bill: They're sponsors of the show.

Erik: Probably. They're like, "We knew you were going to be there."

Bill: They've heard everything you said.

Erik: Exactly. They got me tracked on GPS.

Evie: So I wonder how do you incorporate self-care into all the busy stuff, and now that with the stop and the...

Erik: Well, in the beginning of the year it wasn't so bad. So, you know, working and doing things that I'm passionate about is my self-care. And traveling, that is my self-care because I'm not a person that... You know, I've had a million jobs, I'm sure over the last 15 years. Oh, sorry, I'm 35 now. Twenty years I've been working. And if I'm not passionate about it, I don't like it, I'm not going to do it. So my self-care was always just keep my mind on things that I'm passionate about. So, music. I love music, I love seeing people dance, I love exposing people to new music which is what I love to do as a deejay and that's one of the reasons why I think I was a good deejay. Because it's not like when I would start deejaying, you would just have one genre of music. Like, my mom and my dad, may he rest in peace. So one of the things they did to me when I was growing up was, they exposed me to a whole bunch of music and we would always dance to it together, you know what I mean? So I'll be in the car and you'll hear me put on some Mozart Horn Concerto number 40. I think it's Horn Concerto number 40. I think it's in G major. Yeah, it's in G major. Sorry. I'll put that on, and then the next will be 50 cent, and then double back to someone named Jean-Luc Ponty, he's a jazz violinist. And then I'll go into Miles Davis really quick, then I'll go back switch, I'm still gay so Britney Spears got to come on. And then I'll switch back to some, I don't know, some Dutch music, you know, French music Alizée [foreign language 00:47:34]. I love that song, you know? So I'll mix it up and mix it up together, and that's what comes of my deejay sets. So that's something that I'm passionate about is music, gets my heartbeat going. And if I can get you moving to a song that you don't even understand the words to but you just know it has a good beat. That really gives me a happy and passionate feeling inside and that's my form of self-care.

Same thing with the tour guiding. Walking people around Amsterdam, I'm passionate about Amsterdam. This is my home, this is my country. And teaching people Dutch and why we say things like gezellig and bitterballen, and all those wonderful things. Teaching people about that and then seeing their eyes light up from the things that I learned, that gives me that feeling of completeness, of wholeness, you know. And then also beginning of this year, I had a wonderful relationship. I was very much in love. Love is also a very lovely thing, isn't it? It's a wonderful thing to have someone to support you and be by your side in that regard. And, you know, now it's over, but, yeah, those were my versions of self-care. So what 2020 shifted was that I had to learn new ways of self-care. And to be quite honest with you, I have to rediscover that about it because I always immersed myself in my work and in my passion and now, I'm not able to do that. So how have I been doing this self-care? My friends have been a huge part of that. My friends have really, really just tried to fill in that gap because I fell apart this year. I don't know how else to say it. I didn't have the things, the tools that I usually do to get me through it. And, I mean, also, usually my mom comes here once a year. You know, my family. Family is a very big thing for me. I love my family. I mean, I have a huge family back in Philadelphia, and all my besties, my lovely friends in Florida. And I always go visit them at least one time a year. You know, and this year I wasn't able to do that. And right now I would love to have some momma time. I need my mom's food and just, you know, that big-black-woman energy. But she's a small black woman but she is big-black-woman energy. You know, she just takes care of you, "Baby, I'm here for you. I love you. Come on, let's talk about Jesus." You know, she will just cuddle me, and love me, and hold me and I just I miss that. And I had none of my support this year and then break up, you know, that took away another level of support that were there. Him and his mom were like my family here so I have to be like Madonna and re-invent myself. I'm going to have to refigure out self-care.

One of the things that I really do a lot, I'm a Buddhist so I chant. I chant every day, like Tina Turner. And it's the same form of chanting that she does. She does, it's subcurtryl. So it's Nichiren Buddhism. So Nichiren was one of the Buddhas, and chanting has brought me so much in my life. I mean, it works together with, like, the Law of Attraction, which I'm sure you guys have all heard of and know about. These two things are two forms of self-care that I would say that I involve myself in everyday. Chanting is obviously like a meditation so it really helps you to ground yourself and connect to the energy. Just a higher-power energy, whatever you want to believe in, it just connects you to a higher-source energy to, kind of, you know, bring you through tougher periods. Of course, meditation, as well, helps you to ground yourself. And my friends have been wonderful. I cried yesterday at Thanksgiving because I planned it in 45 minutes and like 10 people showed up, changed their schedule or were just like, "Yeah. No, I'm going to come be with you." And it just reminded me that, no, I'm not a perfect person, we all make mistakes in relationships on both sides, every side, but, you know, I'm still loved imperfections and all and that's all you can ask for.

Evie: Of course.

Erik: And your friends could definitely be a form of self-care, just being with people and just having people that really love you and care about you around you. That they don't judge you for things, you know, because we all have our issues. That is a form of just love and acceptance that everyone needs. I try my best to give out. Maybe, I do good at it, maybe I don't. I don't know but I try. And my friends, they try too and that's all you can do. That's all you can do when it comes to self-care, is just try. Try, try, try, try, try, to do the things that you know will help you. If it's a warm bath, a shower, good tea, you've got to do it. So that's been my self-care this year. See, I talk a lot. Sorry. I'm going to drink something.

Bill: Actually, I have a question.

Erik: Yeah.

Bill: You look like a fully-put-together person, a lot of resilience, a lot of a aplomb...

Erik: Sorry. Yes. I'm so sorry. So sorry.

Bill: What I'd like to know is, where did you put this adult conception of yourself? How did you design yourself that you'd be ready to be this person in front of us?

Erik: I look like a put-together person. Thank you. My mom, man. My mother. That's definitely number one. My mom is one of the strongest people that I know. A wonderful woman, small woman, crazy woman, loud woman. And I just learned from her, life goes on, you just got to do it. And it's funny you say that because, you know, I love you all, you know, Evie, and you, I love you guys very much. I've known them for years. You've always been there for me.

Bill: And now me too.

Erik: And now you too. I love you Just Bill.

Bill: Yes.

Erik: Bill Just. I think you're all wonderful people. And, you know, like I said, I'm going through a breakup right now. I mean, not going through, it's over. But, you know, the emotion is still there and I am filled with sadness and optimism at the same time because I know that life goes on, what I learned from my mama, life continues. You know, we've all had personal tragedy in our life, it's not unique to one person. And I don't think I feel together right now but I know that I will be. And the only thing that I've got is that my mom taught me, "Never let them see you sweat." That's also a New Yorker thing, that's a Northeasterner thing. That's a Philadelphia Northeaster thing, "You never let them see you sweat." You never let anyone see that you are not capable of doing it even if you don't feel like you could do it.

Evie: That's a Soviet thing too.

Erik: See. That's why I love me some Russia.

Bill: So Soviet part of the Northeast.

Erik: Definitely, definitely the closest part. I think it's a Dutch thing too because they don't show that, you know? You never let them see you, sweat or you fake it till you make it. You've just got to go for it. You've just got to keep on going. And I'll be honest with you, I did not feel like doing this today because I felt like I wouldn't have anything to talk. 9 gigabytes later, we know that that was, sort of, a complete, bold fucking lie. But, yes, I...

Evie: Don't believe everything you're telling yourself.

Erik: Exactly. And that's true. That's also very true. You know, this person that you see is still developing. I am not a developed person.

Evie: I would love to say, like, that you're not a human being, you're a human becoming.

Erik: Yes. Yeah, exactly that.

Bill: Did you coin that phrase?

Erik: I think she is going to.

Evie: I think so. I'm mean, I've been doing it for years.

Bill: I've never heard it before.

Evie: Well, you're welcome.

Bill: I'll give you credit.

Evie: Copyright Evie.

Erik: Yeah, right, you better copyright that now and just saying it on the microphone doesn't count. But thank you very much for saying that. I don't consider myself to be a developed person. I consider myself to be a developing person like we all are. I'm just trying my best. I'm just really trying to love, and make money, and live, and be free because you only get one life. And when my father passed away, that is when it became painfully clear to me that it can just happen without warning, without, you know, regard. The same thing with the breakup that I'm going through, it happen without warning. Corona, without warning. Life happens without warning, it'll just happen. And if you're not doing the best to deal with that, to... Honey, what's the word I'm looking for here? If you're not doing your best just to roll with it, you're not going to survive this game, you know? So I would consider myself to be a developing person. But the person that you see here, he was developed today.

Evie: Like a picture.

Erik: Like a picture. Every day, you're going to develop, every day, you're going to use your talents, your abilities. I've been through a lot of shit like we all have. But I have been through some shit. I've had tragedies, sadness, suicide attempts, mental-health issues, death. And, I mean, not just little things. I mean, if you heard of the Pulse massacre, the nightclub where 100 people died, that's in Florida, that was my Taboo, 10 of my friends died. I've had crazy stuff happen to me in my life and I'm still here and that's just the bad stuff. But then you got to remember not to be so negative, there's also the amazing stuff. I've had an amazing life. This person that is still developing has met Daft Punk, snuck backstage at their concert, got into the concert for free. Did that, that's a true story. I have gotten winked and waved at by Beyoncé. I started a random company in Holland, learned this crazy language, I speak Dutch now, I speak French, I've got friends all over the world. I love music, I have the ability to do the music, I have wonderful people around me like you guys. I love food, I love travel, I love life, I love air, I love meditation. There are so many positive things there as well that you have to focus on in order to get there. And those things are going to keep developing every day that you walk forward. And the only thing you can keep doing is just walking forward...

Evie: And counting your blessings.

Erik. Counting every blessing.

Evie: So it was really nice to have you here today, Erik. Thank you so much for your time.

Bill: Yeah.

Erik: Thank you for having me. It was lovely. Thank you.

Bill: Yeah thanks for coming by. You've filled our life with light, and sound, and noise, and joy.

Evie: And champagne. To be continue.

Erik: Lord, my ex said that too. Don't do that. Thank you, guys. Lots of love to you too.

Evie: Thank you so much. And for our listeners at home, you can find more information on our website, www.worduppodcast.com. And, of course, on social media where Bill is running our Twitter.

Bill: I'm the master of social media, I've conquered it.

Erik: Yes.

Bill: As an idea and a concept. So, yeah, find us on the Gram, smash us on the Gram.

Evie: Absolutely.

Bill: Smashed that Gram button, put the like on Word Up. Yeah, add Word Up Podcast on Twitter. Talk to us, we have a really good conversation going.

Erik: Smash.

Bill: So, yeah. Right, exactly.

Evie: Thank you so much again, and dooi.

Bill: Dooi!


Erik: I know what I can do well and I focus on those things and I know what I don't do well and I stay away from those things. For example, am I good at not touching the table while I'm talking? No, I am horrible at it.

Evie: I'm here for you.

Erik: Have I kicked your microphone 15 times since I've been here? I've kicked your microphone and you're going to hear a tap, tap, tap. That is Erik. That is my nervous OCD ticks. I just have to do the tests.

Evie: Dude? Did you say Dude?

Erik: Do the tests. Do the tests and then...

Evie: I though dude test.

Erik: No. I've done all the dude test and I have failed. We're going to do the tests on, probably, March of next year. And then, hopefully, in 30 days, I'll get my Dutch passport which means...

Evie: Dirty day?

Erik: Okay. This coffee is not strong enough.

Blesz: On than note, I'm going to...

Erik: I do miss bagels.


Transcript by Janice Erlbaum