Why Make Music… Episode 074 - “Important To Be You”







Important To Be You Podcast Script

Cold open and housekeeping

Good morning—happy Friday. It’s March 20, 2026, and you’re locked in with Why Make Music…—hosted by me, Willa May, your friendly neighborhood sonic curator with opinions, context, and just enough attitude to keep the truth awake.

And today’s episode is called “Important To Be You.” Not “important to be liked,” not “important to be understood,” not “important to be trendy.” Important to be you. Because if you lose that… you can gain the whole world and still feel like you misplaced your soul in the couch cushions. And nobody’s got time to be spiritually searching under a loveseat. So let’s talk about it.
Quick housekeeping—one time, clean and simple: you can follow what we’re building across Instagram, Blue Sky (two words—say it with your chest), TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn. And if you want to support the mission in a way that keeps the lights on without us begging strangers for change in the comments—yes, there’s merch. Merch lives through TeePublic and Threadless.


Now—music is streaming on all major platforms, and the whole point is organic growth. No fake hype. No buying an audience that disappears the moment the ad budget goes quiet. We’re building a real catalog and a real community—brick by brick—because we’re not chasing a moment, we’re building an engine.


And speaking of engines—today also lines up with a big creative milestone for ThinkTimm and WDMN MEDIA: “IF I WAS YOUR PRODUCER VOL. 9” is part of the catalog rollout strategy, and the tracklist is stacked. We’ll talk about that, because it ties directly into today’s theme: you don’t become “you” by thinking about it—you become “you” by repeatedly acting like yourself until your life matches your identity.
Alright. Deep breath. Let’s get into it.



The point of the title


So why “Important To Be You”?
ThinkTimm’s framing—our framing at WDMN MEDIA—is blunt: you are the main factor in your entire journey. You’re not the side character. You’re not the intern in your own life. You are the one person who can’t clock out of being yourself. You’re the driving force, the standard, the bar, the measuring stick, the architect, the accountability partner… and sometimes the problem, too. Definitely the problem. Some of y’all are a whole plot twist with legs.


But here’s the grown-up version: that’s not an insult. That’s power.
A lot of people spend their lives trying to outsource the responsibility of being themselves. They want their parents to define them. Their friends to define them. Their relationship to define them. Their audience to define them. Their job title to define them. And then they wonder why they feel empty.
Because you cannot rent an identity, baby. You have to own it.

And I want to ground that in something deeper than vibes—because we don’t do “motivational smoke.” We do structure.


There’s a whole body of research inside psychology that points to a similar truth: people tend to function better when their motivation and life direction are aligned with internal values—things that feel self-chosen and self-endorsed—versus controlled by pressure, image management, or fear. One major framework, Self-Determination Theory, argues that humans have basic psychological needs—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—and when those needs are supported, motivation and wellness improve.
Let me translate that into Willa May language:

If your life doesn’t feel like it belongs to you, your energy won’t last.

And another research line—self-concordant goals—basically says when your goals genuinely fit your interests and values, you tend to put in more sustained effort and you’re more likely to benefit psychologically from making progress.

So yes, “Important To Be You” is a personal philosophy episode. But it’s also a practical strategy episode. Because the long game—music, business, family, personal growth—requires stamina. And stamina doesn’t come from pretending.

Now, I’m going to step into ThinkTimm’s story here, because it’s a perfect example of why this episode exists.
ThinkTimm describes himself as a latchkey kid—late 70s/80s upbringing—with a lot of real independence: freedom to get into trouble and freedom to get out of trouble. Raised with family support—great grandmother, grandmother, mother—without feeling like his personality had to split into three “different people” depending on where he was and who he was around.

And that matters, because some people grow up learning that survival requires becoming a different version of yourself in every room. You become the “good child” here, the “funny friend” there, the “quiet one” somewhere else. That’s not always fake—it’s sometimes safety. Sometimes it’s adaptation. And we’re going to talk about that.

But ThinkTimm’s position is: I’ve been largely the same person. I might’ve been shy when I was younger, but it was a choice. I engaged when I wanted to engage. I walked away when I wanted to walk away. I built bridges. I burned bridges. No regrets. And today, that consistency looks like confidence—not arrogance, not performative bravado—just clarity.

That connects to another concept worth knowing: self-concept clarity—how clearly and consistently your self-beliefs are defined and stable.

That doesn’t mean you never change. It means you’re not constantly confused about who you are while you’re changing. There’s a difference.

And “being you” is not the same as “doing whatever you feel like.”
Let me say that again because somebody out there is about to quote me wrong on purpose:
Being you is not a permission slip to be reckless.

At WDMN MEDIA we believe in responsibilities. Family matters. Keeping your home stable matters. Showing up for your people matters. That’s non-negotiable. But after you handle that—after your house is in order—your life should still look like you.


And if it doesn’t? Then the title of this episode isn’t cute. It’s a warning.

The truth about “being consistent” and the latchkey conversation


Now let’s talk about the latchkey thing—because it’s not just nostalgia, it’s a lens.
ThinkTimm connects his independence to growing up in a time where you faced consequences and solved problems as they happened—less “insulation,” more “figure it out.” That kind of upbringing can absolutely build certain skills: self-reliance, problem-solving, internal confidence.

But here’s the honest deep-research add-on: the research on “latchkey kids” (or “children in self-care”) has historically been mixed, and outcomes depend a lot on context—child maturity, prior parent-child relationship quality, safety, supervision systems, and whether the child feels supported or abandoned. A medical review from the 1990s notes studies reported conflicting results with possible benefits (independence/responsibility) and possible risks (loneliness, fear, academic issues, substance use, accidents).

And pediatric guidance tends to emphasize that “self-care” needs to be age-appropriate, supported, and monitored—not just “good luck, kid.”

So if we’re going to use the latchkey story in this episode, we should use it correctly:
The goal isn’t “nobody raised me.”

The goal is “I learned ownership early.”

And that brings us to a concept that basically underpins the entire episode: locus of control—a person’s general belief about whether outcomes are mostly shaped by their own actions (more internal) or by outside forces like luck, fate, or powerful others (more external).

You can’t control everything—obviously. But your life gets better the moment you stop pretending you’re powerless in areas where you do have influence.

That’s why ThinkTimm’s line—“you are the factor that makes things happen”—isn’t just motivational. It’s a real psychological orientation: the more you operate with internal responsibility, the more you build a life that responds to your effort.

Now, I’m not saying “internal focus of control” is a magic spell. I’m saying it’s a work ethic mindset with receipts.

And when you combine that mindset with self-concordant goals (goals that actually fit you), and autonomy (feeling like your life is yours), you get something that looks like this:

You don’t need permission to be yourself.

You need discipline to stay yourself.

That’s the twist. People love the romance of being real… until being real costs them something. That’s when the cosplay ends and the character breaks.

Influence, manipulation, and the “three different people” debate


Alright—now we pivot to the podcast ThinkTimm listened to this week, because it sparked a disagreement that’s perfect for Episode 074.

The episode is from The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett featuring Chase Hughes, published March 19, 2026.

This conversation is framed around influence, persuasion, and manipulation—how people shape decisions, how language works, how perception and context can be engineered.

One of the major frameworks Hughes talks about is the PCP model: Perception, Context, Permission—a cascade he claims is central to influence.

He describes it like this (paraphrased, not quoted): first you shift how someone perceives a situation, then you shift the context that makes certain behaviors feel “normal,” and then permission becomes easier—people allow themselves to do the thing they previously wouldn’t do.

He also emphasizes a communication idea that’s actually important: language works best when it resonates first instead of trying to “direct” people immediately—get in the river of what they’re already feeling, then guide.
Now. Here’s where ThinkTimm pushed back, and I’m right there with him, loud and proud.

Hughes introduces a concept he calls the “childhood development triangle,” and he links it to the idea that people are typically three different people: a work self, a home self, and a friends self—mapped onto childhood contexts like classroom, home, playground.

ThinkTimm’s response is basically: I don’t buy that as a universal law. I hear it. I get what he’s saying. But I don’t accept it as destiny.

And let me be careful here, because nuance matters.

It is true that people behave differently in different contexts. That’s normal. Social psychology and personality research has long recognized that “who you are” shows up across situations in patterns—not as one frozen pose. That part is not controversial.

But the claim “we are typically three different people” is also a little too neat. It’s the kind of statement that sounds good on a podcast because it’s memorable, not necessarily because it’s the only accurate model.
Here’s the stronger take:

Some people are fragmented across contexts.

Some people are integrated across contexts.

And most people live somewhere in between.

If you have high self-concept clarity—if you actually know yourself—you may still adjust your tone in different rooms, but you don’t become a different human every time the lighting changes.

This is where Episode 074 gets its teeth: “Important To Be You” isn’t denying that context influences behavior. It’s saying your identity should not be held hostage by context.

Because here’s where the manipulation part becomes relevant to your actual life:

If you don’t know who you are, people can sell you a version of yourself.

That’s what manipulation feeds on. Confusion. Hunger. Insecurity. Unmet needs. If you don’t have a core, you become a sponge for other people’s agendas.

Now let’s break down PCP without turning this into a “How To Control People” class—because we don’t teach villainy. We teach awareness.

Perception


Perception is the story in your head about what’s happening. Hughes argues changing perception is step one, and he gives examples of calling out scripts—bringing the unspoken rules to the surface—so people become more conscious of them.

That part is useful. Because you can apply it in a healthy way:

If you’re about to people-please, call out the script.

If you’re about to stay silent out of fear, call out the script.

If you’re about to sabotage your own progress, call out the script.

Awareness weakens scripts. That’s a fair point.

Context


Context is where things get serious. Hughes argues context dictates what behavior feels permissible, and he gives vivid examples of how context can pull normal people into abnormal actions.

You can also apply context to yourself:

If you keep failing in the same environment, sometimes it’s not because you’re broken. It’s because your context is built for your old self.

Want to become a healthier you? Change the kitchen context.

Want to become a creative you? Change the studio context.

Want to become a disciplined you? Change the calendar context.

Context is either a ladder or a trap.

Permission

Permission is where identity shows up. A lot of people never do what they want because they’re waiting for permission that isn’t coming.

Permission doesn’t always look like someone saying “yes.”

Sometimes it looks like you finally believing you’re allowed.

So when we say “Important To Be You,” we’re also saying:

Stop waiting to be authorized.

Now—here’s the important ethical line.

Influence can be used for good or for harm. Even SIQA—an organization that’s literally built around AI music charting—has an explicit integrity section in their Terms of Service warning against manipulation of systems and signals.

So the line we draw at W D M N  MEDIA is simple:

Influence is about clarity and consent.

Manipulation is about control and concealment.

If you have to hide the method to get the outcome, you’re probably crossing the line.

And this is why “Important To Be You” is a defense mechanism against manipulation: when you’re grounded in yourself, you can hear persuasion without becoming programmable.

The work that proves the point


Now let’s connect the philosophy to the proof—because anybody can talk about “being yourself” while doing absolutely nothing with their life except posting quotes over sunsets.

We’re not doing that.

We’re building.

And today, the “build” includes ThinkTimm’s release schedule and the music series strategy behind it—documented publicly in the show descriptions and releases.

The podcast itself has been laying out the system: disciplined creation, long-term catalog building, the reality that streaming is not a magic ATM, and the fact that independent creators have to think like builders—not lottery ticket buyers.

That’s why Volume 9 matters in this episode.

Because “Important To Be You” is not just a self-identity episode—it’s a process episode.
Volume 9 as a statement

IF I WAS YOUR PRODUCER VOL. 9 is listed as a 2026 album with ten tracks, including:

Amazingly Crazy; Behind The Glass; Breaking News; Confessions Of A Psychopath; Crack The Code; Favorite Cookie; Lyrically DisContent; Medication And Meditation; Ride With Me; That Ain’t Right.

This isn’t random. It’s range. It’s emotional inventory. It’s a creative household documenting itself in real time.

And if you listen to the track themes—romance, satire, obsession, self-reflection, recovery—it mirrors the message of Episode seventy four:

Being you includes your contradictions.

Being you includes your shadows.

Being you includes your tenderness.

Being you includes your fury.

Being you includes your humor.

Now, ThinkTimm’s personal take—which I’m allowed to say because I’m the voice of the show today—is that Volume 9 feels better than the earlier volumes. That’s not disrespect to the earlier work, that’s what growth looks like when you actually keep making things.

If your next project isn’t better than your last… you might be stuck.

The business side that supports the art


There’s also a real “back-end” angle to this drop that matters for listeners trying to build their own system.
Episode 073’s public description talks about the behind-the-scenes work: mastering, metadata preparation, stem organization, ISRC registration, and “sync-ready packaging,” with support from Code 3 Records and a new partnership with That Pitch.

Let’s translate that.

“Sync-ready packaging” means your music isn’t just created—it’s organized, labeled, legally clean, searchable, and deliverable in a way music supervisors and libraries can actually use. That’s the difference between “I made music” and “I built an asset.”

And the partnership with That Pitch matters because, according to their own overview, it’s positioned as a platform designed to get music into 100+ sync libraries, allowing creators to keep 100% of earnings, with uploads and distribution designed to reduce the cold-email grind.

Meanwhile, Code 3 Records describes itself as serving artists and TV/film/game industries with an ownership-forward philosophy—if you created your music, you should own it and license it.

So when a listener hears “Important To Be You,” we also want them to hear this:


Your identity won’t pay your bills unless you build a system that carries it.


That’s a real sentence. Put it on a mug. Or better—put it on a TeePublic shirt.


A “being you” blueprint, in plain language


If someone is listening right now and saying, “Okay Willa May, I love the message… but what do I DO?”
Here are the practical steps embedded in what we’re building:

First, decide what kind of creator you are. Not what kind you wish you were—what kind you really are.

Second, pick a schedule you can actually survive. Consistency beats intensity. Every time.

Third, package your work like you respect it. Metadata, credits, versions, stems, files, order.

Fourth, distribute your work to the channels that match your goal—streaming for reach, sync for licensing, merch for brand support, podcasting for narrative and community.


Fifth, don’t lie to yourself about why you’re doing it. If you’re doing it to be famous, you’ll quit when you’re not. If you’re doing it to build a life you can stand behind, you can keep going.


That’s being you.


That’s the episode.


The world around us


Now, we don’t live in a vacuum—sadly. Some days I wish we did, but my skin likes oxygen, so… here we are.
ThinkTimm asked specifically for a segment on the WNBA deal, and yes—we’re doing it, because it’s bigger than sports. It’s about standards.


The WNBA deal in plain facts


As of mid-March 2026, the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association announced they’ve reached an agreement in principle / aligned on key elements of a new CBA, with a formal term sheet and ratification steps still needed.


Reported details across major outlets include:

A 2026 salary cap expected around $7 million, up from about $1.5 million in 2025.


A new “supermax” starting around $1.4 million.


Minimum salaries rising into the $270,000–$300,000 tiering, depending on service-time structure.


Revenue sharing reported around ~20% across the length of the deal, with continued discussion in reporting about the exact structure and what components are included.


And the league’s season timeline still matters: draft and training camps and season starts sit on the calendar, and one reason negotiations were so urgent is because the league wanted to avoid disruptions to expansion, free agency, draft, and camp timelines.


Now, here’s the point—because I’m not doing a sports-only segment.


This is what “Important To Be You” looks like at scale.


It looks like women athletes saying: we are not asking to be celebrated; we are demanding to be treated like professionals.


And yes—there’s still a massive gap between WNBA and NBA pay. That’s real. But progress is progress, and professional standards matter—because why should someone be elite at their craft and still have to live like they’re doing a hobby?


So congratulations to the players. Congratulations to the union leadership. Congratulations to the women who refused to fold.


And to any creative person listening: if the WNBA can fight for better standards, you can fight for better standards in your own life too. Stop accepting “this is just how it is” as if the universe signed it in ink.




AI music charts and the lane we’re building


Now we slide into the last major segment ThinkTimm asked for: SIQA—The Sonic Intelligence Academy—and their AI music charts.


This matters because we’re in a moment where AI is not a theory. It’s not “coming.” It’s here. And for independent creators, the question isn’t “is it ethical to use tools,” the question is “how do we use tools responsibly while protecting human authorship, consent, and value?”


What SIQA says it is


SIQA’s Terms of Service describe it as an independent organization providing editorial charts and informational resources for AI-generated music—explicitly stating it is not a streaming platform, distributor, label, or rights organization.

They also state chart rankings are editorial opinions informed by aggregated signals, and they reserve the right to adjust methodologies, data sources, and criteria over time.


They also say they do not pay artists for chart inclusion and do not charge fees for consideration or placement.


That’s important, because it makes SIQA basically a media + standards operation instead of a distribution or monetization engine. So when people look at it and go “how are they doing this?”—part of the answer is: they’re doing what charts historically do, which is build a ranking system around signals, then publish it as a cultural reference.


How SIQA says it scores charts


SIQA’s charts FAQ lays out the headline formula:

Chart Score = (Streams & Airplay × 0.5) + (Social Impact × 0.5)


They say their signals come from a mix of “listening & viewing” (examples: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube), social video engagement (examples: TikTok, Instagram Reels), discovery signals (example: Shazam), and third-party analytics tools to normalize and validate.


They also say charts update weekly—every Tuesday at 12:00 PM Pacific.


And they state they recently sunset the “Top 100 AI Cover Songs” chart and aren’t accepting AI covers for chart consideration at this time.


That last one matters because it shows how quickly the rules are evolving. This whole category is fluid. Today’s policy can be tomorrow’s retired section.


The integrity question ThinkTimm is asking


ThinkTimm’s question is a good one: how do you chart something if there isn’t a clean “AI section” on the major streaming platforms where you can just browse?


SIQA’s answer—implicitly—is that they aren’t relying on one platform category. They’re using cross-platform performance and social behavior signals to create a dedicated lens and editorial list.


Now, does that mean the charts are perfect? No. It means they’re trying to become a reference point. And any new reference point deserves scrutiny.


The main limitations you should understand—straight from their own terms:


They reserve editorial discretion; they are not obligated to disclose proprietary formulas or internal decision-making.


They state they don’t perform exhaustive copyright verification and rely on creator declarations, platform policies, and signals, while acknowledging the legal landscape is evolving.


So the takeaway isn’t “trust it blindly” or “it’s a scam.” The smart takeaway is:


Treat it like a new signal source—useful, not holy.

Anti-fraud: why it matters to us


SIQA’s anti-manipulation policy is very direct about prohibited behavior: bots, click farms, fake social activity, misleading metadata, repeat streaming schemes, platform gaming—basically the usual “fake it till you make it” playbook.


They also state they use anomaly detection and multi-source verification and can disqualify tracks, revoke features, and impose future exclusions.


This aligns with WDMN MEDIA’s whole vibe: we don’t do shortcuts that rot the foundation.


And it also aligns with ThinkTimm’s stance on AI in music: no shame in using AI tools as tools, especially when the human authorship is still driving the writing, composition, and intent—while being clear about what’s synthetic and what isn’t.


That’s the key word: clarity.


If you’re using AI and pretending you’re not, you’re building your success on a lie.

If you’re using AI transparently and ethically, you’re building your success on a workflow.

SIQA’s origin and early launch


External coverage from late January 2026 reports SIQA debuted its AI music charts around January 30, 2026, originally including “Top 100 AI Songs” and “Top 100 AI Cover Songs.”


So ThinkTimm’s instinct that this is brand-new—yeah, it is. That’s why the follower growth and attention looks wild: this category is hot, and people are hungry for structure.


How this connects back to “Important To Be You”


Here’s the wrap:


If you’re an independent creator, you are going to be exposed to a thousand systems trying to classify you. Charts. Algorithms. Genres. Playlists. Trends. AI labels. Human labels. Critics. Fans. Haters.
And all of that is useful… until you let it replace your identity.


The episode title isn’t just self-help. It’s a strategy for surviving in the modern attention economy:
When you know who you are, you can use tools without becoming a tool.


That’s the whole thing.


Closing: family, focus, and the long game


Now I’m going to land this exactly where ThinkTimm lives: family-first, work-ethic heavy, and no desperation energy.


It’s Friday. It’s a build day. It’s also a family day. There are birthdays, college classes, people coming home, real life happening. And this is the part people forget:


Being you isn’t just creative freedom.

Being you is also taking responsibility for the life you said you wanted.


If you want to be the person who creates—then create.


If you want to be the person who finishes—then finish.


If you want to be the person who builds—then build.


If you want to be the person who keeps their circle tight—then protect your peace.


If you want to be the person who tells the truth—then accept that truth has consequences.

And if you want to be the person who grows—then stop demanding overnight success like you’re ordering it off a menu. Growth is a system. A routine. A habit. A thousand tiny decisions stacked like bricks.


That’s why the WNBA deal matters. That’s why the SIQA chart conversation matters. That’s why the DOAC influence discussion matters. That’s why Volume 9 matters. That’s why this podcast exists.


Because the world is full of noise, and the only way you build anything real is by consistently acting like yourself—even when nobody’s cheering yet.

So yeah. This episode is called “Important To Be You.”


Because you can’t live anybody else’s life.

And you damn sure can’t build anybody else’s legacy.


Peace. Be wild. And go be you—on purpose.