This conversation with Jimmy stuck with me because it wasn’t really about retail, or gear, or even business strategy.

It was about finding the thing you’re meant to play, and having the discipline to keep playing it when it feels like no one is listening.

Feral didn’t work right away. There were moments where the numbers didn’t make sense, the market tightened up, and the timing felt brutal. Moving into a bigger space during uncertainty looked reckless from the outside. Inside, it felt like a constant question of whether this thing would ever find its rhythm.

What I kept coming back to was how much of Jimmy’s journey came down to listening. Listening to customers. Listening to the community. Listening to what wasn’t working, even when it hurt. Early on, the shop reflected his personal taste and passion. Over time, it turned into something bigger. Something useful. Something that mattered to more people than just him.

That’s when the music started to sound right.

This episode is a reminder that hard work isn’t just about effort. It’s about alignment. About staying in the game long enough to let feedback shape you without losing the heart of why you started. About putting your head down, doing the work, and trusting that clarity comes after commitment, not before.

Most of us don’t need a new idea.

We need to play the one we have more honestly, more humbly, and for a lot longer.

Keep playing. The song gets better as you go.