Determination & Discipline | From Random Gigs to Pitbull Collabs

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Determined Society with Shawn French

Episode: The Country Star, Tyler Filmore, Who Refused to Quit

Host: Shawn French | Guest: Tyler Fillmore
Release Date: April 27, 2026
Duration: ~59 mins (excluding ads and outro)

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Determined Society delves deep into the journey of country music star Tyler Fillmore—a Missouri native whose relentless determination and faith in his own path have helped him endure the cutthroat music industry, weather personal adversity, and even land a mentorship and record deal with global superstar Pitbull. Host Shawn French and Filmore share a candid, unscripted conversation about hustle, authenticity, fatherhood, investing in yourself, and the “almost made it” mentality that drives many high achievers. Both speak openly about setbacks, comparisons, and motivations for chasing household-name status—not for ego, but for impact and legacy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Humble Beginnings and Foundation in Determination

• Tyler’s Missouri Roots, Sports & Music:

  • Grew up in Wildwood, Missouri; played multiple sports; earned a vocal scholarship at Mizzou; pivoted from baseball to music (06:31–07:09).
  • “I decided not to play baseball and go up to Mizzou and chase that and, you know, got a business degree as well...” (06:31 – Tyler Fillmore)

• Move to Nashville:

  • Always intended to move straight to Nashville after school to pursue music (07:09).

• On Determination:

  • “Life is... a hustle...there’s adversity, and you get to decide if you buckle—which is okay to buckle a little bit, but don’t break.”
    (04:13–04:24 – Shawn French)

2. Navigating Adversity and Staying Authentic

• Industry Politics, Pitfalls & Perseverance:

  • Music industry is “very, very hard, cutthroat” and filled with “a lot of fake and a lot of BS” (08:21–10:24).
  • On being first-generation Hispanic and channeling that fight:
    “I don’t take no for an answer. Never really have. I am first generation Hispanic....I definitely see there’s a Hispanic side to me that’s like, yo, I’m gonna get this.” (08:21)

• Staying True:

  • Reputation for “almost making it” came from choosing to bet on himself, reinvest, and avoid quick wins (10:24–11:15).
  • “Sometimes I didn’t give up percentages of things, and I really just kept re-betting on myself and reinvesting in myself, and it’s made me very sustainable in life and in a way better position...” (09:00 – Tyler Fillmore)

• Comparison & Authenticity:

  • Avoids living through comparison, focuses on “laser focused” goals, maintains creativity as his fuel (10:24–11:19).
  • “What I want my career to look like and what I want to look back on and be proud of.” (15:04)

3. The Role of Social Media, Covid, and Changing the Game

• Both discuss how the pandemic changed the media and music landscape, creating opportunities for those who hustle and stay adaptable (02:49–03:26).
• Social media’s double-edged sword: a love-hate relationship but essential for career and connection.

4. The “Almost Made It” Mentality & Impostor Complex

• Comparison, Peers’ Rapid Success:
  • Recognizes the challenge of seeing peers succeed quickly via “politics, money”—but remains focused on his authentic, gradual climb (32:02–32:34).
• Authenticity vs. Clickbait:
  • Discusses temptation of “rage-baiting” and clickbait for rapid exposure but chooses a slower, soulful path:
    “Could I be further along if I was rage-baiting people and clickbaiting people? Probably, yeah. But what’s the cost of that?” (12:47 – Shawn French)

5. Fatherhood, Anxiety, and the Shift in Values

• Candid Reflections on Fatherhood:

  • Filmore’s two young children, NICU experience, juggling career and family (15:31–22:24).
  • “It’s the best thing ever. But, like, your life—especially with your first kid...is over. So worst experience ever. Because no one says it…” (19:17 – Tyler Fillmore, jokingly and candidly)

• Anxiety & Vulnerability:

  • Both share how fatherhood heightened their anxiety but also deepened their motivation and sense of purpose.
  • “The gift is in the struggle…That’s what builds you into who you’re going to be…” (22:25–23:15 – Shawn French)

6. Redefining Success, Pride, and the Drive for Impact

• Would You Be Proud If It All Ended Today?

  • “I feel like I’ve already accomplished…so much of everything that I’ve ever…wanted to do…” (24:03 – Tyler Fillmore)
  • Both reflect on the paradox of never feeling at the top, yet realizing how far they've come (24:03–27:18).

• Chasing ‘Household Name’ Status:

  • Both crave impact and legacy, not ego:
    “For me, it’s just the impact, man. I want to help people, and if I can reach the top, then I know there’s a bunch of people that their lives are improving because of what I’m doing.” (31:01 – Shawn French)

7. Pitbull Collaboration—The Unexpected Breakthrough

• How It Happened:

  • Performed at a festival (Barefoot Country Music Fest); a Pitbull manager caught his set and shared a video; three days later, Pitbull reached out to collaborate (01:07, 41:44–42:40).

• Risks and Saying ‘Yes’ to Opportunities:

  • “I never said no to anything…It was all because it was leading towards something else…” (40:37–41:44).
  • “The people that don’t go take those risks...you don’t want it bad enough. This is all I’ll ever do.” (40:37 – Tyler Fillmore)

• Mentorship, Respect & Authenticity:

  • Calls Pitbull “exactly who they portray themselves to be” and a mentor who “believes in me so much…He is what you see.” (47:00–48:04)

8. Advice for Dream-Chasers: Be Ready, Show Up, Don’t Quit

• On Taking Shots:

  • “Show up, always show up, show out.” (48:39 – Shawn French)
  • Don't overthink opportunities—even if unpaid or seemingly small, because one can lead to everything (48:39–49:09).

• Long-term Vision:

  • “You don’t know who’s gonna be there…stay present…execute your craft.” (50:54–51:51)
  • “There’s too many people playing checkers when they need to play chess.” (51:59 – Tyler Fillmore)

9. Loyalty, Boundaries & Outgrowing Relationships

• Tough decisions: Parting ways with early managers—including his best friend—out of necessity to grow and protect his family, despite being a naturally loyal person (36:51–38:04).

10. Determination—Personal Definitions & Lasting Mindset

• Industry Setbacks:
  • Both admit having “almost” moments but focus on what keeps them going—competition, pride, never quitting (26:17–29:14; 33:37–35:37).
• What is Determination?
  • “No quit attitude. It’s the never give up…whatever has been ingrained in me that is a part of who I am, that’s not going to change…” (55:54 – Tyler Fillmore)
  • Competition and the willingness to take action even at 25% energy (57:21–57:34).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Shawn French (Authenticity in Success):
  “If we move from being our authentic selves, we’re not going to be happy at anything we achieve, because it’s not real.” (14:44)

• Tyler Fillmore (On Risk-Taking):
  “I never said no to anything…every opportunity…opened some random door that led me on another path.” (40:37)

• Tyler Fillmore (Hispanic Heritage & Mindset):
  “I am first generation Hispanic...I definitely see there’s a Hispanic side to me that’s like, yo, I’m gonna get this. Like, no one can tell me no kind of thing.” (08:24)

• Tyler Fillmore (Working with Pitbull): “I got Pit-napped on the jet for like seven days...” (01:12, 47:00)

• Shawn French (On Impact):
  “When I reach that household name...it’s not an ego play for me...What it is for me is impact...if I can reach the top then I know there’s a bunch of people that their lives are improving because of what I’m doing.” (30:23–31:01)

• Tyler Fillmore (Almost Made It):
  “There’s so many circumstances in my life where...you watch people pass you...But it’s politics, it’s money...everything that you see as a audience member...is completely controlled.” (32:02–32:34)

• Both on Fatherhood:
  “No one telling me how bad those three months were going to be....It’s the best thing ever. But like your life, especially with your first kid...your life is over. So worst experience ever. Because no one says it. Everyone’s like, we forget.” (19:17–20:59)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• The Breakthrough—Working with Pitbull: [01:07], [41:44–47:00]
• Tyler’s Background & Music Start: [06:31–07:09]
• On Comparison & Authenticity: [10:24–11:19], [32:02–32:34]
• Candid Insights on Fatherhood: [15:31–22:24]
• Pride & “Almost Made It” Reflections: [24:03–29:14]
• Pitbull Festival Story & Collaboration: [41:44–47:00]
• Risks, Losing Money, and Being Discovered: [40:37–41:44], [49:09–51:51]
• On Quitting & Determination: [33:37–36:37], [55:54–57:34]

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Episode Takeaways

• Success Is Not Linear: Most breakthroughs are the result of relentless effort and readiness, not luck. Even “overnight successes” are years in the making.
• Stay Authentic: Lasting fulfillment comes from being true to yourself, not chasing trends for quick wins.
• Invest in Yourself: Even when it’s not financially rewarding up front, betting on yourself consistently opens doors. “Show up, even if it means losing money.”
• Adversity Is the Gift: Struggle and discomfort are necessary for transformation—personally and professionally.
• Fatherhood Is a Game Changer: It can bring new purpose and radically reshape one’s values and approach to life and career.
• Define Determination by the Refusal to Quit: Even on the hardest days, showing up and moving forward—even at 25%—is what separates success from regret.

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For fans of country music, creative entrepreneurship, or anyone needing a jolt of motivational realism, Tyler Fillmore’s story is a testament to grit, patience, and never settling for “almost.”

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Listen to Tyler Fillmore:
“Bet You Ghana”, “Yeehaw” (feat. Pitbull), and the full Atypical album are available now.
Find Tyler on all major platforms (@FillmoreMusic).
Stay tuned for future collabs and a possible “Determination Fest.”

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Transcript

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[Sean French]

I've seen you say you're the country artist that's almost made it writing for Pitbull, doing songs with him or on his record label. How did it happen?

[Tyler Fillmore]

Shout out to Barefoot Country Music Fest. It was me, Pitbull and Blake Shelton.

[Sean French]

Not a bad lineup.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I just played that USA song for the first time and I literally, like, was running off stage. Someone on Pitbull's team was there, shot a video of me performing. I was like one of Pitbull's managers, like, blah, blah. I'm like, no way, I don't believe you. Three days later, I got like a text from Pitt, and the next thing you know, like, I got Pit napped on the jet for like seven days.

[Sean French]

What up, guys? We're back here in Nashville yet again at Nashville Creative Spaces at Brand Builders, about to give you another amazing interview. I have my boy Tyler Fillmore with me. Fillmore Music from Missouri. And now he's a country star. Just got done collabing with Pitbull. He's writing for him and he's also been signed to Pitbull's record label. So this interview right here, you're going to be seeing this guy headlining all over the United States very, very shortly and you get to meet him here first. So welcome to the show, homie.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Man, thank you so much for having me.

[Sean French]

Dude, it's so cool, man. Like, two years of, you know, being friends from afar.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah.

[Sean French]

You know, it's so funny because, like, everybody bashes social media. My wife especially hates it. I'm like, yo, like, it's where I meet everybody. That's what we've built this platform on. And. And, you know, it's been really cool to see your journey and, you know, to also see you become a father.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Oh, man.

[Sean French]

Not once, but twice. So, dude, like, I'm just super excited to have you here.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I'm happy to be here, man. Honestly, like, same thing, like, watching all. Everything that you're doing, like, this is such an honor to be on here. I'm, like, super pumped. And the whole social media thing, it's like a. It's definitely a love hate thing for me, at least.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tyler Fillmore]

And I. But that's where we meet a lot of people. And that's like, it's just such a part of the job. Like, when I started doing music, like, that wasn't the biggest part of the job. And then, you know, as the years progress and covet hits and tick tock and things, it's like the game changes. Music changes because of that platform. It's been a wild ride, but I'm just glad that connected us, you know?

[Sean French]

Dude, that's crazy, isn't it, man? But no, you're right, man. It's, you know, the game changes and. And Covid especially, you know, that's when I started the show. Not because I was sitting like, okay, everybody else is doing it, but there's this whole. This. This burning passion to do something different, to do something bigger.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Oh, yeah.

[Sean French]

And, you know, I've never gone viral. I've never had any of that crap. But I can tell you something, I have really built something along with my team now that I'm very comfortable with and that I feel like every interview we have brings so much value to the audience, you know, and that's why I'm super excited to tell your story. But I want to start at the humble beginnings, man. You know, Ozarks, you know, middle America, now you're in Nashville, and, you know, the audience wants to know what people have been through and how they've overcome the adversity through determination and discipline. That's what we do here, man.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I love it. No, I love telling that story. And it is a hustle, man. All of it. I mean, life is.

[Sean French]

Yeah, yeah. No matter what you do, right?

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah.

[Sean French]

No matter what you do, there's going to be problems. There's adversity. And it's like you get to decide if you buckle.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah.

[Sean French]

Which is okay to buckle a little bit, but don't break.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Don't break.

[Sean French]

You know, Keep going. So walk us through. You know you went to Mizzou.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yes, sir.

[Sean French]

Right. Go, Sec.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Miz.

[Sean French]

Oh, man, Missou's great. I. I went there about a year and a half, two Years ago, it was the coldest I've ever been in my life. My toes are still frozen. I went to watch a baseball player that I used to work with, Jackson Beman, and. And, yeah, man, like, he went off that week, and it was beautiful, but it was literally, I think, 20 degrees. And up there on turn internal field, I think that's what it's called. It's on a hill, and it's windier and it's cold, so I don't know how you dealt with that.

[Tyler Fillmore]

You know, Missouri's got every type of weather, but. And I grew up in Missouri in Wildwood. But, yeah, I remember there were some times, like, leaving my fraternity house, like, there was like, we. Like, there were some winters, and I don't know if it's as bad now, you know, climate. There's this changed. But years ago, like, there were times where, like, the mounds. And we're in Missouri, and, like, you think it'd be like, a Minnesota thing. There were mounds of snow, like, higher than my head. And you're walking to class on the sidewalk, you're like, dude, what is happening? Yeah, so we had some crazy winners, for sure.

[Sean French]

You ain't short. You're like, what, six, two, six three?

[Tyler Fillmore]

I'm six one. Are you almost six one? Yeah.

[Sean French]

I mean, dude, you look taller than that.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I appreciate it. I mean, I really do. Hunch. Yeah. I got to work on that.

[Sean French]

Don't we all? That's like, I'm sitting here trying to, like, posture, you know?

[Tyler Fillmore]

Like, I'm holding my kid. I'm like, this is not getting any better.

[Sean French]

Oh, dude. Funny. Funny thing about that. Like, you can go lift weights, right? And it's like, that's. That's bearable. But when you're holding a baby that won't sleep and you're walking around trying to give your wife some time, how bad do your shoulder blades hurt?

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah, it just. It just. Now you get almost. I used to say I had, like. I didn't know if it was golf elbow or dad elbow.

[Sean French]

Yeah, dad elbow, man. Dad elbow.

[Tyler Fillmore]

And I'd be like, yo, I can't believe I'm complaining about this. But, like, I would, like, I, like, be on stage, like, playing guitar, and I'm like, yo, like, what happened? I was like, father injury, bro. Like, yeah. I was like, it's just so, like, you just get so used to it. I need to switch arms, dude.

[Sean French]

It's crazy. Like, like, to your point, like, when you're carrying a baby, like, does burn.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah.

[Sean French]

Yeah. Especially if you can't get him to sleep. So. Okay, so let's go through the beginning. You know, you got into music, I believe it was in college, right?

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah, well, yeah, I kind of high school. I was always. Always in music. I was in choir and. But I was really a jock, and I was trying to, you know, I wanted to do sports after high school, but then ended up, you know, placing in state singing and getting a vocal performance scholarship to Mizzou, and then, you know, the rest is kind of history. I decided not to play baseball and go up to Mizzou and chase that and, you know, got a business degree as well, and kind of next thing you know, finished college, went straight to Nashville. I always wanted to go straight to Nashville. Like, it was, like, in high school when I knew I was going to do music, and then I had to fund four years in college, so I'm glad I did it.

[Sean French]

But, yeah, it was nice to see, like, when I did some more background, dive in, because I know your music, obviously, but I was like, I wanted to know Tyler, you know, I wanted to know what the journey was. I didn't know that you played baseball, though.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah, no, I've played a bunch of sports. What position? Oh, center field.

[Sean French]

Oh, wow. Really? I was a catcher. Hell, yeah, dude.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Damn, man.

[Sean French]

Crazy. I played at lsu, so I played in the sec, and.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Dang.

[Sean French]

Crazy, bro.

[Tyler Fillmore]

That's awesome.

[Sean French]

Crazy. And I thought that was going to be my path, right? And. And it turned out, like, I get to sit in chairs and talk to badasses.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Like, you're right back.

[Sean French]

What a dream, dude.

[Tyler Fillmore]

So I was like, I didn't play at lsu. That's amazing, dude.

[Sean French]

I was telling my boy Chris here that I feel like I'm in the big leagues. Like, I feel like this right here is my big leagues. And, you know, it's a lot like you. You know, I don't feel we've hit our. I know we haven't hit our peak yet. And that's all always hard to deal with, man. You know, it's like, you know, what you have inside you, how do you really filter that in your own mind? Because I am positive that you think and truly believe in every fiber of your body that you should be way up here now.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tyler Fillmore]

How do you.

[Sean French]

How do you work through that, man?

[Tyler Fillmore]

It's just. It's such a grind, and I want to get to be, like, the biggest household name, and it just feels like, look like anything else, there's a lot of politics involved in. In any industry that you're in it, whether it was base, anything. Like when you're a catcher at ls, there's politics involved in every. Any path you take, obviously. And, you know, the music industry is a very, very hard industry cutthroat, man. And it's. It's, you know, sometimes it's, bless your heart, to your face it's not real. And there's a lot of, like, there's a lot of fake and a lot of BS you got to kind of swim through. I just always try to say, like, true to myself and just know that, like, I don't take no for an answer. Never really have. I am, you know, I am first generation Hispanic. I'm 50 Hispanic. I think I do have a little bit of that, you know, that. That fire in me, you know, to kind of. I definitely see there's a Hispanic side to me that's like, yo, I'm gonna get this. Like, no one can tell me no kind of thing. I get that from my mom. But yeah, to. To kind of be where I'm at today. There's just different choices that I made during my career, and it was more about betting on myself than it was on anybody else. But sometimes when you do that, what's 100 of nothing. You know, it's nothing. So sometimes I didn't give up percentages of things, and I really just kept re betting on myself and reinvesting in myself, and it's made me very sustainable in life and in a way better position than a lot of people that took the wrong risk. But some other people that took, you know, a lot of money from other people and a lot of things like that. And then it didn't. They didn't strike lightning again, you know, now they're not in the crew. They don't have a career anymore. And I've been doing this, you know, I've been doing this for four. You know, I've been in Nashville 13 years, almost 14, and never had a real job. And so, you know, like, it's. It's amazing. I'm a songwriter, I'm an artist. You know, I do everything I possibly can in music and from the house. You know how the biggest. I want to be. Like, I'm working with the biggest artist in the world with Pitbull, and he's like a mentor, and it's really helped elevate to where I want to get to. It helps me dance between genres a little bit too.

[Sean French]

That's so dope, dude.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I'm a redneck from Missouri, but I'M Hispanic, and I love it. I grew up with a pop station, a country station, and I'm just kind of putting everything out there. I'm exactly who I am, and that's why the album was called Atypical. But, you know, before we dive into all that, it's like really just honestly, like, I think mentally every day, it's just like I can't live through comparison. And I make sure that, like, I have my focus goals and I have good support team around me, and I just literally just try to stay laser focused on that. And the creativity part in my life is so fun, and I feel like that is what really drives me. It's like coming up with song ideas constantly and just thinking about music. And like, you know, I have a studio session after this, and it's like just every second of every day I'm thinking about music and I just know where I'm supposed to be and I know I'm gonna get there to the top. You know, I feel like I'm in the middle somewhere, but I'm gonna get there.

[Sean French]

Yeah. I think you're middle, but you're above middle man. I think. I think we're. We're smelling it.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah, smelling it.

[Sean French]

We're on the home stretch. So what I'm hearing is overnight success. Yeah. Right. What I'm Hearing is authenticity.

[Tyler Fillmore]

100. Yes. And I think there's a lot. There's a lot of. There's. There's a lot of authenticity lacking in the music industry. I think there's a lot of people. It's just when you kind of pull the curtain back. I think there's a lot of. There's a lot of fake made people, and that can be a thing. And I don't. I don't think that's wrong. I just think that that's the life you end up having to live.

[Sean French]

That's not your path. Right. It's so funny because, like, in the podcast industry, I think with anything, there's a lot of fake made people taking the elevator to success. And you always see the ones that have a lot of capital behind them. They blow up really quickly. But then you find it's very empty, you know? So, like, I always love the fact that, hey, I'm choosing Elaine. Right. No one else is doing it how we're doing it. Right. Most people are going to sit there and, you know, rapid fire questions, move on to the next one. I'm bringing out the soul in. In my. In my guest to give to the audience so they can Learn. And there might be other people doing that. I don't want to, you know, sound like I'm altruistic or I'm the only one, but I'm. I listen to a lot of shows because I study. Yeah, right. I study. Nothing is done without any type of preparation. But we're also unscripted, right? We, we, we know. I know where I want to go with conversations, and I always also lean on my intuition and my. In my talents to bring out the best conversation. Right. So it's like the authenticity part of it, you know? Could I be further along if I was rage baiting people and clickbaiting people? Probably, yeah. But what's the cost of that?

[Tyler Fillmore]

I don't know. I see a lot of people that rage bait and get after people and somehow they're still living at the top. And there's not really a lot of an. Sometimes I just wonder, I'm like, how do you sustain that?

[Sean French]

And.

[Tyler Fillmore]

And some people, sometimes they do, which is crazy.

[Sean French]

You know, who's the best at it? The Paul brothers.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Oh, yeah. They're amazing.

[Sean French]

They're so smart, dude.

[Tyler Fillmore]

They are so smart.

[Sean French]

Like, they're so good.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I watch all their stuff. I watch their show like they're genius.

[Sean French]

Paul American. You watch them?

[Tyler Fillmore]

I watched it. Yeah.

[Sean French]

I need to watch that. Koe Red told me about that show last night.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I thought it was good.

[Sean French]

Like, I heard it's good.

[Tyler Fillmore]

And honestly, like, everything, like, I see what they're doing, but it's also just like, it's very entertaining and they're very smart.

[Sean French]

Like, they're the. I mean, you look back at. I don't know how old you are, but I'm 47.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I'm 37.

[Sean French]

Okay. So back in the day when Tyson and Holyfield and all those fighters, Lennox Lewis, I mean, you had Don King, like, he was a king. He was the. No pun intended, but he was a king of promoter.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Oh, yeah, that.

[Sean French]

Now it's. Dude, it's. It's the Paul brothers. Yeah. I mean, like, if you even look at, like, what they did with Tom Brady, I smelled that a mile away.

[Tyler Fillmore]

That was amazing.

[Sean French]

I was like, okay, cool. So they're gonna do all this, they're gonna promote the flag football thing, and then Gronk's gonna get pissed off and then they're gonna fight, right? And that. And then they announced, you know, I know Gronk, right, Because he's been on the show as I, I messaged him, like, hey, dude, get it done, man. But, you know, he's awesome. Oh, dude, he's great. But I do think the Paul brothers are being their authentic selves.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah.

[Sean French]

But they just know something that not many other people know. They know the algorithm. They know how to. To grab people into the screen and shove them right in the face and then not get off their videos. But. But again, back to the. The initial point is I don't think they're being disingenuous.

[Tyler Fillmore]

No.

[Sean French]

Disingenuous. I think they're being themselves, and I think they understand things that we don't understand. But the one thing that I always hold on to, and I think you're a lot like me in this regard, is like, if we move from being our. Our authentic selves, we're not going to be happy at anything we achieve, because it's not real.

[Tyler Fillmore]

That's how I feel. Yeah.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tyler Fillmore]

That's very well said. That's it. Yeah. I've had a lot of different opportunities to not be my authentic self. And, you know, I've even dabbled in, like, maybe reaching for something that wasn't fully me and then having to pull back and then find myself again. But that's just a part of learning who you are as an artist. And, you know, what I want my career to look like and what I want to look back on and be proud of. But, yeah, man, dude,

[Sean French]

as a father, that is more important than you realize.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah, no, I feel that changed my life two years ago, even that.

[Sean French]

Let's talk about that a little bit back into some more country stuff. So, you know, Your oldest is 21 months.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yes.

[Sean French]

And then your. Your newest baby's, what, a couple months old?

[Tyler Fillmore]

No. Yeah, like 40 something days old, dude.

[Sean French]

So, like, a month?

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah, like, dude, we're the NICU for, like, half of that.

[Sean French]

Yeah, you told me that. How was that for you, man? You and your wife, How. How did you work through that?

[Tyler Fillmore]

I was more like. She started working at Vanderbilt and I was like, all right, we get a free birth. This is sick. And then. Then we go in the nick you. And I'm like, this deleted the whole purpose of getting a free birth. Yeah.

[Sean French]

It's like, well, come on, man, be mad.

[Tyler Fillmore]

How much money we racking up? It's 17 days in here. What are we doing?

[Sean French]

Oh, man.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Was the baby early or really early? Yeah, and actually the baby dropped, like, the day my album dropped, basically, like midnight of that same day, and I had to. I was playing the House of Blues in Houston and then came through the Night, and I was gonna do a pop up just for Fans that we announced like the week of and we were gonna do these like pop up unplug shows that personally, just for me, it was just more like I want to supersede the superfans and markets I haven't been to in a long time. Haven't been in Austin in a second to play probably since like 2019.

[Sean French]

Oh, damn.

[Tyler Fillmore]

And so maybe. Yeah. And that was for radio. So, like, honestly, like, we were on our way to Austin and we had hit team, hit venues, had the band, and I was like, yo, we finished House of Blues, we're going to Austin, we do a pop up. We're doing another pop up in Fort Worth and like move there and then we'll fly back. Like, it was all just like on the fly teams hitting up the venues. Like Fillmore. Hell yeah. Like, come in and like, I would do like an acoustic unplug thing that we had set up. We ended up doing a couple of them before, before the album launch, but then the other ones all got canceled and rescheduled because my baby was born on, you know, on. Basically on the release day. So we had to veer to the airport in Austin immediately from Houston because we were on our way. And then I get on the plane and then someone said something, like someone on my team said something to, you know, the person on the plane. So now it's a whole ordeal. And everyone's like staring at me the whole flight and they're like, is he gonna make it to see the birth of his child? It was like a. Yeah, real life movie for everyone, I guess. And then like, they pause everyone on the plane. I run off the plane. I had my dad, like waiting out in the Nashville airport. Jumped in the car, took me straight to the airport. My daughter was born two hours later. They had like. They're kind of like trying to hold her off on not being too dilated and like where she was. And like I got there and then it was go time. And then. Yeah, it was crazy.

[Sean French]

What was. Was there anything else going through your mind? Because you obviously knew it was early, right? And it's like, so you're having to rush the airport. Oh, my God, can't miss it. But then also, was there. Was there other worries that you had to work through in those moments?

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah, so many worries. I mean, honestly, like, my first kid, like, the birth was not easy and there was a lot of things that. That were very scary during that. I'm not going to go into all that.

[Sean French]

No, no.

[Tyler Fillmore]

During the birthing process with my wife and Everything. So, like, that was always in the back of my head. And then it kind of started happening again during this birth. And then the baby wasn't like fully breathing with her lungs. And so all of a sudden I was like, here we. And it was just, it was super, super nerve wracking the whole time. But. Yeah, but now everyone's healthy. It's amazing. It's such a blessing. And I wouldn't trade it for the world, honestly. It's. It's. And you know, I, I don't know. I think, I think we're done after two.

[Sean French]

But I mean, it ain't easy.

[Tyler Fillmore]

No, it ain't easy.

[Sean French]

You know, it ain't easy, man. It's the biggest blessing in the world, but it's. It's also so damn hard, man. And nobody is honest. You know, we talked about it, you know, when you got here with go Chris back here, him and his wife were about to have their first shout out to the Petersons.

[Tyler Fillmore]

You know, sorry, I was just so blunt. I said two, two words to him and I walked up, I go, hey, man, the first three months of that baby in your life, your life is over. Your life's over. So worst experience ever. Because no one just, no one says it. Everyone's like, we forget. And I, and I get. It's such, like I said, a blessing. It's amazing, like, miracle. And it's the best thing ever. But like your life, especially with your first kid, like eight. And I look, I live a life as an artist. Like, you know, like, I'll go out. Like, I, I work all day. I, I go to the studio, I write, I got shows, I'm traveling constantly. Then you're talking to people like, your social meter is drained at all times, like, doing this. And so then, like, when you get home, like, you need those hours of sleep just to kind of run it back again as. And then next thing you know, it's like, I can't drink as much. I got like, I got to like, pull.

[Sean French]

That's hard for a country artist.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah. Hey, come on. And, and you know, it. Definitely, that definitely made me less of a degenerate and a better person. But the shell shock of like, just think. No one telling me how bad those three months were going to be. And I, when I say bad, I just mean like a life awakening experience of like, yo, like, they depend on you every waking moment. And like, and then it's just like something switches in your whole life where it's like, I, I think I'm a whole different human now I operate my business differently. I've had more success. I've had a growth in success since my child was born. Like, it's honestly, like maybe I wasn't fully doing it right. Maybe that's why it was such a shell shock. Honestly, you don't look like, you know, you're too crazy, so I feel like it's not going to be as much of a shell shock, but maybe you're hiding this from me, but you' not drunk at 10am so. Yeah, that's good. That's a good start. I think it'll be okay.

[Sean French]

Yeah, he could be.

[Tyler Fillmore]

What's in that bottle, man?

[Sean French]

Yeah, he could be on some gummies.

[Tyler Fillmore]

We don't know.

[Sean French]

We don't know, man. Which is fine.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah. Which is great.

[Sean French]

Yeah, those are.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Those are great for.

[Sean French]

Can't do that. You can't do that in Tennessee, man.

[Tyler Fillmore]

You can.

[Sean French]

Oh, wow.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah, we got THC on draft at the bar.

[Sean French]

Really? Oh, yeah. That stuff's good, man. The THC seltzers, so good.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I'm a huge fan.

[Sean French]

Big fan. Huge fan, Big fan.

[Tyler Fillmore]

And that was something I found in fatherhood. And I was like, these are great.

[Sean French]

Yeah, it chills you out.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah, it still kind of curs anx anxiety, you know?

[Sean French]

Yeah. That's the other thing, dude. As a. As a father, I mean, the amount of anxiety that I feel so, so many times I. You didn't get to meet him. But my. My wife and my youngest was here for yesterday's shows and they had to fly back. I had to pick up, you know, my. My two oldest from school and. And get them home. And so they're on. They're probably at the airport now. But the amount of anxiety that I feel not traveling with them is insurmountable. Like, I cried leaving the hotel room this morning. It's just. It's the. The amount of stress a father feels that we don't talk about. And. And, you know, I don't know if it's because men are supposed to be strong and you're not supposed to talk about these things, but, bro, the moment I had a child is when I started worrying about a billion different things every day.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah. It's so real.

[Sean French]

Yeah, man. Yeah, dude. But, dude, congratulations. You're doing it right, man.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Thank you, man.

[Sean French]

You know what, man? Like, these things, you know, it's. It's like anything. Fatherhood and being a parent, you know, for the. For the. The moms out there, too. This is for you. And, you know, you have your careers and you have everything going on. And also. Well, by the way, sustaining a marriage in a relationship and connection. Right. There's adversity in everything, you know, and we have to fight through those moments and do the best we can and not worry about the outcome. Right. Like, the gift is in the struggle. The gift is in the struggle with you becoming a new father again. You know, your music, everything, that's what builds you into who you're going to be for when you break that threshold. Because it's coming. It's coming, and, like, you need to be ready for it. Right. And. And all these moments prepare you.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I. I agree. I feel like even the ride to this point from a career aspect, and you say that moment's coming, it's like, if it all ended tomorrow, like, I. I feel like I've already accomplished every. I mean, so much of everything that I've ever. Like younger me, when I first moved to Nashville 13 years ago, will be looking at me like, you did it. You made it. You. You did it. Like, everything you wanted to do, you did it. I mean, I've pretty much played every huge venue across America and in Europe. I've. You know, I've been on most TV shows. I feel like everything that, you know, maybe. I don't know, it's just weird. I just feel like. I feel like I've accomplished so much and I've broken barriers, and I have certain accolades that some of the biggest artists in the world don't have.

[Sean French]

Wow.

[Tyler Fillmore]

So I feel like I'm at a point where it's like, I'd be so proud of what I've done to this point. I had to remind myself that because I'm such a driven person and I still have to fight to not compare myself and everything like that, but. And there's so much politics, and it's just like, you have to just understand, like, everyone has an agenda, and you just got to stay and do what's best for you and just hope that other people continue to align with you to get you to where, you know, that big moment is. But I feel like even if I was, like, at Pitbull's level or when I get there, I still feel like I'm going to be working towards another level.

[Sean French]

It never stops.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I feel like I'm never going to stop.

[Sean French]

It never stops, man. And I'm glad you brought that up, because that was one of my questions. If everything ended today, would you be proud?

[Tyler Fillmore]

I'm so proud.

[Sean French]

And. And that's something that I struggle with

[Tyler Fillmore]

as well, it took me a long time to say that, but I. I'm telling you, since the kid, like, I. I truly like where I'm at today. I'm like, yeah, I just feel like I'm. I'm so proud, and I. I need to say that out loud more because, like, sometimes I'm, like, on. I'm so. I'm so critical of myself and trying to make sure I make everyone happy, and I had to learn, like, I'm not going to make everyone happy.

[Sean French]

Can't.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I can't be overly loyal anymore because people are now inadvertently, even if they don't mean it, leeching off me and taking stuff and taking my valuable time and not giving back the same energy, and I'm just allowing it to happen.

[Sean French]

Dude, I go through that so much, Tyler. I mean, you know, it. Anytime I have someone on. That's of. Of any type of level. Oh, can you talk to him for me? Can you do. I'm like. But, like, I work to get here. Like, I'm just gonna give you the keys of the kingdom. But I also love helping people, so it's like a constant. It's a balance, man. And, you know, it's hard, you know, but what I struggle with is what you seem to be. I think you're further ahead than I am in the. If everything ended today, you know, if podcasts were no longer a thing, would I be proud? I would say yes, But I would be like, damn, another almost.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Another almost, man. Yeah.

[Sean French]

I mean, think about that.

[Tyler Fillmore]

So many almost in my life, it's crazy.

[Sean French]

There's two words right there. Another almost. I. I don't know if I can shoulder another almost, you know, and. But also, I look at what we've created. We've been in rooms with Jay Leno, you, Jana Kramer, I've interviewed William H. Macy. Been in a room with Tony freaking Goldwyn, bro.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah.

[Sean French]

From Scandal. Like, other podcasters are looking at this. Be like, that's the goal. And then me three years ago or even a year ago, be like, that's my goal. But things shift, right? You're like, okay, myself, like you, I'm a heavy driver. Like, I have to be the best I can possibly be, and I am nowhere close. And, you know, and one question I wanted to ask you because, you know, you say, like, you. You want that household name. I also want that.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah.

[Sean French]

I crave it. I know why I want it, and I'll get to that. But I want to know why you want it. What is the main underlying variable the Reason why you want that.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I think anything I've ever done, and I think sports kind of ingrained that into you, but I'm a no quit. Like, take no for an answer. Like, I love someone telling me I can't do something.

[Sean French]

Put gas in that engine, baby.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah. And so it's just ingrained in me. I don't fully have, like. And like I said, even when I got to that top, I'm probably still going to be chasing the biggest part of that top, you know, like, whatever I could do to be. It's just the grind is so fun to me.

[Sean French]

I love that.

[Tyler Fillmore]

And rewarding and. And especially when I'm doing something that I love, like music and writing and performing, and then knowing that. That I'm doing something I'm so passionate about, that I love, that's, like, my favorite thing in the world. I get to do that for a living. And so, like, if I can, like, do that at the highest level, I just feel like it doesn't answer. It doesn't solve anything or make my life any better. Like, I said, I'd be proud if it all ended tomorrow, but it's like, it just is the competitive drive in me to be the best of the best, and that's like, I think it's just who I am, and I don't know have a full answer of why I just. And like I said, when I get there, it's not going to be like, a. All right, what do I do now? I did it. I'm just made it. I'm just gonna keep doing it. Like, I'm just gonna keep doing it and. And keep chasing things that I love musically and, you know, trying to break barriers that, like, maybe people don't expect, because that's something I love. And I'm just gonna find new versions of. Of things that I haven't tried yet. And because music is so versatile and there's so many paths and so many directions I go and. And can go. And honestly, like, there's not enough years in life for me to accomplish all the things I want to do in music anyway. Like, I'm just gonna do everything I possibly can. And then I'm. Like, I said, I'm already proud, so. Yeah, okay.

[Sean French]

You know, I. I look at your music, and it's.

[Tyler Fillmore]

It.

[Sean French]

Every song I listen to makes me feel good.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Oh, yeah.

[Sean French]

So when. When I look at you and when you're that household name because it's coming, you're going to be making people feel good all over the globe.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Appreciate it.

[Sean French]

That, that's. That's big. That's impact. And for me, you know, when I reach that household name, when I reach that, I'll never be Joe Rogan. I'm going to be Sean French. Right. You know, I can't be him. I can't be this other big names, but I can execute at the highest level of what I'm capable of. And being that household name for me, I want to walk in places and people go, holy. That's Shawn French. Here's why. It's not an ego play for me. It's not a look at me. I'm this, you know, dude that was a salesperson that turned into the. One of the biggest podcasters in the world. What it is for me is impact when I get messages and I get them daily. Bro. This guy reach out to me from New Zealand going through something with his wife. She. She made a mistake about four years ago. He's trying to work through it. It's in New Zealand. And he found me on Spotify and sends me a message and didn't ever think I would write back. That's what I'm after. Yeah, like that right there. Because. And then when I responded with a voice and he's like, whoa, like, dude, thank you. I'm like, bro, I'm a human that cares about other humans. I never want to lose that touch, you know? Now granted, as things grow, it's going to be harder for me to do it, but, you know, for me, it's just the impact, man. Like, I. I want to help people, and if I can reach the top, then I know there's a bunch of people that their lives are improving because of what I'm doing.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah, I love that. I'm stealing that impact. That's great, because that's exactly. I feel the same way. That's. That's amazing.

[Sean French]

I already. I already knew that's like the underlying variable, right? Because you're not a big, flashy, look at me type of dude. You're like, you know, your music is thoughtful.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Except for my hairstyles. Your hair is fucking always weird. They're always weird.

[Sean French]

I love it, man.

[Tyler Fillmore]

The hair one lasted too long. I'm sorry to everybody.

[Sean French]

What's that?

[Tyler Fillmore]

The man bun lasted too long. I'm sorry.

[Sean French]

Oh, yeah, dude. I mean, I like that one, but I like this. You gotta. It's. You have like the, The. The big league haircut right now. Like, all the baseball players are. Are doing that haircut and take it.

[Tyler Fillmore]

The dad mullet.

[Sean French]

Yeah, dude, it looks Good, man. I couldn't pull it off. I can't even grow that much hair.

[Tyler Fillmore]

It's. I mean, dude, it's. It's kind of a hassle.

[Sean French]

It looks dope, though. It's your vibe, you know, It's. It's. It's crazy because, you know, I've seen you say you were. You're the country artist that's almost made it, you know? Do you actually believe that, or do you use that for fuel?

[Tyler Fillmore]

I actually believe that, yeah. There's so many circumstances in my life where I'm like. And you watch people pass you. Like I said, the comparison thing. It's like. You watch people, like. But it's politics, it's money. It's. They're. They're. You know, nothing is what it seems. That's all I'm gonna say. In music and what we do as artists and everything like that, everything that you see as a audience member, for 85 of it, you are told to see what you're supposed to see.

[Sean French]

It's crazy.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Completely controlled.

[Sean French]

And I love. I love that. Because you're doing it differently. You're a disruptor. I love disruptors. I'm a disruptor. I'm not going to do what everybody tells me that I need to do in order to grow, you know? Now, if it's logical and it makes sense and it's aligned with who I am.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah, you're not disrupting just to disrupt. You're disrupting because it's a part of what you're doing, and it's. It's truly who you. It's your values, what you believe in, and you're not going to let anyone else come in and change those values or your direction because, like, this is what makes you who you are. So you're gonna. You're gonna drive that force, and I feel like. Yeah, sorry. Yeah.

[Sean French]

No, it's great. No, has there been a point? Because I. I always talk about this, and. And people always say, like, oh, no, I've never thought about quitting because, you know, I just. That that's not who I am. I've. I've thought about quitting a hundred times, but I just can't. Because I love it. Has there been ever a point where you're like, I just need to move on from this man. Like, this is too hard. But then you quickly go, what the am I talking about? I know it's a hard question.

[Tyler Fillmore]

It isn't an act of thought. Like, I. I think I'm crazy. I just. I don't Think there's anything else? I. I can't. Like, I just. There are so many hard things that I've gone through in the music industry and in my career, but never was I going. It almost was just like, well, I'm just gonna prove you wrong then.

[Sean French]

I love that.

[Tyler Fillmore]

But, yeah, I think there's days, like, no. Yeah. You question everything. And there's days where I'm like, yo, like, this life I've built's pretty sweet. Like, I really don't want to leave and play that show. I really don't want to go to this thing, but I know it leads to this thing, and so it's like, I just want to stay home with my family this weekend and since. You know, since having kids, really, and. And since being with my wife as well. Like, there are moments where I'm like, I'd rather just do. I'd rather. You know, but that's not life.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tyler Fillmore]

What am I gonna do? I don't. There's nothing else I'm gonna do.

[Sean French]

So it's funny because, like, to your point, like, I feel like this is what I'm really good at, and, like, if I don't do this, what am I gonna do? Yeah, I'm not gonna go back to corporate and have someone tell me where to be and what to do and check in on me and do one on ones every freaking week. And, you know, no, it. It. I'm glad I did it because it built me, right? And. And I learned how to talk to multiple different types of people, you know? But it. You know, every time I think of, like, man, I'm just tired, you know? Like, my legs are tired. You know, I've taken too many stairs, and I'm just worn out. I just sleep on it, you know, I. And I wake up in the morning and go tired. That's the. That's the cost of this, man. Like, you get to be tired, you get to be stressed. You get to have adversity and overcome these things. Just think it's super important. So I'm glad to. Glad to hear that you. You don't go deep into, like, yeah, I'm done. You know, I'm done.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I mean, I see it happen all around me all the time, but I'm not in it, you know, I think I've. It. I think my whole thing is I'm chasing just being me, you know, it. If the goal at the end is impact, like you were saying, like, it's just like, this is what I'm here to do. So it's like, there's not really a alternative.

[Sean French]

And that's what I love about this conversation, because, you know, the vibe to the audience is so on brand with our show. It's like, okay, this man is staying true to himself. And, like, for the audience, listening and watching, that's what you need to be. You need to. You need to be true to yourself. You need to stay in line with who you are and what your core values are. I mean, I cannot stress that enough. You can never sell out your core values and your integrity because you might be able to achieve something, but if you do, you have to live with that every day. Like, I cheated or I. Or I was someone different than who I really am. How that's not success. It could look like it.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Oh, yeah.

[Sean French]

But, like, that's not. That doesn't feel good internally, man. You know, you mentioned, you know, you've been through so many hard points in. In your music career. What was one of the hardest points for you that you had to overcome?

[Tyler Fillmore]

No, I feel like one of the harder ones in. In the recent years was parting ways with my manager. My previous manager, Man's my best friend, best man in my wedding. So making decisions that were just, like, something I had to do for myself, you know, it's just like, I have to make career decisions, and I have a family and I have things that I have to do to get to where I need to go. I'm a very loyal person, and I feel like. I feel like that's been taken advantage of in the past, you know, whether it's previous band people or a label or things like that. So my whole thing is just like, yeah, I think that was really tough. I think. I don't know. I think there's been a lot of different breaking points in my career. It was hard to go into a label and then get out of a label. You know, Covid didn't help with stuff. You know, now being signed to Pitbull's record label and finding my path there and everything is just. I found myself in, like, everything was supposed to happen for a reason. And I mean, I'm. I'm aligned with Mr. Worldwide, man. It's been a. I never thought that in a million years. And, like. And that wasn't like a. Like there wasn't like a. A path to get there. It's just things happen in your life that, you know, think your direction changes. It's still going towards the top of the mountain, but how you get there, everyone's path's different. And I think if there was a direct way to do this, everyone would do it.

[Sean French]

Yeah, exactly. Maybe. But it might be too much work. They might say, yeah, exactly that.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Exactly.

[Sean French]

You know, I want to do all that stuff. I mean, that sounds like work to me. Yeah, you know, it's. It's interesting because, you know, you mentioned you're aligned in working with Pitbull and you said that one of my questions was that I was thinking about, like, did you ever think you were going to get there, but you already answered it? That. That's pretty damn big, Ty. I mean, I. I don't. That's like me aligning with Joe Rogan.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah, because.

[Sean French]

Because to me, you know, Pibbles the best of the best. Like, he's a genius. Like, he is so big and you know, you're some dude from Missouri, bro. And not. And writing for Pitbull, doing. Doing songs with them or on his record label. Like, what was that path? Like, how did it happen? Because here's why I asked this question, because there's somebody listening right now that doesn't understand that they are so close and they stop and all of a sudden they could hit something. Like, I could hit something. Like tomorrow something could happen for. For me and my. In my brand that is on level with what you've done with Pitbull. So walk me. How did this all transpire?

[Tyler Fillmore]

I mean, to even like say something about what you just said. It's like I feel like there's. People will quit or give up because it didn't go like the way they have it in their head. But it's like, it's more about like, it's the non give up mentality, but also like, I don't think enough people chase something that could turn into something else. I think enough people, like, they want it, like, okay, I want to play this show and I need this amount of money and that makes that valuable to me for my time. I think for myself from day one, even becoming one of the biggest independent country artists in. In. In the 2000s as I started my career and built that, the determination of that was because I didn't. I never said no to anything. Yeah, I. I flew to Buck Owens palace and opened up a show full band, I think for Cana Smith for 250. I lost like thousands of dollars.

[Sean French]

Love that dude.

[Tyler Fillmore]

And I. I did so many things like that. I have multiple tours. I can tell you exactly how much money I lost on every single tour. But it was all because it was leading towards something else. And I knew that this opportunity would open another door or I just prayed that it would. And like it always has. Every opportunity that I went and took, it opened some random door that led me on another path. But it's the people that don't go take those risks. And that means like, in my personal opinion, that means you don't want it bad enough. Like this is it for me. Like, this is all I'll ever do. This is it. And. And whatever path leads me to get, like that's what's going to happen. Like, and everyone around me knows that. Like this. This is. This is it. So I will take a lot of risks that other people won't because I think that something can turn out from that opportunity. And that's just with the whole Pitbull situation. Not a crazy risk. I'd actually open for him in 2017, I think. Or 18. It was me, Pitbull and Blake Sheldon and Pendleton, Oregon.

[Sean French]

Not a bad lineup.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah, crazy. But yeah, like it was. I. I didn't. When you got it, you're like, what is this show? And then like you show up and it was just amazing. Like everything about that was awesome. I didn't really get to hang or like really sit with with Pitbull at the time and you know, I'm on my come up and stuff so I kind of try to stay out of the way and I'm just. I'm there to. My job as an opener is to get the crowd warmed up and do the best live show I possibly can. And then I just move out and I just. I try to be respectful of every other artist and their time and who they are. If I get the opportunity to hang with them or they want to meet me, cool. But I'm not like, I don't. I'm not gurmy. I don't do any of that shit. So we didn't really connect there. He did FaceTime my mom during the meet and greet, which was hilarious. That's cool. They were talking Spanish and everything like that, which is awesome. But she took all my time really.

[Sean French]

Thanks mom.

[Tyler Fillmore]

In that moment. Thanks mom. But yeah, then it was years later I. I was opening a Blake Shelton again playing a festival for like 40, 45, 000 people. Shout out to Barefoot Country Music Fest in Wildwood, New Jersey. I've played it twice now. This year will be my third time playing it. I'm playing it in June so super pumped to get back to that festival. And that festival has a very special place in my heart. Shout out to Bob Durkin, great festival. And I literally like was running off stage and I just played that USA song for the first time. I don't know what compelled me to do it. The band knew it, we didn't have it out, it was not released. And I was about to go on the Brett Young tour after that and so I was like I want to try this song. And so the rap on the bridge was different. I actually wrote a whole different rap and I had written it a certain way and it was just like a fun live song that I wanted to do and I ran off stage. Like someone on Pitbull's team was there checking out the festival, whether he was going to do that in the future or something like that. Because he loves country music and he's obviously done festivals that are multi genre and stuff as well. He's Mr. Worldwide. So someone that was checking him out shot a video of me performing. I was like hey, like I was like one of Pitbull's managers, like blah blah. I'm like, I'm like no way, I don't believe you. Go on the tour bus and the next thing you know like they come up and I had a bunch of songs in Spanish actually at the time, cuz I was translating some other stuff in Spanish. My mom was coming to the studio with me and making sure I didn't sound too gringo on my accent. So I was just like oh, I'll play this stuff for you and like whatever. And then it's like three days later I got like a, a text or an email from, from Pit and it was like I appreciate the opportunity to be on the USA song because he heard the video, got sent to him and everything and then sent it over, blah blah blah. And then the rest is kind of history. I, you know, then it was like, then it was like I don't even know if you fully know. I don't know if he knows this. But then it was like hey, like let's get together and talk about like releasing the song and stuff. And so he's on tour all the time and he's like can you be in, in Bentonville, Arkansas like tomorrow or something? And I was like of course, sure. Like looking at my schedule, I'm like, I don't even know. So I like looked at my wife and I was like let's get in the car and go until call my team up and they're like what are you doing? I'm like, that didn't make any sense to anyone. I'm like, I'm gonna go meet Pitbull and why someone? He just asked me to meet him.

[Sean French]

Like, yeah, you go.

[Tyler Fillmore]

It'd be in Egypt. I'm gonna figure out how to get there.

[Sean French]

Yeah, 1,000% whatever. On top of a freaking pyramid.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah, get out of here. I'm gonna get there. And so I don't even know if he'd, like, realize. Well, I think he realized it afterwards, but I. I, you know, we just jumped in my wife's car and we, you know, I drove, like, nine hours and got there and got to watch him perform and meet him and hang out in person. And then next thing you know, like, like, he was like, yo, like, you know, we stayed and then stayed there the next night. And then I. We're trying to figure out what we want to do the next night. We're having dinner, talking about, like, song and everything, just getting to know each other. It was awesome. And then it's like, what do you want to do tonight? I'm like, well, Jason Aldean and all them are playing this Walmart amphitheater tonight, and, like, Hardy and everyone. And so. And DJ Silver and everyone. And so I. I literally, like, sent a text to my country family. I was like, I'm gonna show up, like, backstage. I got, like, a couple cars with me, and they're like, yeah, come on. So I roll up and, like, Jason Aldean walks up and BoC with Live Nation and who else? Hardy. And everyone's there, and they, like, walk up backstage, and I'm like, oh, yeah,

[Sean French]

I brought Pitbull, by the way.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah. So.

[Sean French]

Oh, man.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Pitbull ends up, like, bartending in between the buses, like, Jason Aldean's bar and stuff.

[Sean French]

He was bartending.

[Tyler Fillmore]

He just walks in, starts bartending, like, doing the thing.

[Sean French]

Dope, dude, man.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah, he was. It was amazing. He's like, always, like. He's serving people a bit. He's like a film. He's checking on me.

[Sean French]

I'm like.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I'm like, what, dude?

[Sean French]

What's going on?

[Tyler Fillmore]

And so, yeah, he's absolutely the best. And so that was a great hang. And then he, you know, went up to us, like, as we're getting ready to leave there, and it's like, we got going on tomorrow. Like, my wife had to get back to. She works at the hospital, and she's like, oh, gotta get back. And kind of looked at. Well, she kind of looked at us and was like, but, you know, Tyler can go with you. And so I got pit napped on on the jet for like, seven days.

[Sean French]

Pit nap, baby.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Coin the term. It was. You know, that's a good experience. That's the best.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tyler Fillmore]

It's just funny to say it that way, but. No, it's in. And just became fast friends and like a mentor to me and has helped shaped my career in the last four years and has been nothing but the absolute best. And so I'm just thankful. And anything he needs or anything I can be a part of, it's the first thing that I will do. It takes all priority because I believe in him so much, and he believes in me so much, and I don't want to ever let him down. He's. He is what you see. And it's. I think it's very rare these days that you meet someone that is exactly who they portray themselves to be. And that's why I aspire to do. And so being and learning from the best, I think is only going to help me be the best version of myself. And I still got a lot to learn, and I'm not perfect in any way, and I've made a lot of mistakes, even in the last four years. But he's been nothing but supportive and helpful.

[Sean French]

So that's beautiful, man. The one thing that I want the audience to realize out of this and, you know, back to that day at the festival. Right. You're just doing your deal. You're doing your craft. You are executing what you know how to do, and you want to do it the best way possible. So if you're present in the moment and you give your best performance, you record the best show you can. You don't know who's watching.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah.

[Sean French]

And look what happened. So for you guys listening and watching show the up, always show up, show out.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah. And. And don't listen to anybody. Like, if someone tells you it's not a good idea, but your gut is telling you, like, this could turn into something. Okay. What else do you have going on? Like, let's just say it's tomorrow, and someone's like, hey, there's this opportunity. It's pay zero dollars. You're actually gonna lose money. But if you show up, there's an audience of people like, that potentially could see it, that could turn into something. And you sit there and you have no obligations the next day. And then you don't take that opportunity. I don't know what to tell you.

[Sean French]

You know, it's interesting because I can relate to this 110%. I lose money every time I travel. I lost it for Fashion Week when I walked I'm losing it now. I lost it in New York. It. I lost it in LA when we traveled to do Jay Leno. I lost money doing that. I paid it. No brand paid for a sponsorship. Nobody paid for anything. It was our hard earned dollars to the show that we paid for. But you know what's crazy is when I think of like, yeah, I lost or I spent money, it cost me money. But the brand building is worth everything. And if people are so proud that they can't go and do something for free, they'll never make it in June. I'm speaking at the Biohacking World Biohacking conference in New York for $0. You know, I was like, hey, maybe we can get a hotel to. To give me a stay. Maybe we can get, you know, a flight taken care of. But, you know, so it doesn't cost me that. But you know, the thing is, man, that it is such a beautiful point because, yeah, you may be losing that, that money value, right? But what you're gaining is so much bigger and people do not understand that you, you know, soon you're not even gonna have to ask those questions. It's gonna be, hey, Sean, we need you to come here, right? I need you to speak. And we have 50 G's budgeted for you. Will that work? Yeah, man, that'll work.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah. I'll tell you it'll work.

[Sean French]

Yeah, that'd be nice. That'd be nice.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Love it.

[Sean French]

Well, you know, hey, maybe we can get hotel. Yeah, don't worry about the hotel.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Speak for 20.

[Sean French]

Yeah, it's like, I'll speak for much less than that. I speak for free. You know, like, you know, it's. But, but it's.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Who's gonna be there?

[Sean French]

Yeah, who's. Who's coming? You know, but that's the beautiful part. Like, you don't know who's gonna be there. You don't like. That's the thing about your story, dude, as you're talking about Pitbull, you did not know that that manager or representation was in that crowd. So if we stay present and if we stay true and we just execute our craft, we don't know. We have no idea. I don't know who's gonna listen to this show. Like, you may send it to somebody massive and they'll be like, yo, I want to meet this guy. And I'm like, holy shit, what just happened? What just happened in my life? That this is a thing now. And, and so, like, the audience needs to understand that because that's what this show is all about. That's what the themes are, is like, yo, keep going when you feel like you can't because you don't know when it's going to hit. And that's also the sexy part about it, right?

[Tyler Fillmore]

It's like, yeah, you know, the unknown, man. I mean, it's scary, but it's fun. There's too many people playing checkers when they need to play chess.

[Sean French]

Oh, come on, dude.

[Tyler Fillmore]

There's just a lot of, like. It's just like, people need to change their mindset, but there's a lot of risk. It's not for everybody.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tyler Fillmore]

And it is stressful, it is exhausting, and it is scary as hell, but I don't know what it is. Maybe it's us being athletes, you know, that. That I. I truly believe that that ingrains a. An. A skill in you, you know, and then like, you know, like the cost benefit analysis of everything. It's just like, I'm always ready to just take a risk on the cost and hope for the benefit.

[Sean French]

You know, it's so funny because, like, that's the business agree talking. Right? And I love. No, I love it, dude. It's. It's great. It's true. You know, my wife is always like, no, you're worth more. I'm like, but, baby, listen, you got to look at this. Look at everything that's building. Soon we won't have to ask.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah.

[Sean French]

It'll just be like, here. That's what we're working towards creating.

[Tyler Fillmore]

That value is priceless.

[Sean French]

It's. It's. It's massive. Dude, man, I know. You got to get a session to get. I know you have a session to get to, man, and talk all day. This is. Dude, this is fun, man. I feel like I could do like a two, three hour show with you.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I know, dude.

[Sean French]

So much to talk.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I'm flew by.

[Sean French]

I know, dude. We're. We're almost at an hour right now, and it's just like. It's like, bang.

[Tyler Fillmore]

You know, I have to run back another. Another episode.

[Sean French]

No, we. Dude, 1 billion percent, like, whenever you want, man. I. I have a feeling, you know, we've made some contact with some representation up here, and I. And I think we're going to be up here a lot more.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Okay, sweet.

[Sean French]

You know, and I'll do everything out of here and at Nashville Creative spaces.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Absolutely gorgeous.

[Sean French]

I mean, you want to talk about profession, like a professional place. I. You know, Chris Peterson has been amazing. Rory Vaden has been incredible. And, you know, some of the biggest names in my industry, Rory and brand builders built the back end, built the, you know, the. Everything about what they were doing. So I have him later today. I'm really excited because we're always going to have like a one on one meeting too, because I want him. It's time now. Yeah, right. Because I think that when everybody starts, everybody wants to be seen, but they may not be ready to be seen. And that was the case because years ago, about five years ago, I was looking to, you know, hire them to build me. I'm like, what are they going to work with right now? It's like, it's like, good luck, dude. Like, I know you're great, but. But no one's that good to, you know, to build a house out of no material, you know?

[Tyler Fillmore]

Such a good point.

[Sean French]

Yeah, man. So it's just, it's been a blessing, man. And this conversation has been so valuable. And I, it. I always love getting to meet people like you said that you've been connected with and just kind of see if they're really about what they're about. And dude, you did not disappoint, man.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Right back at you.

[Sean French]

Yeah. Thank you, man. It's, you know, we always have to be authentic and we're crazy. We're not, dude.

[Tyler Fillmore]

It's.

[Sean French]

It's exhausting to put yourself out there on social media and in the public and be yourself and then always show up like that. You know, I think a lot of people struggle with it, but for me, it's hard because. Not because it's a hard act to do because I'm just being me, but you get hurt in the process a lot.

[Tyler Fillmore]

100.

[Sean French]

You get. You get taken advantage of. And there's only so much of your

[Tyler Fillmore]

social media that can, like, sustain for

[Sean French]

a long period of time. Yeah, man. One more question for you. You know, this show's about determination and discipline. You know, when I created this show was at a point in my life where I felt like I needed to make a change. I was unhappy, and no amount of money would fulfill me. And I just, I started really kind of looking under the hood of successful people. And what I found is they, you know, they did what they needed to do no matter how they felt. And so when I built a determined society, my. My thought was I have to wake up in a world or I want to wake up in a world that everybody chases their dreams no matter how they feel emotionally at that time, you know, and this is a question I always ask Mo. I bet saved at 90% of the time, because I always forget, too, because I'm. ADHD is crazy. But what is your. Your definition of determination?

[Tyler Fillmore]

My definition of determination? I think it's just the no quit attitude. It's just kind of what I've said earlier. I mean, I think that provides, like, if I'm not going to quit, then I'm clearly determined. So it's. It's the never give up. It's the. I. I don't know. It's just whatever has been ingrained in me that is a part of who I am, that's not going to change. I think there's a lot of growth in change, But I feel like the determined part of me is not going anywhere because I'm just so competitive. And even though I don't want to live through comparison and stuff, like, you still gotta compete every once in a while. You know, I'm looking over like, okay, I got this. I. Oh, yeah. I just beat them out. Okay, we'll get the next thing. But. And that's fun, dude. Competition is fun.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tyler Fillmore]

That's why we do a lot of things in our life, too. So it's fun.

[Sean French]

Everybody has a target on someone's back. I have mine.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I got one.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Okay.

[Sean French]

And we don't have to just. We'll talk about it off camera. You guys don't need to know it because it's for us.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Oh, yeah.

[Sean French]

But I mean, it. It's. It's not malicious.

[Tyler Fillmore]

No, I'm not going to do anything negative.

[Sean French]

No.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I just want them to eventually see where I'm at, and then I just kind of want to smile and walk away.

[Sean French]

Exactly. Exactly. I love that about you, man. Well, dude, that was a great definition of determination. Because what most people don't understand, it's not this loud, sexy thing. It's the. It's the. I don't want to go to the gym, but I'm gonna put my shoes on anyway and see if I can walk out the door.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah.

[Sean French]

You know, I don't want to write this song, but maybe you just write two sentences, you know, it's the ability to continue to move forward, even if you're 100. That day is about 25%.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah.

[Sean French]

You have to still do something, man. So thank you so much. Coffee, dude. Dude, this is great coffee.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Cheers, man. Appreciate you.

[Sean French]

Oh, man, thank you so much, dude. Looking forward to doing more with you. And we still got. Dude, we got to get Forester moving, man. We got to figure out what we're going to do.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I agree.

[Sean French]

I I mean, let's go. I think like a determination fest.

[Tyler Fillmore]

I love this.

[Sean French]

Oh man. We could do something. Would be fun.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Agreed. We're gonna. Yeah, we'll. We'll talk about that. Let's get some things rolling.

[Sean French]

Yeah. For the audience, we've been side texting and talking on the phone about this.

[Tyler Fillmore]

We have a couple ideas. It's gonna be sick.

[Sean French]

Yeah, it's gonna be nuts. And we'll definitely let you know when it's gonna happen. But for the audience, share the show with somebody you know love and trust and, and if you haven't already listened to Tyler's music, It's Fillmore Music 1L. And you, you need to dive into it. You need to listen to it. It's great music. If you like hip hop, you like pop, you like country, then listen to the damn music and support him. Very, very proud of him. I've known him for a couple of years and I'm just ecstatic at what he's becoming as a father and in his career and so fill more music, guys. My favorite song is Bet you Ghana.

[Tyler Fillmore]

Yeah, that's such.

[Sean French]

Oh my God, that song is so good, man. Oh, hell yeah, bro. And then don't forget Yeehaw. With Pitbull. That's a dope song too. If you got children, don't play it around there, cuz. Pitbull goes hard. Pitbull goes hard. But thank you again guys for listening. And until next time, stay determined.

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