Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning!

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Kurt Farquhar.

Television & Film Composer, Founder of Fall Crop Productions and True Music Pro
Notable Credits: The King of Queens, Girlfriends, The Parkers, Being Mary Jane, The Proud Family, The Neighborhood, Black Lightning
Awards: 10 BMI Awards
Tenure: 38+ years in television

Purpose of the Interview

The purpose of this interview is to educate and inspire creatives, entrepreneurs, and professionals about longevity, adaptability, and wealth-building behind the scenes. Kurt Farquhar’s journey highlights how sustainable success comes from mastery of craft, relationship-building, and treating creativity as a business—not chasing visibility or fame.

Rushion McDonald uses Kurt’s career as a blueprint for:

Building mailbox money through residuals
Staying relevant across decades of industry change
Monetizing intellectual property
Leveraging relationships to sustain opportunity

Core Themes Discussed

Longevity vs. “getting on”
Behind-the-scenes success
Residual income (“mailbox money”)
Adaptability in changing industries
Creative originality
Relationship capital
Diversifying income through ownership
Treating art like a business

Key Takeaways 1. Staying In Is Harder Than Getting In

While many focus on breaking into the industry, Kurt emphasizes that lasting success requires constant reinvention.

“The continuing it for the 30-plus years has been way harder than the getting in in the first.”

Insight: Longevity requires discipline, humility, and evolution.

2. Behind-the-Scenes Roles Can Be More Sustainable

Kurt chose composing over performing, allowing him to age into his career rather than age out of it.

“In television and film… all I’ve got to say is John Williams is in his 90s and still composing.”

Insight: Choose lanes that allow long-term relevance and recurring income.

3. Residual Income Is Real Wealth

Rushion and Kurt discuss “mailbox money”—recurring payments from past work.

“If you just had the mailbox money for King of Queens, you’d be fine.”

Insight: True financial freedom comes from owning work that keeps paying.

4. Adaptability Is Non‑Negotiable

Kurt has survived massive industry shifts—from analog tape to digital production—by embracing change.

“Sustain that good idea, change it, polish it up, and mold it for the changing times.”

Insight: Talent without adaptability becomes obsolete.

5. Originality Comes From Listening, Not Forcing a Style

Kurt avoids creative stagnation by serving the story, not his ego.

“I don’t come in every day trying to force the singular style I’ve done for 38 years.”

Insight: Longevity depends on collaboration and humility.

6. Relationships Are Career Currency

Kurt credits long-term success to consistently showing up for people—before they’re powerful.

“If you only call someone once you read they’ve got something coming up, it’s already too late.”

Insight: Relationships built without agenda produce lasting opportunity.

7. Saying “Yes” Creates Opportunity

Kurt embraces what he calls the power of yes.

“I figure I can say yes more than you and end up making more and doing better.”

Insight: Opportunity favors those who remain open, prepared, and professional.

8. Ownership Multiplies Creativity Into Business

Kurt built True Music Pro, a licensing library used across major networks and streaming platforms.

“I realized companies were licensing more of my music than I was… so I built my own library.”

Insight: Ownership turns talent into scalable income.

Notable Quotes

“The journey to stay in is harder than the journey to get in.”
“Treat it like a business and it might treat you in kind.”
“I do my job, I do it the best I can, and I move on to the next one.”
“Character is character. Relationships matter.”
“That success doesn’t happen by accident. It happens with care.”

Overall Impact of the Interview

This interview serves as a masterclass on creative longevity and wealth-building without celebrity dependency. Kurt Farquhar’s story reframes success as:

Consistent excellence
Relationship stewardship
Business ownership
Adaptability across generations

It is especially powerful for:

Creatives seeking sustainable careers
Entrepreneurs building IP-based businesses
Professionals navigating long-term relevance
Anyone pursuing “quiet wealth” over public fame

#SHMS #STRAW #BEST

Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.