What Mistakes or Pitfalls Could I Have Helped Myself Avoid?

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INTERVIEW ON THE PRICE OF BUSINESS SHOW, MEDIA PARTNER OF THIS SITE.

Recently Kevin Price, Host of the nationally syndicated Price of Business Show, welcomed Benjamin “BENCASSO” Barnes to provide another commentary in a series.

The Benjamin “BENCASSO” Barnes Commentaries

If I had the awareness and guidance earlier, I could have helped myself avoid several costly mistakes—not moral failures, but strategic errors that compounded over time.

First, I would have avoided partying too much. What I thought was stress relief and social connection often became a way to avoid discomfort, responsibility, and fear. The cost wasn’t just money—it was lost time, diminished focus, damaged health, and delayed momentum. The real danger wasn’t the partying itself, but how quietly it replaced long-term thinking with short-term escape.

Second, I would have chosen my friends more carefully—not based on proximity, shared trauma, or creativity alone, but on the value they added to my life. I did not understand early enough that relationships shape outcomes. Some people drain energy, normalize chaos, or subtly discourage growth. Friendship should not mean loyalty at the expense of your future.

Third, I would have been far less naively trusting. I assumed honesty in others because I was honest myself. That made me vulnerable to being taken advantage of—financially, emotionally, and creatively. I would have learned earlier that trust must be earned through consistent behavior, not words, charm, or shared struggles. Not everything someone tells you is true, and not everyone who supports you wants you to succeed.

Fourth, I would have learned sooner that my own thoughts, instincts, and perceptions have value. I spent too much time deferring to louder voices, more confident personalities, or people who claimed expertise. Ignoring my instincts often led me into bad partnerships, bad decisions, and situations that felt wrong from the start. My intuition was usually right—I just didn’t trust it enough.

Finally, I would have avoided oversharing with partners and collaborators. Transparency without boundaries is not integrity—it’s exposure. I gave away too much information, too much control, and too much leverage to people who did not have my long-term interests at heart. Strategic discretion is not secrecy; it’s self-protection.

Benjamin Barnes, known as Bencasso™, is a multidisciplinary artist, entrepreneur, and educator with over 110 recordings and decades of real-world experience. A former touring musician and lifelong creative, he brings hard-won lessons from art, business, mental health recovery, and leadership to The Coaches Corner. His approach blends honesty, strategy, and compassion—helping creatives and entrepreneurs avoid costly mistakes, build leverage, and turn lived experience into sustainable success.

Image Bencasso “Skeletonichi Muse One”: available at Bencasso Art Gallery A Gallery that shows the works of artists with mental health challenges in partnership with Culture Scholar Corporation 501(c)(3) https://bencasso.org/featured/skeletoncihi-muse-one-bencasso barnesquiat.html

Bencasso Contact & Social Media https://www.linktr.ee/bencasso

Music: Deadweight “Barstool”

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3Ok7YrOZmSfZgZiznlGB8m?

si=dT_m1hNcTHurd-ZIjkVD_Q

Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/tracks/B081L8M9VY?

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Apple: https://open.spotify.com/track/6x4DJEz31N09YXiAANmj1R?si=2dbfd106496545a2

AKA BENCASSO™ Books and Reviews

“Loosened Associations Jazz: Auto-memoir-ography of Music, Mischief and Madness”

(Bencasso’s autobiography) https://a.co/d/9JBJWTl

Atlanta Post Review: https://atlantapostnews.com/2025/08/24/broken-strings-and-beautiful madness-a-review-of-loosened-associations-jazz/

Please Review “Loosened Associations Jazz: Autormemoirography of Music Mischief and Madness” Book Please

◦ https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/?ie=UTF8&channel=glance detail&asin=B0FF5HYQNZ

“Artistpreneur Economic”

How to Make a Living Doing What You Love new book https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FFB5JK6C

Dallas Gazette News Review

https://dallasgazettenews.com/2025/08/28/the-artists-survival-guide-a review-of-how-to-make-a-living-doing-what-you-love/

Please Review “Artistpreneur Economic” Book Please

◦ https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/?ie=UTF8&channel=glance detail&asin=B0DR77VP92

Articles About Bencasso™

New York City Independent

Partnership of Bencasso LLC and Culture Scholar Corporation 501(c)(3) https://nycindependent.com/2025/09/07/together-in-tempo-the-symbiosis-of-a humanitarian-company-and-nonprofit-for-mental-wellness-through-the-arts/

Miami Chronicle

New Jazz Genre Based on Psychiatric Malady “Derailment Syndrome” In psychiatry, derailment describes a thought disorder, not a standalone illness. It’s when a person’s thinking jumps tracks—ideas slide off the rail, connections loosen, logic wanders like a jazz solo with no chart.

https://miamichroniclenews.com/2025/08/31/the-jazz-of-jumping-back benjamin-barnes-loosened-associations-and-the-sonic-soul-of-survival/

CIO VIEWS: Benjamin Barnes Executive Director of Culture Scholar Corporation https://cioviews.com/benjamin-barnes-uplifting-people-through-music-and creativity/

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