The Lawyer’s Well-Being Brief

What can we learn from a co-founder of Def Jam Recordings?

“Do not fear the winds of adversity. Remember, a kite rises against the wind rather than with it.”-Unknown

Welcome back or welcome to, the Lawyer’s Well-being Brief. Every week, I share insights and tools to help us improve our well-being. This week I’m sharing tips from Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act…A Way of Being.

Who is Rick Rubin?

Rick Rubin is an iconic music producer. He’s responsible for producing some of my favorite artists from high school/college years, including Run DMC, Public Enemy, LL Cool J, and the Beastie Boys. Rubin helped popularize hip hop by producing records for these acts. Rubin is a co-founder alongside Russell Simmons of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records.

Rubin has also produced hit records for acts from a variety of other genres, such as pop: Kesha, Adele, and Lady Gaga; heavy metal: Danzig, Metallica and Slayer; alternative rock: The Cult, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, the Strokes, and Weezer; hard rock Audioslave and Aerosmith; nu-metal: Linkin Park and System of a Down; and country: Johnny Cash, The Avett Brothers, and the Chicks.