EP 017 A Moment of Truth, Great Advice, and Making the Plan – A Conversation with Rick Whipps

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Welcome to EP 017

Hi all – welcome back to the workbench!  Today’s guest is my good friend Rick Whipps.  Rick and I have known each other since middle school, and I wanted to invite him to share his workbench stories.   We touch on a lot of topics in this conversation, including his move to Richmond Virginia, his decision to go back to school on two occasions, his love for playing bass, and the evolution of his career.  We talk a little bit about race, and quite frankly, I felt inadequate and uncertain on how to convey the right words during this segment.  I decided that despite this discomfort, we should not edit this – as learning how to better talk about race is also part of the Workbench work so many of us are engaged in right now.  Rick tells of some of the key influences in his life – the women that helped shape him, the music that impacted him, and what he’s up to these days. Don’t forget to check out the show notes for his Song for the Playlist, and links to his band and some awesome venues in Richmond.

Show Notes

In today’s episode, we talk about

  • Rick’s decision to move to Richmond, Virginia, his first job there, and the transition from small town to city life.  We also talk about diversity and work our way through a discussion about race and stereotypes.
  • A trip back to school to pursue music, and the necessary decisions that came afterwards.
  • A  difficult moment of truth at work, the advice he got from his people, and the decision that came from this, which involved a return back to school to pursue his calling as a dental hygienist. 
  • A shout out to Rick’s mom, Liz.  “She gave up so much for me.” 
  • A (potentially) surprising truth about his enjoyment of solitude. 
  • Rick’s advice to someone who is ready NOW to make a change:  Make a plan and stick to it.  Nothing’s perfect.  And:  Sometimes you have to accept a loss and know you have another day.
  • The variety of musical influences, his first bass, and his current band, Snake Oil Salvation and how it came to be. 
  • A shout out to his friends at The Burnout Pit https://www.facebook.com/burnoutpitrva/
  • And much more!

A note: If you can, please support your local music venue or musicians. Many of them are streaming since they can’t perform out, and a little venmo would be oh, so welcome.

Sending love and light!

Resources:

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