I recently read Fast Company's interview with Pharrell Williams. Besides the fact that at 40 years old, this man is STILL incredibly handsome (that's a given), his body of work truly makes his spirit electric compared to others in the industry. This interview was full of great insights to what it's like working for Pharrell, his visions and what he believes in.
Favorite quotes from the interview.
- He surrounds himself with people who "recognize that they are different, and they're unafraid of that and don't mind shaking hands with the next different person. Most anything I do I do because it involves someone I can learn from," he adds. "Sometimes you just gotta put your pride aside and be quiet so that you can absorb not only what a person is saying but how they are saying it--their energy, their body language. It's all for a reason."
- "Women have always been my motivation, and equality is quite naturally a theme for me. So it's all estrogen: estrogenic--I'm going to create a term--intelligence. I wouldn't trade it for anything, and everyone works way, way, way harder than me."
- When you envisage success, you should see all the people you work with, in addition to yourself. When I look at that picture, I see giant angels who are much smarter than me, who can oversee the things that I don't know shit about. I used to hire 21-year-old monsters with a twinkle in their eye," he adds. "I saw potential, but it was what I thought they could do, not what they could actually do. But you know what happens when you surround yourself with people with experience, who've seen everything a million times? A lot of them are gonna be older than you. When they vet people, they need to see more than twinkles; they need sparks."
- "He has every right to an inflated ego, but he's extra humble," says Tyson Toussant, cofounder of Bionic Yarn.
- "The school system isn't spending a lot of time looking for specific potential. We are bred to be worker bees; to grow up, get married, have a kid, drive a Volvo, do our taxes, invest in something, find a hobby,"
- For Williams, there is always judgment and choice. "Existence is all mathematics, and I see it as me listening to the math that is right in front of me. There's a key for every door," he adds, "and if you can't find it, you can make one. That's always an option."
Pharrell is quietly and consistently living out Kanye’s career aspirations. Fashion, music, curating, Pharrell effortlessly does them all. Pharrell does everything Kanye says they will not allow him to do. Pharrell lets his art speak. No antics, great art and a savvy business strategy - Christiana Mbakwe
