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Jay Shetty Podcast

Russ ON: Delusional Self-Confidence & How To Start Manifesting Your Dream Life

Russ is an American rapper, record producer, and author of the best-selling inspirational book, It’s All In Your Head.

RussguestJay Shettyhost

May 3, 202157mWatch on YouTube

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CHAPTERS

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Chapter summaries

Believing in Yourself at 17 and the Role of Russ's Father
Jay introduces Russ and asks how his 17-year-old self would react to his life now. Russ says extraordinary results require extraordinary belief, and credits his dad's constant encouragement and competitive influence for his confidence.
- •Russ says his 17-year-old self would be annoyed it took until 28
- •Jay distinguishes between believing and knowing; Russ says doubt didn't exist for him
- •Less outside chatter made self-belief easier when he was young
- •His dad told him he could do anything and pushed his competitiveness
- •He often does things just to prove people wrong, like Michael Jordan in The Last Dance
Delusion and Reality Distortion as a Tool
Jay brings up Steve Jobs's reality distortion field and asks when delusion is useful or dangerous. Russ describes how he spoke his success into being and says it depends on the reality you're creating.
- •Jay cites Steve Jobs's reality distortion field
- •Russ says his life from 17 on was shaped by this kind of distortion
- •He claimed million-dollar beats and platinum plaques before they happened
- •He and Boogz made an album from the perspective of 2020 back in 2011
- •Russ says that to change your reality you must already believe it is your reality, though not for ill intent
Delivering Music, Creative Lows, and Being Present
Russ describes the emotional swings of being an artist and why he feels he delivers music rather than creates it. He explains that lack of thought brings flow, and that being present is how he slows down time.
- •The highs and lows of creating are dramatic, and a few days without a song can feel like depression
- •Russ feels like a vessel who discovers music in the studio
- •Flow comes from lack of thought, which is harder now with outside chatter
- •Slowing thoughts by being present slows down time
- •He got into The Power of Now only in recent years
Flow, Challenge, and Experimenting in Private
Jay explains flow as skills meeting challenge, and Russ describes how he avoided boredom by working with outside producers and making songs from beats he dislikes. He recommends having your craft at home for private experimentation.
- •Flow is where skills meet challenge; too much challenge frustrates, too little bores
- •Russ hit a creative rut when making songs became too easy
- •He now tries to make songs from beats he doesn't like
- •He says the public praises people for what they practice in private
- •He once ran full Auto-Tune and freestyled a whole song he'd never release
Shaking the Snow Globe and Breaking the School Factory
Russ explains the idea behind shaking the snow globe: breaking your own formula. Jay ties that to formulaic manufacturing, and Russ links it to the factory-like school system and describes being a high achiever who didn't apply himself.
- •You must occasionally shake the snow globe to avoid rigid process
- •Jay says you can't manufacture greatness
- •Russ calls school a factory setup that lacks creativity
- •He got As and Bs without studying and was nearly voted most likely to make a teacher retire
- •He supports arts in schools
Trusting Your Wildcards and Building Fan Trust
Jay asks how Russ trusts a wild creative idea when others might doubt it. Russ cites Nas's line about scaring yourself and explains how he conditioned fans to expect the unexpected.
- •Nas's quote: if it doesn't scare you, you shouldn't put it out
- •Russ has a stain of confidence that can't be removed
- •His fans trust that whatever he releases will be him
- •Artists who build a fan base on one sound risk backlash when they change
- •Russ gave people the whole scope of his creativity, reflected in varied artwork colors
Confidence Without Arrogance: Ego, Duality, and Supporting Others
Jay compliments Russ for being comfortable in his skin without arrogance and asks how he balances ego with growth. Russ says he had to be his own biggest believer while remaining a fan of others, and credits Boogz as the one person who believed in him.
- •Jay notes many people live at extremes of celebrating old wins or doubting themselves
- •Russ says loud self-belief can be misread as thinking he has nothing to learn
- •He roots for anyone who is dope and gives compliments freely
- •Jay calls the confidence-and-appreciation paradox where the magic happens
- •You only need one person who believes in you, for Russ it was Boogz
Healthy Competition, Mastermind Friendship, and Commitment
Jay describes friendships turned into competitions, and Russ says he and Boogz are competitive but never about their shared dream. They read Napoleon Hill at 17 and commit fully once something clicks, and Russ says work ethic depends on loving the work.
- •Jay says friendships where men turned things into competitions didn't last
- •Russ and Boogz compete at everything except each other's dream
- •They understand the power of a mastermind from Napoleon Hill
- •Russ commits quickly to ideas, like going vegan or cutting bread
- •Work ethic should be judged by work someone loves, not work they dislike
The Reality of Fame, Money, and Compassion
Russ describes how 2018 was rough as he met the negative side of fame, which he calls just success rather than a broken version of it. He pushes back on the idea that money removes emotions, and he and Jay define compassion as understanding that you don't understand.
- •Russ's innocent teen vision of success met hate and narratives
- •He says it wasn't a broken version of success; it just was success
- •He challenges the idea that wealthy people shouldn't have emotions
- •Understanding that you don't understand is a form of compassion
- •Jay says trying to act like you get it can make someone feel more alone
Letting Go of Ego and Writing It's All In Your Head
Russ says he got through 2018 by letting go of how things were supposed to be, which led to Shake the Snow Globe. He explains how the book It's All In Your Head, written as therapy-like interview sessions, came to apply negatively to him.
- •Letting go of his hold on what success needed to be was the ego work
- •Shake the Snow Globe came from needing to reset and un-jade
- •He had the book title for years before 2018 made it apply negatively
- •The book was made through recorded interviews with a woman over about a week and a half
- •Russ describes it as like a therapy session in book form
How Russ Manifests: Feeling It and Laying Bricks
Russ explains manifestation as knowing and feeling an outcome, like his mom's reaction to a beach house, combined with proactive work. He cites the idea of laying a brick a day and says skill develops through repetition.
- •Manifestation is feeling the outcome as if it's happening now, not just seeing it
- •It requires believing in the underlying ideas
- •Russ says his career came from law of attraction plus being proactive
- •Skill is developed through practice; his early work sucked
- •Laying a brick a day, a song or beat daily, avoids being crippled by the big picture
Ideas, Purpose, and Being a Go-Giver
Russ reflects that everything around us is someone's idea and that the right question is whether an idea is serviceable. He says his goal is to help others and, following Boogz, be a go-giver rather than a go-getter, giving without expecting returns.
- •Every day we walk around in other people's ideas
- •Russ asks whether an idea serves a bigger purpose rather than whether it is good
- •He realized he wants more money to help more people
- •Fans tell him his music saved their lives
- •Boogz's go-giver concept; giving with expectation is just loaning
Attachment, Suffering, and Not Putting a Deadline on Success
Jay asks how Russ responds when someone only loaned him kindness, and Russ says most people are self-serving and suffering comes from attachment. They conclude you can't put a deadline on success and should trust the way.
- •Russ expects most people to act out of self-interest
- •Suffering comes from attachment; he suffered in 2018 by being attached to how things should go
- •Jay adds purpose to Russ's list of people and pets worth attachment
- •Jay says you get where you want, just not in the way or when you imagined
- •Putting a deadline on success ruins people; Jay's external journey began at 28
Fast Five and Closing Thoughts
After praising how practically Russ applies his ideas, Jay runs the rapid-fire Final Five. Russ shares his best and worst advice, what he's working on, and the golden rule, then they wrap up and point to his book and music.
- •Best advice: what if it can turn out better than you can imagine
- •Worst advice: be realistic
- •Russ is working on appreciating the present moment
- •His one law would be the golden rule
- •Jay recaps lessons on solitude, wildness, and balancing confidence with humility

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