Jack Williamson: “Who we keep company with can impact how we feel”

CEO and Founder of Music and You Jack Williamson has released his debut book, brilliantly titled The Shitty Committee, and he’s joining Happiful’s podcast to share more

Jack Williamson has over 20 years of experience working in the music industry and over the past five, he’s trained to become a therapist and coach so that he can support others with their mental health.

Jack is the CEO and Founder of Music and You, the brilliant organisation that delivered LiveLive, to support concert-goers experiencing mental health issues, including panic attacks. Now he’s released The Shitty Committee, his debut book. Its mission is to help others consider the internal and external influences that impact them on a daily basis, address them and move forward with a plan.

Transitions

The change from LA-based artist manager to mental health advocate, therapist and author was prompted by Jack’s own life experiences. “I’ve struggled with my mental health since I was a teenager,” Jack shares. “I made the transition into the mental health space about five years ago, when my brother unfortunately took his life. As a result of that, I assessed my purpose, my calling and career and how I could better serve my own needs as well as other’s.”

Now Jack’s focus is on helping people to survive, thrive and move forward, both inside and outside of the music industry. He’s all too aware of the pressures we all experience and how that can lead to poor mental health, addiction issues and self sabotaging behaviours.

The Shitty Committee

While Jack already works with a number of clients on a one to one basis and delivers workshops and mental health initiatives within the music industry, he was keen to reach many more people. This is where his new book The Shitty Committee came in.

“I’ve read self-help books for as long as I can remember and I’ve read so many that I could probably recite them all word for word,” Jack laughs.“I found that they spoke to me in different ways, but I always felt there was something missing.

“When I went on my own journey after my brother took his life, I really took a deep dive into myself – both in terms of personal therapy and in my training to become a therapist and a coach,” he explains. “During that period I also became sober myself and I was sitting in an AA meeting and someone in the circle who was sharing said ‘You know when you wake up from the night before and the Shitty Committee shows up…’ and it planted a seed in my head.

“Often we talk about the inner critic, the saboteur or the shadow. There’s all different terms but I just love The Shitty Committee – it’s funny and I swear like a trooper so it speaks to my truth.”

Jack’s book examines the internal, external and consumable ‘shitty committee’ and provides written prompts and exercises for considering how to manage and move forward with them in check.

And as Jack explains, what’s happening outside of us, is just as important to consider. “It’s not just what’s going on inside our head, but who we keep company with that can impact how we feel.”

“It’s looking at those three different areas and how we can evolve our relationship with the shitty committee so we can master it and live a more fulfilling life.”

Listen to Jack’s full episode
Buy The Shitty Committee
Find out more about Jack

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