Meet Greg “G Class” Smith | DJ | Curator | Entrepreneur | Father

We had the good fortune of connecting with Greg “G Class” Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Greg “G Class”, do you have a budget? how do you think about personal finances?
1. My motivation has always been a love of music. Growing up in Chicago, music was at the core of my upbringing. From family picnics to house parties with friends, music was always a staple. So, as I got older, I naturally graduated to learning more about these artists and the music that shaped my life. Then I thought, well, maybe other people want to hear these stories as well and that’s when I started a stream during the pandemic called Friday Night Face-off with a few of my friends. As the pandemic began to die down, I transitioned to Twitch and started Red Cup Spotlight which is a combination of my love of music, my desire to learn as much as possible and my ability to entertain and engage with like-minded people. I love it.

2. I don’t have a budget but I make decisions based on what I truly need. It’s so easy to get caught up in wanting every new flashy thing that you see, but I try to keep things as simple for me as possible. Debt creates anxiety, and there’s enough of that in this world to go around. I don’t want to add more to it.

3. Risk is a part of success. Once I learned that, I embraced it along with the fear of losing. My entire life has gone as far as I’ve let the thought of risk scare me. That means, the sooner I confront the risk, the real risk, the closer I can get to the success I want.

4.I am from the south side of Chicago. Not the suburbs, the city. I say that because a lot of people claim to be from Chicago but live outside the city and only come to the city for work or events. My background is me. My family is there. My friends are there. I’m from a city where hard work makes winners and winners are remembered. Chicago made me, and I will never forget that. When times get tough, I go back to what I know and it’s never failed me. If they cut me open you would see “Chicago” stamped on my heart! I brought that mentality with me to DFW and combined it with the opportunity here and the rest is history.

5. Ultimately, I love discovering the reasons why people love music. EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THIS PLANET HAS A SONG THAT THEY LOVE! It’s my job to find it and connect with them. Connection is KEY. If people connected more in this world, we would care more. I feel a deep responsibility to do what I can to facilitate that.

6. Love first, Love ALWAYS. So I start with love and no matter what, do everything I can to show and move with love. I am filled with love for people. It may not show on my face all the time, but it’s there lol. And there’s so many people in the world that don’t feel love or even hear the phrase “I love you”. Love is in everything, but especially music. So if I play a song, I value that experience because that’s my way of saying “I love you”, without making it weird of course lol.

7. Work/Life balance is impossible for me lol. My boys come first, then my work. When I don’t have my boys, then it’s just work. I have a hard time sitting down and just being still. I think it can be achieved, but it depends on the level of success you’re trying to have. I’m too ambitious for balance. I’ll always be leaning to one side or the other, Work or Life.

8. My goal is to help as many people as possible connect through music and streaming. That’s why I do Red Cup Spotlight on Twitch, so I can connect with the world. That’s also why I’ve started my venture, TechSupportNextDoor, to help people feel more comfortable with everything involved in streaming. From the technology behind it to the philosophy of it, I want to remove the anxiety from streaming and help connect people! WHEN I do that, then by the end I will be satisfied with myself. But I’m in this for the long haul, no end in sight!

9. Art and Creativity is my life. I didn’t choose it as much as it chose me. For the longest I was drawn to the feeling that being creative gave me. Without it I feel broken, like something is off. I have to express my creativity in some way.

10. The Bible has and always will have an impact on me unlike any other book. Every principle that I use in my life, comes from that one book and it has never steered me wrong.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a DJ/Curator and Entrepreneur. I host a weekly stream on Twitch called “Red Cup Spotlight” and I run a venture called “TechSupportNextDoor”. Red Cup Spotlight is a weekly music education show where we take an artist, a group, or a genre and we shine a “spotlight” on them for the night. So we play some of their music to start, just to get you familiar, then we show live performance, videos and interviews to help give you a more grounded view of the music you love. It’s a passion project for sure, but there’s so many people out there that have the same passion so it’s growing bigger than I ever imagined! TechSupportNextDoor is newer in name but I’ve been assisting with their issues for years so it was the most logical move to create a business around it and try to bring real value to more people on a larger scale. Business is never easy, even when you love it. But it is easier when you start with love, then map out where you want that love to go. I’ve had some great people in my corner to tell me when I’m on the right track and when I’m drifting off. I am blessed to be able to say that. I’ve learned so many lessons along the way though. 1) Treat others with love and they will show you the same, not necessarily in the same way, but that doesn’t matter. 2) Respect a persons time. No one can get it back, so make sure it’s worth it. 3) Always try to bring value to everything you choose to do. Don’t allow mediocrity. If you’re going to do something, do it THE BEST YOU CAN. 4) Love can take you further than hate. Let it guide you. 5) Always remember that you cannot not have any amount of real success in this world by yourself. You need others. So make sure you choose wisely and treat them right. I want people to know that my story is not unlike anyone else’s story. The difference for me is that I choose to do this everyday. I don’t negotiate with my body or my mind. I will do what I set out to do, and I will succeed because I won’t accept anything less. My motivation is clear and my heart is full.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There’s so many things to get into in the DFW, it’s so hard to pick one or two honestly. I would have to take them to get some Texas Twinkies from Hutchins (McKinney) for sure. Cris & John for some Birria Tacos is a MUST as well! The Dallas Zoo is a great time if you’ve never been. I absolutely LOVE the Art District downtown as well. There’s just so many cool places to go and things to see, and not enough time for just a weekend lol.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to every single person that ever believed in me or supported me when I couldn’t do it for myself. I’m where I am today because of where you were in my life back then. Thank you all so much. I love you now and forever. You know who you are!

Website: https://www.techsupportnextdoor.com

Instagram: @gclassthedj @redcupspotlight @techsupportnextdoor

Twitter: @techsupprtnxtdr

Youtube: @techsupportnextdoor

Image Credits
@crazyberrytown
@rettadivine
@msblissfullydope