Todd McTavish is a songwriter and it’s all he’s ever wanted to do.  At 23, he left his small town home in Ontario and moved to LA.    And at 53, he just signed his first record deal.

Todd’s an old school, rock and roll troubadour.  The stories come fast and hard.  He recorded a Christmas song with Billy Bob Thornton, had one of his songs played at the Superbowl and he owned a half bear, half wolf named Jazz who was an excellent judge of character.

But this isn’t about sex, drugs and rock and roll.  It’s about having the courage to say yes.  The music industry is a parable for life.  It’s cruel and unfair, and it gave Todd a thousand really good reasons to quit.  So how has he survived when so few others have?  When an opportunity came up, no matter how crazy, he said yes.  

As someone that tends to overthink things until I talk myself out of them, Todd’s journey inspired me.  I could look back at the last 20 years of my life and wonder what could have been if I had said yes more often, but I don’t have time for that.  What I refuse to do, is look back 10 years from now and wonder the same thing.  What would Todd do?  He’d say yes.

Please enjoy Todd McTavish.

Every other week, join your host Bob Mathers, keynote speaker for conversations designed to push you out of your comfort zone. Each episode delivers boundless insights and ideas that matter by inspiring you to get off autopilot and keep chasing curiosity.

Takeaways

• The unstoppable itch: Todd described songwriting as a calling he couldn’t ignore, even when the path was full of obstacles and dead ends.
• Say yes to the unknown: His journey is a testament to showing up and staying open—some of his best opportunities came from simply agreeing to lunch, auditions, or chance encounters.
• The magic of creative chemistry: Meeting guitarist Lee Jackson led to writing hundreds of songs and forming Judge Jackson, proving that the right creative partner can change everything.
• Lessons from the road: Todd shared the ups and downs of band life—how licensing songs can be a windfall or pay next to nothing, and why playing for 40,000 Marines felt like “making it.”
• Writing songs like a conduit: He sees songwriting as channeling melodies and words that already exist in the world, capturing them in the moment instead of forcing them into shape.
• Rolling with life’s twists: Border denials, band breakups, and crazy roommates could’ve ended his dream, but Todd kept moving forward, seeing every setback as part of the adventure.
• The gift of perseverance: Todd’s story is a reminder that it’s never too late to chase what you love—and that staying in the game is sometimes the greatest success.
• Art that lasts: He spoke about the power of songs to act as bookmarks in our lives, instantly transporting us back in time and connecting us to moments we thought we’d forgotten.

Connect with Todd

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Judge Jackson (https://open.spotify.com/artist/2WkImSovdJRdvZ8lxn3JtH)

Todd McTavish (https://open.spotify.com/artist/0tjdZLND9lbsHcqWWXSPxo)

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