ReWorking the Pattern: What I Listen to While I Work vs. What I Listen to While I Walk
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ReWorking the Pattern: What I Listen to While I Work vs. What I Listen to While I Walk
Tag: ReWorking the Pattern (Lifestyle + Wellness Series)
There’s a rhythm to running a small business and a rhythm to moving your body. And yes — they come with totally different soundtracks.
🎧 When I’m Working: Music That Moves Me
When I’m in production mode — orders piling up, emails blinking, threads to pull — music is my go-button. I lean hard into dancehall, 2000s–2020s Hip Hop & R&B, and when I need that diva lift… ’80s and ’90s Whitney Houston swoops in.
Lately I’ve been relying on the “DJ X” mode on Spotify. I know I’m late to the party — my 16-year-old made that clear — but I love it. I don’t want to pick songs. I want a curated party for one while I pack orders. DJ X says my name in this overly serious tone like he’s my disappointed guidance counselor, but then he drops bangers, so I let him live.
I’m a terrible dancer, but I still dance — especially when there’s a reggae, dancehall, or afrobeats mashup. Face balled up. Shoulders moving. Zero rhythm. Maximum joy.
Working-playlist musts:
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Slide, Frank Ocean, Migos
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Love Me Jeje, Tems
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I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Whitney Houston
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Pon De River, Elephant Man
The goal is simple: make work feel like a vibe, not a chore.
When I’m Walking: Podcasts & Quiet Thinking
When I walk… I don’t want music. I want space. I follow a trail by a creek — rushing water to my right, birds calling from overgrown trees. I stretch my arms above my head, open my chest to the fresh air, and breathe.
I step around lizards and bugs like I’m passing through their living room. Today I tried to help one — he’d just molted and couldn’t see through old skin still stuck on his eyes. I squatted down like I was the Lizard EMT. He scooted two inches, said “girl, no,” and I realized nature didn’t ask me for assistance. I moved on.
On these walks, I listen to long, relaxed podcasts — conversations I don’t have to join.
My go-tos:
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My Momma Told Me — Langston Kerman & David Gborie (Black conspiracy theories + jokes + culture)
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Last Podcast on the Left — horror, cults, chaos, and comedy
Podcasts calm my brain. They help me think without trying to think.
⚖️ Why Both Matter
Work without pause? Burnout.
Walking without intention? Stagnation.
Music = productivity.
Podcasts = clarity.
I need both to show up as my best self — as a mom, entrepreneur, and woman in her 40s rewriting her life, one habit at a time.
🔥 Spotify: The Messy Tool I Still Use
Let’s talk about it. Spotify has been tied to Donald Trump’s inauguration through donations and has platform controversies that deserve side-eye. (mixmag source)
Do I love that? No.
Do I host Music Bingo for real money and need seamless integration? Yes.
So for now, I use it — eyes open, values intact, bills paid.
✍️ Your Turn
Ask yourself:
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What music makes you move?
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What listening gives you peace?
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How can you build rhythm into your routine?
Work. Walk. Repeat.
🔜 Next on ReWorking the Pattern:
💬 How My Weight & Wellness Affect the Way I Show Up in Business
🎧 Podcast & Playlist Starter Pack (with links)
Written by: Devin McDaniel
Founder, West & Remount Custom Apparel | Mom | Entrepreneur | Forever ReWorking the Pattern