Joseph Zuzula of Bokuwahyde: How Trusting Your Own Process Can Transform Online Criticism Into Creative Fuel

As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Joseph Zuzula.

Joseph Zuzula, also known as BokuwaHyde or “I am Hyde,” is a glampire and a captivating social media influencer. Known for his edgy content and an air of mystery, Hyde creates alluring visuals and distinctive posts that captivate his followers, often with a vampire-inspired twist. Throughout his content, he utilizes his professional videography and photography skills to share fashion, makeup, music, and lifestyle tips with a unique Gothic touch and a love for all things Japan. Hyde also holds a special place in his heart for the community he’s built over the last couple of years, called the Baby Bats. Their support has been integral in achieving not only his personal goals but also his philanthropy goals, such as animal conservation, public events, and helping those associated reach their own goals and potential through an amazing network of loving and supportive people.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about your “origin story”. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in a small town in CA called Waterford. It was a very small town with not a lot out there. Up until the year before I went to HS, we didn’t even have a HS. The town had a couple of small grocery stores, a few family-owned businesses and very little anything else. When I think of growing up, I think of my family and how close we were, the friends I had nearby and the never-ending message from people in town that “No one ever really makes it from this small town”. As much as I loved my childhood, my family and friends, I will never forget the feeling that everyone in this town truly felt like nothing was possible except this way of life, which only fueled me to want to make something happen all that much more.

What inspired you to pursue a career in music, and how did your journey begin?

I always loved music. Growing up, both of my parents were into music and some of my best memories were sitting in my dad’s truck, turning the volume specifically up to “45” so that way I could get away with what I thought was singing unnoticed. Van Halen, Ratt, Docken, Cinderella, and so many other great bands from the 80’s were incredibly influencial and drove this thirst for playing music. It wasn’t until around the age of 14 that I really felt I found my purpose or calling, and since then I’ve been trying to figure out how to make that a reality. When I found the band X Japan, Japanese rock band from the 80’s and I watched them on stage from DVDs and live concerts on YouTube. I saw the fun, the passion, the love that they had for what they did, and for their fans. It sparked something in me that really set up this goal and this purpose. I sat there, and I clearly remember thinking to myself, “This is what I want. I want to inspire people, the way these guys inspire me. I want to make people feel the way that I feel right now.” Since then, I’ve tried everything I thought would be the right move to get me to a place of being in front of enough people telling them to reach for their goals, feel motivated and pay that forward.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I think some of the most interesting things that have happened to me since I’ve started all of this have been the amount of people I’ve randomly ran into at an airport, restaurant, gas station, etc. who have stopped me, recognized me and told me that what I am doing has inspired them to chase their dreams, build their business, reach for their goals and many of whom have stood there and told me they felt like because of what I’m doing, that has helped them build success in their lives. To me, there’s not many things that feel as good to me or that I would say have been as interesting as hearing these individuals and their stories.

It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I tend to laugh at myself a bit when I think of how much I used to let the opinions of people, especially online, detemine how I feel about myself or what I’m doing both in music, or content creating. I had to come to the realization that this was a HUGE mistake for myself. It would deter me from getting up and getting things done, or pursuing certain opportunities that presented themselves to me. I’ve absolutely learned to trust myself and my process. No one will believe in you and show up for you if you don’t believe in you and show up for yourself. It was a hard reality to face and an even harder obstacle to overcome, but I believe it is absolutely crucial to our abilitiy to succeed to just create whether it be content, music, art, etc.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I can’t begin to name the amount of people who have been absolutely critical in my success thus far. I have to give so much credit to the current 1276 people on my patreon, although this number fluctuates daily, we are gaining new supporters, who to me are more like family members, daily. This community we call the “Baby Bats” on my Patreon, have been 100% critical in making all of this work. I’m able to focus on my content creating, music, and art, and share this with people who truly value what I do. I’ve partnered with many different companies over the last couple years who have helped along the way as well. To name any one person would just be impossible and wrong because I’d leave out hundreds and hundreds of others who have been equally important and helpful.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

Right now, I’m working on a few projects. One of which being my band No Silence. We are working on booking a handful of shows throughout California and are constantly in the studio working with our producer on new music. Music video and photoshoots are always in the discussion as well so it’s never a dull moment with these guys. I’m working daily with my staff on this Patreon “baby bat” goal of reaching our community goal of 5,000 members as well as building my Youtube and podcast which has just hit 6,000 subscribers. I’ve been working with Curst Kosmetics on my own line of makeup which we just released and we are currently working on marketing for that. These are just a few of the many projects that I’m currently involved in or working on personally.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in music, film, and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

Diversity in media accurately mirrors the world’s diverse populations. When people from various backgrounds, ethnicities, races, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and socio-economic statuses are represented, it validates the experiences and existence of real people. This inclusivity tells individuals that they matter, that their stories are worth telling, and that they are seen and heard.
Diverse narratives promote empathy and understanding.
Diverse content can resonate with international audiences, expanding markets and cultural exchange.

As a successful music star, you’ve likely faced challenges along the way. How do you stay motivated? How do you overcome obstacles in your career?

This is a question I get asked almost daily. For me, I have a clear idea and vision of what I want in my life and in my future both short-term and long term. I understand that we don’t get time back. With that, I wanted achieve everything I can in both my personal and career goals so I can see and enjoy this life I have envisioned for me. This is including goals in regards to music, content creating, having a family, inspiring others and seeing their goals become a reality, etc. I know what I want and I know that every day that I take away from that is one day further I’ve put myself from this being a reality. Motivation, though it comes and goes in waves, is something I have to force myself to feel daily because without it I feel as if I’d just be a zombie throughout the day wondering what’s going to be that big break.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?

1 . Don’t take everything so seriously. Have fun. I think people really resonate with you when you are a human (funny coming from a vampire) The stronger your ability is to connect on a real level with people, it becomes relatable. Don’t always try to make everything serious and always “Professional” just have fun, be you.

2 . Just create. Don’t put so much thought into what you are doing. Obviously, be calculated and take calculated risks but focus on the why. Why are you doing this and why do you want to do this. Have fun, be willing to learn.

3 . Be aware of how others around you affect you. It’s been tough to learn but saying “no” or telling someone who is not a good person to have around that you don’t want to be around them is something that we should all be more comfortable doing. It’s hard to bring someone who’s negative and make them a positive person, but it’s easy for a negative person to destroy a positive person and fill them with negativity. This will destroy creativity, comfort, self-image and more.

4 . Write things down. Every day. You have a song idea, or a video idea? Maybe something you want to achieve but you need to get this done in order to do it but it’s 5 a.m. and you’re in bed. It’s easy to think, I’ll just remember in the morning and do it, but it almost never happens. At least not for me. I wish I had seen the value in this earlier and had someone beat it into my head to make sure that I did that.

5 . Build Value. I think this is one of the most important things I’ve had to learn on my own. Anyone can create and post it. Anyone can record music and share it. But, real success starts happening when you provide value for those who are watching, listening, touching, etc. Building value within your audience, making them feel this to their core and needing what it is that you do because it is valuable to them will make so much difference.

Can you share some insights into your creative process? How do you approach songwriting? How do you approach musical collaborations?

I’m a firm believer in just writing. Sit down, grab your instrument, or your pen/paper, hit record. This can be true for any form of art. We, as artists, have this hobby and these skills that we have developed over time. Let them bring themselves out. Don’t focus too much on “This band or artist does ____” I like to let my brain do the talking from memories and experiences in my life.

Your music has resonated with so many fans worldwide. What do you believe sets your music apart?

I don’t think that what I do in regards to music or anything is really set apart from anyone else and I think that’s because I’ve never tried to do that. I’ve never focused on what someone else is doing. Learning and studying certain things to gain knowledge is one thing, but being worried about others and trying to stand out has such a small window of opportunity. I take influences from things that I like and just do what I do and let it speak for itself, and maybe that in itself has had an effect enough to stand out on its own.

How do you connect with your audience?

I work very hard, daily, to build personal connections with my audience. I have a private Patreon community where I focus on answering all messages that come through. Though it can take me days, I hold myself to doing everything I can to connect with every single person who reaches out. It’s not easy, but it can be done. If they are going to support what I do, I feel like I owe them at least the best of my ability.

With your busy schedule and demanding performances, how do you prioritize self-care and maintain a balance between your personal life and career in the music industry?

I don’t. I’m the worst about that. I constantly get verbally abused by my audience about taking care of myself! I am so driven and focused on getting to where I know I can be, that self-care and time off are very rare. I usually don’t even take the day off if I’m sick. I just keep my mind on the fact that when I get to where I know I’m going, I’ll have plenty of relaxing days off.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

My whole message and gameplan is to inspire as many people around the world to take a chance on themselves. If I could inspire a movement, i’d definitely want it to be based around creatives and people with a dream, supporting each other to help one another achieve these dreams. I believe too many people are stuck in contentment in life and we live a life full of “I wish I would have” and I would love to see this change.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Yoshiki Hayashi of X Japan, in terms of musicians or people in general who are still alive, he has been by far the most influential and motivating person in the spotlight who has kept me going. I’d love to sit down with him and just thank him and share with him how he has helped me chase my own personal goals and dreams.

How can our readers continue to follow your work online?

All of my work can be found simply on my website at Bokuwahyde.com if anyone chooses to follow me or join our community on Patreon, I’d love to know they came from here, so I’d ask that you feel free to send me a message on Patreon and let me know. I’d love to connect with you and get to know you.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

About the interviewer: Guernslye Honoré, affectionately known as “Gee-Gee”, is an amalgamation of creativity, vision, and endless enthusiasm. She has elegantly twined the worlds of writing, acting, and digital marketing into an inspiring tapestry of achievement. As the creative genius at the heart of Esma Marketing & Publishing, she leads her team to unprecedented heights with her comprehensive understanding of the industry and her innate flair for innovation. Her boundless passion and sense of purpose radiate from every endeavor she undertakes, turning ideas into reality and creating a realm of infinite possibilities. A true dynamo, Gee-Gee’s name has become synonymous with inspirational leadership and the art of creating success.