When times are tough, what do you do? Do you take care of your own self interests? Or do you do what’s right for those around you? It’s natural to be selfish. But I for one strive to be a better person. Today, we’re gonna sing about overcoming struggles. Welcome to the Pub Songs Podcast, the Virtual Public House for Celtic Geek culture. I am your Guide. My name is Marc Gunn. Subscribe to the podcast and download free music when you sign up at PubSong.com. WHO'S PLAYING IN THE PUB TODAY 0:29 - SONG: “The Bridge” from The Bridge 4:22 - WELCOME -- Post a review in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher. -- Interview on Running Anthropologist. Cultural geographer. -- Coming soon: Celtic Geek Spotlights -- Find Irish & Celtic Song Lyrics. TRAVEL WITH CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS. Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We don't see everything. Instead, we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos. We’re going to Scotland in 2021. Join the invasion at http://celticinvasion.com/ 8:52 - SONG: “Slainte Mhaith” from Name On My Soul 10:48 - STORY: Tough Times Tough Times was inspired by the episode “The Train Job” in the TV show Firefly. The crew of Serenity are hired by a gangster to steal medicine from a train. When the job doesn’t go smoothly, they find out the medicine is essential for the health of some local miners. Do they stick to their business arrangement even though good people will die? They have a choice. Ultimately, they choose to do what is right, despite the cost. When times are tough, it’s easy to put aside what is good and what is right. It’s easy. But it’s also selfish. Far too often, we think about ourselves instead of what’s good for our community. I started the Celtic Music Magazine at the end of 2000. I was one of the few Celtic music marketers on the internet. I quickly built up a mailing list. Because I knew how to get subscribers. I created an incredible tool. And it was all mine. My goal was simple. I wanted to help my band the Brobdingnagian Bards be heard. I was focused. And I was selfish. It was all about me. We were not super successful. Then I started highlighting other bands that I enjoyed. The magazine exploded. The Bards fan base grew quicker too. It grew because I stopped thinking about myself. It grew because I realized my readers were not into just me. They were about Celtic music. They were about our Celtic community. I was just one of many fortunate people who helped the community flourish. But it wasn’t me. In 2005, I started the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. I was frustrated that the Brobdingnagian Bards music wasn't being played on terrestrial radio programs, like Thistle & Shamrock. I wanted a radio show where MY music could be heard. I also learned my lesson from the Celtic Music Magazine. The podcast would not grow if it were just about me. Yeah. I had good music too. But this podcast was something more. It was about all of those Celtic musicians disenfranchised by terrestrial radio. On our podcast, I accepted all styles of Celtic music from the traditional to Celtic rock to every fusion in between. Again, it wasn’t about me. It still is not about me. It was about changing the way you hear Celtic music. It is about experiencing Celtic culture through music. What are the results? It’s the #1 podcast for Celtic music in the world. It gets more downloads than 95% of the podcasts in the world (That’s a stat from Libsyn). It’s won three Podcast Awards for Podsafe Music. And there’ve been over 21 million downloads of the show. 21 million!!! That’s not an exaggeration. One of the earliest marketing lessons I learned was if you help someone, if you do something outside of yourself, put yourself second or third or fourth, then you will see a return. So if I do something good for a community, like create a podcast or giv