Mike Duruin DA Story: Your Podcast Audio Engineer
What comes into your mind when you hear the word “podcast”? Is it the interesting story that you just heard from your favorite podcast show? Or, is it perhaps the way that the host delivered the story?
Behind the scenes, however, is a production team that works diligently to come up with quality episodes. Among them is an audio engineer, who could be working his nights off just to craft the best experience you can have from listening.
Today, meet Mike Duruin. His passion and skills in music led him to a career with top podcasters. Read on to learn about his DA story.
“HARD WORK beats TALENT when TALENT doesn’t WORK HARD.” – Tim Notke
From Office to Online Work
Mike worked in a traditional office setting for 6 years. He enjoyed the time he spent daily with his boss and workmates. They ate lunch together and sometimes went out of town for their team building.
But, something seemed missing.
He knew that there had to be more than just living in a comfort zone. There had to be more than just staying inside the four walls of a traditional office.
He knew that everyone exists for a purpose and that it’s bigger than ourselves inside a traditional office. After deep reflection and counseling from his loved ones, Mike decided to move to another direction and pursue what he loved the most—music production.
“I asked myself, Why not do the thing that I love most?” -Mike Duruin
It was not until his cousin-in-law referred him to an online job. That made him decide to quit his job and start working from home as a distant assistant.
Music has long been a part of his life. And, working online gave him the flexibility to enjoy it.
Crafting Podcast Episodes
After a couple of months, however, the company he first worked for as a DA went bankrupt. That was the sign for him to pursue his passion.
Thankfully, by 2016, another company offered him a job online. And, guess what? It was very much aligned to what he loved the most—the job of an audio engineer.
“I love creating something that’s worth it.” -Mike Duruin
He edits the audio recordings for podcasters. They typically send the necessary files to Mike and collaborates with him for their show format. Depending on a variety of factors, the editing could take many hours to complete.
Nonetheless, Mike enjoys what he is doing and does the best he could. You can tell it by the episodes you can hear in the podcast shows, such as Private Label Movement and Stop Riding the Pine.
One with Music
Mike has been into music since high school. During that time, he learned how to use Cool Edit Pro (an audio editing software) out of sheer curiosity. He realized that editing, mixing, recording, and mastering audio is a lot more fun than playing musical instruments.
“I always find myself in the background.” -Mike Duruin
Now, he does the same things with Adobe Audition. He’s been doing music scores and post-production for clients.
DA Challenges and Joys
Mike’s journey as a distant assistant in the past 2 years has been nothing but amazing. It brought him closer to his family and friends.
“To me, it’s more convenient to get things done right away in just a snap of finger.” -Mike Duruin
He could just step out of his office at home anytime to check on how his kids are doing or grab a snack within arms reach. That proved to be more convenient compared to a traditional office where you need to walk a few distance to buy snacks.
The only challenge he has is this: laziness. Working from home comes with a lot of perks and comfort. Nonetheless, he enjoys the flexibility it gives him in contrast to working in a traditional setting.
Life Outside of Work
Mike also lives a very active life outside of work. He is a proud father of 5 and loves to spend time with them on weekends. They would watch movies together as a family.
In his free time, Mike would also play football with his kids. He always cherishes the time he has with them.
Apart from that, he is also actively involved in church.
“I like imparting the beauty of music, and teach people how they can make music into something that’s aligned to it.” -Mike Duruin
They have a support group whom he enjoys spending time with. The same group happens to be their church’s production team. Together, they come up with creative ideas and share insights into what they do.
Mike lives in a small but very friendly community in Bacolod. They also just have a small group of musicians. There are times when he would be invited to play music for specific audiences.
He doesn’t only play bass guitar but also plays the drums. A natural artist, you may say. He has a lot of interests in mind.
But in all those, you’ll find how well inclined he is to creative arts. Mike has been painting since nursery and attended a private school that honed his skills. Their school even went to compete with other schools in the region.
In college, he and his friend formed a band. He is hands-on when it comes to music, and loves to contribute especially to his bandmates. His passion for music and the arts is truly one-of-a-kind.
Advice to Aspiring Distant Assistants
To aspiring distant assistants, he advises improvising with the craft you have. Whatever interests you have in mind, whatever passion you hold, learn to improve in it. Be the best person you can become.
You can learn from great producers just like Mike did. He listened to a lot of people but followed a select few: Quincy Jones (Michael Jackson), Rick Rubin (Red Hot Chili Peppers & Adele), and Brian Eno (U2 & Coldplay).
Also…
According to Mike, get a very good internet connection and a very reliable chair. You will be spending a lot of time sitting in front of your computer. You can have a cup of coffee and a pen and paper at hand.
And if your work requires you to communicate regularly, be present online. Communication is critical in any type of work.
As for Mike, he sees himself working long term in the industry—even up until he sees his grandchild. He knows his passion and purpose in life. And, that is enough to carry him further to success.
What do you think about DA Story: Mike Duruin Your Podcast Audio Engineer? We would love to hear from you in the comments below!
About Jaime Jay
Meet Jaime Jay – a man who wears many hats, and wears them all admirably. He's a master connector, an entrepreneur extraordinaire, and a published author who knows how to get things done.
Before he found his way to the business world, Jaime served his country as a brave paratrooper in the U.S. Army. But that's just the beginning of his many accomplishments.
He's the founder of the renowned Bottleneck Distant Assistant Services firm, and his book "Quit Repeating Yourself" has become a must-read for entrepreneurs everywhere.
When he's not busy building his empire, you can find him on his beloved Harley Davidson, cruising through the countryside and taking in the invigorating effects of Uitwaaien – a Dutch practice that involves facing the wind to boost health and relieve stress.
He enjoys spending his free time outside building stuff with his wife, Nikita the dog and their two kittens (for now at least) Tommy and Tater.
He is ‘over-the-moon’ happily married to his wonderful wife Sara, his amazing daughter, Jessica, who is serving our country as a United States Army soldier. Jaime and Sara are the proud grand parents of two beautiful little girls.
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