The Real Reason I quit Corporate and started Guitar Youtube

In 2018, I started working in Tokyo and Singapore simultaneously. Little did I know the path this would set me down.
0:34 Introduction
2:37 The Big Betrayal and I ended up working in Japan
8:05 The Big Change in my life
18:08 Lessons Learnt
Utkarsh Mohan is a Singapore based writer, musician and artist of Indian origin. Formerly in corporate senior management, he now pursues his passions and is also the owner of the Ministry of Guitar collection
You can also follow him on Instagram @ministryofguitar

[@SubhadeepDas]

As an Indian guitar player myself, it's so great to see someone belonging from my country start a channel like this. Your thoughts are always very insightful to listen to. I'm glad you moved away from that life towards doing something that actually makes you happy. Onwards and upwards

[@everythingbobbywolfe]

The Minister has spoken. We needed a channel like this.

[@ministryofguitar]

You are too kind

[@ivararnesen4115]

@@ministryofguitar Your channel has been one of the most inspiring guitar-related channels I've stumbled over in a long long time. Being 62 I tend to wonder "what am I doing, and what is the best path forward." I've been into guitars since my late teens; and have been working in Musical Retail for close to 20 years. Things Do change: and your videoes really have given me an eye-opener. Keep up the good work my good man! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[@thavesakchuensaichol4942]

Thank you for creating this channel; I learned much from you about corporate life and guitar. I couldn't agree more on the lesson you shared.

[@ministryofguitar]

Thank you. Glad it was helpful

[@jerrylev59]

When I worked in Big Pharma, I had a lot of discretionary income available to buy guitars with, but never enough time to play them as much as I wanted to, of course. As soon as you mentioned the guitar street in Tokyo near where you worked half of each month, I knew you were going to end up, like me, with at least 50 guitars. I was stuck in an office in Wilmington, Delaware, though, so my guitars were mostly purchased from Ebay. The corporate world is mercenary and merciless, glad you found a path to greater happiness and freedom, Utkarsh. I appreciate the insight and hard-won wisdom that you kindly share on this platform.

[@ministryofguitar]

Thank you for sharing your experience. And appreciate your kind words

[@colebq]

Very mature and down to earth. I wish you all the best with the future plans.

[@ministryofguitar]

Appreciate it

[@tshingtenglim965]

The moment you said you’ll be assigned to Tokyo …… guitar street came to my head and the rest is history.

[@GuitarVacation]

The life coach I need. Conquers the corporate machine and unapologetically uses all the financial gains to buy guitars. This is a man that aligns with my values haha. And. . .He’s so successful at whatever he does that he turned buying guitars into an avenue to drop the dependency on a corporate job, and is growing every day on KZbin. Hats off to MinistryOfGuitar. A true boss of life 💪💪💪💪

[@ministryofguitar]

You are too kind. Thank you

[@lonewolffgrey8983]

Best vibes bro,, thank you...

[@ministryofguitar]

Thanks dude

[@engelsjn]

Continue to love what you’re doing on your channel. Keep it up my friend 👍

[@spoonerluv]

I've really enjoyed watching your channel over the last few months. I was doing some thinking, and I realized it's because you were successful before KZbin, and not because of KZbin. Unfortunately the "big guys" in guitar KZbin pretty much end up being ad space for companies. Maybe that will be you someday, especially if you want to do this at the highest level possible, but I'm really enjoying your narrative driven videos.

[@ministryofguitar]

Thanks for your kind words and support. You raise a very good point on the 'big guys'. While I have started off using KZbin to build an audience as it has the highest reach, it is my intent to build a model that is not reliant on KZbin nor Advertising. It doesn't mean I'm against either of the two but I don't want to be dependent on it. I'm working on this and probably will launch this initiative once the channels gets to 25Kish subscribers. I have no intent of becoming an ad space for companies. If that's what I wanted to do, I would stuck to my marketing career

[@CVieg]

Thanks for putting this out. Really appreciate the honesty and transparency here. Gives me lots of hope atleast for maybe trying to do something in music during this life time

[@superlead1002]

I really love this blend between your background in business and guitar and how they tie together...I also agree, the company you work for is always looking out for itself first and foremost, not you; regardless of what they say. Always remember to take care of yourself first!

[@ministryofguitar]

Thank you for the kind words. And fully agree

[@expatriate-life4431]

Wish you much success and think you are putting out good content ✌🏽👍🏽

[@mattoneillmusic]

Great vid. Excellently put.

[@ministryofguitar]

Thanks. Appreciate it

[@katzensprung7449]

The number of guitars you need is always x+1, while x is the number of guitars you already have 😎. Great story, great channel, thank you for all your work!!

[@ministryofguitar]

Thank you. ANd yes it's a scientific formula

[@williamtm1965]

Utkarsh, with your love of guitars you should consider doing something in guitar industry. I have an idea for you - American music retailer Sam Ash was just sold to a new owner following bankruptcy. Sam Ash was founded 100 years ago, however it has been slow adapting to online selling, which was a major factor in their decline. I'd assume new owners would want to focus on online business. With your experience managing brands you'd be a perfect person to help them turn the company around!

[@ministryofguitar]

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement. I'm not quite ready to jump back into the Corporate world just yet (too many creative things to do) but never say never

[@Stephen-zx4uf]

Interesting share. Lots to reflect and curious where this is going.

[@ministryofguitar]

Thanks. More to come

[@scorchedearthdj]

i'm working on FIRE so that i can be a blues guitar player wearing three piece suits in dark bars.

[@garycoates4987]

Just a small note for a specific comment, I have really enjoyed the parts of Indian popular culture I've seen, I think you're right that most of other countries pop culture gets overlooked because of Japan being the one most people know of. I would love if you could at some point do a video of music artists in India and Singapore, obviously guitar based and heavier music would be the most interesting for the guitar audience, but any music artists in any genre you enjoy from your part of the planet would be amazing to listen to. As a teenager I really dived in deep with Indian classical music with sitars sarod as well world music like Turkish oud and saz music but then I discovered African pop music, I love the aspects of more exotic pop culture incorporating aspects of traditional art and music. So please introduce us to famous and important musicians from India and Singapore?!

[@ministryofguitar]

Thanks for sharing. I have been considering doing this but not sure about the traction. The thing is, and that is one reason I keep asking folks to like/subscribe/share, is the whip hand of the youtube algorithm is brutal. One poor video leads to a cascade of deprioritization by the algorithm. I'm waiting to get to a certain size and start slowly building a non youtube reliant model, so I can cover many topics that may not have mass appeal but I would love to do

[@antoonhermans8953]

It's like johan cruijff ( famous dutch soccer player ) once said : all negatives also have a positive side . And from what i myself have learned in live it can also be vice versa , so there you go , live in a nutshell : )

[@ministryofguitar]

Agree

[@Steven-kj7xq]

Really enjoyed listening to your story and your journey (so far). Thanks for posting!

[@ministryofguitar]

Thanks. Appreciate it

[@AlanW]

Great story, looking forward to hearing more. I learned early on that companies will tell you they are "like a family" up until they need to "restructure", and then you see the truth of an amoral entity. It's such a balance between valuing yourself and providing value to the company, doing what's right, doing what the business needs now, and doing what will make your collegues appreciate and like you. Everything in any organization is politics. I think if you moved to Geneva, you'd be collecting Chronographs instead of guitars. 😆

[@ministryofguitar]

Haha I’ve steered clear of watches knowing my addictive nature. But yes I’m very suspicious of corporate martyrdom culture as I call it where young fresh grads are indoctrinated to give their all for the company as if it’s some higher cause

[@TimatorA]

great to see your channel going so well. Been watching since about 3k I think. very good mate, I'll have to send you one of my guitars when I have some prototypes built XD

[@ministryofguitar]

Thanks man . That sounds pretty cool (the guitar building). Looking forward to know more

[@AScottB]

SUBSCRIBED: Your videos feed my mind and that feeds my soul. Thank you!

[@ministryofguitar]

I’m very honoured to hear that. Thank you

[@ESP77769]

It is almost virtually impossible to balance a corporate life/family life/creative life. You'll end up with a difficult choice in life eventually. I've noticed in all those situations, you'll always have music, and music will poke it's head out constantly to remind us that. When all else in life leaves you (finances, health, family, etc) you will always have music. We worry about succeeding so much, we forget to live life...

[@ministryofguitar]

I fully agree. We often lose track

[@Scott__C]

The main problem, especially in the US, but elsewhere now too, is that money is equated with success. And also too often in corporate world, your time is taken up in forced social situations. I know too many who have few or no friends outside their work life.

[@robertaugustine5350]

Great video! Also worked for a big, multinational company and although I was not in their senior management (nor ever wanted to be] I got the rope-a-dope as well on an international assignment. Best career move ever not taking that. God has a better plan for your life and future if you wait on Him. No idea you also spoke French 😂

[@ministryofguitar]

Thank you for sharing and your kind encouragement. Btw I don’t speak French (nor Japanese for that matter). I think one good thing about the modern world is that you can still get along and a lot of companies just operate in English

[@robertaugustine5350]

@@ministryofguitarTo get my French joke, listen to your description of Japan at the 7:29 mark 😂

[@jimabrahams3576]

Another great one. Man, can I relate to certain elements of this! 😄

[@ministryofguitar]

Thanks

[@etoineschrdlu9382]

Great story. Sometimes you are rewarded more for the promotions and assignments you don't receive than for the ones you do. I look over my career and note that every time I was passed over for promotion, lost the assignment I was promised, or given the dreaded assignment that no one else wanted, those were the years I received the best raises and bonuses.

[@ministryofguitar]

Yes it is strange how life works out that way

[@sirbaronvoncount4147]

Because you seem like a kind person I don’t resent you for retiring so early. Lol Hard times are divine blessings

[@ministryofguitar]

Thank you. I appreciate you taking a positive view

[@GypsyLane]

The Karma stream flows in mysterious ways…

[@ministryofguitar]

For sure

[@user-jy3io4iz2p]

Nice story, any chance buying a Tokai?

[@ministryofguitar]

Haha not buying anything

[@willowwale2000]

So you traded a well-paying advertising job to collect guitars, there is something you're hiding

[@ministryofguitar]

I quit when I got reasonably financially independent . KZbin happened later. And most of my collecting was done before I quit

[@bobsguitarstudio715]

Why did Gillette go woke? Wouldn't you have been part of it at the time?

[@ministryofguitar]

Gillette went woke mainly in North America. Luckily in Asia we were spared a lot of it

[@jasondorsey7110]

​@@ministryofguitarWokeness is a spiritual cancer, the nutjobs telling us how to live our lives are miserable in their own