Rodney McNeil combines being an artist and an entrepreneur with the aim of helping others.
What’s your story?
As an artist, I live inside a canvas that never dries, where every act of expression leaves a deliberate mark. Each project opens a new path of creation, daring me to explore what’s possible. I am the author of four books and the founder of Mindnomaly, a creative imprint built to challenge comfort and curiosity. Poet, editor, speaker, and lifelong student of self-awareness, I create with intention. Purpose fuels my imagination, and imagination becomes action, shaping the work you see, and the worlds are still forming.
What excites you most about your industry?
The scale of my creativity is what excites me most about publishing, the moment when embryonic ideas take form and become something living. There is beauty in watching thought turn into impact, especially when my work invites others to embrace life and evolve into stronger versions of themselves. I carry no regret about the care behind my words; they reflect intention, not rush. As technology reshapes how we create and connect, it opens new doors for expression, expanding how readers, listeners, and seekers experience meaning.
What drives you in your career to push beyond what other people consider normal?
Quality, intention, and original thought are what drive me beyond the act of simply publishing. I am not here to exist, I am here to thrive. That pursuit isn’t measured by how much I release, but by the depth of meaning and clarity of vision behind it. If something I create cannot stir you, challenge you, or make you feel seen, then I have missed the point. Art is a dialogue, not a statistic, and life itself is defined by the connections we make.
What have been the most useful skills you have learnt and applied in your journey?
As a self-starter, I move with intention, intrigued with detail, and committed to cohesion. My drive to create is not borrowed from others; it is cultivated by listening closely to my own thoughts and shaping them into something meaningful. I value the subtlety most: like a proverb before an essay, the presence of 1s and 0s woven into a book cover. These small choices elevate the ordinary into the unforgettable. Every project begins with vision. I see the finished work before I ever begin, then execute with clarity.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Take a chance. You will never discover what is waiting if you do not step forward. I learned to pursue my ideas without fear, because fear doesn’t protect, it paralyzes, stealing opportunities that never return. To anyone reading this: you have more to offer than you realize. Choose brilliance over hesitation. Act before doubt convinces you to stand still, and let courage, not regret, be the mark you leave on your life.
Who inspires you?
Beyond the 2Pacs and Shakespeares, I’m inspired by people who are accidentally good, the ones whose brilliance is not overengineered. They remind me that not everything meaningful needs to be calculated or rehearsed. Some moments demand instinct over strategy, feeling over formulas. When necessary, let emotion lead; achievement can arrive naturally, without force. Adapting your technique while staying present creates a rare balance: intention without obsession, progress without paralysis. That’s where authentic creation lives when you stop overthinking and start trusting the moment.
What have you learnt recently that blew you away?
It still amazes me that art, both in schools and across society, is so often the first to be underfunded. We praise it in conversation, celebrate its impact, yet dismiss it as a hobby when budgets are drawn. Artists are expected to inspire without infrastructure, to contribute without consistent support. That contradiction leaves a vacuum where creativity should thrive, a space where voices struggle to be sustained. Until art is valued not just in words but in action, we continue to overlook one of the most powerful forces shaping culture and connection.
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
The only thing I would change is this: I would have stepped out sooner to build meaningful relationships. Entrepreneurship does not grow in isolation; exposure comes through people, and progress follows connection. A strong network becomes a living resource, offering insight, support, and momentum when it’s needed most. Still, I don’t linger on what could have been. Every misstep taught me what no manual could, and I carry those lessons forward, sharper, wiser, and ready to build with intention.
How do you unwind?
My favorite way to unwind starts with movement. A solid workout clears my head in ways no conversation ever could; it burns off stress, loosens tension, and resets my focus. By the time I’m finished, the stress is gone, and the calm settles in. That is when I relax, usually with a good movie. Film becomes the cool-down, the reward after the release, time to sit back, breathe, and let the story carry me the rest of the way down.
What is a major mindset change, belief shift or ‘ah ha’ moment that you’ve experienced in relation to your career?
Being an entrepreneur and a creative means walking a path that’s anything but predictable. The uncertainty is real, but so is the transformation it brings. My mindset has shifted from What if I can’t? to I will.
The momentum is mine to build, and mine to protect. Waiting for someone else to hand me greatness is wasted time. Instead, I’m choosing to carve my own path, step by step, idea by idea, powered by movement, intention, and the belief that I am capable of becoming exactly who I envision.
Everyone in business should read this book:
I haven’t cracked open a business book yet—but I’ve spent time in the offices of managers and CEOs. And the titles sitting on their shelves say a lot. I keep seeing the same ones: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey and The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene.
Those books have become symbols, not just of leadership, but of the mindsets people at the top choose to surround themselves with. Even without reading them, their presence inspired how I think about success, influence, and the kind of leader I want to become.
Shameless plug for your business or career:
If you haven’t read Analog Introspection (AI): The Experience yet, you’re missing the book that dares to whisper what your devices drown out. Opening with “On the outer limits of Wi-Fi, human frequency lo-fi, non-mechanized,” it asks a rare question: “Anyone have an ear to give?”
Each poem drifts between screen-glow and silence, exploring digital addiction, data privacy, and the fragile music of simply being alive. This is not a manifesto, but it is a mirror, a reminder that the world’s greatest instrument is you.
Shameless plug? Absolutely. Because this experience is worth your full attention.
How can people connect with you?
People can connect with me on social media or my email: texassizediesel@gmail.com
Social Media Links?
Rodney McNeil
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20366528.Rodney_McNeil
https://www.facebook.com/rodney.mcneil.56
https://www.instagram.com/texassizediesel?igsh=bGo1cW5wZ3c5MGZt&utm_source=qr
https://www.youtube.com/@rodneymcneil
https://www.youtube.com/@rodneymcneil
This interview is part of the CallumConnects series.