Ep 169: Sounds True with Tami Simon
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Ep 169: Sounds True with Tami Simon
Episode 169: Show Notes
In this week's episode, host Light Watkins delves into the remarkable journey of Tami Simon, the visionary founder of Sounds True – the publishing company responsible for bringing Light's 4th book, Travel Light, into the world.
Tami's unconventional path began while working at a greasy Chinese restaurant, ultimately leading her to heed an inner calling and start recording spiritual teachers in her town.
This catalytic decision paved the way for the birth of Sounds True, where Tami collaborated with a business-savvy partner to publish influential works by spiritual luminaries such as Eckhart Tolle and Michael Singer.
Uncovering the essence of Tami's journey, the episode explores the mission behind Sounds True and its commitment to amplifying messages that resonate as authentically true.
Light engages in a conversation with Tami, unveiling insights into the heart of Sounds True, its initiatives, and the enduring relevance of her story, even though the original interview dates back to 2021.
You are invited to join in and draw inspiration from Tami's profound narrative, reaffirming the transformative power of embracing authenticity on the path to purpose.
Key Points From This Episode:
What Tami’s favorite toy or activity was as a child; why she loved football.
Learn about her upbringing in a liberal Jewish family and their early emphasis on education.
The idea she heard echoed in her house: you’re judged by your actions and your good name.
The existential concepts she was interested in as a child and how Sounds True could be seen as a product of her desire for “real conversations.”
Find out why Tami says that books saved her life, particularly the work of Hermann Hesse.
Why she saw herself as a self-described outsider from a young age.
How she viewed success as a teenager and why she wanted to be a philosophy professor.
What led her to study at Swarthmore and be introduced to Professor Gunapala Dharmasiri.
Why Tami says she felt a sense of homecoming in the three Buddhist marks of existence.
What inspired her to leave college and go on a personal pilgrimage from Sri Lanka to Nepal.
How she found her mentors in books; she had the mystics, and they were with her.
Hear about Tami’s first experience of meditation on a 10-day retreat in Sri Lanka.
The story of how she waitressed in what she describes as a greasy Chinese restaurant.
How she discovered her love for audio journalism by working at a community radio station.
The prayer that came to her during a rebirthing session at the time: “God, I’m willing to do your work. Please, show me what it is.”
The sequence of events following the death of her father that led to her starting Sounds True.
How "disseminate spiritual wisdom” came to be Tami’s code words and guiding principle.
Some of the first recordings that Tami made and how she came to speak with some of the great spiritual teachers of the 1980s.
The early days of her cassette recording business and how it evolved into Sounds True.
Hear about the operating principles she developed with her first ever business partner.
The three bottom lines of Sounds True: be true to the mission, make every step of the process beautiful and honorable, and make some cash!
Why Tami believes that the ‘how’ is just as important as the ‘what’ or the end product.
How she came up with the name, Sounds True, and what is means: the sound of truth.
How she came up with the idea for the Prison Audio Project while moving apartments.
What Tami believes the people she has interviewed over the years have in common.
How she views success these days and what she hopes her name will mean; she gave it all.
The advice she would give her younger self: don’t waste so much energy worrying.
Quotes:
“Quite honestly, [I feel] a tremendous sense of debt; debt to the world, to take everything that I was given as a person and do some good stuff with it for other people.” — Tami Simon [0:20:08]
“When I went into Naropa, even this groovy university where people meditate as part of their coursework, I realized, I just didn't want to be in college. There was just something in me that wanted to be free.” — Tami Simon [0:42:56]
“As part of this rebirthing process, these 10 sessions, you're given the opportunity to say what your prayer is for your life. As a result of those rebirthing sessions, the prayer that came to me was, ‘God, I'm willing to do your work. Please, show me what it is.’” — Tami Simon [0:46:21]
“Disseminate spiritual wisdom – when I started Sounds True and people said, ‘What are you doing?’ – those were my magic words, because they were given to me. [Those were] my code words.” — Tami Simon [0:53:21]
“One, I needed to be true to this mission: disseminate spiritual wisdom. Two, I needed the process of our work, every step should be beautiful. Every step should be good. Every step should be honorable. Then the third part was, we’ve got to make some cash.” — Tami Simon [1:04:11]
“For me, the how is as important as the what. Whenever people tell you, ‘The ends justify the means’ – that doesn't work for me.” — Tami Simon [1:05:26]
“The tonal quality of someone's voice, the way they put their words together, everything impacts me in a very visceral way. When people are sharing deep truths, it's like, my whole body vibrates with the sound that is being expressed.” — Tami Simon [1:09:31]
“The people that are closest to me, I need to make sure I'm pouring out my heart for them all the time, every day.” — Tami Simon [1:16:18]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: