RIVERBEND - D.C. Glenn, known for his group Tag Team and their famous song “Whoomp! (There It Is),” believes in curiosity.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
In a recent interview with Our Daily Show! on RiverBender.com, Glenn explained how his career has expanded since the success of “Whoomp! (There It Is)” 30 years ago. He encourages people to do everything they can to grow, which has kept him going through the years as he takes on new roles in his career.
“You cannot let life pass you by,” Glenn said. “That’s what happens to a lot of people. I’ve seen a lot of people that used to be youthful and vigorous and always wanting to learn and always wanting to soak up stuff and meet the challenges of life just kind of stop, and what happens is life passes them by…I’ve watched a lot of people I love do that, and to me, I think that’s what makes people leave this earth a little bit earlier than they want to and leave this earth a little bit unfulfilled. So I just vowed that I’m never going to let life pass me by.”
True to his word, Glenn has stayed busy. Over the years, he has studied to be a paralegal, a commodity broker and a publicist depending on what his career needs. He currently works as a motivational speaker and actor, and he is especially interested in search engine optimization (SEO). Altogether, these skills and attributes have made him a powerful figure in multiple industries
“Life is baked in the cake. The whole goal is not to get blindsided,” he explained. “Throughout my career, I’ve been blindsided many, many times, and the key is to vow it'll never happen again. You do whatever you need to do to educate yourself on whatever it is that had you stuck so it doesn’t happen again. And I’ve become masterful at it.”
Glenn’s devotion to learning was especially important during the 15-year legal battle over the ownership rights to “Whoomp! (There It Is).” Glenn said he and his Tag Team partner Steve Gibson were “in the middle” of the lawsuit between recording companies, and Glenn began studying law so he could understand the suit and interject where needed. He believes this is partly why he and Gibson are still able to “take advantage” of the song and sustain themselves with its success.
“Now ‘Whoomp! (There It Is)’ is in the nostalgic phase. It’s not going anywhere because I planted this seed 30 years ago and now it’s a sequoia,” Glenn said. “I don’t expect things when I do things because there is no quid pro quo in life. That's what keeps you stuck. I plant seeds and I keep it moving because you just never know how those seeds are going to grow. And now those seeds are coming back to harvest and now every year, every day, every month is fruitful for me because I put in the work.”
This — putting in the work — is a central theme in Glenn’s career. He said he has “never not known work” and has “had that hustle” since he was a kid. That mindset has guided him as he works on multiple projects at once, which he suggests to anyone who is trying to grow.
He also encourages people to educate themselves by joining organizations and interacting with other people. By learning from professionals who already do what you want to do, you increase your chances of success. Hard work and ambition have guided Glenn, and he encourages others to stay curious as they go through life.
“I love my life because I get to do a bunch of things a little bit. Nothing ever seems like a job to me. It’s all fun. That’s how I’ve balanced everything,” he added. “It’s the greatest time in history. That’s how you got to look at it. I can’t wait to get up the next day to see what I can learn and see what’s new and see how I can apply it and see how I can build and how I can evolve and how I can help others. All of these things are relevant and that’s what makes life worth living. You only get one. And I’m going to ride it until the wheels fall off.”
More like this:
