Trust Your Taste
String Music: A Newsletter from Dr. Hunter Taylor
Trust Your Taste
The Presentation
A friend of mine was preparing for an important presentation.
A real opportunity.
As we talked it through, I noticed something.
He wasn’t leading with why he believed in the idea.
He was leading with what he thought the audience would think.
What would land.
What would resonate.
What would get the nod.
It’s natural.
But it’s also limiting.
Because the best partnerships - the ones that actually work - aren’t built on guessing someone else’s preferences.
They’re built on conviction.
Why you believe it matters.
Why you want to pursue it.
Why you genuinely think it will serve the other person.
That’s different.
And people can feel it.
Where It Starts
I see this with our kids.
They’re at that age where social awareness is rising.
And with it, the temptation to adjust.
To like what others like.
To say what others say.
To fit.
We try to remind them often:
What makes you special isn’t how well you blend in.
It’s how you’re wired.
What you’re curious about.
What lights you up.
Who you naturally connect with, and why.
Real connection doesn’t come from trying to enter a group.
It comes from genuinely liking people, and letting that be enough.
The Work
I see it in my own work too.
It’s that time of year - spring sports, summer planning, new cycles starting.
And I’ve been thinking about a project I’m still really proud of: Draw the Line.
A little over a year ago, I decided to record the audiobook.
Not because it was the obvious next step.
But because I was curious.
I wanted to learn how to bring the passages to life.
To capture the tone, the pacing, the personalities.
To do justice to the people behind the stories.
It took time.
Energy.
Focus.
But it was worth it.
Because it came from interest, not optimization.
And I’m still proud of it today.
Click here for Draw the Line on Audible.
The Leadership Lesson
Most people start with:
Will they like this?
The better question is:
Do I believe in this?
Because when you build from your own curiosity and conviction:
Your energy is different.
Your clarity is sharper.
Your work has weight.
You’re not guessing.
You’re leading.
Your Challenge
This week, try this:
1. Audit your filter.
Where are you optimizing for approval instead of conviction?
2. Double down on something that genuinely interests you.
Not because it’s strategic. Because it’s true.
3. Finish something you care about.
Not halfway. Not “good enough.” All the way through.
That’s where your best work lives.
The Final Reflection
You don’t build meaningful work by chasing what others might like.
You build it by trusting what you know is worth doing.
Start there.
This newsletter is reader-supported, and always free.
If you enjoy it and want to support my work, the best ways are simple:
Pick up one of my books — including Draw the Line, now available on Audible.
It helps me keep writing and sharing these ideas - and it means a great deal.