How to NAMM Like a Pro: Gear, Endorsements and Real Friends (Episode 201)

Everything you do is an audition.

That includes the three days you spend walking the floor of the NAMM Show. In Episode 201 of The Career Musician, recorded a week before NAMM 2026, Nomad and TCM Pro Team co-host Joel Meza sat down to break down how to NAMM like a pro. Nomad has been to at least a dozen NAMMs. Joel was heading to his fifth. Between them, they covered gear, endorsements, energy, and the one thing that actually pays off when you get there.

If you are looking for real NAMM tips for musicians, not hype, here are the lessons worth taking with you.

Don't be jaded. Let yourself be excited.

Joel noticed something early on the road. In every music city, the locals say the same thing. He went to Austin for the first time, excited, and the musicians told him it was better 10 years ago. Then Nashville: better 10 years ago. People in LA treat NAMM like a local thing, "it's whatever." Then he goes home to Salt Lake, and people tell him they would love to go to NAMM one day.

"What a terrible thing to say. It was better 10 years ago. That means that you're living in the past."

Nomad, 8:54

Joel's answer is simple: it's okay to be excited about something. When you are close to something, it is easy to take it for granted. Walk in like it matters, because it does. That is the Mindset pillar, and it is where Energy, the E in the ETHOS code, starts.

Make friends, not "networking"

When Joel described what NAMM is really about, he did not use the word networking. He said making friends. Nomad caught it right away. The approach is the TCM three-foot rule, which Joel learned from his teacher: if someone is within three feet, talk to them. Some of them will be cool, you will hit it off, and you will become friends.

Nomad's example: at a bar with TCM Pro Andy Bond, the house band guitarist, who was saying he knew he needed to network more, Nomad asked about his sneakers. A remake of an old Reebok Nomad used to own. Deep down that rabbit hole, Nomad told him: congratulations, you just got networked.

The point: pick one genuine thing, one commonality, and talk about it. It does not need to be about the gig. Maybe it is the hat you are wearing. That is your icebreaker.

Energy is currency

You are going to meet some jaded people. Joel's goal is to break them. He told a story about meeting a band at the airport for a new gig. One player was cold to him, so Joel kept joking and talking with him. His rule: I'm not going to match your energy. You're coming up to mine.

Joel pointed to Kenny Aronoff, the longtime John Mellencamp drummer and one of the most famous touring and session drummers around, who is known for bringing happy energy into a room. Joel recalled hearing that Kenny saved more sessions than anyone can count, just by the vibe he brings.

What if you are an introvert? Joel's advice: you don't have to be fake. Be the best version of yourself, and push your comfort a little, because that's where growth happens. Start by smiling. Say hi, repeat their name. Nomad tied it straight to the ETHOS book: attitude plus vibe equals energy. Keep a positive attitude, and if you can't catch a vibe, just smile and be glad you are there.

The flip side: when you care too much, it can hurt your performance. Sometimes the less you grip, the better it goes.

What endorsements really are

Joel has passed on an endorsement before. A stick company offered, but he loves playing Vic Firth and did not want to switch to a brand he did not care about. For him, an endorsement means you truly believe in the product.

He also warned about the other side. Some companies hand out "endorsements" to anyone with a pulse, and the deal turns out to be 5 or 10% off retail. When a friend of his hit trouble on tour with one of those companies, the cymbals broke and the support wasn't there. Another player he knew bounced between five or six boutique brands for the same product, calling each one his new voice. That cheapens the word, and it gives you a bad reputation.

Real endorsements look different. Nomad has been doing gigs with Nathan East, who has played Yamaha exclusively for 40 years. Some deals are exclusive, like John Mayer going from a Fender guy to a PRS artist. Some are non-exclusive. A friend of Nomad's, the music director and guitarist for Josh Groban, does not endorse any one company because he plays guitars from several and does not want that restriction. And a deal does not have to be everything for free. An artist discount on a $1,500 piece of gear is still a win.

Deals happen through relationships

Every endorsement Joel has seen happen at NAMM came the same way. A friend who already had a deal walked them up to the artist rep and introduced them. Nomad got his own amp deal like that: a friend, drummer Dave Hooper, was the artist rep at Behringer and hooked him up with a Bugera amp. He still has it in the garage.

"When you have to go in and create your own value, it can be really hard... Value is created, I think, over time."

Joel Meza, 30:33

"Trust comes over time... That's why I say don't network, but cultivate relationships, because that's what's going to pay off."

Nomad, 31:37

Relationships outlast companies, too. Nomad was endorsed by D'Addario strings for years, until his rep retired and his way in was gone. Reps leave and deals lapse. That is normal. Keep the relationships warm so you can bring them back to life. Work begets work.

Go with goals, not delusions

NAMM can overwhelm you. Joel's fix: go in with one or two missions. He was about to leave on a three-month tour as music director for a young country artist, building a redundant Ableton playback rig, so his list was a compact MIDI controller for playback and an infrared mic mute that shuts a drummer's talkback mic off when you lean away. Nomad turned it into a pitch: tell people about the tour you are prepping, and the conversation might end in a deal or an artist discount.

Then there are last-day deals. Overseas manufacturers pay a lot to ship gear in, and shipping it back can cost more than selling it cheap. Nomad's fretless guitar and his charango both came home that way. That's Savvy.

And remember NAMM is more than a gear expo. As Joel learned from Nomad's earlier conversation with NAMM's president, the organization works year round on things like endangered wood guidelines and international shipping rules, with dozens of panels on social media, AI, mental health and business. Act with urgency, Nomad says, but have a patient mindset.

Say yes more, but stay discerning

Joel's latest lesson is to quit shutting things down because they don't match the picture in his head. Five or ten years ago, would he have pictured himself as a podcast co-host? Probably not. Nomad called it the proof in the pudding. Learn to say yes. There are still thresholds: drive 80 miles to play for tips? That's a no, unless it is a friend you love playing with. Evaluate each opportunity. No blanket rules.

Nomad also made the case that content counts. If you are a musical influencer who doesn't play out, every post you put in front of a camera is technically a gig, because you have to prep for it. Everything you do is an audition.

The takeaway

How to NAMM like a pro comes down to this: show up excited, bring the energy, talk to everyone within three feet, know what you're looking for, and build relationships that outlast any one company or rep. Joel and Nomad themselves are proof. They met at an audition, stayed connected for three years, and worked a bunch of gigs together before Joel joined the show. If an audition is coming up for you, grab the free Audition Secrets guide first. Make Music Your Business.

Get the gig. Keep the gig. Build the career.

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