Not long after 9/11, in the fall of 2001, Ken Goodwin packed everything he could fit into his pickup truck, hitched a trailer, and drove more than 3,000 miles from New England to Los Angeles with one of his closest friends and collaborators, Dannel Vonn Dillon. They had a dream, a few songs, and a screenplay they had co-written called With or Without You. The two crashed on the couch of a childhood friend before settling into a small house in North Hollywood. There, they lived the Hollywood life, chasing ideas, writing music late into the night, and creating stories that blended heart, hope, and a little chaos. Together, they wrote and recorded an independent album, Oblivion, released in January 2009, and even pitched their screenplay directly to Jerry Weintraub, the legendary producer behind The Karate Kid and Ocean’s Eleven. Weintraub's team offered encouraging feedback and urged them to refine the story and resubmit. Though they didn’t pursue it further, that experience left a lasting imprint on Ken’s creative path. Before launching his own business, Ken worked in leadership roles within major corporations, including Anthem, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and Bank of America.
In 2011, he opened his own insurance agency, now a well-established and respected firm serving clients throughout California. Over the years, Ken has worn many hats — entrepreneur, coach, husband, and father — but his creative roots never left him. In 2025, at 50, he returned to where it all began: music. Under the banner Goodwin Made, Ken writes and helps produce songs that reflect his journey — blending hard-earned wisdom with the hope that even in pain, there is purpose. “Pick Yourself Up” was written from a deeply personal place, standing in that quiet space where adulthood and childhood grief collide. The song captures the humbling truth that no matter how grown or capable we become, loss can suddenly make us feel small again. It’s about missing the steady voice that once told you everything would be okay, and realizing how hard it is to be brave without it. At its core, the song reflects the words of a guiding figure—a father, uncle, or someone who played that steadyrole—echoing forward in time: “Don’t stay down long. Pick yourself up and move forward.”