Transcription

• Speaker #0

  Have you ever felt pulled towards something? A quiet voice that kept calling, a dream or project that just keeps showing up no matter how many times you try to ignore it? Today's guest is going to help you understand why and how to start listening to that voice. Welcome to Unleash Your Inner Creative with Lauren LaGrasso. I'm Lauren LaGrasso, a three-time Webby Award-winning podcast host and producer, singer-songwriter, and creative coach. And this show is meant to give you tools to love, trust, and know yourself enough to claim your birthright to creativity and pursue your wildest dreams. Today's guest is singer-songwriter Sofia Galate. Sofia has sold out headlining shows across the U.S. and Europe and built a devoted following around her soulful voice and deeply honest songwriting. What I find most fascinating about her is that she spent years trying to convince herself she didn't want to be an artist, even managing very successfully other people, until she absolutely knew she needed to share her own voice. In this conversation, we talk about how to know when a dream is really meant for you, what happens when you stop denying your creative desires, and why the path to your purpose is rarely a straight line. Usually, there's a lot of squiggles. We also get into how to develop self-trust, build community, overcome fear, and how Sophia went from helping other artists build their careers to finally having the courage to build her own. This is one for anyone who's felt called towards something, but wondered if they were brave enough to answer. Okay. Let's get into it. Here she is, Sophia Galate. Sophia, I'm so excited to have you on. I think you are such an incredible artist. And also, I was just telling you, such a smart businesswoman. And there's so much to share and learn from. So thank you for being here on Unleash Your Inner Creative today.

• Speaker #1

  Thank you so much. May I ask you a brief intro question while we're here?

• Speaker #0

  Yes, you may.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah, I would just like to know how you found me.

• Speaker #0

  I found you on threads.

• Speaker #1

  Okay.

• Speaker #0

  And you would what I love because I also make music is you have so much stuff that is like for the fans. But then you also have great educational content for indie artists. And I do a lot of different things. So I have music, that's one part of my brand, but podcasts. I'm also a public speaker and a coach. And so I love it when people like have a teaching element of their brand. And that's what made me lean into you because I was like, Oh, wow, like, for my artist stuff, I could learn so much from Sophia and how she's shown up.

• Speaker #1

  Thank you. Yeah. I kind of just started like leaning into that. Um, cause you know, I worked in the industry before I was an artist. So I also feel like part of me, I want people to know all the things that I do by myself because I'm looking to build my team. So I want people to kind of, I think people think that I, like, I just reached out to somebody yesterday and I was like, Hey, just want, I'm just starting to let people know that I'm like, seeking management. Like I've been self-managed for so long. He was like, whoa, like I thought by now you had a team because the way that you've been moving, like totally looks like you have manager. I'm like, I know, but I would like help soon, you know?

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. It's insane. It looks like you have a major branding company working with you. Like if you, your EPK is on your website. So this isn't like inside baseball. Someone can go on your website and see this. Check out Sophia's electronic press kit. It is. better than a lot of major artists like you know my whole rollout is better yeah it's it's insane how put together everything is i'm like so i want to get into that because i just think i mean you could make a killing just teaching people how to do that because most people thought about it but like then it would steer my whole yeah

• Speaker #1

  focus into not being an artist because i thought about that and then my like somebody like that i know was like let's stay the course of what you're doing because that's a whole job in itself.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. That's the hard thing when you're super talented, you could just go in so many directions.

• Speaker #1

  I like, I used to do that. I was a manager, you know, and like, I have another passion and like, I mean, I have something on my website where people can like sign up to like have an hour long consulting with me, but it's really where I'm just talking and giving them ideas. I'm not like making their fucking, sorry, I'm not going to swear. I'm not making, oh, I'm not making their mood board for them, but I, I, I really enjoy creative directing. for myself and I've really enjoyed mood boards. So I was like, oh, I would love to do this for somebody, but it's, it's impossible for me to do something for somebody else when I'm receiving no help from anybody right now on my own stuff. So I've had to like, be like, let's focus, you know?

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. For bandwidth issues. I mean, that's the best way to do it though. Like consulting is amazing because you get in, you give people the ideas and then it's up to them to execute. So I might sign up for one of those with you, but Into Your Gorgeous Story. I watched a little clip and it said that music first entered your heart when you were five. But tell me the story of how you realized music was your thing. And like what told you it was right and kept calling you toward it?

• Speaker #1

  So I started, well, I think like even before I started in musical theater when I was like in elementary school. But I, but I, um, before that I was like in ballet and stuff like that. But I really was like, I loved watching Shirley Temple. And for those of you that don't know Shirley Temple, she was like a child star from like the 1930s or something. I don't know. So early on. I loved Shirley Temple and I loved The Wizard of Oz. Like I watched The Wizard of Oz like every weekend. And so I really, that was kind of like my first. And like, you know, those were like young female performers. I don't know what like got me to do. There was just like a local musical theater company in my town. And so some of the first plays that I, musicals I did was like Bye Bye Birdie. and Guys and Dolls and things like that.

• Speaker #0

  Who did you play in Guys and Dolls?

• Speaker #1

  I think I was just like in the ensemble. Same with Bye Bye Birdie, I think. And then because I was like so young and just new into it. And then I did musical theater like throughout elementary school. And I just had a lot of fun with it. And my parents played a lot of... My dad was very just into oldies, like really played a lot of just Motown and Frank Sinatra and the Doobie Brothers. And my mom had a lot of like singer songwriter, Carole King, James Taylor stuff going on. They also listened to Sade. And so I feel like I had a good, also my, my, my mom worked and my dad was a stay at home dad. And my, so my dad, Um, like so much of my love for like soul music comes from my dad because I was in the car with him and he was just playing K Earth 101, which is the oldie station in LA. And so I feel like I grew up listening to like Seed Wonder and the Temptations and the Four Tops and all that type of stuff. So I feel really lucky for that. Um, you know, having been introduced to that genre as a white person, like so young. So, um, anyways. And then I threw, when I got into middle school is when I joined choir and I was always singing in the choir, but there was one, I was still doing musical theater, I think in middle school. And then by the time I got to high school, I just stopped doing musical theater and was just doing choir. But there was a local talent show outside of school called, also I grew up in Malibu, super small town, called like the Rotary. I don't know. It was just like a small singing competition that was local. And I was still like singing in the competition with other kids from my school, even though it was outside of my school. And I, I, I had never had like, so usually our choir concerts were like, okay, the middle school choir would come out or the girls choir would come out and do a few ensemble songs. And then like in between the choir songs, like. A student would come out on stage and do like a solo song. And that's something you would have to audition for. I had never done a solo song at any choir concerts yet. And so I auditioned to be in the local competition. And I sang Let's Stay Together by Al Green. I was in seventh grade. And I lost to this girl named Ren. Ren and I were probably like the best singers in my grade. But Ren was like the girl. Like she got. everything she had every solo she all throughout middle school throughout high school like I she was also in musical theater and like had all so anyways I lost to Ren yeah I lost to Ren in I mean she was a really gifted vocalist at such a young age a lot of people that I went to high school were she won that year and then I did that competition again in eighth grade and I sang This song, ironically, the song is called Nobody Knows, but nobody knows this song. It's by Pink, but it's a ballad by Pink. And I used to love, Pink was like my favorite artist at the time. And I always loved her like slow piano ballads that no one really knew. People knew her song Glitter in the Air that came out later, but Nobody Knows was like one of her earlier ballads. And I won Rotary that year in eighth grade. And so because I won, I was able to sing that song as a solo. during my choir concert. And so I sang that. I like remember this so significantly. It was like when I was in eighth grade and I sang that at my school concert. it was like, I still have a recording, like an audio recording of it. That's when we all were like, Oh my God, like I'm a singer. It was kind of like such a moment. Even like my friends I grew up with, like still know that like, nobody knows it's my like debut song. So it's so funny because if I listen back now, I'm like, I wasn't really that good. But,

• Speaker #0

  um, I mean,

• Speaker #1

  I was good in high school, but how much technique do you know? You know? So nobody knows was kind of like my like song that kind of kicked it off. And then pretty much every concert. Throughout all my high school choir concerts, I always had a solo song.

• Speaker #0

  When did you start writing music?

• Speaker #1

  Not till I was an adult. Like not until I started becoming an artist like five, six years ago. Wow. So what's interesting is it's so interesting. Like I feel like because I was adjacent to LA, I maybe had like less, weirdly had less knowledge of like actually how to like get into the music industry. I feel like these people that... maybe I'm making this up, but I feel like people who live in like small towns out in other parts of the country, like they know that like living in LA and pursuing this dream is like such a big thing. So they like decide when they're young that they want to achieve this. Like, I wish I like knew that when I was younger so that maybe I would have been farther along at this point. But, and I always wanted to be a singer, but I don't think I had identified like that I wanted to be an artist and like that required writing music. I wrote one song in high school. called Nothing Really Matters. And I could still like play it if I wanted to. It's a super simple song, but it was like, and I remember I sang it in like a class one time, but that was the only song I ever wrote. I even studied music in college and I didn't even really write songs then. Maybe like ideas. I didn't really start writing music until, so my first EP that I put out is called Sophia. Those songs on that EP are like really the first songs I ever wrote in my life. And that EP came out in 2021.

• Speaker #0

  That's so cool. Okay, wait, so I want to backtrack a little bit because you mentioned at the top that you were a manager, you worked in touring. How did you end up starting out that way? Was your intention always to become an artist?

• Speaker #1

  So when I was in high school, I always performed like I had a lot of confidence as a singer. It was kind of like my identity as a kid was that I was a singer. I also was really into sports though. So like I was also a water polo player and I feel like, you know, when I tell people like my identity as a kid was singing, I was like, I feel like water polo was actually just as important to me. Like when I think about my life as a kid, like it wasn't actually all choir. It was like so dedicated to water polo. So, but I remember like having sometimes like to miss games because I had to go to a choir thing and like vice versa. So anyways, I always like really. had, I always knew that I had like a, and people around me like knew that I had a talent and like a gift of really like stage. I've had stage presence since I was young. And I went to college in Chicago. And when I went to college, I studied music. My school wasn't a music school. So the music program was like really small. And I. always knew that wherever I was going to go, I was going to do some sort of music in college. But it was like, once I moved to out of my hometown, that's really small. Um, I got really fearful. I was like, Oh shit. Like pursuing being a singer is actually really scary and really almost like embarrassing to say that I want to do something so challenging. It's like when you're a little kid and you're like, I want to be a famous basketball player. And it's like, good luck. I was almost like reality hit me of like, actually, or it was like where I grew up, everybody already knew that I was a singer. So then I'm going somewhere new and I'm trying to convince people that I want to be a singer with nothing to prove. It was just like all the shame and like fear of doing something so scary, like came over me. Nobody put that on me. I just like developed it myself. And I tried to convince myself once I got to college that music was just going to be a thing that I did on the side because I was like, it's too daunting to pursue. So I just tried to really indoctrinate myself to believe that music was just a hobby, not something that I could pursue for real. And so I really downplayed my passion for it. I still like, if I would go to a friend's family's house and they had a piano, I would still always like sit down and play the piano or like, I still sang stuff at school, but I was not active in the city of Chicago as an... musician, which the Chicago music scene was thriving at the time. It was like Chance was having, Chance the Rapper was having his whole moment. And I was really such a fan of what was going on in the city at the time, but I was... not involved. But so my college was, um, I almost like sabotaged my own like musical pursuit while I was in college because I was just like, Oh, I'm not going to be a singer. So then I really didn't like care. Um, and so, but, but I remember like having challenges with like trying to convince myself. that it was just going to be a hobby because I really knew deep down inside that's not what I wanted.

• Speaker #0

  What were some of the signs that you were lying to yourself? Because I think so many of us do this because it is scary to want what you really want. That means you have something on the line. What came up emotionally, physically that taught you like, oh, this isn't actually true and I'm pushing a lifetime inside of me?

• Speaker #1

  There was a lot more of that after college. but some of the things in college, like I would. I would go like, you know, play the piano and sing for like new people that I'd met in Chicago. And they'd be like, whoa, you're so good. Like, they're like, wait, you don't want to do this? I'm confused. Like, they would be confused. I didn't want to do it. And then it was like, towards the end of college, like I started going to these like jazz jam sessions. And I would like literally sing the same jazz standard every time. And I remember loving that. I loved cutting up and singing. And but then I still like or, you know, like I would sing at my college, but I wouldn't really invite my friends, you know, but I still like looked forward to my performances. But I wanted to make it seem like it wasn't that big of a deal, which I think people is a detriment. It's like, OK, well, then no one's gonna take it seriously. It's like even if you which I'll tie that in. I'm going to pin. just that mindset for when I like first released a song because I had, I made some sort of like statement to make it seem real. Um, so anyways, when I graduated, I was just like, okay, like, I still want to work in music. So I'm just going to move back to LA and work in the music industry. I'll work for other artists. I'll be around and it'll be just as fulfilling because I'll be in it, but I won't have to like put myself out there and do something that scary. So I pretty much quit singing after college. Like, and when I say like quit singing, like obviously I was still taking music classes and singing in college, but like. I was like not even, I had a keyboard in my bedroom when I first moved back to LA. Like I wasn't even sitting at my keyboard and playing and singing piano like by myself.

• Speaker #0

  What did that do to you as somebody who music is such a part of who you are? How did you like shutting it out that drastically affect you?

• Speaker #1

  Well, so at my first job I worked at, I was an assistant to an agent at a touring agency called ICM and it's a really brutal job. You work like 15 hours a day. Like I didn't have any time to do anything else. But I was super naive that when I worked in the, when I first got a job in the music industry, I thought that even when you worked on the corporate side of music, everyone still had a background of like playing an instrument, you know, like, so I thought that like everyone was like, and then you learn that agents are, were just like losers in high school and they want to do something cool and they don't know anything about music, you know? And so anyways, I got that job. I kind of knew that it would just be like bootcamp for me to learn things about the industry. And it really was. So when I first moved back, I obviously moved back to LA where I'm from. And I would often run into people that I knew growing up. This was like the first thing that started making me like, oh, wait, everybody that I ran into that I had known from growing up would be like, oh, my God, how are you? Like, are you still singing? Every time. And that happened to me like hundreds of times. I'm not kidding. Over the course of like the year and a half that I worked there. And I was like, no. They're like, oh, okay. And like, I feel like after so many times of me saying no, I was like, oh, that actually like is sad to me. And so I wasn't, I noticed that, but I wasn't like, oh, it's sad and I want to be an artist. It was like, I was like, oh, like maybe I should just get a new job that's like closer to actual artists that are making music. Because right now, like I'm sitting at a desk pushing papers and it's very corporate and has nothing to do with music, even though it's booking concerts. But so that was one of the things. And then it was so funny. Like, I remember when I was leaving that job, I was like, I would talk to, um, I tried to convince myself that I wanted to be a songwriter having never written the song. Like, cause I w that was my like cop out of like, okay. Like I wanted, like, I want to be an artist, but I'm not, I don't, I'm not confident saying I wasn't, it wasn't convinced yet, but I was like, maybe I'll be a songwriter. But I'm like, I never even written a song. So... I, there were, it was almost like I had like a, like a devil and an angel, but like the angel being my artist voice, but my artist voice was like so small. It was like a tiny light. That sometimes it was almost like it would say something, but it would feel like anxiety to me. And then I would try to like suppress it. It would like, oh, but you do want to think. And I'd be like, nope. I just really wanted the thought of doing being an artist, obviously, because it is was so scary to me that I really was just like trying to suppress my my want to do it. And this is how, you know, this is really my purpose, because I tell people I'm like, I really tried to do something else for a long time. But this just had to. come out. That's why I feel so dedicated to it because it's something that I denied myself for so long. It wasn't like I've always been trying to do this. It's like I really tried to put myself in another position and it was just eating me alive.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. So what was the breaking point?

• Speaker #1

  So after I was... Sorry, it's a long story. There was several breaking points.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. But feel free to share them all until you were like, fuck this, I'm going to be an artist.

• Speaker #1

  I left ICM and I started... So I wanted... There's this collective called Soul Action. It's like a DJ collective that I'd kind of been a fan of for a while without really knowing what they were. They also like they just put on this really cool like R&B soul sultry sound for the past like 15 years. And I had met one of the DJs because him and his previous manager had come into ICM to meet with my boss. And I was like a fan. So I made a point to like connect with them. And this was probably like five months before I left ICM. So I remember I left, I told my boss like two months before it. I basically quit without a new job initially. I told my boss, I was like, I'm leaving on February 27th. And this was like January 6th, I told her. And about a month before I left, I texted. So the DJ that I had met, his name is Andre, Andre Power. I texted Andre's manager because I had got his number when he came into my office. And I was like, hey, like I'm. And I just knew that Selection was super creative. So I was like, maybe I could work for them and it'd be closer to like artists and creatives and just creative stuff. So I texted his manager and I was like, hey, I'm leaving ICM. I love Selection. What's good? Fast forward a little bit. His manager ended up hiring me. I was really young. I didn't really know what I was going to do because this guy was a con artist. But it was very, very elusive. But I came in with. really organized agency experience. And 90% of Andre's business was doing shows because he was a touring, he was a DJ, played all over the world. So I kind of came in and started like organizing Andre's life for him, immediately knowing that his manager was like, absolutely somebody I could not work for. So I worked for him for like two months. And then I basically was like, okay, I need to quit working for this man. And I was just like, I don't even know what I'm doing at the time and I was like freaking out. And I remember I told Andre, basically Andre loved me. And I, so I quit working for his manager and then he fired him. And then I kind of like accidentally became Andre's manager. And I remember that was like the most confusing thing in my brain. Cause I knew deep down that like, I wanted to be some sort of artist. It wasn't like fully committed yet, but I remember like saying, I remember like, you know, when I first was his manager, like I didn't even. I wasn't even comfortable saying that I was his manager for the first like six months because I just didn't want to be put in a box of a manager when I knew that I was something else. But I knew that it was going to be a great opportunity. I knew I would learn a lot. I was passionate about what he did. And I ended up meeting a lot of people through that. But basically when I became his manager, also I was really young, like so much younger than him. I also simultaneously was working on Red Table Talk at the time.

• Speaker #0

  As a producer?

• Speaker #1

  Like an assistant producer because the woman who ran the show, I used to... is from Chicago and I worked for her while I was in college.

• Speaker #0

  Okay.

• Speaker #1

  And so, which was also really fun. Like I love working over a table talk, but obviously super random. It's so, it's so crazy because it's like everything of my story, like even though I got detoured so many times was, is so important because when I was a manager, I was like, fuck, now I really can't be an artist, but I really miss singing. So I want to do something about it. So I downloaded like logic, this recording software. And I was like, let me just like try to write a song and record it. for my own self, for nobody else. And so like, I, um, cause I was just like, I, I keep fantasizing about all these things I want to do. They're giving me anxiety. I don't know if I want to be an artist. I'm, I keep hearing, thinking like, I also kept like, I would visualize myself doing all the things that I'm doing now. Like, I remember like, I remember so specifically like sitting at my red table talk desk and I would just like close my eyes and I would like see myself like in the studio or on the stage in the future. And I would say to myself, I was like, But it was scary. Those visualizations were scary because I knew that like transitioning into that would be so scary. And I remember saying to myself, I was like, I have no idea when I'm going to do that, but I just know that I will. I was like, it might be in 20 years from now, but I just know that it will. And, um, and then it was like, I would let myself have that dream for like a second. And then I would like shut it down and like go back to my work, you know? And so anyways, during that time I would like download a logic and I was like, let me just see if I can write a song. What's so important that I tell people all the time is, is like, and it's a good reminder to myself. I mean, it's. I mean, it's such a different phase right now, but it's like when you want to start something that you've never done, people often don't start because they're thinking of like the big goal of like and it's like, no, just do one thing. Like I remember I'm like, OK, if I really want to be an artist, let me let me just try to write a song and then like see how I feel doing that before I'm thinking about anything else.

• Speaker #0

  That's what I call micro dosing courage. Like you can't start from the arena tour. You know, if you try to do that, you'll never start because it is way too much.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. And like brick by brick.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. It makes it makes a big difference over time. I love that.

• Speaker #1

  And then like seeing once you complete that one thing, you need to assess how it makes you feel. And that feeling will tell you what you need to do next.

• Speaker #0

  Right.

• Speaker #1

  So like and that's even where I'm at right now. Like my tour was really amazing, but like very challenging behind closed doors. And I'm jumping around. but Now I'm in a place where it's like, okay, knowing that I don't have a team to execute a tour how I'd really want to do it, okay, then I'm not going to do a tour again right now. I'm going to do one-offs that are more sustainable for me because that's just what makes me feel better. Sure, I wish I had a big team and could do a tour, but that's just not the reality of what it is. But I'm going to figure out a way that I can bring my show to people. So anyways, I wrote a song and my intention for writing the song was not because I wanted... I had no, I wasn't even thinking about releasing music. I wasn't even thinking about sharing the song with anybody. I was just like, let me write a song because I miss singing. I clearly have some bottled up emotions. And I just want to see if I can even write a song. I've never even written a song before. So I wrote, the first song I wrote was like this really sad song. But the first song I really wrote that I thought was good is a song called Hey Baby. It's on my first EP. And I was like, oh, this is good. So then I was like, okay. And maybe I should show it to somebody and see if they think it's good. So I showed it to somebody, my roommate at the time, and she like cried. And I was like, oh, this is effective. Maybe I should show it to somebody else. So then I showed it to somebody else, like my mom. She thought it was good. And then I was like, okay, maybe I should write another song. So then I wrote another song. I thought that one was good. It was called Body. It was the first single I ever released. And then I showed that one to people. and people also liked it. And I was like, okay, maybe I should, I want to perform. I was like, I just want to perform because I used to perform all the time growing up and I love performing. I'm not performing because I want to be an artist. I'm just performing because I like to perform. And so because I worked in touring previously, I had a kid that I used to work with who is now booking like small venues in LA. So he booked me a show. It was in a small room of this venue called Hotel Cafe, which is like a staple in LA. The small room fit 90 people. I ended up selling it out word of mouth because at the time I was like never posting anything about me singing on my Instagram. And half the people that came were like friends and family that had known I was singing, that I was a singer. And then the other half was like my music industry colleagues who like bought tickets and were supportive. But they were like, we don't know what you're doing, but we'll come and support you. And I remember one thing that was really... More so that held me back was breaking the ice to people. I was never insecure about my talent. I was like, I just need to get people there. Once they see me perform, they'll understand. But like breaking the ice to people and telling people that I was like, I was a manager, that I was going to have a show.

• Speaker #0

  So how did you come out as an artist? Because I think that's something a lot of people deal with.

• Speaker #1

  I wasn't an artist yet here. I wasn't that yet. I was just having a show because I wanted to sing. I had no. expectations of the show, which is like a really beautiful place to be in is having no expectations because now it's really hard for me because now I'm like, I should be here. So this is a good reminder to myself currently. Yeah. Like I wasn't even Sophia. Like it was like Sophie G is having a show. Like that's what it was. I was always, people always called me Sophie, Sophie G growing up. And so I just had the show because I wanted, I missed singing and I wanted to sing. It was like truly for the love and passion of doing what I love. It's so funny. I played piano. I had two background vocalists, which I don't even have background vocalists now, but I was like.

• Speaker #0

  And then I had a guitarist and I even invited Andre, my like main client at the time. And I remember I was so scared to invite him. He knew that I studied music in college, but I always kept that side of me separate. Like I never talked about it because I was super professional about my job. I also was really young and I was a woman and I knew that that alone made me not taken seriously in the music industry. So I was very serious. Like when I was his manager, I was like. really like I didn't wear any revealing clothing I like when I would go to his parties I wouldn't even dance I wouldn't even drink whatever so like I was very professional about that so I told him about my show like a week before and he came and like people were blown away by the show like people who had never heard me before like oh my god like so the show went so well like better than I expected that that made me think like oh maybe I should record one of these songs and try to put it out. So it was like, everything I did told me what to do next I wasn't I did the show not because I was like I'm gonna be an artist and start recording and it was just like this is what I love to do and and like once I started doing the things so funny like I told myself never to do any of these things and then once I started doing them it worked you know I think we also do that we tell ourselves like not to try when we've never even tried and seen if it works out for us so um then and Andre was super supportive. He like posted and that's what like he's he's I always like love him I don't really like see him or talk to him anymore but he was always somebody who I mean he's an artist himself like he like he was he used to be part of the selection collective and now he does his own thing so I feel like we relate to each other in a way like I was doing this one thing and then I had this other passion so he was always like also once you saw me perform you're like oh it was kind of undeniable you know yeah

• Speaker #1

  But that's still really cool because I mean, I've worked in a lot of similar situations where I've been like supporting big people. And I'd say it's pretty rare that they're able to put themselves aside and still support you in a significant way just because like, no, there can be weirdness. Like, so I love to hear that he saw you and was like lifting you up while you were supporting him.

• Speaker #0

  And, and because like, I also was like really like, like. Like I said, like I really was cautious of that because something I was so fearful of that really held me back for a while, too, was like I want the transition. That's why I did my whole artist thing like over here, because I didn't want anybody to think that I was like using my clients to like I did it in a very professional way. That made me seem really humble about it because I was like doing it on my own. And so that that that's why also kind of like why my transition was kind of slow because I didn't want it to look messy. So anyways, and also like I have had friends that have like, for example, like one of my really good friends, her name is Brittany. She's a chef and she now works out, works at this like cookware company. And like her dream is to have her own cooking show. And she used to work in music and she's, she's so good. Like I always wanted her to be my manager. She, she helped me produce one of my music videos. And then I'm like, why am I like wanting to be my manager when like she clearly has a passion to be a chef? Like. I'm gonna let her fly even though she would be so good at the job because I was once that, you know? So it's like, I really have to recognize that in other people, even like I've had people that, you know, work with me and support me who like really aren't cut out to be on my team or that's not really what they want to do. So like, I really had to like learn to let people fly because people were gracious to let me do that. So anyways, my show was great. I ended up recording Body. It took me like a year and a half to figure out how to record Body because it was like such a learning lesson. I put out Body in September of 2020. I'm skipping a lot because I know I'm like talking so much. But anyways, and right before I put out Body, I like made a statement, kind of what I was saying earlier. I was like, I didn't want people to think that I was just putting out a song for fun. So I made the statement that basically explained like why I work in music in the first place. It's because I've always been a singer and I've always wanted to be a singer, but I've been too scared. But now I'm putting out a song like I wanted people to know that this was for real.

• Speaker #1

  How did you get the courage to do that after like pushing that piece of yourself? down for so long? Like what kind of like mental and emotional stuff did you have to go through and overcome to do it?

• Speaker #0

  So after my show, I had a friend who still one of my best friends today. His name is Gianni. He kind of like people were just like my friends were like very supportive and like encouraging of me to like get this song recorded. And he was helpful. And like I just had people that kind of like helped me figure out how to put the song together and also the pandemic. really was helpful because obviously everything shut down. I was working at another company at the time at this point and working for Andre and Like, because everyone's work slowed down, it allowed me to, like, like, I really didn't finish body and do all that stuff until the pandemic. So that allowed me, I mean, it was a transitional time for a lot of people. So I feel like it allowed me to, and I was, like, I started, like, maybe posting, like, one video of me singing, like, before I ever put out body. But yeah, I just, it was, like, I, I'm, my close friends around me, like, were really supportive. And that made me, like, gave me the confidence to do it. And, like, just the world slowing down. I even shot a music video for Body. And even that too, I was like, I had this idea for a music video. But at first I was like, I can't do music video. And one of my friends was like, why not? So, and then when I put Body out, I was still like Sophie G. Like I still feel like I was one foot in, one foot out. Even though I'd made a statement of like, this is who I am, whatever. And like I did a proper rollout. I got playlisted and stuff like that. But then I went into like a... I got really depressed after Body because it was like, I was like the same tug of war of like, oh my God, I know that I want to make an EP, but I don't know how to, like, no one's going to help me. Like it was just a lot of turmoil that I had to go through to like, then write some of my next songs. And then a girl that I had met through Andre, she's part of Selection, her name is Sahar. She and I became close friends during that time. and she kind of like came on. as like my creative director she just really believed in my music and she was like I'll help you creative direct this project so and like project manage it and like even though I was a manager I was a manager of a DJ so like I wasn't used to like knowing like the rollouts and all the stuff really for an artist so she helped me a lot with that and I really spent 2021 like rebranding into Sophia into my like my first EP was a lot aesthetically a little bit more like sophisticated like jazz looking this new project is a lot more like curly hair and like short pink dresses and like more fun. But she kind of helped me like rebrand. So I really kind of like took 2021 to like rebrand me. And it was like, then when I put that project out, which was the end of that year, I think that's when I really stepped into it. So like, I really tell people that like my first full year being an artist was 2022 because my project came out like Thanksgiving of 2021. And then it was like, once 2022 came, it was like really when I was like doing shows and like promoting the project and I was like confident in it whereas like 2021 I was like working it all out put the project at the end and then yeah so when did you stop doing any music business side hustle stuff like when

• Speaker #1

  when did that happen and when did you go full into artistry

• Speaker #0

  I was still kind of like assisting Andre in 2022 it was but that was weird for me because it was like I went from being this guy's manager to now only have the capacity to like being his like, how do you go from someone's manager to assistant? That's just like mentally weird. So that was kind of a weird transition, but you know, like Andre was also moving into a, he was moving like into a big space for himself. So it kind of was like, by the time I stopped working for him, it was almost like he was in a new stratosphere and then I was doing my thing. So it was like, he kind of needed a different type of management thing anyway. So it was, it was fine. Um, I did some like freelance, like marketing stuff from time to time. But I would say probably like 2023. And I've done like miscellaneous things here and there, but.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. We all dabble.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. That's where I like even doing the consulting thing is tempting to me because I'm like, that'd be such easy money, but I just know it would take up so much of my mental time where I'm trying to like. figure out my next artist stuff too. So yeah.

• Speaker #1

  Okay. Let's what an incredible story. I mean, there's literally so many great takeaways from it, but I love this idea that you and I align on with, with microdosing courage, with finally like definitively stepping out and saying the thing. I think there's so much, um, I always say this, the energy behind something is just important as a thing, if not more. So you stepping out like along with your first song. declaring that you were an artist was so important because it was like your declaration to take up space. And then just diving off and fully doing it. And I just think those are such great lessons for anyone who's listening, who does have a dream, who's been pushing it down to start to implement in their own life to inch toward the thing they want. I got to talk about your branding. Your Branding is insane. It is so beautiful. It's so well done. all so in the same world. You mentioned you worked with your friend on some of the initial stuff, but like, how did you get so good at it? And what's your advice for fellow indie artists on how to start cultivating their branding more intentionally?

• Speaker #0

  So, yeah, I would say that like my brand for my first EP is actually quite different from where I am now. My first EP, you know, I definitely think it made sense with the music and my friend who kind of took full reign on that. It was very like Sabrina Claudio inspired and more jazz inspired. And like... Even though I changed the branding, I still learned a lot of like detail of how to do things like from her, like even just like my mood boards and like knowing how to like approach my photo shoots and stuff like that. So when I was moving into this new era, I and I remember a couple of things. So I remember one. So my hair is naturally really curly. My favorite color has always been pink. And my first project, like obviously like the background is. My first EP is like orangey pink, but like I'm my hair is straight and I wore this beautiful long black dress. And I feel like a lot of my shows, I would straighten my hair and wear black dresses. And I remember one of my friends who like worked on my videos and visual sets with me. He said to me one time, he's like, yo, you're like really funny. And I think that needs to be more incorporated into like your brand. Like, you know, you're like, yes, you have these sad, beautiful songs, but like. when you come to my shows, like I'm so funny, I'm witty, I'm like crazy. And like, I have moments of sadness that are like, honestly, some of the most important parts of my shows. But so when I was moving into this next era, I was really thinking, I was like, okay, I want my music and my visuals to represent my personality. Like, I'm not chill. Okay. Like I'm fucking wild. Like I say, I'm super blunt. I'm a Leo. Like I need. So when I was moving into this next era, I was actually looking for creative directors and I was like trying to find one. And I just couldn't because of my like, I don't know, like I'm also like very keen on like energy. So it's like the reason why my friend, you know, helped me with my first project is like we became friends and she knew the music and we were close. Whereas like I wouldn't want to just bring in like a random creative director. Also, like I don't have the money to just bring in a random creative director that doesn't know me. So I really. kind of became my own creative director out of necessity because I didn't have one and I ended up I also like as I was like trying to interview creative directors I was like making my own mood boards so that I could share it with them and then it was like I made this whole mood board like what do I need them for if I've already done it and I really started to enjoy it like now creative directing like my I like sharpened my creative eye like so much and it was really fun too because then it was like my my entire anxiety and obsessions weren't just focused on my music. It was like, now I could like kind of have another outlet that was obviously related. And I remember I was also interviewing stylists and then I ended up just styling myself. I would go to like showrooms in LA and like pretend that I was a stylist, like pulling for people. And then I would like end up finding like, cause in showrooms you have to like rent them for like rent the dress for $250. So then I would just go and take pictures. And then I ended up finding the dress I wanted online somewhere for 125 and I could keep it forever. So like, I became really savvy with it for my new project. And I also just, I like spent so much time on Pinterest. There's a lot of other artists that like I studied. Like Sabrina Carpenter is really brilliant at like this Easter egg type things. Like just like the little things like at her show where like every night she has a different like outfit thing or there's like a play on word thing in the branding or like. There's another artist. Her name is Zina Delphia. She's a small, bigger than me, but still a small artist who does her own branding as well. And she like makes her, her album was called The Magazine. Her name is Zina. So she was like calling, then she made a magazine and she like made her own magazine, which kind of inspired me to make, I made a magazine for my album. So like, I just, it became really, really fun for me. And I'm now like, now when I go out, like I know how to dress myself and I just pay attention to those. It was really like a lot of just inspiration from other artists. And like Duran Bernard is a great person who's like, his shows are really intentional. And so it's funny. It's like, I got into that because I, I, I, I like study like, like for example, Sabrina Carpenter is a great example because I personally don't really listen to pop music. Don't listen to like, but Sabrina brand I'm obsessed with. And that is the only reason why I started listening to her music. I don't really listen to her music that much, but I'm like, I became so obsessed with everything that she does as a brand that like made me listen to her music. And it's like, even like, I don't even listen to it, but like I pay attention to her and I just. Even you think about Olivia Deen, like I've been an Olivia Deen fan for six years, but like her branding changed drastically for this new era that like everyone's obsessed with seeing what dress she's going to wear next. Like it's like and there's also and I also like drumming all over. But like I just I think about why I pay attention to the artists that I pay attention to. OK, there's this thing called like the Hollywood hair theory.

• Speaker #1

  I've heard of this.

• Speaker #0

  So there are certain artists that... And it can apply to anything. Like my Hollywood hair theory is like artists that have the same specific hairstyle. Like you'll remember Serena Carpenter. She has her blonde waves and the bangs. She's never not going to have bangs. She's always wearing her hair down. Chapel Roan, long red curly hair. Amy Winehouse and her beehive.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. And like part of it is too that like they'll look at the career before they made this hair transition and after and how their career explodes after they do this hair change.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. It's hard to compare yourself to them because obviously they have like a hundred million dollar budget per song. But I try to, so it's like for me, like my Hollywood hair thing is my pink dress. I also try to wear my hair like down and curly every time I perform. And it's like, even, you know, if they don't know my song lyrics, they just. they know I'm going to be wearing pink and it's now a thing that like my fans get excited about it's like what pink dress and even when I go out to things that I'm not performing even I don't want to wear a full pink outfit my shoes will be pink or like my purse will be pink or something and um just like something that's memorable for people because how how are people it's so impossible to like be seen so those things are really fun for me and I think especially until artists have. you know, until I have my like hit song, that's going to make people know me. It's like building all these things around it early so that like, you know, it just makes my branding clear. It's like, every time I have a show, it's like, I'm only going to have a pink dress. It makes it easier for me, you know, to like stick to my thing.

• Speaker #1

  Hi, creative. If listening to this conversation is stirring something up in you and you're realizing you want support, bringing your own creative vision to life, I would love to help. In my creative coaching practice, I work with artists, entrepreneurs, leaders, multi-passionate humans, and people in the middle of major life transitions who know that there's something inside of them that they want to express, but they need help to get unstuck, get clear, and actually start moving. Whether you're trying to start a project, make a career pivot, reconnect with your creativity, or trust yourself more deeply, this is the work we can do together. My approach blends creative strategy, mindset, and deep inner work. So we make the project, but you're not just making things. You're also becoming more fully yourself in the process. If that calls to you, I would love to connect. You can book a free 15-minute discovery call at laurenlagrasso.com or by emailing me lauren.lagrasso at gmail.com. Okay, back to the show. No, I love that. And I love that you're saying like, build your taste, study the people that you find interesting, kind of like backtrack, like do a geometry proof of what they've done. and how you can implement that into your own life authentically. It's also great. You listening, definitely check out Sophia's website because this EPK really describes how brilliantly she's done all of that. And maybe that will give you some ideas for whatever you're doing in your career. But you're so good at it. Another thing that stood out to me when I was prepping for you is you've sold multiple headlining shows. And this is something that major artists... major artists, like people even who have like half a million listens on Spotify or a million listens on Spotify sometimes don't do. And you really credit this to community. What is your approach to building community? And how have you done it from like square one to now?

• Speaker #0

  Yeah, I, you know, yes, a few of my shows sold out. And even like, you know, my Houston show didn't sell out, but it was so packed. And I had never been to Houston before. I've never even perform their like opening for anybody. And like I played, I played Toronto on my tour as well. And Toronto, I've played twice opening for people and Houston sold more tickets in Toronto. And so I think it's also like how I market myself and understanding like the different, every city listens to music differently and discovers music differently. But basically, like I sold out my L.A. and Chicago shows when I had. 2,000 followers on Instagram like four years ago. And word of mouth is still really, really. beneficial. And often more so than, you know, our algorithms are crowded by celebrities. And most of the time we post things and nobody sees it. And I just, I just like community's always been a thing, you know? So I think like ever since I started posting music on the internet, like anytime anybody has ever that I didn't know commented or DM'd me, I always took the time to respond to them. I asked them how they found my music and I asked them where they live. And like, you know, let's say they live in New York and it was like before I'd ever come to New York. And I was like, oh my God, like I'll let you know when I have a New York show. So I keep tabs on these people and I start conversations with them. And because I respond to them, it's so much more, they're so much more likely to come to my show. And so that's just been something that I've always done because I don't have the resources to like have major marketing money behind you know and I knew that I wanted to go on tour and I was going to do whatever I could to go on it a lot of the things that I did you know are like it's so it's such a cat 22 because it's like I spent so much time like talking to my fans and like making sure that like they were buying tickets up into the day of the show LA sold out in advance but the other ones like Chicago sold out day of, but it's because I was like. I worked really hard on it. And some people, most people don't have the patience to do that, like other artists. And it's why you see artists with way more followers than me or more streaming numbers than me not selling out the same rooms that I played. And everyone's different. Like, I know artists who are so low key, even on the internet, but they're touring constantly because they just know who their fans are. They know what, you know. So I think everything's differently. So I just, I, I think also like my mom owns a local business in Malibu that's been in business for 40 years and it's a small local business and it literally is, there's like no marketing. It's just like local community. So it's kind of like that same aspect of, you know, being grateful for the people that show up and buy tickets. Like these people are fucking strangers and they're spending money on me, which. I think we think, oh, like that's what a fan is. It's like, it's actually like in a way kind of more like, oh, like, yeah, my friends are going to buy tickets. Not everyone's friends buy tickets, but it's like these people that don't even know me buying tickets and don't even expect me to talk to them and they're buying tickets. So I don't know. I just, I just think it's important.

• Speaker #1

  And how do you approach the word of mouth marketing? Like how do you, obviously in LA, that's your home base. So maybe you know people who will tell people, but what, what would making a system like that look like in a place you've never been?

• Speaker #0

  I mean, my word of mouth is really like, I mean, like in the DM or like responding to people or I'm just trying to think of like a recent example. When I did my Houston show, like I advertised it as more of like, cause a lot of people there didn't know me. Like most people that were at that show had discovered me like a few weeks before or a month before. Like I only had a few like super fans there that were. had been following me for a while, but I, I just, I did a lot of research about like the type of discovery city for music that Houston is, but in the cities where I had like maybe less people that have been following along, I advertised the experience rather than me because many people don't know me. But if you're looking for R&B soul, like songs that you relate to and storytelling in an intimate setting, like I'm coming to town and it's my first show. And like people were intrigued by that. But that type of thing. wouldn't work in LA because there's so much of everything in LA.

• Speaker #1

  I mean, the takeaway for me from all this is do your research of if you are a live musician or you're trying to break out in a certain market, whatever your profession is, do your research about what those people want and need and find how you fit through that filter and share that.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. So for example, I was strategic about choosing Houston. I originally was going to either do Houston or Atlanta. I've done Atlanta opening for people. I'd never gone to Houston. And some people, a lot of agents too, they like to play it safe and they don't want your artist to, they don't want their artists to go into markets that they've never been to because agents like a sellout show. I more looked at it as like, I, Houston is a little bit untapped. I've already been to Atlanta. I know I have fans there. If I never go to Houston, I'm never going to build stands there. And Houston loves music. I talked to friends that are from Houston and they were like, Houston is often overlooked because people go to Dallas and Austin on their tour. But like. Beyonce is from Houston. All my favorite jazz musicians are from Houston. Like they love music and they love discovering music because it doesn't come there as often. So a lot of the people, some people like discovered me day of and bought a ticket, you know? So I kind of did, but then like cities like Toronto, I mean like Toronto, there was, it was still full, but it was like much harder to sell, which was kind of interesting. Like one, even though it's part of North Carolina, it still is another country. still is a different country. So, and even though they love R&B, less of that type of, you know, discovery. Same with like, Portland is a hard place to play, but nobody ever tours in Portland. I was going to do, I'm doing San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego is like kind of a second leg later this year. And I thought about doing Portland, but I'm like, Portland seems like, I do have some diehard fans, but I'm like, Portland might be tough. Maybe I'll add it, but.

• Speaker #1

  just to yeah portland is so interesting i don't have any experience with them except that i did an auto show there like years ago i used like my day job used to be i would was like a car girl i travel around the country and it was i will say the strangest auto show of my life like there was no telling who'd walk through the door no i liked it too but it was like i couldn't get a pulse it is Kind of all over the place. Yeah,

• Speaker #0

  so I went there once. I opened for this artist named Marazi. She did a really small, like, six-city tour in, like, B markets. And those people watching, B markets are meaning, like, not major cities. So we did Portland, and that was in 2023. So, like, I'd only been, like, doing artist stuff for, like, a year and a half. And I had a couple, like, of my diehard fans that, like... came to Portland and they were like, no, it's crazy that you're here like this early. Like no one comes to Portland. So, but it's like you, sometimes you want to serve to these underrepresented cities.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. Yeah. I mean, there's obviously a need there if no one's going. So yeah, it makes sense. How much of your time do you split between like creating new work, being creative and thinking about the business piece of it? Because that's one of the hardest things when you're independent is just figuring out. Where do I allocate my energy?

• Speaker #0

  Yeah, I'm pretty much like all operational like business right now. And it's something that I've had to work through a lot because I used to be hard on myself that I like didn't write music all the time because everybody's always like, you need to write songs every week. And that's just not the type of writer that I am. I mean, this is probably the longest I've gone without writing music, but I'm like. I'm a seasonal writer. Right now I'm in my Just Got Off Tour, planning other pop-up shows and pushing along my albums. So I also haven't lived any life to write anything about. So it's tough. It's like pretty much, I think it's hard to do it where I'm at right now because it's like, I just dropped an album. I'm just off tour. I want to keep the momentum going and I don't have a manager. So I'm in a... I basically told myself, I'm like, I'm going to set up some sessions for August because I just know I'm also really sensitive about my brain. It's like I can't like go from doing all this operational stuff and then in the same day, like go to a session and have creative flow. So it's annoying. But and it's like now so much of our time being creative is creating content, which I don't mind. But like even today, like I have a private gig in Vegas next week. and there's like some songs I'm I'm doing my songs I'm doing some covers so like before this call I was just like rehearsing and like learning some of the covers and I'm like even just that is really fun for me to just like sing and learn songs because it's in the scope of you know being an artist and singing and learning melodies so it's like something as simple as that is like nice for me to take a break of like not looking at my phone and just learning songs.

• Speaker #1

  100% you Yeah. And it's also like where you started out with, you know, being a singer. But I kind of like that way of doing things too. Like there's something nice about knowing, okay, this is my time to be purely creative. This is my time to be like businesswoman. This is my time to make content. Like sometimes when you're trying to do everything at once, everything gets scattered. It doesn't mean you can't do everything, but knowing how you work best is really important for your own success. Okay, I did want to ask you about one thing because as I was flipping through your TikTok, I noticed that you repeat.

• Speaker #0

  like your songs over and over. And this is something that we've talked about a lot in the podcast. A hundred percent. I'm going to say like, it's so smart. If you don't have a repetition problem, you have a problem. People need to hear something like 30, 50, a hundred times in order to get it like into their bones and care about it. Do you ever struggle with that though? Because like something I know I haven't done enough of is like posts the same stuff over and over. So people get into it. And like, how do you make it interesting for yourself? when you are reposting with the intention of getting people to like fall in love with the song?

• Speaker #1

  I definitely like get sick of it. I don't do that on Instagram. Instagram for me, I think what's also important to remember, what works for other people will not work for you. I think that's why like we need to stop. Like it's I think it's important to like get content ideas from other people, but like. I've seen people and like sure in the future I would love to try it I've seen people do the repetition thing on Instagram and it like take off for them um you know and like I would love to try that more in when I have a new song coming out I think right now it doesn't make sense because I'm just promoting my songs that are already out but I'm still doing that on TikTok for songs that came out a year ago um so i spend a lot of time coming up with those like on-screen captions or whatever so I just try to like think of things unfortunately now it's like you really need some like clickbait or something that's like controversial to like make them stop and think I've also noticed um sometimes when I'm talking at the beginning of the video before I sing that works better um I still don't know what works I've had a couple like viral moments and it's so hard to recreate that I think what's cool about TikTok is that every time you post, it pushes out to new people. So even if it's one person commenting, that's a person that didn't know you yesterday. So yeah, like something I get burnt out from TikTok a lot. Like I'm even taking, I used to post twice a day on TikTok. I used to have like 300 things in my drafts. And now I've just kind of like taken a step back because I'm in a process of wanting to like reconfigure. what my TikTok is because it's hard to figure out. Like so many people discover me from TikTok. TikTok is a discovery app. So sometimes like, like I haven't even, like when I announced my album on Instagram, I didn't even like announce it on TikTok. I just like started posting the songs because like announcements don't work there if you're not like famous. When I was like promoting my tour, I would just do like, I would post a video of me singing and being like. this vibe is coming to Houston or whatever, because it's like announcements. It's so, it's so challenging. It's like, people don't follow along like that. So I, and people are always like post behind the scenes stuff. And I'm like, nobody cares about that. It's like an interesting balance. I feel like I want it to be like 75% discovery and then like 25% stuff that people already know. Like I always wear pink. So like before my tour. I did like a trying on all these pink dresses for my tour. Okay. That was kind of for the people that already follow me. Cause they know I wear pink people that don't know me. They're going to be like, this doesn't make sense. You know?

• Speaker #0

  Yeah.

• Speaker #1

  I think it's important to put those in every once in a while, but I think Tik TOK, we want, we all want our songs to be discovered. So me like showing my pink dresses, like isn't for like people to find my song, but it's fun for the girlies that follow me already.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. Well, I love that too. What I heard from there is like, try things, see what works. The same thing that works for one person isn't going to work for another. But it seems like especially when we're having to repeat content in order to get people to care, making it interesting for yourself in some way is what's going to keep you from getting burnt out on it. Okay. We've talked about so much. I love your journey. I think you're such a brilliant businesswoman in addition to being a fantastic artist. And I really appreciate all the acumen you shared. I'm thinking about... the version of you who was like, I have to sing again. And you're getting up on that stage at Hotel Cafe. And I wonder if you could go back to that woman and give her one piece of advice, what would it be and why?

• Speaker #1

  It's so interesting because I actually feel like I could probably use advice from that version of me now because what was so... cool about me at that time and I think I talked about this last time is like my when you get so into the industry like first of all my intention for doing for first ever writing a song or doing this show was Literally because I loved it. Not because I want to go on my own headline tour one day. That was nowhere in my mind. Sure, I used to visualize. I visualized myself doing those things and wanting them. But my intention was like so present. And I think once you get, like now I'm so like in the music industry. Like I've made it for real that we like visualize this like big thing, which is important to have goals. But sometimes. future tripping clogs what you're working on in the moment and so I feel like just remembering your purpose of doing it it's like I'm not it's obviously now I'm like I need to make money doing it but it's like the reason I do this is I just genuinely love singing like I love the feeling of singing that's why me practicing my songs 10 minutes ago before we were doing this with the simplicity of that was like wow I'm like that's like when I that's why I love musicians because It's like... musicians love they just love music like my musicians they're like I love rehearsal they're like we which most people like dread going to rehearsal and we're like no rehearsals lit like rehearsals like where we can just play music and work things out like it's just fun and sometimes like the best versions of the songs happen in rehearsal not at the show so I think just um I think that girl would tell me to chill out right now yeah you know what's funny

• Speaker #0

  my next question was what do you think she'd say to you and why and you just went there yeah so yeah chill out and like remember the love it's so hard once you're into an industry like you said you know all of the behind the scenes and like it takes away some of the sparkle sometimes but like totally that young girl who like stepped on the stage and sang that solo when you were a kid like she's still in you and it's like we gotta sing for her yeah

• Speaker #1

  and like no you're right about it takes away the sparkle. It takes away like the delusion.

• Speaker #0

  like I love delusion so much and that's why

• Speaker #1

  I'm really like one of my goals this year is to find a manager and like you know I can find them on December 31st 2026 but um me having to be the businesswoman like kind of takes me out of the delusion sometimes because I have I'm just like I know practical reasons why things are practical and political reasons why things don't work out for me because I know the industry so well, but.

• Speaker #0

  um sometimes i feel like i lose some of that delusion when i'm just doing all the business stuff so i feel like and once you get a manager they can be handling all the day-to-day stuff so you can see the bigger picture stuff too so it's like you'll be in the creative zone but then you're also because you have that kind of brain going to be able to see from above and see like oh okay we're doing these things this is how we're sustaining this is how we're growing but here's how we can catapult ourself to the next level yeah and even them you know having that vision too

• Speaker #1

  I know I'm like... I've been having so many conversations recently, just like telling people because people don't know that I'm self-managed because my stuff is so well kept that it doesn't look like I'm self-managed. But I've started like just telling people and having conversations and even just like the thought of like having people interested or open to it. I'm like, oh, my God, I'm like like the thought of me like delegating my emails is like a dream. I'm like, oh,

• Speaker #0

  my gosh.

• Speaker #1

  But it's like they're going to be really good because I'm so organized.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. Well, just keep putting it out there. I do think when we say things to people, like that's when it starts to happen, you know? Yeah.

• Speaker #1

  And like, I used to want a manager like years ago. Like I haven't really like put intention behind it until there was a couple of years ago where like my agent was kind of connecting me to people. But that was like before I had a full album out. That was before I did my own tour or like had all the accolades that I've gotten in the past year. And I'm like, now it feels like I have a real thing that is that I can comfortably talk about why I deserve a manager.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah.

• Speaker #1

  And people can see that. And I think it also will give me like a sense of making my business, my artistry feel real.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah.

• Speaker #1

  If I'm someone's client.

• Speaker #0

  For sure. You've got the goods. I mean, it'll be their lucky day. Really.

• Speaker #1

  I'm the dream client. It's all there, guys. Just help me.

• Speaker #0

  You get the vision. You respect their job because you've literally done it. I mean, yeah, you're going to be great. Um, I so appreciate you. Thank you for rolling with all the technological issues and also just for sharing so generously. I think it's going to help a lot of people, whether they're independent artists, small business owners, to hear your perspective and be able to implement that into what they're doing. So thank you for being here and thank you for pursuing your dreams and showing us how to do it.

• Speaker #1

  I appreciate you for being thorough and looking through things and knowing, and I hope we can meet in person someday.

• Speaker #0

  Let's do it. let's do it i'd love to come visit you in malibu see what it's all about let me know

• Speaker #1

  Thank you,

• Speaker #0

  Sophia.

• Speaker #1

  Thank you.

• Speaker #0

  There you have it. My conversation with the brilliant Sophia Galate. One of my biggest takeaways from this conversation is that sometimes the thing you're meant to do is also the thing you're most afraid to admit you want. I loved hearing Sophia talk about how she tried to convince herself she didn't want to be an artist. And yet the dream kept showing up. It kept calling. I hope this episode reminds you to pay attention to the things that won't leave you alone. The ideas, dreams, and creative nudges that keep tapping on your shoulder. They might just be there for a reason. Go ahead and follow Sophia. Check out her incredible album for my own entertainment. You can also connect with her at Sophia Galate and learn more about her music and upcoming shows at SophiaGalate.com. If this episode resonated, send it to a fellow creative, share it on socials, give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify. You can find us everywhere at Unleash Your Inner Creative and at Lauren LaGrasso. Unleash Your Inner Creative is executive produced and hosted by me, Lauren LaGrasso. It is edited by Blondel Garcon and has theme music from Liz Fole. I love you and I believe in you. Talk with you next week.