Dream Life Club

We are constantly bombarded by other people's ideas, advice, and opinions...and it's making it harder than ever to tune into our own creative vision.In this solo episode, I'm getting real about why the pressure to constantly drop new music almost broke me and what I'm doing differently now that has me feeling more aligned and excited about my music career than ever before. We're talking about blocking out the noise, building a cohesive creative vision, creating a sandbox for yourself as an artist, and why evidence of progress is the fuel that keeps us going.

Ethan Buckner is a singer-songwriter, community organizer and activist based in Venice, California. He's spent years fighting big oil pipelines, organizing solidarity fundraisers for communities in crisis, hosting backyard concerts during the pandemic, and building Westside Sounds, a monthly music showcase highlighting local talent in LA. In this conversation we get into what it really looks like to build two careers at once without sacrificing either. Ethan shares how a trip to Poland at 16 shaped his entire life's mission, why he dropped his pseudonym and started releasing music under his own name, and what happened when a disc in his back exploded in India and forced him to slow down for the first time in his life.

Amber Grimes is an entertainment executive and leader in the music industry. Currently EVP and General Manager at LVRN (Love Renaissance), the Atlanta-based label and management company. She's previously held senior roles at Capitol Records, Spotify, and Def Jam, and she hosts her own podcast, If You Knew Better, on iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network.In this conversation we get into anti girl bossing, why your ego is actually a tool (not a flaw), what it really means to upgrade your dreams, and why the people to your left and right will always matter more than the ones above you.

Ryan Gladieux is one of my producers so this episode feels like two friends catching up in a studio and going deep on the music industry.Ryan started as a recording intern at Atlantic Records and Warner Music Group in 2011. He eventually worked his way up to head engineer, racking up credits on some of the biggest songs in the world — including Timber by Ke$ha and Pitbull — and getting to work up close with artists like Flo Rida, Rihanna, T-Pain, Charlie Puth, Ty Dolla $ign, Charli XCX, Saweetie, Dua Lipa and more.In this episode we get into what it was really like inside those sessions…the stories you don't hear, the wild nights, the trial by fire of becoming an engineer, and what the music industry actually looks like from behind the glass.

I've been thinking a lot about the power of the words we tell ourselves. I got into the concept of creating a "hyperbole" for yourself, a goal so big and so aligned with your soul that it almost sounds crazy...and why that might be exactly the point.I talk about my own hyperbole and why what we tell ourselves every single day might be the most important thing we're not paying enough attention to.

Shari Short is a RIAA certified multi-platinum songwriter and producer who has written for Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Rita Ora, Sofia Reyes and more. She toured as a background vocalist with Demi Lovato, managed Rebecca Black, became CEO of a boutique record label, and is currently the frontwoman of indie rock band Three One Zero. Oh, and she has a song up for a Primetime Emmy. Not bad for a shy girl from a small town in Idaho with a guitar! But Shari gets into what the highlight reel doesn't show you…the years of waitressing between opportunities, major label meetings that went nowhere and how she ended up interpreting rejection. Listen in for an inspiring conversation and leave ready to build your own success!

My new song American Dream comes out this Friday!! Pre-save it here.This week I'm getting into something that's close to my heart, the idea of the American Dream which inspired my new song out this Friday by the same name.In this episode I talk about why we can't separate our personal dreams from what's happening around us politically and socially. I share some stats that genuinely blew my mind and talk about why I think this isn't actually a left vs. right conversation, it's a human one.The America I grew up believing in as the daughter of immigrants is not the America we're living in right now. But at the same time, I think there is still hope. And that’s what I hope my new song brings to everyone, a sense of hope.Don't forget my new song American Dream comes out this Friday! Pre-save it today.

Dan Smalls is one of the most respected independent concert promoters in the country. With over 35 years experience, he built DSP (Dan Smalls Presents) from a single 1,600 seat theater in Ithaca, NY into a company doing 800+ shows a year across the Northeast. He's worked with legendary artists Pearl Jam, Phish & Blues Traveler, produced Phish’s epic end-of-summer festivals that drew up to 100,000 people and runs the Green River Festival in Massachusetts, happening in June. He did it all while staying fiercely independent.In this conversation, Dan shares his full origin story, from booking Blues Traveler at Cornell frat parties to getting hand-picked by the legendary Bill Graham, to nearly walking away from music entirely before finding his way back.We get into what it really takes to be an independent promoter, how he thinks about risk and what artists at any level can learn about building a career on their own terms.

This is for anyone who feels stuck in something that you don't want to be doing. About five years ago, I made the huge leap to sell my successful company (which I had been building for 10 years) to start a whole new career. It's been the best decision of my entire life but making the jump wasn't easy. In this episode, I share two things that will change your life and allow you to go after your dream. To go from being stuck in something in a life that you don't love to having the courage to take a risk on your dreams.