When I was 6 years old, I performed in my first musical, Grease. I was Jan ("Brusha brusha brusha") and after playing that fun role, I realized I loved being on stage. I loved making people laugh, and I loved singing. Suddenly, entertaining was all I wanted to do. After that, the floodgates opened. I wanted every artistic lesson under the sun—guitar lessons, vocal lessons, dance lessons, acting lessons.  

I saw my mom sing and could tell how much she loved both the music and entertaining others. I wanted to do what she was doing. I was the kid who told jokes at family dinners and was the center of attention because I always enjoyed entertaining. My mom always tells me: "Take your work seriously but don’t take yourself too seriously," and I’ve lived by that advice. 

I’ve had some pretty amazing people enter my life and mentor me: Doug Tompos, my acting teacher who taught me so much about storytelling, Tony Ryan, my guitar teacher who taught me everything I know about music, my manager Dennis Kurtz, who taught me the music business, and my Dad who teaches me about business in general.

It can get so hard and feel emotionally draining at times in this career since business and art is a tricky combination. I constantly have to remind myself how much I love music and how I have something I want to say to the world that’s important to me. Music has been my escape and my healing since I can remember, and I know it’s what I was put on this earth to do. It’s really important for me that I stay creative every day. I also don’t have a Plan B, which probably keeps me going!

The songwriting process is completely dynamic for me, which is the fun part. I’ll walk into a co-write with one or two other writers. Sometimes I’ll have an idea that I can’t get out of my head that I need to write that day, or sometimes, I’ll see what the other writers are feeling. Sometimes it starts with a melody. Other days it starts with words. I would say my process it totally random because I’m inspired by everything around me. I do believe in sitting down and doing the work. If I’m not feeling something particularly strong, I’ll surf the web or watch TV to find someone going through something real that I can relate to.

At the moment, there’s not really a typical day since I’m on the road so much. When I’m home, I wake up around 8 or 9, get a good workout in for an hour, hit the studio or go to a [songwriting session] from 10-1 and/or 2-5, then hang out with my friends and enjoy Nashville nightlife. When I’m on the road, every day is always different.

I love being on the road, but tour life is not for the weak. I love my bandmates—we have so much fun together! It’s so important to have people around you who make you laugh, keep you grounded, and who you enjoy being around since they become your road family. The most challenging things about being on the road are keeping a healthy diet (sometimes fast food is all you get in a week...it’s rough), the lack of sleep and space (I don’t have the glamorous bus life yet so my bandmates and I have to sleep upright in vans for the time being), and the long, late hours when you're staying up and driving to the next location. Even though there are hardships, the fun outweighs all the challenges.

I believe it’s hard for any new artist to break through. As a woman, it seems like we aren’t getting as much love, but I’ve been embraced by radio and industry folk, regardless of whether they are into my music or not. Yes, there are some double standards to deal with, but everyone has their hardships. You have to fight the good fight. I believe the formula to make a music career happen is the right song, the right time, and the right people. I'll wait until my time comes, and I’ll be 110% ready when it does. Good music is good music, and I think that will always rise above other issues.

My mistakes and failures are who I am and have made me the person I am today. I’m a big believer in learning from your mistakes and that the next time you make a mistake, you "fail better" (meaning learn quicker and bounce back quicker). If anything, I maybe would have wanted to move to Nashville sooner, but my journey is what it is. I wouldn’t change a thing about it.

Depends on where I am, but if I’m home, sleeping in would be a great start. A good cup of coffee, a sunny day, a morning/afternoon hike. Then I'd hit the Nashville farmer’s market downtown, cook myself food at home, catch up on my current TV obsession, relaaaaax, then meet up for drinks and go out on the town with my friends at night. Nashville is such a fun city!

Inspiration is everywhere. Books, TV shows, my personal life, people watching, it’s everywhere! If I’m not going through something, I’ll find someone on TV, Facebook, or Pinterest who is, and I’ll write from that point of view. I always start with something that opens my heart and that I can tune into emotionally.

Whenever I seem to lack organic inspiration, that’s when I'll sit down and grind out ideas. Some days, I sit for hours alone on my couch and force myself to be with my thoughts. Self-reflection and alone time are essential for every artist, I think. I also go for runs, which is when many ideas come to me.

Spend money on memories, not material things.

I love where I’m at in my life right now. I love my job, I love my community, I love Nashville, and I’m happy with myself. I’ve never felt stronger and more alive in my life than being here and doing what I love. I wake up every day looking forward to being creative whether it’s songwriting, going to the studio, hitting the road, or performing for new fans and friends. What’s next for me is constant touring and getting my music out there. I want to connect with as many people as possible. This is a long term career I’m building, and I hope to build lifelong fans/friends who will come along with me.