Meet Felice LaZae | Singer & Entrepreneur
We had the good fortune of connecting with Felice LaZae and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Felice, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a working musician is the importance of establishing multiple streams of income, especially passive income. This came out of necessity as I was building my music career, but I soon learned that having multiple streams of income is really the key to building wealth and stability. So I’ve definitely become a creative entrepreneur as a result.
Please tell us more about your business. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today business-wise. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
As a producer, singer/songwriter, and performing artist, I’ve always operated as a business. One of the first things my dad helped me do when I ventured into the world of freelancing as a creative, was to get incorporated.
My father is a huge inspiration to me. He has always been a dreamer and a closeted creative despite his more traditional path as an attorney. He has been my biggest supporter since day one when I said I wanted to pursue a career in the music and entertainment industry.
He was the one who taught me to structure myself as a corporate entity as soon as I started booking gigs as an audio engineer and singer. He helped me view my endeavors as a business right away. The structure and mindset that he instilled in me, led me to expand my business and team over the years.
My company, Sweet Spot Sounds, is a multi-media and entertainment company. We specialize in music, podcast, and live event production as well as coaching and personal development. Our team has worked in the industry for over 15 years collaborating with top professionals, talent, and brands.
The pandemic really influenced me to strengthen the foundations of my business. I switched to a business model that would allow for growth, rather than just a lifestyle business. For the first, time I put together a plan and a vision as a business. This was an important step for me, as it allowed my business to thrive even in the face of adversity. I was able to maintain my focus and keep moving forward, which has been essential to my success.
I think a lot of creatives don’t think of themselves as entrepreneurs because society paints being an artist as something that is for the chosen, lucky few. There doesn’t seem to be a clear path to create a career and make a living as an artist. It seems like some romantic dream that only a few get to live out successfully.
I believe that the mindset around creativity and work is changing. With the rise of the content creator economy, the Metaverse, and blockchain technology, we as creators have the power to shape our destiny. The future of work is about creating value for others. For artists, it’s about becoming a digital CEO by productizing your creativity.
Operating as a business has really given me an advantage and access to business resources not available to individuals. It wasn’t the easiest road with lots of trial and error, but contrast builds character–and perseverance is a character trait I have adapted over the years.
Anything you wish to be successful in that requires your time and energy can and most likely will provide challenges. But all of the challenges I have faced during my career have strengthened me and given me an opportunity to see my full potential. I now feel ready to take on anything life brings my way with a new level of self-belief.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the course of my career is to trust my intuition and follow my authentic vision. Especially as a performing artist, there have been many times when others have tried to tell me to do things one way, but it didn’t feel authentic. Don’t get me wrong, it is great to have mentors and advisors as guides along your journey of development, but it’s also important to not lose your identity along the way. I think this applies to any business you are creating. At the end of the day, stay true to yourself and the results will always be more fulfilling.
I’m really excited about the next chapter of my journey as a creative artist and entrepreneur. I have been spending a lot of time educating myself on how to effectively run a business and I am expanding our services by productizing our creativity into mindset-based courses and coaching programs including a program for singers called Singer Sutra and a program for our brain injury survivor podcast listener base called YouSoRock. We want to help people nurture their inner growth as artists and individuals and share their stories with the world while living their best and most fulfilled lives.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is such an interesting question during this pandemic because there are so many places I miss going to and things I miss doing that have been limited or completely off-limits during this time. If I was taking a friend on a tour of LA, I would start with one of my favorite places to hike – Eaton Canyon in Pasadena. It has one of the coolest endings to a hike with a beautiful, natural waterfall. And while we’re in Pasadena, I would also take my friend to lunch at Huntington Library which is a gorgeous museum, botanical garden, and library. Next, we’d hit the Malibu Seafood Fresh Fish Market, grab some food, and go for a picnic at El Matador Beach. The Getty would also be on my itinerary not just for the art, but for the beautiful views of LA. On a more cheesy, touristy vibe, I’d also put going to Universal Studios on our list because I love Harry Potter and The Simpsons and it’s basically the Las Vegas of theme parks with boozy Butterbeer and Duff Beer. There is an incredible abundance of great places to eat in LA, but a few of my hidden treasures are Kaiju Sushi in Sherman Oaks, Tatsu Ramen in West Hollywood, and The Six Chow House in Studio City which has a dangerous bottomless Mimosa!
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my partner Joe Borges as well as my father who always supports my entrepreneurial and artistic spirit.
Website: www.felicelazae.com,
Instagram: https://instagram.
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@
Linkedin: https://www.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Facebook: https://facebook.
Youtube: https://youtube.com/
Other: Some of our brands and products: www.TheNeuroNerds.
Image Credits
Ramon Solorio Joe Borges Steve Ward
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
