We had the good fortune of connecting with Malynda Hale and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Malynda, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’ve always been the kind of person that if I’m in a position to help people I will. It’s always been on my heart to create opportunities for people and help people achieve their dreams even when I haven’t fully achieved mine. So when I decided to create my entertainment agency JMV Entertainment, I wanted to be able to provide work for people that I care about and whose talent I believed in. I’m almost 5 years into my business and although the pandemic has put live events on hold, I feel very blessed that for so many years I’ve been able to provide consistent work for so many independent contractors throughout the city. There’s truly no greater feeling. Additionally when I decided to be a singer and eventually a worship leader it was because music was always a creative outlet for me and gave me spiritual healing. This path just always made sense for me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The road to where my career is has definitely not been without its bumps and hurdles. Choosing music as a full time career is needless to say ambitious but music is something that is a part of everyones life and has the opportunity to affect people positively, and I wanted that to be my story. I started out making music that was intended to make people feel good, but as I’ve grown my focus has changed. As my involvement in activism and education regarding social justice issues increased I knew I wanted to use my music platform as a way to create positive change and get people to think. The shift is starting to pay off and its open up my world and career to different outlets like my podcast and blog #WeNeedToTalk. Music will always be my first love but I’m grateful that it has led me down other paths as well.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would actually take them on a day trip to Santa Barbara. It’s my hometown and it’s absolutely beautiful. The drive up there along the coast is one of my favorites and I feel like even though I grew up there I discover something new every time I go. A smoothie at Blenders in the Grass, a trip to the mission and a walk along the beach by the pier are a few of my top choices.

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?
There are quite a few people that have encouraged me, been there from the beginning, and have never let me give up. But I would say currently my biggest support system is myself. As odd as that sounds I think it’s important to recognize when you’ve been your biggest champion. At the end of the day no matter how many people love me and support me, that support could go away in a heart beat but I can never give up on myself or the dreams that I have.

Website: www.malyndahale.com, www.weneedtotalktheblog.com, www.jmv-entertainment.com
Instagram: instagram.com/malyndahale
Twitter: twitter.com/malyndahale
Facebook: facebook.com/malyndahalemusic
Youtube: youtube.com/malyndahale

Image Credits
Photos by Brie Childers & John Volk

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