Meet Stephen DeGrazia | Founder of SangCash

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

Hi Stephen, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
My appetite for risk has changed over time. I believe its easy to take less risk and go with the flow when you’re in the mix during high school, college and post-grad but then life starts hitting you and realized that you are in control of what you want and that the bigger rewards require more risk. It doesn’t have to be reckless and it can be calculated/some hedging involved but with SangCash, it was definitely a risk to bootstrap my own money and jump into a highly regulated, antiquated industry and try to fix it. The alternative is that you don’t take the risk and end up being resentful and regretful down the road that you didn’t go for it. Even if it doesn’t work out, the satisfaction that comes with going for it far outweighs the end result.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The funny thing about SangCash is that I saw how songwriters weren’t getting paid and I thought it was unjust and I wanted to use my finance background to help. What I didn’t realize is that writing, expressing my emotions and music were very much a part of me and I became a songwriter myself. It helped me get through some challenging times, including coming out of a bad bout of depression. While I always loved music, I always thought I didn’t have an ounce of musical ability inside of me but I’ve been a part of songwriting retreats and am now taking voice and guitar lessons to add to my musicianship. I’ve also been making writing a priority in my schedule. I think the lesson here is do what you love – who cares if you suck at it in the beginning. With work ethic and dedication, you can do anything.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I grew up close to the beach on Long Island, NY so the desire to be by the coast when I get to LA really comes out of me. I would break my trip into the 3 costal spots and then Beverly Hills/WeHo.

For costal spots, I would start in Venice. A walk down Abbot Kinney Blvd. to grab coffee and hit some of the retail shops as they open is a good start to the day. If I’m up for a work out, I can head up to Aviator Nation’s Ride for spin class. If I have time, I’ll double back to check out the Jim Morrison murals, which helps to drive the inspiration as I write songs. I would eventually grab dinner at and end up at Townhouse.

For Santa Monica, I would start my day running the boardwalk and pier, grab coffee and breakfast at Urth Caffe. I would then head to the farmers market to grab some stuff for the week and support local businesses. After that, I would go to Beach House Coworking to knock out some work. From there, I would head back to shower and get ready and go to Massilia for dinner and end up at Bungalow.

For Malibu/Pacific Palisades, I would start the day with a hike at Los Liones. From there, I would head to grab a smoothie at Malibu Farms. In the afternoon, I would go with friends to grab drinks, some food and enjoy food at the Malibu Cafe at Calamigos Ranch and then hit the beach in the late afternoon. I would finish the day at Nobu for dinner and drinks.

For WeHo/Beverly Hills, I would start the day with another hike to Griffith Observatory via West Observatory Trail. I would hit Gravite Cafe for a coffee and smoothie and then hop in the car and go for a drive to Mulholland Drive and Rodeo Drive and maybe do some shopping and grab lunch. In the late afternoon, I’d get cocktails in WeHo at 40 Love and then to the rooftop at EP & LP. I’d close out the night with a show at either Whiskey a Go Go or The Roxy.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to shout out the people who have been with me from the beginning on this journey. High school & college friends and my immediate family who saw me going through the day to day and not being happy and satisfied. They saw that I wanted to take a risk and go for it and they’ve supported me early on when everyone else thinks your idea won’t work. A big shout out to Jonathan, Teddy, Chris, Wig, Paige, Colleen, Megan, Gayle, my dad. and many other friends and family who know my passion for music and the work ethic I possess to keep moving this forward.

Website: www.sangcash.com

Instagram: sangcash.inc

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spd12/

Twitter: @steviedefimusic

Image Credits
White T-Shirt/Tan Blazer: Madeleine Queen (@madeleinejuliet) Headshot: Nashville Entrepreneur Center Guns N Roses T-shirt and Launch House background: Launch House