Meet Janet Mona

We recently connected with Janet Mona and have shared our conversation below.

Janet Mona, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

My imposter syndrome is SO bad. I grew up in an environment that harbored a lot of negative self-talk, and so as I grew into an adult, and decided to break away from what was expected of me to pursue music, the imposter syndrome I felt was at an all-time high. I would have trouble celebrating my single releases, the shows I was booking; “Enjoy it now, this is the last opportunity you’ll EVER get, and it’s a miracle you got here” I would tell myself. I would beat myself down mentally more than any hater on the internet ever could. Some days, I would let it hinder me creatively when I was at my lowest lows, avoid the recording studio, telling myself there was “no point” in me creating music because I’m not as good as [insert-multimillionaire-here]. Then, I’d have no new music to share with the world, and in turn feel even worse about myself. A vicious cycle of….self-hatred! I went to a therapist who told me a few things that really shifted my perspective. First off, I needed to stop measuring my success based on other people’s definition of success. Second, the negative self-talk had to go. Affirmations and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) came into play, and while I shirked it off at first, it ended up changing how I viewed myself over time. A few quotes I had come across also began to echo in my mind: “comparison is the thief of joy” and “what other people think of you is none of your business.” I began to realize that there is room at the table for everyone. To not share your art with the world, especially if it is something you have studied your ENTIRE life and are deeply passionate about, would be such a shame. It would be a shame to dim my light all due to fear of what others think of my music. I don’t write my music for other people…I write my music for me, in hopes others COULD relate and I could make a living off of this, but ultimately, you have to find success in your art and the joy it brings you to create it. Nothing else should matter at the end of the day, and if this is the mindset you keep, I really feel that the opportunities will come to you more because you’re radiating and attracting positive energy, keen on showing the world that you belong and are a beautiful, unique being. It’s kind of a “fake it til you make it” vibe. Even on your worst days, feign the confidence. You can either be your greatest ally, or your biggest hindrance!

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Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m Janet Mona, and I am a singer and songwriter! My main focus is pop music, but I love to dabble in a variety of sub-genres (pop r&b, pop rock), and I pride myself on writing every word in my songs and being responsible for every part of the creative process. I work with producers via the internet to find music that moves me, and from there the process is entirely on me. I am my own manager, sound engineer, songwriter, marketing executive…it’s definitely daunting to do it all yourself, but it is so worth it! After writing, I record, edit, mix, and master everything myself. I’m also in charge of my photoshoots and my album artwork. I’ve studied music since I was about 6 when I first joined my school’s choir program, and one of the biggest disappointments for me is when I found out an artist hadn’t written their songs or really had a hand in the creation of the music. The music hits harder for me emotionally when I know the amount of work that went into it…it was kind of a bummer finding out that a lot of the industry “greats” had minimal say in the creation of the art itself, and mostly just showed up for the job. I started to follow more independent artists online, especially the ones who were transparent and honest about the behind-the-scenes moves you should make if you want to find your space in this industry. Years of mental notes, the courage to pursue what makes me happiest, and a love of music got me here now: I’ve got TONS of songs out there ready to be listened to! When you discover me, you discover an entire catalog of music…I always tell people “I’m sure there is at least ONE song in there you’ll like.” I release music consistently, and perform (so far) in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, so as long as you’re following me on any of the streaming services/social media, you’ll be in the know!

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Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The three things that were most impactful in my journey as an independent musician: 1) learn to mix and master your own music, 2) learn the business side of the industry, and 3) learn to persist in the face of negativity.

1) The MAJORITY of independent musicians I’ve met will tell me somewhere along in the conversation: “yeah, when I get the money I’m going to send my next song to this dude to mix it for me.” When I was a teen, I was flirting with a major record label, and ultimately not being signed taught me that I needed to not rely on these random strangers to make these important creative decisions for/without me. I realized that I didn’t know how to record or mix my own music without these A&R representatives coordinating things, and I realized very quickly how ICKY that felt. I looked to people like Tinashe, who was an independent artist paving her own path, but also uploading videos showing how she was using a MIDI and making her own music on her own terms. Russ is another artist who gives great advice to independent artists. I look up to people who can do the hard work themselves, because I KNOW they care deeply about the art they are putting out there. I became that artist, too, and while I have my bad days, I always look at all of my work with a sense of pride, where I can say it was all me. I learn something new with each song, and I feel like I grow and get better with each release. I promise you, YouTube has a TON of video tutorials on just about every DAW ever released. Look up their manuals, and painstakingly read them. Just dive into the program! Set up your at-home studio and LEARN.

2) The business side of the industry is so so important. I have a degree in accounting and was at one point in my life sitting for the CPA exam. Part of that exam is law, and so in college I had to take several business law classes. Those classes taught me to READ MY CONTRACTS. Every word! Especially as a musician, if you agree to work with someone else, you need to make sure you are doing everything according to what you’ve signed. This is crucial to protecting yourself; imagine if your song pops off and a major label comes to you with an offer…you should NEVER just blindly sign anything. You need to know, on a basic level, how to read that contract and decipher its terms. Lawyers are expensive, and should be consulted for very big things, but realistically, us independent artists don’t have the funds or access to consult a lawyer for every small gig that comes our way. I also had to take marketing classes, management, accounting; so much of my degree comes in handy for being an independent artist. You need to know how to protect yourself and your art! Just because you are a relatively unknown artist, does not mean that your art is not worth anything. Never sell yourself short. Look for other peoples’ stories, educate yourself with as many resources you can, so that as a musician you are well-rounded and wise enough to know when to make certain decisions.

3) Lastly, you need to learn to persist in the face of negativity. “Fake it til you make it.” You need to be your biggest supporter. Why should the world want to cheer you on and listen to your music if you hate yourself, and feed yourself with negative self-talk? If you let a few negative internet comments get to you, you only leave the space open for everyone else who is courageous enough to take your slot. You have to say to yourself “I BELONG here. I belong in this space, and there is room for me, too.” I’ve gone to gigs where the sound guys have been really mean to the artists beforehand, I’ve gone to gigs and had other artists on the line-up sneer at me…you have to take those negative moments and let them roll off your shoulder. Let them sting for a moment, then let them become a part of your come-up story. In this industry, you’ll get a ton of rejection, but the wins will come, too. You just have to stay persistent and confident.

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Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

At the end of the day, getting over that imposter syndrome is going to feel next-to-impossible unless you have a support system. I didn’t get that from my blood relatives, so a lot of my life I felt alone and lost. My college degree helped me develop a lot of the business skills I needed, and I was learning to record and mix on my own, but I didn’t truly start to thrive in my music career until I had the right people in my corner.

My biggest cheerleader is my fiancée. We’ve been together six years now, and when I met her, I was motivated to prove that I was worth cheering on. All of a sudden, I had someone supportive in my corner. I could tell it wasn’t fake supportive either; she saw my potential and believed in me. She really pushed me to build my home studio to be better than how I had it, researching and helping me get GOOD studio monitors, going with me to figure out which audio interface to buy…when my first EP came out, she gifted me with a BIG poster of it that’s hanging in my recording studio to this day! When she comes home from work, she listens to the drafts of my next songs and gives me constructive criticism. She watches me rehearse for my shows. She goes with me on tour, and if she’s needed behind the scenes pressing play on my tracks, she’s there with a smile making sure I feel at ease. I tell her often “I would not be where I am today without you” and she swears that my journey was all my doing, but I learned through her that having someone truly support you can change EVERYTHING. It will change how you see yourself once you start listening to someone who loves you for YOU. She’s STILL my biggest motivator, my biggest cheerleader, and the best human being. I love her so much and I wouldn’t be here without her!

I really believe that if you start to place boundaries with the people who only really serve to bring you down, and you surround yourself with love (real love that looks out for you, not “yes men” type of love)…there are no limits to what you can achieve. Part of self-love is choosing good people to stick around you. I feel like I have that, in my fiancée, in my best friend, and in a small handful of people I’ve met along my journey of life who I may not talk to daily, but I know are cheering me on.

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Image Credits

Janet Mona

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