We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anna Storm a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Anna, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Growing up in a small town in Connecticut as an eccentric and creative child, I was misunderstood and bullied by my peers. I didn’t have many friends because I was different and marched to the beat of my own drum. At first, I would come home and cry because I didn’t understand why everyone picked on me so much. I turned to music and writing songs as an escape from my situation at school, at a time when I had no one to turn to but myself. Instead of becoming a victim and letting people’s negativity immobilize and define me, I developed confidence from my adversity. I became a strong and resilient alpha female, Anna Storm, out of necessity and used my developed confidence to empower others to become the best versions of themselves, and live the #slaylife. My first single, “Confident,” tells the story of my journey and how I learned to love myself regardless of other’s opinions.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I grew up in a small town in CT and was bullied a lot. I turned to art and music as a means of expression. I wrote my first record “Confident,” about the trials and tribulations of growing up as an outsider, and how I triumphed above the hate to become a strong alpha female. “Confident” which is essentially my anthem and a battle cry for self-empowerment was picked up by Lizzo for her show, “Watch Out For The Big Grrrls” on Amazon Prime. One of my other records, a new-wave dance-pop record called “Versace Shade” was also picked up by Lizzo’s show. The show is critically acclaimed, and we won a Critics Choice Award, as well as three EMMYs for it. We are now nominated for a People’s Choice Award as well. “Confident” has started to become a big record on TikTok and total views on TikTok equal over 10 million views so far! I also just released an MTV Unplugged acoustic live-in-studio video rendition of my record, “Versace Shade,” featuring rockstar Wes Scantlin from Puddle Of Mudd. It is available on all my platforms, as well as the official Puddle Of Mudd YouTube Channel. It’s #StormSZN, and I’m not stopping anytime soon!
I’m a popular social media influencer and popstar. I’ve developed a steady following on IG, FB, TikTok & YouTube of “Stormtroopers,” who enjoy my quirky sense of humor, confidence, and ability to urge others to discover their own self-worth. As mentioned before, my songs “Confident” and “Versace Shade” are Emmy Award Winning and featured on Lizzo’s hit tv show, “Watch Out For The Big Grrrls.” I was recently published in Forbes because of the Lizzo placement which is something I’m super proud of. “Confident” is starting to blow up on TikTok, amassing 7.7 million views. I was on the hit Snapchat show “Phone Swap,” seen by a viewership of 10 million people— “Versace Shade” was also featured on that show. My “Versace Shade” unplugged video featuring Wes Scantlin from Puddle Of Mudd is also garnering a lot of attention— it is rare that a pop artist and a rock artist would be working together. I set myself apart from others by daring to break barriers and not limiting myself— I like to push the envelope and defy others’ expectation. I #slaylife!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The first quality which has been most impactful on my journey is believing in myself– this is so important because of all the negativity which exists in the world– you can’t let that get to you and have to honor yourself and your dreams above all. Secondly, you need to be tenacious– you’re going to hear a lot of “nos” along your path, but DON’T GIVE UP! You have to fight for what you believe in, and trust the process. Lastly, you need to be consistent because when you continuously do something it will become second nature and your brand’s message will be loud and clear. The advice I have for those who are early in their journey is to choose what you want to represent and embody that core message–make sure everything you do reflects your “mission statement.”
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but the hardships have made me stronger. If I wasn’t bullied growing up, I might not have written “Confident,” which is highly acclaimed now. Pain and obstacles make for good art. It maybe was a blessing in disguise. My dad who was my best friend and greatest cheerleader has been sick most my life and passed away unexpectedly a year ago. His passing was very difficult emotionally for me, but I believe I learned my strength and persistence from him. I know that he is looking down on me and so proud of my accomplishments, and he will continue to be by my side giving me the will to push through to the TOP!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/itsannastorm
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/annastormslaylife
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGostna5EKqQ0ZgBhylldoQ
- Other: TikTok: www.tiktok.com/itsannastorm Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6u7sUNaaWSW0wsZKXeSPX1
