Meet Madelyn Palare

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Madelyn Palare a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Madelyn, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

My husband and I often laugh because I can be such a contradiction. On the one hand, I’m overly confident—maybe it’s the homeschooler in me. I’ll proudly ask if you want to hear the poem I wrote the other day (I’m pretty sure it’s good), or taste the bread I baked (even though I’m gluten-free and can’t taste it myself—I just know I nailed it). I’ve even crowned myself the self-proclaimed Parallel Parking Queen. I think that confidence comes from a love of creativity and the thrill of figuring things out—whether it’s baking, poetry, or new skills—I love making things beautiful.

But then there’s the other side of me—the one that’s often crippled by fear. I’ve been performing since I was four years old (complete with a killer Shamu temporary tattoo at my debut church solo), but even now, I still shake before performances—even the small ones. And it’s not just the stage. In my day job as a piano teacher and owner of Adelaide Music LLC, I often feel unsure of myself in daily interactions. I’ll hesitate to follow up when a client is months overdue on a payment—because what if I don’t deserve to be paid? I’ve caught myself apologizing to students when they miss a note—wondering if it was somehow my fault. I procrastinate on emails and texts because I worry: what if I can’t meet expectations?

At the heart of all of this is something the Bible calls the fear of man—placing the opinions of others above God’s opinion. That fear can steal joy and clarity, leaving me more concerned with pleasing people I barely know than loving the people closest to me well. When I’m ruled by fear of man, even small things become overwhelming, and I forget who I really am.

For me, imposter syndrome is deeply rooted in fear—but I’ve learned to fight it. A few key practices have helped:

1. Say yes to the opportunity—even if it’s scary.
I might not be the best at it yet, but I’ll learn. And soon enough, I might even excel. Every time I try something hard, I grow.

2. Keep your priorities straight.
I might wrestle with feeling undeserving of payment, but my work helps provide for my family—and that matters. Additionally, I shouldn’t sacrifice time with them for the sake of performance perfection. If I only have an hour to prep for something before I need to make dinner, then that’s what I give. I trust the skills I’ve built over time to carry me.

3. Remember who I am—and Who is in control.
My identity is in Jesus Christ. Through His sacrifice, I’ve been adopted as a daughter of God—not because I earned it, but because He gave it. If that doesn’t sound like a justified imposter syndrome, I don’t know what does! But it’s also the truest thing about me. It means I can bomb a performance or face a frustrated client, and I’m still fully loved and secure. My future is in God’s hands. And even the smallest tasks—whether performing at a funeral or helping Timmy fix measure 17—are part of a bigger story. God is using those moments, and He’s using me. That gives me peace, purpose, and courage to keep going.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Hi! I’m Madelyn Palare, and I’ve been teaching music in the Santa Clarita Valley for nearly 10 years. I’ve worked with over 80 students, helping them build a strong foundation in music while also learning to enjoy the process of creating and growing as musicians.

Five years ago, I founded Adelaide Music LLC, a piano studio that focuses on student-centered, holistic music education. We don’t just teach students how to play—we equip them with tools in theory, history, technique, and artistic expression to become lifelong musicians. Recently, we’ve expanded by welcoming two amazing teachers to our team, allowing us to offer jazz piano and cello lessons at our Saugus studio.

Right now, I’m focused on growing the studio’s reach and impact. I’m enrolled in a piano studio certification program and pursuing new marketing strategies to help more families access high-quality music education. And between you and me, we’re also working toward launching some potential new classes and ideas with the goal of fostering deeper community connections.

At Adelaide Music, our goal is to meet each student where they are and help them grow—not just musically, but personally. Whether they’re pursuing music as a passion or a career, we want every student to feel empowered, inspired, and equipped to make a meaningful contribution through the arts.

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?

Love this question. If I had to boil it down, here are three things that have shaped my journey the most—and that I’d pass along to anyone just starting out:

1. Be brave enough to try.
Try new things. Try hard things. Try weird things. I’ve embarrassed myself plenty of times, but I’ve also stumbled into some of the best experiences of my life because I was willing to just go for it. I started playing soccer at 21 while totally out of shape—and now I can hold my own and even score a goal now and then. I’m currently living my childhood dream of taking ballet for the first time ever (yes, with the little slippers and everything). That same spirit has led me to say yes to teaching new instruments, starting new programs, and growing my business in ways I never imagined. You don’t have to be the best. You just have to be willing.

2. Don’t do it alone.
There’s this myth that success is all about hustle and grinding it out solo. But honestly? I wouldn’t be where I am without the people who’ve believed in me, challenged me, and helped me grow. Asking for feedback is vulnerable—but it’s where real growth happens. My husband saw potential in me long before I did and nudged me out of my comfort zone when I was content working part time and driving to students’ homes. Now, they come to me, and I run a thriving full-time studio from my own home. Surround yourself with people who call out the best in you.

3. Think long-term and build with vision.
A really inspiring verse for me describes the Proverbs 31 woman as someone who “laughs at the time to come.” That kind of confidence doesn’t come from coasting—it comes from living with purpose and preparing for the future. I’m learning not to settle for what feels like “enough for now,” but to keep my eyes on what we’ll need 5, 10, even 20 years down the road. Even right now, I’m working hard to grow my business not just for today, but so that my husband and I are financially secure when I’m in a season of raising children or unable to work as much. It would be easy to stay comfortable and figure it out later—but having a long-term vision pushes me to stretch, build, and steward what I’ve been given wisely. When you live with intention, you may find yourself able to accomplish way more than you would have thought possible.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

I’ve had a lot of incredible people pour into me. My parents invested thousands of hours and dollars into my education and my business and gave me every opportunity anyone could ask for. But without a doubt, the biggest push and inspiration has come from my husband.

When we got engaged in April 2023 and began planning our life together, one of the first (and hardest) conversations we had was about finances. At the time, I was struggling with my health, teaching part-time (about 15 students a week), and probably hovering near the poverty line in terms of income. I assumed we’d be able to live off his income—clearly forgetting that we live in Southern California where gas is nearly $6/gallon.

With gentleness and clarity, my new fiancé sat down with me and walked through the numbers. There was no ultimatum, no pressure—just a challenge made in love. If we were going to make this work, I had two options: stop teaching and get a full-time job, or go all in on growing my business. The thought of not teaching crushed me. I knew I could make it work—I just needed someone to believe in me and give me that push.

So I dove in. Not without tears, mind you, but that summer, I took huge strides when I rented a studio and raised my rates. Students now had to come to me. Miraculously, with the big transition I only lost two. Over the next year, I built up my student base and by the end of 2024, I had doubled my income from 2022 and hired my first employee. My health improved. I was teaching around 20 hours a week—35 students across four days—and directing a college choir and chapel program one day a week.

But then, after the wedding was over and we started to adjust to married life, I found myself getting comfortable. My husband and I had settled into our new home and were starting to think about growing our family. I stopped pushing myself in my business and I found myself saying, “This is probably my limit. Once we have kids, I’ll need to slow down anyway. We can lean on his income again.” But once again, my husband lovingly challenged me—not just to keep going, but to dream bigger. To build something lasting for our family. And to trust that I could do it.

Now I’m in the biggest growth phase yet. This year I left my directing job at the college to focus fully on expanding the studio, building out our team, marketing intentionally, and investing in further education and development. And all the while, I’ve watched him put in the same kind of work. He launched his own business at the end of 2024 and has been working extremely hard with late nights—sometimes until 2:30 a.m.—to give us the future we’ve been praying for, a future where I can one day stay home with our kids and we can live on his income, by choice.

It’s a full-circle kind of love story. He believed in me when I couldn’t. He refused to let me shrink myself. And then he turned around and showed me what that kind of sacrifice really looks like. Through the late nights, growing pains, and hopeful dreams, he’s been my inspiration—and my greatest help.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Photo Credit: Ryan J Martin

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Productivity
From Exhausted to Energized: Overcoming and Avoiding Burnout

Between Hustle Culture, Work-From-Home, and other trends and changes in the work and business culture,

Productivity
Keeping Your Creativity Alive

One of the most challenging aspects of creative work is keeping your creativity alive. If

Resilience
Portraits of Resilience

Sometimes just seeing resilience can change out mindset and unlock our own resilience. That’s our