Elena Rayo shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Elena , it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
My partner and I believe that the way you start your day sets the tone for everything that follows. Since my partner teaches theatre at a high school and has a pretty stressful job, and my work as a songwriter, musician, and retreat recording studio manager requires a lot of multi-tasking, we’ve created a morning routine that helps us stay calm, connected, and ready to take on the day.
We’re usually up before 6 am, and we start with a short meditation to get centered. Then, we have warm lemon water, which we find refreshing and good for cleansing the liver. After that, we enjoy a healthy coffee (with herbs and green tea) together while we check in with each other and talk about what’s coming up during the day.
Next, we spend about 30 minutes in either the infrared sauna or the ozonated hot tub. It’s a great way to loosen up and sweat out any tension. When we’re in the sauna, I usually read a chapter from an inspirational book, which sparks a positive conversation about our goals and how we want to handle any challenges. If we’re in the hot tub, we take some time to enjoy nature—listening to the birds, watching the sky—and connect through touch, which really helps us feel grounded.
Then we have a healthy breakfast, usually fruit and oatmeal, and I take care of our morning chores like feeding our dogs, cat, and chickens, and watering the garden. Those simple tasks help me feel rooted and ready.
Once my partner leaves for work, I start my day by planning out what I want to accomplish with rehearsals, running the recording studios, managing the Airbnb, and other work around the property. It’s a routine that really helps me stay balanced and productive.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I see myself primarily as a songwriter and musician, performing in a few different projects. Since music alone doesn’t quite cover all the bills, I’ve created a role for myself managing a recording studio along with an adjacent Airbnb. I really love my work—it’s a mix of singing, playing violin and guitar, and taking care of, and beautifying, my property. Right now, I’m in the middle of recording a new album of original songs featuring members from the various bands I perform with, as well as some talented collaborators from both inside and outside our community.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
Growing up, I was told—and I believed—that you had to have a specific career with a clear definition, like being a doctor, teacher, or lawyer. Being an artist or athlete was seen as fine for a hobby, but not something you could really build a life around.
Over the years, though, as I’ve continued to explore what I truly love, I’ve begun to let go of those conventional ideas about success and how to make your way in the world. Now, I see life as a series of choices. We can make those choices out of fear, ike the fear of losing stability, or we can keep choosing what feels closest to our hearts and true to who we are.
More than ever, I believe we have the power to create the life we want. It might take time, but the key is to really know who we are and what our deepest desires are, and then at every opportunity, to move toward that internal guidance.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
When my husband was dying of cancer—he passed away three years ago—he endured immense physical suffering. As his primary caregiver for four and a half years, I experienced a great deal of pain watching someone I loved so deeply go through that. Seeing his body fail, feeling his anger and despair, and standing by him through it all was incredibly hard.
On top of that, I went through years of very little sleep because caring for him meant being there at every moment—managing his pain medication, helping him with basic needs like going to the bathroom, taking him to appointments and surgeries, cooking, cleaning, and tending to him in every way possible.
Throughout those years, I discovered strengths in myself I hadn’t known before. Physically, I found stamina where I thought I had none. Emotionally and mentally, I learned resilience and perseverance. I realized I was much more patient and strong than I ever believed.
That suffering also taught me to trust my own instincts. It showed me how to ask for help, which was something I had always found difficult. It taught me not to shy away from hardship, but to face it head-on and trust that I could find a way through. I became a much stronger advocate for myself, and I learned how to care for myself, even in the most overwhelming situations.
Looking back, I truly feel that this incredibly difficult time made me a better person, in so many ways.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
I truly believe that the public version of me—the one I share as a singer and musician—is the real me. Every week, I perform in front of audiences, and over the past three years since my husband passed, music has been what helped me rise above the pain and grief I was going through. I found that showing up openly with my experience, despite everything I was facing, and still striving to bring light and hope to others, gave my life a deep sense of meaning and value. Music became not just a profession, but a lifeline and a way to connect, heal, and make sense of everything.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
When I take my final bow on this earthly stage, I hope to be remembered not just for the songs I sang or the melodies I wove, but for the courage it took to become the artist I was always meant to be. In my earlier days, doubt shadowed my path—I believed I wasn’t good enough, not young enough, not beautiful enough to claim that space. But when grief sank me so deeply with the loss of my beloved musical partner and soulmate, I found myself standing at the edge of despair with nothing left to lose. In that dark and sacred space, I felt the light of my dreams calling to me as a lifeline.
Now, I walk that path fully, my voice is like a lantern casting light in the silence. The songs I’ve penned, and those still waiting to be born, are my offerings — messages of love, courage, and hope that may carry on long after I am gone. More than just notes and words,, they are the reflections of a woman who dared to listen to her own voice, and who followed the song within.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.elenarayomusic.com
- Instagram: elenarayomusic
- Linkedin: Elena Rayo
- Facebook: Elena Rayo
- Youtube: @elenarayo1577
- Soundcloud: Elena Rayo
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