Story & Lesson Highlights with Kudisan Kai

We recently had the chance to connect with Kudisan Kai and have shared our conversation below.

Kudisan, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Haha. Questions 1 & 2 are basically the same☺️. I wake up and meditate every morning, anywhere from 25 minutes to one hour, however long it feels right. Then, I’ll check out some Abraham Hicks or something funny (Josh Johnson) on YouTube. Then, I go down stairs, have a cup of coffee or two with spelt/hazelnut milk ( what can I say, I’m in Paris). I sit, sip, contemplate, looking out the window, talk out loud to myself about how I’m feeling. Then, I make my favorite breakfast, which is scrambled eggs with butter and a side of cucumbers. Then, I do yoga, pushups, planks, Pilates, stretching and such for about an hour. Then, I take a bath, put on lashes, lips, and brows, then go down to my neighborhood cafe. This is where I pull out my iPad and work, sip more cafe, maybe order a dessert and definitely, a Perrier. Afterwards, it’s around 4pm, so I walk over to the boulangerie and/or my neighborhood specialty market for veggies, fruit, more eggs, or whatever to make dinner. I may sit and have a glass of wine or two with the neighborhood folks and chop it up. Then, I go home, make dinner, get in bed and watch something that’s streaming. It’ll be The Morning Show right now. I may talk to my sister at some point, then, I may do a little more work online or watch a movie until I get sleepy. That’s my normal day😀

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Kudisan Kai and I am a solo artist, songwriter, and author, former backing vocalist for Elton John, Chaka Khan, and others, and former college professor from Berklee College of Music. I am a queer GenXer who loves 90’s vibes. I still wear Docs and my favorite music is alternative rock and rap. But, I am enjoying alternative indie these days. I was classically trained by Met Opera stars, I was born in the Deep South and I attended an HBCU. I wrote a book entitled, Memoirs Of A Back Up Diva. Currently, I live in Paris and am working on a second book, studying wine, and writing music for film and tv. Also, I just started an online vocal performance masterclass on Patreon called, In The Spotlight: Vocal Performance Mastery. It’s an eight-week live online class for professional singers who want to fine tune their technique and master their performance skills as they build their brand and grow their audience.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed I was never enough. I was always chasing that sense of perfection, hoping everyone would be pleased with whatever was asked of me. I thank my borderline personality disorder narcissistic mother for creating and nurturing that trait. It made me the focused, resilient person I am today. Thankfully, that focus and resilience is much more balanced and aligned in grace and self-love now. I appreciate my upbringing and I understand where some of the narcissistic trait originated from in my mother. I hold no ill feelings about any of it. I am just happy and grateful to love and adore myself, and appreciate how my challenges shaped and molded my artistry. It’s all love. I am enough.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Many times I gave up. There’s no such think as ‘almost’. I don’t do anything halfway. The only thing that saved me was the Higher Power that kept me alive. It happened so many times that I decided to give up on giving up. It was in that moment when I was forced to surrender, that I fell in silence at zero, only to act on what thoughts came to mind next. It was in that moment of peace where I found the solution that moved me forward. That alignment keeps me joyful. There is no such thing as giving up. It is not a part of my journey.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes. There is no other way to be than my authentic self. Period on the end of it.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I knew I had 10 years left, there is nothing I would stop doing. I live each and every day as if it were my last. I put nothing off. There are no regrets nor will there ever be any.

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