We were lucky to catch up with Madi Menendez recently and have shared our conversation below.
Madi, 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.
I didn’t find myself grappling with imposter syndrome until I was 19 and in college for music. I suddenly began to question if my music had a place amongst so many talented people. I started writing music when I was 11 years old and started playing guitar at 13; being a musician had been a huge part of my own identity for most of my life. But when college started in 2019, I was introduced to how faceted the music industry was, how being a musician could look very different person to person and what the expectations were for those pursuing a professional music career. I was fearful I wouldn’t be able to keep up.
So much of imposter syndrome comes from comparing ourselves to other people, I realized the means of combating this was knowing what you (and your work) offer really well. The main thing I did day to day to combat imposter syndrome was simple: I began to act and behave as a professional musician/working artist would. And at the core of it for me, was the question of “What does it look like to be a professional musician?” More importantly, “What do I look like as a professional musician?”
Asking myself these questions, inevitably, made me ask what I need to do to be in alignment with my career and how to stay on track to achieve my goals. Alongside, (1) knowing why I am pursuing this career and acknowledging the grittiness that comes along with it (2) Being able to recognize when something isn’t working and how to remedy it. Through trial and error, I was able to develop confidence in my ability to navigate the music world.
When we are creating a path for ourselves, often we cannot see that path in front of us but knowing what our next steps will be are crucial to being able to continue to move forward.
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 am a musician, working and living in Denver, CO, originally from South Florida. I am still building the foundation for a professional music career, nonetheless every day I am grateful to be doing so. Lately, I have been focused on getting my personal project, Majona, off the ground. Songwriting was my first love and it feels really filling to be putting my energy into that type of creation. SO much goes into a debut EP, I’ve really been having fun with the arranging and also merch creation. Music is my main passion but I love exploring different mediums to express myself with. I paint, make jewelry, garden and like to make ceramics (more to come soon on the physical creations for this EP!) I also work as a guitarist in a band called Totem Pocket (shoegaze, alt rock). Majona is set to release music soon, and if you’re interested you can follow me via Instagram (@madi.mene) to follow those projects!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Resilience, faith and grace are three qualities I’ve had to develop during my journey. Resilience allows you to get back up after you fail and try again. Grace you give to yourself when something doesn’t work out the way you thought it would, because you understand you are constantly learning and foraging your path. And faith is the trust in yourself and a greater knowing to continue on your path. I think all three can be incredibly effective when we use them inwardly, kindly, towards ourselves and also externally towards others.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I am always looking for other musicians to collaborate with either in person, here in Denver, or virtually. Also, artists who are looking to put their medium to music or do album artwork. There is such an amazing web of creatives to tap into, I love to connect the visual artists to the sonic artists!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://majona.band
- Instagram: @madi.mene
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