Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sarah Stallman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Sarah with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I think a lot of my work ethic comes from my parents and how I grew up. Both of my parents grew up on working farms, and while I didn’t grow up on a farm myself, we had a lot of the same values. I grew up with dogs, cats, rabbits, and eventually horses of my own. When I got my first horse at 11 years old, I helped my Dad build the stall and pasture for her, and from then on I was doing chores every morning and evening. While my parents provided all the food and materials I needed, it was up to me to do the daily chores. I had wanted a horse so badly ever since I can remember, so once I actually had one, I knew it was my responsibility. Having something or someone else who truly depends on you teaches you that certain things have to get done, no excuses. I think that kind of experience is irreplaceable. I’ve also had a pretty fierce independent streak and “can do” attitude ever since I was a kid, so I think that definitely has lent itself to me putting myself out there to try new things and always give it my best.
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?
I’m a singer and voice actor based out of Los Angeles, originally from Granger, Iowa. I’ve been fortunate to be a working singer for over a decade now, working with cruise ships, live shows, and bands in the US and internationally. My most recent venture has been starting my own show and company with the help of my business partner, Tris Carpenter. We launched our tribute show “Always, Adele” last year and have had an incredible experience with it so far. It’s not only the most challenging show I’ve done vocally, but being in the driver’s seat both onstage and off has been a very rewarding learning experience. It’s a true look- and sound-alike show, so we put a lot of time and energy into building it to be as close to Adele’s shows as possible. In our short time on the road we’ve played theaters, packed concerts in the park, and even arenas. It’s just the beginning for us, and we’re beyond excited to see where we’ll go from here.
I continue to work as a singer in other areas as well. I work with a great Fleetwood Mac tribute, Gypsy Dreams, where I play Christine McVie on keys and vocals. I love collaborating with other artists as well, whether it’s singing/arranging backing vocals or doing session work. Being part of a creative process with others and seeing it come to life is the most rewarding thing for me as a musician.
I also work as a voice actor, primarily for corporate clients. You know those business products, how-to, and employee training videos you see? I do a lot of those, as well as commercial work. I truly enjoy working for all kinds of clients and helping their products come to life. Very similar to how I feel about singing, lending my voice to these projects to help their business thrive is really gratifying for me.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I think the ideas that have impacted my journey the most are having a good attitude, showing up prepared, and knowing your worth. I like to talk about attitude first, because I think it really is the most important. There are a million talented people out there, especially in Los Angeles. What can really set you apart is how you work with others. When I moved to LA I heard a lot of musicians talk about “the hang” – that if someone’s a good hang on a gig, they like to keep them around. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be best friends with everyone, but that you at least make an effort to get along with everyone and have a positive attitude towards your work. This is especially important as a musician since you’re spending time together outside of your stage time – load-in, soundcheck, and even more if you’re traveling together. Still, I think this idea translates to almost any job. The easier you are to work with, the more people will want to work with you.
Being fully prepared when you walk into a room, whether it’s a gig, a session, a meeting, or any other professional atmosphere, will also set you apart. I was stunned when I showed up to LA and people were surprised at how much I had worked on my material before a rehearsal or gig (to be fair, I also just didn’t want to embarrass myself!). It always makes a good impression and shows who you’re working with how serious you are about what you do. Another example of this is in voiceover sessions, know your client and the script and be ready with any clarifying questions you may have. They’ll appreciate that you spent time with it before jumping in to record. I heard something lately that really struck me when it comes to all this: Work beats talent when talent doesn’t work.
The last, and most recent, learning point for me is knowing your worth. This is something that tends to come with time and experience, but at a certain point I knew I had to take a stand about the worth of the projects I’m a part of. This isn’t to say you should overquote people just to make more money, but rather be clear about the value of what you do and don’t be afraid to ask for what you truly believe it’s worth. It can be scary! It definitely was for me at first. But you’d be surprised how much more seriously people take you when they can tell that you take what you do seriously. That being said, it can sometimes be very rewarding to do projects that don’t pay much or at all if they align with you, build your community, or get you closer to a goal. I would simply caution about how often and for how long you do so.
At the end of the day, a lot of this comes down to a motto that I’ve adopted: Be kind, be fierce, be you.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
The most important book in my life hasn’t been a business or typical self-help book. It’s “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. When I first read this book back in 2015, I was on a contract with a show director that I had a lot of trouble working with. I thought the director was the main source of my stress, but after reading this book, I realized I was the one causing internal stress for myself. It’s kind of hard to summarize the main points without sounding too woo-woo-y, but it helped me get a better grasp of my true self vs. how I think I see myself, and how I operate as a human being in this world. After reading even a small amount of this book, it felt like my whole world opened up. I became a better performer and friend. I know this sounds hyperbolic, but it was life-changing. That said, I had to go through some difficult times in order to really understand what the book was saying. It deeply impacted every part of my life, both personally and professionally. I am forever grateful to have found that book when I did, and I still make efforts in my everyday life to remember what I learned and continue to implement it in my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sarahstallman.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesingersarah
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/sarahstallman
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sarahstallman
- Other: Always, Adele: www.alwaysadele.com
www.instagram.com/alwaysadeletribute
www.facebook.com/alwaysadele
www.youtube.com/@alwaysadeletribute
Voiceover: www.sarahstallmanvo.com
Image Credits
Jesse Ashton, James O’Dell, Joe Schaffer
