Meet Thea Lissi

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Thea Lissi. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Thea below.

Thea , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I grew up experiencing poverty and all kinds of abuse so I think making it through those dark times as well as the challenges that came along with my dad being incarcerated when I was about 13 years old, followed by his suicide a few years later really taught me a lot and forced me to become resilient.
We cannot control what happens to us in this life but we can control how we respond and how we show up for ourselves and others. Which I think is a pretty great responsibility. So In tough situations, I try to remember that I have 2 choices. I can accept a victim mentality and choose to set my focus on all the bad that is happening to me or I can choose to not allow my circumstances to dictate my future and that is what I believe builds resilience. Choosing to find strength in God & trusting that he has a plan for it all.

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 am a full-time singer/songwriter & dancer! I own a Dance Studio in South Louisiana & this year marks year 10 since I opened Thea’s Dance Academy! I am also a recording artist, singer, and songwriter and I travel back and forth to Nashville every other week or so for co-writes, recording new songs, live shows, etc.
I love anything creative but have always LOVED music! Whether it was simply dancing to music or now writing, singing, and performing. So it’s pretty special to me that God has allowed me to pursue these passions full-time!

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?

Having a strong work ethic is one of the most important qualities in any career but especially in Music I think. There are so many talented people in this industry but if you can be the hardest worker in the room then you are already bringing something to the table that most people simply won’t.
The second quality that I think is important is the willingness to actively seek out opportunities to learn and grow. The creative world is constantly evolving, and staying relevant means being open to new ideas and skills but also not expecting learning opportunities to just fall in your lap. If you search for knowledge it will find you and that will set you apart from most.
Lastly, having a true understanding of who you as a person, what you stand for & what you don’t, and what type of music fuels your passion. The music industry can be demanding, and it’s easy to lose sight of your values or why you even started in the first place. Knowing who you are at your core will help you make decisions that align with your beliefs and maintain your integrity but also make sure that you aren’t slowly becoming someone you wouldn’t be proud of 10 years from now.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

Reset, Recharge, and remember your Why! When I feel overwhelmed I try to take a step back and look at the big picture. Remind myself of what my long-term goal is and why I even began this journey in the first place. Then I get very honest about what is necessary on my seemingly neverending list of things that need to be done and prioritize what is important. If needed, delegate the rest. Sometimes we have to stop being superhuman and give ourselves a break. *preaching to myself big time on this one lol*

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Scott Clause

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