We were lucky to catch up with Tiana Woods recently and have shared our conversation below.
Tiana, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
I grew up in a very dysfunctional, estranged family that was very different from the experience that all my friends and peers had. I knew that I was in for a very rough ride at a young age with no resources or help ( I actually grew up living in an RV for a while), so I had to be very resilient at an age where most people got to be very care free. I was fortunate that I realized my purpose early on in life, so as a goal oriented person, I had a “light at the end of the tunnel’ to strive towards. I started at the absolute rock bottom, so it was only up from there! All my life, I have strived towards making opportunities out of my difficulties because I also know that I am never the only one out there going through an obstacle.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am the lead singer and songwriter of independent hard rock band, VARNA. We have had 2 Top 40 consecutive hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts. We have won ‘People’s Choice’ at the Independent Rock Music Awards and have been nominated at the Independent Rock Awards for ‘Best Rock Song’ for our single, ‘Living A Lie’. We have toured and opened for multi platinum rock bands in our career. I am a member of Songwriters of North America (SONA) and BMI, who are always advocating for songwriter’s rights.
I am also a Realtor with Rodeo Realty in Beverly Hills.
Currently, I am pitching a reality show with my experience balancing being a working musician/realtor in LA with my friends who are also in the same two professions while serving the exciting and unpredictable entertainment industry. I am navigating the new world of being an artist/songwriter for sync and licensing for film & TV as well.
On a personal note, I just had my first child last August which has been an absolutely beautiful and a terrifying life-changing experience. I am still learning to balance being a new mother and an entrepreneur.
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?
Three qualities that have worked for me in my journey is:
1) Build relationships with people who are excited to work with you.
This one took me a very long time to understand. It doesn’t matter how ‘important’ someone is that you know. If they are not excited to work with you or about you, what they bring to the table will never benefit you and your journey and VICE VERSA. People give energy to things and people they are excited about, it’s primal human nature. When I say build, keep in contact with others. Timing is everything. Just because something doesn’t work out one day, doesn’t mean it can’t later on down the road.
2) No one wants to work with an Asshole.
I honestly think I have been able to get this far in life due to my ability to be a respectful, positive, hard working person with follow through. The industry has completely changed and people do not have time to work with people that create problems, go out of their way to be horrible to others and not do what they say they are going to do. I honestly believe I have had a lot of people work with me not because I was the best at everything, but because I showed up and made stuff happen.
3) Always believe in yourself.
I have this mantra tattooed on my foot because even I can forget it sometimes and it was the hardest lesson I have had to overcome in my life. You are worthy of whatever you desire in life and no one is better than you, regardless of what they have and you don’t. This is not to say that you won’t have to work a lot harder than others that might have the resources that you don’t. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses and you need to figure out what yours are to apply them. I know it’s hard not to sound cliche, but when you really start doing things that scare you and you see that you can accomplish them, you will see that obstacles are only there as a marker to keep others out. Believe in what you bring to the table and don’t be afraid to walk away from situations that are not in your best interest.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Yes! As a songwriter and artist, I am always looking for other songwriters, musicians and producers to work with to pump out material for sync licensing on social media, film & TV. They can find VARNA’s material on whichever platform they get their music from, we are on Youtube, Spotify and Apple Music, etc.
As a realtor, I have a ‘quality over quantity’ approach offering my clients individualized, communicative and transparent service from the beginning of a transaction all the way to completion. I strive to bring the music and the real estate world together, helping my entertainment clients purchase or sell the property of their rock n’ roll dreams!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.varnarocks.com
- Instagram: varnarocks
- Facebook: facebook.com/varnarocks
- Twitter: twittter.com/varnarocks
- Youtube: youtube.com/varnaband
- Other: Real Estate Contact: [email protected]
Image Credits
Enrique Nunez Paul A. Hebert Chad Michael Ward Maya Kay
