We caught up with the brilliant and insightful She-Rōze a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
She-Rōze, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Confidence is not something that exists in a steady state for anyone. It’s always an ebb and flow, as well as work in progress. I think it starts, as most things do, with a journey inward. What does confidence mean to me? What does that look like? It’s not the same for everyone.
That inward journey uncovers not just our personal vision of what confidence looks like, but it also helps reveal the areas where we lack confidence and the roots of our self-doubt. From there the real work can begin.
A few years ago, someone shared this insight with me, “The greatest way to build confidence is to do the very thing you are afraid of.” It was a terrifying truth to face. In moments where I’ve found myself needing to take a leap of faith, I’ve discovered a few things that have helped me find my courage and get out of my own way:
- Check your ego. Get it out of your head that you have to be good or great at anything. Release any attachment to caring what other people think. Often a lack of confidence comes from thinking we’ll look foolish or be judged somehow. Enjoy the journey and focus on progress verses perfection.
- Rein in any negative thought patterns. Learn to be kind to yourself. Find time to meditate. Focus on the aspects of yourself that are unique and make you feel empowered. No matter how small.
- Do the work. Whether it’s a skill you want to build, or you’re struggling with self-love, take baby steps towards the vision of your life you want and having a healthy relationship with yourself. Be consistent. Set small and realistic goals. Every goal you achieve will build confidence.
- Get support. Whether it’s a mentor, a therapist or even friends and family, it’s helpful to have people that you can turn to when you need some guidance or just to remind you that who you are is already enough.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’ve spent over 20 years building a career as a creative and marketing professional. While I enjoy the great honor of leading an incredible in-house creative agency for a global wellness company, in 2022 I took a huge leap of faith and released my debut album as She-Rōze called “We Rise.”
The album was part of the launch for my non-profit, the Shero Collective, and it’s dedicated to women everywhere but especially those in the Hip Hop and breakin’ community. It reflects my personal filter on our shared experiences. I hope it provides sense of empathy for the tough times as well as inspiration.
The album earned me “Songwriter of the Year” by the International Indigenous Hip Hop Awards. Proceeds from the album and my endeavors as an artist go the organization and our partners. Our mission is to provide women with resources and pathways for self-actualization, to create a network of support that will help them achieve success and develop as community leaders, as well as to recognize their contributions and amplify their impact.
While we’re still in the early stages of developing our programs and initiatives, we hosted our 2nd annual International Women’s Day celebration on March 11th. During this year’s event, attendees were treated to a day filled with great music, amazing food and wellness activities as well as inspiring speakers that presented on a range of topics from personal development, to building bridges through fashion and the untold experiences of bgirls.
Our attendees left feeling empowered and connected to a sisterhood of women, all ready to take the next step in their personal journey and support each other along the way. We also collected input from our attendees to help us continue to curate our programs and events to better support them.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Something I wished I’d learned early on in life is just to enjoy the journey and be kind to myself. Growing up I always felt like there was so much pressure to build a career and to excel at everything. While it’s great to have vision and drive, perfectionism and excessive expectations around success are a recipe for anxiety and depression.
I’ve experienced a lot of highs and lows along my path, which have taught me to stay humble. Take nothing for granted. Every experience is a learning lesson. Some lessons will come harder than others. Some we have to learn over and over again. We all have room to keep growing, so learn to be observant, be a good listener and keep an open mind.
Lastly, I would emphasize the importance of collaboration and learning to work well with others. Not only will it make the effort easier when you can divide and conquer or leverage the expertise of others, but your collective impact will always be greater than what you can achieve alone. So find your tribe and dream together.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
As I continue to expand as an artist and seek to uplift my community through the Shero Collective, I’m always interested in networking and collaborating with like-minded creatives and community organizations. That can take many forms, from working on a music project together, booking performances, workshops or speaking engagements, as well creating a community experience or solving a challenge together.
To learn more about my life as an artist, check out my music or find me on social media at https://linktr.ee/Sherozemusic. For inquiries on collaborative opportunities or partnerships, you can reach me at SheroCollective@gmail.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sherozemusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/she_roze_music/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sherozemusic
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silveirac/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/JLdKb9QqDrY
- Other: https://linktr.ee/Sherozemusic
Image Credits:
Photography by Angel Matute
