Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in arts & entertainment but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Maruja Retana, Co-Founder of Aloa Music, located in Glendale, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My husband, Ross Palmer, and I co-founded Aloa LLC, a business through which we help artists and companies express themselves creatively, compellingly, and effectively. He mainly focuses on digital marketing and his podcast, "Beat The Often Path," and my area of expertise is coaching and mental health management.
In 2015, I launched the Vocal Psychology® program, combining voice coaching, performance coaching, and mindset coaching. In this program, I support aspiring and professional singers in setting their authentic voices free.
I also help creatives get unstuck and improve their mental health through keynote speeches and workshops, in which I offer concrete tools rooted in psychology.
In the recording studio, I work as a vocal producer with young singers and influencers to make them feel comfortable behind the mic and guide them towards excellent performance in a high-time pressure/high-stakes environment.
Tell us about yourself
My name is Maruja Retana (Maru), and I'm obsessed with music and the mind. After obtaining my Master's Degree in Cognitive Psychology, I worked as a psychologist in the Netherlands until I signed with Sony Music Publishing in 2011 as an artist/songwriter.
For a long time, it felt like living a double life. I often wish I could focus on one thing at a time, but I'm not wired that way! I love both music and psychology.
Thankfully, ever since originating the Vocal Psychology® program, I've been able to design a career in which both are equally important. The projects I take on vary, but my mission is always the same: to build a bridge between mental health, mindset, and entertainment.
I mainly do this as a speaker and a coach. I still work as a songwriter, but only on projects that align with that mission. I love creating empowering music for Gen Alpha and Gen Z, usually in the film and TV space. My latest release, "Come on out," was featured in the Disney+ movie "Zombies 3" and currently has 24 million views on Youtube.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I consider it a huge accomplishment when clients thank me for turning their lives around and for helping them achieve the types of goals they never even dared to say out loud.
The Vocal Psychology® program is not therapy but inevitably comes with some personal healing. Through this, people find themselves. It's always magical to see how they stop fighting with themselves and start shining from the inside out.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Having your own company comes with a lot of perks, but also a ton of challenges. I am an unshakable optimist, at the risk of sounding annoying, so I generally welcome those challenges. I'm stubborn enough to think I'll figure something out, and I usually do. With that comes the satisfaction of being a little bit smarter and more capable than you were before.
But... real talk: there are moments when I don't feel good, and I just want to chill and not solve anything. Especially when my daughter was a newborn, I had days that seemed to last forever because I felt overwhelmed. It's hard to show up for your business on those days.
It taught me, the hard way, how to maximize my energy and how to discern. I'm not amazing at organization, but I'm getting more efficient. Don't get me wrong. I'm someone who will put way too many projects on her to-do list, hah! (Talk to me in 5 years, maybe I'll have figured that part out by then.)
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start. Stop thinking and start doing. But start small - what's something you can complete from start to finish?
- Stay focused. What is the 20% that nourishes you AND moves the needle in your business? (note to self, haha).
- Embrace the challenges that will inevitably come your way. Be curious: how can they help you improve?
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://vocalpsychology.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vocalpsychology
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vocal.psychology/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.mx/vocalpsychology/_created/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marujaretana/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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