How I Found My Soul Tribe
This is not your obvious advice.
I toyed around with different titles.
How I Got My Foodies To Go To My Soundcloud Page!
Or.
How I Got 100,000 Soundcloud Streams On My Music In 2 Months.
Or.
My music is at 100,000 plays on Soundcloud. ❤ Thank you loves!
Honest. Fame isn’t my thing. And I’m not all that crazy about bringing attention to myself, so seeing these numbers with my music is wild. Y’all are insane. Thank you loves. I don’t have many followers and if you notice don’t post on here much (every once in a while). A horoscope said I’ll be famous and I said shit, you pulling my leg. Here it is: I’m like the hell, are you playing me. Then seeing the streams I’m like ok, maybe fate has other plans.
How I did it. (This answer is not what you think or some fabulous marketing strategy, anddd I crack a few jokes in here)
1. I really can’t tell you and don’t kno. I started posting on Soundcloud December 2021 and noticed it was growing slow and steady around January 2022. 100 plays here. 3000 plays there. 10,000 plays there. Overtime, this adds up. It’s not in a viral sensation kinda way. Slow & steady.
1a. I’ve been isolating myself a lot. (And I don’t feel all that great either, surgeries and the after effects suck.) It’s only when I got the numbers with the music is when people started noticing. Sometimes you gotta believe in something that no one else can see but you. And do things even if the people around you isn’t supportive. If I told you as recent as two months ago that my music is on it’s way to a million streams on Soundcloud. Would you believe or tell me I’m full of shit? Be honest, you would say bullshit.
2. I’m good at fake smiling. I do have fun food songs but the subject matter in other songs are deep. And some grown & sexy songs. I dread somewhat that my songs on my friends passing away is getting streams. Being vulnerable too many times led to getting burned. So being that revealing makes me scared. If you been with me since Just Want To Chill, my music is going through an evolution/growth period and I’m getting way outside my comfort zone. If you are a new listener welcome aboard. :D
2a. Sex symbol is being thrown around and I’m like wait a sec y’all. Trying to make a former altar girl blush eh? ☺️Maybe after the 3rd mixtape? 😁🤗 Lay Your Body Down and Euphoric Nostalgia is grown and sexy, but don’t forget I spent years in a church/parish that made it taboo to even mention sex. Or if I wanted to get educated for my guy at the time, it was shunned. And purity culture. And trying to keep women in their place. Thank you for listening, this is still a journey. And naturally being afraid of being vulnerable complicates things.
3. I really don’t engage with my hometown Indy at all with the exception of family and doctors (not gonna get into here, just know I’m keeping my distance, only volunteering from time to time). It’s so bad I don’t put Indy on any of my music pages, just being honest. I get way more done being in other cities. I stopped recording in person because the guys too many times are more interested in sex and in relationships than actually getting music done. It’s the nature of being in the music industry being a lady, but it’s in my nature to distance myself when I realize they are wife hunting (I’m not the one).
4. I had to start mixing and mastering my own songs to speed it up. I hate mixing and mastering and respect to audio mixers and engineers. Y’all are the unsung heroes and don’t get enough credit.
5. I said goodbye to everything Catholic, Boilers, service organizations I used to be involved in, because they were causing more harm than good. It’s painful to cut ties with something you spent so many years loving and being loyal to. I personally call it my years of being an idiot lmfao. We all make mistakes right (some of us more than others, especially yours truly)? As soon as I took on new teams and new identities, my music streams shot up. Here’s many loving years with my Hindi music, Hoosiers and exploring hermit lyfe. 📿🧘♀️ (I won’t lie. I did Google Atheist to see if it fit me after 2021. Y’all can beat me up if you want for that one. )
(Hey Hoosiers. Love you boo.)
6. Why Soundcloud first? I can’t tell you. Sometimes it’s a matter of finding that platform that resonates with your audience. I notice Bandcamp is slowly following the leader. And Spotify. Then Youtube. On my personal channel, without any ads, I first noticed my videos getting 1,000 to 10,000 views without trying. Organic.
7. I’m rebelling a lot. And standing up and being more vocal. You might not recognize me. I’m fun when I’m bad. (If you see my mugshot on the news take a pic and send it to me!)
8. Anddd with that being said. I do have a quiet and reserved side. I’m a Gemini and we crazy and got 12 different personalities.
9. This one is not traditional advice. And if you read throughout this whole article, it’s not your traditional marking strategies or fabulous.
Are you open to listen to different perspectives and views, even if it’s not your own.
I notice a lot of people get and stay in their own bubble.
I’m not going to make you drink alcohol just because I drink. If you don’t drink, that’s your choice.
As you know, I do not like religion, organized religion, and had bad experiences in churches. I’m not on board. I don’t have a father on earth, and in my humble opinion right now, who ever is up there is not looking out for me, I’m on my own (don’t ask questions, in the interest of keeping this article short, let me get to the point.)
If we were going on a road trip, and the passenger/guest in my car wanted to listen to catholic/church music, even though I hate the shit right now especially. I would turn on the music as a courtesy to my guests.
Most people are not open to things that they are different, foreign or beyond their basic understanding. People fear what they don’t know and stick to what they do know.
I listen to Hindu music, and some people from my former faith are so judgmental of it. You don’t want people judging you, yet you judge others? Could you be the Hindu person that listens to the Christian music and the Christian person that listens to the Hindu music?
There’s a world that exists outside my bubble and my life experiences and perspective.
Once I let it be:
I stopped caring if I’m a teen sensation or not (and keep in mind I never cared about being famous in the first place).
I stopped caring about getting 100 million streams or not (again, keeping in mind I don’t care about being famous).
I stopped caring about getting recognition (and I never did care really). I stopped seeking attention from the village (in my case my hometown of Indianapolis) because it would never get to the kingdom (put your definition of success here, mine is getting 100,000 streams on my music in 2 months.)
I can listen to religious music on a road trip even though I do not like it and think some of the messages are full of shit. Could you get used to doing things you didn’t like doing?
I have a lot of religious people in my family that are deep in their convictions. They donate money to their churches like there’s no tomorrow and faithfully attend bible study. I do not tell them to turn off their radios with their Christian music because it’s something I don’t like. I also have a number of cousins (and that list is growing) that don’t believe in God. I can listen to both sides, listen actively without my imposing my 2 cents. Or
Could you do the same? Can you accept someone for who they are and stop trying to change them into how you think they should be?
If your Nephew liked rap music, would you try to make them turn it off because it said a few words that made you uncomfortable? Or would you maybe, just this one time, maybe, give it a try? So you can maybe build an unlikely connection? Who knows, you might end up liking the shit and finding a new hobby to take up sometimes.
Some people just want to be listened to without being judged or persuaded to be this way or that way.
My way/belief in God/path is the right way, there is only one way. It’s great that you have a strong convictions and a strong belief system. But not everyone has had the same life experiences as you.
Sometimes it’s good to get outside your own lens. And put on different glasses. I was in a church that wanted to make others believe that their shit don’t stink, and put on these airs that we are better than other people. I’m not perfect or better because I’m in this particular parish. Are they insane? I will join organizations to find common ground, people to trust and comradery.
Not because I think I’m better. I’m trying to make it through this world like everyone else.
And you are becoming the person that you claim/preach, I suppose? Or are you just being one way in public to please others and you are another way in private? Other times others become what they are not to put up appearances/status quo/façade. Just something to think about.
Or are you a my way or the high way type person? There’s multiple lives and existences that exist outside my own bubble. I don’t have to always like and agree with it everyone and their lifestyles. Just because someone does something I don’t like, doesn’t mean I love them any less. We just agree to disagree.
Could you do the same?
Or are you a my way or the high way type person?
10. I’m not over analyzing this or saying what happened to me will be the same for you. Maybe you are reading this and you are super engaged with your hometown and you are finding success that way. And that’s lovely! And maybe you have a great supportive church community that loves and adores you. That’s amazing. Everyone’s journey to success is different and this happens to be my wave, and I’m just riding it.
“Admit it, to a certain extent, you’ve spent too much of your time trying to shrink yourself, Trying to bend in half. Trying to become smaller, quieter. Less sensitive. Less opinionated. Less YOU. Because you didn’t want to be too much or push people away. You wanted to fit in. You wanted people to like you. You wanted to make a good impression. You wanted to be wanted. So you sacrificed yourself for the sake of making other people happy. And for years, you suffered. Let this be your wake up call. When you choose to pull back, say less, or retrain yourself magnificence in any way out of fear, out of logic, or just to survive you suffer. Be Unapologetically you. It will be ok. -Tab Calvitti.
“My mistakes where biting my tongue to keep the peace which had people thinking they could take advantage of and walk over me, helping and giving my all to a person/people who couldn’t do anything for me. Not loving myself enough and lowering my worth to please others. But now it’s fuck them. -Earnestine Purdue
11. Your growth scares people who don’t want to change.
At the core, everyone wants to be loved and have a sense of belonging.
But I haven’t felt safe or really fit in no where for years.
I mentioned this in some other articles, but if you are reading this and feel that you absolutely don’t fit in anywhere, just maybe your path and calling is higher.
I think wanting to be wanted for so long too many times was a mistake. I do not want anyone or anything that doesn’t want me.
My music is actually at 1 million streams now on Soundcloud (I’ll update you on other platforms in a bit), but I wanted to publish the start of it.
It’s 2022!🔥🙌
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