Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Hong.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in Seoul, Korea in 1988. My family brought me to New York City when I was 1 year old, and from there on throughout my childhood, we moved around the states several times, as my parents were working hard to try to find new opportunities to raise a family in a foreign country. After living in Florida, Long Island, and several cities in California, we finally settled down in Vancouver, Washington when I was 9 years old, where I continued to stay until I graduated high school. One thing that my father started teaching me as soon as I could start walking was martial arts, specifically Tae Kwon Do. It is something that helps shape my identity to this day. No matter where we moved to, my dad continued to teach me, and eventually, it became the first thing in my life that made me feel like I truly belonged to it.
I believe that learning, training, and competing in this martial art was one of the most important character-shaping activities in the early stages of my life. It helped me maintain a consistent sense of self-esteem and discipline. I never suffered from too much stress or anxiety as a child, as Tae Kwon Do always provide an outlet for me. It is my personal belief that the martial arts provide the ultimate test of the human spirit, as it pushed me out of my comfort zone physically, mentally, and emotionally on a regular basis. That mental and physical training was ingrained into me from a young age, and to this day, I strive to carry that same mentality over to other aspects and hobbies of my life that I am passionate about.
Into my twenties, I ended up becoming a full-time martial arts teacher in Santa Maria, California. After about 5 years, however, I realized I wanted to pursue a passion that was just as strong: music. Fortunately for me, Los Angeles was located just a few hours south of Santa Maria, and I decided to pack up and move there in early 2015, to pursue a new career in music as an independent R&B and Hip Hop artist.
The new people and environment definitely took an adjustment period, but now I feel like LA is a part of me. I have been fortunate enough to have released my first album “Present To The Past” in December 2017, which I feel is an audio-biographical representation of my life from my childhood to my twenties. I have been able to grow as an artist, and still am to this day and am excited for all the future opportunities in my life!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has certainly been a bumpy road. Sometimes the bumps can be small and minor, other times they seem to like it’s the end of the road, but one thing I’ve always done is to just continue pushing through. For me, the first huge difficulty in Los Angeles came from feeling like I was in this pursuit of music completely alone. I realized that to be successful I had to start thinking like an entrepreneur and that’s exactly what I started doing.
Regardless of my problems, whether they were personal, financial, business-related, people-related, etc (And I’ve had all those!) I strive to stay positive and just keep the momentum going.
I learned through my struggles that the times when I was the least happiest was when I was lacking balance in my life. For example, if I stayed too tunnel-visioned on my career goals and forgot to enjoy time with friends and family, I’d end up feeling isolated and alone. Then again, if I spent too much time partying and spending time with friends, I’d feel unproductive and lazy. I believe a good balance and understanding of yourself and those around you can even out many of the bumps on the road to success and happiness!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Steve Hong story. Tell us more about the business.
I am an independent singer/songwriter in the Contemporary R&B genre. I specialize in songwriting, which is a passion for developing into a career. I also am influenced by other genres such as hip-hop, instrumental rock, jazz, and pop music.
I very much treat my music as a brand that I am still currently developing and growing. I would like people to feel like they are part of something that they can relate and belong to when they hear my music, as well as be able to enjoy themselves and have a lot of fun.
In alignment with my music brand, I also manage an online store called “Style Cinematic” (www.stylecinematic.com) as part of my brand as well, which specializes in selling fashion and jewelry. I believe that the future is within the internet and because of that belief, I also make efforts to educate myself on internet/social media/digital marketing and branding.
I am proud that I have been able to pursue this career and share my music and story with different fans around the world, without having to conform to another’s standards or expectations!
What I believe sets me apart from others is my background. I was always raised multi-culturally and have been around all kinds of different people. That allows me to keep a very open mind when it comes to business. I always connect different things I learn from different people, and I do feel like I can develop a truly unique brand from all those learned experiences.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Overall, I consider myself a pretty lucky person. I am fortunate enough to have a loving family and roof over my head, It may sound a bit cliche, but I do believe that gratefulness goes a long way, especially in things that many might take for granted.
For me, I believe in the law of attraction more so than luck itself. I believe that staying positive, working hard, having balance, and being consistent will bring back the return on investment that some might call “luck”.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stevehongmusic.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialstevehong
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialSteveHong/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SteveHongMusic
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
