Today we’d like to introduce you to KJ Rose.
Thanks for sharing your story with us KJ. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I began my career as a singer… a featured vocalist on multiple albums & stages by night while working several Corporate jobs at companies that include J Records (Clive Davis’ assistant) Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Sundance TV/IFC/AMC Networks by day. It took years before I would have the confidence to pursue music full time… but when I did, I worked hard to secure opportunities to perform on stage with artists like P. Diddy & The Bad Boy family, Carl Thomas, Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, and many others.
Although these experiences truly shaped me, I realized after a few years that my learning curve had begun to diminish and touring had become a hiding place… a way to run away from the courage it would take to finally complete an album of my own. It was time to bet on myself and not allow my journey to be predicated on anyone else.
It took me a while to complete my album because I was striving for perfection. But it was a friend (Rhymfest) who challenged me to stop waiting on things to be perfect and to accept the moment that I was in… then and only then, would I have something to grow from. I began to realize that “Perfection” means there is no room for growth and I had to start somewhere! So, I finally debuted my very first album, “All Heart, No Regrets” and that assignment was complete… and it was time to embark on something even more rewarding.
It was that training that prepared me and informed my next chapter as a Communications & Performance Coach. My job as a coach allows me to take the everything I’ve absorbed from my experiences and pour into emerging performers.
Has it been a smooth road?
My greatest struggle has always been an internal one… I would often find myself trying to convince others of my capacity & greatness… but once I stopped looking outside for validation, I was able to approve and validate myself.
The advice that I would give young women who are starting would be:
SHOW UP & BE PRESENT – Most opportunities come to fruition when you merely show up and go the extra mile.
DON’T TAKE CLOSED DOORS PERSONALLY – Be grateful for them. Being sour and harboring on the moment can cause you to miss a great opportunity in the next moment.
ENCOURAGE YOURSELVES – Your passion is linked to your purpose and there will be times when your passion does not align with reason or logic… but you must do it anyway! No one can make the contribution that was assigned to you.
DON’T DISMISS ANYONE – Stay humble, stay open, talk to everyone – you never know where your blessing will come from.
TALENT IS GREAT, BUT IT MAY NOT BE WHAT OPENS THE DOOR – Figure out what else you can offer until they can get to the talent.
TAKE A CHANCE ON YOURSELVES – If you don’t believe, no one else will.
We’d love to hear more about The Rose Effect, LLC.
At the core of my work, I help CREATIVES to harness their Performances & Interpersonal skills through Stage Presence, Engagement, Connectivity, and Personalization. I am a Global H.Y.P.E. coach (Honing Your Personal Experience)… I equip performers with the tools necessary to Trust Themselves to Jump!
I began working with only singers but I am proud to have expanded my territory by identifying the “quiet performers” as well…we are always pitching ourselves, our ideas, our products, our capabilities… so whether on stage, on screen, in auditions/interviews or boardrooms… there is a performer in us all, waiting to be unleashed!
I most recently partnered with CAA & the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) to provide “Pitching Tools” to their filmmakers; Google Inc. for a Team-Building Experience for their Executives; Univision’s Creator Network to coach their influencers and artists for the purpose of increased engagement; and The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation to conduct Performance Workshop Intensives for their Careers in Entertainment project.
I also had the privilege of being an on-camera performance coach for Kelly Rowland’s BET show “Chasing Destiny” and Khloe Kardashian’s E! Entertainment show “Revenge Body”; and coached Disney talent on shows like “Zombies”, “Bizaardvark” & “Bunked”.
Additionally, I’m proud to teach an Artist Development and Performance class at the Dustin Felder Acting Studio in Los Angeles & Atlanta. Tapping into my own vulnerability with every session gives my students permission to tap into theirs… and this is when the work begins to penetrate and I realize that I am on task! I also work with TriDestined Studios as a Casting & Talent Coordinator and this positioned has afforded me the opportunity to cast my own students… this is greatly rewarding!
What sets me apart is my conviction and determination to help performers qualify themselves before seeking outside approval. I armor myself with as much information as possible so that I can train every type of performer at any given time. I’ve never been on the peripheral of my craft, I live and breathe it every single day and I coach by choice, not by failure… I speak the language of a performer because I am a performer. I have worked on all sides of the entertainment business and have a healthy perspective from lessons learned to be both in the background and the foreground. I’ve pivoted and re-calibrated when necessary and I believe that my sensibility for it all sets me apart.
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
I believe that networking is best when you have identified your own value as it allows you to have something to offer. No one wants to feel like you’re looking for a savior or a way to “come up”. Conversations are extended when you can add value as substantial relationships don’t happen overnight… they must be cultivated. Most of my opportunities have been based on this method.
I followed up with the music director for Britney Spears every couple of days… he held auditions but unfortunately, I was traveling and missed them. However, when I returned, I would call before I got on the train (just to see if he was about to call and most times, it was NO, lol); I would call before I walked into work…. and so on… I’m sure you get the point! 🙂 He was quite entertained by my “light stalking” tactics and eventually offered me the job (thanks to Skip:)! This was one of those occasions where the talent could not open the door… because everybody had talent. In this case, it was my persistence.
Additionally, when I found out that Kelly Rowland was doing a show on BET, I began courting Stephen Hill & Frank Gatson with emails and calls for 8 months until they finally gave in and invited me to set to meet Kelly!
I could not attach myself to the end result or the time I was putting into it… I just had to keep working! I wholeheartedly believed I needed to be included in both of these projects and it was MY job to MAKE THEM SEE ME!
Contact Info:
- Website: roseeffect.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: kjroseeffect
- Facebook: Keanna “KJ Rose” Henson
- Twitter: kjroseeffect
Image Credit:
Maya Darasaw Instagram: Madworksphoto
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