Story & Lesson Highlights with Rachel Rogers of Los Angeles

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Rachel Rogers. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Rachel, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Have you ever been glad you didn’t act fast?
Yes. I think life happens at a much slower pace than people realize, especially when it comes to maintaining your integrity. I work in the business world and in the art world. There are people in both who will push you to act fast. There are times when you need to work fast or think fast–the pace of work ebbs and flows. But if someone is pushing you to act quickly, I’ve noticed they are rarely looking out for my best interest.

I heard someone in the music business say to take every opportunity, say yes to everything. They also said they had been taken advantage of in their younger years in the music business. The right people and the right opportunities are not hurried.

What’s funny too is I recently took a cyber-security training for my job and one of the ways to spot a phishing email is if they are urging you to act quickly. This is how I think we should operate outside of spotting phishing emails too. When looking for a music producer, I got a weird feeling about him and he wanted to rush into recording. Was he a bad guy? I don’t think so but I don’t want to work with anyone who makes me act fast out of my comfort zone.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Rachel Rogers and I’m a singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, CA. In the last couple years, I have been performing around Southern California as a solo act and as the member of the band Have We Met.

This past year I released my first solo music with the help of great musicians and producers I’ve met here in LA. As someone who really loves emotionally intense indie music and the freedom of pop music, I’ve gotten to release songs that represent both sides of my personality!

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
I’m blessed to say there are a lot of people who saw my potential before I did. I feel like I’ve been rich in mentors throughout my life.

One person who comes to mind was one of my high school English teachers, Mr. Stewart. I think I was going through a bit of an identity crisis in high school. I was a good student in all subjects and set on studying engineering in college. Then I took physics my junior year and struggled! I had never struggled so much to understand general concepts. I felt like my future plans were all falling apart.

At the same time, I was easily passing my AP Language & Composition class with Mr. Stewart. I though nothing of it until I reached out to him for a recommendation letter to submit with my college applications. He saw something in me I didn’t know was unique–I was a great writer! He didn’t know I would secretly write poems and songs. Still, he saw I had potential in something other than electrical engineering and called it out of me.

When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
I’ve always been an emotional person. I think emotions or big realities tended to overwhelm me as a child. In some ways, that was good. I would get really overwhelmed looking up at space and realizing how small my life was. I would also get really overwhelmed learning about the environment as a kid and thinking there would be no air to breathe by 2050. That actually kept me awake a lot as a kid.

The same thing that helped me work through these big emotions as a kid is what helps me now and that’s my faith. No one prompted me to do this, but I started reading a chapter of the Bible before bed every night. It’s something I still do and have never had any trouble sleeping since.

Overall my faith in the fact that there is a God, there is a God who loves me, and there is a God who sees me and has a good plan for me is what grounds me. There really is nothing to fear. I can be sad, scared, elated, grateful, confused, frustrated and still feel at peace. These are all a part of life and the fact that I get to experience all these feelings is really beautiful.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest lie in music and entertainment–and honestly any industry–is that once you are making money, you’ll be much happier and feel fulfilled.

While succeeding is great, I don’t think succeeding means making a lot of money. LA attracts people with dreams of getting famous. I’ve heard other musicians say they’ll be happy when they have a lot of fans. What is “a lot” of fans? Will you inherently be happier with more fans? I think people rally believe being recognized by a lot of people will feel like being known and seen. They think having more money will make them happier too.

The truth is if you aren’t fulfilled making music at the level you are doing it now, having ten thousand fans won’t fulfill you. Being secure with who you are without financial success will make you feel richer than any success that could find you later on.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What are you doing today that won’t pay off for 7–10 years?
Scrolling on my phone! Aren’t we all a little addicted to our phones? It feels that way. I never regret spending less time on my phone.

I take one day off social media every week. I should honestly have more parameters, but that is a good start to me. There are some benefits to being present online but I’m at my best when I am doing chores, going outside, making music, and spending time with friends.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.itsrachelrogers.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its_rachelrogers/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ItsRachelRogers
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6YQvpOwEIfe3AfEaNcERHI?si=lMfu_EIZT0mj3XPpGJSdPw

Image Credits
Anthony Clark Jr.