Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Thomas.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Since I can remember, I have always had an incredible love for music.
I started writing and recording music in high school, but I was painfully shy so it never really went anywhere. Although I was too shy to pursue my own music, I knew I still wanted to be in the entertainment industry, so I enrolled at Kennesaw State University to become an Entertainment Lawyer. I was majoring in Political Science when I snagged an internship with The Democratic Party of Georgia. That experience left me feeling sort of hopeless and it was during this time that I decided I no longer wanted to do that with my life and I quit the internship and school to pursue my dreams of being an artist.
In 2014, I was flown out to New York City to pursue a musical endeavor that ending up not working out but it led to me staying in NYC for two years. It was there that I discovered my passion for writing and creating content outside of just music.
Fast forward to the beginning of this year, I was still struggling with the idea of releasing music of my own but I knew it was time to do more, so I started working on content and ideas for other people. From that, I created Closed Session a live performance series for up and coming artists and I also helped develop an online book review series/book club called Niggas Be Reading. I do have a few more things that I am working on that will be released later on this year and outside of music and creating content, I also model.
I’m learning to focus on one thing at a time while not limiting myself to just one thing.
Has it been a smooth road?
I’ve faced many challenges along the way but I think the biggest challenge that I have faced in my career is myself. As a creative we often times live in our heads overanalyzing everything and for a long time, I lived in a space where I couldn’t get out of mine. I spent years creating but never releasing anything out of fear of it not being good enough, wanting it to be perfect.
It’s only now that I realize the perfection I was chasing was only an excuse to not take the risk. It sounds good to say you want to live out your dreams but it takes courage, discipline, sacrifice and an unwavering belief in self to actually do so and those were things I was honestly lacking.
I would literally talk myself out of major opportunities by not showing up to auditions, canceling sessions or leaving early, not responding to basic inquiries, etc. People would meet me and think I was all of these great things, see all of this potential and then be disappointed when I would underperform. For a long time, I just couldn’t see what they were seeing and it caused me to continuously fall short.
I’ve only recently gotten out of my head! I had to take the time to get know myself and fall in love with that person as well as forgive myself for past mistakes. Once I did that, I naturally started believing in myself, which led me to do more and the more I continue to do, the more confident I become.
Self-love is the thing I was always missing and now that I have it, I feel unstoppable.
If I could give anyone advice, I would tell them to believe in yourself. Believe in yourself so much that nothing can stray you from your path and don’t overthink shit, just do it! Figure out the rest later.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’ve recently released a book review series called, “Niggas Be Reading” with my close friend and business partner Cris Laneise. We named it “NBR” because we felt it played on the stigma that black people don’t read and because of our love for books. We got such a great response after releasing our first video that it has sort of morphed into a book club. People want to join in and that was always the goal, to get people excited about reading.
I also have my pride and joy project called Closed Session. It is a video series showcasing exclusive live performances from emerging talent. As an artist myself I know how hard it can be at the beginning of your career to produce different types of quality content, so I wanted to provide a way for those artists to give their fans that type of experience.
Last but not least, I am a singer/songwriter and will be releasing music before the end of summer. I’ve recorded music for years but never actually released anything to the public. I’m really excited to finally share some of myself and what I’ve been working on.
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that a lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
I would say to start by talking to people you already know, there may be someone in your existing network who can help
Also when you’re out at events and social gatherings actually take time to talk to people. You’d be surprised how many people don’t say anything when they’re out and I’ve found that just introducing yourself to people without being overbearing goes a long way.
Lastly, be sure to use social media! Follow and connect with people who have similar creative interests.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.melodydani.com
- Email: Melody@MelodyDani.com
- Instagram: MelodyDani
- Facebook: http://www,facebook.com/MelanieThomas428
Image Credit:
Marco N., Nicole Scarlett
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