We recently connected with Cris Hodges and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Cris , thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
I moved to Los Angeles as a professional session singer after I posted 1 single LA Craigslist ad promoting my services as a singer. After so many years of watching live music venues being torn down to build condos in downtown Dallas, Tx, the writing was on the wall: To make this a career, I have to move to LA. I didn’t know a single person there but I had the feeling this was where I needed to land. I made a post promoting myself as a singer for hire (never having actually done that before), and I waited. For about 2 weeks I waited. Then, I got a call. It was a producer in LA that was working on an album with a songwriter and they needed a raw, passionate rock singer. They flew me out to their studio in Burbank for a test run… and here I am 12 years later :) The journey has not been smooth, nor has it been linear. Along the music journey I found a passion at starting businesses and creating healthy brands for people to enjoy. I’ve been rejected more times than I can count, and I’ve been told multiple times I’ll never succeed at having a career in music and a career as an entrepreneur. But I’m still here. The first major step is the first step off the cliff.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I starting singing when I was around 10. I wouldn’t say there was immense amount of talent there, but there was something. I was in and out of bands in my teenage years, and I always took each band very seriously (maybe too seriously!). None of them were great, but I knew dedication and improvement were the most important variable in the formula of success. As I got older I saw the window of opportunity closing, so I made a pivot over to fitness. I carried the same dedication and intensity in the fitness industry, and I learned both business and wellness during this period of my life. This would later become one of the most important moves I’ve ever made, because I took the business acumen from the fitness industry and applied it to my future career as a professional singer. Before I knew it, I was managing 2 careers at the same time. Below were the 2 problems that I was solving:
Fitness: “Too much focus on sales, not enough focus on retention.” My solution was to create a fitness experience that could be applied not only inside the gym, but outside the gym. Molding technology with relationship, I had a viable solution for success.
Music: “Lots of songwriters in the world, not too many great singers for hire.” My solution was to become one of the best, most prepared and professional singers in Los Angeles. Versatile in every genre, skilled at creating lyrical content and making every song special.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I had a friend that became an investor in one of my fitness companies. After a couple of years he began telling me things like “you’re not going to be able to keep this up, you’ll have to choose 1 career” and “you’re not capable of multiple careers”. These comments turned to insults, and insults turned to anger. I realized if I was to follow my crazy dreams, I was going to need supportive and bigger minded individuals in my circle. I ended up giving him his money back, and I haven’t spoken to him since. Today I have successful music and fitness businesses. I’ve performed on big stages, and I’ve been a part of peoples’ life changing fitness journeys. If you have big dreams, the road is hard and lonely. You have to work harder than anyone else, and you’ll likely do it alone. But once you find a few people that believe in your crazy dreams, there’s no stopping you.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
I’m more interested in what artists can do to support themselves. I was a mediocre singer from Dallas TX that found an untapped niche in the music industry that ended up becoming my lively-hood. Becoming a professional singer for hire (and also creating a remote session singing business) was not a product of societal assistance. It was a product of taking matters into my own hands, and creating solutions for an industry I love. There is not a lack of opportunity in this world, but there is a lack of ownership and determination.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.crishodges.com
- Instagram: @hodgesofficial
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/crishodgesmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrisHodges
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crishodgesmusic