We recently connected with Athena Wilkinson and have shared our conversation below.

Athena, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

The definition of success can be different for each person, and even within one career there can be different levels of success. I do believe there are some traits that can be influential towards being successful, no matter the career. Determination, open-mindedness, and flexibility. Determination is one of the most important qualities needed to achieve any goal or passion. Every day, even when you’re tired, even when you’re not sure of your direction or next steps, having the determination to work at it in some capacity allows you to keep the momentum moving forward, even if just by an inch. Open-mindedness and flexibility are important traits to have for when the unexpected opportunities come your way. Sometimes the next step to take is one that is unplanned or seems illogical. Being flexible and having an open mind allows you to approach all avenues and have maximum creativity for approaching your business.

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?

My name is Athena Wilkinson and I am a professional audio engineer and vocalist. For the past few years I have been blessed to work at Evergroove Studio, an Atmos approved recording studio out of Evergreen, Colorado. Before that, I was studying at the Lamont School of Music, University of Denver and did freelance audio and vocal work in a variety of capacities. In recent years I have become a Grammy-nominated, Atmos certified, and UMG-Atmos approved audio engineer with experience across all genres and levels of musicians. As a vocalist I have provided vocal coaching and background harmonies to many indie artists and have performed with the Evans Choir for the Colorado Ballet.

I’m honored to work in the music industry and help make artists’ visions come to life. As an audio engineer and vocal producer, I have the ability to help bring the sound that musicians’ hear in their heads, to reality and to their fans.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think non-creatives believe that working in your passion means you don’t have to work hard, or feel struggle. The common phrase “follow your passion and never work a day in your life” couldn’t be further from the truth. As a creative, looking to pursue my passion, I work harder than I ever have in any other job. My success, my income, my craft, and more all depend on my consistency and hard work.
I also think burn out hits harder and differently than other jobs might; what was once your escape from burnout or stress, is now the source. With burnout, your “off” days are riddled with guilt over lack of productivity, and your guilt is also increased for the inability or lack of desire to be creative.

I’m blessed to work full time in the music industry, and I can’t imagine doing anything else for a career. But to think that there is no work involved is the biggest myth I know. The hardest working people I know are often those who have chosen to make their passion their career.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Evergroove Studio is 19 years strong, thanks to the hard work of Brad Smalling, my mentor and colleague. Over 8 years ago, I interned under Brad at Evergroove for a summer, during which I learned my greatest lessons in audio engineering. In the years following I kept in touch with Evergroove and helped where I could, until one day I managed to make my way into a job role for scheduling and accounting. From there I started working recording sessions and eventually became the primary tracking engineer at the facility. Brad and I have collaborated as a team on many projects, including our new startup, Immersify and I’m honored to have him as a mentor and colleague.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athena_audio/