Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carolyn Jaynes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Carolyn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
As a singer with my own karaoke business in the 90’s, I wanted to become a professional singer with the background tracks so I wouldn’t need a band. My trio had just sung for a senior community for Christmas, and everyone enjoyed it, I wanted to do more. I told my family I wanted to move to California to pursue a singing career. I heard: “It’s hard to make a living in music.” I never said I would sing exclusively, but I could certainly do it part time. I heard, “There is a lot of competition out there.” That was true, being so close to Los Angelos and Hollywood. But many singers were in bands that charged a lot of money. It was just me and my background tracks, and if I did the marketing myself, I could make it happen. I heard, “You’re a good singer, but you’re not a great singer.” I never said I needed to be famous! I could still be a singer on a smaller scale. it was a huge risk to move to San Diego, California to be a soloist. I took the leap! I sold my house in Minnesota, quit my job, grabbed my cat and headed for the coast in my moving truck with my car towed behind. It was a dream come true, even though nobody believed in me. I did it anyway, because I felt the call of God pulling me there. I made calls to the party planners and Activity Directors in the area and started booking myself as an act for senior communities. I created an Oldies music show that would uplift and inspire them, maybe even get them dancing. You really haven’t lived until you’ve seen a senior in a wheelchair struggle to stand for a standing ovation. My audiences were very forgiving as I learned my craft, recording my voice to improve my abilities, memorizing lyrics, and dancing to the songs to get them moving along. We had so much fun together for twenty years. After a thousand professional shows, I know I made the right decision.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a retired professional singer who morphed into an inspirational author and spiritual teacher. I was a social worker in a nursing home when I heard an entertainer come in and sing to the senior residents. Luckily, most of them were hard of hearing, because that man was terrible. I thought, Even I can do better than that! I put together a trio and we rehearsed in my basement for a few months then came in and sang for the seniors free of charge to give them a little lift. They loved it and so did we! But I was tired of the winter and wanted to live where its warm year-round. I moved to California and started over. In fact, I started over many times, moving to different states and I could always get my business up and running in a short time.
Now I am a published writer of inspirational short stories. My books are a log of spiritual adventures that unfolded magically. Sprinkles form Heaven – Stories of Serendipity, Twinkles from Heaven – The Mystical in the Mundane, and Ripples of Faith – Living Inside Out is all about manifesting, miracles, answered prayers, and other fun topics people wonder about. I also teach classes on zoom – a different topic each month – and present lectures at churches and community centers. The stage experience as a singer helped me become a confident public speaker. I also earned my master’s in counseling psychology and was trained as a psychotherapist. But when my book came out, I decided I could reach and help more people with mt books and classes than individual therapy. I love teaching spiritual seekers about their super-powers and how to use them.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Relationships built on trust. Under promise and over deliver. Treat everyone with the same respect you would enjoy. When I sang at senior centers, I was building relationships for life, not just for that gig. So, when they needed a singer, they knew they could call me and depend on me to be there – on time, every time. When they like you, they invite you back again and again. You start to feel like old friends after a while. Bring added value! I brought hand instruments for the seniors to play. I got them doing fun group dances, even if they were sitting down – Chicken Dance or Hokey Pokey anyone? Make eye contact and smile at each person in the room. Leave no one out. You are building rapport, trust, and likability. Your business depends on them liking you. I prayed before every show, and I owe all my music success to God.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Yes. My mission is to uplift, inspire and inform people with my music, books and classes. I still sing occasionally at a church. I am completing my 4th short story collection right now. I’m a contributor to two Chicken Soup for the Soul books – Angels All Around (2019) and Miracles & The Unexplained (Sept-2022) coming soon. I have been in mediumship training for the last year, and teach several different classes on topics like Miracles, Spirit Signs & Divine Intervention, Signs from Your Loved Ones in Spirit, Manifesting Basics, Tune into Your Abundance, Past Lives & Reincarnation, living in the 5th Dimension, and How to Raise Your Energy Vibration. I teach the first Monday of each month on Zoom and in-person at spiritual centers. My goal is to reach as many people as possible to awaken and empower them to evolve into a happier and more abundant human being.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.CarolynJaynes.com
- Instagram: Carolyn Jaynes Author
- Facebook: Carolyn Jaynes
- Youtube: Carolyn Jaynes
- Other: Audiobooks on Audible / Amazon. WordPress Blog: Carolyn Jaynes Meetup Group: Sprinkles form heaven Spiritual Classes
Image Credits
I own all these photos.