We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cassidy Jade. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cassidy below.

Cassidy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

What my parents did right… they always told me to do my best. I find this to be a blank statement and for me at the time “doing my best” never felt good enough. I always thought that I was capable of achieving more and when I say more I mean things that were highly unordinary and unrealistic at the time. When I confronted them on this at a young age they reminded me of one important thing we quickly forget about being human… Just because we feel like we aren’t doing our best or enough, does not mean we aren’t capable of more, rather we are striving to do all in that we are humanly capable of doing at that moment of time and that is enough. Through experience, failure and our individual uniqueness, we can achieve more.

My parents taught me to always be creative and to dream big. At the start of my youth, this was something difficult for me. With many of my peers and outsiders trying to squander that mindset at any chance they had, I had to remind myself of who I was. A human being. I have been given the opportunity (life) to show up as my best self and to inspire people and although there will be people who do not like me, I am grateful for those who take the time to see me. Where I want to go in life is not a place of settling or limits. It is a place of believing that anything is possible with hard work, gratitude, consistency, and patience. But of course, I dream big and utilize my creative capabilities to inspire and connect to something bigger than ourselves.

Cassidy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Cas. I am a 23-year-old entrepreneur, musician, singer/songwriter. I began singing from the young age of 7. I started learning piano by ear at the age of 10. My first song I was inspired to learn was Someone Like You by Adele. I went through countless piano lessons to learn to read music but stuck to learning by ear. (stubborn kid) I grew passionate about singing around the same time I learned piano and played at multiple music recitals at schools, through programs and in my later teen years at cafes and live music venues.

I faced hardship throughout my youth in music. battling with doubt, insecurity and mental health. I met many people throughout my music journey when I was young but never took it seriously. I veered off the path of music and enrolled in University in hopes of receiving my doctorate in Psychology. In my second year of University, I found it challenging to stay focused and motivated. I tried countless times to find new ways to feel more engaged and excited about the construct of school but I could never bring myself to it. The music bug kept ringing. I wrote music that helped me deal with these difficult emotions I was processing at the time. I had support from co-workers and friends who encouraged me to listen to that “music bug” and take a risk on doing something that was calling to me. Now that sounded enticing. I decided to restart and take a chance on doing what I love most. Music.

Through my songwriting, singing and performing, I want to inspire people to listen to that inner calling. To break free from the idea of what “should I do with my life” and into “what I want to do with my life and what I feel I am destined for”. Now, there will still be difficulty, stress, challenge and doubt… if not more of it. That is the beauty in it. I want to remind people that they aren’t alone. No matter the challenges you may be faced with, when it is something you love… it is worthwhile. Creating any business requires a great risk, without the risk there is no reward. The greater the risk, the bigger the reward. Trust that, although I may not know how to start this business, I know that it is what I want and I will do whatever is necessary to get myself there. I want to remind my followers and fans that all hard work isn’t achieved through perfection. It is achieved through consistency, patience, passion, discipline and most of all by being the best version of yourself. The truth in who you are and what you stand for. With consistency and discipline, you can achieve your goals but that only gets you so far. The happiness in success comes from the love of doing the work. You must love what you do and enjoy the work that goes into it, otherwise you will find yourself unhappy and unfulfilled. Patience is key in starting a business and failure is apart of the process. Being patient and reminding yourself that the difficult times are the most important times to be patient and grateful. Reminding yourself of where you used to be and how far you’ve come.

Teamwork. Not everything you do has to be done alone. A lot of the journey starts alone. Sacrifices will need to be made and you will lose people along the way. You will learn who is there for you and who is not. Those who support you don’t need to see you the way you see yourself, nor do they need to see the vision and goals you have, however, it is important to stick close to those who want to see you win. Supporting them and uplifting them. Collaboration and support for your team is an important key factor to business. You get what you give.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A big lesson I had to unlearn was balance.

While balance is important, in starting a business and becoming a musician… it only gets you so far. I had to unlearn balance and learn obsession. In becoming obsessed with performing, writing, singing, and networking, I have gotten much further than I have with balance.

Trying to balance everything in my life was getting me exactly that. A balanced life. I am striving to become a famous musician. I needed to focus and become obsessed with what I love.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I built my audience on social media through consistency and risk.

There were many days and oftentimes when I did not want to post. I found social media to be overwhelming and daunting. I did not enjoy posting nor did I find satisfaction in marketing myself online. I really wanted people to know me for who I was outside of a screen. Through many trials, I began to see the value in social media and marketing myself online. In today’s world, social media is a valuable tool to help grow any business.

My advice is to post as much as you can. Find ways where you can show yourself authentically. Remember to be professional but have some fun! ;) Study the algorithms per each social media platform and find what times and days you have the highest engagement and then remain consistent in what and when you post. Take notice of what people enjoy most about you and continue to give the audience the best version of yourself. Do not overthink it and do not post to receive likes, comments. Have no expectations. Trust that what you are doing is best for your business. Of course, be open to feedback! Paying for ads to help increase your chances of being put into a good algorithm is important and it allows for more people to see you and help your profile/platform grow!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stagehand.app/artists/3289
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casjademusic?igsh=MTV3aDd1NmFuMjRnag%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cas.jademusic?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Cas.jadeee
• Other: TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@casjademusic?_t=8mNmbG7Miko&_r=1

Image Credits

Seth Anderson – Blue Willow Entertainment