We were lucky to catch up with Jenn Tully recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jenn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

They instilled confidence in me. I often think about HOW they did that? As a mom myself now, it is something I strive to do everyday for my daughter. Through many years of reflection on this topic, this is what I have distilled the magic recipe down to: they weren’t afraid to try new things and encouraged my brothers and I to do the same, they placed as much focus on the journey as the outcome, the indulged and encouraged a million question from me from a very young age, they valued and modeled resourcefulness, they exposed us to the arts (live theatre, live music, art, fashion) and that always made me feel like its ok to be vulnerable and put yourself out there. And last, but for sure not least, they loved me fiercely and told me often. I have never once doubted their love for me. My mom and dad have given me many gifts over the years. Confidence is the one I’m most grateful for.

Jenn, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I LOVE music! More specifically, I love to talk about music. New bands, old bands, all genres, all styles, you name it, I’m happy to talk about it. Music has always been the great unifier to me. My favorite thing to do it to get to know a person via the songs and music that speak to them. During the pandemic, I was feeling so isolated and disconnected I HAD to find a way connect with people again. Politics were polarizing, people were stressed and scared so once again I turned to music to help me quell those feelings of hopelessness, doubt and disconnection. I decided to create a podcast that would help foster community by allowing people to share the stories of the songs that matter to them. From that desire to connect the “What Are You Listening To?” podcast was born. And, it worked! I was talking to all kinds of folks from all over the world and the connections I was making with my guests were real. Each week I was able to take 30 minutes and get to know a brand new person that I likely wouldn’t have met without the show, and the language we were using to get to know one another were songs. One and a half years in, I have over 70 episodes and even more new friends. Once again reinforcing my belief that music can save you if you let it!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Yes, there most certainly is! Number one is the mission to foster community through music. The second is encouraging open, kind conversation. I believe you can find the good in any song. Even if it’s not a favorite, my guests and I always focus on the positive. And, ya know what, I’ve been turned around about a song more than once. Listening to a guest share why a song that I may not love is important to them, often gives me an entirely new perspective. And, in turn, a new love for a song I didn’t originally have a connection with.

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

I had to learn to let go of “imposter syndrome”. I think you can go into a new thing with all the confidence in the world and it’s still hard to escape the voice in your head telling you to quit or that you are crazy or unqualified. I had to let that go. I had to stop focusing on self debt. I had to channel that energy into bringing this podcast into the world as the most authentic version of myself. I just kept telling myself over and over again, “If it’s my idea, and I’m showing up as my whole, true self then not only am I qualified to do this; I am THE MOST qualified because these are MY stories. That was my self talk track and it has made all the difference.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.superawesomemix.com/
• Instagram: @jennjenn1020 and @superawesomemix
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenntully/