Opportunities don’t come from playing it safe or waiting until you become perfect and everything is right. Sometimes you have to trust it, do your absolute best, believe in yourself, bring the best work forward, and see what happens.

Sometimes, the things that we think are perfect don’t always turn out to be great. Sometimes, it’s the gig, job, or song that you see as not ideal or unappealing that is going to push you to do the next level or the best work of your life.

Great opportunities don’t usually come dressed as you expect them to be, and no matter how appealing or unappealing an opportunity looks, you will never know where it can lead you until you say yes to it. Saying yes to an opportunity and giving it your best is where the magic happens. Judging opportunities and thinking of them as less than ideal is an excuse for not giving your best effort.

Stop worrying about making everything perfect, and start giving your best to every opportunity. Any opportunity is great if you believe in yourself and give it the best shot.

To thrive, you must be willing to take risks and be open to doing the best work you can. The worst thing you can do is shy away from a great opportunity because it doesn’t seem like the perfect one. Just go for it and see what happens. You might end up having the most incredible time; if not, you will learn from it, and either way, it was worth the effort.

In this episode, Clare Bowen and Brandon Robert Young, a husband-and-wife duo singing group, talk about how to build your career, set boundaries, and succeed as an artist and entrepreneur. 


“Empathy and compassion are big, and you have to hold on to them as an artist.”



Snapshot of the Key Points from the Episode:
[03:47] Clare and Brandon share how they became a great singing duo and, more importantly, husband and wife.
[11:22] How to stop playing it safe and stepping out even when you feel it’s not your ideal gig or perfect timing
[15:30] What led Clare to be called for the nationals despite being shy, introverted, and coming from a small town in Australia and her experience? 
[19:06] Clare and Brandon’s favorite and most memorable performances. 
[23:54] The superpowers that have helped Clare and Brandon navigate and achieve success in their career. 
[28:44] How do Clare and Brandon build and maintain their fan base to be successful in what they do?
[38:02] How do Clare and Brandon navigate the business and creative side of their day-to-day career?
[46:44] What does working from your happy place mean to Clare and Brandon?
[50:20] Clare and Brandon’s advice to young people starting out their career in arts and anyone who is setting out to do something greater than themselves.
[57:39] The importance of rising beyond expectations and being kind to yourself. How to be yourself and recognize your uniqueness and what makes you special.


About Clare Bowen and Brandon Robert Young -

With haunting and ethereal songs that masterfully delve into the depths of ferocious love, heartbreaking loss, and steadfast hope, the debut album, Dangerous Love, by new duo Bowen Young unveils a unique style of music the couple has dubbed “Cinematic Americana.”

Bowen Young’s timeless debut record, created by Clare Bowen and her husband, Brandon Robert Young, is a multi-sensory feast. The music, produced by Sean McConnell, invokes themes painted by the duo’s powerfully authentic lyrics and hypnotic harmonies.

Clare, the charismatic actress who played Scarlett O’Connor in the popular show Nashville, is known as a ray of sunshine around the world. She is an empath who leads with her heart, able to communicate and translate emotions, whether on stage or on screen.

Born in rural Australia, she moved to Music City in 2012 for the Nashville role and immediately earned respect from the city’s musical leaders. She has performed with artists such as Vince Gill and Zac Brown Band, working with Grammy Award-winning producers/songwriters T-Bone Burnett, Colin Linden, and Buddy Miller, who became her mentors.

She toured her eponymous album for sold-out crowds with Brandon in Germany, Australia, the US, and UK. The pair also earned a coveted spot on Sugarland’s popular “Still the Same Tour” and toured live with the Nashville cast, selling out London’s O2 Arena.

Brandon, who began singing at age five under the gentle guidance of his mother, had a very different upbringing and path to Nashville. In 2000, he moved from Enfield, CT, to Nashville, where he taught himself to play guitar. He worked as a courier during the day and spent his nights filling empty composition books with song after song.

He spent a decade touring with music legend John Hiatt, first as percussionist and background vocalist and eventually becoming one-third of The John Hiatt Trio. He worked on three of the famed artist’s albums, the last of which was nominated for a Grammy in the Americana category.
Brandon has collaborated with Grammy Award-winning artists Emmylou Harris, Colin Linden, and Mikky Ekko. Young was also invited by John Carter Cash to finish one of his father’s unpublished works for Johnny Cash Forever Words. Brandon’s music has been heard in shows such as Shameless. A Million Little Things, and Nashville.

It was serendipity that brought Bowen Young together in 2013 when Brandon was a last-minute replacement for Clare’s no-show duet partner for her first solo set at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. They immediately discovered they had wonderful chemistry both onstage and off. Brandon proposed to Clare at the Ryman Auditorium during the couple’s Grand Ole Opry set in 2015. They were married by John Carter Cash at the Cash Cabin in 2017.


How to connect with Clare Bowen and Brandon Young :
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bowenyoungofficial/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bowenyoungofficial/



About the Host -

Belinda Ellsworth is a Speaker, Trainer, Best-Selling Author, and Podcaster

She has been a professional speaker, mover, and shaker for more than 25 years. Having built three successful companies, she has helped thousands of entrepreneurs make better decisions, create successful systems, and build business strategies using her "Four Pillars of Success" system.

Belinda has always had a passion and zest for life with the skill for turning dreams into reality. 

Over the last 20 years, she has been expertly building her speaking and consulting business, Step Into Success.
 

How to Connect with Belinda:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/stepintosuccess
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/belindaellsworth
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stepintosuccess/
Website - www.workfromyourhappyplace.com