SUNDAY SELFIE SERIES #66

LeAnn Phelan

SUNDAY SELFIE SERIES #66: The always lovely, always kind, always excellent LeAnn Phelan.

I’ve known LeAnn since 1997. I had just signed my first publishing deal with Windswept Pacific, and she ran their Nashville office. She greeted everyone (including me) who came in the door (always with warmth, always with a smile), set up sessions for writers, and honestly, I don’t know everything she did but I know it was a lot and I know she did it with grace and enthusiasm.

LeAnn is now one of the most beloved music professionals in this town. And when I see her as a woman in full bloom, I see her as a testament to what kindness and a gentle touch can bring to a life. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love her.

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1. What has humbled you more than anything else?

Growing up in West Tennessee, I got the message that being humble meant if you’re gonna go after a dream that’s out of the ordinary, you’d better do it quietly.  It was more of a boundary I carried with me for too long.  I’ve made up a different definition of the word. When I’m able to pull back and get an aerial view of my life seeing how each decision, mistakes and all, perfectly folded into the next right experience in my life, I am humbled. It’s noticing I’m not in control and believing something bigger (and better) is. 

2. Do you feel like you’ve gotten a good education?

I received a great foundation in public school with teachers that cared. I was one of those “what-do-I-have-to-do-to-get-an-A” people. However, what shaped my early years the most was my mother enrolling me in voice lessons. My teacher, Joe Kincaid, opened me up to a bigger world through music and changed the trajectory of my life.  From that point on, I was trying to get through school to get to music. I graduated from college with a BBA that honestly, I’ve never really used, but it was important to be the first one in my family to do so. And, of course, knowing how to hit the mark, I graduated with one of those “gold cords” around my neck as my mom pointed out. Thanks to music, my real-life education came from traveling the globe, learning how to bounce back from my share of mistakes and not being afraid to take risks.  As I’ve gotten older my curiosity has expanded and I’ve become a better learner…learning because I want to grow, not because I want a good grade. Also, self-exploration through therapy has led to an insatiable desire to soak in everything related to spirituality and personal growth.  Continued learning is one of the biggest joys in my life. 

3  Do you believe that forgiveness benefits the forgiver or the transgressor?

I think each party is responsible for doing their own personal work of forgiving and accepting themselves and for most, this is a lifelong endeavor. So, with each one needing to forgive themselves in the end, my answer is the forgiver. 

4  What is your proudest accomplishment?

That I’ve been able to have a career in music helping people get closer to their dreams. There’s a program at ASCAP called the ASCAP GPS Project that was literally a Divine Download given to me on a silver platter that I was able to implement with the help of my colleagues and it has helped a lot of songwriters get their first publishing deals. It’s still going strong even after I moved on. I am proud of that. 

5. How would you like to live out your golden years?

I worked with Life Coach Deb Markland and she really helped me envision what I want on paper.  My golden years will be spent running a beautifully designed creative retreat in the mountains where people can replenish and make things. Teachers will come in to share their talents and I will be mentoring people as well. I can see in my mind looking out into the slightly chilly mountain mornings with a piping hot cup of coffee, a fire going, surrounded by my journals, a couple good pens and at least two dogs. There will be walking paths, beautiful dinners, conversations about what matters and plenty of time to create. I envision a couple of candid photos in my office of a few clients that have achieved their career goals because of our work together.  And then, I get a phone call that one of my nieces has arrived for a visit … Golden.

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