In this episode of the Recording Academy x EBONY “Black Music Collective Podcast, recording artist and radio personality Yolanda Adams emphasizes the importance of preparation and hard work. Here’s what we learned from Yolanda's podcast session:
Attitude Is Everything
At the start of Yolanda's career as a recording artist, her talent opened a multitude of doors, but her positive attitude and willingness to put in the work are what helped the Grammy Award-winning singer to maintain a solid reputation in the music industry. As a result, the opportunities continued to roll in.
"I'm one of the hardest workers you'll ever know," Adams recalls telling an industry executive at the start of her career. "You'll never have an attitude out of me. I'll get there ahead of time. I'll leave later than most."
Preparation Is Key
Further, Adams emphasized the importance of hard work. "I always say, 'Accolades and money only come before work in the dictionary.' Period. It's work. First, it's your faith. Then, it's your belief in yourself. Then, it's the work," says Adams. As an example, she referred to the preparation that fellow Houston native Beyoncé puts into every project.
Speak What You Want
Faith was a common theme during Yolanda's podcast session. In fact, it played a role in how she seamlessly transitioned from being a recording artist to a radio personality. After expressing a desire to further her career while also being present for her daughter, an opportunity to work in radio presented itself. "As soon as it came out of my mouth and the intention came out of my heart, two weeks later, my attorney called like, 'Hey, you wanna be in business with RadioOne?" Adams recalls. "The rest is history."
Catch more of Yolanda's gems in the podcast below.
