What happens when you’re told you can’t match pitch… and you believe it?

In today's episode, I interview Drew Russell DuBoff, a full-time professional singer and musician who was once told by a mentor that he couldn’t sing in tune.

Because of that moment, he didn’t pursue music in college, even though he really wanted to. But years later, he found his way back to singing and built a career as a working performer.

This conversation is all about overcoming limiting beliefs, unlearning negative feedback, and creating a successful career as a singer without following the traditional path.

If you’re a singer, performer, or creative who has ever been told “you’re not good enough,” this episode will show you what’s possible when you stop letting that story define you.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What it’s like to be told you “can’t sing” and how that impacts your identity
• How to overcome limiting beliefs in music and performance
• Building a singing career without a music degree
• Navigating musical theatre, opera, and choral work
• Why information in the arts shouldn’t be gatekept
• How the Singers and Performers Community supports singers at every stage

This episode is especially powerful for singers, voice teachers, musical theatre performers, opera singers, and anyone building a non-traditional creative career.

Connect with Drew DuBoff + the Singers and Performers Community:

 https://singersandperformers.com
https://instagram.com/drewduboff
https://facebook.com/drewrduboff

Drew’s Bio:

Drew Russell DuBoff is an interdisciplinary musical theatre performer, opera singer, and sacred/choral singer. His performance credits include engagements with Walnut Street Theatre, New Jersey Lyric Opera, Opera Philadelphia, and soon-to-be New Camerata Opera in New York City. He is also the General Manager of Theatre Ariel, Philadelphia’s professional theatre company specializing in Jewish works. He started the Singers and Performers Community because information shouldn’t be gatekept. All singers and performers, whether they’ve pursued a degree in the arts or otherwise, deserve the chance to pursue their dream. The Singers and Performers Community can help make that happen.
singersandperformers.com

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Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you could leave a review. Be on the lookout for new episodes every Wednesday!
For coaching services, visit: anniecalvaneso.com

This is a story about opportunity cost: what is choosing the cheapest option costing you? Successful people just think differently. Tune in to find out!

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Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you could leave a review. Be on the lookout for new episodes every Wednesday!
For coaching services, visit: anniecalvaneso.com

In this solo episode of Success through Scars, I’m telling the vulnerable truth about my money journey: how I went from broke, bitter, and resentful to running a six-figure business and finally feeling safe with money.

I open up about:

• Living in low-income housing (and not even realizing it at first)
• Resenting my friends whose parents paid for everything
• Struggling to accept help from others
• Working four jobs just to get by while building my business
• The moment things finally started to shift (hint: it involved delusional confidence and a mentor)

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a scarcity mindset, ashamed of your financial situation, or unsure if success is really possible for you, I hope my story shows you that transformation is possible- and that it starts with belief.

💸 I also talk about my Make More Money Masterclass, where I teach you how to rewire your beliefs about money, get out of scarcity mode, and start seeing real possibilities for income and abundance.

Use code BROKETOBOSS for a special discount, valid through August 10th.
🎟 Grab your spot here

Come say hi on Instagram @anniecalvaneso, and if this episode speaks to you, send it to a friend who might need it too!

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you could leave a review. Be on the lookout for new episodes every Wednesday!
For coaching services, visit: anniecalvaneso.com

In this episode of Success through Scars, I chat with Stephanie Ball- an opera singer, sound healer, and now recording artist- about navigating grief, honoring the body’s needs, and using music as medicine. Stephanie shares the raw story of losing her father to dementia, the repeated heartbreak of saying goodbye in small pieces, and how that grief unlocked old wounds she didn’t even realize still needed healing.

She dives into how sound healing helps release stored trauma in the body and why shoulders, hips, and throats often hold our deepest stuck energy. We also chat about her pivot from back-to-back opera gigs to crafting immersive sound bath experiences, working with corporate teams, and launching her new recording projects- all to help people heal physically, emotionally, and energetically.

Stephanie leaves listeners with a powerful reminder: it’s all temporary, you will make it through, and radical honesty about your needs is the first step to real healing.

https://stephanieannballsoprano.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamstephaball/

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you could leave a review. Be on the lookout for new episodes every Wednesday!
For coaching services, visit: anniecalvaneso.com

Today I sit down with my cousin Kristin Tomasello- our first real heart-to-heart, and what a story she has! From watching her dad collapse from leukemia at 12, to battling her own autoimmune struggles for years, to now running her own foundation, writing books, and launching a sun care line (all while spreading fierce love and faith).

We talk healing from the inside out- with food, scripture, boundaries, and compassion. Kristin is living proof that you can turn your deepest pain into a mission that helps thousands. If you’re going through something hard right now, this one’s for you.

Find Kristin here:

http://kristintomasello.com

https://costaseasuncare.com/

https://www.instagram.com/kristintomasello

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you could leave a review. Be on the lookout for new episodes every Wednesday!
For coaching services, visit: anniecalvaneso.com

If you're feeling bone-deep tired- even though you're doing work you love- this episode is for you.

I'm fresh off a crazy busy week: I just wrapped a musical I produced from the ground up (with 50 kids!), I'm prepping for a huge move, launching the next round of Crescendo Club, and singing paid gigs nearly every day. I'm deeply fulfilled… and I'm also exhausted.

In this solo episode, I'm sharing a raw, honest reflection on what it means to feel both grateful and worn out.
Because sometimes, the life we dreamed of is also the one that stretches us the most.

This is your permission slip to honor your tiredness, zoom out, and celebrate the growth you’ve worked so hard for!

✨ Ready to build a business that lets you sing, create, and live freely? DM me “CRESCENDO” on Instagram for information about my business mentorship program, the Crescendo Club
📲 Come say hi on Instagram
📝 If this resonated with you, share it with a friend or leave a review. It helps more than you know. 💕

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you could leave a review. Be on the lookout for new episodes every Wednesday!
For coaching services, visit: anniecalvaneso.com

In this episode, I interview my dear friend and one of the most badass women I know, Dana Lynne Varga. Dana is an accomplished career coach, singer, voice teacher, and fierce advocate for singers. But beyond her career, she’s a woman who has walked through fire and come out blazing.

In this episode, we dive deep into her journey through gastric bypass, divorce, sobriety, and the powerful reinvention of her life, career, and sense of self. Dana shares so openly about the pain she endured, the shame she carried, and the freedom she found in rewriting her story on her own terms.

This one is for anyone who has ever felt stuck, silenced, or like their life no longer fit. Dana’s story is raw, real, and wildly empowering. You do not want to miss it!!

Find Dana here:

https://www.theempoweredmusician.com/

@theempoweredmusican

Dana Lynne Varga on Facebook

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you could leave a review. Be on the lookout for new episodes every Wednesday!
For coaching services, visit: anniecalvaneso.com

If you've ever asked yourself, "WHY can't I just get it together?" "Why am I so exhausted from doing nothing?" this episode is for you.

Recorded while I'm not feeling well and taking a sick day, I realized I was actually burnt out. Because I'm going through some massive Uplevels in life right now.

We go over:

- why you feel exhausted right now

- why nervous system regulation is the foundation of sustainable change

- how to get into energetic alignment

DM me "UPLEVEL" if you're going through a transformation and need some support.

As always, I hope this episode helps you feel less alone! <3 

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you could leave a review. Be on the lookout for new episodes every Wednesday!
For coaching services, visit: anniecalvaneso.com

Last night, I was literally crying on my couch. So naturally, today I recorded a podcast episode- because I KNOW I’m not the only one who’s felt like that.

This one’s for the version of you who just had a bad audition, launched something that no one bought, or is feeling super rejected. The version of you who's questioning, "Is any of this worth it??"

I see you. I am you.

In this little pep talk episode, I’m sharing the full-circle moment of finally getting to teach my Strength for Singers program at the University of Michigan- after they told me to drop out my freshman year.
I emailed them for years. I cried after every “no.” And yet I kept going.

I’m also getting real about rebuilding my body after my eating disorder, rebuilding my confidence in business, and why those nights on the couch- where it feels like nothing is working- are actually when everything is being built.

This episode is real AF. I'm bringing you along my journey in the hopes that you feel seen by hearing what I'm going through.
KEEP GOING. Your future self is so freaking proud of you.

DM me if this landed for you @anniecalvaneso. You're doing better than you think, and I believe in you!

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you could leave a review. Be on the lookout for new episodes every Wednesday!
For coaching services, visit: anniecalvaneso.com

Today's episode is so special because I’m joined by one of my dearest friends, Katrina Fasulo! Katrina is an arts leader whose journey is full of resilience, self-discovery, and unapologetic growth. She shares her story of navigating imposter syndrome, workplace dynamics, and early experiences of being bullied for standing out as a tall, self-assured woman.

Katrina opens up about what it’s taken to step fully into her power- learning to take up space, leaning on mentorship, and creating spaces of belonging. She shares how her internal drive and commitment to alignment have fueled a career filled with leadership roles, a national network of powerhouse women, and a more sustainable, fulfilling way of living and working.

If you’ve ever felt like you were “too much,” or questioned your place in the room, this episode is for you!! Katrina’s wisdom is a reminder that you’re allowed to take up space, go after the big things, and lead with confidence.

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you could leave a review. Be on the lookout for new episodes every Wednesday!
For coaching services, visit: anniecalvaneso.com