Finding Your Most Authentic Voice as an Artist with Billboard-Charting Singer Rachel Siegel

I sat down with artist and songwriter Rachel Siegel (with our very own Coach Juliana joining too!) to talk about something that doesn’t get enough attention in the music world: what to do when success doesn’t feel like success anymore.

Rachel hit a huge milestone early in her career—a song that charted at #6 on the Billboard international charts. But instead of feeling like she “made it,” she found herself questioning everything. But that questioning led to self exploration and discovery, which has made her feel more excited than ever to release her own music again.

If you’ve ever felt burnt out or disconnected from your voice—even while doing all the “right” things—this is for you.

Scroll to the bottom of the page to watch/listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.

Chasing Big Dreams… and Then Hitting Pause

🎙 Lara: “Wait… your song hit No. 6 on Billboard, and that’s when you started pulling back?”

💬 Rachel: “Yeah. It was a really cool thing—but that’s when I started asking myself, am I doing this because I love it? Or just because I feel like I have to?”

Rachel opened up about what it’s like to have early success—and still feel like something’s missing. It’s a reminder that even exciting milestones don’t mean much if your heart isn’t in it. She also talked about her friends achieving success - like getting signed, landing big deals, etc, but none of that felt right to her at the time. I applaud Rachel so much for not just doing what everyone else is doing because that’s what the majority of us would consider “success”. Instead she took a step back to figure out what she really wanted and what the right path was for her.

🎙 Rachel: “I had to re-learn what music meant to me. Not just what I was doing to be seen or validated.”

🎙 Juliana: “So many singers try to push through. But sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is slow down and check in with yourself.”

Whether it’s tension in your body or noise in your mind, your voice always tells you when something’s off. The hardest part is actually listening and making some changes.

Questions to Ask Yourself If You Feel Stuck

Rachel shared some powerful questions that helped her reconnect with her artistry—and we talked through how you can use them too:

• Am I singing this because I love it—or because I feel like I should?

• What’s the story I want to tell with this song?

• Where do I feel most at ease in my voice?

• What’s missing—and what would feel fun again?

🎙 Rachel: “I used to think being a ‘real’ artist meant pushing nonstop. Now I think being a real artist means knowing when to pause.”

Finding Your Voice (Not Just Your Sound)

🎙 Rachel: “I had to figure out what kind of artist I actually wanted to be—not just what would ‘work’ or what people expected from me.”

This was a huge shift in the conversation. Rachel reminded us that it’s easy to fall into the trap of creating what sounds good or what gets attention. But true artistry starts when you get honest about what you actually want to say.

We talked about what it means to stop copying your influences, stop people-pleasing, and start listening to your own creative voice. And that means experimenting, failing a little, and letting go of the “shoulds.”

Discipline Isn’t Just for Practice—It’s for Presence

🎙 Rachel: “If you want to really grow as an artist, you have to be self-aware and self-responsible. No one’s going to do that work for you.”

This wasn’t just about vocal warmups or showing up to write—it was about emotional discipline too. Rachel talked about the mindset shift that happens when you take ownership of your artistry, including:

• Knowing when you’re getting in your own way

• Having the discipline to stop people-pleasing

• Giving yourself time to grow without chasing perfection

Discipline, in this sense, isn’t about being rigid. It’s about being intentional—especially when you’re building something meaningful with your voice.

You’re Not Broken—You Might Just Be Burnt Out

If your voice has felt tired, your creativity blocked, or your motivation low—this is your sign to reset. There’s nothing wrong with you. You just need space to reconnect with your voice.

🎧 Listen to the full episode of From Singer to Artist for a real talk on burnout, discipline, and how to find your way back to what makes singing feel good again. I also had the pleasure coaching Rachel on one of her new songs (it’s not even released yet!). Get a sneak peak of the song and see how I helped her hit the high notes with more ease below!

Follow Rachel on Instagram @rachel.m.siegel and check out her music here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0HbwlzJrEnYfQSCKTLQb8p?si=nyg22Rc6T9Ct-yFzRzWp9g

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