🎧 Episode Description

What if the thing standing between you and the life you want isn't a lack of talent... but the belief that you need permission to pursue it?

In this episode of One Song One Story, I'm joined by Sumi X — artist, songwriter, entrepreneur, and creative force — for a conversation about identity, self-belief, and finding the courage to trust your own voice.

Sumi's song choice is "Liability" by Lorde, a track that has accompanied her through moments of doubt, growth, and transformation. What begins as a conversation about a song quickly becomes an exploration of creativity, entrepreneurship, imposter syndrome, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we're allowed to become.

From growing up using music as both an escape and a source of expression, to walking away from a successful consulting career to pursue a creative life on her own terms, Sumi shares the highs, lows, and lessons she's learned along the way.

We explore:

🎵 Why some songs feel like they understand us better than we understand ourselves

🚀 Leaving behind security to pursue a creative calling

🧠 Navigating imposter syndrome and self-doubt

✨ The connection between entrepreneurship and creativity

🎤 Finding the confidence to stop shrinking yourself and start taking up space

❤️ Why opportunity rarely arrives on your doorstep — and what happens when you go looking for it instead

This is a conversation about courage, authenticity, and learning to trust yourself enough to build the life that's calling you.

If you've ever wondered whether you're capable of more than the path you're currently on, this episode will resonate.

00:00 Introduction

01:05 Welcome Sumi X

02:38 If today were a song

04:57 Growing up with music

08:41 Using music as escape and expression

12:24 Discovering creativity and identity

16:03 Building a successful consulting business

20:17 The decision to pursue music full-time

24:45 Song reveal: Liability by Lorde

28:12 Why this song matters

31:46 Imposter syndrome and self-doubt

36:20 Being "too much" and learning to embrace it

40:14 Creativity, entrepreneurship and risk

44:38 Opportunity doesn't come knocking

48:25 Finding your voice

52:47 What the song means today

56:01 Who should cover the song?

58:43 Final reflections

1:01:12 Where to find Sumi X

1:02:08 Closing thoughts

What if the song that changed your life wasn’t one you chose… but one that found you at exactly the right moment?

In this episode of One Song One Story, I’m joined by Vince Markowsky, for a conversation that moves through identity, resilience, and the unexpected ways music can become a mirror for who we are becoming.

Every episode begins with one simple premise: my guest brings one song that holds deep meaning for them, and together we unpack the memories, emotions, and life experiences tied to it.

For Vinnie, Riverside by America became far more than just music. It became a marker of transformation. A reminder of where they’d been, what they’d survived, and the person they were learning to become.

We explore the moments that shape us quietly. The chapters we don’t realise are defining us until much later. And how certain songs can hold entire versions of ourselves inside them.

This conversation moves through:

🎵 identity and self-discovery
🧠 resilience through difficult seasons
✨ the emotional power of music and memory
🔥 personal transformation and perspective shifts
❤️ how songs can become part of your life story

This is a reflective, honest, and deeply human conversation about the songs that stay with us and why they matter.

If you’ve ever had a song that felt like it understood you before you understood yourself, this episode will resonate.

And if there’s a song that carries a story in your life, I’d love to hear it.

00:00 Intro
00:11 What this episode is about
01:03 Welcome Vince Markowsky
02:12 If today were a song
03:45 A song that connects host and guest
05:30 Early memories of music
08:10 Growing up and discovering identity through music
11:42 Music as emotional escape and expression
15:18 Song reveal: Riverside by America
17:05 Why this song was the obvious choice
20:14 The first time the song truly landed
24:30 What life looked like during that season
28:12 How the song became a turning point
31:45 Identity, growth, and learning to trust yourself
35:08 How the meaning of the song has evolved
38:21 Music, healing, and perspective shifts
41:10 What this song represents now
44:02 Who Vinnie would want to cover it
46:18 Final reflections
48:07 Where to find Vinnie
49:20 Closing

Some songs do not need lyrics to say everything.In this episode of One Song One Story, I sit down with Jason Olivea, a holistic coach and creator of Inner Compass, to explore a track that became the soundtrack to one of the biggest transitions of his life. We met at an ayahuasca retreat in Costa Rica, one of those places that changes how you see yourself, the world, and what you thought was possible. Not long after leaving, Jason discovered a song he can’t explain how he found, but it felt like it found him.🎶 Song Choice: “Vida” by MoseThis song became a container for:Transformation. Integration. Flow. Identity. Love.We talk about:Plant medicine and the unlearning of who you think you areMusic as a tool for shifting state and healingWhy some songs hit the body before the mind understandsSerendipity, timing, and life’s unseen choreographyHow one song can stay steady while life keeps changingIf you’ve ever had a song that instantly takes you back to a feeling, a place, or a version of yourself, you’ll feel this episode deeply.👇 Comment below with a song that found you at the exact right time.00:00 Intro and what this episode is about01:00 Welcome Jason and the brunch story02:13 If today was a song, what would it be03:38 The song that connects us: Just Dropped In06:00 Meeting through ayahuasca and knowing little but feeling close07:18 Jason’s first retreats and why they matter09:39 Jason’s work: psychology, coaching, and Inner Compass11:26 Plant medicine and shifting identity13:28 Mistaken identity and breaking out of the mental cage16:28 Earliest music memories and growing up in New York18:11 Old school hip hop, eclectic taste, and phases21:34 Using music to match mood and shift state25:12 Auditory sensitivity, vibration, and sound as medicine28:50 Song reveal: Vibe by Auf Wieder30:10 Finding the song after Soltara30:28 Meeting Zaina and the beginning of a love story33:56 The song as the embodiment of transition and transformation35:23 No lyrics, only flow and meaning37:41 Shubeeh’s first time hearing the track39:17 The song as emotional integration in the body41:10 Sharing the song with his daughter44:10 Listening to the song in the gym and in life46:43 How the meaning has evolved over time49:35 Stability and turbulence: the song as companion51:45 Songs and relationships that arrive unexpectedly55:05 How little control we really have56:48 If the song was a film scene58:53 Final reflections and takeaway1:00:20 Where to find Jason: innercompass9.com1:00:46 Closing