Changemaker Spotlight: Andrea Wise Smith & Fearless Voice Media
Inspiring children and marginalized communities with nature through music
I wish i could tell my past self that even though entrepreneurship seems daunting, i am fully capable, equipped, and skilled to build and design valuable work.
As a singer-songwriter myself, talking with Andrea Wise Smith (she/her) made my artist heart happy. Andrea’s passion for music and storytelling is inspiring, and I admire her sense of calm with her venture.
She’s solid in the fact that she’s creating the work she wants to do to have the impact she wants to have on the world.
Shifting from traditional work to creative work might not seem easy. But for an artist with a heart for making an impact, it’s necessary.
Andrea’s certainty is inspiring and her message is clear: you are capable and you can do this!
Photo credit: Andrea Wise Smith
Tell us about your venture.
The mission of Fearless Voice Media is to use my voice to create meaningful songs and stories that educate, uplift, and inspire children and marginalized communities. I do this work through singing and songwriting, creative writing, and voice over narration and acting.
I seek to make music and create stories that help people feel seen and heard. In my creative writing and storytelling I have a specific focus on encouraging joyful learning, discovery, and creativity for children from racially and economically marginalized communities.
What is next for Fearless Voice Media?
My children’s educational show City Treks™ will help teach children in urban or metropolitan areas how to connect and embrace nature as a positive and vital part of their lives. The show, debuting Spring 2024, uses music, hands-on learning, and insight from local experts to engage the young audience. It’s our hope to inspire learning and exploration of local green spaces for underserved communities by increasing their awareness of accessible natural spaces.
How do you approach storytelling through music?
I merge my skills and talents in affordable housing finance, singing, music writing, and urban planning, to support BIPOC communities’ self-advocacy and representation.
I draw from my personal experience growing up in an affordable housing community and current work with children to shape my stories in my children’s pilot. I use original music and social emotional learning principles to encourage children to explore and pursue learning and discovery regardless of social limitations or barriers.
Photo credit: Andrea Wise Smith
How are you feeling about launching City Treks?
I have some pre-launch nerves, but feeling thankful, trusting, and supported in getting to this major step of sharing my venture and gifts.
What motivated you to encourage children to connect and embrace nature?
I grew up in a low income community and watching educational shows encouraged my love for learning, helped expand my imagination and supported my discovery. Working as an urban planner with a community development and affordable housing focus, I wanted to make the concepts and principles of urban planning accessible to lower income communities who are impacted by policies, decision making, and accessibility to green spaces in cities.
How has the Changemakers Circle supported you?
The Changemakers Circle made a huge difference in being a supportive and collaborative space to bring my concept to fruition, build my confidence in sharing my venture idea, and receive constructive feedback and helpful connections from other women pursuing meaningful ventures. It was the exact blend of reflective, creative, and guided action steps that I needed to accomplish my goals.
Photo credit: Andrea Wise Smith
Through this group, I made meaningful connections with other skilled and mission-driven entrepreneurs who are doing great work.
Lastly, the facilitators were very intentional and interpersonal – their thoughtful planning made me feel like my ideas, time, and investment were valued.
How has City Treks grown over the course of the Changemakers Circle?
When I first started, I had concepts for my venture but felt hesitant about fully leaning into my creative skills that I wanted to pursue. I initially felt more comfortable focusing on doing work related to my previous career field, rather than going after opportunities in singing and writing that I actually desired. Over the course of the program, I developed a larger vision for my venture that helped me to connect the dots of my previous work experience with the creative work I wanted.
Through the Changemakers Circle, I built a creative partnership for my projects with a fellow participant Dawn Peters, who is a filmmaker, and I received some helpful connections with professionals in children’s media. I was able to see how expansive my venture is and get ideas and feedback on different directions I can take with what I’m offering. By the end of the Changemakers Circle, I had drafted a pilot episode and could clearly communicate what opportunities I was seeking and how to navigate getting them.
What have you learned about yourself through the Changemakers Circle?
Before the Changemakers Circle, I knew that I enjoyed collaborative learning and creative spaces, but after the Circle, I learned how empowering and practical these spaces are for providing the accountability and synergy I needed to make sustained action steps that felt hard to take by myself.
I had just left a career in local government to pursue singing and writing. I had my venture in mind for a while but needed support in navigating bringing my idea to reality. After Changemakers I’m taking away that I can make a living doing meaningful creative work and that there are people who are open to connecting me to opportunities I’m seeking.
What do you know now about entrepreneurship that you wish you could tell your past self?
I wish I could tell my past self that even though entrepreneurship seems daunting, I am fully capable, equipped, and skilled to build and design valuable work.
The biggest step in entrepreneurship is starting and being confident about the value that I bring to all my work. Instead of getting stuck in the planning and ideation stage, it’s okay to learn along the way! Say no to any limitations on the value of my compensation.
What advice do you have for other women and nonbinary folks who are seeking to use their gifts for good?
If you’re a go-to person for helping others accomplish good work or it’s easier for you to celebrate others’ gifts than your own, it’s worth the time and investment to see how much you and others will benefit from your gifts. Also, if you have an idea to use your gifts for good, but you’ve continually pushed it to the side and it keeps popping back up for you, it’s worth it to pay attention. You don’t have to have the full picture in sight, but taking the first steps in a supportive space will give you the momentum to set your pace for going after your ideal work.
How can people support you and Fearless Voice Media?
I’d love to be supported by sharing about my work. I would love to perform at events where I can sing and contribute to meaningful educational, cultural, social justice, or community-centered projects. That could be civic organizations, libraries, youth groups, social impact fundraisers, museums, foundations, family-oriented settings, and day camps, among others. Please check out my website and get in touch!
Inspired by Andrea’s story and want to continue writing yours? Learn more about the Changemakers Circle, a peer-supported incubator for the seed of an idea you're growing, and apply today.
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Thank you to Becky Guldin of In Bloom Communications (another Changemakers Circle alum!) for helping to tell this story.
