291 Lindsey Stirling: The Power of Perseverance to Create Artistic Greatness

"Maybe I wasn't ready then, but it didn't mean I was never going to get there." - Lindsey Stirling If you enjoyed this episode, check out show notes, video, and more at http://lewishowes.com/291 Get more from Lewis! Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy! Get The Greatness Mindset audiobook on SpotifyText Lewis AIYouTubeInstagramWebsiteTiktokFacebookX

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Lewis Howes?

  This is episode number 291 with Lindsay Sterling.

• 0:07Lewis Howes?

  Welcome to the School of Greatness. My name is Lewis Howes, a former pro athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur. And each week, we bring you an inspiring person or message to help you discover how to unlock your inner greatness. Thanks for spending some time with me today. Now let the class begin.

• 0:33Lewis Howes?

  You were born with potential. You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness. You were born with wings. You are not meant for crawling, so don't. You have wings. Learn to use them and fly. Roomie. Welcome everyone to this episode. I'm super excited for our guest. But before I introduce her and bring her on, I just want to let you know and remind you that you were born for greatness. You were born to make a difference. You were born to make an impact. You matter so much more than you might believe.

• 1:15Lewis Howes?

  And I hope you guys take this as a daily reminder to always remember how much you matter and how much of an impact you actually make in the lives around you. You know, there are people in your life that are so inspired by you, you have no clue. Your friends, your family, your children, your spouses, they may not say it, but they are inspired by who you are being on a daily basis, by the actions you take. So always remember, no matter how bad things may be, no matter how stressed out you are, no matter how unfortunate a situation may be in your life right this moment. Maybe you're struggling financially, physically, in a relationship, in your business.

• 1:59Lewis Howes?

  It does not matter what's happening. There are always going to be people that look at you and are inspired by you. So remember that every day is an opportunity to wake up and inspire someone else to live a better life. You were born for something great, and I hope you never forget that. Lindsey Stirling is our guest today and I'm super pumped to bring her on. She is one of the biggest artist development breakthrough stories in recent years. A classically trained violinist, she has entered a futuristic world of electronic big beats and animation. Leaping through the music industry with over seven and a half million YouTube subscribers, over a billion views on her channel.

• 2:43Lewis Howes?

  Billboard chart topping hits and sold out tours worldwide. This woman is sensational and I'm super fortunate that I got to spend some time with her and I'm so pumped of what she shares in this interview. She reveals a lot, a lot that she's never revealed and I'm excited for you to take it in and listen to it and to use these strategies and to use the principles she talks about in her story to improve your life, to live a bigger life yourself. And some of the main things we talk about are how she handles the process of being judged. Now that she has such a huge audience, how she deals with this on a daily basis.

• 3:23Lewis Howes?

  The importance of loving yourself authentically before you can love anyone else. The best ways to support a friend who is struggling with a mental disorder. How Lindsey planned for her first YouTube video. How she turned her despair into determination after getting rejected. And so much more. I think you're gonna love this one. I fell in love with Lindsey instantly when she walked into my studio. And make sure to check out the show notes at lewishouse.com/291 because there's an extra video that we do, doing a little contest together and you can see which one of us wins at the end. It was pretty interesting and comical at the same time. So make sure to watch the full video interview and our little extra video as well.

• 4:09Lewis Howes?

  So without further ado, I hope you guys enjoy this one. Make sure to leave a comment on the blog. Make sure to share this with your friends. Again, lewishouse.com/291. Take a photo of it and post it on Instagram and Facebook. Tag Lindsey on Twitter and Instagram as well. And without further ado, let me introduce you to the one, the only Lindsey Sterling.

• 4:35Lewis Howes?

  Welcome everyone back to the School of Greatness Podcast. Very excited about our guest today. Lindsay Sterling is in the house. Thank you so much for being here.

• 4:42Speaker 02

  Thanks for having me.

• 4:43Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, very pumped. And you've got a new book out that is a New York Times bestseller. Congratulations.

• 4:47Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 4:48Lewis Howes?

  Super excited about this. It's The Only Pirate at the Party. Make sure you guys pick this up. It's a very inspiring story. It's a memoir, but it's an inspiring story. Lots of great lessons in here that are educational. I was cracking up on literally every other page. You know, a story about you at like some college like lunchroom for 30 people, talking about how I need to be more entertaining than to Taco Bell food they're eating or something like that. It was.

• 5:13Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 5:14Lewis Howes?

  For me.

• 5:15Speaker 02

  My glorious beginnings.

• 5:16Lewis Howes?

  Exactly.

• 5:16Speaker 02

  You gotta start somewhere.

• 5:17Lewis Howes?

  Exactly. So I'm excited to dive in and you know, we have some mutual things in common. My brother's a violinist as well, so I've grown up appreciating the arts of violin. And when you kind of hit the scene, I remember being like, wow, this is really cool that someone was able to take something classical and not fun for a lot of people mainstream and make it interesting and fun and something that people want to listen to over and over. And I've been addicted to your music. I love like the trance, you know, house type style of music. And when I heard yours, I was like, wow, this is epic. So thanks for all that you do to bring the arts into the mainstream media. It's really cool what you're doing.

• 5:58Speaker 02

  Well, thank you.

• 5:59Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, yeah. And I'm curious, because you had an interesting childhood, you have some great experiences you talk about, very non-traditional experiences you've gone through. And I'm curious, who is the most influential person growing up in your life? And what was the most memorable lesson that you learned from them?

• 6:17Speaker 02

  You know, um, I don't know, is it too cliche to say like my dad?

• 6:22Lewis Howes?

  No, no.

• 6:22Speaker 02

  Is that too cliche? But it was, it was absolutely a hundred percent my dad. And the reason that is, is because when I was a little girl, he used to tell me, you know, bedtime stories every night. And whether it was he was reading Lord of the Rings to me, or he would actually also tell me stories from his real life.

• 6:39Lewis Howes?

  Okay.

• 6:40Speaker 02

  And you know, as bedtime stories and these adventures of places he went and things he did. And you know, and I talk about the book, it always ended with him shaking the hand of like, you know, some awesome person. And I remember as a kid telling him. Dad, I want to go places. I want to be like you and I want to meet people. I want to shake their hands along the way and and I and also, you know, he would also read us his scripts, his, you know, Hollywood scripts he would write back in the day when he wanted to make movies. And so from my dad, I learned that you will be better off by chasing your dreams. And did my dad get his movies made? No, he didn't. But he had the most amazing stories from his adventures as he tried. And so it just kind of taught me that, you know,

• 7:22Speaker 02

  it's okay if you don't like, you know, it was okay if I chased my dreams and didn't become what I wanted to become because I would become something I was proud of the same way my dad did. And and I just really attribute my kind of adventure-seeking pirate ways to to my dad's stories that he told me as a kid.

• 7:39Lewis Howes?

  Right. And did you and you started when you were five violin, correct?

• 7:42Speaker 02

  When I was six.

• 7:43Lewis Howes?

  Six. That's kind of like the typical age to get into Suzuki program, early age like that, right?

• 7:47Speaker 02

  Right.

• 7:47Lewis Howes?

  Yeah. And did you think you would be a violinist or were you more of like, I want to be a dancer? Or what was what was the dream as a child growing up?

• 7:55Speaker 02

  Well, the dream as a child, I actually, my parents used to take my sisters and I to lots of like, community events, like orchestra concerts, dance, you know, exhibits. And, you know, they'd play classical music in our home. And so when I was really little, like five, five or six, I started begging for violin lessons and dance lessons.

• 8:13Lewis Howes?

  Uh huh.

• 8:13Speaker 02

  And so my parents, we were, you know, my dad was a freelance writer and, you know, just living paycheck to paycheck. And so they didn't have money for either. But my mom, you know, took me to a violin lesson and took me to a dance lesson. And then it was like, okay, like, we auditioned the two. She was like, you gotta choose, you gotta choose one. And I chose the violin. And so

• 8:33Lewis Howes?

  Why did you choose that?

• 8:34Speaker 02

  You know, honestly, I think it's because I was able to take something home with me.

• 8:37Lewis Howes?

  Oh, wow.

• 8:38Speaker 02

  You know, I was able to hold it and like, you know, create off of it. And where, you know, I probably went to the dance class and came, you know, came home and was like, well, what do I do now?

• 8:47Lewis Howes?

  Right. I learned one move.

• 8:48Speaker 02

  Yeah, I learned to like, point my toes. That's great. The violin, I had this little wooden thing that I could make, take home and make sounds on. And I, you know, didn't put it down all week. And so I stuck with the violin and, you know, my parents sacrificed quite a lot to give each my sisters and I each kind of a talent, a hobby, you know, something that we could love. And my dad even, you know, Kind of went back and, you know, just finished up some school and became a teacher so that he could

• 9:15Lewis Howes?

  Your dad did.

• 9:16Speaker 02

  Better provide for, you know, our family. And so they really sacrificed a lot for us. And so along the way, you know, I really knew that if I did not practice that violin, I would lose it. I wouldn't get lessons, which was the kind of the motivation to practice. But, um, but yeah, I'm, I'm along the way. I'm just a self-taught dancer because I never quite lost that love.

• 9:35Lewis Howes?

  Well, you've got a great talent with it too. So.

• 9:37Speaker 02

  Oh, thanks.

• 9:38Lewis Howes?

  Even though you didn't take the lessons at an early age.

• 9:39Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 9:40Lewis Howes?

  You've come a long way. It looks like, uh, isn't it funny how one little decision you made from a moment of like, oh, do I do dance or violin, like change your life forever, essentially?

• 9:50Speaker 02

  It's so true.

• 9:51Lewis Howes?

  Put you on this path, right?

• 9:52Speaker 02

  Right. Like if I had chosen to be a dancer, like I couldn't.

• 9:54Lewis Howes?

  What would you be doing?

• 9:55Speaker 02

  I couldn't self-teach my, you know, the violin. So I'm like, yeah, what would I be doing?

• 9:59Lewis Howes?

  Isn't that crazy to think about? Man, okay. Um, what do you think was the biggest challenge growing up for you? What was the biggest internal challenge that you were facing?

• 10:08Speaker 02

  Internal challenge? Um.

• 10:12Speaker 02

  Growing up, like as a kid?

• 10:14Lewis Howes?

  Let's say in your teens.

• 10:14Speaker 02

  In my teens. Oh, um.

• 10:17Lewis Howes?

  That's, I mean, everyone, everyone goes through so many challenges.

• 10:20Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 10:20Lewis Howes?

  I was like messed up as a teen.

• 10:22Speaker 02

  Yeah. Um, you know, I, I have so many fond memories of my teenage years. I was very, um, I was pretty carefree and like really, you know, I had the most amazing friends and I was kind of this like goody-goody teenager. You know, like we, I remember the worst thing I ever did was my, my girlfriends and I were having like a sleepover at my house. So we snuck out the, the basement window so we could go teepee the boys' house down the street. My parents totally knew, you know, it's just like.

• 10:48Lewis Howes?

  They're like watching you from there.

• 10:49Speaker 02

  Yeah, they're like, oh, there they go. Finally, she's doing something a little crazy. But I, but let me think. Internal struggle, I think it had to have been, um, I didn't know I was struggling with anorexia for quite a long time and it started lightly in my teenage years. And, um, It's this, uh, it's this whole internal struggle that's more than just about food. And we talk about it a lot in the book of it's this desire to like, just have some sort of control over your life. And, you know, I had big dreams from the time I was really little. Like, I kind of, I saw myself going places. And when you feel like you don't have control necessarily over where your life is taking you, I think that causes people to cope in different ways. And for me, that coping came through, um, a freakish control over my weight

• 11:34Speaker 02

  and what I ate. And it slowly started, um, in my late teens and then, you know, kind of snowballed into my college years.

• 11:41Lewis Howes?

  Right, right. Um, and when did you realize that, okay, there's something I need to like go over, I need to move past this, you know, challenge or the struggle you're facing? When did you like realize it was an issue for you and it was hurting you as opposed to helping you?

• 11:54Speaker 02

  Yeah. Um, you know, it was when I was, gosh, I was probably 23 and I, it was, it all kind of realized, it came to my realization when I looked at the relationships I had. And I've always been a very much a people person and, you know, relationships have been huge for me. And especially my sister, she's been my best friend growing up and we shared a room together and like, you know, just, we laughed together so much. And just one day I realized, I looked over at her and she was studying, we were roommates in college. She was studying on her bed across the room from me. And I just looked at her and I was like, she's a stranger to me. Like,

• 12:32Lewis Howes?

  Really? Why?

• 12:32Speaker 02

  I don't know her anymore. And it was because I had become so self consumed by, like, my thoughts had completely been controlled by my eating disorder. And slowly I just became this kind of a shell of the person I used to be, where like, all I could think about was myself and my worries and like, what food is in this room and who's here? Who's skinnier than me? Like, those are the thoughts that kind of had slowly crept in and become normal in my mind. They started very subtly in high school. And then that became all I thought about and all I cared about. And it became all I talked about. And so it's like, I just became this very one dimensional person. And, you know, they, you hear a lot that you can't love someone else until you first love yourself. And I learned

• 13:16Speaker 02

  that firsthand. I didn't love anybody else. I didn't really care about anybody else because I was consumed. By these selfish like thoughts of worry about myself.

• 13:25Lewis Howes?

  Right. Now, were you, were you self-aware of that? Were you like, wow, I'm actually, you know, not the best person I should be, or not having great relationships? Or did someone confront you and say, Lindsay, who are you? Like, what are you doing? It's time to change.

• 13:38Speaker 02

  Right. You know, it, it really happened gradually. So I was very unaware of it, you know, and something kind of is happening in your mind. It's hard to realize that it's not normal.

• 13:46Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 13:47Speaker 02

  And I remember, um, you know, I was, I would hear my roommates all laughing and I would then talk to Brooke and just be like, I don't feel like I really fit in with our roommates. And, you know, I don't feel like I, you know, and she would just be like, you're fine, what, you know? But I think she was just as confused as I was, like, what happened to you?

• 14:02Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 14:03Speaker 02

  And, um, it was that that made me realize, like, when did I lose that relationship? And then also talking to my mom on the phone, my mom kept saying, I think there's something wrong. You know, you know, moms know everything. They, they've noticed and they have this sixth sense. And I kept saying, no, I'm fine. I'm just eating healthy, you know? And then one day I just kind of confided in her, like, I cry for no reasons. I can't get out of bed in the morning. I don't even, you know, and she kind of just said the way, you know, the thoughts you're thinking aren't normal, Lindsay. And my mom had dealt with depression in her life, her whole life. My older sister dealt with depression and she explained to me, like, what you're talking about is depression.

• 14:40Lewis Howes?

  Hmm.

• 14:40Speaker 02

  And that just really took me back. Like, that's not my battle. That's, that was your battle. That was Jennifer's battle. That's not what I, like, I'm not depressed. But then I just started to realize, I started to recognize that this isn't the way I was. And I, and I real, I just, I was ready to fight to be happy again because I was so miserable.

• 14:57Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 14:58Speaker 02

  And, um, yeah, I, I think it was the memory that I wasn't always this way finally woke me up. And I was like, if I was once different, I can get back to that.

• 15:06Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, of course.

• 15:07Speaker 02

  And I just had, I realized I needed to work for it, though. It wasn't just something that I could, like, it wasn't where I was.

• 15:13Lewis Howes?

  Put the switch right away and back to normal?

• 15:15Speaker 02

  Right.

• 15:15Lewis Howes?

  Yeah. I mean, your trailer video for your book, it's like you as this happy child, like, dancing and playing and joyful, expressive. It's not like the dark moments, so.

• 15:25Speaker 02

  Totally.

• 15:25Lewis Howes?

  That's cool that you have a reminder for yourself, at least if you ever forget again.

• 15:28Speaker 02

  Right, yeah.

• 15:29Lewis Howes?

  Watch that video.

• 15:30Speaker 02

  Totally.

• 15:30Lewis Howes?

  And, and so what did you start to do? Did you create a game plan for yourself? Were you like, okay, I need my mom to keep me accountable. I want my friends to call me out on this? Or what, what did you do? And what should other people do? Because I'm sure a lot of people listening have gone through this type of experience, or. Maybe they're, you know, they're feeling something, whether it's depression or perfectionism or

• 15:47Speaker 02

  Right, totally.

• 15:48Lewis Howes?

  beating up, whatever it may be. So what did you do to switch it? And what do you recommend for others?

• 15:54Speaker 02

  You know, it all started first with, I kind of researched a little bit, like I wanted to be aware of, um, when I started to finally admit to myself, like, because my mom was like, you think about food all the time. Like, that's not normal. These things, you know, it's all leading up, you know, I was told you have anorexia. And I was like, oh, that's such a terrible word. Like, I don't want to believe I have that. But I started researching about it. And, um, I went to therapy, like I went to both group therapy and I had an individual counselor. And then I did let my mom help keep me accountable. I, I kind of gave her that because I didn't tell anybody else. It's a very scary thing to admit, first of all, to yourself, then to other people. And so my mom was like my confidant and I kind of taught her the things that were good to say to me.

• 16:36Speaker 02

  Because, you know, when she'd see me, she, if I was gaining weight, she would say, you look really good. And to me, that was like, oh, no, I'm gaining weight. And so I, you know, I coached my mom on these are appropriate things to say. This is a good way to comfort me. This is not.

• 16:48Lewis Howes?

  That's great.

• 16:49Speaker 02

  Um, but also I started listening to the voices in my head and realized that I was so mean to myself. I was really mean to myself. And so I kind of started to divide, almost this sounds weird, divide my personality. There was the eating disorder side of my brain and there was Lindsay and I wanted, and Lindsay had become crushed and covered with this eating disorder side. And so I had to like work on the muscle of Lindsay again. And so I would like talk to my brain and I, when it would tell me really mean things about myself, like you're ugly or you're worthless because you ate that cookie, or, you know, you're not the skinniest girl in the room. That means you're worthless, whatever these voices said, I would then talk to it and combat it by logic of,

• 17:29Speaker 02

  I can't eat this cookie because I've eaten really healthy this week and I deserve, I deserve a cookie, you know? Or, you know, it doesn't mean I'm worthless just because I did this or whatever.

• 17:39Lewis Howes?

  Or that you're not the skinniest in the room.

• 17:41Speaker 02

  Because I'm not the skinniest in the room. It, you know, and talking logic, like I'm not friends with my friends because they're skinny. That's not what makes me worth, like just actually talking reason and your mind can't argue with reason. And so. I became stronger and I was in so this eating disorder side of my brain, it's still there. It's extremely small though, and it doesn't come up very often. And now that when it does start to come up, like when I get extra stressed or when I start to feel out of control, it tries to like come back and you know, quote, comfort me in its unhealthy way. It's like an unhealthy relationship.

• 18:14Lewis Howes?

  Sure.

• 18:14Speaker 02

  And but I know how to talk to it now and I know how to tell it to go away. And I feel like I live a very normal, happy life. I'm back to the Lindsay that I want to be. And as long as I continue to work at it, I will stay there.

• 18:26Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, that's great. I mean, you seem so joyful and expressive and especially in your videos, it really comes off you being playful. It's like you're back to your 10 year old self again.

• 18:34Speaker 02

  That's right. I wanted to get back to the, yeah, 10 year old Lindsay.

• 18:37Lewis Howes?

  I like that. And what I think was important that you said is that you coached your mom on how she can communicate with you. Cause I think some people who have a challenge or something they're trying to overcome.

• 18:48Lewis Howes?

  If they're looking for someone to support them, but they're not doing it the right way. And if you don't support the person by telling them what you need. And you just expect them to figure it out, it's really challenging. It's like dating a girl and trying to read her mind all the time.

• 19:00Speaker 02

  Yeah, which what you guys can't read our minds.

• 19:02Lewis Howes?

  Exactly, right. Exactly. So I think it's really important to point out that you were coaching your supportive people, your mom, your support group of like,

• 19:09Speaker 02

  Right.

• 19:10Lewis Howes?

  Here's exactly what I need in these situations. Here's what's going to trigger me to be even more frustrated.

• 19:15Speaker 02

  Right, well, because it's such a delicate issue when someone's going through any sort of mental disorder, whether it's depression or self harm, like, and someone who hasn't gone through it, it's impossible for them to know the triggers and the, you know, so I think that, and also it was interesting. I was a counselor in the middle before I realized I had anorexia. I was actually a counselor for teenage girls in treatment centers. And so I was like, oh my gosh, like I am struggling with some of these same issues. And it, it's funny that I didn't notice, even as I dealt with it with other girls.

• 19:45Lewis Howes?

  How do you, I mean, Being a violinist already, you're built and trained to be perfect.

• 19:51Speaker 02

  Right.

• 19:52Lewis Howes?

  Built and trained as a classical violinist, let's say, you're built and trained to like hit every note perfectly. It's got to look and sound a specific way and you get judged by it constantly. You know, you're going to these competitions where people either vote yes or no, or however they grade you.

• 20:04Speaker 02

  Right.

• 20:05Lewis Howes?

  One out of 10 or whatever it may be.

• 20:08Lewis Howes?

  So I think being in that environment, growing up your whole life was probably like, I'm constantly being judged for my performance.

• 20:14Speaker 02

  Right.

• 20:14Lewis Howes?

  And how I show up. Do you feel like that was a big factor in getting to this place or with your body and your internal struggle?

• 20:20Speaker 02

  You know, I think, I'm not even sure. Like, I remember that was one thing when I was going to therapy. All these, you know, counselors were trying and therapists were like really digging for like the why. And, you know, it could have very well been just, you know, perfectionism is a huge cause of, you know, that leads people into these mental disorders. And, uh, and I think, I remember I kept finally being like, don't find a reason. Let's just talk about like where we're at because I, you know, I had this great childhood. I had, you know, I'd never been like emotionally hurt in any way and, you know, that was huge. And so it was funny. I was finally like, let's stop digging because let's just deal with where I'm at. And it was, because you never know what it is like that causes it a lot of times.

• 21:02Lewis Howes?

  Sure.

• 21:04Lewis Howes?

  How do you handle the process of being judged or talked negatively about now? I mean, you've got a huge audience. We're, I think it's close to eight million YouTube subscribers, I think now, seven and a half million or something right now. I know just from my very small audience compared to yours, the negative feedback that I get, how it could affect me. How do you approach it now when you're being judged or someone's leaving negative comments? And I know you talk about it in the book as well, but how, how do you handle that?

• 21:29Speaker 02

  You know, it never becomes, I don't think it'll ever be like, oh, I don't care. I don't care anymore because I do care. It's my art. It's my love. It's my passion. And, you know, certain comments, you're able to like, oh, whatever. But there's some comments that get you in the place that you're a little bit vulnerable.

• 21:46Lewis Howes?

  They trigger you.

• 21:47Speaker 02

  They trigger you. They get you, oh, you're like, don't talk about that. That's actually something that I care about, like. And I'm sensitive to, and so I think it's so important to realize that especially like in YouTube, there is so much good, but for some reason, it's easier to focus on the negative because it just, it gets you so much more.

• 22:06Lewis Howes?

  You get thousands of positive comments.

• 22:07Speaker 02

  Right.

• 22:08Lewis Howes?

  And they see one negative and you're like, oh dang it, you know?

• 22:11Speaker 02

  Yeah. So, you know, it's, it's so true that you only really do have one stage in your mind that you can really focus on at one time. And so the good, the bad, they're gonna come. And it's, what are you gonna focus on? Am I gonna like sit and stew and like respond? Especially responding, like if you respond to the negative, that is a lot of times the one that you wanna respond to. But it's like, or am I gonna feed the good? Like, am I gonna feed like these people who keep coming back and telling me really nice things? Like, that's where I should put my energy. That's where I should put my thoughts and focus. And it does take a lot of like, you know, uh, concentration to do that.

• 22:45Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, awareness too.

• 22:46Speaker 02

  Awareness, that's the word I'm looking for. Um, but I think that's the key is just, there's good and bad all around us.

• 22:52Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 22:52Speaker 02

  Everywhere and trying really hard to focus on the good and let that feed you.

• 22:55Lewis Howes?

  Mm-hmm. Now, when you were in, in college, I read in college, you were mastering your craft more and doing more of these, uh, you were, you're joining bands and things like that. Um, and then you auditioned for America's Got Talent, right? And what year was that?

• 23:08Speaker 02

  2010.

• 23:10Lewis Howes?

  2010, okay. And were you making any money as an artist before then? Were you like touring or just little side gigs here and there?

• 23:17Speaker 02

  A little bit. It was definitely the stage of like, don't quit your day job, dear. Like, you know, this is during the time when I was kind of, um, doing the college cafeteria gigs and like, I was being paid, you know, a little bit for it here and there, but this is the era of like sleeping in my car.

• 23:32Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 23:33Speaker 02

  You know, when I was on the road and, you know, it wasn't uncommon to spend the night in the airport, you know? So it was during that time when I was making money. I was starting to see that this could go somewhere, but it was, you know, America's Got Talent was like, oh my gosh, if this works, this is gonna, you know, kind of save me, save my artistic soul. Cause you know, it's actually, it's really hard. Any, anyone who's ever done that phase of life, it's really hard to continue on when you kinda don't see a light at the end of the tunnel.

• 24:00Lewis Howes?

  Right. And you weren't seeing like a, a positive growth period? You weren't, you were like, eh, the money's not getting better and the gigs aren't getting bigger?

• 24:07Speaker 02

  Pretty much. I mean, I just felt very stagnant. I kinda had this, you know, couple couple songs I had written and like, you know, a couple people would maybe buy them at the gigs, but it was just very like, I couldn't see growth.

• 24:19Lewis Howes?

  And did you have CD, physical CDs then, or were you?

• 24:21Speaker 02

  Oof, they were, they were like ones I burned myself.

• 24:24Lewis Howes?

  Oh wow, yes, with like just a piece of, a piece of paper on the cover, it's like, here you go.

• 24:28Speaker 02

  Right, Lindsey Stirling, you know, just I'd print it out, oh gosh.

• 24:31Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, okay. So when, when did you realize like, okay, something's here, there's something happening in the air, people are like excited about it. Was it starting on YouTube, was it America's Got Talent, was it after that? Like when were you like, oh, people actually like this and more and more showing up?

• 24:49Speaker 02

  Right, it was definitely, it was when I put my first like real video on YouTube. I went, um, I met this YouTuber and he, it was Devon Graham and he taught me that YouTube is this place where you can have your own channel and you can grow an audience and there are celebrities on the internet. And I, I was like, what? And I dove in and looked around and was like, oh my gosh, this is great. This is a world where, you know, I can do my own thing. I can make content. I know how to edit. I know how to direct. And it was, even as he taught about it, like, cause he taught this YouTube workshop in Provo and all these filmmakers came. And as I was sitting in there, it was even before I'd uploaded a video, I just had this feeling inside of like, I was taking notes feverishly because this is it. And I just knew it. I knew that this was what I was going to do

• 25:34Speaker 02

  and I was gonna chase it. And so like, gosh, that, the next day I planned my first YouTube video and I, I uploaded it like a week later.

• 25:42Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 25:42Speaker 02

  And, um, and yeah, that's when people started coming and it, you know, it grew very organically and slowly at the beginning. Um, but it was just this, this is good. I knew it was gonna work.

• 25:53Lewis Howes?

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• 26:16Lewis Howes?

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• 26:44Speaker 02

  Um, this was spring 2011. So after I went, came off America's Got Talent, I kinda did some other things, tried some other things. I like, you know, went to Vegas and handed out DVDs to talent agencies and sent my music to labels and it was just kind of no after no after no.

• 26:59Lewis Howes?

  This was after America's Got Talent?

• 27:00Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 27:00Lewis Howes?

  Gotcha.

• 27:01Speaker 02

  Cause I was kinda trying to like ride that wave, whatever that wave was. I was like, oh, this is my chance. I can't blow it, but you know, I could just see the wave kind of dissipating and dissipating. And I was like, well, you know, now the wave is gone. What do I do?

• 27:15Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 27:15Speaker 02

  And that's when I discovered YouTube.

• 27:17Lewis Howes?

  Interesting. After it got you. Now, how did you feel like you performed when you, when you got, I guess, cut or Xed out or whatever? How do you feel like you showed up in that performance?

• 27:26Speaker 02

  You know, I'm not gonna lie. It was not fantastic. Like I watch it and I don't have like cringe versus the like judges comments, but I'm like, oh, I don't sound good. You know, and it's very much due to the fact that this was like this brand new art I had just kind of really made. And I was like, I'm gonna dance and I'm gonna play the violin to like these pop tracks. It was like this new idea.

• 27:50Lewis Howes?

  You hadn't really mastered it yet.

• 27:51Speaker 02

  Definitely not. And I, I practiced so hard. I'd worked so hard for those routines because I wasn't very good at dancing and playing the violin yet, you know?

• 27:59Lewis Howes?

  It's a challenging art.

• 28:00Speaker 02

  Yes, it was very.

• 28:01Lewis Howes?

  Doing one of them is hard. Doing together is even harder.

• 28:03Speaker 02

  And so it was so new and that's why, um, gosh, like three years later, America's Got Talent had me come back as a guest performer. And I got to go on the show and I don't think I've ever been so nervous for a performance in my whole life. Cause here I was like, I didn't realize how nervous I would be, but once we started rehearsing, I was on the same stage. It was like getting all these flashbacks to the worst moment of my life. And I was like, oh my gosh, this is my chance to kind of, kind of just full circle, like redo that moment that. Was one of the hardest things I've ever gone through and you know I've I've worked I've honed my craft I'm ready for that moment now where gosh back in 2010 I really wasn't ready for it yet I wasn't prepared I wasn't seasoned enough to be in front of an audience of millions

• 28:45Speaker 02

  and millions of people and um you know doing this new thing and so you know that's why it was so like just holistic and just ah like healing to do that number and do it the way that back in 2010 that's what I saw that I could be that's what I knew I could be and just I wasn't quite ready for it no one could see it yet

• 29:02Lewis Howes?

  It wasn't forced this time

• 29:04Speaker 02

  It wasn't forced yeah I was it was very it felt right and it was just so cool to be like here I am this is what I knew I could do and you know thank you for letting me come back and do it right

• 29:14Lewis Howes?

  Wow that's inspiring

• 29:15Speaker 02

  It was really cool

• 29:16Lewis Howes?

  Now what made you you know you said it was one of the worst moments of your life what made you continue on the path of pursuing this music when you felt like oh maybe I let myself down or everyone's gonna judge me or I didn't make it to the the end and win or

• 29:28Speaker 02

  Right

• 29:29Lewis Howes?

  I didn't get my best performance did you feel like how come you continue to pursue the passion as opposed to let it derail you

• 29:36Speaker 02

  Well I'm not gonna lie it did derail me for a moment like gosh that night I you know I kept it together on stage but you know the judges said some pretty mean things to me and I remember um you know including that I sounded like drowned rats you know or strangled rats that's what it was and so I you know this is on live TV but I I went back and I just cried for hours in the bathroom of the backstage ew um until they basically told me like we're closing up like you have to go home like

• 30:04Lewis Howes?

  But I'm hanging with my rat friends

• 30:05Speaker 02

  Yeah I'm just right they understand me I speak their language um but yeah I went I remember I kinda took a little break from it for a while for you know a couple months I didn't perform I didn't like do any more little college gigs as glorious as they were

• 30:18Lewis Howes?

  Right

• 30:19Speaker 02

  But then um you know there was I think it's so important to trust that inner voice and I attribute a lot of that to like uh I'm a very like faith driven person and so I attribute that a lot to my relationship with with God and just your calling and I feel like um I've been given talents and I was just told by this inner voice and and my faith that it's not time to give up yet there's more and I just couldn't deny that I couldn't get away from it and so I stepped back on a stage again and kind of started like literally from square one and you know it was terrifying the first couple of times to get back on a stage after feeling like I'd failed so miserably. But like I said, I just knew it wasn't over.

• 30:59Lewis Howes?

  Do you feel like it was actually meant to happen that way as opposed to if you would have built this confidence on winning or something and I don't know, do you feel like you're grateful for that experience now?

• 31:08Speaker 02

  You know, very much so. Like I think that was a very important part of my story. One, it made me really fight for what I wanted to be. It made me really work hard and like kind of, ooh, like they said I couldn't do it. I'm gonna prove them wrong. I'm gonna work, I'm gonna work super hard because it's like that, that despair turned into determination and you know, it gave me something, gave me something to say and a message to share. And also, I love being able to talk to teenagers now. Like I go to school sometimes or, and I can share, I can show the video and it's tangibly awkward and painful. And then I can say, like, don't ever let anyone tell you who you are, or if you're good enough, you know, maybe, maybe I wasn't ready then, but

• 31:49Speaker 02

  it doesn't mean that I was never gonna get there. And you know, and I love being able to like very, you know, like no one can deny that. Like it, it's the facts, it's happened. And so, I love that. I love that that's a part of my story. And you know, gosh, I'm, I'm in a much better place now than I would have been if I had won the competition, you know, just hands down, it was, it was very meant to be.

• 32:12Lewis Howes?

  Amazing. And I think I read in the book afterwards, like you only had a couple thousand dollars and you wrote three songs with someone or you produced these three songs. That was like the start of putting yourself out there really in a bigger way or trying this new style of music, right?

• 32:25Speaker 02

  Right.

• 32:26Lewis Howes?

  And I think, and how did those three songs do? I think one of those was like one of the big hits, right?

• 32:31Speaker 02

  They were actually, they're on my first album, you know, which is kind of funny. Every, every song I wrote in the beginning, like I just, I didn't have enough money to make mistakes. And so I had to use every song, you know, so I made an album of 10 or 12 songs and I, you know, I used every song I wrote, which is, I learned later is very uncommon, you know, from, usually artists write tons of songs and pick the best, but I just used everyone. So yeah, those three songs, they were the first videos I put up on YouTube. They were the ones that kickstarted my career and they're still on, you know, they're still on my albums.

• 33:05Lewis Howes?

  They're amazing, yeah. And so when was, when did you experience like your first sold out crowd or like? Your big hit on YouTube, was the first video a huge hit, or was it like eventually down the road?

• 33:17Speaker 02

  The first videos were, you know, they were, they did well.

• 33:20Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 33:20Speaker 02

  But I remember it was, I'd been doing YouTube for, I think about like nine months. And then I released this dubstep violin video and it was in this beautiful ice castle.

• 33:31Lewis Howes?

  It's amazing.

• 33:31Speaker 02

  And to this day, I'm known as like, oh, the dubstep like ice castle fairy violin girl. It was in Colorado.

• 33:38Lewis Howes?

  What?

• 33:39Speaker 02

  This guy, he builds them himself.

• 33:41Lewis Howes?

  Oh my gosh.

• 33:42Speaker 02

  It was his hobby and then he turned it into this like tourist attraction now. But he builds these beautiful ice castles and I discovered them online and so I, you know, flew to Colorado and, and yeah, it was funny because I was very nervous, like, what was the dubstep community gonna like this? This new budding art, are they gonna hate it? And, you know, I threw it up there and within a day it had a million views.

• 34:03Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 34:03Speaker 02

  And at the size I was at especially, I was a very small YouTuber at the time and so.

• 34:08Lewis Howes?

  What's small for you at the time?

• 34:09Speaker 02

  I think I had like, I think I had just hit like a hundred thousand subscribers.

• 34:15Lewis Howes?

  Right, right.

• 34:16Speaker 02

  You know.

• 34:16Lewis Howes?

  To have a million views right away is pretty big.

• 34:18Speaker 02

  So yeah, that's, you know, way more views than subscribers, which was like, what? You know, usually they'd get like thirty thousand in the first day, which is nothing to sneeze at at the time. But yeah, I called my sister and I was like, is this real? Like, is my computer broken? And she's like, oh my gosh. And, and that was kind of the moment where I was like, I think my life just changed. Because here's an original song that just, you know, people love and people like what I do.

• 34:44Lewis Howes?

  Sure. No, it's interesting because you don't really fit in a box and you kind of created your, your art as you went and no one, no one really led the way for you. Was there someone that you were inspired by that was like, oh, I'm gonna do exactly how they did it? Like, you know, Madonna, I'm gonna do what she did, or J Lo, like, here's the path I'm gonna follow. But you kind of created your own path and your own genre, it sounds like. So, well, first off, is there anyone that you were inspired by, you were like, I'm gonna be like them? And if not, how did you have the faith or the trust to know like, I'm just gonna do this and I'm gonna create my own way and it's gonna happen?

• 35:17Speaker 02

  Well, I was definitely inspired by, you know, there were other violinists that I saw that, you know,

• 35:22Lewis Howes?

  Like Gina Carter or something?

• 35:24Speaker 02

  Uh, like, do you know Vanessa May or David Garrett?

• 35:27Lewis Howes?

  Okay.

• 35:28Speaker 02

  They didn't do what I do, like Vanessa May in the 90s did like some techno violin.

• 35:33Lewis Howes?

  Sure.

• 35:33Speaker 02

  And David Garrett does like rock violin orchestra stuff and he's a virtuoso. And I was like, you know, if these people can take the violin and make it their own, like, why can't I? And it just really hit me of, why do I have to play the kind of music that's been played for hundreds of years? Like, I can make the violin fit me. And so I started playing the music I loved. And then I just kind of started pairing all of my hobbies with the violin. Like, my hobbies were like dressing up and costume design, you know? So I was like, okay, let's bring that in. And I loved making videos, so let's bring that in. And, you know, I loved, you know, just all these, I love dance. So I just basically took all my hobbies and kind of combined them into this very weird mixture.

• 36:16Speaker 02

  And when I put it up, it just, it worked.

• 36:19Lewis Howes?

  Sure. It's amazing. What's the vision moving forward? Like, what do you see yourself creating now? You're like this phenomenon, fans all over the world, number one songs in all these different countries. You're touring everywhere, sold out. Like, where do you see yourself going? Who are you trying to become?

• 36:35Speaker 02

  Oh, that's such a good question. I've been asking myself that since I was five years old.

• 36:41Speaker 02

  I would say, I mean, I love what I do. My favorite part of, I think, the whole thing is I love touring. And that's kind of why I started originally was the YouTube channel, the music. Everything was a mode so that I could like then go out and share it.

• 36:54Lewis Howes?

  Perform.

• 36:55Speaker 02

  And perform. Like, I love being on a stage and seeing people smile. Like, there's nothing that like gets me alive like that does. And so, I mean, I definitely want to keep touring and I'm, I'm working on my next album right now.

• 37:07Lewis Howes?

  Comes out sometime this year.

• 37:08Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 37:09Lewis Howes?

  That's what I was about to say.

• 37:09Speaker 02

  Sometime this year. I, I have my goal date, but I'm, who knows if I'm gonna make it. I'm hoping for the summer. But, um, But yeah, so I'm working on new music and I hope to produce a film someday with my dad, actually.

• 37:22Lewis Howes?

  Oh, that'd be cool.

• 37:23Speaker 02

  You know, that's something, we're actually working on a script lightly right now. But yeah, that's part of the goal. It's been amazing to live my dream, but also bring the people I love along with me. Whether it's like now my tour family, getting to bring them along on the journey has been, you know, amazing. And then also like, you know, writing a book with my sister and, you know, I work with my other sister Jennifer and, you know, hoping to write a script with my dad. That's kind of what makes it so exciting is to do the thing you love with the people you want to be with.

• 37:53Lewis Howes?

  Sure. What's the feeling you get when you're on stage? What's, explain it to us.

• 37:57Speaker 02

  Oh, how do you explain it? When I'm on stage and when I'm performing and dancing and, you know, doing the whole thing, I honestly feel like that's what I was created to do. Like this sense of true self of just like, just empowerment and, you know, and I look into the faces and, you know, you can always see there's lots of people that are excited to be there, but you can usually find like one or two people in the front row that you can tell they are so happy and that they've been waiting for this for months. And being able to look into their eyes and just, just see that is like, I mean, it's so selfishly validating, you know, it's just like, you know, I mean, I hope it's not too

• 38:38Speaker 02

  selfish, but it's amazing to have that moment of connection where you realize that you're connecting with someone that you've never even met and you have these moments with people that are just amazing.

• 38:48Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, that's cool. What's the biggest fear for you?

• 38:52Speaker 02

  Biggest fear? Biggest fear?

• 38:54Lewis Howes?

  Whether it be, you know, performing on stage or just in your career or life, personal life?

• 38:59Speaker 02

  Oh, my biggest fear, if we're gonna get nice and deep here, um, gosh, it's being alone. I mean, I think a lot of people have that fear.

• 39:07Lewis Howes?

  I have that fear. Dying alone is scary.

• 39:09Speaker 02

  Yeah, it's a scary thing and, you know, I've invested so much in the past, you know, since I started, I've kind of been running full speed ahead and just, just going after, you know, goal oriented, doing this task, this task, this task. And I finally this year have Kind of taking a little time off the road, even though it's my, my passion, the place I want to be the most, I've decided to take, you know, a big chunk of time off the road so that I could have a bit of a personal life and make time for people and whether, you know, it's starting with my family more and then, you know, whether it's my roommates and also just putting myself out there more in, you know, I'm great at putting myself out there on the tubes and on stage, but you know, it's a little harder to be vulnerable and put yourself out there as a

• 39:53Speaker 02

  person as just, just Lindsay, like this is me.

• 39:56Lewis Howes?

  And what's it like, you know, in relationships, like, are you able to have a relationship with someone while you're touring and while you're so oriented and busy and focused on your dream? Is that possible for you at this moment or is it something that you put on the back burner for a later time?

• 40:11Speaker 02

  Well, it's something that is, it's definitely hard to do when you're on the road, hence why I'm single, but that's again, why I've decided to kind of take a little bit of time to try to, try to figure that out because it is something that's important to me and, you know, I want to have a family. I want to, you know, it's a huge part of what I want in life, one of my goals. And so I think it's, it's figuring out the balance. Life is all about balance and, you know, am I going to set my career like aside for it? No, I think it's important. I think, I think I can have both and I've seen people in my life that have both. It's just learning to prioritize and make time for it. You know, it's, it would be a sacrifice. You have to make sacrifices for, for relationships and that's what makes them special.

• 40:56Lewis Howes?

  Yeah. And I know in the book you talk about how your friends would set you up on these blind dates in college.

• 41:00Speaker 02

  Oh, yeah.

• 41:02Lewis Howes?

  All right. Is anyone setting you up on blind dates now or how are you navigating this?

• 41:05Speaker 02

  Yes. I don't really do blind dates anymore. We've, as you can see, I've had my fair share of, of stories.

• 41:11Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 41:12Speaker 02

  But gosh, now, yeah, I just, that's the big question. Where do you meet people? I don't know. Where do they hang out?

• 41:18Lewis Howes?

  Sure.

• 41:18Speaker 02

  Um, I'm not much of a like, you know, a nightclub person, so.

• 41:23Lewis Howes?

  And you're not on Tinder, I'm assuming?

• 41:24Speaker 02

  No, I'm not on Tinder.

• 41:28Speaker 02

  But yeah, no, I mean, I guess it is like a lot of times through friends that you try to meet people or whatnot. But yeah, that's what I'm trying to figure out. So if you know the answer, you let me know.

• 41:39Lewis Howes?

  Okay, I will. And tell me about your faith, because I know your faith is a huge part of your life and you talk about it constantly and it's what you stand for. Do you find it challenging? You know, you have a chapter in your book that's one sentence long that's about drugs and alcohol in your past. And it's like, I haven't really done any of this, period. Something like that.

• 41:56Speaker 02

  Right.

• 41:57Lewis Howes?

  And I've never been drunk or high myself, so I feel like I can relate in some ways. I've tried some alcohol, but I've never been drunk. And why is that so important for you to not even experiment or have a little fun in here in that terms? I don't think it's fun. That's why I don't do it. But why don't you at least try it? Or why aren't you persuaded by it when people are doing it around you or on tour? And why do you think it's so important for you to stay true to that value?

• 42:25Speaker 02

  Well, it all started, you know, it was the way I was raised. And it was just kind of, those are the rules of the house. We don't do drugs and alcohol, you know? And you know, and then I went to college at BYU, again, a very much that type of environment. And, you know, I just made the decision a long time ago that that wasn't something I wanted to do and that it was something that not only did my parents teach me, but I believed in it. And I saw the value in it. And especially now being on tour, I feel like those values have actually really protected me and kept a very good healthy environment on tour. Because, you know, of course, the guys are allowed to go out and get a drink after the show if they want, but we don't allow, you know, anything in the green rooms or on the bus. And it's just made it for a very, like, there isn't drama, you know?

• 43:09Speaker 02

  It's, you know, it's just a very healthy lifestyle. And that versus other lifestyles that I've been able to jump into, whether I was, you know, guesting on somebody else's tour for a moment or this or that. It's just, I realize it's not something I want to be a part of.

• 43:23Lewis Howes?

  Gotcha. Got a few questions left for you, if that's cool.

• 43:26Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 43:27Lewis Howes?

  If you could sum up your mission in one sentence, what you're trying to create in the world, what would you say Lindsay Sterling is trying to create for the reason you're here?

• 43:38Lewis Howes?

  Sorry to put you on the spot.

• 43:39Speaker 02

  One sentence!

• 43:41Lewis Howes?

  Or a phrase, a few sentences.

• 43:44Speaker 02

  Well, something I believe in is the phrase that happiness takes work, but it's achievable, it's achievable for everyone.

• 43:52Lewis Howes?

  There you go.

• 43:53Speaker 02

  Something I, that's something I believe in.

• 43:54Lewis Howes?

  Okay, cool. There's a question I ask at the end of all these interviews that is called the three truths question.

• 44:01Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 44:02Lewis Howes?

  So I'm putting you on the spot again.

• 44:03Speaker 02

  Oh, no.

• 44:04Lewis Howes?

  But I want to see, I want to see what comes up for you in the moment.

• 44:06Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 44:07Lewis Howes?

  So it's many years down the road and it's the last day. And all your music has been gone, your book is erased from time. Anything you've ever put out there is gone for whatever reason. And all the people you love are around you. And they say, Lindsay, we don't have anything else that, that we can tangibly have that you've put out there. But we have this piece of paper and a pen. And we want you to write down three truths. The three things that you know to be so true to you about what you've experienced during your time here in this life. And what we should be focusing on moving forward. We can always look back on this piece of paper and know these were your three truths. And it's something, it's a way we should live by, uh, you know, something that to, to, to check out.

• 44:51Lewis Howes?

  Do you have three truths that you would write down and what would those be?

• 44:54Speaker 02

  Oh, um, first I would probably say, um, having faith in something greater than myself has never led me astray. Uh, and I would say relationships bring the most fulfillment and happiness. Third, I would say, oh, this is so hard. These are the words for the, for the generations. Um, third, I would say, uh, live your love. Like live your life for what you love to do.

• 45:25Lewis Howes?

  Hmm, that's a good one. I think it's really important.

• 45:27Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 45:27Lewis Howes?

  I think, well, I think so many people, you know, I think so many people don't pursue their passion. They don't go after what really lights them up inside, what makes their heart sing.

• 45:35Speaker 02

  Right.

• 45:36Lewis Howes?

  They do what they're supposed to do or something conventional or whatever that isn't what lights them up. So I think.

• 45:42Speaker 02

  Right. Well, and also I think some people, you know, it doesn't have to be your, your day job, what you love.

• 45:48Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 45:49Speaker 02

  Or what you, you know, yeah, you don't have to necessarily do it for your day job. But even if you can't do your passion, like your passion is like. You know, something that you feel you could never make a living off of, do it anyway.

• 46:01Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 46:01Speaker 02

  Like, keep after it. Don't, don't give up on it just because it can't, like, I, I know that whether I was doing this for a living or whether it was, you know, a hobby, I would still be doing it. I would still be writing music. I would still be playing it. Cause I did do it before it was my job. And, um, so yeah, live your love in whatever way you can.

• 46:21Lewis Howes?

  I love that. Uh, if you had a limited amount of money to spend on solving one problem in the world, and you could do it in a moment, what was that, be that one issue or concern or challenge or problem that you would wanna solve? And why?

• 46:38Speaker 02

  One problem in the world. There's so many problems in this world. Um, you know, recently I've really become attached to this, uh, this organization called the Underground Railroad, and they deal with human trafficking. And I have been, my eyes have been open to this terrible problem. So I would obliterate human trafficking.

• 47:00Lewis Howes?

  Okay, I like that. That's great. Okay. Um, final question before I, before I ask, I wanna make sure that everyone goes and gets this book. The Pirate, The Only Pirate at the Party. Make sure to check this out. It's hilarious. I was cracking up on pretty much every other page. Um, and you can learn really about your entire life experience growing up and how you made all this happen. I still haven't finished it yet, so I'm excited to see what happens.

• 47:22Speaker 02

  I won't spoil the ending. Okay.

• 47:26Lewis Howes?

  So make sure to go pick this up. It's a New York Times bestseller. Uh, and also check out your website, Lindsay Sterling dot com. And where are you hanging out the most on social media these days? Where do you like to spend time? I know you're on Instagram and...

• 47:37Speaker 02

  You know, I've been spending a lot of time on Instagram and the Snapchat.

• 47:41Lewis Howes?

  Snapchat, me too.

• 47:42Speaker 02

  Snapchat's super fun.

• 47:43Lewis Howes?

  It's crazy, right?

• 47:44Speaker 02

  I just got into it. What's your Snapchat?

• 47:46Lewis Howes?

  It's Lewis underscore House.

• 47:47Speaker 02

  I can remember that.

• 47:48Lewis Howes?

  I'll have to add you too, yeah.

• 47:49Speaker 02

  Yeah, I'll add you.

• 47:50Lewis Howes?

  Um, cool. So check you out there. Your, your new music's coming out sometime this year, hopefully in the summer. So make sure to go... Download that when it comes out. Uh, is there anything else we need to mention? For people to follow you anywhere, subscribe to your YouTube channel. It's almost 8 million subscribers.

• 48:06Speaker 02

  Yeah, come join me on the tubes, everybody.

• 48:08Lewis Howes?

  Get it, get in the, uh, the rabbit hole of her videos. They're unbelievable. If you want to check out the, the ice sculptures and always have the thing, the ice castle.

• 48:15Speaker 02

  There you go, yeah.

• 48:16Lewis Howes?

  Um, is there anything else we need to mention?

• 48:18Speaker 02

  I think you nailed it.

• 48:19Lewis Howes?

  Okay, cool.

• 48:20Speaker 02

  Covered it all.

• 48:20Lewis Howes?

  Um, before I ask the final question, I want to acknowledge you, Lindsay. Every guest I like to acknowledge for what opens up for me during the interview. So I want to acknowledge you for pursuing and chasing your passion with 100% love. Because there's so many people in the world that stop when they get judged or say, no, you're not good enough, or you don't look the part, or your music isn't great, or whatever it may be. There's so many people that stop and don't fully go all in. So I want to acknowledge you for going all in and being such an incredible example for so many people to pursue the unconventional love that they have within them. And I also want to acknowledge you for your faith and your ability to stay true to what

• 49:03Lewis Howes?

  you believe, no matter what anyone says about you. Um, and not be persuaded in any other way. I think it's really important that we have examples of people that live with their values and stay true to those values, especially in the entertainment world where people are always persuaded to go other ways. So I want to acknowledge you for the incredible gift that you are and that you bring to the world.

• 49:28Speaker 02

  Oh, thank you so much.

• 49:29Lewis Howes?

  You're welcome, yeah.

• 49:30Speaker 02

  I like this guy.

• 49:32Lewis Howes?

  And my final question is, what's your definition of greatness?

• 49:37Speaker 02

  Greatness, um, I think greatness is courage, um, and having the courage to...

• 49:46Speaker 02

  Hmm, you ask hard questions. Uh, greatness, greatness, I, I think it's the courage to persevere, you know, in spite of everything. Just, um, because no one ever reached, like, you know, you cannot succeed if you haven't failed before. And so I think that's what makes great people is perseverance and courage.

• 50:06Lewis Howes?

  Lindsay Sterling, thank you so much for coming on. I really appreciate it.

• 50:09Speaker 02

  Thank you, thanks for having me.

• 50:13Lewis Howes?

  And there you have it friends, I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I enjoyed interviewing Lindsay. I had such a great time with her, learned so much about her and really just inspires me to be bigger and better in my life as well. So I hope you guys took away some great lessons and please share this with your friends. LewisHowes.com/291 if you were inspired, if you were moved, if you're motivated, share this on Twitter and make sure to tag Lindsay Sterling and myself @lewishowes. Make sure to tag us on Instagram and over on Facebook, share it far and wide. I appreciate you guys so much, we've got some great guests coming up. If this is your first time being a listener of the School of Greatness Podcast, then thank you for being here.

• 50:57Lewis Howes?

  Please subscribe to our channel at iTunes/School of Greatness, over on Stitcher and on SoundCloud. Also, subscribe to the YouTube channel, that's right, YouTube.com/LouisHowes. Make sure to subscribe there, we're posting interviews twice a week there, video interviews and other inspirational motivational videos as well. So subscribe to our YouTube channel and please share those also. I love you guys, I hope you enjoy what we're creating together and the movement of greatness that we're all spreading. Thank you so very much and you know what time it is, it's time to go out there and do something great.