Young Entrepreneur Spotlight: Tiera Leftwich

Date: August 16, 2016 Last Edit: August 17, 2016

Learn about all facets of business because talent alone is not enough, Tiera says.

Young Entrepreneur Spotlight: Tiera Leftwich

Tiera Leftwich, of Gardendale,
Alabama, has been singing ever since she can remember, but she got serious
about performing when she was 15 years old. She started filming herself
performing covers of some of her favorite artists, uploaded them to YouTube,
and decided to pursue a music career professionally. From there, her business, Tiera Music,
was born.

That was in 2012. Leftwich, who won
the NFIB/John and Dorothy Saad Young Entrepreneur Award for her music business,
started out by performing at small venues and festivals around Alabama. She has
since progressed to performing at larger venues, such as the iconic Bluebird
Café and Listening Room Café in Nashville. Leftwich also recently opened for
the Charlie Daniels Band at the Sweetland Amphitheater in LaGrange, Georgia.

“I draw my inspiration from country
music giants Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, and Miranda Lambert,” she said.
“They inspired me to learn how to write my own music and to become a better
performer.”

Her long-term goals include
releasing a full-length album and performing at the Grand Ole Opry in
Nashville.

“So many of my favorite country
singers have played on that stage, and it is my dream to get to sing my songs
on the same stage they did,” she said.

Leftwich credits the assistance of
her family and close friends for making it easy to run her business while in
school. She has advanced her music career while maintaining a 4.10 GPA and
attending both high school and community college part-time. Next she is heading
to the University of North Alabama to study the Entertainment Industry, and she
plans to continue performing and writing music while there. Her major will
enable her to continue improving her voice and writing skills and learn more
about her craft. The University of North Alabama is also across the river from
the “Legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio,” which is listed on the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places.

 While balancing school and her music
business has been mostly seamless, Leftwich faced other difficulties as a young
entrepreneur. 

“Because of my youth, I found
dealing with some people a little difficult as they assumed because I was so
young that I was not familiar with the common practices of the music business,”
she said. “…I learned that talent is not necessarily enough to be successful.
You must also have the ability to work well with people and be able to show
them that you not only belong, but you have much to offer.”

 As a small business owner, Leftwich
likes having control over her brand and how she shares her music. She advises
other young entrepreneurs to be confident in their talent and the decisions
they make that affect the direction of their careers and businesses.

“There will be many people, some
innocently and some not so innocently, that will try to change the direction of
your career,” she said. “Stay true to your dreams and educate yourself about
all facets of your business, whatever industry it may be in.”

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