Podcast
Dream Life Club
Hosted by Sumi Krishnan · EN
Dream Life Club is the show for creatives and entrepreneurs committed to chasing and living out their dreams. Through interviews as well as solo-episodes, the show offers insights and inspiration to anyone looking to build their dream life.
About the host: Sumi Krishnan is an award-winning entrepreneur who walked away from the 200 person consulting firm she started while in college to chase her lifelong dream of being a music artist. She has been featured in media from Forbes to Inc. Magazine and is transforming the definition of what it means to be a pop music artist today.
42episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Get into the WILD: the 3 C's for Success as a Creative
1w ago00:20:52Summary readyIn this solo episode, Sumi shares one of the biggest mindset shifts she's had since moving to Los Angeles to pursue music: success isn't built alone. Drawing from her own experiences, she unpacks the three pillars she believes every creative needs to build a sustainable career—collaboration, community, and craft.Sumi talks about overcoming imposter syndrome, the importance of getting out from behind the screen and into real-life creative spaces, and why the strongest opportunities often come through genuine relationships. Sumi also shares practical advice on protecting your time, following through on opportunities, and creating from a place of impact rather than pressure.This conversation is a reminder that while talent and hard work matter, it's the people you build along the way that make the journey and the dream worth it.
SummaryBuilding Community and Connection in the Music Industry with Hannah Avison
3w ago00:49:00Summary readyHannah Avison is a chart-topping songwriter, music activist, and community builder whose work has impacted the music industry both in and out of the studio. With songwriting credits alongside artists like Marshmello, Lauv, Ava Max, Fletcher, and Jordin Sparks, Hannah has built a career rooted in creativity, connection, and advocacy.In this episode, Hannah shares her journey through the music industry, her work with The 100 Percenters, and how she's built a thriving community to support her career. We also talk about vulnerability in songwriting, finding your authentic voice, and blowing up on social media. This conversation is for anyone looking to build a successful creative career and have more fun while doing so!
SummaryThai Long Ly on Fear, 20+ Years in Music and One Question Every Creative Needs to Answer
4w ago00:48:38Summary readyThai Long Ly is a Los Angeles-based producer, audio engineer, mixer and bassist with over two decades in the industry and has worked with artists like Pink, Dionne Warwick, Robbie Williams, Elle King and Postmodern Jukebox.In this conversation we get into what it actually looks like to build a career in music. Tai shares how a near death experience at 12 shaped his entire philosophy on life, how he sparked a mentorship with Earth Wind and Fire's Al McKay by running up to him in a parking lot, and what finally brought him back to playing the bass after a 15 year break.We also get into fear, imposter syndrome, presence, acceptance, and why knowing why you're doing something is the only real career advice that matters.
SummaryCreating your FUEL for a Winning Creative Career
Jun 1300:25:11Summary readyWe are constantly bombarded by other people's ideas, advice, and opinions...and it's making it harder than ever to tune into our own creative vision.In this solo episode, I'm getting real about why the pressure to constantly drop new music almost broke me and what I'm doing differently now that has me feeling more aligned and excited about my music career than ever before. We're talking about blocking out the noise, building a cohesive creative vision, creating a sandbox for yourself as an artist, and why evidence of progress is the fuel that keeps us going.
SummaryEthan Buckner on Music, Activism and Living a Life By Design
Jun 900:47:15Summary readyEthan Buckner is a singer-songwriter, community organizer and activist based in Venice, California. He's spent years fighting big oil pipelines, organizing solidarity fundraisers for communities in crisis, hosting backyard concerts during the pandemic, and building Westside Sounds, a monthly music showcase highlighting local talent in LA. In this conversation we get into what it really looks like to build two careers at once without sacrificing either. Ethan shares how a trip to Poland at 16 shaped his entire life's mission, why he dropped his pseudonym and started releasing music under his own name, and what happened when a disc in his back exploded in India and forced him to slow down for the first time in his life.
SummaryAmber Grimes on Ego, Anti Girl Bossing and Upgrading Your Dreams
Jun 500:56:47Summary readyAmber Grimes is an entertainment executive and leader in the music industry. Currently EVP and General Manager at LVRN (Love Renaissance), the Atlanta-based label and management company. She's previously held senior roles at Capitol Records, Spotify, and Def Jam, and she hosts her own podcast, If You Knew Better, on iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network.In this conversation we get into anti girl bossing, why your ego is actually a tool (not a flaw), what it really means to upgrade your dreams, and why the people to your left and right will always matter more than the ones above you.
SummaryProducer Ryan Gladieux on engineering hits, working with the greats and loving the journey
May 2901:03:51Summary readyRyan Gladieux is one of my producers so this episode feels like two friends catching up in a studio and going deep on the music industry.Ryan started as a recording intern at Atlantic Records and Warner Music Group in 2011. He eventually worked his way up to head engineer, racking up credits on some of the biggest songs in the world — including Timber by Ke$ha and Pitbull — and getting to work up close with artists like Flo Rida, Rihanna, T-Pain, Charlie Puth, Ty Dolla $ign, Charli XCX, Saweetie, Dua Lipa and more.In this episode we get into what it was really like inside those sessions…the stories you don't hear, the wild nights, the trial by fire of becoming an engineer, and what the music industry actually looks like from behind the glass.
SummaryHow Hyperbole, Hinduism & the Right Words will help you Build your Dream
May 2600:24:14Summary readyI've been thinking a lot about the power of the words we tell ourselves. I got into the concept of creating a "hyperbole" for yourself, a goal so big and so aligned with your soul that it almost sounds crazy...and why that might be exactly the point.I talk about my own hyperbole and why what we tell ourselves every single day might be the most important thing we're not paying enough attention to.
SummaryHow to Build a Multi-Platinum Career in the Music Industry: Shari Short’s True Story
May 1501:02:10Summary readyShari Short is a RIAA certified multi-platinum songwriter and producer who has written for Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Rita Ora, Sofia Reyes and more. She toured as a background vocalist with Demi Lovato, managed Rebecca Black, became CEO of a boutique record label, and is currently the frontwoman of indie rock band Three One Zero. Oh, and she has a song up for a Primetime Emmy. Not bad for a shy girl from a small town in Idaho with a guitar! But Shari gets into what the highlight reel doesn't show you…the years of waitressing between opportunities, major label meetings that went nowhere and how she ended up interpreting rejection. Listen in for an inspiring conversation and leave ready to build your own success!
SummaryThe American Dream: Why Your Personal Dream Can't Exist Without This Conversation
May 1200:20:15Summary readyMy new song American Dream comes out this Friday!! Pre-save it here.This week I'm getting into something that's close to my heart, the idea of the American Dream which inspired my new song out this Friday by the same name.In this episode I talk about why we can't separate our personal dreams from what's happening around us politically and socially. I share some stats that genuinely blew my mind and talk about why I think this isn't actually a left vs. right conversation, it's a human one.The America I grew up believing in as the daughter of immigrants is not the America we're living in right now. But at the same time, I think there is still hope. And that’s what I hope my new song brings to everyone, a sense of hope.Don't forget my new song American Dream comes out this Friday! Pre-save it today.
Summary