Level Up! With Shay

It’s been five years since I sat down with DJ Kara for the Level Up! With Shay podcast. She truly inspired me through our conversation – and even more so seeing where she is today.

From almost derailing her college career at Purdue… to moving to Los Angeles, finding a DJ gig through a random Craigslist ad, hustling to enter the bar scene in the City of Stars, and slowly but surely overcoming social media anxiety – DJ Kara has one hell of a story.

And it’s just as moving today as it was five years ago.

Now, you can see her DJing all around the world — literally.

If You Could See Yourself Five Years From Now…

One of the things that struck me most about Kara’s journey is how shy she used to be. She was nervous to speak on the mic – which, if you’ve ever seen her DJ now, seems impossible to imagine. So what did she do?

She took an acting class.

Not because she wanted to become an actor.
Because she wanted to stop being afraid.

Fast forward five years – she’s on stage with a mic, commanding crowds, spinning for massive brands, and walking into rooms with confidence.

She didn’t wait for confidence to show up.
She practiced into it.

And that makes me wonder:

If you could see yourself five years from now – absolutely killing it at the thing that scares you today – wouldn’t you treat yourself with more compassion right now?

What if you’re not bad at it…
You’re just new.

What if the fear you’re feeling isn’t a red flag – but the very first step toward becoming incredible at something?

Fun fact: I was forever afraid to do stand-up comedy — even after five years of doing improv!

The picture below is from my first official stand-up show – a graduation performance from a stand-up class I took.

I may look like a natural, but I actually forgot some of my set. 😅

Luckily, improv kicked in, and I found my way back.

That was five years ago.

Since then, I’ve done stand-up in Atlanta, New York, St. Louis – and even at a women’s retreat. And I talk about it in this blog!

Kara reminded me: the version of us we’re becoming is already in motion.

We just have to keep showing up.
Even when it’s awkward.
Even when our voice shakes.
Even when we don’t feel ready.

Because five years from now?
You’ll be so glad you did.

Final Thoughts

There’s so much more we talked about – grinding through full-time work while building her DJ career, advice for any type of creator our there, and how journaling and mindset work helped her visualize and create the career she’s living today.

Whether you’re a creative, entrepreneur, or someone in the middle of a pivot… this story will light a fire in you.

✨ Your dreams are not too far.
✨ You’re not too late.
✨ And you’re way more capable than you think.

Watch the full interview with DJ Kara on YouTube now – and let it be the spark that gets you going.

Connect with DJ Kara on Instagram @dj.kara

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