Judge for Lauren Zettler

Some of my favorite things include cupcakes, vintage guitars, and chuck taylors. Some of my least favorite things include static electricity, cilantro, and writing bios in third-person

:)

I think this all started in a mid-western living room, watching Lawrence Welk re-runs. I guess (I mean I know) it was the girls wearing pretty dresses. That was my first concern. But then they were also smiling really big, singing really cheesy songs...and there was a bubble machine at the end of it all. I was hooked. That was my fate, I decided. I was close.

I took a detour, to Berklee College of Music. It was there that I got scared and brave at the same time. I learned more than I ever thought I could, doubted myself more than I ever had before, and started to truly believe that anything was possible, all at the same time. After graduation, a fleeting bout of practicality led me to New York City, working for one of the largest music companies in the world. I was still operating under the belief system that I needed to act safe, make guaranteed money, and work hard. Looking back, I can see that I only had one out of the three right. After years of thinking it was pretty normal to cry during every musical performance I attended (now affectionately known as jealous tears), I had a wake-up call. An epiphany, if you will. And when it happened, there was no turning back. If I told you how close to a bolt of lightening it felt, you wouldn't believe me. But if and when you experience your own, you'll know.

Turns out I had been running away from what scared me the most...and what, coincidently, was most important to me. Once I realized that, it was pretty easy to quit my nine-to-five and start planning. I took a little break to write my first EP, flew out to L.A. to record it, and the rest....is all happening, as we speak.

I believe that everything falls into place if you are following your heart.

So, here's to hoping we really can be anything we want to be when we grow up.