Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin Siebert.
Hi Austin; we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am from a small town in Indiana and initially went to school in Washington, D.C., at American University. My goal was to become an ambassador and get involved in foreign relations and policy. I was an intern for Senator Richard Lugar while he was still alive. He was one of the longest-serving figures in U.S. political history and one of the key legislators on the foreign relations committee. I have always loved foreign languages and studied German extensively in high school in the U.S. and Germany. I have also always had a great passion for music. I played Tuba in the high school marching band and electric violin for random gigs. On a whim, I tried out for a production of Beauty and The Beast in my junior year of high school and discovered I could sing. I had never been to an opera before going to D.C. I always envisioned myself singing musical theatre. When I arrived in D.C., I tried out for chorus to see what would happen. I walked out of the audition room with the largest vocal scholarship and a voice teacher who was very excited about my potential.
I transferred to Northwestern University in Chicago and completed a 4-year music degree in a year and a half. Very stressful. I don’t recommend it. I then took a gap year before doing my master’s at UNT in Denton, TX. While completing my master’s in Opera Performance at UNT, I was a young artist with Dallas Opera for 2 years. Then after Dallas, I was accepted into one of the most selective operatic apprenticeships in the world: the Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera.
After leaving San Francisco, I realized that the opera world had changed drastically since my professors had been active in it. Aside from moving to Germany, it wasn’t even possible to make a complete living from opera alone in the U.S. I also left school with 250k of student loan debt. The debt and lack of opportunities available had crushed my future. I moved to Austin and moved back in with my parents, which was a very dark chapter for me. I had worked hard and exceeded everyone’s expectations to land back at square one. My mother convinced me to get into real estate like her. She told me it would be my best option to make the money I needed while offering me the freedom to pursue any opera gigs that may arise. The first few years as a new agent were beyond brutal. It took me three years to get going in real estate. Most people have yet to learn how tough it is to get started in real estate and get those first few deals.
I have kept up with my singing during all these years and was the featured Artist at Austin Opera for numerous shows. During the pandemic, auditions finally went online, and I could sing for a global audience from my studio apartment. I landed a fantastic agent over Zoom. My career is now finally taking off, and my real estate business has to. While it has been so much consistent hard work, I have been so grateful to be able to prove people wrong that you can’t do both. You absolutely can live your dream and support yourself at the same time. I have helped many other singers get into real estate or related fields to help fund and support their dreams.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Mindset is everything. With the right mindset, things are going to happen. I have had so many struggles along the way. Self-doubt is probably the biggest struggle of them all. You work and follow the advice given to you, only to end up with nothing. So many of these careers are just constantly picking yourself up and going for it again. You also have the added fear of zero financial safety net. You don’t get that deal or role you don’t eat. I practice the miracle morning daily to keep myself organized, positive, and on track. There is so much distraction in this world, and it takes a monumental effort not to get thrown off your game. Oprah always says to pause and ask yourself, “what is the next right move?” That has guided most of my decisions.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have carved out my own work life and identity. I am a researcher and communicator at my core. I started my professional life as a professional opera singer. As an opera singer, you start with a talent that takes decades to hone. Opera is different from all other forms of singing. We don’t use microphones and must be able to project our raw voice to vast auditoriums. We sing in German, Italian, French, English, Russian, and Czech. Learning to translate the opera scores, speak the languages, and adapt your acting to match the music takes a great deal of time and patience. The singer must also research that composer, their world, the zeitgeist in which the opera was written, and the librettist and composer’s intention. Who is this character you are portraying, and what is their function in the opera? What is the librettist trying to communicate to the audience through their words? What is the composer saying about the character through their music? Sometimes the music and the words are at odds with one another, which adds to the complexity. Words and intentions sometimes match.
I see this mirrored in my real estate business as well. Real estate is very intimidating for many of my clients. There are a lot of pitfalls and dangers lurking in Austin real estate. I have to be able to connect and communicate with my clients past what their words are telling me. Compassion and education can solve any real estate issue. That is how I came up with my slogan, “Empowering our clients to make their own choices through education.” I started real estate as a salesperson, which felt wrong. I eventually discovered through much reflection that education was at the heart of all of it. To be a great Realtor, you must not only know the market but also be able to effectively communicate all aspects of the transaction to your client in a way in which they can digest and understand the content.
Can you talk to us about the role of luck?
You make your luck. Nothing else matters if you aren’t in the right mindset and prepared for opportunities when they arrive. You prepare for the moment and put yourself in the right situations to make life happen for you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thesiebertgroup.com/
- Instagram: @austinsiebert
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/austin.siebert.7
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinsiebert/
- Youtube: @Austinsiebert12
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-13300089
- Other: https://www.austinsiebertbaritone.com/
