Portfolio Career Newsletter by Kabir Sehgal features Kama Ruby
How Kama Ruby Manages 4 Careers (Singer, Producer, Massage Therapist, Esthetician)
Kabir Sehgal
🎵 Multi-Grammy Winner 📚 Multi-NYT bestselling author ⚓ Navy Veteran
128 articles Follow
February 17, 2023
Meet Kama Ruby. She's a multi-careerist based in California. She deftly navigates her many careers. Her key insights.
Kama's careers
Singer/songwriter
Producer
Massage Therapist
Esthetician
On her motivations for having many careers
I'm often asked, "What do you love more? Massage, singing, giving facials, producing, or songwriting?"
The truth is all are creative and feed one another.
Problem solving skin care concerns and giving client a relaxing hour of peace taps into my creative mind as much as creating new music.
Having multiple careers creates income diversity -- and I never get bored.
On how long she's had these careers
I have been involved in theater and dance for 44 years.
In 2011, I released my first album and have been consistently releasing content on a yearly basis since then.
After 26 years working in the fitness industry as a trainer specializing in injury prevention and post rehabilitation, I made the switch to become a massage therapist and was licensed in 2019.
I obtained my esthetician license in 2020, and it's been a beautiful blend of careers and interests.
Advice to aspiring multi-careerists
Do it because you love it.
Do not buy into short sighted ideals that one must only have one career to be good at anything.
If you like and love it, then do it.
On overcoming obstacles
The covid pandemic really put a damper in my income as I was not legally allowed to work as a massage therapist or esthetician for many months.
With my income strained, I sought ways to create my own album covers and discovered I enjoyed photography and graphic design.
After coming out of the pandemic, I lost both parents in less than one year and though it was devastating. I learned to set better boundaries by learning to say, "No!" to which no longer served me.
On how multiple careers are beneficial
A career in massage & esthetics can be lucrative and help finance recording sessions.
Since I am an independent contractor, booking gigs and studio time is in my control.
My beautiful clients I meet in my treatment room become my biggest fans at live shows. It's all a perfect circle.
On personal time
Boundaries, Boundaries, Boundaries!
I am strict on my availability and booking. I will be home in time for dinner with my family.
I will block out time as unavailable in order to book my live gigs, take the granddaughter to dance class, or be in the studio.
On what she wishes she had learned earlier
Well, I guess I've never really known anything different. I've always had two to three careers. In my early twenties for instance, I worked at a theatre, for my dad's flower shop, and I substitute taught.
On what to read
Twelve Pillars by Jim Rhon & Chris Weidner
Awakening Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
On the stigma of having many careers
It was easy to overcome when I was younger because it was necessary for me to have multiple careers in order to pursue not only what I desired creatively, but to have the freedom of being in control of my own schedule.
Basically, I had to make it work financially and that meant having more than one source of income.
On what to share with others
The few corporate jobs I had in the past, I would say I was guilty of oversharing my other endeavors in life.
Instead of appreciating my work ethic and acknowledging my various talents as beneficial to them, they saw it as a threat because my focus was not solely on them.
This is why now being self-employed is a much better choice for me. I have to pressure to build other people's dreams and can relish in my own creative process and success.
A Day in the Life
6:45 Wake up, drink coffee
7 am - Workout
8 am - Shower
8:30-10 am - Administration work (emails, bills, etc.), writing, audition submission
11 am-6pm - Treat clients in treatment room
7pm - Dinner with family, help grand-daughter with homework.
8:30-10:00 - Watch a movie with husband, or write, read, and practice music.
Where to find Kama
LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube