I fangirled over Brey so hard for so long until I finally told myself I had to meet her. So I mustered up the courage to reach out to this beautiful, blonde sunflower that I had admired through YouTube and tricked her into speaking at the women’s conference I was planning so I could meet her.
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Not only did she blow it out of the water at my conference but she has also become one of my best friends and role models. Spend 5 seconds in her presence and you will be refreshed. Read more to see what I mean.
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Tell us a little bit about yourself
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I was born and raised in Seattle, WA by my parents Mark and Judi Nordtvedt! (Yes, we are 100% Norwegian – hence the difficult last name LOL.) I have an older sister, Brittany, who I’m super close with. I love my family. We certainly had some rocky years as we got older and had to work through childhood life haha, but we are closer now than ever!!!! I’m grateful to have a family that values growth and relationship… and sometimes that’s SUPER TOUGH, but SOOO WORTH the challenge!!
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My parents are pastors and musicians! I grew up very passionate about Jesus and involved in the church. I was also extremely involved in all things MUSIC and all things CREATIVE! I graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a degree in Communications and moved to Los Angeles immediately after graduation to pursue a music career as a pop duo with my sister Brittany.
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It was super exciting at first but became a pretty difficult and painful few years navigating the music industry in LA. It was rough for both my sister and me. So we eventually dissolved our music duo to take a break and pursue other things. That is when I started modeling and acting! Modeling eventually became my bread and butter and gave me the flexibility and ability to travel and work. I had the privilege of booking a Reality TV show in Norway and was able to live there for a summer. I lived in New York for about a year. And shortly upon returning to LA after New York, I realized I wanted to pursue more. Modeling gave me a platform, and yet I wanted to have a voice again! My heart still wasn’t ready to jump back into music, however, I wanted to have the ability to SHARE what what in my heart, in a creative way, with the world! I wanted to have the ability to put my VOICE out there without having to rely on a 3rd party like my talent agency, a booking agent, or an audition.
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THAT is when I started my YouTube channel. I’ve ALWAYS loved being on a stage, and being on camera… so it was fun for me to try! It was also a way to share one of my greatest passions with the world. I would say my greatest passion is sharing Truth & Life through Story, Comedy, Song & Relationships! YouTube became the perfect foundation for that! I had the tools… so I just had to start creating. And that was the beginning of a new and expanded platform!
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In all honestly, music has always been my GREATEST of all creative passions. I started performing at age 4 with my mom and sister in church and at local events. We would sing 3 part harmonies in the car and then eventually on the stage. I was a classical pianist for 21 years, which enhanced every aspect of my music passion. Though I was an accomplished pianist, I always prefered singing over playing piano. I was THANKFULLY on scholarship for both piano AND voice in college, but eventually dropped piano to focus solely on being a vocalist.
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Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey were some of my greatest influences as a youngin… and then Aretha Franklin and Alicia Keys. I specifically loved jazz and gospel (and N’SYNC of course lol). I completed and received awards in a number of jazz competitions while doing everything else music I could. My first tour was as a soloist with a Gospel Choir in Spain at age 14 doing music AND missions! It changed my life forever. THAT is when I knew I wanted to travel, perform music, and connect with people all over the world with PURPOSE and ON PURPOSE!
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My sister and I always had something special musically together. We had a band called 11th Hour and would tour and perform all over Washington before we moved to LA to pursue the pop world as a duo. But after we dissolved our duo, I performed solo for about a year before I put music aside until more recently!
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I released my first single “Show ‘N Tell” on February 14th, 2017 and am now living in Nashville working on new music for 2018! I am writing with other song-writers, recording in the studio and working on getting a 5 song EP together to start performing again after almost 5 years!!! Wowzers. But I gotta say… my heart is alive again… and it’s been the most challenging but greatest journey getting here 🙂
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Take us through a day in the life of Brey… We want all the details!
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Oh wow!! Every single day looks soooo different for me!! BUT… the thing that typically remains the same is my mornings…
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I LOVE MORNINGS… they are my favorite part of every day!! I prefer to wake up around 6am, but lately I’ve been waking up around 7am instead. I never set an alarm, my body wakes me up. I make my bed immediately and turn on my diffuser usually with peppermint and Stress Away Essential Oils to give me a boost and fresh energy! I usually do a workout 1st thing. These days, I’m obsessed with Ballet Beautiful with Mary Helen Bowers! I did competitive sports for years, so I love feeling elegant doing GRACEFUL ballet now-a-days. I have an online subscription, so I do it in my living room 🙂
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Then I start the coffee maker while I shower and get ready for the day. I have my glass of Perfect Food Greens from Garden of Life and probiotics before my 1st cup of coffee. Then I start my Steel Cut oats on the stove and let them cook for 30 minutes while I have my 1st cup of coffee over some Bible reading, prayer and journally!
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I try to give myself a good 3 hours (6am-9am) before I DO ANYTHING work-related because once I get going, it’s hard to slow down!!
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I sometimes have a song-writing session, studio recording session for a few hours. Or I’ll write and record a vlog for the week. Whenever I write or doing any kind of work on my computer, I usually leave my house to a NEW environment. One of (probably 15) different amazing coffee shops here in Nashville to get work done. I always like to switch up my environments. I am a 93 % extravert, so I HAVE to get around people for a LOT of the day haha. But don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my alone time (in the mornings especially).
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Usually, I am working on music in the car or talking to my mom or friends from other places. I ALWAYS like to maximize my drive time and I ALWAYS like to schedule times to talk with my friends. I have friends all over the country, and it takes intentionality to stay connected! So I usually call one of my friends or family members at least once a day!
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I may have auditions throughout the day, or a photoshoot, or a music session. Otherwise, I’m working on my own vlogs, my own writing and researching all the “NEW” about instagram and YouTube. I do contract work for a lot of different people, vi it be editing other videos, identity coaching for artists, prepping and speaking at events, modeling for specific brands from instagram… there is a LOT of back-end, business work I do to be able to be a my own creative artist!! It takes many different forms.
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But let’s be honest, at the end of the day, I LOOOOOVE my PEOPLE TIME!!! I love building and developing quality relationships! I try to schedule a few different coffee dates with my girlfriends throughout the week and have people over for either weekend brunch, or dinner every week. It’s so important for me to create environments where people can connect and build quality relationships!!
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Throughout the week, I may find me going to a church event, going to a music gig, throwing a dinner party, getting drinks with my friends at a fun spot , making my special popcorn and watching a movie with my roomie, having a girls game night playing UNO and drinking WINE lol, staying up all night finishing a VLOG haha, or simply, having tea and enjoying a good book in my bedroom. I still am learning to balance all the things I enjoy, or just the things life demands! Seasons are constantly changing and I am constantly in TRANSITION!! So I’m learning to simply enjoy and embrace the process of ALL OF IT!! Sometimes I eat healthier than others. Sometimes I get more sleep than others. Sometimes I feel SUPER OFF BALANCE, and other times I feel right in rhythm with my life. But it’s always changing and always different in Brey’s world 🙂
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If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
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If I could tell my younger self ONE THING (although I’m not sure I would listen lol), it would be to CHOOSE to ENJOY the process of discovering… also, it’s all about the baby steps!! And lastly… you aren’t perfect, don’t try to be, it’s not even expected of you, so give yourself grace for goodness sake and enjoy LIVING THE UNKNOWN!!
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What’s on the horizon for you this year?
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I have no idea, so I guess I will find out! haha
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What (or who) inspires you to #DoStuff?
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My greatest inspiration to #DoStuff is probably Julianne Hough. I love her. I’m inspired by her. I have similar passions as her. And she is a powerhouse LADY in doing ALL THE STUFF!!!!
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And lastly, what’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
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I LOVE ICE CREAM!! Honestly… I try every flavor before I decide… and even then, it’s different depending on my mood, the season, and the temperature outside hahah! But I can’t go wrong with VANILLA BEAN!!!
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