Ciarra Wooten, Development Manager
It might strike you as an unexpected parallel, but trust me, Lady Gaga’s Fire Aid LA performance of “Shallow”, in all its raw power and delivery, hit the very soul of entrepreneurship and the essence of the creative journey.
I’ve probably gone a whole decade without listening to Lady Gaga. But her recent album release craze, and the unwoven, candid interview she gave for the New York Times, rekindled the flame she sparked in my funky, outcast soul. The first song of hers I ever heard was “Bad Romance,” performed by a drag queen in a dive bar during my first year of college. She did a lot of weird things between that debut and now, some of which weren’t palatable to Hollywood or our Midwestern minds, but they had enough quality that Beyoncé was down to do a song with her.
Part of that cycle of reinvention was a detour into country and film, leaving us with her Oscar award-winning songwriting and performance in A Star is Born, where she gave us “Shallow” in her gentle brown hair and ultra-earnest personality we all thought was another gimmick. It was such a stark contrast to the McQueen couture and crunchy wigs we’d grown accustomed to. Turns out, she was on a path to healing and rediscovery, an unexpected turn that revealed a deeper truth.
With her latest Mayhem album dipping back into her cultivated pop sound, watching her perform “Shallow” at FireAid felt like a retrospective, a revisiting of a pivotal chapter in her career, now filtered through the understanding that she had survived a lot of pain below the surface during that time. It was vulnerability made powerful. A testament to growth, to the messy exploration of self, and a nod to the best and worst parts of oneself. “Shallow” wasn’t what I expected to be on her set list, but then again, she continues to give what’s unexpected, yet always authentically her.
That act of connecting the dots of one’s life, experiences, and passions to create something new – that’s the heart of what we do at MORTAR. We support individuals as they cultivate their raw visions, helping them build businesses that resonate and create meaningful impact. We understand that vulnerability is strength and that reinvention is an act of will. The entrepreneurs we work with are connecting the dots of their lives, their experiences, and their passions.
Entrepreneurship isn’t about some polished, curated image. It’s really about the grit, the determination, and the ability to alchemize your vulnerabilities into strengths. It’s about taking risks, failing fast, and rising again. Stronger for the scars, you’re ready to take on what’s next because you’ve survived what came before, and you’re still you, standing tall. Your past, even the difficult parts, is a vital part of your story. A source of regard.
Gaga’s performance at FireAid was a masterclass in creative reinvention. It took something familiar and made it profoundly new, profoundly personal. And that’s what we see in the entrepreneurs we work with. They’re taking their unique perspectives and passions and creating something that resonates. Something that matters.
We witness the late nights, the rejections, the moments of doubt. But we also witness the breakthroughs, the triumphs, the sheer determination to build something real. And in those moments, we see the same spirit: a relentless pursuit of authenticity, a refusal to be defined by limitations, and a drive to find their “why.”
At MORTAR, we’re fostering a space where entrepreneurs can connect, learn, and grow. We’re here to help them find their voice, their strength, their “why.” And in every success story, we see a reflection of that FireAid performance: a raw, powerful expression of the human spirit. A testament to the transformative power of creativity and resilience.
That’s why that Gaga performance, to me, is so important. It reflects the true heart of what we’re trying to do as entrepreneurs, as creative minds at work. It’s a reminder to all of us that we are our finest (re)creation.
