Hello everybody.

Hey y'all.

Welcome to Coming Out with Lauren and Nicole. We are a weekly podcast where we speak to queer folks from all walks of life. They tell us the tales of how they came out to friends, family, and the world at large.

Because who doesn't love a coming out story?

We are here today, or remotely here, with Jennifer Brown.

It was actually joining us from New York, from the village.

Jennifer is an author, a keynoteer, and a CEO. We are so excited that she is joining us today. Hi, Jennifer.

Thank you. Thanks for having me. I can't wait to tell my coming out story. Yes. A long time ago, but I remember it like is yesterday.

Oh, good. We love it. We love that. And I think this might come up during the story,

but we did not say you were also an opera singer. That's correct? That was, yep, I was. I can't

believe it now. I can barely sing a note. But yes, I was for a time. You are a multi, multi-hyphenate.

I relate, though. I am, was also on that track.

Opera? Yeah, you didn't know that? I did not know that. Oh, my God. Nicole, you are an enigma.

I was. I was on that track. My voice teacher, teachers desperately wanted me to go into opera.

And I just like kept wanting to do musical theater.

And then eventually even just transitioned over almost fully to straight acting.

And it was like much to their sugar.

And my opera teacher used to just be like, please go see an opera instead of rent for the fifth time. And I'm like, but I love rent. Rent is based on an opera. She's like, but your voice, but you're only going to do opera, not rent. And I'm like, I don't care. Like it was a whole thing. My heart wasn't in it. But it got it was so fun for a while just singing.

Oh, isn't it fun, but it's no money and it's the most frustrating people.

So I've heard from my friends who are in it, yes.

Well, I am honored to be in the presence of two former opera singers.

This is so cool.

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