25 years has passed since Martina McBride’s first hit “The Time Has Come,” and what a wild ride it has been. Her successes span far and wide from being a chart-topping hitmaker with 41 top 40 hits, 5 No.1’s, as well as four wins as the CMA Female Vocalist of the Year to an inspiring entrepreneur, businesswoman, and leader in the country music community. After years of being a leading lady in the industry, the country superstar shows no sign of slowing down.

“I still love what I do just as much as I started, and I’m grateful that I still get to do it after 25-years,” she says reflecting on her time in the industry. “Looking back on my career and how it’s evolved, I feel like I’ve always done the same thing when it comes to looking for the best song I can find and relate to. The older you get, the more confident you become, so I feel like what I’ve done as an artist is a good representation of who I am.”

And not to mention, McBride has many milestones that have paved the way to where she’s at today. “Some of my favorite milestones in my career range from winning CMA Vocalist of the Year to performing at the White House to getting to do some great duets and touring with George Strait. It’s humbling being able to look back on it all.”

“The older you get, the more confident you become, so I feel like what I’ve done as an artist is a good representation of who I am.”

Even after all these years since “Independence Day,” the hit that made McBride the success she is today, she still believes in the message, and is grateful that even after years of it being released, stories are still being told to her in meet and greet lines how the song has impacted lives forever. “It’s a great song that has stood the test of time. I love the story behind that song and I want the song to empower women the same way I always have,” she says. “You hope for a song that will mean something to someone and help them feel like they aren’t alone in their situation, and I feel like “Independence Day” is that song for so many people still today. I’ve heard it constantly over the years. It’s one of the songs that will always be relevant, unfortunately”.

Needless to say, McBride has reached pinnacles many artists would love to reach and is still continuing to soar. Known for her powerhouse vocals and timely hits, the country music veteran released her 13th studio album Reckless last April, which is still resonating with fans from all over the world. “I love the process of recording music and painting that picture for my fans,” she tells us. “And I really feel like there are fans that are still on that train with me and want to hear new songs.” Of course, she would be right. Who doesn’t want to hear a new Martina McBride song? She’s a class act, who will ultimately go down in history as a country music legend.

“You hope for a song that will mean something to someone and help them feel like they aren’t alone in their situation, and I feel like “Independence Day” is that song for so many people still today.”

And while Martina and our’s conversation leaned more toward the music side, we also spoke about music education, beauty, health and wellness, and women in country music. It was an insightful and meaningful conversation, proving that McBride instills wisdom that should carry on into the next generation of leaders, superstars, and songwriters. Dying to know more about what Martina had to say about these topics? Finish reading our interview below, and don’t forget to head on over to her website to see if she’ll be playing a show near you this summer.

You were recently a part of the Grammy’s On The Hill honoring music education. How do you think music education has evolved over the years? What were some of the highlights from that night?

“I’m not an expert on music education because I don't really know what’s happening with it around the country. But I do think that it’s important and it sometimes is the one thing that a child holds on to. It’s been proven to help pregnancy and dropout rates in high school. Music can be a lifeline, so I definitely think it’s important to have music education in our schools. "

“When it comes to highlights from that night, I would have to say that I enjoyed watched Keith Urban perform, who’s a phenomenal performer by the way. I also learned a lot from that night about the issues we were there to advocate, which was music education, so it definitely was an eye-opening experience for me. “

You recently partnered with CMT’s Women in Country. How did that partnership come to life?

“I’ve always been a big supporter of women in music, and I try to be a mentor. But yea, CMT reached out to me, and I wanted to extend my tour from the fall to spring, so we both decided to partner together with my Love Unleashed tour and provide the opportunity for some new artists to open the show and make new fans. It’s a huge part of building a career, so I wanted to be able to do that for newcomers in the industry. “

Lauren Alaina is slowly coming into her own and you’ve had the honor of watching that growth. What’s been your favorite part about touring with her on the Love Unleashed Tour and what about Lauren inspires you? What other women in country do you admire?

“It’s been great to see Lauren grow into the artist she is today. I’ve watched her for a few years now, and to see her determination, I think she’s worked really hard. She’s grown into her talent, and she has a voice and a point of view, which I think is important when you’re an artist. It’s been an incredible experience watching her grow into the artist she is today, and I think she has a big future ahead of her. “

“Other women that inspire me are Maggie Rose and Post Monroe who were on tour with me. I’m a huge fan of both of them and also, I love Maren Morris right now. She’s doing great things, and I feel like it runs the gamut of newcomers and also people like Faith and Sara Evans who are really doing something with their music and their voice.”

Do you think, throughout the span of your career that there is a huge growth in women in country or is it the same it has always been?

“I don’t see much of a growth there at all. I look at the charts and it’s still pretty unbalanced. We have a long way to go still. I feel like it's always been hard to a certain degree for women in this business and it probably always will be. You never hear women played back to back on country radio. It’s the way the business is in country music, unfortunately. “

Switching gears a little bit, you’ve been promoting Fab Fit Fun. What’s your favorite beauty and wellness tips?

“I think you have to take everything in moderation. How you look on the outside is going to affect how you feel. I try to eat healthy and exercise as much as I can even though I don’t like it. It’s also important to be happy. Happiness shows in your everything, especially outward appearance. “

“It’s also important to be happy. Happiness shows in your everything, especially outward appearance. “

How do you balance being a mom, entrepreneur and career woman? What advice do you have for those who are trying to juggle it all?

“I do what I can. I don’t separate anything. I schedule my time and you get done what needs to get done that day. I don’t think there is really a big secret to balancing it all. Some days I’m really good at it, and some days I’m not. “

“You have to find your priorities and everything else kind of needs to work around that. You have to make a decision. For me, when I had kids, they became my priority and everything else came after that. It all comes down to what feeds your soul and what feels right for you.”

Back to music - you are working on a Christmas album this year. What are you most excited about this album? Will there be another compilation album in the future?

“It’s been a while since I’ve done a Christmas album, so I’m excited to get in the studio and start working on it. I love how classic sounding Christmas music is, and it’s always fun. I’m taking a little bit of a different approach but it’s still going to be timeless like Christmas music is. I’m excited and sharing all the arrangements when it comes out. “

You’re working on a Christmas album and you just finished the Love Unleashed tour. Are there any other cool projects you are working on? What else is next for Martina?

“Not much is happening right now. Everything I’m working on at the moment is at its beginning stages, so I can’t say much about them much. I’m working on a couple projects outside of country music though, and I just sang with John Mellencamp on Seth Meyers, and I’ll be playing shows this summer and continuing to promote Reckless. I’m excited about 2017 and what it has in store for me and my career. “

You can keep up with Martina on Twitter and don't forget to listen to her newest studio album Reckless now on Apple Music