Rachel Platten has a lot of reasons to smile. The singer-songwriter's hit tune "Fight Song" hit No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100; her album "Wildfire" was released by Columbia Records last year; and she's playing a sold-out concert in NYC on April 25, sponsored by TJ Maxx's The Maxx You Project. In this exclusive video, Platten talks about her early days in the music biz and how her success has inspired her to empower others.

1. Platten used to play to empty venues. Before she became a regular radio presence, Platten struggled to gain a following on the NYC music scene. "I would carry this 85-pound piano down my fifth floor walkup, and I'd go all the way uptown ... and there were times when there was no one in the bar," she remembers. "There were a lot of people telling me, 'You should probably give up, that song's not good enough.'"

2. A "deeply personal" song led to her big break. "Fight Song" wasn't meant to be a universally empowering anthem; Platten wrote it as a message to herself not to give up on her music dreams. "'Fight Song' was truly my own, a message that was personal, deeply honest and heartbreaking to write at times," she says.

3. Platten uses her success to give back. Now that she's a certifiable pop star, Platten has made it her mission to empower others. In partnership with The Maxx You Project, she is donating proceeds from her highly anticipated NYC concert to Girls Inc., a nonprofit that educates and advocates for girls. "I love that TJ Maxx believes in helping people shine their inner light," she says.

Watch the video now to learn more about this authentic rising star.