We were lucky to catch up with Kelly Pantaleoni recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kelly, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
Growing up on a farm in the Outback of Australia, I was working at a young age. Coming home from school, we would make sure the animals had food before we did and all the chores were done before we could relax. I loved it, and have been working part or full time since I was 14 years old -when I got a job at a local gas station and was paid $5.25 cash under the table so I could have some pocket money and independence.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am an actress and former model -in my past life I was modeling for Guess jeans and Paul Mitchell amongst other brands that I adore. I was a Covergirl “It girl” top 3 finalist, and in the Miss California pageant. I now focus more so on acting, and have been making films the past few years. My debut was “40 seconds” a mental health drama motivated by losing my best friend to suicide in 2017. It won awards internationally, so I then went on to shoot and star in a pandemic comedy in 2020 called “50 shades of Quarantine” that premiered at the Portland comedy film festival.
Another important aspect to my life is my philanthropy work. When the aforementioned best friend, Lindsay Marie Hawley, passed away I wanted to continue her legacy with the non profit she started called Give Backpackers. I at first followed in her footsteps through South East Asia, raising money for donations and volunteering with local non profits she had worked with along the way. Then in 2019 I went to Uganda and initiated a sustainable sewing project with a local charity in a small village an hour and a half from the capital of Kampala. I took a camera crew and other volunteers, and we bought a plot of land and sewing machines to empower the local women and children with a sustainable business model and educational center. I filmed a documentary while there, and am currently in post production.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Resilience, resourcefulness and moxy (I was once told I have that, and it quickly became my favourite word) are all key in my ability to stick around in this tough town. My advice for people starting out in their journey is to find a good class, mentor and friend who will all keep you focused, grounded and on track.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
Self care and my spiritual practice has been life saving during my ups and downs in life. I highly recommend meditation, journaling, breathwork, sound healing, taking baths and walks in nature. Rescuing animals has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life, and I recently became a Buddhist so that helps tremendously also.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kellypantaleoni.com
- Instagram: @kellypantaleoni
- Twitter: @kellypantaleoni
