We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lee, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
I feel my confidence and self-esteem comes from within myself. I truly believe in me down to the core. I know who i am, what I’m capable of, what i offer and can bring to the table so because of that no one can tell me different. Any positivity given from others will always add to confidence but overall you have to feel that. Love yourself first and foremost! Self love is the best love. Believe in yourself even if no one else does. Not everyone will see your vision and you have to know you got what it takes. I have the mentality that’s is me vs me so i can’t lose. I constantly want to be a better version of myself than i was yesterday.
I’m my own competition and that type of confidence and mindset is top tier.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
For the people that may already know me, i do a lot of different things. I have my own loungewear/lingerie business Luxurious Appeal. I’m a hairstylist and specialize in wigs Hair By Lee. I’m a dancer, choreographer, artistic director and now i feel it’s time to get back into the swing of things. After putting work on pause to enjoy motherhood as a first time mom, i realized out of all the things i did before, the dance industry was what i missed most. I’ve been in music videos, directed music videos, taught dance classes, performed for big sets and the feeling i get doing all of it is unexplained. Being able to artistically direct and be in charge of show choreography is where my heart is. Not only that, i can still spend time with my son all while doing what i love and it doesn’t feel like work. Not many people can say after having kids they can still live their dreams. Being a jack of all trades is a blessing so i want to be a blessing to others and help in pursuing their dreams.
If i cant do that at least i can motivate them to never give up on what they love. Always shoot for the stars!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three qualities i would say were most impactful in my journey would be being a student first, knowing my worth, and building relationships. No matter how much you know, there always room to learn more. Knowing how to be teachable and opened minded to certain things will only help in the long run. Depending on the industry(beauty, entertainment, food, etc), people want to work with those who are easy to work with. Being able to share what you know and gain more knowledge is a win win. Knowing your worth helps set the tone of what you will and will not except. It helps others respect you and your time but most importantly, the worth of what you bring to the table. Knowing which opportunities to choose and not to will allow you to stand firm in what you believe. Never lower your standards just to get booked for a job knowing you are devaluing what you offer.
Building relationships has to be one of the main qualities that’s impactful because it can take you into places you probably never saw yourself in. Networking and getting your name out is very important. Someone is always watching and there is always room to meet new people especially in the same line of work you may be doing. You never know who you will meet and what opportunities they can help get you to by association.
If you are early in your journey my best advice would be stay consistent. Consistency is key to getting to where you want. Consistency is also linked to being seen and the more you are seen, the more people will be talking. Good or bad, you being the topic is keeping you relevant and keeping people wanting to know what you are about. Stay true to yourself always but be open to options.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Right now I’m looking to collaborate with any upcoming artist & dancers, worldwide known artist, directors and anyone who is looking for a new faces, talent and creativity. I can be connected via instagram @_meetmslee where i can be reached by dm or email.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: _meetmslee
- Other: Email: [email protected]
Image Credits
@dimeloflix
