We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Madeline Massingill a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Madeline , 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?
I am a firm believer in the fact that you are who you surround yourself with. That being said I have the hardest working mother who was a business owner when I was growing up. I was lucky it was a business that I could accompany her daily. She was constantly showing up, on the good days of course but especially on the days filled with adversity. She showed me that if you can’t work around something you work through it. I’ve also been blessed to have hard working friends that inspire me every day. The people you surround yourself with, end up being the biggest influences in your day to day life so chose friends that uplift you but are also honest and can kick you into high gear and keep you grounded if need be. Let the people around you help you find your root system so your work and life are unwavering when outstanding times or difficult ones come your way.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Growing up, moving to LA was little Madeline’s dream. The dream got put on hold to persue another dream that I am blessed to say I got to live out to its fullest potential. A year out of high school I got the honor to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader for 5 years with 3 of those years being a leader of the team and then an extra year with the organization as an Allstar. I was also a fitness/health coach for a Womens safe home through an organization called Restored Hope Ministries in Dallas that taught me endless life lessons and I learned so much from some of the strongest women I have ever met. After 6 awe-inspiring years in Dallas I took the leap and made the move to LaLa Land a little over a year ago. I moved here to pursue more of my dance career and an acting career that had been a harbored dream of mine since I was very young. A true cliche out here in Hollywood but the heart wants what it wants people. I am continuously training, learning and growing to pursue those goals. I also have the opportunity to spread the knowledge I learned in my time as an NFL Cheerleader in so many ways here in LA. I worked with UCLA spirit squad last fall and will be working with USC song girls at the end of February. I hope to continue to be a student of life and to give back when I can.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I truly believe that work ethic, humility and a genuine interest in others has made a huge impact in my career. Tim Notke famously said “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” With that being said you have to have an understanding of where your limits are and having a sense of ownership of your work ethic without complete burn out so there can be longevity in what you’re pursuing. I think the humility factors in that there is and will always be ways to grow and learn no matter what stage of your craft you are in. There are lesson to be learned from everyone we meet and I’m a student for life and hope I never reach a plateau or complacency in my learning and growing as a human or in my work. A genuine interest in other has truly helped me connect with people in ways one wouldn’t think possible if watching from a far. I have had the chance to meet people from all different walks of life and on the surface many times it would seem we didn’t have much in common but the more genuine curiosity you harbor, the easier it is to empathize and connect with others. Those genuine connections have helped me make lifelong friends, booked me jobs and some connections were just there to teach me something and move forward.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert inspires me and humbles me each time I read it. I try to reread it at least once a year if not multiple times because there are new lessons to be learned each time depending on where I am at in my creative journey. “No, creative entitlement simply means believing that you are allowed to be here, and that merely by being here you are allowed to have a voice and a vision of your own.” -Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert pg 92. Elizabeth Gilbert doesn’t tip toe around the creative process and or dilemma, she drives right through it and I just adore her for it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Madeline_Massingill
- Linkedin: Madeline Massingill
- Other: MassingillMads@gmail.com Tik Tik: Madeline_Massingill
Image Credits
Amiel Orpiano, Lindsey Rosenberg. there is a photo of my mom and I to go along with the work ethic quote if needed.
