We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michelle Ley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michelle below.
Michelle , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
My confidence and self esteem did not come to me easily and certainly with great challenge. I grew up in a picturesque portrait of severe adversity and it’s shaped me into the person I am today. I’m from a small quiet town located on the Texas coast and it’s really quite lovely: if you happen to look the opposite of me. I’m a mixed race woman and I could easily pass for black or Afro Latina. I’m also adopted so I don’t know the ancestry of my father. I spent my entire childhood in this predominantly white town with known historical ties to the KKK up until I graduated high school. It was hell on earth. That’s all I’ll say to that as it’s traumatic to live through the memories and it’s a whole separate interview all on its own. I realized pretty quickly that no matter what I did, how I dressed, or how I acted would keep me from being treated differently. It didn’t take me too long to just start embracing who I was because I was hated and treated bad either way, but looking back on it I wish I could’ve told myself to love me sooner and forget about what other people say/do. I can’t even complain because growing up in that sort of environment prepared me for the real world. I’m never bothered by how I’m viewed because of what I went through. I’ve had to give myself the love I never got from such a young age that it really evolved me and grew my confidence. I’ve had to believe in myself for so long that I know I can achieve anything I set my mind to. If I could say anything, is just love yourself because sometimes you’re all that you got.
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?
2. Well, to put a long story short, I do a lot haha. My main passions include bartending, boxing, and being an artist. I currently bartend to pay all the bills but I truly love it and I have plans to open my own cocktail lounge in the future. I also dabble in boxing but that is mainly to keep fit. I do enjoy it immensely and I love studying it. I love the art of war to put things simply. I can’t say I currently have plans to take it to the professional level but then again let the chips fall where they may. My one true love above all is being an artist. It keeps me grounded and lets me be wild all at the same time. I do a little bit of everything from painting, crafting, sketching, pastels, photography, music, acting, and even tattoos every now and then. I’m currently working on wood cutouts and some new music at the moment so stay tuned for some magic. I’m hoping to have my first amateur bout in the coming weeks and you can always come visit me behind the bar for a refreshing cocktail and some banter; I’m at Tulum in downtown Houston. I’m also a part of the Houston Nightlife Queens so book us for your next event and turn up with the baddest ladies in the city.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I would say time management, patience, and confidence are some of the best qualities to have in life. They can be applied to anything you do and they will get you so far. These skills certainly won’t come to you overnight and I still struggle with them myself but putting the effort in will give you almost instant results. You will definitely need to be patient with yourself while developing these attributes and I would say it’s really a teach yourself as you go kind of thing.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
4. I’m always looking for people to connect with and I love building relationships with them. I ideally am looking for a mentor; someone who I can learn valuable skills from such as money management and running a successful business. I would of course offer my skills in return should they have use for them. I think your greatest lessons come from the people you interact with and you should always look at what you can learn from someone and how you can apply it to your own life. I only want to be a better person than I was yesterday and I want to make as many positive impacts on people as I can. This world needs more love and genuine human connections.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://instagram.com/the.hardest.artist?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Instagram: @savvy_shell
