Meet Tonya Canady

We were lucky to catch up with Tonya Canady recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Tonya, thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?
There were many conditions that allowed me to develop my empathy. It first started when my paraplegic brother was in a swimming accident when I was two and a half years old and he was 11. The lifeguard was supposed to be on duty, but he left to go to a party when my mom took me to the restroom. Her best friend was supposed to be watching him along with his friend. Her best friend left. My brother’s friend was drowning and he jumped in to save him in the shallow end. My brother hit his head in the pool and passed out. When my mom returned with me, she screamed where is my son. Then, they saw him in the pool. His two lungs had collapsed, but they gave him CPR until he started breathing again. My brother is a paraplegic who can’t speak now. I am his caregiver. The next event I remember clearly was being raised in a household with an alcoholic father who physically and emotionally abused my mom. The police were at my house so much they knew me by name in public and I knew them. I called them weekly in fear that my mom might not make it out alive. My father passed away in 1999 and I forgave him for so many things. On his deathbed I told him that I forgave him and I prayed that he would get better. This was one of the most devastating events in my life and also the most freeing event because it was coupled with forgiveness. In 2003 I lost my older brother, James and a few months later my mom had two major strokes that caused her to become a quadriplegic who couldn’t speak. I became a caregiver for both my mom and my other brother, Raymond. My mom passed away in 2011. Doctors told me that she wouldn’t live more than a year, but I brought her home and gave her therapies that insurance wouldn’t even pay for. The extra eight years that I had with her changed my life and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. My mother taught me early on that I should always take care of my family. The values that she instilled in me carried into grammar school and high school. I was bullied in grammar school by being punched in the stomach by a 12th grader when I was only in third grade. In high school I decided to stick up for anyone that was being bullied and I became the one to defend anyone that was weaker. My talents including singing made people like me. I chose to use that power to help others. To this day I have a passion for protecting those who cannot protect themselves including senior citizens, children, the disabled and anyone who can’t fight for themselves. I can go on, but I’ll stop there. These events forged who I am to this day and this is how I developed a lot of my empathy.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am an actor, a licensed associate real estate broker and an opera singer to keep it brief. I have been an actor since I was 11 years old. I studied with Bill Esper from the William Esper Studio for acting. For opera, I attended Westminster Choir College and graduated from Syracuse University. I am currently an associate real estate broker at Serhant in New York. I have been a real estate agent for 22 years now.

I have a passion for all of my work. I joined my new real estate firm to intertwine everything that I love so much. Serhant has an in house studio that allows me to market my properties in a unique way. Every marketing video is a short film. The unique elements that I bring to my property videos are my talents including creativity, singing, dancing and acting. You can see some of my videos on my Instagram website as well as my companies website. “Through the Lens” is an incredible series created by my real estate firm that highlights properties as well as pays homage to artists and their work. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

As an actor, you can find my latest shows: Pokerface on Peacock and First Wives Club on Netflix.

I will be hosting a real estate event in May and will announce it on my Instagram page so follow me for any updates moving forward at Tonya Canady. My name is the same on all social media platforms.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Education has been one of the most important parts of my journey. I chose to be trained by the best of the best when it came to real estate, acting and opera. I am always looking for ways to expand upon my knowledge base so that I can serve my clients in the best possible way. In real estate, I need to know my licensing laws and how to explain them to my clients. The terrain is ever-changing and I need to make sure that I am always on top of it. Ignorance is never an excuse. In acting, I chose to work with Bill Esper who trained directly with Sandy Meisner on the Meisner technique. I am fully prepared for any role that is given to me which erases fear from the equation. I always believed that when we fear something it is only because we do not have the knowledge. If I am afraid all I have to do is find the knowledge that I’m missing. In Opera, I studied with one of the best teachers out there, Patty Thompson. I sing in six different languages with ease because of this brilliant woman who taught me.

Secondly, implementation has helped me to master all of my skills. Mastery of any kind is supposed to take at least 10,000 hours. I have completed many real estate transactions skillfully. I have been blessed to appear on many different TV shows, films as well as stage. I have also traveled to many countries and performed on many world renowned stages.

Last, but not least, know your “why”. Once I had a strong enough “why” for everything that I do, I no longer questioned myself in continuing with it. Life is not a straight line so my career path has not been either. The most important part is that I always push myself back on track. My motivation and my joy comes from within. Every aspect of my career brings me joy. Life most definitely can be hard, but my purpose and my drive is tied to everything that I do. There is no question that I am exactly where I need to be in this very moment.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
I think it’s important to understand what our strengths and weaknesses are. I consider myself well-rounded, but I know how to break down my strengths and weaknesses. I used to think that weaknesses were negative. Now I use my weaknesses to my advantage. What I don’t know gives me the opportunity to learn something new. My compassion helps me to understand different sides of a situation while my expertise enables me to execute in any scenario. For example, in real estate emotions can run wild. It is my job to remain neutral while supporting my clients. I can most certainly have empathy. In order to execute the transaction, I need to bring everyone to a meeting of the minds. There are many moving parts in a transaction and I enjoy bringing them all together harmoniously.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Jordan Matter Jamil Mangan Isaiah Gill

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