Meet ZENA DALY

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful ZENA DALY a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi ZENA, great to have you with us today and excited to have you share your wisdom with our readers. Over the years, after speaking with countless do-ers, makers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists and more we’ve noticed that the ability to take risks is central to almost all stories of triumph and so we’re really interested in hearing about your journey with risk and how you developed your risk-taking ability.

This is the first time in my life that I’m telling this story publicly and I pray it helps someone. This is the condensed version.

It all started in July 2008. Well it didn’t start here exactly but this is where we’ll begin; i was 18 years old and found myself alone, homeless, no money, no phone, no car, no — you get the point I was at my lowest. I was thrown out on the streets with my mother’s ex husband. Who eventually left me with HIS mother who eventually threatened my life and I had to flee. June of 2008 I had just graduated in the top 10% of my high school class with a presidential diploma and scholarship to go to any school in the state of Florida and here I am 1 month later not knowing what was going the happen to me. The best thing my mother’s ex husband’s mother did was drop me off at Miami -Dade college and told me “don’t leave here until you’re in school!” I walked into the first bathroom I could find and I burst into tears. My social anxiety was through the roof and I could feel myself having what I now know is a panic attack. I calmed down and straightened myself up, I walk out the bathroom and into the financial aid office and asked for someone to help me get into community college.

After my first semester I transferred to the downtown campus of Miami-Dade and enrolled in the music performance program. By the time I was at the downtown campus, I had already left my mother’s ex husband’s mother’s house because she threatened my life and I went to stay with a friend I met in high school and her family until her mom was forced to tell me to leave because the so called friend decided to think I wanted her boyfriend who lived all the way in California. Now I’m legit on my own. My mother’s ex husband had already abandoned me after he got upset when I wanted to change my major from music performance to music business. He wanted me to be dumb and only depend on him but I had enough sense to know I had to get away from him. He disappeared after I wouldn’t give him my scholarship money to “monitor” and I was literally on the streets staying up all night on the trains trying finding Wi-Fi to call people to see if I can stay at their house on the floor or couch for one night or randomly becoming friends with people so that i can “mistakenly” fall asleep at their house and get a few hours of sleep. I would get up early and get on the bus and then get on the train to downtown before anyone was on campus, go in the bathroom and take a bird bath and then head to my classes.

At that point in my life all I knew was school. I was a very sheltered child in regards to going anywhere without my parents or even having the ability to do the things that my older sisters were able to do like take the city buses and have fun with their friends. I was in gifted classes, musically involved in school and the community so to the outside we had the perfect home and no one knew on the inside was a roller coaster. Everyone in our neighborhood just knew I was going to do great things after graduation and I was so embarrassed at what had become of my life so soon. I received so much money from my financial aid and I had no idea how to manage it. Looking back I definitely feel like I had enough money to get a place to stay or at-least a room to rent but I was scared, stressed out and mentally exhausted about the state of my life, I had no idea where to start that process. Ultimately, all that money went down to zero very fast.

Things did not get better after this, it got much worse but I received a lifeline when my best friend convinced me to audition for Alabama State University. She was already a freshman there and said that if I come, I wouldn’t have to worry about room and board because my financial aid would take care of it with along with the scholarship if I get it. Alabama was sooooo far away. I couldn’t imagine leaving Miami but I also couldn’t bear another day of the life I was currently living so I decided to go to Montgomery and audition for the music program. I received a full scholarship of course but I turned it down for a partial choral scholarship and finally switched my major over to music business so that I can learn the fundamentals of the music business.

To this day, leaving Miami was the biggest and the first risk Ive taken. I had $75 to my name and a small green Tupperware container of clothes and books and I left Miami to started a new life. When I got to Montgomery I felt so free. I don’t know if it was the ancestors of my Ol’ Mother Dear alma mater welcoming me to this prestigious campus or my flight or flight mode finally receding. Who I am now was manufactured on this journey. Having the courage to leave my hometown and go to a place where no one knew me was such a huge risk for a 19 year old but I had a dream to be one of the biggest singers in the world and I wasn’t going to let anything or anyone stop me.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am an international Live entertainer and songwriter. I have been performing live with my band 11:59 since 2016 and I have been a fulltime live performer for 3 years. The best thing about my gift is that not only am I able to lift my own frequency, other people are just as impacted by it as I am. It’s a spiritual exchange between myself and the crowds I perform for. I am in love with singing. Since the age of 4 years old I’ve always knew what I wanted to be and when I look at my life now I’m so grateful for my journey. This industry is tough. My life experiences prove to me everyday that I was made for this life.

I am currently in the studio working on my EP and simultaneously preparing to launch my international music series. I have a new single with my friend 2am Ricky called “MOVE” out on MAY 21st 2024 on all streaming platforms and you can find me every weekend any where across the country performing solo or with my band.

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?

Bravery. Being brave doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid. DO IT SCARED! Your younger self will thank you later.

Seek knowledge. Coming from an environment where I wasn’t able to explore myself, give yourself time to learn about who you are and what you really want. It will make the path more clear and you’ll be able to move a little faster on your journey.

FOLLOW YOUR GUT! even if it seems crazy. Follow your first instinct. That is your higher self telling you how to move through your current situation. No one can tell you how to live YOUR life.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I am excited to collaborate with talented producers, musicians, songwriters, and artists nationwide as I embark on my international music series. My plan is to transform my live mashups into more intimate renditions and take this unique show on the road to various countries. It would be wonderful to connect with local creatives to craft special moments together.

I am seeking partnerships with major corporations and small businesses whose brands align with my values of self-empowerment, evolution, and mental health. Through my music, I aim to create a space where people can find an escape from their daily lives, while also working through their mental and spiritual challenges. These musical events and outreach programs that are created from these partnerships will not only help raise their vibration, it will lead to self-discovery and wholeness. Together, we can make a meaningful impact on individuals’ lives, fostering a community dedicated to growth and well-being.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

STEPPIN’ OUT in red and black:
photography and editing done by : Devon Jermaine @cloudy_lenses

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