#SpoilerAlert ! This interview contains unbridled enthusiasm and passion for life, we fear it may be contagious…
This week, House of Coco caught up with super ‘slashie’ Leah McKenzie on her passions, plans and how on earth she does it all!
HoC: Hey, Leah, welcome to House of Coco. We know you as a lady of many talents – tell us a little about your passions!
Leah: I have one passion in life and that is living life! Everything goes into that, I think we are so lucky to be able to have such an amazing experience, even in dark times. When the time is right we are all thankful for this opportunity to experience things like food, culture, arts, music, love, laughter, joy and even things like pain and sadness, its all part of this amazing experience.
HoC: We completely agree and we can see your passion for life spilling through to your work from presenting and acting to X Factor’s BootCamp! How did you build your portfolio career?
Leah: I have always known that showbiz is definitely my destiny! From a young age when I became aware of my self, my intellect, my talents and emotions, I realised a wanted to be a showbiz star; an actress, singer song writer, a presenter, a TV personality.
To get to where I am now I’ve done both paid and unpaid work and also made sure I was constant with all my social media’s, to the point where people would say I post way too much but I felt this method was right for me as I have so many sides to show! I want people to see and understand my growth, I believe that is why people are interested in me as they see I am real and authentic, my journey is serious and also raw to the core and I want to share this with people all over the world.
HoC: Talking of you at a young age; what advice would you have now for a younger you?
Leah: If I could talk to a younger version of myself I would first of all explain to them how important it is to get as much training as possible because when you’re given a gift it’s raw like a diamond in the rough. But when you start to shape it up and polish it, you get to appreciate its beauty.
Also I would tell them to be themselves, be true, dress however they feel to dress, speak how they want to speak and follow their dreams with the right intentions and never, ever give up. Like all the Greats have said; you work hard, lose sleep, you stress, you cry and scream but you never, ever let that stop you going because one day that door will open for you and it will be right for you.
If it’s your destiny and you it want THAT much it will happen for you.
HoC: Inspiring stuff, we love it! So what’s on the cards for the rest of 2017?
Leah: I would like to have an EP out, and my TV show ‘Leah McKenzie Loves Life’ doesn’t matter if it only has a few hits… haha, I’m sure it will have loads!
I would also like to establish a company that can help other British artists to excel. Not just artists in music but all creatives. I think the word ‘Creatives’ breaks all the barriers and there is no boxes; anyone is a creative as long as what they are creating comes from within.
To be honest, I’m open to see what else the rest of this year has in store. It’s been full of so many great surprises!
HoC: Sounds like a busy couple of months ahead; how on earth do you squeeze it all in?
Leah: Being a boss is one of the most challengingly things to do especially when you have a young family, like me. When you’re so driven like I am, I have ideas galore but trying to prioritise and make them happen is so challenging. I have failed many times. I have started things and not completed them and it has been a learning curve. What I’ve realised, as I’m becoming older and more mature, is if you start something you HAVE to finish it.
You need to be organised, write your ideas down and execute them one by one and just make it happen. I don’t really socialise that much, even though my Instagram portraits I’m a really bubbly sociable person as that’s work for me! When I’m not working, I’m at home working on myself and trying to make this happen. Consistency, willpower and determination is what drives me; even if you fail, just get up and keep on marching.
HoC: We can respect that hustle! Please tell us you allow yourself some R&R time too? How do you unwind from all the craziness?
Leah: If I’m lucky enough to go holiday, I like to escape to a beach!Ahhh, the sun, sand and sea (and a few vinos!) and just happy vibes…. If I’m in England, I love to go for strolls in the park and just be around nature. I don’t like to think about work or money on my days off, I just want to walk, have a laugh and be in fairyland. I do love going to the gym but even that I see as work so when I’m trying to relax I try not to do anything like that!
HoC: Give us some gossip; you’ve got to tell us what the X Factor bootcamp was like, is it anything like what we see on TV?
Leah: It was so amazing, the whole experience was fantastic. It is a lot like what you see on TV but at the end of the day people have to understand that X Factor is an entertainment show, it’s there to entertain!
We do see the funny characters going through [to the next round] for our entertainment and also see some amazing singers go through. I will say that on and off screen I had a fantastic time and the production team were great, I met some amazing artists and the opportunity was fantastic. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that enjoys singing. You may not want to be the next big superstar but just go for the experience and they make you feel like super stars……..until you get dropped and sent home, haha!
HoC: It’s been such a pleasure to meet you, Leah, and we’re super excited to see what you get up to next. How can we keep up with your adventures?
Leah: I’m on all the social channels; find me on instagram @leahmckx, twitter @LMMWORLDXX and Facebook is ‘Leah McKenzie’
I’m one of the little fish trying to make it in the big pond. I’m sure I will grow and succeed on this journey but we all need support! The little people that need your support will appreciate that ‘like’ or ‘follow’ so much more than Drake or Rihanna. So come on guys, get following!
