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

Ciandre, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Two meaningful projects l worked on was Mt first published book called ” Valiant Heart”

Valiant heart is the story of a young girl name Cece who overcomes sexual molestation and physical abuse at a young age from family members she trusts. As Cece navigates through her childhood, she’s impacted by bullying, poverty, abuse and alienation from her parents. This cycle of abuse forces Cece to make adult decisions before she has the mental capacity to do so. Feeling unloved and facing discourse at home influences Cece’s adulthood regarding trust and her love life. A devastating loss motivates Cece to take control of her life and make life changing decisions to better her future and heal. Still facing some turmoil and challenges along the way, Cece earns from her past and her heart heals which allows her to pursue her dreams, and become the best version of herself, while maintaining the capacity in her heart to love..

The other project is my first feature film called “The Executive”

This is a suspenseful story of revenge centered around Lauren a Senior Ad executive at Edge Advertisement who changes careers after going through a life crisis. In a short period of time she works her way up through the company and is now on track to being promoted to the position of her dreams. Unfortunately someone is trying to end her career and destroy her life. Lauren must fight for her innocence , career and reputation before her life is ruined forever..

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was always into arts and entertainment growing up in Buffalo, New York. I attended the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts for music and theater. Later l developed my craft of acting at the Paul Robeson Theater. Soon after l furthered my education and obtained my Bachelors in Broadcasting and my Masters in Business. After graduating l took a break and became a devoted mother to two children who are now young adults. My children and l relocated to Los Angeles, California so l could further pursue acting.

During my time in California,  l was cast on the popular CBS Show, Survivor for Season 33 , Total Blackout Season 1 and a few Web-series. Most recently, I published my first book called Valiant Heart which can be purchased on my website or Amazon. I currently reside in the Inland Empire area of California as the Owner of Eden’s Spa & Fitness as a Certified Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist.

I am dedicated in improving the health and lifestyle of others through exercise, massage and healthy diet. I am also a current Mentor of the Black Girl Leadership Academy, BGLA where l aide in developing, inspiring and empowering young African American girls to achieve their goals.

I’m most proud of never giving up on applying to be on the Survivor Show although it took me almost 15 years to get on. I was extremely passionate about accomplishing one of my biggest dreams.

Currently l am producing, co directing and filming my first feature film called “The Executive”.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me the most rewarding is seeing the results of my personal training clients . Helping them to achieve their fitness goals and help them to improve their overall health is extremely rewarding. I also love when my clients walk away from their massage session feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. It makes me feel good when they feel good. However, I am very excited to be able to soon see my creative work on the big screen so l can not only reap the benefits but also l will find happiness from those who watch, experience and enjoy my first film.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

The biggest resource l wish l had early in my early career is perhaps social media. As normal as it is now back then it wasn’t. To be able to reach thousands of followers, fans, viewers by just posting a video or photo to receive an instant reaction has it pros and cons but at-least you know you’re being watched.. Social media does not erase the need to do your homework, hustle, research and put in effort but in some cases it may appears that success and reaching your goals are more attainable .        

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Edensspa.net
• Instagram: Ciandretrains
• Facebook: Ciandre Cece Taylor
• Other: Instagrams Ciandremassages Ciandrewrites Ciandretrains

Image Credits
Sheldon Botler Photography