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

Heleyna , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

You know how they say the first dollar you earn as a creative feels different? Mine felt like a plot twist. Picture this: I was just offered what I thought was my “dream” corporate job — an executive assistant position at a boutique real estate brokerage. I left my stable job for that role, and it blew up in my face so fast I had no choice but to terminate the contract and sit with myself. In the middle of that chaos, I kept hearing the voice of my former partner from hell saying, “If real estate doesn’t work out, you need to take your creativity seriously.” As much as it irritated me to admit it — she was right. Women had already been in my DMs asking for styling help, and I decided: Alright, let’s stop playing and start pivoting.

So I threw myself into it. My first project wasn’t even a traditional client — it was a collaboration with a woman I helped transform for what became the very first episode of The Leyover Experience. I styled her, curated her look, and even helped her put together her first seminar. And it was at that seminar where everything aligned. In walked Jordan — glowing, confident, curious — and she instantly became my first official paying styling client. She hired me to help her shop and style for her 10-year anniversary honeymoon in Cancun, Mexico. No hesitation. No bargaining. She paid me my worth upfront and trusted my eye completely.

That moment… whew. That was the spark. It felt affirming, divine, and overdue — like the universe was handing me a little gold ticket saying, “See? You were always supposed to do this.” Has the road had dips since then? Absolutely. But that first dollar, that first “yes,” reminded me that my creativity is currency and that people are willing to invest in the transformation I give them. And trust — that was only the beginning.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Heleyna “Ley” Coney — transformation muse, creative curator, stylist, and the visionary behind Ley Styling Co. I’m a multidisciplinary artist who knows how to make people look good, feel good, and become the highest version of themselves. I didn’t come into this industry through the traditional fashion pipeline — I came in through pure creativity, grit, and a refusal to dim my imagination.

I got my start years ago running a colorful wig–styling brand called Fluffy Glamorous, where I dyed and designed custom wigs for women all over the country. My work even landed in a celebrity client’s hands — Kat Von D — who credited me in one of her music videos. But life pivoted, and so did I. After a long creative hiatus and an unexpected crash landing out of corporate life, I returned to my roots with sharper vision, more discipline, and a new identity: Ley, the artist, the curator, the transformer.

Today, I create transformations across fashion, beauty, creative direction, and visual storytelling. I style clients for real-life milestones and for on-camera moments. I produce and star in my own makeover series, The Leyover Experience, where I help women and men elevate from the inside out — visually, energetically, and stylistically. I offer Style Sessions, closet transformations, personal shopping, creative direction for photoshoots, and digital fashion audits. I also create editorial-level content and am building a growing catalog of lifestyle, beauty, and self-care media.

What sets me apart is my eye. My creativity is instinctive — I can take the most unlikely textures, colors, silhouettes, or concepts and make them harmonize. I’m not afraid to be different, bold, or unconventional. I design experiences that feel intimate, elevated, and cinematic. I’m known for being detail-oriented, honest, intuitive, and deeply committed to making people feel like their most magnetic selves. Clients often tell me that I “see” them before they see themselves — and that’s part of the magic I bring.

I’m most proud of rebuilding myself — mentally, spiritually, artistically, and professionally — and turning my own evolution into a service that uplifts others. I’m a mother, a creator, a storyteller, and a woman who has survived and reinvented herself more than once. My brand reflects that. Whether it’s styling, content creation, or transformation work, everything I touch is about elevation, empowerment, and authenticity.

For anyone discovering me for the first time:
I’m here to make you look good, feel good, and step into your highest self — with style, intention, and soul. My work is not just fashion; it’s transformation. And we’re just getting started.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Honestly, I don’t look at non-creatives as “the other side.” I actually love collaborating with them, because that’s my target audience. The corporate girls, the nine-to-fivers, the structured thinkers — they naturally gravitate toward me when they want elevation, transformation, or a new point of view. They might not understand the chaos, the intuition, the magic, or the messiness of the creative process, but what they do understand is my results. So instead of expecting them to get it on their own, I bridge the gap. I translate creativity into clarity, polish, and confidence — and that’s why we work so well together.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to fully unlearn the lie that I needed to “wait until I was ready.” I spent too long rehearsing, planning, perfecting, and talking myself out of things because of imposter syndrome and self-sabotage disguised as preparation. The truth is: there is no such thing as being ready. You just start — hair not perfect, equipment mismatched, heart racing — and you finesse your way forward. Every single breakthrough I’ve had happened because I moved with what I had, not what I wished I had. Once I stopped trying to be perfect first and started creating in real time, everything shifted.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyyitzleyy?igsh=MWJvbWUzMmw1c3Q0OA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@heyyitzleyy?si=XNR7BKVtVo3Ofkxf
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@heyyitzleyy?_r=1&_t=ZT-91OlPZ6MK7b

Image Credits

Heleyna Coney, Lorenzo Burkes