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

Hi Keeda, thanks for joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

So were talking about leaving a legacy behind for the future of my life and the future of my children’s lives. When I think about my legacy I often ask myself what type of legacy do i want to leave behind, is everything going to even fall into place from what I would like things to because as we all know life changes in so many dramatic ways through out our lives. We may have plan and have our lives already in place and sometimes things go completely in a different direction even without the planning and you never have control of how the universe is going to go.

But when I think about all the things I have done thus far in my life and I think about were I want to go from here and what I’d like to continue and accomplish here it goes. So I’d like my legacy to consist of continuing my education I’d like to obtain as many degree’s as possible I already have two. Which is a Criminal Justice/Criminal Law degree B.S and a Culinary and Fine Arts degree A.A and I am currently going to school to get my pharmacy tech licence for the purpose of learning and having more options as a career choice if directions within my life changes. The most important thing as part of my legacy is becoming a well know famous actress, and to work with some of the most influential people in the industry. I used to have this dream everyday when I was growing up seeing myself in the bright lights camera’s flashing red carpet and I was always standing there with a wonderful smile on my face.

And I’ve always wanted to be an actress it’s been apart of my life all my life It’s just really hard in this industry trying to get your foot in the door and it seems that sometimes things are expected of you that you should never have to lower yourself down for, but it doesn’t turn me away from my life’s goals and dreams. I’m also a mother and my legacy means that I want my kids to know that you can accomplish anything in you life no matter what diversions may come and go in your life at times. I want them to always be kind and help as many people as possible, continue learning and never follow in the foot steps of what I had to deal with growing up as a child. Always shoot to be the best and never stop Leaving my legacy I want my children to be better than me that is the most important thing to leave behind with my legacy. No matter what has happened in your life know that you lived your best version of yourself and you have no regrets. MY name will live on through my legacy.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Starting out in life was rough really rough but through everything I always knew what I wanted to do in my life, down to the point of how many children I wanted to have, which careers choices I wanted to be apart and accomplish. So I went to. Modeling school at Barbazon Modeling School and John Robert Powers modeling and training school. which was fun learning different techniques with modeling and makeup the fashion world its’s been some of the most amazing times in my life. because modeling and acting is and has been apart of my life my whole life and I’ve always wanted to do it and even if I’m old and grey wit ha cain I would still want to model and do acting. Cooking is the first first on my list it’s so satisfying making to great meal is they key to anyone’s heart you could be having the worst day in the world and you feed them it changes there day completely and it puts a smile in there hearts and to be able to cook with love is such a wonder thing in my life. So this is why I went to culinary school, but honestly I could cook before I could walk I was the one sibling out of the thirteen other siblings that stayed in the kitchen and watched and learned everything about cooking.

Law has also been a big part of my life helping people get out of situations that can’t fend for themselves, so I studied criminal law/ criminal justice I truly wanted to be a police officer and make detective eventually, I took the written test scored 95 on that but I didn’t go through with because everyday I turned on the tv it was another unarmed black person be shot to death in there homes or driving or just walking home, and I saw a different outcome after that and I didn’t want to be looked down upon because I was a cop. And also my children were really worried because they didn’t want anything to happen to me which is completely understandable. So I did do the schooling part of it which I am proud of and is still a big accomplishment and goal that I completed.

Being an actress is the most wonderful because having this career fall through it will change our lives for ever my kids will always have security and I will have accomplished one of my many goals and dreams in life that I’ve done and I think that’s a great start to a wonderful legacy. But I am multi talented and can pretty much do anything.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The lesson’s I have had to unlearthrough my backstory, is nothing in this world is free, if you want change in your life and you want something done you have to put your mind to it and go for it no matter what. I’ve also had to unlearn don’t try just do it like Nike.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The time in my life that had come to a pivot in my career is when I was a kid I got pregnant with a kid so I had to put a lot of things on hold in my life at that time, then I turned around and had three more children so that is a very big pivot in my life but one thing I continued to do is keep going in my life and career. I was told I would never be able to finish school or do modeling or acting and I have proved everyone who looked down on me wrong till this day and it keep going and will continue to in that direction.

Live life as life is to live no matter the challenges you face.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://about.me/keedakollins
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/keedakollins
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/keedakollins
• Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/keedakollins
• Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/keeda23
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/keedakollins
• Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/keedakollins
• Other: http://www.facebook.com/pettyqueen

Image Credits
Image credits are John Medel Bradley Lamont