We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Monece Starling a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Monece thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
My entire life has been centered on taking a risk. Or as I would like to call it “taking a leap of faith.” There are three faith leaps that I’ve taken that were life changing moments for me.
I’ve always known I wanted to act since I was a child. The idea of living in California was something I made up in my mind since middle school. I used to say if I could pick anywhere to live it would be California. It’s sunny, there’s a beach, and entertainment. It just seemed like the best place to be, although I had never been. Years later after college I saved up some money and moved to Cali. That was a leap of faith, because it was going to be the first time I lived on my own and far away from my parents at a place I’d only visited once. So I had no idea what I was getting into. But I had to try. Giving up wasn’t an option. And now I’m proud to say I’ve been living in Cali for 9 years. The longest I’ve ever lived in a place. Being in Cali has allowed me to grow spiritually, physically, and mentally. I’m able to do what I love. And I don’t know if I’d be who I am today if I hadn’t taken the risk.
Another life changing moment was when I decided to leave my full time, medical insured, outstanding benefits job! Did I mention it was only 20 mins away from me too!?! I know you know how much gas is? After I left my job, the only thing I had lined up was hope and faith that being self employed would cover all my finances. Looking back, I knew it was the right decision, because everyone had to leave their job due to the pandemic. I learned the value of releasing and removing things to make room for something new. And not being fearful of living in the unknown space. You know that scary space where nothing makes sense and you feel no security? Yea, that space. It’s a space I’ve grown to appreciate after I learned what it means and the benefit of it. It’s where you develop the skills and mindset you need for the next level you’re going to. Once you’ve mastered that space by finding peace, enduring obstacles, and not giving up then you can make it to the other side. I’ve been so used to having guaranteed financial provision that I would have never left a job unless I had already had something for sure lined up. I was really trying it with that risk. In the three years of being on my own, I’ve opened the door to endless possibilities for God to bless me. If I limit myself to one source then I’m missing out on others. Use wisdom and take a risk.
My third life changing event is presently happening now. I’m producing my first film under a SAG-AFTRA agreement. My friend and I wrote a script titled “The Writer’s Room” years ago. This year I decided to produce it and turn it into a short film. I’ve produced and created films and short content before. I even have experience working in entertainment, so I’m familiar with creating. I’m also used to making content by myself or with a small team. By team I mean like two maybe three people including me. I was going to work within my means and “use what’s in my hands” as people would say. But I believed in my project and I had already done things that way before and I saw the results. I wanted a different result, therefore I had to do things differently. What started out as a non union project, which would’ve been a lot easier and cost efficient. I now went through an unfamiliar process for it to get SAG approved. That journey has its own story I’ll have to tell at another time. Taking this leap of faith of creating something on a high caliber for the first time already is an elevation to my success story. And will open doors for more things to come.
Don’t be afraid to step out on faith. Starting off you may feel crazy, and that’s because it’s new. But once you start making moves, you’ll look back and see others following behind the new path you created. That’s what it’s about.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am Monece a business owner, producer, actor, and entrepreneur. I could go on but to sum it up I’m a visionary. I believe in using all of my gifts and talents God has provided me. Jokingly I say I’m from North America, because it’s true. I grew up in a military family so we traveled everywhere in the States and one place overseas. Right now I’m based in LA, and I’ve accomplished a lot in my career thus far. I’m a film producer, director and actor for an up and coming film “The Writer’s Room” In my acting roles I’ve won “Best Lead Actress for a Web Series” at the 2022 Focus International Film Festival. I’m a national print model for Punch Bowl Social. I’m a content creator on social media, where my videos have accumulated over 1.2 million views.
Aside from my entertainment endeavors, I own a business Called Mo Pies where I baked pecan pie, sweet potato pie, graham cracker crust sweet potato pie, rice krispy treats, and the original candy pie bite. Yes, it’s a candy and a pie. I have another business called Mo Braids where I provide hair braiding services to women, men, and children. I am a food Vlogger and I go by the name Mo Eats LA. I visit different restaurants and talk about their food along with highlighting different businesses. Next year you can add Author to my name, because I’ll be coming out with a book detailing my health journey!
I’m adamant about reaching my full potential and leaving a legacy on this Earth. It gives me joy to pass down knowledge that will help someone else. I want people to encourage people not to give up. As long as you’re on this Earth it’s never too late. And remember where you are now won’t always stay like that forever.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the fulfillment of seeing your vision come to life. You feel accomplished and proud. Just think it started with an idea in your head. Then you start planning and researching to put a plan together. Like the Bible says “write the vision and make it plain” meaning write your idea down with details so you can see it. Next you start taking action and making moves. Until finally you have a finished product. That’s what success is to me, completing something. Notice I didn’t mention winning. That’s because you don’t know what completing something will lead you. Or what the ending result will be. Sometimes you do something and it may not turn out who you wanted. It’s still a success, because you did it. You can assess what happened as a learning lesson. And sometimes it’s just about the timing.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
There are some resources I wished I knew earlier in my creative journey. Let me tell you the internet is your best friend! You just need to know where to look. A lot of times as creatives, who want to make creating a career, find it difficult to make a profit from it. Some of the information out there is one track minded. They tell you the only way to make it is to get an agent and audition audition. Or just keep making content and one day someone will discover you. That does work for some people. For the rest of the world we have to be open to other possibilities.
You can create content AND make money. You can become a UGC content creator, where you work with a brand and create content for their product and they pay you. Different companies have affiliate programs like Amazon and Pinterest. You promote a product and get commission when people purchase an item through your link. You can personally reach out to brands to make a deal, where you sponsor their product in one of your videos. It’s the same thing TV and film does. How many times have you seen an actor just casually holding a chip bag where you can see the entire brand on the front? Right! Another source is by utilizing crowd funding for your projects. There are grants and competitions that offer money for filmmakers. Submit to film festivals through filmway and build your resume. Join a Facebook group as another means to find casting notices and also if you are looking for a cast and or crew. And If you don’t know, ask questions!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.moeatsla.com
- Instagram: monece__
- Facebook: Monece Starling
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MoEatsLA
Image Credits
Bad Clothes Company