We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nzinga Moore. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nzinga below.
Nzinga, appreciate you joining us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?
My personal story of transformation began a few years ago when I moved to Los Angeles…
Like for many young hopefuls, things didn’t go as planned. My life became consumed by the worst “survival job” I’d ever had, leaving me zero time to audition or energy to devote to my acting career. Amid all this, I was dealing with a variety of mental health diagnoses due to persistent depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and mood disorders. I was prescribed different types of medication, but nothing seemed to solve the problem.
One day, as I was sitting on the couch tying my shoelace, I looked up and realized: “I need a break.” Sure enough, that night I was in the emergency room, unable to walk. My body refused to keep living a life that was wrong for me. It simply couldn’t allow it any longer.At that moment I knew something had to change, and that change was going to come from within me.
That night, I took out a composition notebook and titled it, “My Path to Greatness!” This was the beginning of what I now refer to as “My Year of Healing.” I dove into learning every healing modality I possibly could, and experimented with them on myself to discover what works. Not everything did. Some things worked for only a short time, and some I only used once. But some modalities became the holy grail for me because they were fast, easy and effective.
Ultimately, I was able to release a multitude of trapped emotions, stressful past traumas, and limiting beliefs. That’s when everything in my life started to change.
Every aspect of my life has dramatically improved: My career, my physical and mental health, and my relationships. I wake every morning feeling good, motivated, and stress-free instead of constantly feeling tired or dreading my day. I no longer worry, beat myself up, or get frustrated when I make mistakes. I was finally able to get out of my own way by changing my mindset and patterns of behavior. Now, I easily maintain a productive routine, keep my schedule organized, and consistently progress towards my goals whereas before I would sabotage my own path, and struggle to keep good habits.
I used to feel the crushing weight of resistance when it came to showing up for myself and my acting career. For instance, self-taping for auditions had become an unbearable chore. I would either procrastinate by avoiding it, or push myself by over-preparing — Both left me feeling terribly unprepared. Now, self-taping is a fun experience I look forward to. I no longer feel anxious about auditioning, or seek validation through my acting. I no longer fear rejection because I trust myself and fully trust my instrument.
As a direct result of my inner work, my acting career took a giant leap forward. I embrace an abundance of opportunities and enjoy the journey every step of the way. I am profoundly happy and filled with gratitude. I’ve been able to move into the luxury apartment of my dreams, find true love, book dream jobs such as the lead voice-over actor in an upcoming Netflix film, shoot and film a passion project, and was invited to special-guest perform for one of LA’s prominent improv teams.
Finally, I no longer suffer from depression or anxiety. Despite being told by several doctors that I’d need medication for the rest of my life, I am completely medication-free and maintaining exceptional mental health!
As I began to experience the success and happiness I always strived for, I couldn’t bear to see the pain and struggle my fellow actors continued to cope with. I was tired of hearing them say they’ve tried coaching programs that didn’t work, and that “the problem might just be with them”. The reason why I’m so open about my successes and failures is that I want to show people what’s possible for them.
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 background and context?
About You, Your Art/Creative Works, Inspirations/Focus/Mission/etc I’m Nzinga Moore, professional working actor, mindset coach & subconscious expert, and the founder of Empowered to Act ®. Most importantly, I’m an actor. I understand the journey.
Empowered to Act® helps actors master the power of their mindset so they can transform their lives from the inside out and manifest the positive outcomes they desire.
Empowered to Act® integrates hyper-efficient mindset coaching therapies that help actors quickly break through their toughest inner blocks, empowering them to go after their dreams, live up to their true potential, and achieve the success they desire with joy and ease.
ETA offers advanced mindset coaching systems for actors.
TAKE THE FAST TRACK TO A SUCCESSFUL MINDSET AND CAREER.
ETA uses methods for rapid, lasting transformation we call Accelerated Personal Growth. It combines cutting edge techniques used by top entrepreneurs and athletes to create a mindset for success, built into a program optimized to help actors and creatives nurture themselves and elevate their careers faster.
DOING THE REAL INNER WORK MANY ONLY CLAIM TO DO.
We’re talking truly transformative mindset work that releases deeply entrenched limiting beliefs that may be holding you back in ways you don’t even suspect. Through its unique process, ETA works not only at the conscious level but also at the subconscious and unconscious levels, where real lasting breakthroughs take place and manifest into your most desired outcomes.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN ONE UNIQUE PROGRAM, NOTHING YOU DON’T.
ETA combines all the most successful mindset coaching methods in one ultra-effective program to yield an unparalleled satisfaction rate, saving you valuable time, energy and money spent to research, test and integrate all the right techniques on your own. We only use what works, and are continuously learning about new transformative tools to make sure you always get the most powerful practices from us.
Based on the challenges you arrive with, your unique life experience, your personal goals and your effort, the benefits and outcomes of the process will be your own and serve your individual needs. While they may differ from one person to another, these are some of the most common benefits shared by actors and creatives after working with Empowered to Act®, and what you can look forward to experiencing yourself:
● Going after what you want without resistance or worry about what others think.
● Feeling grounded and in control, no matter what life brings your way.
● Regaining focus, inspiration and determination to move toward your goals with ease and confidence.
● Overcoming fear of visibility.
● No longer letting fears of judgment and rejection hold you back.
● Ending crippling performance anxiety, self-doubt, and worry.
● Responding to stressful situations with composure instead of defaulting to a negative emotion (i.e. anger or frustration), triggers, or emotionally disconnecting.
● Handling any challenge with calm confidence instead of feeling overwhelmed or beating yourself up.
● Showing up as your authentic self with an energy that captivates everyone around you.
● Intuitively trusting yourself and being fully present when it matters the most (such as auditions, networking, and performances).
● Waking up clear-headed, motivated and having more productive energy.
● Feeling happy, content and grateful for where you are in this moment.
● No longer living in a constant state of stress or feeling easily triggered.
● Healing negative emotions and stress manifesting as physical symptoms
(such as chronic pain, weight gain, muscle soreness, and various other physical illnesses).
● Eliminating the burden of having to live up to expectations (yours and/or anyone else’s).
● Enjoying the journey again by regaining emotional and mental wellbeing through a renewed sense of self.
● Following through on promises you made to yourself instead of procrastinating.
● Easily maintaining habits & routines without resistance or overwhelm.
● Elevating your projects and opportunities instead of plateauing in your career without understanding why.
● Getting unstuck and gaining momentum instead of stagnating and spinning your wheels.
● Being able to access the full depth of your creativity.
● Breaking through mental and emotional stuckness.
● Moving past doubt, overwhelm and burnout.
● Finally following through on your purpose without excuses or fears.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson I’ve had to unlearn:
As a black woman I was taught by my grandmother (a woman born during a time in the United States when is was legal to treat a black person less than human and lynching blacks was an exciting pastime for whites), I would have to work twice as hard than any one else.
Now this lesson was further instilled in my heart and soul through the stories I heard about my grandmother. She was the sole breadwinner of 2 children on a nurse’s salary but in spite of this, was able to purchase three California homes. And even further instilled when I learned that while my mother was pregnant with me, she completed her residency to become a doctor. Then, 13 years later she attended seminary school and became a church pastor. One Sunday while on the pulpit, my mom jokingly said, “I can heal you both physically and spiritually.”
I really took these lessons to heart. Literally. And years later, after graduating with a Masters in Acting, I didn’t know anyone who worked harder than me. At the worst of it, I was working a morning job from 6am-10:00am, rehearsing from 1pm-5pm, performing at night from 8-9:30pm, and working out between 11pm and 12am with my nightly run. A run which usually consisted of 5 miles minimum. Just to get up by 5:00am to do it all over again.
At some point, I’d made a decision I’d sleep when I was dead. And that decision nearly cost me everything.
While out of town performing at a regional theatre, I was at a local gym. I was doing my nightly run and while on the treadmill, my eyes rolled back and I collapsed. Thankfully, I was running between the two owners of the gym, who immediately came to my assistance and called 9-1-1. I was rushed to the hospital. At the hospital the doctor diagnosed me with Extreme Exhaustion.
“Extreme Exhaustion?!” I’d never heard of it. Eventually, I learned I’d burnt myself out and that as a performer who also trained like a professional athlete, I required a minimum of 10hrs sleep and more hydration than the average person.
It took me over two years to recover from burnout, ie. Extreme Exhaustion. During this time, I felt like I was trying to floor the gas pedal, but I was stuck in 1st gear. I couldn’t move faster than the speed of a large tortoise. To not be able to use my body normally was nothing short of demoralizing. I felt defeated. My body was literally on empty.
After slowly making my way back from burnout and getting my energy back,lI realized I’d been doing it all wrong. I needed to work smarter, not harder. And the best way to work smarter was to get really strategic about my acting career or else I was going to repeat the same cycle of burnout all over again.
Unfortunately, my story isn’t an isolated case. Actors tell me all the time how overwhelmed they feel. Modern society is in crisis and most people are currently living in a state of overwhelm, actor or no. We are constantly inundated with options and courses and information and it feels like it never ends. And although you may try, there is no such thing as doing it all. Your biggest competition to completing your goals are the other goals you have. So if you want to succeed and not let your other goals stop you, my advice would be to adopt what I call the “One Thing Strategy. Focus on one goal until successful completion of that goal and then move on to the next. This tends to be extremely challenging for creatives. So you will have to make a conscious effort to successfully pull it off. And yes, that means you’ll have to get used to saying, no.
You can achieve any goal you set your mind to, just not all of them at the same time.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Why Do I Do This Work?
In Oprah’s commencement speech to Spelman College, she ended with this:
“Find a way to serve, as your greatness is determined by service. Service and the significance with which you bring to your service is that which is lasting.” Whenever someone asks me why I’m in this work, I’m reminded of this wisdom.
Through Empowered to Act®, I have melded my passions for acting, personal development, and coaching into a program that serves the greatest good. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to serve other actors.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.empoweredtoact.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamempoweredtoact/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empoweredtoact
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nzingamoore/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpYwyERkmekHCwmp9wvk7hQ