We were lucky to catch up with Simone Leanora recently and have shared our conversation below.

Simone , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about the best boss, mentor, or leader you’ve ever worked with.

In this country there’s so much emphasis on becoming your own boss and leaning into entrepreneurship that I think we negate the immense benefits and relevance of having an amazing boss. Anyone who’s had a boss that has impacted their life in some way would agree on how beneficial it is. Working with actor, Mahershala Ali as an actor myself, has been deeply beneficial for my work on the craft, knowledge on how to navigate the industry and the attention to personal development as a human being outside of my artistry. What has made him the best boss that I’ve had is not JUST the depth of understanding of my passions or countless advice that has always come from a place of love and authenticity or the flexibility and freedom to be both present with him and have access to pour into my own life but ALSO the respect he has given me and my voice to have input in his world. – I remember we were working on a project and he asked me, “what do you think?” Such a simple question but at that moment I felt empowered that my perspective had a place at his table because, why wouldn’t it? A lot has happened since then but in hindsight, I think the power of a good boss is not just what they can teach you but when they create an environment for you to teach them also.

Simone , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am an actor, writer and producer who works as an Executive Assistant on the side (Just joking). I’ve been pursuing acting since I was a child. I knew early on what I wanted to ‘do’ with my life but did not begin to truly professionally pursue this career until after I graduated with my MFA in acting from Columbia University. I lived in New York for about 7 years before moving to LA and starting over, or at least it felt that way. The thing I’m most proud of isn’t tangible. It isn’t a booking or monetary. It’s my resilience. This business is brutal. I think we’re all aware of that by now, but I don’t think we take into account the amount of energy it takes to continue going when you’re in pursuit of something, year after year after year and your growth isn’t linear. To have the stamina to keep pushing, keep believing, to walk by faith and not sight is not for every artist. I know this and have felt it first hand and I am so deeply proud of myself for still having the love and grace needed to push on. I encourage every artist to discover your why and hold it tight.

At the moment, I am seeking representation. I want the dream team on this next leg of my journey and have been pouring into my brand to make it happen. I’m also working on my second feature and first pilot along with producing and developing projects with Joslyn Rose Lyons and Know Wonder Films. This year I also plan to revamp my brand Black Female Lead. A space for Black women leading the way in every industry to have a hub where they feel connected, empowered and supported and also where they can buy some cute swag to show the world who they are too.

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

As a Black woman and artist living in America, the amount of UN learning I’ve had to do is more than I’d like to admit. As it pertains to my artistry and creativity, the strongest lesson to date has been the reframing around what it means to be critiqued by people I look up to. Acting is such a communal experience. It cannot be done alone and thus feedback and conversation are strong pillars in our profession. However, I’ve come to learn that a teacher/mentor or an artist one admires, critique of your work should not have the final say over YOUR gut impulses. We are taught to respect and subsequently submit to the feedback of those we deem further ahead of us in our journeys but the truth is, everyone is human and art is subjective. If you agree with their feedback, great. Implement it in your work but always remember, your artist spirit also has a compass and it needs you to believe in it in order for you to truly soar in your work.

I had to unlearn the lesson of taking to heart the critiques of a visiting professor in grad school. He routinely was unsatisfied with my work and used me as an example amongst my peers of what not to do at a very sensitive time in my journey. My 3rd year of grad school. Notoriously the time artists in a conservatory program should be injected with the most confidence to take on the world, I allowed his opinions to strip me of mine. I looked up to him and his work. We all did. In hindsight, I think I reminded him of someone who hurt him from his past. He’d often call me a name that was not my own. It took me a while to unpack the damage that his mentorship and counsel played on my confidence as an actor but it led to one of the biggest lessons I needed to unlearn. Take both praises and critiques with a grain of salt.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The year was 2017. I agreed to work full time at a charter high school in Brooklyn, NY. My logic was, if I spent that year working a full time job, I’d be able to save enough money to invest in my acting career and take it to the next level. (I am now wondering WHAT that level was supposed to be and HOW a savings account was going to help it?) In any case, I accepted the role as a Summer Programs Coordinator, a job that was not very creative. I learned so many skills about communication and productivity but my artist soul was crying…daily. I would have outer body experiences, look up and around at the office I was glued to my laptop in and ask myself, how did I end up here? I was making the most money I had ever made in my life, yet was feeling the most starved. God works miraculously and an opportunity came up for me to take a job in Los Angeles, the only con was that I would have to leave before the school year ended. That, and I would have to leave a city I had grown to call home. Even still, it was an easy decision for me and I made the pivot and move in order to give myself the gift of pursuing my career in another city. Hollywood. Best pivot and best decision ever.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/simoneleanora
• Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@simoneleanora?_t=8l7cHRXPmY7&_r=1

Image Credits
Leah Huebner (Yellow Headshot picture) Miriam Bribiesca (black female lead group shot) Judyth Floresca (denim outfit picture/main picture)