We recently had the chance to connect with Le’Shawn Taylor and have shared our conversation below.
Le’Shawn, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What battle are you avoiding?
As of late i’ve recently been going back and forth with myself about the career path I want to take because I recognize that I can do anything I want in this lifetime…but I can’t do everything either. I have a plethora of things that I would want to accomplish and/or try out but sometimes it’s hard to navigate where to start or quite frankly, if I even should start it. I don’t want to say I give up before I start something but I know that I can put things that are important to me on the back burner because I want everything to be perfect as soon as I start it. I recognize that it most likely won’t be perfect so I choose to leave it alone until I feel as though i’m ready and that’s my detriment. I choose not to deal with it but so much time then passes by and it will always be things I continue to think about and that’s my confirmation I should do it and will one day not avoid the inevitable which is not being perfect with something new to me.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I am Le’Shawn Montrae Taylor – Model, actor, and entrepreneur (and maybe even future dermatologist/esthetician). As of late, i’ve had the opportunity to grace your screens in the form of short films, movies, and TV shows. Not only that, but I have accumulated a hefty number of online magazine articles, I was able to be catch the eyes of a few celebrity brands and popular brands in general from reviewing their products and lastly I am signed to MODE Talent Group. My bread and butter though is definitely my photoshoots, I love to be creative and see what I can put together in terms of clothing or a location of the shoot and definitely the editing of the picture is what ties it together for me because you can produce something different every time but it’ll still turn out to be something magical. I kind’ve use myself to be a driving force for my brands SKYN DEYP, HYLTH & FYT, HAREI, and LOUT. Everything I create is focused around self care like fitness and eating habits for the body, skin health, hair health, and mental and emotional well-being. I’ve spoken a lot about my brands and they are something I really do want to focus on but as of some time ago, I decided to add a fifth extension to the LMT INC brand which is my new LAYTE NYTE Podcast! I love talking, connecting and getting to know people alongside giving advice and helping out where I can so it only felt right. I feel like at this time in my life i want to lay low and lay back and podcasting is the perfect thing to do because it’s my own, i’ll be able to set the vibe and tone myself and I would be able to make it exactly what i am into in the moment – which is calmness, stillness, serenity and peace late at night, under the stars and having a friendly conversation. It’s something i look forward to launching and I feel like it’s my opportunity to kind’ve put everything aside for now to start fresh and work on a new interest while I figure out if I want to continue modeling and acting or not. The big question on my mind is it really for me and that’s something i plan on discovering and working out as time goes on.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
For me, i think my pride. My pride is always something I took seriously and held it near and dear to me because i feel as though it protects me but as time goes on i’m realizing i don’t have to be hard all the time, i can be soft, show emotion, be venerable, love out loud and basically just be myself. As i’ve aged i feel like i don’t know who i am anymore or more so I never knew who i was in the first place because i let others opinions change me and mold me into becoming this person with a hard exterior and that’s only because i knew i did’t want to hide from the world and be a shell of a person but in the midst of doing that and protecting myself all the time, i never took time out for myself to see what i was into, things i liked or even for the most part figure out the why. Why am i doing these things, why am i into the things i’m into, why am i into the people i’m into etc. Don’t get me wrong pride is an amazing thing to have but i feel like i’ve been using it in the wrong way so in order for me to grow i feel like it is now time for me to leave the negative part of it behind and become a version of myself that i love and can be secure with no matter what anyone else says or how i’m looked at.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Being seen. It’s funny how that’s a fear of mine due to the profession i want to immerse myself in but yeah, being seen scares me. To go deeper i feel like it may be a few things as to why that is and one of them being i don’t want to be perceived negatively and the other is because i don’t want anyone to see the actual me and see through the facade i have up. I feel like that fear may have damaged relationships with people, kept me from opportunities and created emotional and mental distress for myself that possibly didn’t need to be there in the first place. It’s something i’m working on because i recognize how that is holding me back in more ways than one.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
I wouldn’t say a complete yes or no because I definitely feel as though it’s apart of me but i do at times feel as though i’m putting on an act to make others happy or come across as something i’m not when in reality there are times where i couldn’t care less about certain things. It’s just when i switch into that role i feel like i’m living a dream younger me had to be not as shy anymore and actually engage with people and talk to them and say what’s on my mind. I feel like it’s all about balance and i don’t think i found that yet. I’m not as interesting as some may or may not think i am and that’s ok. I’m learning i’m not here to please anyone else, that’s not my job, it’s to look out for myself and give the same energy i receive and recognize when something isn’t for me anymore.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What will you regret not doing?
Taking more chances. it goes alongside with not being afraid to speak up like standing up for myself without feeling guilty, letting someone i know i find them interesting etc. its all about me navigating my feelings because i feel like i did that wrong in the past
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leshawnxmontrae/
Image Credits
LMT INC
