We had the good fortune of connecting with ZENA LEE and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi ZENA, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?

I wanted to create a life where I was fully in control of my time and what I did with my time. Almost every “job” offered a monetary value way below my worth and I was exhausted at the thought of working 40HRS a week to still not be able to maintain even a humble lifestyle. My god given talent affords me the opportunity to brand myself in a way that will ensure I’m paid what I’m worth. Homelessness plagued my life on numerous occasions all because I couldn’t afford to maintain and that all changed the very second I decided to take control of how, when and how much I was paid.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Whenever people mention my name the first thing that comes after that is “THE VOICE”! I’ve been stamped with having one of the most electrifying powerful angelic voices. It’s distinctive and very loud, but beautiful. I sing every style of music and I love to do mashups to keep my crowd super engaged. You never know what I will sing even if you are familiar with the melody. Dancing is an extreme passion of mines and I love to get out and dance with my fans and audience to invite them in on the performance. I also perform my original music as well. My EP “Realease The Tension” is coming out really soon and I am now able to give my fans more music to reflect not only the times but give an insight to how I was able to heal myself and in return, my music will help others start that journey to self realization and healing on the deepest levels. I have known and been told that my voice is healing and i intend to use it to heal as many people as I can. I’m excited about so many things but mostly about fully engulfing myself into my new life as a fulltime performer.

I’ve been singing since the age of 4 and my first live performance was as a lead singer in my elementary school choir at 7 years old. I started classical vocal lessons at 14 and furthered my education all the way to college receiving a full vocal performance scholarship at Alabama State University. However, I turned it down for a partial scholarship and obtained a degree in Music Business after transferring from community college in Miami.

It took me 7 years to graduate from College. Within those 7 years I was homeless for 5 of them. Washing myself up in the bathroom before class, walking around hungry for days, holes in my shoes from walking because I couldn’t afford to catch the bus, sleeping in my friends dorm room when I couldn’t afford housing on campus, staying up all night on the train because I had no where to go and some nights actually being able to cop a squat on someone’s couch or floor which brought some type of comfort or ease to my devastated mind.
My desire for happiness, being a star and my need to overcome homelessness were my catalyst to keep me going. There was no way I could go through all of these things and not have a happy ending. I grew up watching Disney musicals, and sing-a-longs with every story ending with a happy ending. I wanted that to happen for me. I was so determined to become a successful singer that even in the midst of the darkest times in my life I kept going for the fear of failure was way stronger than my urge to quit.
After I graduated college, I started my band 11:59 and hit the ground running. Today I am finally a full time live performer, with song placements on international artist with a growing fan base and I am so grateful to the little girl in me who didn’t give up or listen to anyone who tried to tell me to quit because there were many.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned in my life is don’t listen to anyone but yourself when it comes to your dreams. Most times people are terrified for you because they don’t have it in them to take the risk and they project their fears onto you. Some of us have a calling on our lives that may seem impossible to others or they’ve never seen it done before so they can’t even fathom what it would take to achieve that. For an innovator like myself, being the first in my family to have a successful business is an anomaly but I’m grateful to be the one to show myself and my family that dreams are meant to be experienced in reality.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My best friend and I are from Miami,Fl. However I’m currently in Atlanta and it’s safe to say these are the party central’s of the south. I’ve been here for a few years now so I can really show her a good time with a little miami twang to it.

First things first we have to go to the botanical garden. My best friend loves flowers and she would just burst with excitement at this.
Next we have to go to slutty vegan to eat! I’m obsessed with this place. It’s delicious, healthy and most importantly BLACK OWNED.
During the week we would go to studio movie grill at some point and watch a movie while having a margarita, this is my little hiding spot in the day time because we’d be the only ones in the theater and could be as loud as we want because we are never not laughing when we are together.
I live by Stone Mountain and I try to go up the mountain about 3 times a week if not I would take her to my friend Ashley Harris’s choreography class.

Places I wouldn’t let her leave without going are: KAT’s cafe for comedy night, open mic night at Apache, wherever my friend DJ A one is spinning at if he is in town we are there! I would take her to see another band I enjoy the Red Sample Band As well as my friend Chris Moten and his band TrapJazz. The weekends are for me and my shows as she will be sitting front row. I’ve performed at so many venues here in Atlanta, but these days you can find me most of the time at House of Music at Whisky Mistress in Buckhead or Sudo Bar in Ellenwood or even The Rich n Pour Lounge, a new opulence experience on the south side of Atlanta.
We are carribean girls so we would have to stop at Chef Tony’s on Covington highway for the best Jamaican food in the city if you ask me or Golden Krust.
We would end our week at brunch At BQE for their delicious lobster tacos and bottomless mimosas and then Uber home because we don’t drink and drive!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The way today’s music business and marketing is set up there is so many ways to get a lot done on your own. However, I wouldn’t even be where I am if I didn’t have the support and love from my friends. My life hasn’t been a cake walk and many times I didn’t have a place to live, food, clothes, hope and just wanted to give up, and my friends have been my backbone to help me out of some of the darkest times in my life and I can honestly say to Verdonna, Amanda, Beoncia, Jeffrey, Alyce, Jasmine, Teron, Ashika, Rose and Jocelyn that I love you all beyond words and I’m so thankful to The Most High that I have the opportunity to be your friend and I can’t wait to repay you all for all you’ve done for me!

Website: Www.THEGODZENA.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/godzena?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zena-lei-024627ba

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/ZENALEI#_=_

Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/CallMeZenaLeiCYS

Other: TheGODZENA.com coming soon!

Image Credits
Adrian Ridley,Terry Walker, Branden Adams, Destiny Redmond

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