Page 42 - Demo

42 || MOST FITNESS || APRIL 2016MFM: You say on your website that there comes a time when you need to take charge of your own life and show people who you really are. Did something specific happen or was there a certain turning point when you made this decision to do this and really be yourself and not let others shape you?KE: In previous situations with people I had worked with, I definitely didn%u2019t listen to my guy instinct and stand up for my opinions when it came to my work as much as I should have. Not that I was right all the time; but it did hurt me in the long run. I had to learn that my experiences have made me grow and become a better artist, business woman, and woman in general. I hated feeling like I was offending someone by questioning things around me, but in the end I%u2019m the one who has to wake up in my skin everyday. If I don%u2019t stand 100% behind my convictions, I%u2019m the one who ultimately suffers in the end. No regrets.MFM: Growing up, did you always want to sing and be in music?KE: Yes, I always wanted to be in music. I started performing in my school%u2019s drama program when I was in first grade and started taking dance class even younger; my mother enrolled me in my ballet when I was three. I%u2019ve always been in love with the arts and felt so comfortable there performing. It really is a part of who I am. I%u2019ve experienced and learned so much about myself, and life through art, that I couldn%u2019t image doing anything else.MFM: How did you end up being invited by Ashford & Simpson to sing with them at Sugar Bar in NYC, which turned out to be a huge turning point for you?KE: My family has actually known Nick and Valerie for as long as I can remember. When I came to my parents and told them I wanted to pursue music as a profession, Skirt: Marina Toybina