Spending the day with... KALONDA KAY

Teresa B: We are excited to interview today, thank you for being with us. But tell us a little bit about yourself.

Kalonda Kay: I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. I was born into the entertainment world through my grandmother doing a lot in the city and all over the country as far as the black media coalition. I had been singing since early on, but I started in Opera as early as age, I believe, five or six. I was too young to even remember, but I was singing at the Fox Theater every year for the famous play The Nutcracker. I’ve also always danced. Also, my mom kept me heavily involved in everything entertainment.

Teresa B: How did you start singing?

Kalonda Kay: It’s in my blood and so now I am a national recording artist. I also have my DJ show here on a local radio station as well.

Teresa B: That’s a lot going on, good stuff. So how long have you been acting?

Kalonda Kay: So, acting is my new venture. I started in theater. I would say since 2011. I’ve done a lot of theater stage plays but my first film was last year with Carl Anthony Payne II. That was my first time doing a movie/film next to a celebrity. So, you ought to know I was sweating. lol

Teresa B: Okay, Awesome Which people are books have you had the most influence on your career? And why?

Kalonda Kay: I would say right now, I must acknowledge my producer Joe Capo Kent. He has worked with a lot of amazing individuals and he’s a three-time Grammy nominated. he is amazing, but he has not only been my producer, he’s poured into me and guided me. Sometimes that’s all you need someone to say, “Hey, I got this resource”, “Hey this is how you do this”. He has truly been influential. Every artist that I meet, everybody I meet in interviews, and everyone that I get an opportunity to talk to are influential. I ask questions, I dig and if you put me in front of a face, I’m like, “Can you tell me or can you give me some insights?” So, I am in no way shape, or form shy to ask those who come before me. I don't mind asking, “How can I be a great artist?”, “How can I be amazing?”. So, while on this journey, I must acknowledge my producer who has truly, truly helped me along the way and also my publicist. Without those two, I wouldn't know what to do.

Teresa B: Right. Your publicist is amazing. I love her. Kalonda Kay: Yeah. She is.

Teresa B: In your opinion, what would you say is the number one key to success?

Teresa B: Yes. Yes. I can only imagine.

Kalonda Kay: Yeah, that was new for me. But I received a lot of great feedback, A lot of people said this can't be your first time. I’m just blessed I guess to house a lot of different talents that I didn’t even know that I had within myself as well. So, acting is new, but I am continuing by taking classes with Miss Tracy Britain who has worked with many major, celebrity actors and actresses. She’s produced a lot of major television shows and movies. And so, I’ve been working with her one-on-one for the last few months. I’m excited about what’s next for me in the world.

Kalonda Kay: The number one key to success I would say is to keep going. There’s gonna be moments where it seems impossible. It seems hard. It’s frustrating. You don’t see the results. You think you're supposed to see, and you don’t even know how to get to this place that you’re trying to go. Keep going because there’s a breakthrough, and somewhere when you have your own goals, you can accomplish those goals. You’ll see it. So, you will never get there if you quit. We shouldn't look at things that don’t work out as a failure. We should look at them as an opportunity to redo, regenerate, revive, and then do it better.

Teresa B: Talk about the biggest failure you had what did you learn from it?

Kalonda Kay: Biggest failure? That’s hard because I don’t look at things that don’t work out as a failure. People often say “Girl, when are you ever sad or down or out because you walk around like this every day?” I look at things that don’t go the way that I thought it could go or should go as a moment to retry it. It’s a moment of opportunity and so for me, I face many challenges as far as running into wrong people who may have said they know how to do this. Trusting and having high expectations for individuals has always been my thing because I’m a person of unity. I’m a person of love. I’m a person of honesty. And sometimes my expectations get in the way of what is reality with people. But, I would have to look back and say that my most challenging moment is having high expectations for individuals when they are truly not worthy any of that.

Teresa B.: What does a typical day in your week look like?

Kalonda Kay: I am a business owner, too. I own six businesses. I sat down and had to go through everything yesterday. I had a meeting with a financial wealth planner because my goal is to be a millionaire. That part of what I do every day… I get up and I work as early as five am. I don’t sleep late. It doesn’t matter what time I go to sleep. I’m up lively with my cup of coffee. I am working on the computer while working on one business at a time. And then once I’m done, I venture into my radio stuff. I am a heavy planner and I like being organized as best as I can. Last-minute things do not sit well with me. I use my calendar for everything. And so that is my typical day. I’m working until it’s time to go to bed. And sometimes I’m working in bed with my laptop on my lap.

Teresa B: What are some non-entertainment-related things or experiences that have helped you become a better person in the entertainment industry?

Kalonda Kay: Wow, I can say that having a great job in administrative work helped and shaped my organizational skills. I worked in Social Services for eight years. Working in that field has truly opened my eyes to what I didn’t want for my life. It helped me see the turmoil, the suffering, and the struggle. I wanted to create an Avenue for myself in multiple ways. I wanted to live my dreams, I didn’t want to live with regrets. I would often see people come in and choose the wrong career or choose the wrong life, which let them back to where they’re in the office asking for help. So for me, that was something I never wanted to do. That truly helped shape my direction.

Teresa B: I’m about positivity. So, this is doing it for me. Is there anything else you would like us to know about you?

Kalonda Kay: My career has been the most successful it has ever been and I am grateful. I am at the most celebratory moment of my life at age 40 and the mother of two wonderful children. It is possible to do everything that you want to do. I just say there’s no limit. I think like a giraffe instead of a turtle. To be able to see the stars and be able to look up and see over the trees, that’s how I think. I just hope that everyone else thinks that way as well. I hope that I continue to be a light in a beacon for those who think that it’s not possible.

Teresa B: How can we reach you?

Kalonda Kay: Yes, I can be reached at kalonda kay.com. That is my website. But I am on all social media streaming platforms at Kalonda Kay Instagram, and Facebook, I’m building on my TikTok. You can also reach me at the Radio mix show that is on YouTube, and Facebook.

You can email me at RadioRiotmixshow@Gmail.com and that’s the same for kalondaKayENT@gmail.com.

Author| Actor|Director|Producer Shaun Sinclair

"I don't like to look at the score when I'm still playing the game."

Intro: Shaun Sinclair began his entertainment journey when he penned his first novel, "Street Rap." The book was largely based on his life, and he used his real experiences to add unparalleled authenticity to the story. This would become his trademark writing style. He wrote ten more bestselling novels and secured a book deal with Kensington Publishing. Naturally, Mr. Sinclair turned his sights to film. He founded his production company, Pen 2 Pen Multimedia in 2019 and quickly wrote, produced, and directed his first film, "The Setup". Next, he produced a documentary about his life, "Behind the Pen." Mr. Sinclair went on to produce and direct the feature film, "A Grandmother's Faith." Shaun Sinclair has several films in production.

THS: A black man who can write and express himself is very powerful. What does that power mean for you?

SHAUN SINCLAIR: It means responsibility. With great power comes great responsibility. So it means responsibility, above all. And by that, I mean having a responsibility. Number one, tell true stories of what the black man experiences. Black man and woman are together and my people, but I'm a black man first. And in America, we have to be able to make a distinction between us and everyone else, unfortunately. So, my responsibility is to utilize that justification positively.

THS: What intrigues you the most about writing and storytelling?

SHAUN SINCLAIR: The ability to tell our stories, because our real stories often aren't brought to the forefront in this culture. They have many black stories written by people other than the people they're talking about. And so, it has an unrealistic viewpoint or, you know, slant on it, I should say, for me, when I'm writing, I'm trying to be authentic to one era in which we live and authentic to ourselves.

THS: Now, you just appeared in your first Stage Play. Talk a little bit about that experience of playing Issac Hayes. What were these moments like for you as you entered the acting world?

SHAUN SINCLAIR: So, it's crazy. Because I just acted in a play where I played Issac Hayes, that was my first time doing a stage play. But of course, I acted in the film Setup, and I also acted in the film Fracture, which comes out next month. First, for the stage play, I enjoyed that experience because I have a background in doing music. I used to be a rapper, and when you perform on a stage, there is a feeling like no other. Whenever the crowd loves what you're doing, and you're feeding off the energy of the crowd, when I put the mic down and moved on to different things in life. I've always been looking for something that can give me the same feeling, and nothing has been able to come close to it until now. When we did the stage play at the Lorain, here in Atlanta, I thoroughly enjoyed it because stageplay-acting differs from movieacting. You have to get stageplay-acting right because you only got one shot. So the pressure of that is exhilarating. I'm the kind of person who excels under pressure. So, just being able to have that type of experience on the stage and then have your cast mates to have your back and just a whole different experience, the camaraderie, the family, I love it. And it looks like we're bringing again in J

THS: Pen2Pen Multimedia, let's talk a little bit about that.

SHAUN SINCLAIR: Pen2Pen Multimedia is my baby, the parent company of my vision. I have a few Pen2Pen Films and Pen2Pen Publishing, all under a Pen2Pen Multimedia umbrella. We founded the company initially to do books, movies, and music. And it's so funny, because when I first started the company Film, everything I'm doing right now was always the vision, even though I initially started by putting my books out. So, it's just a maturation process for the whole company. As a Publishing company, we've published well over 100 books at this point, closer to 120 books for other authors, not including the 18 I've put out myself. So we put our foot in that space, and then a couple of years ago, we jumped into the film. When we dabbled into film for the first time, we came out with The Setup, some documentaries, and some other films. But I'm shifting the focus primarily to films and the soundtracks behind them. So, everything has come full circle. I started Pen2Pen Multimedia as a book, film, and music company. I took a lot of time building it from the book standpoint, so I'm shifting the focus to movies for the next year or two. The same thing we did in the book space we're about to do in the film space. I will still have books, but my original vision was to have a movie component with every book I put out. I have The Setup book coming in 2024, and we just wrapped up the film Sex Mogal, based on one of my book series.

THS: Budding authors sometimes face many challenges that can be overwhelming and sometimes complex, due to not understanding the business side of books. What advice do you have for any aspiring creators?

SHAUN SINCLAIR: I would advise them to know there's a book business. So, once you finish writing your book, you must ensure your business is in order. And want to stop and listen to everybody who hasn't done what you've done or what you're trying to do. The main thing is to focus on your book, write the best book you can put out, and then worry about the book business. You want to transition your mind from the books to the book business.

THS: You're a screenwriter, producer, director, author, and publisher. You've done music and acting. What is next for Shaun Sinclair and Pen2Pen Multimedia?

Shaun Sinclair: I want to maximize the film space. I have content for days, with 18 published books that must be on the big screen. I just wrapped the first movie based on one of my books. The thing about it is that we all have to understand our why. And my why for being in a space is that I want to educate and entertain our people. As an author, I've sold over a million books. While that's great, and I appreciate all my readers, I understand some of our population will never read a book, but they will watch TV and go to the movies. So I will do the same thing, but just the movie space. Put more movies out and perfect that craft, and I will become the best director of my generation.