Cherie Laurent Interview
We recently sat down with Cherie Laurent to discuss all aspects of her career. Cherie is an Australian based artist with many talents including music, fashion design, acting, directing and much more
What was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting my TV show “ Ma Cherie “ came from my strong passion and desire as an artist to create a platform for “ Good” that will make a positive change and impact on the world and humanity in general.
I do believe that we all have an important part to do in life, and if we decided to make this part as to “Benefit Others” we can be unstoppable.
My thought was to put all the gifts I was given by God as an artist to enlighten, entertain, explain, clarify, educate and encourage people to bring out the best of themselves and to follow their dreams, open there horizons to think out of the box. Accept new concepts and understand different cultures and people that normally we find difficult to accept or understand.
Social impact: how does your business help the community or the world?
Art, films, TV, music & photography is an international language that can communicate to everyone around the world and help the universe. By educating the audience on so many subjects, this will make such a big impact on the way we think, how we feel and react, to take action and make a positive change.
My TV show “Ma Cherie TV “is now in its 15th season and I am still going strong with this series as well as my music.
I talk about important subjects such as Sustainability, Globalization, Global Warming, the negative effects of the Fashion Industry as well as topics about our life, pollution, “The Fashion Revolution”, how we are using earth resources and so many other humanitarian subjects.
At the same time I discuss things like domestic violence, child abuse, sex slavery, discrimination, equality, freedom of speech, unisex fashion, women rights, transgender issues & journey, sexuality, explaining cultural differences between East and West, the importance of having hopes & dreams and following them, goal setting, values, and we even talk about the effects of social media and the way its effecting our youth and values.
Timely topics such as, what is important in life, relationships, dating, men and women different ways of thinking, life in general and lifestyle. We have full seasons about traveling around the world with a limited budget.
On the show we talk about men and women’s sexual fantasies, and we discuss so many subjects that is taboo to educate people. All our conversations are raw, authentic, honest & transparence.
Disclosing true information based on true life experiences that educate people, to open there minds, horizons and push more understanding, kindness, respect, compassion, and love to create a better world.
To help put seeds of faith and beliefs in people’s hearts to make them believers in the goodness of people and life itself.
This is what we exactly need now more than anything as the world is falling apart with war, discrimination, corona as well as natural and financial disaster.
Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?
How do I think about Risk? I do believe that just living every day of our lives and existing on this plant is a big “Risk”.
I am on TV and I do talk about so many hot topics and subjects, I am vocal, honest about my views and what I truly believe in, and I know that there is going to be millions of people that may not agree with me but still, others may love me, others may not even care and some may hate me and that is part of life and the price I understand when I decided to be in the in the public eye.
Unfortunately, that is human trait.
We are the only species that kills each other with guns, knives and even gas because we have a difference of opinion or dislike the color of skin, beliefs, religions, sexual choices, life style choices, who we love, where we are born, the way we look or dress and in some countries because of who your father or brother or relative is, you can get killed due to something you may have said ! It’s crazy when you think about it!
The world is getting more dangerous by day. Now every one over 18 is allowed to have a gun and walk next to you on the subway or street or get drunk in a nightclub or bar. More violent computer games, films, TV series that show shooting can be a just a game and way of entertaining “Like hunger games” or “Squid Game”.
Our children and teens been fed this day and night and now we are giving them guns and make them starving for faith, love, humanity, kindness and compassion. What can I say about taking “Risk”?
My life starts with taking Risk when I was born in war zone as child. I have lived and grew up around war with bombing and losing everything which was a life risk that me as child had no choice.
Running away from home because of war that was risk! Moving from country to country at times I did not even know the language and was starting from 0 that was risk.
Falling in love was taking a risk, getting in to any project or film or even going out at night as a women was also a risk, so if I want to respond to this question ? I may need to publish a book,
Turning Point on my life was when I learned to change my perspective about all that. It was when I made a clear decision to replace the word “RISK” to the word “CHALLENGE”.
The word challenge is more empowering than risk, because here I am moving to start my life in the USA after years of being on Australian TV. That is new challenge. If you asking me now if I was scared or worried from risking, it all? I will say I am “EXCITED” to take on the new “challenge”!
Here I am following my own teaching from my TV show. I will change my perspective and words to more empowering words that will push me to the top rather than making me paralyzed with fear from taking “RISK”!
So “RISK” is now to me a “CHALLENGE” and the word “SCARED” has now been changed to “EXCITED”.
If you are a parent, what do you think is the most important thing you’ve done as a parent in terms of the impact on your children?
I believe the most imported thing that will impact a child and will make him or her a well-adjusted human being is to give them love, care and teach them pure good morals in life, such as don’t steal, lie, cheat, respect others and treat them the way you would like to be treated. That should be the basic things we need to learn from our parents.
Then make them realize and understand the difference between good and what bad, teaching them and show them the power of understanding, kindness, compassion rather than being selfish, arrogant, judgmental, and self-centered. Make them see and feel the gift of understanding to other human beings, teach them the gift of giving rather than taking, helping rather than using, work ethic respect to women and the value of working for a living and achieving their goals, help them to dream as big as they want and believe in the power of achievement to get anything in life as long as they work hard to get it and as long as they will not harm anything in their way to get to their goals. Teach them self respect and self love to, it is very important.
But the most important thing we need is to put a very strong seed inside their heart and mind including “the power of faith”. They need to have faith in the goodness of life and the goodness of humanity. Teach them the tools to find the strength of faith inside their heart and soul in time of despair. If we do that, we will not have people taking guns and shooting others because they are desperate, sad and lost.
What is the most important factor behind your success / the success of your brand?
The Most important factor behind my success is following my heart and my passion to do what I love the most. There is a saying “If you find what you love doing? You will do it for free and you will never work a day, because you just follow your passion and your heart”. I do agree 100% with this.
As for the success of my brand, it’s to be original, truthful, authentic, and transparent to myself and to my fans and audience in everything I offer. I try not to be anything more of who I am truly am, I am honest, respectful, and treat people I work with the way I like to be treated. I know in this way I will find the right people will come because they can feel and sense that I am just as human being like them and trying to reach out to them.
How to know whether to keep going or to give up?
There was a story I was told about great leader that invaded Spain. He gave an order to burn all the ships when he arrived to the Spanish waterfront and told his soldiers that the enemy in front of you and the ocean behind you so victory or death is both ways.
This story my dad told me when I was maybe 6 as a bedtime story. Since then, the word giving up is not in my vocabulary. I have replaced it with “Keep Going” or “Change direction” and take back up plane to reach your dreams and goals.
At the same time, I do believe you can find it in my song “Dreams keep us alive”. There is no point of living if you do not achieve your dreams, and maybe some time we can reset our dreams and move and change it to suit our current circumstances or situation but the truth is we need to keep going until the last breath.
Work life balance: how has your balance changed over time? How do you think about the balance?
To me life balance is based on the following important factors:
NO.1 Heath, I do believe our physical and mental health is the most imported thing in this life and it comes first every time before anything. There is no point if I was the richest, the most successful, famous and loved person in the world and I am suffering from pain of brain trauma or dying or losing my mind.
This make me think regarding `everything I do, what I put in my mouth or “nose” for some people. I have a choice in clean living because I know, that I only have one body and as we age things are not the same when we are young, so I do read a lot about health diets and putting less sugar and other things that I do believe that is not going to get this engine to work it best.
NO.2 I am guilty with my mental health as I do work sometimes up to 20 to 22 hours a day and I love to be in situation that I can have more sleep and rest more so I am guilty as I am a workaholic.
Especially for being in the public eye. I must always look a size 10 UK and look perfect in any thing I put on but at the same time I do work on my music, TV show, fashion and books and so many things, therefore, the truth is I am out of balance when it come to my work.
NO.3, Personal life. I have no personal life so I guess I am not doing very well! The thing is “I am happy” with my work so I believe when the time right, well, maybe Mr. right will appear and then I will have to balance life differently. But as of today, no man can take my love to music and film making and my Fans.
What makes you happy? Why?
What makes me happy, I use to think achievement and progress made me happy. As I am getting older and reading more and experience life differently, I have found that the thing that really makes me happy and fills my spirit with joy is when I help someone that needs help.
That can be in many ways, for example, I went out with a group of girlfriends to a bands night and they took me to a pub, “I do not normally go out and even if I do, I will not go to pubs. However, fans kept coming to me to tell me so many stories that fulfilled my heart with happiness and it made such an impact about the meeting of happiness to me.
The first man told me that he use to beat up his wife because he has drinking problem, however, after watching my TV show he realized what he was doing. He stopped drinking and never hit his wife again. The other one was a scary looking man. He walked to me and said before he watched my TV show, he use to go out with his mates to stab Transwomen on the street! After watching my show, he felt disgusted of what he was doing and ashamed, so he and his mates stopped doing that. Other women came and told me the effect my TV show has had on their lives’, their kid’s lives’ either for been abused or bullied or being Trans or something about being in a bad relationship.
At that night. I have found the truth about what make me happy. It is to help others as much as I can. That when I discovered the truth about happiness. It is not about the money or the power or looks, it is about what can you offer someone in need, and change their life for the best
Why did you pursue an artistic or creative career?
Why did I pursue an artistic or creative career? It’s like you are asking a fish why she lives and swim in the ocean or asking a bird why does he fly? It my Destiny, it is what I am created to do and live for and to create and offer to this life.
I was born in family in which everything I am today it is a shame for them. They wanted me to become a doctor or a university professor or working in a diplomatic field or in the United Nations as one of top managers.
That is their definition of success. When I was little, I bought a little kids piano and start learning music, My Dad smashed my piano to little pieces. He did not want me to become a singer or actress or have anything to do with the entertainment business, but look at me now, I am everything that my dad did not want me to be. Yes, I did have B.S.C in Computer Science and a Fashion Design degree from one of the best university in Australia, just to make my family happy. But my true love and passion was singing and acting, film and TV so I guess responding to your question, I did not have too many choices just to follow my heart and my destiny. It is like falling in love with someone that the world told you he is “trouble” do not go there, but in the end you need to follow your heart and I did .
How do you define success?
The way I defined success is to live my life doing and following the things I love doing and the thing that makes me feel alive. In my case, as I said before creating a platform to help people life’s and improve their quality of living, by educating them and give them the help and support they do need. There is so many things we need to work on as a human being. Clearly, if as example one of my songs reached someone and gave them hope or happiness or even made them think and change them to be a better person, that is a success.
If I saved a child from getting sexually abused or any type of abuse that is a success. If I helped and saved women from getting beaten in a violent abusive relationship or someone getting bullied or even getting murdered. if I inspired someone to reach their dreams or if I managed to make someone feel that they fit in to find themself in me and my journey. The possibilities are endless.
Financial success and fame clearly will help me achieve more in this journey as will giving me more tools to help others. That is success! When I go to bed and asked myself like I always do every night. What did I achieve today? How many people have I impacted in their life to the better, what have I have contributed today to this world that I was gifted the gift of life to be living in it and to make a positive change? That is TRUE Success!
Thank you Very much for giving me the opportunity to have this interview. Thank you for your time to read it. I am personally grateful that you gave me your time to read my responses.
