We had the good fortune of connecting with John Mgbemena and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi John, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk is essential in the growth of life. When defining risk, “a situation involving exposure to danger.” Risk symbolizes how taking a chance could lead you to various obstacles, uncertainties, and even failures. However, on the other side of the risk, a prolific story is formed. On how one overcame adversity to become who he or she is today. The role risk-taking has played in my life and career are the new opportunities, blessings, and successes I have gained by taking risks. If not for me taking a risk my freshman year in college to do something outside my comfort zone, modeling. I would have never been the prominent model you see here today. If I never took the risk to choose the career path of modeling over becoming a pharmacist after being accepted to pharmacy school. I would have never been in many shows such as Chrisley Knows Best, Fatal Attraction, to name a few. I would have also never had a feature on Thisis50 news article for my album; “I Hate it Here.” Lastly, I would have never done a modeling ESPN College Gameday football photoshoot and commercial, also to name a few. Risk-taking has been Monumental for me; it has shaped the entire course of my life.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am living the dream. I am a Model, Actor, and Artist. It all started when I was at Georgia State University and challenged myself to do something outside my comfort zone. The challenge was to be a model for the Georgia State University African Student Association Fashion Show. That was the beginning of everything. Since then, I have done tons of print ads, commercials, film work, fashion shows, and I even dropped an independent music project on November 17, 2020, “I hate it here.” It currently has over 200,000k streams on Spotify. What sets me apart from everyone is my willingness to challenge myself and take risks; staying persistent and committed to whatever I put my mind to also plays a huge role. I am most proud of never giving up in the time of failure; cliche as that may sound. This path was outside my comfort zone, and for me to still be successful in this life, I manifested is incredible. I am the person I am today because I prayed, was committed, and trusted the process. The process was not easy. It was many highs and lows during the process. There were many times I had failed, but I never succumb to quitting. The lessons I learned were and still are that failure will always be apart of the process. To succeed, you will have to experience some losses and mishaps along the way. Another lesson I learned is that you can sometimes be your own toughest critic, so go easy on yourself sometimes. All I want for people to know about my story is if you do something outside your comfort zone, you never know what can happen. I was a shy kid growing up, afraid to public speak and talk to anyone. I could have never imagined myself doing what I am currently doing today. Me taking that risk and challenging myself by doing something outside my comfort zone change my life.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend or a lady that I am interested in is visiting my city for a week-long trip, I will have to treat them well and take them to all the hotspots and my favorites in Atlanta. Foremost, each different day we would visit either the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Civil Rights Museum, and even the Georgia Aquarium. I enjoy the scenery and everything each place has to offer. Hang-out spots would include both Atlantic Station for one day and Piedmont park another day, two of my favorite places to socialize, enjoy a spectacle, and relax in Atlanta. When it comes to an eatery, I love great food with a fine-dining experience when I go to a restaurant. So that would include; Houston’s, Divan, Pasha, and Fogo de Chao that we will experience. Finally, Cirque Daiquiri Bar & Grill would be the place we go for drinks. They have a great bar and a variety of drink options to choose from. There are so many things to do in Atlanta. Personally, these locations are ideal when a friend is visiting the area, and I am looking forward to them to experience a great time in Atlanta.
LOCAL STORIES
Meet John Mgbemena: Model, Actor, & Artist
February 9, 2021
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We had the good fortune of connecting with John Mgbemena and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi John, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk is essential in the growth of life. When defining risk, “a situation involving exposure to danger.” Risk symbolizes how taking a chance could lead you to various obstacles, uncertainties, and even failures. However, on the other side of the risk, a prolific story is formed. On how one overcame adversity to become who he or she is today. The role risk-taking has played in my life and career are the new opportunities, blessings, and successes I have gained by taking risks. If not for me taking a risk my freshman year in college to do something outside my comfort zone, modeling. I would have never been the prominent model you see here today. If I never took the risk to choose the career path of modeling over becoming a pharmacist after being accepted to pharmacy school. I would have never been in many shows such as Chrisley Knows Best, Fatal Attraction, to name a few. I would have also never had a feature on Thisis50 news article for my album; “I Hate it Here.” Lastly, I would have never done a modeling ESPN College Gameday football photoshoot and commercial, also to name a few. Risk-taking has been Monumental for me; it has shaped the entire course of my life.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am living the dream. I am a Model, Actor, and Artist. It all started when I was at Georgia State University and challenged myself to do something outside my comfort zone. The challenge was to be a model for the Georgia State University African Student Association Fashion Show. That was the beginning of everything. Since then, I have done tons of print ads, commercials, film work, fashion shows, and I even dropped an independent music project on November 17, 2020, “I hate it here.” It currently has over 200,000k streams on Spotify. What sets me apart from everyone is my willingness to challenge myself and take risks; staying persistent and committed to whatever I put my mind to also plays a huge role. I am most proud of never giving up in the time of failure; cliche as that may sound. This path was outside my comfort zone, and for me to still be successful in this life, I manifested is incredible. I am the person I am today because I prayed, was committed, and trusted the process. The process was not easy. It was many highs and lows during the process. There were many times I had failed, but I never succumb to quitting. The lessons I learned were and still are that failure will always be apart of the process. To succeed, you will have to experience some losses and mishaps along the way. Another lesson I learned is that you can sometimes be your own toughest critic, so go easy on yourself sometimes. All I want for people to know about my story is if you do something outside your comfort zone, you never know what can happen. I was a shy kid growing up, afraid to public speak and talk to anyone. I could have never imagined myself doing what I am currently doing today. Me taking that risk and challenging myself by doing something outside my comfort zone change my life.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend or a lady that I am interested in is visiting my city for a week-long trip, I will have to treat them well and take them to all the hotspots and my favorites in Atlanta. Foremost, each different day we would visit either the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Civil Rights Museum, and even the Georgia Aquarium. I enjoy the scenery and everything each place has to offer. Hang-out spots would include both Atlantic Station for one day and Piedmont park another day, two of my favorite places to socialize, enjoy a spectacle, and relax in Atlanta. When it comes to an eatery, I love great food with a fine-dining experience when I go to a restaurant. So that would include; Houston’s, Divan, Pasha, and Fogo de Chao that we will experience. Finally, Cirque Daiquiri Bar & Grill would be the place we go for drinks. They have a great bar and a variety of drink options to choose from. There are so many things to do in Atlanta. Personally, these locations are ideal when a friend is visiting the area, and I am looking forward to them to experience a great time in Atlanta. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My special shoutout goes to my family. Each family member played a unique role in my life that led to my continued success. My dad instilled in me hard work, the importance of prayer, and discipline, which is still very essential in my life today. My dad came to America on his own and became a successful pharmacist. He created a living in America and provided for our family. For that reason, he has been an inspiration in my life. Whenever I achieve a new accomplishment, my mom is right there to support me. Whether it is reposting my successes on her Facebook or even reaching out to congratulate me in times of victory or motivate me when I may experience failure, my mom is always supportive of my career. My brother Michael guides me in decision-making. Through making the right choice that’s best for me and my future. To find my passion and succeed in it. Peter has inspired me in the role of risk-taking. Take a risk and be uncomfortable at times because you never know how much growth you will gain. Emmanuel played the role of Music through collaboration. We collaborate on multiple tracks, notably “Never Gave Up” and “What You Need.” These songs alone have gotten notoriety through Spotify and have received recognition on “BuzzmusicLA” and “Thisis50” news article. Lastly, my brother Patrick played the role of manager. He has gotten me deals and partnerships, notably Fashionnovamen. Each family member is well-deserving of special recognition from me. If not for family, I probably would not have made it this far.
Website: https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/3937015/viewall
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnmgbemena/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-mgbemena-704745bb
Twitter: https://twitter.com/john_mgbemena
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Realjohnmgbemena/
Other: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/caesar13/i-hate-it-here https://linktr.ee/Johnmgbemena
Image Credits
Ezra Ferguson
