Meet Bria Janay Ross

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bria Janay Ross.

Bria Janay, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born in Oakland, California and from a young age, I always had a creative spark inside of me. Whether it be writing stories, drawing or dancing, there was always a need for artistic expression, but I was a shy kid, so whatever I created I kept to myself. After high school, I moved to Atlanta, Georgia and did the college thing. I got my degree and got a job in corporate America like you’re supposed to do. But I was unfulfilled. I ended up moving back to California with my mom in search of a job I might enjoy more. I ended up becoming a recruiter. I loved it…..Until I was laid off. I had trouble finding another job and went into a deep depression. During that time, my mom suggested that I took the time to try new things and figure out what would really make me happy. So I enrolled in an improv class and an acting class. I fell in love with. My creative spark was coming back and I was happy.

Then on top of that, I got my recruiting job back a few months later! Everything is perfect. My career is coming together and I have a creative outlet once again. Then boom. Laid off again! That’s right folks. I lost the same job. TWICE. This time around I decided to follow my heart instead of falling into depression. I moved to Los Angeles a few months later to pursue an acting career. Within my first couple of months, I landed the lead role of a web series and found an agent. Then someone suggested to me that I give stand up comedy a shot. No way, that’s too scary. But then one day I said okay fine I’ll give it a shot. My very first time performing was an open mic competition against 30 other aspiring comedians. I won! And I just won my second competition just a couple of weeks ago. And here I am two years later, still chasing my dreams in LA. By no means have I “made it” yet, but I’m truly enjoying the journey and Constantly being reminded that I’m on the right path. So if you have a dream, I urge you to follow it. You never know what can happen.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Of course not! There are no smooth roads to success and I believe that’s what this generation fails to realize. Everyone wants instant gratification these days for the least amount of work. One thing about this industry is YOU HAVE TO LOVE THE CRAFT. You literally hear “no” ALL the time ( if you hear anything at all ). This caused me to change my mindset. Instead of thinking “damn, another “no”, I replaced it with “alright, cool. Closer to my next “yes”. Failure is apart of the process. We are constantly learning and constantly evolving and there is no finish line for that journey. A good friend of mine instilled in me the importance of having a “why” for everything you do. When you have a solid “why”, it makes the process more manageable. My “why” in comedy and acting is making people feel good because I know all too well what it’s like to feel bad. There’s no better feeling to me than making a room full of people laugh and smile.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Not a thing. Every decision I’ve made in my life has shaped me into the person I am right now. I used to think to myself “if only I had realized my dreams sooner, maybe I would have made it by now”. But I have to keep in mind that everyone has their own unique journey and everything happens for a reason. Everything will come to me at the perfect time and not a moment sooner. All I can do is keep moving forward and using the knowledge I’ve gained over time and the lessons I’ve learned to help me make better decisions moving forward.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @JadoreJanayy
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW35xdKM-weKwpoE_Z6rdiw

Image Credit:
@huebnerheadshots

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