We’re looking forward to introducing you to Morgan McKenzie. Check out our conversation below.
Morgan McKenzie, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Something outside of work that is bringing me joy right now is boxing. I started learning the sport post-pandemic. During that time, we were dealing with the impact of covid. For the first time in my life, I had not been active. For years, dance served as my source of movement and exercise. However, with the pandemic, quarantine, and a failed attempt to find local dance classes in my area, my body became stagnant. I needed a fun way to exercise. So, I did some research and found a boxing gym close to my neighborhood and fell in love with the craft. Flash-forward about 3 years later, I’ve joined a new boxing gym in Richmond, VA, and I’ve sharpened my boxing skills. I’m fit physically and mentally due to the sport. Plus, punching a bag brings me a lot of joy and relief!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am Morgan McKenzie, and my life revolves around multi-media. I am a voiceover artist, radio personality and author. What’s unique about my lines of work is that they all are centered around my voice. Whether it’s a script detailing an exciting neighborhood, a live talk-break hyping up listeners in their cars, or a story that I’ve created in my imagination that will be transcribed into writing: my voice (inner and outer) drives all that I do.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
People-pleasing must go! Its purpose has been to please others, but it has always been at the expense of myself. People-pleasing is a coping mechanism that I developed very early on in my childhood as a desperate attempt to regulate an environment that was chaotic and completely out of my control. Working to emotionally regulate a parent and older sibling is not supposed to be the job of a little girl.
With that coping mechanism deeply engrained into my system, I am now conducting a hard system re-boot by unlearning that behavior system. It has been a challenge, but I have made it my duty to make myself a priority, identify my needs, vocalize my needs, and the hardest of all: sit with the discomfort of disappointing people. Especially, the people I worked so tirelessly to please.
Ha!
There’s a new Morgan in town.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
An absolute defining wound of my life, that trumps previous wounds, is the deep scar in the center of my right eye that obstructs about 90% of the vision in that eye. My days of having 20/20 vision are no more.
October 3, 2023, I was involved in a serious car accident. I remember the air bag deploying, the frightening sound of metal crashing followed by white noise and clawing my way out of my vehicle.
I collapsed to my knees with my hands patting the ground repeatedly saying, “I’m alive. I’m alive. I’m alive.”
I walked away completely blind in my right eye with some scars and bruises. The blindness persisted and the doctors were unsure if I’d be able to see again.
I was shaken, afraid and in pain. And when those emotions subsided, I managed to find a sense of calm in literal darkness. It turns out, all of those years of practicing meditation came in handy.
Since 2017, I’ve been breathing religiously whilst closing my eyes and going deep into the darkness behind them to channel what’s within me spiritually.
Darkness wasn’t new to me.
I clung to meditation during my recovery. The practice kept me grounded during such a turbulent, uncertain time. Darkness is where I harnessed courage, faith and power. In darkness, I gained insight that comforted me. I knew everything would work out in my favor.
About three weeks after my accident, a smidgen of sight returned in my eye. Elated doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling! The doctors grimly informed me that that little bit of vision was as good as it would get. There would be no full recovery of my eyesight. Not even surgery could revive it.
The news didn’t break me. I’d already accepted whatever will be will be during meditation. I was overjoyed that even with the obstruction, I could still see. My left eye even jumped to 20/10 on my behalf. Looking at me, no one would ever know that I’m visually impaired.
Adjusting to my new norm has had its challenges, but it has taught me to give myself grace. It has also shown me the depths of my inner power.
I now get to wear cute glasses to protect my left eye. It’s also cool that the scar on my eye looks like a dolphin jumping over the moon; the moon being my pupil.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
I wholeheartedly believe that the ocean is the real “outer space.” Have you seen the creatures down there!? They are aliens. I just can’t prove it. It’s not lost on me that only a small fraction of the ocean has been explored. But, hey! What do I know? I studied English and Mass Comm. Ha!
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace sitting quietly in the comfort of my own home. Closing the door on sensory overload and walking into my cozy place filled with pure silence is sensational.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: morganmckenziemedia
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/morgancornell
Image Credits
Melanie Eaton
