Meet Ellie Soufi

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ellie Soufi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ellie, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
My favorite quote is “Do what you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” This is something I have always lived by in my life and is something that continues to drive me in my passion for the arts. Building my business in the performing arts and mentoring the next generation of artists continues to inspire me every single day.

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 have been a triple-threat artist since the ripe age of 4 years old, starting in the UK touring England theatrically. I was born into a family of performers so naturally, I followed suit and began my career as a dancer. When I moved to the US I fell in love with classical music and started singing operas and aria in Latin, French, and Italian. I was blessed to continue my training in all genres and styles while representing my performing arts high school in their prestigious performing group. I believe classical training in both dance and music is the best foundation any performer could have. I later went on to full artist development where I worked with the best of the best in the music business and started songwriting and recording original music. Being a young woman and entrepreneur in the industry taught me that I had to be as self-sufficient as possible to be strong and independent. Building my business in COVID was extremely challenging but I knew it was my calling to mentor and give back to the next generation of performers. My program trains artists theatrically and commercially in singing, dancing, acting, songwriting, and performing. I wanted to pass my knowledge along and equip my students with as many tools as possible. We do everything from A to Z, down to recording, music videos, photoshoots, and social media. It is so refreshing to see their drive and passion run so deeply with new and exciting opportunities ahead. I would like to be known as someone who works hard and thinks outside of the box to give back, seeing the growth of young performers and nurturing their passion is priceless for me. I work hard and go to extreme lengths to make sure each and every artist is fully supported in every way and can be the best version of themselves. “When preparedness meets opportunity LUCK HAPPENS!” I have been developing a girl group called SOS “secrets of sound” for the past year and we have released 5 singles and went on an East Coast tour this past summer to promote our single ‘Myself’, we are looking forward to future and I am also looking forward to the growth of the Next Big Thing Academy.

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 was visiting me we would start with a cute brunch by the ocean or head to OEB my favorite breakfast spot in Orange County, then we would go for a little shopping spree in the boutiques in Laguna Beach or go to my favorite boutique in the LAB in Costa Mesa called Bohemian Mama, it is in the cutest most creative little area in Orange County. We then may head to Los Angeles to be with the stars in Hollywood, I love live jazz bands or lounges with performers so we may go to Delilah or the W hotel when they have performances on in the Lounge. Then we may end up at the Pretty Women Hotel (Beverly Wilshire) as my mum likes to call it or a nice rooftop for sunset. To finish off the night we would absolutely end up back at the recording studio, late-night sessions are the best as LA has some of the most iconic studios in the world!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have been so incredibly blessed with the most wonderful family, I would like to send a huge shoutout to my Mum, Dad, and sister Ayiah for always supporting me and continuing to inspire and love me in all of my endeavors. I would also like to thank all of my performers and their families for supporting the Next Big Thing Academy and for helping build such a safe and inspiring community.

Website: https://www.nextbigthingacademy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nextbigthingacademy?igsh=d3Z2NzhqNWgzNHY2

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nbtacademy

Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/404?fromUrl=/nextbigthingacademy