Meet Makeda Smith | Publicist & Pro-Aging Movement Coach

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

Hi Makeda, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Being an entrepreneur and running my own PR agency for over 35 years, in addition to promoting my dance movement brands for 13 years – I’ve learned the importance of a work / life balance.

In my younger years (I’m over 60 now ) – work was Everything. I literally worked around the clock, running my PR agency and caring for my girls as a single parent mom. I hit total burnout zone – not realizing that I had no work / life balance. I remember wanting to just walk away from my business – and life!

Fortunately, over the past couple of decades, I have come to realize the importance of this balance. One of my favorite hashtags when I’m posting across social media promoting my proaging movement brands is #seniorsoftlife. It is my reminder to myself and others that rest, restoration and rejuvenation are equally as important as the work. They each fuel the other.

I now know that it is not a luxury to slow down and balance work and life – it is a necessity.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Aging is a curious thing. If we are lucky, we all get here – but oh the unnecessary dread of ‘growing old.’ I find myself often reflecting on my journey in life, realizing more and more each day – it was never about the destination, it was always the journey.

I ventured into entertainment public relations after completing my undergraduate degree at Boston University and then my graduate degree at USC. I never planned to have my own boutique agency, Jazzmyne Public Relations, nor did I anticipate still being in full operation after 35 years. In my mind, the destination was to marry and retire as quickly as possible. The journey has been the life I’ve lived as a successful and now veteran entertainment industry publicist. I’ve worked with a who’s who of celebrity talent and attended a wish list of glamourous events over the many decades. My mentors were publicists who ran their own agencies and I learned the business by working for them. My motivation to start my own agency was so that I could stay at home and work while raising my first daughter. Working at home was unheard of at the time, but I did it anyway – and here I am, still working from home – they call it ‘working remotely’ now – lol !

Running a business in Hollywood in the late 80’s, through to today has taught me more life lessons than any of my degrees ever could. It has not be easy – but when you understand its all about the journey and not the destination, then in hindsight, everything makes sense. So every single trial, every single tribulation, every mishap, every blessing – it was all part of a long journey that has landed me ‘here.’

Upon turning 50, I really thought the journey was over me. The market had crashed and I crashed with it – losing everything – or what I considered at that time, everything – my money, my properties, my home, my cars and even my man.

It was a chance meeting in Hollywood one day that course corrected my doomed path. I crossed paths with a lovely woman, Magda. She was being photographed while doing a split in the middle of the sidewalk as I was walking down Vine ( my convertible Mercedes having been recently repossessed – lol.) Next thing I know, she was walking next to me and we were chatting. She had a head full of blond hair, an English accent and she was nothing short of charming !

Magda informed me that a random young man had requested to photograph her – so she obliged with a split in the middle of the sidewalk! Strangely enough, I couldn’t place Magda’s age. I was 50 at the time, and I couldn’t tell if she was younger, older or we were maybe the same age? When she revealed to me she was 75 – I stopped dead in my tracks in disbelief. Magda attributed it all to yoga, saying she had been a student of yoga since her 40’s !

Magda’s inner light ignited my fading one and led me to the discovery of movement as medicine. Long story shortened, I eventually found myself in a pole dance class, with yoga as the warm up exercise – and as they say – the rest is history. Yoga and pole dance and fitness got me back in my body, awakening my dimming spirit, enlivening my dying inner goddess, and course correcting my path – making we want to live – and dance – again!

My fitness path led me to creating my dance brand, FlyingOver50.com, where I encourage and teach older women flow dance movement as a sensual healing practice, and TheMakedaMethod.com where I coach men and women with breath work and stretch movement to ease the stress of aging. I’ve also shared my journey as a motivational guide in my Amazon book, “Flying Over 50 At Any Age, A 30-Day Self Journal for Speeding Past Limitations.”

None of this was ever ‘the destination’ – all of it has been ‘the journey!’

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If a best friend was visiting – I’m hoping, that like me – they would want to keep things relaxing and simple – lol ! That said, my hit list would include hiking Griffith Park, starting in the Fern Dell park, an area I consider a small magical forest – walking up to the Observatory, and taking a snack break at the Trail Cafe – located between Fern Dell and the Observatory. Afterwards we might eat in Thai Town for some authentic Thai food. My fave used to be Hollywood Thai – but anywhere in Thai Town is on point.

I’d also make sure I took them to Castaways in Burbank. Castaways has been my favorite restaurant for three decades now. I’ve dined there through its many reincarnations and renovations. The outdoor area has the best and most calming view of the mountains and the city below – as Castaways is positioned at the top of a hill.

If my best friend is a golfer, we might also hit some balls at the DeBell Golf course driving range in Burbank. It’s been renovated in the last year or so, and hitting balls there is a serene meditation!

Then of course we have to visit the beach. Walking from Venice to Santa Monica Beach, eating and shopping along the way is always a fun go-to tourist hit-list.

And if my best friend is pestering me about ‘nightlife’ – which I typically ignore these days (because I’ve been there done that as a publicist for decades – lol ) I guess we might venture out to a comedy club. I haven’t been in years but The Comedy Store and The Laugh Factory are still legendary!

And last but not least, me might visit a museum. The Broad, a contemporary art museum, is absolutely lovely !

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It takes a village – to do anything, from raising children to running a business. My shoutout goes to every single individual who has fueled me along my 63 years – from supportive family, wonderful friends, many mentors, clients and even bad boyfriends – lol . Everything and everyone has added to the equation of ‘me’!

Website: www.jazzmynepr.com and www.flyingover50.com and www.themakedamethod.com

Instagram: @flyingover50 and @themakedamethod

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jazzmynepr/

Twitter: @makedaqueen and @flyingover50

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flyingover50 and https://www.facebook.com/jazzmynepr

Youtube: @themakedamethod

Image Credits
Steven Harvey / The Perfect Image-Digital Graphics & Photography
Dr. Boogie / https://www.drboogiesecrets.com