We’re looking forward to introducing you to Mackenzie Norris. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Mackenzie, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity is most important when it comes to anything in life. without integrity, energy and/or intelligence is shallow. I go by the saying, “stand for something or you will go for anything”. lacking integrity but having energy and intelligence will only get you so far because your lack of morality will cause you to make decisions contradicting the wisdom you withhold. Your integrity is needed to fuel your energy and wisdom into the right things, people or places.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Mackenzie Norris, creator of Fit Alchemist, providing wardrobe styling assistance and creative direction. My brand serves as a creative outlet through fashion based on my personal urge to embrace being outside the box. Yes, me and everyone else is aware of the trends we see on social media. Yes, I love them but Fit Alchemist is designed to encourage others to step into their individual creativity. As humans, people look to see what’s acceptable to the world, what’s not too much and what’s not too basic. My goal is to push others into diversity with confidence while expressing my own. Growing up, I worried about being “dramatic” in my style, feelings, experiences, group settings and everything else life had to offer. it was to the point where I shrunk myself according to what others wanted me to be and not how I was created by God to be. I recognized that this was a system many of us go through, trying to gain approval and validation from those who don’t necessarily have their own sense of self. I began to ask myself, why hide and force myself into standards I know i’m not meant to be apart of ? why allow others to decide what my purpose was ? With these questions, through my fear, I knew I had only one choice. I’ve been living for others, settling for a lifestyle when I knew there was more in store for not only me but others. It was now time for me to step into what was abnormal for others but just right for me. Fit alchemist is set up to honor the abundance of creativity God had gifted me, hoping to inspire others to do the same even if it wasn’t exactly through my line of work.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
In my current journey of entrepreneurship and repairing my relationship with God, there was many parts of me that needed to be and still is being released. I used to be the girl who thought enjoying my youth was about what everyone else my age was doing: partying, drinking and having that YOLO mindset. It wasn’t until my second year in university that I realized there was so much more to life and that it could be so short, how could I spend any more time not experiencing the greater things that I imagined for myself ? If I were to leave earth, I knew that I would have so many regrets about what I didn’t take a risk on. I always envisioned myself traveling and creating but somehow I found myself as a nursing major, conforming to a world where you had to sacrifice your personality to work your life away. I had to sit down and think about my why. Why was I a nursing major when I knew I loved art in all its forms (fashion, painting, nail art, drawing, etc.) ? I had been suppressing myself for the ideology of making money to survive. I had to release everything I falsely convinced myself I had to be in order to be a functioning adult.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering teaches many things that success could never help you embody. I learned that suffering was needed in order to obtain fulfilling success. Imagine if everyone was instantly successful, there would be no true determination or reason to be inspired. we live in a society where people flock to what’s popular and I battled with this at first. I was faced with rejection, lack of respect due to my business not being as big as brands you see everyday, and people who didn’t really take me serious. I acknowledged that it hurt, of course, but I also knew this was only the beginning and not the end. Through this I learned that no one will be accepting of where you started, you have to be your own biggest supporter. No one will be able to see the vision God have you because it’s catered to you and many are not brave enough to step into the path created for you. My determination through the storm was only to prove that I wanted this vision for myself as God wanted it for me but I had to first believe, to have faith and trust that it would not be in vain.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
I strive to be the real me at all times, even to the public. I have struggled with perfectionism and trust me, it is not easy. I had to be accepting of myself as a human being, that I had imperfections just like everyone else and that was not something to be ashamed about. Embracing myself in entirety has only led to growth and allowing myself to freely explore the different stages of my life that could not be rushed. Throughout my life, I’ve seen that the many things you may criticize about yourself and what many others can either relate to or admire about you.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
I feel the most at peace when i’m sitting silently on the porch, enjoying the summer breeze. Other times, I feel at peace when i’m creating something like a painting or drawing. I love being able to just sit and take time to do things that may not seem “as important”.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: fitalchemistt
Image Credits
The first two images are photographed by @visualpoetrybyrob_ on instagram
