Borough: Toronto

Profession: Journalist/A&R/Music Manager

Say Hello: @Samomaryleona

Tell me something about yourself that people in your chosen industry would find interesting.

I’ve been in the music industry for the past 8 years working in many different lanes from journalism to A&R to music managing, and in that time, garnered the nickname One Woman Army. But that name didn’t come from necessarily just my work-ethic. It came from my personal journey. I left home at the age of 14 and have since navigated the streets, homelessness and loss, which taught me what I needed to learn to not only survive but make it in the competitive music field.

Tell me about how you met Nur.

There is only one stand-out word to use when describing Nur. That word is Chic. We first met at Sotto Sotto in Toronto on a cool January night in Toronto followed by brunch at Soho house the next morning with our mutual girl gang Caroline SM, Nicky Rei and Amara Nwogu. Our friendship has since blossomed in the shade-covered VIPs of international music festivals, sipping wine at award shows, celebrating birthdays in New York and in our boss lady group chats.

Most treasured way you spent time in 2018? 

I flew to New York from Toronto to celebrate Nur’s most recent birthday and on the last night in the city we grabbed dinner at Fish Cheeks where we spent hours talking about our lives, come-ups and future goals. There, Nur generously gave me advice on self-care. She offered genuine support and important tools in how to handle stress and keep shining. And to me, there is nothing more powerful than a friend who wants to see you reach your fullest potential.

What advice would you give someone who's leaving NYC?

Trust your journey. You know what’s best for you and where you need to be more than anyone. It’s always a little bittersweet ending one chapter and starting another but no matter the distance, your true friends will always be there and support you in that. And if they’re real like us, they will even hop on a plane even if it’s just for a reunion over dinner.

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