Persistence is truly an admirable quality, one which many successful figures have in common. Despite the upfront fame and recognition that is visible to the public eye, for most no amount of success has ever come without its fair share of great rejection and criticism. Rising Star Leon Budrow is no different, as he battles through adversity to reach his dreams.
Budrow burst onto the music scene not too long ago, releasing his first project directly along side his first show in early 2018. Leon was a new face on a big platform, which quickly took off to be a successful independent music career. What many do not know however, is that Budrow had been pursuing music for years, and it was only then that he received a true shot.
“I always wanted to do music, but I never knew how.” Leon explains. “My first real attempt to make a song was back in 2010. It was horrible so I never put it out. I just kept trying to learn and work towards manifesting the right people and opportunities I needed to make my dream come true.”
Budrow admits one of biggest challenges was writing, stating that he had horrible writer’s block. Following a few years of trial and error attempts to become a better singer and song writer, Budrow finally found the inspiration to write when he went through a summer love and breakup in 2016.
“That experience really opened me up. I finally found something that was able to release the creative side of me.”
Budrow went on to write several songs regarding that time, but only released a few, stating that many of them ended up just being practice.
Following the breakup, Leon began to attract the right situations to himself in order to really begin taking music seriously, including a new studio, producers, and artist friends to help show him the way.
“Suddenly the right opportunities began appearing in the most random ways. I met a customer while working at GNC one day, and somehow we began talking about manifesting goals and aspirations, to which I mentioned my music endeavors. He then referred me to someone who worked at this studio. Impulsively I decided to book a session one night and cut a track. It was that night that I recorded my first single “Sinking,” and I’ve been recording ever since.”
Perhaps the most bizarre example of manifestation is regarding Budrow’s sudden performances touring with pop star Aaron Carter. Budrow states that he envisioned himself touring with Carter several years prior to making it happen.
“I remember Aaron came to my area for a show in Reading, PA. At that time I thought to myself that when I get my music right, I am going to tour with him. I held that thought in my mind for several years, until suddenly all the right pieces fell into place where I was about to release a project shortly before his tour in 2018.”
With no knowledge on how to make the tour happen, Budrow spent an entire day contacting every venue on Carter’s tour roster. Budrow was rejected and turned down by dozens of promoters, but all it took was one shot. That shot came when promoter Tom Taylor called Budrow back regarding the gig.
“Tom called me back just nine days before the show. I had no released music yet and had never performed a show, but for some reason he decided to give me a shot. It went really well, and I’ve been booking shows ever since.”
Following his one off 2018 show with Carter, Budrow attempted to join Carter for the remainder of his tour. Though he was not selected for the remainder of the 2018 shows, Budrow’s persistence carried him into 2019 where he made it happen, booking a full tour as Carter’s Direct Support.
“You can’t give up. Just because something doesn’t work, doesn’t mean it won’t work another time. You have to fail yourself to success, never stop trying.”
Budrow is largely known for his undying persistence in any endeavor he takes on, most notably his stripping career, where early on Budrow was told he didn’t have what it takes to be a male dancer.
“When I first began stripping, I auditioned for a company that told me I didn’t have the look. They told me I was too small and that girls wouldn’t like me, that girls didn’t like my type.”
Despite this one person’s opinion, Budrow continued working hard towards sharpening his physique and dance skills. It was then that he met another fitness model at a magazine shoot, who referred him to a different male revue company.
“It’s so funny how you can manifest opportunities” Budrow states. “I met a dancer for another company at a photoshoot. We were shooting a fitness magazine together. We began talking about dancing and he told me went through the same exact issues with the same exact person I had originally auditioned for. He then gave me his companies card. I held onto it and auditioned about a year later. I’ve been with them ever since.”
Budrow not only earned a spot with the new club, but worked his way up the ranks. Beginning as a crowd host, Budrow proved his worth by showcasing his incredible work ethic every night. After a few years of hard work, Budrow earned a full time spot as a main performer, eventually taking over as the manager and MC for the Philadelphia Hunk-O-Mania Male Revue.
“I literally started from the bottom as one of the original crowd guys. To work my way up to where I stand with the company now is an accomplishment that I’m really proud of.”
Budrow hopes to use his story of positive manifestation and persistence to inspire others to chase their dreams. He truly believes that you can achieve anything with the right mindset, and that our thoughts are the most powerful tool we have at hand.
“I think every situation is different. Metaphorically, when one door closes, another one may open. Sometimes when the door closes, you just have to knock a few more times. Maybe the door is closed but its not even locked and you just need to open it. Worst case scenario, maybe you just have keep at it until you break the door down. The key is to just never give up.”
Either way, Budrow believes life is all about timing. “When the time is right, the right situations will unfold as long as you work hard, stay positive, and remain persistent.”
Leon Budrow is truly an incredible example that with the right mindset, dreams really do come true.
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