Life and Work with Cindy Dinh

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cindy Dinh.

Cindy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Growing up, I constantly faced bullies who constantly made fun of me for my weight, appearance and just who I was for years. I was always really hard on myself and I ended up with many insecurities. But instead of giving up on myself, I learned how to really love myself and learned not to care about other people’s opinions of me. I held my head high, did things I love and began to transform throughout the years in hope of being the best version of myself. My sophomore year of high school, a really good friend of mine started getting into photography and asked me to be one of his models. It was funny because I was always camera shy since I was really insecure about my appearance, but as I started doing my shoots with my friend, it really helped bring my confidence and self-esteem up. I started post a lot more about myself on my Instagram and from there, more photographers began to reach out to me and asked to work with me. I loved doing shoots because I got to meet so many talented photographers and got to hear a lot about their stories and how they started. It was a treat to see how passionate photographers are to make art within a photograph. I honestly never thought I could do modeling as a side career because I felt like I was not pretty or skinny enough.

But I realized modeling was something I loved doing because it helped shaped me into the women I am today. I was recently signed to a Modeling Agency and worked at Import Car Shows for a bit to get a feel of the modeling industry. I loved meeting people at the events I worked at and I feel really blessed with all the opportunities that have been given to me since I moved to Southern California. I never expected to see myself where I’m at today. I have encountered many challenges in my life and I want to be able to share my experiences with other young women who may have been at a low point in their lives and to be able to help them and give them the hope they need to keep moving forward in life and to be strong. Being able to impact one person’s life in a positive way is the best feeling anyone could ever ask for. That is why I wanted to become an influencer/model because I wanted to be able to help other girls who may be going through the same things I once went through.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has been a rough road. Being a part of this model/influencer industry is super competitive. I catch myself comparing myself to beautiful, successful models which makes me feel like I am not doing enough on my end. There are also times where people only come into your life to feed on your success and are not there to support you in your growth. It is really sad when you welcome people into your life and they only use you to rise up the social ladder. My advice to young aspiring models is to never lose sight of who you are. The modeling industry can be rough and many people can be your biggest fans and worst enemies. Always be humble with your successes and who you are. Never let fame get into your head and always be thankful and recognize the people who have helped bring you to your success. Know who you are and never let anything or anyone change that.

Just keeping doing what you love and make sure that you surround yourself with positive people who motivate and encourage you to be your best.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am currently a second-year college student at UC Riverside. My major is sociology and I am hoping to pursue a career in criminology. I am also apart of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Organization and I currently hold the position as Public Relations Chairman for my sorority. Outside of school, I have a part-time job at Pacsun, I do pay photoshoots and sponsorships, model at car shows and events, and go to auditions and bookings for my agency. I am really proud of myself for being a student, having a part-time job, and being able to balance all my modeling business and sorority responsibilities. What sets me apart from others is that I am really passionate about everything I do and I am really humble and grateful for all that is given to me. With my work, I really want to be a role model for young women and show them that you can do anything and everything no matter what someone may say.

Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
I feel like there are limited opportunities for women in my position depending on your ethnicity, appearance, and amount of followers you have. I realized making a name for yourself as an actor or model in Hollywood is really hard for Asian women like me. Most directors look for tall 5’7 and up women, size 0-3. This limits my chances to apply for roles and to be accepted especially because I don’t make height or size requirement. As well as my ethnicity, most roles are given to white women based on their appearance which is sad but it is true. In the car show industry, anyone can absolutely be a car model, but the popularity and opportunities for car models are based on how much skin you show and the number of followers one has. I feel like the opportunities for women within the modeling and acting industry for Asian women is limited but it is all based on appearance rather than appearance and personality. It is a really competitive career that is all based on luck.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cindytdinh/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cintdin
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cindytdinh

Image Credit:
Pink dress photo with flowers – @thejonnyadventures, Pier Burger photo – @tomdewh, City view photo – @john.logic, In-N-Out photo – @jsolomonphotography, Diner & Beach photo – @coloursinbloom, Flower with camera photo – @glazzidonut

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