Today we’d like to introduce you to Tondalaya Smith.
Tondalaya, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in San Bernardino, CA. My parents moved up north to take a better job offer in Vallejo, CA when I was five. I was raised in Vacaville and some Fairfield. I was always a really active child growing up and had the blessing of able to try different arts growing up. I started to have my picture professionally taken by the age of five but never really did modeling because my parents both were so busy and worked all the time. I started dancing for a hip hop company at the age of nine until I was 15 years old. I played the flute, clarinet, trumpet, and some percussion and was 1st chair in 2 of those instruments. Everything changed when I fell in love with the sports of Track and Field and Volleyball. I played all four years of high school either varsity track since freshman year or volleyball jv and varsity. Initially, I was offered a scholarship to play in Arizona and ending up getting hurt in summer workouts. (Tore my meniscus).
At that point, I gave up on sports all together and really didn’t have the love for it since it was more of a business at that point. While starting college at Grand Canyon University in 2014, I ended up finishing college at Arizona State University with a 2 degrees in Business Marketing and Fashion Design. I really felt that the challenging school is ASU’s W.P. Carey school of business was the perfect fit. I got into modeling at the time of going to asu. It was never my dream or never really was an interest. I was more of an aggressive sports player. I didn’t even know how to put on makeup really, lol. One of my friends one day asked if we wanted to go to an audition for modeling a swimsuit lines campaign. I just said sure why not. That’s when my life changed. Out of 500 applicants, one other girl and I were picked and we proceeded to get booked. I never will forget how initially nervous I was because I never really posed but with the nurturing mentoring of Rosa Cardenas she made me so comfortable and always was soooo positive and uplifting. Slowly but surely, I started to get booked and it was difficult to balance my runway shows and school. I found a balance and grinded it out. There was one passion I did truly missed which was dance. I started dancing with a choreographer of the name of Jenzi in Tempe, AZ. That was the start to another great adventure for helping to mold me in a versatile talent. Working with Jenzi, I was able to book local music videos, opening up for major artists such as Trey Songz, Rick Ross, Eric Bellinger, Waka Flocka and more.
Even doing choreography for Amber Rose’s famous Slut Walk. I kept being consistent which all my hard work started paying off. I booked my first out of state fashion show which was in LA then soon after New York, Miami, Atlanta. I was offered a modeling contract to Icon Model Management in Toronto, Canada. Everything was moving so fast at this point I was really eager to leave out of the country to live and work. I knew I made the right choice but who knows. I then accepted a contract and went back home to the bay to San Francisco where I worked for two years. I was able to get the agency fast pace experience and it was very tiring but also rewarding. My next major milestone was booking my first international fashion week on my own! I got booked for three designers! My first time to Paris and I was working, what a great feeling! I had to bring my best friend which if you don’t know anything about me is that he is my best friend. He has been my world since a little girl, concluding to yes, I am a daddy’s girl, lol. My dad, god mom, and I had a blast exploring and to this date was one of the most memorable moments in my life. While in Paris the night before the show a couple of models and designers went to dinner. While on my way back to my hotel alone in an Uber, I was subjected to a sex trafficking scenario. Luckily I was witty and was able to spot the situation early on. I was able to escape and get to the hotel where my family and I were staying. So shook up, I wasn’t able to go to sleep before my show. So thankful and blessed from God, I didn’t mind being restless, I knew I was supposed to be there for a reason. I had a great show at the Ritz Carlton Place Vendome and totally forgot about what I experienced just hours before. To see my dad’s face as I was walking down the runway for the first time was priceless.
From then on, I kept working and ended up doing London Fashion week the next year. I decided to take the leap to move to LA in March 2020. It made the most sense since I was getting booked more and gas, airfare, hotels, rental cars, etc., were draining me and was expensive. My first two days of moving to LA were the best days of my life! I booked a television show Fox Souls with Claudia Jordan and also booked and extra role for a hit tv series all just by walking down the street. I couldn’t believe it, it was too good to be true. Then Covid-19 happened and everything came to screeching stop. Luckily I was able to still book work back and forth from the bay. I also because an assistant to a celebrity stylist and internship at a major casting company. In mid-Covid, when everything opened for a few months before shutting right back down, I booked featured roles as a model in music videos of Ty Dolla Sign/Murda Beats/Polo G, TI/Young Thug, Flo Rida/E40/Sage the Gemini, Candace/Rich the Kid, etc. very grateful to still be able to work in quarantine and get my feet wet in a new location. When people ask me how did like living in LA, it’s such a tricky question, to this date now of February 2021, I am just now seeing LA for what I always remembered it to be.
In the midst of launching my new hair company Model Behavior LHC I’ve taken the time to not rush something you really want to be great. My baby is finally almost finished and I can not wait to share my bright innovated ideas with the world!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not really. Since a young kid growing up in predominantly white/Hispanic area. I used to get made fun of all the time because I was different and a lot darker than most kids I grew up with. Even the black kids would make fun of me cause I was a darker complexion to them. For some reason, I realized in the African American community is that people feel the closer you are to the white complexion you are signifies how better and beautiful you are. Yeah, crazy right, lol. It was hard getting bullied all the way until my last years of high school. I went to two different elementary schools, two different middle schools and three different high schools. My dad is a real estate broker and we always moved. Saying that I was always the “new” girl. Since I’ve always had older parents, my friend’s parents were as old as my sibling’s old. Some kids would confuse my common sense, mindset, and confidence as something negative because they probably didn’t grow into that yet. I had at least ten years of more wisdom then my friends but what did you expect if I was only child at home while my siblings were already starting lived with their own families. I use to always lessen my light to make other feel comfortable.
We’ve been impressed with Model Behavior Luxury Hair Company, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business Model Behavior LHC is a hair company that offers a wide range of hair products. From hair bundles/wefts, custom wigs, clip ins, micro links that are all customizable. There are a couple of key factors that set me apart, I actually really do hair and live a different lifestyle than most hairstylists. For majority of all my shoots and for ALL my fashion weeks, I have done my hair. Of course when I come to set and there is a specific hairstyle the hairstylist does it. For so many years flying from state to state at least twice per week, I have developed the knowledge on what an artist/model/dancers needs are that will really make a difference that I have not seen in this industry yet. There will be more in-depth information in the commercial we are shooting for Model Behavior LHC. So excited to see what’s in store for you all!
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
If anyone wants to book or collab with me the best way will be through my email [email protected] or even Instagram @Tondalaya_. I am so eager to create new fulfilling projects and keeping a positive, fun, and contagious personality on set!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Instagram.com/tondalaya_
Image Credits:
Images by @sweetculture @markgphotography @dreamzfx.studios @pixby @r2digitalimages @pretty_simple_images
