Today we’d like to introduce you to Nia Leona.
Hi Nia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to share on your platform! I’m originally from New York and have been building a life in West LA. I’ve always been a massive dreamer – even from little, I had this belief that there were possibilities for my life that were well outside of what I was used to. I think that’s what been my driving force and has gotten me to where I am today. My journey really began when I started adventuring. I would take little (solo) trips here and there, whether it was to another town, another state, or out of the country. It instilled a lot of confidence in me to explore myself and be rooted in my own decisions. How could I give myself the life of my dreams, and where were the gaps in the bridge that I needed to fill in? Eventually, that motto led to me fully investing myself in my health and well-being, my art and writing, and modeling. I feel like I’ve had an interesting start as my process didn’t begin with me in the entertainment industry, but rather that’s where I naturally ended up the more I came into myself. I started spending every day at the ocean (I’m Caribbean, so it feels natural!) and getting more into swimwear modeling. From there in came multiple photoshoots a week, brand opportunities, and a lot of projects that I’ve been so grateful to be a part of.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh, I could list the struggles for hours! A lot of challenges came from the transition process. Many years ago, I had MUCH less confidence and tolerated more than I should have. I lived a life I wasn’t happy with and toyed with lifestyle choices not in alignment with where I wanted to be for too long. When I started to affirm that I wanted to pursue a career that felt creative and balanced for me, I learned firsthand that you have to let go of many parts of your old life (if not all of it) to make space for your new one. I tried keeping both, and it didn’t work. I lost a lot of support from people I thought I was close to because my path became triggering for them, for one reason or another. I don’t have hard feelings over it, but it was eye opening. There were definitely feelings of loss present. I had to go through some really exciting career changes alone for a while. I’m glad I did though. It only lead me to even more precious and heartfelt connections and reassurance that I was on the right path.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
On the forefront, I’m usually known for modeling and social media influencing/content creation. It’s so much fun for me. I do a lot of commercial modeling work in the lifestyle, curly/natural hair, and swimwear field especially. On Instagram and TikTok, lifestyle is major (wellness, travel, etc.) – I get told a lot that my perspectives on life and my portrayals of it are really inspiring, so I try to share that often. It’s really important for me to do so as my biggest thing is showing people that in one way or another, they have the power to create a life they really deserve. Balance is accessible! A slower and quieter side of my work is my writing and art. I release pieces in whatever time frame I feel is right, and am so excited to really start sharing more of that this year. I put so much effort into anything that has my name attached to it. It’s my way of showing respect for myself and those that have offered me incredible opportunities. I’m proud of so much, but especially the magic I’ve helped bring to life through the projects and sets I’ve been a part of.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
All of my mentors have greatly helped my career, professional, and creative life, but interestingly none of them were mentors in my field per se. They were all wellness and spirituality mentors. I’ve personally found that when your mind, body, and heart are balanced (or increasingly more balanced), career flows so much easier. Your ideas come quicker and stronger, you connect more fluidly with potential business partners and clients, and your professional growth is much more sustainable. You show up as a better version of yourself, and that makes people remember you when you meet them. I got my health in order and started working on finding my center spiritually and personally. When I did that, business and creation was a breeze. I recommend finding people that you both look up to and are accessible for you to connect with. For me, I’m a very brainy and communicative person, so I found people whose minds peaked my interests. I surrounded myself with people that always had me learning, and in turn I found great mentors. With networking, I think if you show up to events and projects with your best foot forward and are ready to make genuine connections, you’ll find them.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.nialeona.net
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/nia.leci
- Other: www.tiktok.com/nialeona
Image Credits:
Jordan Maldonado @joe_california.raw Elle Keller @ellekellerphotography Jacob Frazer @frazer_ Amber Kay @kayleen_imagery Tabatha Thomas @thrifty_tabs Vincent Del Toral @vdt.photo Leyla Mahramnia @leylamahramniaphoto
