Today we’d like to introduce you to JaCoya Rivers.
JaCoya, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am a 24 years old entrepreneur, mom, model, and aspiring actress. I was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. I own my own business, Coco Couture Artistry. Under my brand I do henna tattoos dba Henna by JaCoya. I started doing henna in college as a hobby and got popularity through my intricate, distinct freestyle designs.
Years later, I was pressured by a close friend to start taking clients after years of not wanting to do so…I stepped out on a whim and decided to just “go for it”; I setup a booth (i.e. ‘table and stool’ lol) at my cities First Friday event, I did so many people that day. It was the confirmation that I needed to show me I was on the right path and the start of an amazing, therapeutic journey that would lead me to meet many great people from many different walks of life. Henna allows me to be apart of my clients brightest and most memorable moments (life celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, births, recoveries from health issue, etc.) It’s an honor to be able to contribute to the world in such a way. I have even been able to incorporate henna into my modeling journey working and collaborating with many of my peers and creating new relationships through both of my passions.
My modeling journey actually began through competing in pageants when I was younger. I started at a very mild age of 10 years old; I competed in the American Coed Pageant at the regional, state and national level for the title of Miss Missouri in 2005 as a pre-teen. During this phase of my life, is where I learned how to walk, talk, and exude the confidence that I would need later in life in all of my ventures. I was coached on runway, dance, evening gown, interviewing/speaking etiquette, dinner etiquette, on-the-spot questions, etc. Upon titling, I started my modeling and acting journey that carried me from HS all the way until today.
On October 8, 2017, my greatest accomplishment, I became a mother to a beautiful baby boy. Being initiated into motherhood was one of the most beautiful experiences I ever felt and changed my life in so many ways. It gave me the drive to truly go for all of my dreams despite the fear and insecurities that arose due to day to day trauma and circumstances. I was no longer afraid to “do-it-all”. I had always allowed myself to think I should follow one or two things, have a couple of dreams that I follow and any other dreams that I had would need to be either put on hold or put to rest. I was afraid of going for the wildest things on my list, I was afraid of failure. Through him, I learned that I can do anything; being his mom gave me the confidence to really go for my acting full force, in fact, that was the one thing that I was most afraid of.
And that leads me to the greatest part of it all, Atlanta. We moved here to ATL eight months ago. I moved here because I always felt being in a bigger city, with more people and opportunity would give me the push I needed to really excel at my dreams and goals to my fullest potential. Since I’ve been here, I’ve been able to meet new people in every aspect. I’ve done background and feature work on shows such as Star, the Resident, Black Lightning, Dynasty, Raising Dion and more, worked in films such as Bobby DeBarge and some of which haven’t been released yet as a background or feature. I am making strides on my long road to my dreams and doing everything that I can to make my mark here in this big Atlanta industry. I feel that I have so much to offer not only in services but also just my energy and aura. Hopefully one day, I will be able to come back to this moment and say that everything that I’ve done thus far, everything that I’ve been through up until now, will all be worth it. That time is coming soon. I can feel it. And I’m using everything I’ve learned along the way, all the Golden nuggets given to me, support and love to prepare me for my future.
This interview is a confirmation of that. My life consists of a series of “signs”, confirmations and synchronicities. Thank you so much for being interested in me. A small girl from a small town in this big world. I’m grateful and humbled, I’m excited to see what’s in store for the future.
You can follow my personal Instagram @queenjcoco and/or my henna artistry page @hennabyjacoya. I take bookings and appointments on both and I’d love to meet/collab and make magic with others.
Great, 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?
I definitely have had struggles. I feel like everyone is struggling somewhat to get to whatever their ultimate goal is, we’re all just learning along the way —some are simply further than others.
My biggest struggle along the way was definitely confidence and self-doubt. Certain circumstances in my life led me to a very dark place where it was hard for me to see the positive in any situation. I had to truly embark on a self-love journey alone before I could even do anything successfully in regards to my dream, my businesses or even my relationships. I had to embark on a healing journey and learn how to love myself truly with no limitations. It’s so cliche but so many people aren’t there. Henna was apart of this healing process for me. It’s a very intimate therapeutic experience for both the client and the artist in so many ways. I had to learn to embrace the things that have happened to me and jump over the obstacles that were in my way before I could even do anything in regards to my dream successfully. That was acting, modeling, even being a mother. It’s a constant, never-ending journey. But again, that’s why I’m so passionate about what I do, I love being able to share my story in-depth and help others along their journey to loving themselves, being confident, healing and getting to the place that I know is possible. I am a walking testimony that you don’t have to wear your trauma or walk around with it like a dark cloud over you, you can be happy, follow your dreams and truly go far in life no matter what you’ve been through.
Please tell us about Henna by JaCoya — JaCoya ‘CoCo’ Rivers.
CoCo Couture Artistry started out as just ‘Coco Couture’, I used to teach modeling runway and posing classes under that name back in my hometown. Once I started doing henna on a more professional level, I merged the two and it became Coco Couture Artistry; under this brand, I mainly do henna, but I also paint, do graphics and still from time to time teach and coach classes when I can. I specialize in all things natural, I only use natural products in everything that I do. I’m all about saving the environment and giving back what you take away. But I also specialize in building confidence. I assist my clients and students with self-discovery.
I am known for being a very free spirit, I love when I see progress on any level, in any situation. I am constantly looking for ways to self reflect, self discover and evolve myself. I often spread and send this energy out to others and attract people who are similar.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory would be competing in the pageant world. I remember the day of nationals, I got to go to Disney World in Orlando Florida. I had all of my family and siblings there with me. (I’m the oldest of eight btw) It was my first time in FL and I was so excited because I had worked so hard for months and months to get to that point. So many coaching’s, rehearsals and nights I stayed up remembering my speech so that I could really leave a lasting impression on the judges. I remember being a little girl and being able to get glammed up and showcase all of my talent and skill on stage always made me feel so powerful and unstoppable. It really gave me the ambition to be who I am today. My mom always had me super active as a child, I was a part of dance groups, gymnastics, cheer, and all of these things later in life. I feel I built the confidence that was key to succeed at these things through pageantry. I developed a purpose and platform very early because of it.
Pricing:
- Henna Mini Party Sessions (2-4 guest) -$100
- Small Henna Design – $35 & up
- Medium Henna Design – $45 & up
- Large Henna Designs – $55 & up
- Maternity ‘Belly’ Henna – $100 flat / $150 w/ photoshoot included
Contact Info:
- Phone: (770) 676-2997
- Email: coyarivers@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/queenjcoco
- Facebook: JaCoya T Rivers
- Twitter: @queenjcoco
- Other: Instagram for Henna – @hennabyjacoya
Image Credit:
Tiffany Cody (of Smash Glam), Devin Lyons (of Lyonswork Productions), Irma Lomidize (Irma Lomidize Photos)
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
