Today we’d like to introduce you to Shekinah Griffin.
Shekinah, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I just needed something different! I wanted everything in my life to be different! I was tired of the life I was living, tired of the poor choices I’ve made and now I was living in the consequences. I was pretty much tired of my self I NEEDED CHANGE, so I decided to cut my hair and that was the beginning of my life CHANGING TRANSFORMATION .
I was always very ambitious, outgoing, overachiever type,I DID EVERYTHING! I was a backup dancer, choreographer, I did photography for events, started modeling, bartending, hosting/ hospitality, PR in professional/amateur boxing, event coordinator YOU NAME IT I CLAIMED IT! I thought I wasn’t the problem, I thought the problem was the people I choose to be around or seek attention from sometime the things I did for attention, the places I went BEING IN THE WRONG CITY ,just the general direction I took myself WAS ALL WRONG! I did so much but always ended up so unhappy or unsatisfied. Once I cut my hair, I then decided to dye it BLONDE AND THAT REALLY CHANGED THINGS! I was recognized by a former MISS OHIO pageant winner who thought I’d be a great candidate to run for MISS OHIO! Never a goal, never a dream it completely terrified me. I didn’t have as much confidence as those women, the self-esteem, the self-respect, I lacked discipline. These women were formal NFL/ NBA cheerleaders, models, dancers, etc. ALL MY INSECURITIES IMMEDIATELY SURFACED I felt I didn’t qualify, I didn’t feel good enough like I hadn’t accomplished enough let alone I didn’t think I was beautiful enough BUT FOR SOME REASON I STILL TRIED! The encourage and support I got was unmatched, the day of the pageant came AND I DIDN’T SHOW UP I LET MY INSECURITIES AND FEAR GET THE BEST OF ME AND I RAN from the opportunity.
The morning after the pageant the representatives of the pageant were beating down my door to crown me MISS CINCINNATI OHIO I DIDN’T WIN the overall competition to be crowned MISS OHIO BUT I WAS RECOGNIZED AND CHOSEN OUT OF ALL THE WOMEN THAT CAME OUT TO REPRESENT CINCINNATI AND MAN THAT DID SOMETHING TO MY SPIRIT, MY CONFIDENCE! I still needed more! I needed to validate myself more, love myself more, be proud of myself more, know my worth, respect myself more , set more boundaries AND BE FIRM, have more loyalty to myself, I JUST NEEDED MORE! Inconsistently I modeled here and there but the opportunities in my city weren’t fulfilling.I started to see a bigger picture, I started to see my true potential, all my beauty and my talent started to flash before my eyes so I went in!! I started doing internal work, soul searching, soul surgery, tapping into my spirituality and the motivation behind that was of course life events BUT MAINLY ME IT WAS ALWAYS ME. I miraculously discovered Dr Sebi and Dick Gregory who redirected my mind back to THE REAL REALITY!
To skip ahead, I started doing Internal work, changed my diet, stopping doing a lot of things, stopped engaging with a lot of people and redirected my focus and energy more on me and what I really wanted out of life which is to be happy, healthy and successful! I never would of thought making changes to my diet would CHANGE MY ENTIRE LIFE. I started having totally different perspectives than before, I started moving totally different than before. I WAS JUST DIFFERENT ALL AROUND THE BOARD AND I LOVED IT BUT I STILL WANTED AND NEEDED MORE! So I continued the inner work which brings me so much ESPECIALLY A PEACE OF MIND AND HEALING BUT I NOTICED HOW I STARTED attracting different and better people, different and better opportunities and I wanted more which I then decided I just wanted OUT! Out of Cincinnati out of my old life, ways of thinking, being , out of my old job, I just needed to escape! I started searching opportunities out of town ESPECIALLY IN ATLANTA GEORGIA which was THE BEST THING I COULD DO FOR MYSELF. To fast forward to today I now live in ATLANTA, my modeling career is EMERGING TREMENDOUSLY IN THE DIRECTION I WOULD LIKE IT TO GO IN, I still practice holistic care healing which is so amazing and life-changing. I encourage and influence others as much as I can to educate themselves on the changes I’ve made and the things I consistently practice and apply them to their everyday living. I’ll soon be turning this into a business because I love it!! I’ll have an LA location and an ATL location!
As far as modeling, I’ve grown TREMENDOUSLY! IVE walked for celebrity designers like Reco Chapple of House of Chapple based out of Atl, Yvonna Momplaisir of Momplaisir by Yovanna of Atlanta House Wives. I definitely have to mention the emerging designers who believed in me and consistently gave me the chance to not only represent their brand but showcase my talent Andrea Williams of Delicate Kreations and Yemi Yemonya of Hooded by Yemonya who collaborate frequently with celebrity designer/ stylist Miguel Wilson of the Miguel Wilson Collection based out of Atlanta. It’s always a pleasant representing these ladies and to walk in Mr. Wilson’s famous star-studded high fashion, classy events. I would also like to recognize NEW YORK DESIGNER who now resides in Atlanta Shontay Racquel who I got to represent at the BET BLACK WOMENS EXPO 2019, she had me turning heads in her custom two pieces suit with a stylist derby type hat , HONEY..WE STOLE THE EVENING with that look. I’ve even had the opportunity to assist celebrity designer and stylist Christian Cowan at Columbus Fashion Week where he was the headliner designer showcasing his heel collection in which he collaborated with Giuseppe and his team included a master seamstress with over 40 years of experience that I now personally connect with and look up to! I’ll be walking for him too at a New York Fashion week. I also got to collaborate with Macy’s Easton of Columbus Personal Stylist Kris Hays to style over 50 models for a runway show in Macy’s for Fashion week Columbus. I’ve been published twice in Hyer Magazine and Walk Magazine (walk fashion show) I featured on Atlanta based reality series like Models of Atlanta and Why Did I Become a Model both events featured THE AMAZING VAN MILLER OF Van Miller International who I cant wait to represent. My journey has been incredibly insane and this is just to name a few of my accomplishments and collaborations! To sum it up BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, not only should you set goals but STRIVE FOR THEM. Have faith in yourself but most importantly GOD have discipline/consistency AND YOU WILL EXCEED WHAT YOU INITIALLY SET OUT FOR AND GET MORE! Pray, give thanks, stay humble and APPRECIATE PEOPLE!
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?
The road has not been smooth at all. So many unwanted things happened in the mist of perusing things I wanted to happen while things I wanted to happen were happening.You just can’t give up or forget why you set out for the changes in the first place. I had multiple deaths in my family, some friends die from violence and just life in general was happening. To give an example, I was double booked in Atlanta for a weekend to walk in Atlanta Fashion Week 2019 and Miguel Wilson Fashion Polo Classics. The night I got to Atlanta I ended up losing my debt card before I could check into my hotel which had all my money on it. I had a photoshoot the next morning which I needed to pay the make up artist, my starter in my car started going out, I missed an important meeting, got a speeding ticket on my way to Atlanta and in Atlanta trying to rush back to find my card I just wanted to give up I was so defeated!! Thankful, I didn’t! Photographer Jay Barnes of Jay Barnes Photography and his wife allowed me stay at their home until the next morning allowing me to rest ,rejuvenate and re-approach things. He gave me lots of wonder advice and encouragement. I got to go withdraw money from the bank , attend the fashion week where I walked for Reco Chapple, Yovanna Momplaisir and other amazingly talented designers while meeting wonderful people who I have business and personal relationships with today! I walked in the Fashion Polo Classics as well to receive recognition and be approached at both events for wonder opportunities that I’ll soon share the work from. So yeah… lol never give up ,don’t let small things take your focus from the bigger picture, get through it , it too shall pass!
Shekinah’s Graces – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’m an emerging high fashion model that’ll be the face of most if not all of the top designers of the world like Gucci, Prada, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Alexander Wang, Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Versace, Robert Cavalli, YSL, fenty beauty you name it I CLAIM IT. I’ll soon have 2 holistic care spa/ products and vegan restaurants which all products and food will be plant-based, natural, my personal recipe and made with good energy, position vibes and healing powers in a positive environment.I am most proud of my growth and development I’ve come so far but know I have so much farther to go but I’m excited about the journey and I’m headed in the right direction. What sets me apart as a model, a healer and everything that I do is the fact I do it all out of love, with pure intentions, to help, inspire and motivate others. I build confidence, I give faith and most importantly I HEAL.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Every moment has been the proudest because I never imaged these things happen for me and to me! I am published in two magazines so far and a podcast as well as a billboard! I’m Extremely blessed and protected by God who never gave up on me or lost faith in me who kept giving me strength, love, support, peace, courage and LESSONS TO CHANGE FOR THE BETTER SO I CAN BE BETTER FOR EVERYONE ELSE! Can’t pour from an empty cup nor a cup full of non sense! GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME. All this time I just needed to return to ME! I needed to Cleanse my mind, body and spirit, strengthen and value my relationship with god while continuing to develop it and GET BACK TO MY NATURAL ROOTS! I NEEDED TO RECOGNIZE MYSELF AND MY PURPOSE! IVE ALWAYS BEEN EVERYTHING I AM! IM EVERY WOMEN LIKE WHITNEY HOUSTON , it’s all IN ME, I DO IT NATURALLY!
Contact Info:
- Phone: 5132251899
- Email: shekinah.griffin89@yahoo.com
Image Credit:
Jay Barnes Photography, Avf photographers, Always3am, PT357, tdvisualarts
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