Rising Stars: Meet Shakyna Payne

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shakyna Payne.

Hi Shakyna, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My love and passion for fashion and all things beauty really sparked my interest in modeling at a very young age. I first started my modeling journey at the age of 11, and I have been passionate about it ever since. Growing up, I have always been the tallest in the crowd, I am now 6’2 and love my height. That’s one thing life and my unique look taught me over time, you must learn to be confident with who you are and the skin you’re in. I was actually turned away from several agencies in my youth for being too tall. With some doubt and little direction, I decided it was time to try a new hobby. I decided to use my height in a different way, and soon I started playing basketball when I hit the 8th grade. Although it was a very long journey to master the skills it took to play basketball due to no coordination and athleticism. I had spent countless hours in the gym, by myself, with trainers, and my number one supporter and rebounder – my Mother. My ball magnet days were finally over, I then took my skills to the collegiate level and ended up playing all four years in college on a full-ride scholarship at the University of Virginia. I felt beyond blessed to receive my scholarship, for it allowed me to play the sport I had first fell in love with from childhood. I was blessed to be able to travel the world for competitions and acquire long life friendships along the way. Being a student-athlete did not give me a lot of free time to pour into my own extracurricular activities outside of the ones I was already involved in at my University. This is why I was so proud of myself for graduating, something I had worked so hard for, balancing classes, my studies, preparation for exams, community service, countless hours on the court and field for basketball, including travel time, and hello!! Our games! So as you can tell from this long to-do list, I had my hands very full.

It wasn’t until I graduated when I was able to dedicate more time to my lifestyle outside of school and basketball, something I wasn’t able to do since I joined my first team in the eighth grade. Playing any sport is a huge time commitment, especially on the collegiate level. And unfortunately for me when I was in school, we couldn’t get compensated for our likeliness, meaning I couldn’t make any money for all the content I wanted to make, which is why I put a lot of my ideas, and my modeling career on hold until I graduated. My passion for content creating grew around my junior/ senior year, but once I finished my senior season, I was finally able to start my creative journey. I started my own Youtube channel (LifeOfKy), which focuses on lifestyle, fashion, beauty, travel, and many other topics. I came back home to Atlanta to pursue my modeling career, which has been going great these past two years post-graduation. I currently work with several big companies, black-owned companies, and many more. I appreciate finally being able to receive compensation for my work as well, something I had never seen before. It’s a great feeling to be able to focus more of my time and energy on the things I love doing such as; modeling, growing my social media platforms through content creating, and branding myself in the best light possible for great business deals.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Personally, my road to success hasn’t been the smoothest and is still an ongoing process. Modeling for instance, my number one goal post-graduation was to be signed with my dream agency of choice. COVID put a hold on a lot of things worldwide over the last two years, but for some people being in lockdown has really helped grow their business. The tricky thing with modeling is, it’s all visual, so due to the lockdown I wasn’t able to present myself face to face with some of the agencies I wanted to be a part of, and even to this day. In my opinion, applying online doesn’t always do you justice. I was able to focus on all the little things to prep for my calling, which was great, but I have hopes to being part of a higher platform. Things such as transitioning my body from a muscular athlete bod to a more feminine silhouette. I spent months adding on to and perfecting my portfolio, so when the time does come and agencies open back up there in person castings, I will be my best self. Another struggle of mine has been consistency. I personally feel like the more consistent you are the more you can grow. This being a new year, I strive to be my best self in 2022 and continue to be consistent in all areas of my life, along with my brand.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I classify myself as a content creator. I create modeling content, content for my YouTube channel, for Instagram, and now on TikTok. On each media platform, my main focus is fashion, lifestyle, beauty, and traveling. Which are all the things I’m most passionate in. Personally, It didn’t take me long to figure out what my niche was because these are the things I’m most interested in. My greatest accomplishment with modeling came early last year, the company Savage X Fenty by Rihanna personally reached out to me to be a brand ambassador. This was my first “big brand” partnership, a brand I manifested working with for years, and from the jump it has been a great experience. Within the first couple month of our partnership, I was told I was going to be their main go-to content creator, and I was even asked to model their Valentine’s day collection, which was posted on all of their socials. Over time I’ve been posted on their website for pretty much every outfit received, I have been sent personalized clothing and monthly sleepwear packages. To have only been modeling for a year since returning back home from college, and in the midst of the COVID lockdown, this was definitely one of my greatest accomplishments. Ever since this opportunity, more doors have opened, and new brand partnerships have been received. Although this process has been a slower process than expected, I do still wish I can use this as my big break to take me to the next level.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
For those just starting off and wish to be a content creator, my biggest takeaway from what I’ve learned over the years is to stay consistent. Consistency is always key when starting a new craft. Figuring out what your niche is is also very important. You need to know who your audience is because those are the people you are selling your product to. These will be your main supporters, and they need to see that you are constantly posting, consistently taking time to produce good content. With those two things in mind, I’m very confident anyone will see the results they want, taking their craft to the next level.

For those just starting off with modeling and wish to work with fashion/ clothing brands, beauty brands, hair companies, or any other niches. I suggest making a portfolio, this is how companies will see all your work. Your social media accounts, such as Instagram is a great start to showcase your portfolio as well. Post content that best fits your style, you want it to also specialize in the aesthetic for the particular brand or agencies that you wish to work with. Modeling is a visual art, you must have thick skin and be comfortable with the body you’re in. When I first started off when I was 11, I was very surprised after making a portfolio how many “No’s” I received. At that age, I was close to 6ft, which was quite tall, and being that height is one of the main things agencies look for, I was definitely surprised I was turned away. Total opposite from what I thought I was going to hear. I thought most agencies wanted tall models, but in my case I was “too” tall. At that age, I wish someone had told me to keep applying to other agencies, keep pushing, just because they didn’t want you doesn’t mean a different company would feel the same way. All agencies look for different aspects, so always bring your best self, research what that agency is looking for, and that door will open for you. Continue to be you, and don’t let anyone or their opinions of you stop you from doing what it is you are striving for.

Pricing:

• 100$ per hour for model bookings

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatspaynefull/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDLiDT-dPMJ-nHruRYXX87g/featured

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