Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Di-Jana Keyes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Di-Jana, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I believe resilience for me comes from a deep impact of multiple situations in my life. I have had to face adversity within physical, mental, & financial moments. Mentally I’ve asked myself multiple times “why do bad things happen to good people.” I still ask myself this question, but not as often. However, as I physically continue to grow up in this cold world I feel the growth. I’ve been let down so often that I decided to test my faith. I became committed to myself to always seek positivity. I use to walk around so negative that it would change my character into being fearful & worrisome towards new opportunities, work, bills, & family. A financial experience for me would be I use to worry about my next dollar. I use to stress “when is it gonna be my turn?” But, I began to change my mindset & capability out of frustration. Everything that we see now on social media & everything that we want in life especially being the age that I’m at right now, I’m 28 from Los Angeles so living lavish & getting big money is a huge hustler motion. As I reflect on who I am today & the challenges I have faced so far in life I can only imagine how much stronger & powerful I will be to the pressure.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a published international model for commercial print runway. I have been modeling for 10 years & I was introduced to the opportunity when I was in college. I always knew I liked cameras, fashion, & makeup so I decided to pursue more deeper into the industry shortly after COVID in 2021. Since then I have discovered other talents for myself along the way. I began songwriting for HipHop in 2018 after Cardi B released Bodak Yellow & I developed my skills enough to produce my first single called “Slide 4 U” by RoseGvld streaming live on all available platforms back in January 2023. One year later that same month I released my first pictorial as a creative director in tribute to Mugler & Playboy. The image became published & featured onto two front page covered photo magazines in the Netherlands & California. Lastly, in March of 2024 I recently began my voiceover classes & I am currently looking to develop my acting skills & shoot for some background work to further develop my career. I honestly enjoy what I do & how I’m handling my business. I believe in being an independent artist 100%. When you take time out to develop yourself & build up your plans or goals from the ground up you feel every ounce of pressure, frustration, & stress. I enjoy those tough times because I never loose sight of who I am & who I do this for. I’m always booked & busy so I advise people to follow my social media & look out for any new projects I’m casted in or whom I’m casting for. When it comes to my personal projects I cast my own models. However, I’m always open to collaborations & having sit down meetings to create new images for magazines with designers, models, & photographers. My goal current goal as a model is to become the biggest creative director in Los Angeles for all aspiring models, developing photographers, models of color (M.O.C.’s), & emerging designers.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back I would first advise having a decent income established. It’s an honor to tell people I’ve been modeling for 10 years. However, many of those years are lost or uncounted for personally in my book because when I started modeling I was homeless & in college. I had a job, but the money I was making couldn’t sustain the things I wanted at the age of 18 around 2014. To model in Los Angeles will cost you money, time, & energy. Another tip of advice would be develop tough skin & positive energy. A model will go on more casting calls than bookings. A model will also come across more closed doors than approvals. It’s important to show that the confidence in the catwalk matches the confidence & personality of the model. Casting directors love good energy out of individuals that carry themselves in a professional manner. Always remember as a model you are being watched behind the scenes & always on the runway. Who you are will reflect onto your work in the industry. Finances play a huge roll in my life as a model, a creative director, songwriter, & an actress. To invest in your future you must invest in yourself. I can successfully say that because I am humble about my income I can book studio time, purchase studio equipment, payout models, photographers, & designers. Everyone should remember there is levels to this , because I have not listed all of my expenses. Looking good, feeling good, & living comfortably can add up to the cost of survival as well.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
I believe that right now my current struggle in life is just growing up. Becoming all that I can be a feeling like I’m running out of time. Realizing that life is a highway. We all maybe on the same path but the road along the way turns into different directions. For example having friends, classmates, colleagues, or coworkers start a family before me sometimes makes me feel like I’m missing out. I’m the only child, so I never really wanted siblings. However, the baby fever can be contagious off of one touch, smell, or attachment. Although I have high hopes to raise a family I must constantly encourage myself to pursue the things that make me happy as an individual, & then carry on that happiness through another force of energy towards my future husband & kids. Becoming an adult is very tough. The responsibilities tie us down and the pressure weighs in based on wants & needs. For example, I want to travel around the world, but I need money. At this point in life everything that is difficult for us personally whether it’s money, addiction, health, or other people’s problems we must make the best out of our situations to make a better tomorrow. Therefore, I believe that’s why I’m winning every month & congratulating myself every end of the year, because I’m not the same person I was about a year ago.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dijanakeyes.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.rose.gold007?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=onDSJJt3AFA&si=JLvVsLAiO6VQDVqH
Image Credits
@abigailsylvesterphotography @westside_camera @rvb.photos @patrickhrogers
