We were lucky to catch up with Teleonte Smith-Tasco recently and have shared our conversation below.
Teleonte, we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?
When it comes to self-care I usually treat myself to a spa day or I go to the gym to workout. I find that I am able to relax and process that day’s events that have unfolded. I also am able to think about what I am going to next.
I think it has a positive impact on my effectiveness. I am able to return back to work more productive and I feel great about myself. I get a lot more things done when I am relaxed.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a model who has been in the industry on and off for 4 years. I started off in 2019 at a fashion show in Chicago, IL. I am a shy, introverted person and I wanted to do something that would get me out of my shell.
From there I have accomplished some amazing feats in my modeling career.
In 2019 I landed a feature in Ulta Beauty. In 2020 I did a campaign for a legging apparel brand, I was featured in magazines and got my first cover. In 2021 I was featured in Italian Vogue and I signed with Posh Model Management. In 2022 I took a step back from modeling to focus on myself. I still did photoshoots here and there but I wasn’t as active. I started to really take my health more serious in 2022.
In 2023 I plan on being more active and put myself back out there to see how far I can go. One goal I have is to be featured on a billboard. I have always wanted to see myself displayed on a billboard in a major city.
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?
I’d say looking back, some qualities, skills, and areas of knowledge that I had/have that were impactful were: determination, marketing, and uniqueness.
I knew that I didn’t have the “traditional” look of a model so it would be harder for me to break in the industry. I received a lot of rejection but I didn’t let it stop me from pursuing modeling. I was determined to get seen somehow in some sort of way.
As the time went on I learned how to market myself. I built relationships with different photographers, MUAs, magazine publishers, and I connected with different modeling agencies. I would either work with them or I would pick their brains to see how they operate to learn how I could apply those things to what I was trying to accomplish.
When I first started out, there were hardly any non-binary models that were out especially in the Midwestern area. I learned how to use my unique appearance to my advantage. There were drawbacks of course but with the good comes the bad.
Advice I would give anyone who is early starting out or wanting to start out is to go for it. I say surround yourself with likeminded individuals and pursue your dreams; don’t be afraid to ask others who are in the field for advice.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
Someone who has been quintessential in my modeling career is Joey Joëlle.
She is a modeling coach, talent scout, MUA, sometimes photographer at SCE Agency. She is a woman who wears many hats but is always willing to help anyone who has questions about modeling or the industry as a whole.
When I first met her, she was very warm and friendly. She answered any question I had and she gave me great advice. She taught me how to conduct myself in professional settings, how to prepare for castings, what to expect and how to avoid scams.
I still ask her questions to this day.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Instagram.com/teleonte
- Facebook: Facebook.com/teleontes
- Twitter: twitter.com/tsmithtasco
Image Credits
Model @teleonte Mua @magdarodmakeup Model Coach @model__coach Photographer @brinhill.official Retoucher @retouch.elena Cr. Director @itsjoeyjoelle MA @sceagency
