Meet zarria neal | Model, Cook, Business owner of Night Owl Candle Company

We had the good fortune of connecting with zarria neal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi zarria, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
The top 3 habits that help me succeed is waking up early, making a “todays intentions” list and being gentle with myself.. Also, self love/ self care is something i take part in everyday not just on Sundays 🙂

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I want to start by saying my motivation is my family. Not only my biological family but my friends who’ve become my family as well. They’ve inspired me so much. My mom started modeling at the age of 16. As a young kid around 5 or 6 I remember always going to her fashion shows with my dad and this one particular time she invited me on stage to walk the runway but I ended up dancing! Everyone in the audience loved it. I will always remember that feeling of satisfactory because I’ve always had stage fright. I was such a shy little girl. Fast forward to age 14, I used to cut out pictures in magazines and paste them all together on a board which was eventually nailed to my bedroom wall and I called it my fashion wall. Looking at that wall everyday gave me my sense of style I have today. I’ve always been the tallest and I always had strong features which made me stand out. It’s not a day that went past where someone told me “You should model” It wasn’t until 2015 when I started to take modeling serious. I was working at the Post office back home in Cleveland Ohio and just knew I was living for a higher purpose. I started doing Photoshoots with local photographers and just felt in my element! Being in front of the camera isn’t just that. Its the expression and the experience behind the expression. Modeling is a visual aid to people and I am so thankful to be apart of it. Just this year (2020) Ive signed to my dream agency, Natural Models LA, and begun working with brands such as Nike, urban decay, Melt cosmetics. I’ve taken a lot of leaps in life and each of them wasn’t a easy thing to do but I am here now and I feel GOOD! I know this might sound cliche but if your reading this, TAKE THAT LEAP. At the beginning of this year I planned on moving to New York with sister to pursue modeling but then Covid-19 hit and New York definitely wasn’t the place to be! Skip to April of last year, my friend Sumrr was doing my hair and I said “hey let’s go to California, let’s just get away from this place, FUCK RONA” hahahaha She was with it! Me her and my other friend stayed in California for 2 months almost 3 and loved every moment. I was only signed to my agency for a few months and already begun booking jobs even durning the pandemic. I went back home to Cleveland to pack up all my things and moved to the city of angels! TALK ABOUT A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING:) I am a firm believer in God and he has walked with me every step of the way. I am also working on a YouTube series where I will be answering my most asked questions about modeling and letting everybody in on my own perspectives of life. My self awareness sets me apart from others. I have a great understanding of my character, feelings, motives and desires. Having a better understanding of ourselves makes it easier to empower others and make changes.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out my agency Natural Models Management LA! THE TOP LA based agency the game for model sizes 2-22. Im surrounded by a great team full of incredible humans who are beautiful on the inside and out, nourishing, compassionate and driven.

Instagram: @Zarriaimone

Youtube: zarriaimone