Everyday Extraordinary: Sonia Barbie Tucker

I was born and raised in West Africa, and I moved to the United States eight years ago to pursue a modeling career.

The way I found success in such a competitive industry was to be relentless. I went to a ton of castings, shot with a bunch of photographers, and posted consistently on social media. Slowly but surely, brands began reaching out, and eventually, I got invited to walk in Harlem fashion week.

Behind every moment of success, however, was a lot of rejection. I think that’s important for people to understand — that the highlight reel moments you see on Instagram, or in an ad, are simply not the full story. You don’t get to yes without first surviving through a lot of no’s. 

I certainly haven’t always been confident. The truth is, I only started to be confident and feel beautiful when I started accepting my flaws instead of trying to change them. I always wanted to be a model and, with modeling, comes the traditional model body. I thought I needed to go through diet extremes to be successful, and that was extremely difficult mentally and physically.

My mom stopped me and said: stop trying to be somebody you’re not. When you embrace who you are, the right people will find you. I began the slow but necessary process of embracing my beauty, flaws and all — and trust me, it didn’t happen overnight. It’s a lifelong process of getting to know yourself and learning to love each new version of yourself you meet.

I don’t feel confident every day — some days it just doesn’t add up. My best advice? Fake it til you make it! Fake confidence has a way of turning into real confidence faster than you'd expect.

If all else fails, just play a Rihanna song. If there’s ever a mood I really can’t climb out of, she's my North Star. It doesn’t have to be a celebrity; we can be this person for each other. Confidence is contagious, and when you embody that energy, other people will have greater access to their own confidence.

To keep up with Sonia Barbie Tucker, follow her on Instagram!