Meet Kaia Shea

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaia Shea.

Hi Kaia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi my name is Kaia Shea, I am a singer, dancer, model, and dancer. I started with my dancing and would go to clubs in Phoenix where you could battle. I was in my early 20s, and though Phoenix is a big city, I didn’t realize it’s not like New York. I couldn’t battle and be scouted like in many dance movies like “Honey.” I even invested in the light-up sneakers that used to be popular about 10 years ago. Then, one night, I was at karaoke with friends, and this guy and his friend came up and asked if he could use our table to set his drinks on; the place was packed, and I said yes. So we ended up talking and building a friendship. It turns out he was new to Phoenix, and he and his girlfriend are a DJ duo now known as Badkitti and are now local to Phoenix. I ended up becoming one of their 2 main dancers. Through that and networking, I was introduced to Tonia Land, whose Fashion line is Trampalina Fashions. From there, I have just been networking and growing as a model and dancer. I am also good at networking and seeing opportunities where others may not. It did not just happen overnight, and I am still growing. However, I am closer to fulfilling my dream than 10 years ago. It has not been easy, and there have been times I wanted to quit, but I’m glad I didn’t because this is a dream come true.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been anything but a smooth road. There have been many trials and tribulations. Some of the struggles I have dealt with have been knowing which leads to follow and which leads are dead ends. Other struggles are that we are in Phoenix, and Phoenix models don’t get paid; on occasion, you will find some that do. At least, if you are independent, you are not with an agency. When you’re with an agency, you are most often only allowed to go to shoots, commercials, or videos they have procured. However, once you get enough experience, you can start charging for your time. Also, when you’re dealing with artists, they are the ones who choose what girls they want in the music videos, and sometimes you don’t have the look they want.

One major struggle I have had to deal with is my depression hindering me from doing more. Sometimes, I will get depressed and won’t go to a casting call even though I wanted to go before, but I can’t seem to get out of bed or get motivated. This also leads to weight issues. I do not believe that you should have to lose weight to be a model; however for me, it’s a preference that I have for myself. However, I align myself with the companies that accept everyone for who they are, not those who have those archaic views. The last struggle I have encountered is when there are photo shoots or fashion shows; it’s not often, but sometimes during regular working hours. Because, as I mentioned before, we don’t get paid or paid enough to have it be our full-time job. That being said, most of us do have a full-time job that pays our bills, so being able to save that PTO time for fashion shows or photo shoots or if you’re going to shoot a music video in a different state, rather than keeping it for an actual vacation has been on the forefront of my mind.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a model, a dancer, and a singer. People mainly know me for my modeling and my dancing. I specialize in modeling more than dancing right now because I am modeling more. However, I am dancing a lot as well. And there are more dancing opportunities on the horizon. There are a couple of different projects in the works that will be coming up very soon! There are a lot of things that I am most proud of. The top being walking in New York Fashion Week a couple weeks ago, which is a tremendous honor and quite a big deal.

Another main thing that I am most proud of is being able to look back on the past growing up and being told by numerous people that there was no way that I could become a model. I look at my life now and can say that I made it. And not only did I make it with my modeling, but I’ve made it with my dancing and being in music videos. I can say that I am a former beauty queen and that I have been an extra in a couple of films. I can say that so many more things are on the horizon for me. I am also incredibly proud of how far I have gotten and how many different things I have achieved in the entertainment industry while being independent. Most models without an agency don’t get to do as much as I have done in as little time as I have done it.

My dedication, determination, and loyalty set me apart from others. Unfortunately, you don’t see many people dedicated to their craft these days. You don’t see many people who are determined to make it no matter what. When I am passionate about something, I go for it. How I look at it is I have to put everything I have into what I am passionate about. If we’re being honest, isn’t that what passion is all about putting your all into something because you want it or you need it, or it’s a part of every fiber of your being?

I’ve seen this quote on social media a few times in the last week, and it says something about everyone wanting to become successful until they figure out what it takes to get there. And that’s very true. It separates those who aren’t passionate about what they’re striving for and those who are. It separates those people who want or need it more than life itself. What sets me apart from others is that I fight for what I want or need and don’t give up until I achieve it. I am very hardheaded and stubborn.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking.
Well, I have different views on different types of risk-taking, lol. Most things are worth the risk. I have taken quite a few risks in my life. I was doing a Halloween-colored smoke bomb photo shoot, and we put the smoke bombs in the carved pumpkin. The research was done beforehand, so it’s supposed to be 100% safe; however, as we were doing the shots, the pumpkin blew up in my hand, catching flames. Instead of throwing it down like everyone told me, I wanted to get at least one great picture with it because it would’ve looked amazing and would be a great photo to have and submit. So I held it, but no one was taking the pictures, so I do have a four-second video clip of it, but that’s pretty much it. Another risk I have taken in my career has been turning down offers that seemed too good to be true. I do my research first; however, at times, there’s not enough information on the offer to decipher whether it’s a scam or not. In my experience, if it’s too good to be true, most of the time, it is. So, I take those calculated risks. However, the biggest risk I have taken in my life does not have to do with my career. It has to do with my heart. I took a huge risk where that was concerned, and I have been hurt for a long time over this risk. However, I am pretty sure that has unraveled and sadly I did not come out victorious. But as I said, if I am passionate about something, I put everything I have into it. If I’m passionate about something, I will do everything possible to make it work. So yes, I do consider myself a risk taker. If you never take risks in life, you never really live it. Life is all about taking risks, as cliché as that may sound. But the risk-takers are the ones who do amazing things in this world.

Pricing:

• Booking fee $50
• Session per hour $100

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Www.instagram.com/kaia_shea_
• Facebook: Www.Facebook.com/kaytlinmclaughlin
• Other: Www.TikTok.com/@kaiashea16

Image Credits
Cruz Gonzalez, HF Cone, Carlos Velarde, Dimeetre Tillery, Scott Hall