We recently connected with Ionia Wilson and have shared our conversation below.
Ionia, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
One risk that I believe has made a large impact on my life and career is moving across the country from Florida to Arizona. To a lot of people. a move may not seem like much but to someone who has never left their hometown of Tampa FL. It was life changing. At the time of the decision, my husband and I were looking to change jobs and he mentioned wanting to look at other states (he has lived in quite a few dfferent states before). I told him I would be completely on board as simple as going to the store. I felt nothing tying me to my city and needed a change. Although this was a risk, it was still a calculated one. My husband and I prayed, fasted, packed, and planned how to move everything with no offers or idea where we were moving. Suddenly an opportunity came up for a job in Phoenix AZ which neither my husband nor I have even visited before. I reassured him that I meant it when I said I was willing to take this risk. All the conditions were right and with the encouragement of our friends and family, we left with no regrets and have been in love with Phoenix ever since. Taking such a huge risk as this reinvigerated my passions I had long let go like modeling and hosting. When I compared a stage to packing up my life and moving across country to a city I’ve never seen, it suddenly seemed less initimidating.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
A little about myself, I am a Christian, Wife, Model, MC, Artist, and new Entrepreneur. I started modeling in college through ” Prestige Modeling Troupe” which is a college based organization used to train and develop models and other fashion industry careers. This afforded me the opportunity to model in and even organize fashion shows as well as work with local designers and business owners. In regards to becoming a MC, I have been public speaking since I was a child but really started developing my technical skills in high school which carried over to college. I participated in pageants, speech contests, even a random rap contest. I continued on to repeatedly host events, perform spoken word, and assist other in their performances. After graduating I took a long break from modeling and speaking to find a career in my major of Psychology. It was not until I moved to Arizona that I felt God calling me to express myself creatively again. I went from staging photos with my phone (thanks to the help of my husband King Wilson) to photoshoots with brands, walking in shows, and signing to Scout Model Management, I even returned to hosting at Official Phoenix Swim Week 2023. I am now open for bookings for both modeling and hosting but I do not plan for my entrepreneurial journey to stop here. I am working on a product that I hope to unveil in the near future.
One thing that sets me apart is my love and constant support of local and minority owned businesses. I go out my way to purchase from and support these businesses because I believe in the power of community. In addition to being a patron, I showcase these businesses through my #ShopWithSol series on Instagram. I started the series because every time someone complimented something on me, I would excitedly share the story of where I found it, who the owner was, and why they should buy from them! It just made sense to make an easily accessible way for others to purchase from these businesses too. As a black woman, I love knowing that my money is going somewhere that not only represents me but welcomes me. I simply want that same feeling to carry over whenever someone works with me too.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My biggest drive on my creative journey is to one day be in a position to invest in the goals of others. especially the youth. I want to be able to give my time, resources, knowledge, etc. to helping others succeed. I love learning about what people want to do in life and offering guidance on the different options they have. I’m a strong believer that you sometimes don’t get to see the results of your work because it’s meant to help someone else.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn “finding my purpose”. I used to think I had to find one path to just focus on. It was not until I realized that I am not limited in the number of times I can start over nor am I limited in the number of dreams I can have. There is no opportunity that will keep me from achieving what I desire. I once believed that I had to stay the path I received my degree in but I was not finding much satisfaction because I was not doing the creative things that motivated me. I only continued down that career path because I thought my invested time meant that it was my purpose. The reality is that we do not have one set purpose. My purpose is exactly what I am doing at the moment, even if it looks different then what I’ve done before. I am an artist, model, speaker, mental health advocate, entrepreneur and more, even if they are all in different seasons. As the scripture says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
Contact Info:
- Website: ioniawilsonportfolio.com
- Instagram: @ifollowthesol
Image Credits
Mark H Thompson- @Officialfoto602 Chriss Lay Media Harlan Cone- Randramoreproductions