Daily Inspiration: Meet Yvette Todea

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yvette Todea.

Hi Yvette, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m 32 years old, a single mother of two boys, an Artist and a Business Owner. I was born in the small town of Socorro, located in the desert mountains of New Mexico. Growing up with my Grandmother Frances, Aunty Tina and my Uncle Marvin, as my caregivers, we never had much in the way of money or lavish things, but they did their best to provide for my younger sister, youngest aunt and myself.

Fast forward to 2012, I was a college dropout with a 3 and 4-year-old. I was struggling to stay afloat while still providing for my mother and the father of my children, who were both incarcerated at the time. I hated my job and was falling farther and farther into debt. I was miserable. That’s when I decided enough was enough. I bought three greyhound tickets and gave away everything I had. I packed up a few suitcases and set off to find better opportunities. I had only $500 to my name, I found a trade-for-stay living arrangement in Arlington, TX, for a US Soldier that was going overseas and needed his house organized and his pets cared for. I started chasing my childhood dream of becoming a Model and began working with local Photographers to build up my resume and gain experience. I saved up every dollar I made to re-invest into my business licences and classes for posing, runway walking, lighting, and other essential skills I would need. I ended up befriending a Studio Owner, Charles Holland, after attending a photography workshop at his place. We were instant friends!

I started coming back to the studio for more workshops and often stayed late to help him clean up and organize things. Over time, Chuck would become one of my best friends and most influential Mentors! He put my first camera in my hands one day after a Photographer was a no-show for an out of town models shoot. He began to teach me the basics of Photography and I fell in love with it! Thanks to Chuck and a few other great photographers, Cory Boehne, David Mogray and Timothy Skaggs, I learned different shooting, lighting and editing techniques. I owe these great men a lot, for taking the time to teach and guide me as I was giving my way. I became the studio’s booking manager and took on side gigs as a Model coach and set ssistant. Over the past eight years, I have become fully immersed in the world of Modeling and Photography and have made these my full-time career. I started incorporating Body Painting into my creative shoots and became quite good at cosplay themes, expressive art and even have done set art and body paint for several music videos and live art events all over the United States!

I am blessed to be truly happy and every day that I go to work, I am doing what I love, creating beauty in an overwhelming grim world and seeing the “Wow” in people’s smiles when I work with them or put on a show. My artistic expression comes in many forms, but at the end of the day, I am just so grateful that I can add a little joy to the world. I have started my own insperational magazine and media company, Ambition Without Limits Media and A.WO.L Magazine, which focus on helping creators, entrepreneurs and artists grow and network. I am so amazed by the people I meet through my world travels and the stories of the people I have been blessed to work with and connect with. Artist and Innovators are so often overlooked or just taken for granted. The struggles we overcome, the battles we face, yet we still find a way to chase our dreams… now those are stories worth telling! I am honored to be able to do that now. My life has been a roller-coaster of amazing moments and incredible hardships. But it was all worth it!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have had more ups than downs on this journey, but yes, there have been some extremely rough patches since I left my desk job and decided to work for myself. There have been times I wanted to completely give up. Times I was ridiculed and pushed aside, even bullied by people I looked up to and told I was never going to last. But I just didn’t have “Quit” in my blood! I pushed through the hurt feelings, long nights, failed auditions and fake friends. I Pushed through the tears and self-doubt. I made myself keep going! And I so glad that I did!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a Body Painter, I absolutely love bringing my client’s ideas to life! It’s so fulfilling to be able to take a dream or idea and manifest it into reality with my own hands! As an actress and model, I love tapping into my childhood creativity and playful nature. It is quite an incredible feeling to be able to take on different personas, express moods and personalities, tiny acting roles or even bringing a character to life in my photos.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
All social networking outlets have played a huge role in my success. I especially want to thank Voyage Dallas for this interview and a huge shout out to my Ambition WithOut Limits media team across the nation!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: ImagesByYvette.com
• Instagram: @ytodea
• Facebook: Facebook.com/ytodea
• Other: Flow.page/ytodea

Image Credits
Photo by See Moore Photography- Carlos Moore Bizzy Byte Travis A Smalls David Pollard Wendy Smith