Today we’d like to introduce you to Wanae Smith.
Hi Wanae, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story honestly isn’t a straight line, and I think that’s what makes it mine. I’ve always been someone with multiple interests and a need to create. Over the years, I’ve explored different spaces—from psychology and working with people, to modeling and acting, content creation, wellness, food, and community work. For a long time, I thought I had to choose one thing and make that my identity, but I’ve learned that all of those pieces are part of who I am. My creative journey really grew when I started allowing myself to show up online as myself instead of trying to fit into one specific niche. I began sharing more of my experiences with beauty, skincare, fitness, wellness, food, modeling and acting. After being laid off due to a work injury, I started working with brands and creating content professionally. At the same time, I’ve continued pursuing acting and modeling opportunities while finding ways to use my platform to document the process. Not just the polished moments, but the behind-the-scenes work that goes into becoming the person you’re trying to be. I’m still building, and I think that’s an important part of my story. I’m not being interviewed from the perspective of someone who has everything figured out. I’m someone who kept creating, kept evolving, and kept finding new ways to use the gifts and interests I’ve had all along.
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?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of my biggest challenges has been learning how to keep moving forward when life doesn’t necessarily look the way I imagined it would. A huge part of that has been learning to trust God even when I don’t understand what He’s doing or where He’s leading me. I’ve experienced seasons where I’ve had to rebuild financially, professionally and personally while still trying to pursue my creative goals. There have been moments when opportunities slowed down, plans changed unexpectedly, doors closed, and I had to trust God for what my next move was. Those seasons challenged my faith, but they also strengthened it. I’ve had to learn that a closed door doesn’t always mean rejection and that sometimes God’s redirection looks completely different from the plan I had for myself. Being a multi-passionate creative has also been challenging because there can be so much pressure to pick one thing. I’ve questioned whether I needed to choose between acting, modeling, content creation, food, wellness or the more traditional professional experience I have. But the more I’ve grown in my faith, the more I’ve realized that God didn’t give me multiple gifts for me to feel ashamed or confused about having them. I don’t have to erase pieces of myself just to make my journey easier for other people to understand. One of the biggest things God has been teaching me is to trust His timing while still doing my part. Faith doesn’t mean I sit still and wait for everything to happen for me. I still have to show up, create, audition, work, learn, take risks and be willing to start over when necessary. I just don’t have to have every single step figured out before I move. I’m learning to give myself permission to evolve privately and to trust God publicly through every version of that evolution. Some seasons are going to look successful from the outside, and others are going to be seasons where I’m rebuilding behind the scenes. I’ve learned that God can be present in both. I may not always understand the season I’m in while I’m living through it, but looking back, I can usually see that there was purpose in it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a multi-passionate creative, and my work lives at the intersection of content creation, storytelling, food, beauty, wellness, modeling and acting. I’ve learned that I don’t have to put myself into one creative box, so I’ve intentionally built a space where all of those parts of me can coexist. As a digital content creator and UGC creator, I work with brands to create authentic, relatable content that feels like a real person sharing an experience rather than someone simply reading an advertisement. I create product reviews, demonstrations, lifestyle content, short-form videos, event and experience recaps, and food-focused content. I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with brands across beauty, skincare, wellness, haircare and lifestyle, and I’m continuing to expand into food, hospitality and local businesses. Food is another major part of my creative work. I have a culinary background from attending a vocational high school where I studied culinary arts, and today I’ve brought that passion back through Nourished by Cocoa, my food and meal-prep brand. Through Nourished by Cocoa, I create food content, recipes and cooking experiences while also offering meal-prep and food services in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. One of my goals is to continue growing that side of my business through partnerships with restaurants, food and beverage brands, and hospitality businesses. I’m also an actress and model, which has played a huge role in how I approach storytelling. Whether I’m on a set, backstage at an event, creating a campaign for a brand, reviewing a restaurant or cooking in my own kitchen, I love being able to take an experience and turn it into something people can connect with. What I’m most proud of is that my work feels like me. I don’t want people to come to my platforms and feel like they’re watching one long commercial. I want them to laugh with me, learn something, discover a product or place they genuinely might enjoy, try a recipe, follow my journey and feel like they actually know the person behind the content. Right now, I’m open to UGC and content-creation projects, brand partnerships, restaurant and hospitality collaborations, event coverage, modeling and acting opportunities, as well as meal-prep and food-service inquiries throughout DFW. I’m excited about continuing to build relationships with businesses and creatives in Dallas while growing each part of what I do.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One of my earliest memories involving food is actually a little traumatic but hilarious to me now. I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but I remember trying to warm up my breakfast and putting a boiled egg in the microwave. I took it out, cut into it, and the egg literally exploded in my face. It burned my forehead badly enough that my mom had to take me to the emergency room. When they asked her what happened, she told them, “She was trying to cook and burned herself.” It’s funny looking back because apparently I was determined to be in the kitchen before I even knew the rules of the kitchen. Thankfully, that experience didn’t scare me away from cooking. I eventually went on to study culinary arts in vocational high school, and food has continued to be a part of my life in different ways ever since. Now, I’ve been able to bring that love of food full circle through my food content and meal-prep services. So I guess you could say my culinary journey started with an exploding boiled egg and thankfully, my technique has improved significantly since then.
Pricing:
- Content Creation / UGC Starting at $175 Pricing varies based on campaign scope, deliverables, usage rights and turnaround time.
- Food Content & Brand Partnerships Starting at $200 Custom packages available based on content needs, deliverables and partnership scope.
- Meal Prep / Food Services Starting at $180 for 7 meals Additional meal packages and custom food services available. Delivery fees may apply.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cocoagoddess__?igsh=MTUxN3MwOWZqMTdkYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/192yVqM3Rj/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@cocoaoncam?si=70nkuQPWGioyYUEw
