Today we’d like to introduce you to Torian Jones
Torian, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Well first, thank you so much for the opportunity to share my story with you. Being born and raised in Farmville, VA, I’ve always been a small town girl with big dreams. I began singing solos in my church’s youth choir, ‘The Joy Bells’ at the age of four. I sang a song called ‘It’s In Him We Live’ every Sunday and I just remember being the smallest one in the choir, standing in front of the church holding the microphone with my pretty church dresses my grandma would dress me in, marching to the beat of the drums in my tulle socks and patent leather black shoes. I’ve always known I was meant to be an instrument to help people in some way and music was my first discovered outlet to do that.
I wrote my first song from a poem that I had written about my childhood crush and losing myself in loving him. Even though I was in tenth grade and being slightly dramatic, I sang the song one day for my cousin Kenya and she said ‘Thats India.Arie song?”. I knew then that I could write music – I knew I had something.
Although music is my first passion, I love finding new ways to express myself. Modeling is an interest that I suppressed in my teens, in my mind choosing being smart over being beautiful. I didn’t begin to take myself seriously as a model until after I had my son and was two years into working as a high school Biology teacher. A friend of mine and veteran model, Kay Woodson, started sending me casting calls and I was in a really motivated place in life where I wanted to try everything that came my way. I went to my first casting call confidently and realized that I was probably born to walk a runway. It came so natural. It felt like I belonged. I had discovered my newest form of expression.
Around the time that I began to model, I had also recently begun my lifestyle brand, Beyouniquorn. Beyouniquorn Holistic Lifestyle Services is a brand that was created from needs I found in my everyday life. I began my business with training to become a doula after going through my pregnancy alone and wanting to take a more natural approach to childbirth with no guidance. I didn’t learn the term ‘doula’ until late in my pregnancy, but I was too overwhelmed to find one by then so I decided I would become one to help other curious moms like me. As of now, Beyouniquorn offers mobile labor and post-partum doula services in the DMV regions and North Carolina, virtual and in-person yoga classes, mobile massage services, an organic tea blend and lifestyle products to improve mental health and self care. I’m working currently on the relaunch of Beyouniquorn and new services.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I always say, ‘you only face resistance if you’re trying something’, and I’ve tried a lot of things. One of the biggest struggles I’ve had to face is just realizing that I can’t bring everyone along on the journey with me. I’ve tried to create projects where people close to me’s talents could be showcased with mine and I’ve had to learn and become comfortable in knowing that everyone is not ready to grow at the same time. Of course, I learned this lesson by being disappointed but it’s a lesson I’ll never forget. I’ve also learned that my belief in my dream determines my supporters’ belief in my dream.
In business, my biggest struggle came when I decided to quit my job to completely focus on building the business without mentorship. Although, this allowed me to establish an excellent foundation logistically for my business, I had no capitol to maintain my business and eventually, although I was making money from clients and classes, the expenses of my bills and resources to create products and keep business operating became more than I could handle and I had to re-enter the workforce as a source to finance my business. In the time it felt like a struggle, but now I just see it as a lesson. I know so much more this time around with relaunching my business than I did before and I have my struggles to thank, honestly.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a vocalist with an R&B, soul, jazzy, gospel vibe. Since I was born in the 90’s, my aura, at its’ core, is very R&B/Hip Hop. I am known for my raw, unique vocal talent. I wouldn’t exactly compare my sound with anyone because I have a voice that I’ve been told over time is very acquired, but my inspirations span from Nina Simone, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Tweet, Lil Mo, Mary J. Blige, Kelly Price, Fantasia, Jazmine Sullivan, Monica, and Brandy just to name a few. My goal is to reassure people, through my musical content, that they aren’t alone. I believe that my experiences in life this far weren’t only for me but for someone who hears my message to understand that nomatter how well we cover up our mess, we all have mess.
As a model, I’m known to be a show opener. Although I don’t stand as tall as your average model at 5’6”, I have a runway attitude that stands over 6 feet tall. I knew coming into this game that I would need a presence that was unforgettable. Since I began modeling at 27, I knew I would be at the older end of the spectrum compared to girls around me so there would need to be something to set me apart. I believe that my graceful yet sassy walk and presence on the runway along with my comfortability posing in front of the camera, or audience as a body paint model. have helped me stand out as a model. My authenticity and genuine care for people is another thing that allows me to stand out. I love using everything I do as a tool to build new relationships and find new resources. Models get caught up in the speed of the industry and forget to take the time to sometimes greet volunteers and even new models and I’ve had people actually mention to me that they remembered me from a prior casting call because I was one of the only models who said ‘good morning’. I always try to show love to everyone when I’m doing anything creatively, because creativity takes courage and we all deserve to express ourselves unapologetically.
I am most proud of my continued pursuit of all of my passions. Being a multi-faceted artist can be very consuming and over-stimulating at times, but I love combining music, fashion and healing and look forward to more ways and opportunities in the future to continue to merge the three.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was bubbly and took a lot of naps. I had a friend group but I appear always knew how different I was than my friends. Our family dynamics, living situations and even the areas we lived in probably would’ve normally kept us from being friends, but we were the ‘smart black girls’ so we were in all the same classes and conveniently became inseparable. I eventually settled with the reality that I was a little too ghetto for the ‘smart’ kids and a little too square for the ‘hood’ kids so I spent a lot of time in my own world. I hung out with my family a lot. On Saturday mornings, I was either at the car wash with my cousin Ant or in Richmond thrifting with my Aunt Shelia. I was raised in a stylish family, so I found my sense of style at a very young age. Since my mom had my hair in finger waves in second grade, I kind of just had to accept that my style was going to be different. I still don’t understand why I had finger waves to the back with a flip at the end in second grade, but it made me comfortable looking ‘different’ at an early age. In high school I opted for the alternative black girl look with the industrial piercing, spiked belts and knee-high converse over acid washed jeans. I’ve always been extremely expressive through fashion whether it was with clothes, hair color, piercings, or tattoos; I have been intentional about my self discovery journey for as long as I can remember. I remember going natural at 15 years old and how everyone thought it was so ugly and didn’t understand why I would CHOOSE to walk around with a nappy head. Needless to say, that was before natural hair became ‘cool’ to have and less than a year later almost every person who had strong opinions about my natural hair had done the big chop.
I’ve always been a natural leader and have been on a search for ‘tribe’ that I believe started as a young girl in a friend group. I was super protective of my friends and their feelings – I was definitely the friend that fought my friends battles without hesitation. Since I became an aunt in middle school, I matured a little faster than my friends though. I began exploring the nurturing side of me at a young age and knew from a teen how much I wanted a family of my own one day. Growing up, family was the most important thing to me. My friend group, who were my sisters in my head, and the family I shared blood with were literally all that mattered. I journaled a lot and exercise became part of my life early. I was on a step team as a child, I cheered throughout my teens and have been a part of some type of choir my whole life so entertaining is something I have always enjoyed doing. My French teacher, Ms. Simon, (who later ended up being my colleague) used to tell me “Torian, you’ve got the ‘look at me’s’, every time you come in a room, you’re so loud we can’t help but to look at you.” I would say that my volume is a lot quieter now, but my essence is forever loud.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/beyouniquorn
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inthareign
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@inthareign
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-774650495
