In continuing with our Dear Younger Me Series, say hello to Akia! Tall beauty, wife, momma, creative and so much more.
Name: Akia Danielle
Age: 35
Height: 6’0″
Current City/State: Long Beach, CA
What are some of your favorite hobbies?
I love reading fashion magazines, self-help books, blogging and modeling. Basically anything that gets my creative juices flowing.
Current place on your bucket list to travel and why?
I would love to go to Paris, France during Fashion Week. It’s a dream of mine to see runway shows from Chanel and Balmain. I would love to just be a part of the whole scene, go to the after parties and be a part of the crowd. I’ll also happily eat all the french cuisine, crepes and croissants that I can handle.
Names & ages of your children:
My daughter, Zoe – 13 years old
My son, Taj – 9 years old
How did you meet your significant other? Share some of your love story with us.
My husband Damion is 6’4”. We actually met in a night club. Even though I was 19, I worked my way in at the door thanks to my height. #advantagesofbeingTALL . We both weren’t looking for anything serious, but I guess those are “famous last words”. We started to get to know each other and after a couple months I ended up moving back to the east coast. Even though we were across the country from each other, we continued to talk and get to know one another. After 6 months, we became an official “couple” and I moved back to California. We’ve been together ever since. We are complete opposites in every way, but you know they always say “opposites attract”. We have been together for 16 years, married for 12. He is my best friend and I couldn’t imagine life without him.
What is your favorite thing about being a mom? And what has been your biggest challenge?
One thing I love about being a mom is that my little ones are literally an extension of me with their own personalities. I hope that makes sense. They are my greatest accomplishment in life. My biggest struggle is having to race against society to educate them about life. The internet is a blessing and a curse, if you know what I mean.
What is your favorite thing about being tall?
I love my legs! But honestly, the one thing I love about being tall is how I stand out in a crowd with little effort. I used to hate this when I was younger, but now I have come to really enjoy it.
Growing up, did you have any examples of tall, confident women? If so, who were they? What’s one of the biggest things you learned from them?
Growing up, my mom was an inspiration as a tall confident woman. She tried to build that confidence in me. But sadly, I let the comments of others block me and negatively affect me. Now I understand what she was trying to show me: to be comfortable in my own skin and forget what the rest of the world thinks. I don’t let the outside noise get to me like I used to.
What is one piece of advice you wish you could give your younger self? What is one thing you wish someone would’ve told you growing up that you want to pass on to your daughter?
I would tell myself is not to shrink down for the comfort of others or their validation. I tell that to my daughter today. Sometimes I still have to remind myself of this. Even in my adult life, there have been some women who look at me and judge me as if I don’t have my own insecurities to work on. They make assumptions based on appearance. Just because I am tall and slim doesn’t mean I have everything easy in life. Or that I shouldn’t be included in celebrating body positivity too. It’s easy for people to judge a book by it’s cover, but I suggest you read a few pages first. We are all a work-in-progress.
Show a little love, spread a little compassion. We are all a work-in-progress.
With Love,
Let Height Arise