Today we’d like to introduce you to Tchissola Sebastião.
Hi Tchissola , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Tchissola Sebastião, but I go by Tchi. I am a model and content creator from Luanda, Angola, who loves being creative and dreaming big. I am passionate about singing, working out, helping people, modeling, acting, and just being artistic and creative. If I have made it to where I am today, it is thanks to my amazing parents, sisters, brother, and my boyfriend who have always been there for me and supported me. Since I was young, I have always known that part of my purpose in this world was to help people, whether through social media or counseling, which is the field I am currently pursuing a degree in. However, I have always been afraid of what others might think of me, and I have also been afraid of failing. After all, who isn’t?
In 2024, I started a podcast from my college dorm room using a Bluetooth microphone I bought at Five Below. The idea came from the fact that I was always talking to myself whenever I was alone. I could never seem to shut up! Whether I was talking about myself, sharing my thoughts, or discussing other things, I was always talking, and I had a blast doing it. That is when I started a podcast called *Bare w/me*. I remained anonymous because I was still afraid of people knowing who I was. On the podcast, I called myself “Yellow Girl” because yellow is my favorite color. From there, I began posting episodes every week. I had a few listeners, including my family, but no one really knew about the podcast. Unfortunately, as college became more demanding, I stopped posting and eventually deleted the podcast. However, I never stopped talking to myself, and I always knew that my purpose was to help people and share my thoughts, experiences, and ideas with them. In fact, one time, one of my professors, Dr. Wilson, called me out for being so quiet in class. He said, “Maybe there is someone in this classroom or out there who needs to hear something you have to say, but they don’t get to because you are quiet and too scared to speak up.”
His words stayed with me. After that, I slowly began opening up more, and in 2024, I started posting on Instagram and TikTok. I began sharing more than just TikTok dance trends. I started creating vlogs, comedy videos, workout videos, “Get Ready With Me” videos, and more conversational content. As I continued posting, I noticed that I was inspiring people. Whether it was one person or a hundred, someone was being positively impacted by my content. From that moment until today, I have continued creating and sharing. Along the way, I have also landed several collaborations with both big and small brands. However, I always try to stay focused on my purpose: inspiring people to pursue what they love, live authentically, embrace who they are, and move their bodies out of love rather than hate. Most importantly, I want to encourage people to practice gratitude and appreciate the lives they have been given.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth journey, as I am human, and doubt and fear are inevitable. Some days are better than others. However, I always try to remember my purpose, which is to help people, whether through entertainment, workout videos, advice, or other forms of content. As a content creator who focuses on fitness, there are days when I experience body dysmorphia, feel bloated due to hormonal changes or lack of sleep, or struggle with other factors that affect how I perceive my body, especially as a woman with PCOS. However, I always remind myself that my purpose is not to portray perfection. I want to be transparent with my audience because transparency is something the world, especially social media, needs more of. Therefore, even when I feel uncomfortable with aspects of my appearance, such as my cellulite, I keep going because I am human, and I have a human body. Despite all the fitness content and exercise videos I post, my goal is to show people a normal, realistic routine rather than one filled with restrictions, editing, and lies. In fact, creating something meaningful and inspiring can be uncomfortable because it requires us to be vulnerable, and vulnerability can be scary. However, I believe it is always worth it.
Something that has tremendously changed my life and fitness journey is the book *The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love* by Sonya Renee Taylor. My therapist recommended it to me, and I believe every woman should read this book at least once in her lifetime because it is truly eye-opening. Through this book, I learned that I should never apologize for the way my body looks. This lesson was deeply meaningful to me because, as a curvy woman, I have always felt that my body was inappropriate and that, if I were ever harassed, it was somehow my fault because of the way I looked. Growing up, I experienced harassment at school from my peers, from my girlfriends’ brothers, and from adults around me. As a result, I always wanted to hide. My greatest wish was to become invisible, which contributed to my shyness and my fear of speaking up or being myself because I hated being the center of attention.
Now, after years of therapy, personal growth, and healing from trauma, and thanks in part to Sonya Renee Taylor’s book, I walk with pride in the body I have and the woman I am. My body is not an apology, and this is how God made me. Therefore, I should never feel ashamed of my body, my appearance, my “Black girl nose,” or my loud laugh. Not only was I made in God’s image, but I am also my mother’s twin. My mother is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, and I am proud to be her twin.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, as I aspire to work with adolescents and young adults, helping them navigate life’s challenges. However, I also have a deep love for creativity and believe that we can pursue the things we love in life, especially when we have a talent for them. Therefore, I also aspire to become a singer and actress while advocating for mental health awareness and body positivity. Beyond my accomplishment of learning English nine years ago and becoming fluent, I am proud of my ability to learn other languages, such as Italian. However, what I am most proud of is my healing journey and my ability to inspire others through my experiences.
I believe what sets me apart from others is my strength, resilience, creativity, and willingness to learn and try new things. I believe everyone has something unique to bring to the world, and what I have to offer is kindness, positivity, and creativity.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was always a shy child and was very much a crybaby. I would constantly cling to my mother and older sisters. Surprisingly, when I became a toddler, I was also a rule-breaker at home and was always getting into trouble. Looking back, this is funny because those who know me now know that I am a goody-two-shoes! At school, I was always a great student. Aside from my loud laugh, which annoyed some of my teachers, I was well-behaved and excelled academically.
I have always enjoyed singing and acting, and I was always there for my friends. They often told me that I was very good at giving advice and that I gave advice like an adult. These experiences contributed to my desire and interest in becoming a mental health counselor.
Additionally, out of all my siblings, I have always been the most passionate about eating healthily and exercising. I remember several instances when my mother would put more vegetables on my plate or say, “Tchissola is the only one who eats all her vegetables.” These experiences contributed to my passion for living a healthy lifestyle. In fact, if God allows it, I would love to return to school in the future to pursue a degree in nutrition and fitness so that I can become a nutritionist and personal trainer.
I am grateful for my mother because she has always supported my interests and aspirations, and so did my father. My sister and I have always been a singing duo, and my mother encouraged our passion by putting us in the church choir. She bought my sister a guitar and me a piano, and she consistently supported our interest in filming shows and acting for fun. My sisters and I would also choreograph dances to our favorite songs every week and perform them for my mother. We called these performances “Shake It Up Chicago,” inspired by the Disney Channel show featuring Zendaya and Bella Thorne. These memories are incredibly important to me because they helped shape my personality, interests, and talents. My parents have always recognized my siblings’ and my talents and supported our dreams and aspirations. In fact, my father recently gifted me a sound system with professional microphones for my singing and song writing passion.
Regarding my desire to help people through counseling, I believe that, in addition to the qualities I inherited from my mother, such as kindness, active listening, loyalty, and a willingness to support others, my childhood environment also played a significant role. Growing up, I watched family members frequently visit our home and rely on my mother for support with just about anything. Even our childhood friends were always welcomed and treated with kindness when they came over for playdates. These experiences matter because witnessing the safe and healthy environment my mother created in our home inspired me to create a similar atmosphere in my future counseling office, where my clients can feel safe, supported, and understood. Beyond my professional aspirations, I also love creating a safe space for my friends, where they know they can always count on me.
Ultimately, my childhood played a significant role in shaping the woman I am today, and I am deeply grateful for the memories and experiences that helped me become who I am.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tchissolasebastiao.usa-models.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tchi__
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Lqs2QWUz7/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@tchiii4
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tchi__
