Meet Woodarlie Toto | Registered Behavior Therapist, Model, Content Creator, Motivational Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Woodarlie Toto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Woodarlie, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I am from Haiti, born in Carrefour and raised in Léogâne and Pétion-Ville for a while. My upbringing in Haiti, amidst financial struggles and witnessing my mother’s sacrifices, has deeply influenced who I am today. Despite the challenges, my mother instilled in me a strong work ethic and the belief that I could achieve anything I set my mind to. She encouraged me to pursue my passions, like dance and beauty pageants, and pushed me to excel academically.

I was born with heart issues and ended up getting a surgery, that took me places I never knew I could go and had me experience for a split second the life I’ve always wanted. Afterward, I moved to the US with a renewed determination to make the most of every opportunity. My background taught me resilience and the importance of seizing opportunities for personal and professional growth. I pursued education fervently, even starting college in high school, and graduating with two degrees and top of my class. Now I’m starting work in the ABA field in which I love so far.

Growing up in Haiti and overcoming obstacles have shaped me into someone who doesn’t settle for the ordinary. I strive to make a name for myself and inspire others (specifically the youth) to reach for their dreams, knowing firsthand the transformative power of perseverance and determination.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In my life I have struggled a lot, but I always pride myself in being resilience and persevere through everything and whatever it is. I have the mindset that I can do anything and everything. I get up, I do the work and put myself out there.

Professionally I had to juggle between different industry, job to find out where I belongs. I was a CNA, I really love being a CNA, I still have my license currently. However, after working as a CNA I realize nursing in the medical field is not for me, but I still wanted to be in the medical field. With my experience with kids, I love working with kids. I’ve been working with kids since I was about 14. I started working with kids at summer camp at my church and winter camp. Then I become a substitute teacher, so I have a lot of experience with kids. After some research, I look for something similar and closer to medical field, and helping , that which is the behavior analysis. I studied and got license now I’m working and become a BCBA. Now it is very hard to juggle between that and modeling. but anything in life is hard you just have to keep working put in the work, and put yourself out there.

Modeling wise, how I got to where I am today is a lot of practice, staying up late at night practicing public speaking, doing pageant prep, research, coaching etc… there is a lot of challenge between doing all this together. The biggest challenge is the financial crisis where you need to have money for both. To go to Casting, to go to rehearsal, to order pageant wardrobes, to pay for pageant entry fee. And funds your lifestyle. Do you know what they always say? if there’s a will there’s a way, so, if my job can’t cover pageant lifestyle and my actual lifestyle, that’s where I go out of my comfort zone and put my story out there, look for a sponsorship from brands and other directors. Tell my story and what I stand for. You’d be surprised of who is willing to help you out and support your dreams.

I am most excited about my journey ahead, and being a motivational speaker. As a young adult, there’s not a lot of people around my age that do what I do. Therefore, I proud myself in speaking, go around tell people my story and tell the young adult to put themselves out there, to get out of their comfort zone. I started a blog page where I talk about my platform and various topics that I care about. It’s called Darlie Talk Empowerment. You can also find it on instagram and check it out.

Throughout all of these, the most important thing I’ve learned is to keep going, never give up, persevere, be resilience, put yourself out there, get out of your comfort zone and do the things that you want to do. Being comfortable is not the way. If your dream is not bigger than you, or if they don’t look like they are impossible to reach. Your dream is not big enough.

What I want the world to know is that when they hear the name Woodarlie Toto, they hear a fighter, a resilient woman with a bigger cause and dream. A “I will make it happen” type of woman that stands for something larger than herself. I’m committing to create a community where I help others to do the same.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love people that are spontaneous, active and adventurous. I’m always willing to try and do something different and new. My lovely best friend is the opposite but if I dragged her with me she will do them. So, if my best friend were to be in the area visiting for a week, first couple of days could be some thing chill like going to the museum or attend art classes, or do a painting date, or a pottery date then go to the mall, restaurant. She loves Korean food. I love Asian food in general, but specifically her she loves Korean food, so we would eat a lot of Korean food and search for food trucks in the area, etc.. Then, at the end of her trip comes all the fun. I’d say, I’d mostly plan water activity like speedboat sightseeing tour, parasailing, jet skiing etc… Then end the trip at a nice dinner at Nobu or even sexy fish. I’ve been wanting to go to these two restaurants specifically for a while now.

Like I stated earlier, I like to do spontaneous stuff. So, I think the most fun people or people that are interesting to me are people that introduce me to things I haven’t done before or things I haven’t learned before. Especially if I’m younger than the person I’m hanging out with. I would want to learn something from you.

Lastly, Some of the most interesting things I think people to check out, especially black women, because I heard, there is this stereotype, that black woman cannot be soft, which is weird. Anyway, i’m speaking for people of color that has gotten these types of stereotypes, go out do the painting class, do the pottery class, go to soap opera date, go to a ballet show date, go on that music festival, the botanical garden date, go on that spa date. Last December my friend and I went to watch the Nutcracker and it was the best. If you’re reading this, and you are woman of color, Be soft, it’s OK.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
In this life, you do need a strong support system. Especially for me, as a model that work a full-time job and do pageantry, runway and school. It can come to a point where it’s tiring, discouraging and it can hit you really hard mentally. I am so grateful for all of the people that are in my life and in my team.

First and foremost, I would like to give a big shout out to my mother. My role model. She’s my biggest supporter. She pushed me to be the best. She pushed me to do everything and anything that I want, even if it seem impossible. Even if we don’t live in the same country, she always call me every day. She makes sure she doesn’t sleep without hearing my voice. She always tell me to take it one step at a time. She always asked me how am I doing mentally. I think sometimes that’s all I need, someone to ask me how am I doing mentally.
The next is my aunt, my little group of friends, I am so grateful for them. Whatever it is, if I reach out to them they always have some answer, especially my best friend and my roommate. I want to thank them, for always being there for me. They are always telling me that I can do anything. When I’m feeling down, when I feel discouraged in my journey, they always sit me down and talk me through it and telling me they are proud how far I’ve come. That they are here to to witness how far I will go. they always push me to keep going and to never give up.

Now, professionally I like to thank my pageant directors, these people are angel in disguise when it comes to pageantry. They make your pageant journey so much better, which opens door to more networking and opportunities. If you do pageant and you have a good pageant Director, you will have a good journey. In my journey in Miss Florida Touch of Class we had the best pageant Director and she has helped me overcome a lot. She has helped me through the course of that pageant, and juggling thru confidence, mindset, public speaking, etc.. I couldn’t have been more thankful for her. I am currently running for Miss Choucoune International 2024, I would love to thank my pageant Director (look her up). She is an amazing woman. Things that we don’t get in other pageant, she has gone out her way for us to has access to them equally. So far the journey has been amazing and I look forward to more of it. Also I’d like to thank my pageant coach, production. I couldn’t make it far without them.

Next I’d like to think the photographers, especially the one I started my journey with. They seen potential in me and we’ve been creating. Lastly, I would like to thank generally everyone I’ve work with: at my job, Brand, designers, videographers, directors and especially other models that have been helping me and others in getting gigs and shows all over Miami and West Palm Beach. As models we need to help each others always.

Website: https://darlietalksempowerment.godaddysites.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misswoo_darlie?igsh=MW05NjRrNDE3NDFsbg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chocolate.Elena.509

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rawest_darlie2641

Image Credits
Me: Woodarlie Toto ig: misswoo_darlie Style by: Natalie ig: Nattyy_pp Photographer: Annastal Riky ig: annastalriky