Beautycon NYC 2016

At Beautycon, one girl took the microphone to solely ask me a question. She said she had been following me since the beginning of my career and said she's seen me evolve and have so much success. She asked me how did I keep going when so many brands said no to me along the way. What kept me going and how did I do it basically. There was such a time limit that I wasn't able to answer elaborately. My detailed answer is I saw a vision for me and my life. It was bigger than what most people thought I was capable of. I, in a way, had to convince these brands I was worth it, even though I already knew I was. When I want something, I work really really hard to get it and I'm very persistent. No one could tell me no and make me fully give up on what I want for myself and my future. Every time something got rough I would remind myself of how far I've already come, what was the point of working so hard this far to just throw it all away?

Wearing: Public Desire thigh high boots
Marc Jacobs mens shirt
light wash denim jacket
Oversized hoop earrings
Distressed denim shorts

There were some brands that said I wasn't wholesome enough, or I was too street style, or I was too big, or too blunt, or whatever. But I always told myself if one brand doesn't want to work with me, there will always be someone who does. I told myself all of this is happening for a reason. One day I'll be able to look back and see why this was happening. Every single thing any of us do in life, is just another step for what's next to come. If it was a set back for me, I learned from it and used it to my advantage next time around. I would take negative situations and find the positives in them. I never wanted to play the victim. There were brands out there that wouldn't even respond to me, but when I got one response back, I put my all in to it and built relationships with them.

I kept going because there were more reasons to keep going than to give up. I wanted to be here on this Earth for a purpose bigger than myself. I want to be able to help people in any way possible. Having a job that I can help people feel good about themselves is incredibly rewarding. I wanted to change how the world perceives what is beautiful and not. I want to be financially stable because I was tired of wondering if I'll be evicted or not. I wanted to provide for my parents who had already given so much to me in my 20 something years here. I saw something in me that not a lot of people could recognize.