WEBVTT - Make The World Your Runway (w/ Liris Crosse) 0:00:01.200 --> 0:00:05.280 Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. You're listening to Vitamin 0:00:05.320 --> 0:00:07.680 D where we shed light onto your life to help 0:00:07.680 --> 0:00:09.320 you see the parts of you that have been missing 0:00:09.360 --> 0:00:12.840 so that we may honor and celebrate ourselves. Well in 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.360 case you're wondering, I'm your host on day and um 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:17.840 I'm here to help you get excited about your life 0:00:17.840 --> 0:00:20.680 and to carry you on that mission. And today I'm 0:00:20.760 --> 0:00:24.919 bringing a sensation of transformation, as I like to call it. 0:00:25.200 --> 0:00:27.400 You know, I think about as we transform into this 0:00:27.440 --> 0:00:29.840 new season with the cold weather and the charm of 0:00:29.880 --> 0:00:33.280 the holidays, I think about how even though it gets cold, 0:00:33.400 --> 0:00:35.760 because you know, the earth tilts away from the sun, 0:00:36.200 --> 0:00:39.680 getting a less light, it still comes back around, putting 0:00:39.720 --> 0:00:42.479 itself in the direction of the light to start up spring, 0:00:42.840 --> 0:00:46.800 to spring into a new thing. See, the earth transforms 0:00:46.880 --> 0:00:50.560 and overcomes. And y'all know that everything big is everything small. 0:00:50.640 --> 0:00:53.479 So what we see with earth, we see with plants, 0:00:53.840 --> 0:00:58.640 with animals, and we see with ourselves. Now, yes, people 0:00:58.680 --> 0:01:02.200 are a little bit more calmplicated, and we are they 0:01:02.560 --> 0:01:05.200 us may seem as though we are stuck in a place. 0:01:05.800 --> 0:01:09.080 You may feel that right now. M heck, God, no, 0:01:09.200 --> 0:01:13.399 I have but Here's the thing. People are able to 0:01:13.440 --> 0:01:19.080 move forward, People are able to grow. People are able 0:01:19.080 --> 0:01:21.679 to see something in themselves that the world may not see, 0:01:22.000 --> 0:01:25.000 and then they are able to acknowledge that, to walk 0:01:25.160 --> 0:01:28.679 in authority of that belief and make the world see 0:01:28.680 --> 0:01:31.560 them as who they really are. So who are you? 0:01:33.440 --> 0:01:36.640 What do I mean by that? I'm talking about transformation 0:01:36.720 --> 0:01:39.840 and overcoming because today I have a special guest. Today, 0:01:39.880 --> 0:01:43.759 I have the phenomenal groundbreaking model Lyris Cross sitting down 0:01:43.760 --> 0:01:46.320 to talk to me about her life, career and her 0:01:46.360 --> 0:01:51.480 new book, Make the World Your Runway. Lyris is a supermodel, actress, 0:01:51.520 --> 0:01:54.720 a motivational speaker, and now author who has made her 0:01:54.760 --> 0:01:57.240 career on showing up where people didn't think she could. 0:01:57.760 --> 0:01:59.960 From helping to put plus size modeling on the map 0:02:00.360 --> 0:02:03.480 to her help but diversifying the industry, Laris has done 0:02:03.480 --> 0:02:06.280 a lot and it's no wonder why she is coined 0:02:06.320 --> 0:02:09.840 as the Naomi Camel of plus size modeling. Hi Heller. 0:02:10.760 --> 0:02:14.160 We talk about the rigors of breaking into the modeling industry, 0:02:14.200 --> 0:02:18.960 but really today's episode is about speaking life and doing 0:02:19.000 --> 0:02:22.320 it and like Laris says, we have to do what 0:02:22.400 --> 0:02:25.600 we can in the natural before God puts a super 0:02:25.639 --> 0:02:28.760 on it. So without further ado, it's time for your 0:02:28.760 --> 0:02:34.160 dose a vitamin D. Getamin D right with me and 0:02:34.280 --> 0:02:42.440 get excited about is she coming? I am here. How 0:02:42.440 --> 0:02:46.079 are you doing larious? I'm good. How are you? I'm 0:02:46.160 --> 0:02:49.240 doing good. It's so good to see your face. Oh, 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:52.240 thank you. I am loving this red lippy. You have one? 0:02:52.320 --> 0:02:53.640 You know, I just said, let me just pop a 0:02:53.639 --> 0:02:59.000 little color, you know in this fall moment. You did that? Honey, um, 0:02:59.000 --> 0:03:02.960 it's so interesting sing we ran in the circle together. 0:03:03.160 --> 0:03:06.000 So a good friend of mine, who you actually uh 0:03:06.160 --> 0:03:12.120 recorded the intro to his show, Timothy Snell. Yes, so 0:03:12.240 --> 0:03:15.280 I was on the show with Snell. Um. I wasn't 0:03:15.280 --> 0:03:17.919 assistant on the show along with Nasa the cosy. So 0:03:18.919 --> 0:03:20.880 I was talking to the other day. He said, yes, 0:03:21.000 --> 0:03:23.440 you better get her, and so we had a whole 0:03:23.480 --> 0:03:26.760 key key mootment over you. Oh. I love him. I 0:03:26.760 --> 0:03:29.200 think he just has such a beautiful spirit. And you know, 0:03:29.360 --> 0:03:31.880 you already know he has great style, okay, and it's 0:03:31.919 --> 0:03:34.520 just amazing, you know, having that at the forefront, which 0:03:34.880 --> 0:03:37.600 transfers into the conversation that I want to talk to 0:03:37.640 --> 0:03:41.320 you about today. Okay. So you know, and I was 0:03:41.360 --> 0:03:44.520 sitting here, I'm thinking, you know, I talked to Purvis 0:03:44.520 --> 0:03:46.800 and he was saying the raver Gurus about you. And 0:03:46.840 --> 0:03:49.119 of course I am familiar with your body of work. 0:03:49.120 --> 0:03:52.760 I lived in New York myself, and you know vitamin D. 0:03:52.880 --> 0:03:55.720 This podcast, I don't know if you're familiar. It's all 0:03:55.760 --> 0:03:58.480 about shedding light. Okay, it's a count off of my name, 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:01.040 So I'm shedding light. A different way is to think 0:04:01.080 --> 0:04:04.600 about life and different opportunities. Right, And so as I'm 0:04:04.600 --> 0:04:06.880 gearing up and I'm thinking about having you on here, 0:04:07.240 --> 0:04:09.400 the first thing that came to my mind was the 0:04:09.440 --> 0:04:14.080 whole notion of impossible. And you know how sometimes even 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:16.800 looking at the word, you know, impossible, but how you've 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:19.520 been able to separate that to go into a positive 0:04:19.560 --> 0:04:22.640 moment that has propelled you to be such an inspiration 0:04:22.680 --> 0:04:25.680 to so many people. Well, I mean, if you look 0:04:25.680 --> 0:04:28.800 at the word impossible, if you break it up, it's 0:04:28.880 --> 0:04:37.159 I'm impossible, Hello, impossible. And when we remember that, we 0:04:37.279 --> 0:04:40.560 remember that we are able to achieve anything we've really 0:04:40.560 --> 0:04:43.640 put our mind to and if we're really up to 0:04:43.720 --> 0:04:49.120 doing the work. So I actually even have a T 0:04:49.240 --> 0:04:52.960 shirt that X is out that I'm I mean that 0:04:53.160 --> 0:04:56.440 that breaks up the impossible. So you see that it 0:04:56.480 --> 0:05:01.520 means impossible, the possibilities are endless with our work, dedication, 0:05:02.240 --> 0:05:05.680 and sometimes you know, sometimes natural talent, but sometimes it's 0:05:05.680 --> 0:05:08.920 beyond natural talent. It's just the hard work and the 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:13.240 favor of God opening doors for you. A lot of 0:05:13.279 --> 0:05:15.839 times I think that God is just waiting to see 0:05:16.160 --> 0:05:18.600 what we are willing to do, what we are willing 0:05:18.680 --> 0:05:24.960 to um sacrifice or much hard work we're willing to 0:05:25.040 --> 0:05:30.080 put up to make our dreams come true, and He's like, um, 0:05:30.240 --> 0:05:32.280 actually I did a post about this and my lyrics 0:05:32.279 --> 0:05:36.760 motivates hashtag about how um, we have to do what 0:05:36.839 --> 0:05:39.800 we can in the natural, and then God puts his 0:05:39.839 --> 0:05:42.960 super on it. But he can't put his super on 0:05:43.040 --> 0:05:45.320 anything if you're not doing your part within the natural. 0:05:45.520 --> 0:05:48.760 So you gotta go do your part and then he's 0:05:48.800 --> 0:05:51.040 going to activate and put the souper on what you're 0:05:51.120 --> 0:05:55.839 naturally already doing. That. Thank you, thank you, But it's 0:05:55.839 --> 0:05:58.920 just truth. It's just truth. It's you know, it's kind 0:05:58.920 --> 0:06:02.240 of like that parent who was like, Okay, if you 0:06:02.279 --> 0:06:06.039 show me some a's, then you know, I'll put the 0:06:06.080 --> 0:06:07.960 money up for you to do this. Or do that. 0:06:08.240 --> 0:06:09.840 You know, there's a thing where we have to say 0:06:09.839 --> 0:06:11.920 and I guess that we talked biblically speaking faith with 0:06:11.960 --> 0:06:14.560 our works is day. So we have to make sure 0:06:14.600 --> 0:06:17.599 that we exercise what we have right now and then, 0:06:17.640 --> 0:06:19.960 like you said, put God's hands on it. And it 0:06:20.080 --> 0:06:24.480 made me thinking the notion that um sometimes I think 0:06:24.520 --> 0:06:25.880 we can get in our own way of trying to 0:06:25.880 --> 0:06:27.880 figure out how God is going to do it. And 0:06:27.920 --> 0:06:34.240 I even had this conversation with myself today. Yeah, he 0:06:36.680 --> 0:06:40.360 literally can catch us off guard. And it goes back 0:06:40.360 --> 0:06:42.880 to what I was saying. It's like, just get working, 0:06:44.600 --> 0:06:49.160 start that business, just apply for the for the schools, 0:06:49.880 --> 0:06:52.440 you know, whatever it is that you want to do, 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:56.440 just get moving. And it's amazing that once you just 0:06:56.480 --> 0:07:00.560 start to work in your purpose or moving your goals, 0:07:00.880 --> 0:07:06.640 how the help starts to come around, the loose ends 0:07:06.680 --> 0:07:12.040 start to tie on, the um way becomes you know, 0:07:12.160 --> 0:07:13.880 you have a way maker out of the way. You 0:07:13.920 --> 0:07:17.400 know what thing starts to happen. But you just have 0:07:18.040 --> 0:07:23.160 to move. You just have to get going. You just 0:07:23.240 --> 0:07:27.480 have to do so once we just start doing and moving, 0:07:27.560 --> 0:07:31.720 it's amazing what what starts to come around us and 0:07:31.840 --> 0:07:38.480 support us and we you know, sometimes it's like overthinking 0:07:38.880 --> 0:07:44.000 is is not trusting in him. We gotta trust. We 0:07:44.080 --> 0:07:46.440 have to let go. They say, if you're gonna worry 0:07:46.480 --> 0:07:53.920 about it, then don't pray about it. We gotta trust 0:07:53.960 --> 0:07:56.480 and we gotta let go. And I love that you 0:07:56.520 --> 0:08:00.760 gotta let go. Oh I think it's gonna happen it's way. Oh, 0:08:00.880 --> 0:08:04.320 it may not happen that way, it may happen this way. 0:08:04.560 --> 0:08:10.200 Just move, just go, just do, just be. Yeah, And 0:08:10.280 --> 0:08:15.320 speaking of just being, And it's so interesting because this 0:08:15.480 --> 0:08:19.760 conversation is going to spearhead of how you allowed your 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:23.080 yes to yourself propel you in your life because there 0:08:23.080 --> 0:08:29.000 were nose that came your way. Hella knows lots of those, 0:08:29.520 --> 0:08:33.080 still getting those and to know you have the crown 0:08:33.200 --> 0:08:36.240 as like the Naomi Campbell of plus size modeling, Like 0:08:36.600 --> 0:08:40.280 that's a big deal, that's a moment. But see what 0:08:40.400 --> 0:08:42.160 I love about it is just like when we think 0:08:42.200 --> 0:08:45.800 about life, right, we look at oh they started here 0:08:45.800 --> 0:08:48.120 and then the finish, but we realized it's in the journey. 0:08:48.520 --> 0:08:50.760 And in this journey you've propelled and gave birth to 0:08:50.800 --> 0:08:53.400 a beautiful baby. Um, you have your book that we're 0:08:53.440 --> 0:08:55.679 gonna be talking about today about making the world You're 0:08:55.760 --> 0:08:59.840 run way. Yes, my book, my book, I'm so excited 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:05.080 about that, so excited, available on Amazon, Hello number one. 0:09:05.400 --> 0:09:07.200 But I want to talk about the fact of um, 0:09:07.880 --> 0:09:11.560 you're talking about that because, like you said before, being 0:09:11.559 --> 0:09:13.480 in a position where you believe it in yourself right 0:09:14.240 --> 0:09:16.920 and making sure you hold onto that childlike behavior and 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:20.000 even piggybacking off of what you said your quote, if 0:09:20.040 --> 0:09:23.640 you think it, you can do it period, right. So 0:09:23.920 --> 0:09:25.560 I want to know a little bit about you and 0:09:25.600 --> 0:09:28.000 how you started off, because how did you know that 0:09:28.040 --> 0:09:35.280 you were possible? Oh? I al would say, it's kind 0:09:35.320 --> 0:09:43.319 of two different things. My father, God rest his soul, 0:09:43.720 --> 0:09:51.400 was just very motivating. Uh. My father spoke life into me. 0:09:52.280 --> 0:09:55.080 My mom as well, but there's just something special about 0:09:55.840 --> 0:09:59.280 a father's love for his daughter. And my father spoke 0:09:59.320 --> 0:10:02.400 life to me. He told me I could do anything. 0:10:02.480 --> 0:10:04.280 He told me I was beautiful, he told me I 0:10:04.360 --> 0:10:10.480 was awesome. And they came together when I decided I 0:10:10.480 --> 0:10:12.240 wanted to move to New York to pursue my mole 0:10:12.360 --> 0:10:16.439 in dreams. They came together and supported me and that 0:10:17.640 --> 0:10:21.120 they gave me their blessing and they're okay. But when 0:10:21.160 --> 0:10:23.880 I was a little girl, my dad was running for congress. 0:10:23.880 --> 0:10:26.960 There was a photographer who came to the house to 0:10:27.040 --> 0:10:32.079 do his brochure pictures and he's taking some pictures and 0:10:32.160 --> 0:10:34.440 my dad and he took pictures of us as a family, 0:10:34.480 --> 0:10:35.800 and then he said, do you lie if I take 0:10:35.880 --> 0:10:39.439 some extra pictures of your daughter. So I'm just hamming 0:10:39.480 --> 0:10:43.200 it up taking my pictures. And you know, back then 0:10:43.280 --> 0:10:45.200 they had to go develop the film and bring it 0:10:45.200 --> 0:10:48.199 back to you like a week or two later. So 0:10:48.400 --> 0:10:52.040 we get the film back and he's printed out this 0:10:53.200 --> 0:10:56.200 about tim front of me, and he said, your daughter 0:10:56.240 --> 0:10:58.839 is really photogenic. You should really get her into my 0:11:00.840 --> 0:11:04.719 and that see I wish I knew this photographer's name 0:11:04.760 --> 0:11:08.960 to this day, but those words were the seed that 0:11:09.040 --> 0:11:12.680 were planted in me that made me believe that I 0:11:12.720 --> 0:11:15.840 could I could model, and I could do anything. And 0:11:15.880 --> 0:11:18.480 then my father was like my first photographer. My father 0:11:18.600 --> 0:11:20.920 loved taking pictures as well as being in front of 0:11:20.960 --> 0:11:25.520 the camera. So you know, I got my practice song 0:11:25.520 --> 0:11:27.920 in front of the camera with my dad as well 0:11:28.000 --> 0:11:33.640 as um as remembering what that photographer said, and it 0:11:33.760 --> 0:11:37.160 stuck for me for years because also I'm a p K. 0:11:37.400 --> 0:11:40.360 So I'm a preacher's kid, so they weren't in a 0:11:40.440 --> 0:11:43.840 rush to get me into my lane. That wasn't like, 0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:45.760 oh yeah, we're gonna push her off into my leg. 0:11:46.760 --> 0:11:50.080 But as I got older and matroit, and they saw like, 0:11:50.160 --> 0:11:53.680 she's really serious about us. And I'm always watching fashion 0:11:53.720 --> 0:11:56.880 TV to see the models doing all the shows out 0:11:56.920 --> 0:12:02.760 in Paris and Milan in London, like she's that modeling 0:12:02.760 --> 0:12:04.880 book still hasn't gone away, and now she's doing the 0:12:04.920 --> 0:12:10.200 local mall fashion show and this and that. But I 0:12:10.400 --> 0:12:15.320 definitely say it is that seed from that photographer, and 0:12:15.480 --> 0:12:19.800 just the seeds of my parents speaking life into me 0:12:19.920 --> 0:12:21.800 and telling me that I can do anything that I 0:12:22.040 --> 0:12:26.440 really put my mind to. Those are the things that 0:12:27.440 --> 0:12:30.400 propelled me to feel I could do what was the 0:12:30.520 --> 0:12:33.400 impossible as far as moving to New York to pursue 0:12:33.400 --> 0:12:37.280 my modeling dreams. That's why I even talk about in 0:12:37.320 --> 0:12:42.520 the book how important it is for parents two embrace 0:12:43.120 --> 0:12:46.040 the different gifts and abilities that are in their children's 0:12:46.080 --> 0:12:50.040 lives um because you never know. You know, you might 0:12:50.120 --> 0:12:52.680 be the parent who's getting upset at your one child 0:12:52.679 --> 0:12:55.840 who always breaks his toys, and it is trying to 0:12:55.840 --> 0:12:58.240 figure out ways to put it back together. That could 0:12:58.240 --> 0:13:04.120 be a future engineer. That child that's uh, very talkative 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:07.040 and it is always challenging you. Maybe they're supposed to 0:13:07.080 --> 0:13:13.160 be a lawyer. You know. We have to really speak 0:13:13.360 --> 0:13:19.240 life and and help children as well as adults too, 0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:21.160 because there are a lot of adults who are still 0:13:21.160 --> 0:13:25.360 finding their purpose and um or they're shifting from one 0:13:25.440 --> 0:13:29.760 career to a new career because they didn't realize, you know, 0:13:29.960 --> 0:13:32.280 I started doing this job because this is what my 0:13:32.360 --> 0:13:36.200 parents said, was like, you know, guns versus butter, you know, 0:13:36.600 --> 0:13:40.000 type of job. But now I realized I'm really into 0:13:40.040 --> 0:13:45.720 this and I'm gifted in this, and they're doing a shift. 0:13:45.760 --> 0:13:50.960 But we have to support people and and especially children 0:13:51.200 --> 0:13:55.880 with letting them find their ways and embracing the different 0:13:55.920 --> 0:13:59.520 gifts and talents that they have. Because just because your 0:13:59.520 --> 0:14:02.200 sister ailed at it, it doesn't mean that your daughter's 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:06.840 gonna feel at it. Just because um, miss Jenkins across 0:14:06.920 --> 0:14:09.720 the hall didn't do well in that career, that doesn't 0:14:09.720 --> 0:14:12.560 mean that your son isn't going to do well in 0:14:12.559 --> 0:14:16.040 that career. A lot of times we're pushing our own 0:14:16.120 --> 0:14:21.080 fears on to other people, and it's blocking them, or 0:14:21.120 --> 0:14:24.680 they're allowing what is said to them to block them 0:14:24.720 --> 0:14:30.040 from really going after their purpose, their new career, whatever 0:14:30.160 --> 0:14:32.200 it is. So we have to be mindful and careful 0:14:32.200 --> 0:14:35.520 with that. And I love that because, Um, I am 0:14:35.560 --> 0:14:39.320 a advocate, a component like Larious, I'm so serious about 0:14:39.360 --> 0:14:42.840 speaking life. I have life tattered in my mouth because 0:14:42.880 --> 0:14:51.800 I'm all you want to see, wow, very first tattoo. 0:14:51.920 --> 0:14:54.480 But it's because I'm an advocate. I am so gun 0:14:54.600 --> 0:14:58.000 hole about speaking life, like you said, with that seed 0:14:58.040 --> 0:15:00.480 invested in you so like with my nephews. And in fact, 0:15:00.560 --> 0:15:04.120 I was just watching, um the new film on Netflix 0:15:04.160 --> 0:15:09.000 called Jingle Jangle and it's the forest would occur Monika 0:15:09.120 --> 0:15:11.800 Noni Roses in there and a few other upcoming actors. 0:15:12.160 --> 0:15:14.120 But that was one thing that I thought was key. 0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:16.120 It was like the black version of Disney. And you 0:15:16.160 --> 0:15:19.440 saw the importance of how speaking life into her husband, 0:15:19.480 --> 0:15:22.640 speaking life into this little girl who was unconventional with 0:15:22.680 --> 0:15:28.040 her methodology of putting kinks together, and um, it just 0:15:28.200 --> 0:15:30.960 reminded me. And it's so good to know that there 0:15:31.000 --> 0:15:33.920 are people out there to understand and how important these 0:15:33.920 --> 0:15:36.560 these instruments on the side of our heads are, you know, 0:15:36.600 --> 0:15:38.920 at once I read how someone said that your ears 0:15:38.920 --> 0:15:42.240 are like an embryo. What you feed into them allows 0:15:42.280 --> 0:15:45.000 them to grow. And so we see how this seed 0:15:45.080 --> 0:15:47.680 has propelled you in a life that many people would 0:15:47.680 --> 0:15:51.720 have dreamed, many people who had stopped when the first 0:15:51.800 --> 0:15:53.920 know because guess what, it wasn't a role blocking was 0:15:53.960 --> 0:15:56.680 just a step up. But there's a muscle that takes 0:15:56.720 --> 0:15:59.640 to that. So I think it's so interesting as we're 0:15:59.680 --> 0:16:03.840 talking and about how you literally made your life your runway, 0:16:04.160 --> 0:16:08.040 how you got the looks and the attention of before 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:10.320 you were going to New York of these model agencies 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:13.080 saying they want you, but it seemed as though they 0:16:13.080 --> 0:16:15.640 were trying to slight you with hey, you might need 0:16:15.680 --> 0:16:21.080 to lose weight, they did. How did you handle that well? 0:16:21.120 --> 0:16:24.200 I mean at first I did try to lose the weight. Um, 0:16:24.240 --> 0:16:30.520 but when you are just naturally a curvy woman, a 0:16:30.560 --> 0:16:35.000 curby young lady at that time, Uh, you can only 0:16:35.040 --> 0:16:40.160 lose for so much. I mean I played sports year round. 0:16:40.960 --> 0:16:45.000 I did cheerleadings, and I did basketball. Then I did 0:16:45.040 --> 0:16:47.600 track and field, So it wasn't like I was just 0:16:47.680 --> 0:16:53.440 sitting around, you know, not being active and eating a 0:16:53.480 --> 0:16:56.400 bunch of stuff. Every day. I was a really active child. 0:16:56.960 --> 0:17:00.560 I just I'm just naturally being curby ever since I 0:17:00.600 --> 0:17:04.479 was a little girl. So I tried to do it 0:17:04.520 --> 0:17:08.000 their way, and then it just didn't work. I didn't 0:17:08.040 --> 0:17:11.920 fit in. And then I said, let me figure out 0:17:11.960 --> 0:17:18.040 a way to make them adjust to me. Let me 0:17:19.240 --> 0:17:25.360 take the thing that they think is going against me, 0:17:25.400 --> 0:17:28.120 and let me show them that it's not a liability, 0:17:28.200 --> 0:17:33.080 it's actually an asset. So Learis you listen. You get 0:17:33.240 --> 0:17:37.200 me so excited. I talk about your life, bank account, 0:17:37.240 --> 0:17:40.120 and I talk about how my motto is that you 0:17:40.200 --> 0:17:44.240 are your greatest asset. What are the deposits versus liabilities 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:46.800 you are facing in your life? Girl, you better speak. 0:17:46.840 --> 0:17:52.560 I'm sorry, go ahead, but it's the it's the truth. Um. 0:17:52.600 --> 0:17:57.159 A lot of times, the things that we think count 0:17:57.240 --> 0:17:59.879 against us are actually the things that make us you me, 0:18:00.720 --> 0:18:03.080 that makes us different, They make us stand out. So 0:18:03.480 --> 0:18:05.639 when I at the beginning of my career, when I 0:18:05.680 --> 0:18:07.679 was like doing music videos and stuff, I was the 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:12.600 thickest girl on set. But to me, I felt special 0:18:12.680 --> 0:18:15.480 because because of it. Yeah I may not. I may 0:18:15.520 --> 0:18:19.520 not have felt so special when I go to wardrobe 0:18:19.560 --> 0:18:21.399 and all they have is stuff to fit girls who 0:18:21.480 --> 0:18:26.000 are a size two to a size six, and they 0:18:26.000 --> 0:18:28.199 want to like put you in a bathing suit just 0:18:28.240 --> 0:18:30.360 because that's the only thing they have that really stretches. 0:18:31.040 --> 0:18:33.080 But that's why I would be prepared. I would come 0:18:33.119 --> 0:18:36.919 to set with my own clothes. You're not gonna just 0:18:37.000 --> 0:18:39.720 throw me in anything just because I'm the fullest girl 0:18:39.800 --> 0:18:45.919 on set. So um. So yeah, I figured, let me 0:18:46.000 --> 0:18:49.119 stand in the truth of who I am and also 0:18:49.720 --> 0:18:53.240 let me go where I'm celebrated. So that's why, even 0:18:53.280 --> 0:18:56.760 though I was signed to a major New York agency 0:18:56.800 --> 0:18:58.879 at the time, I said, well, let me go work, 0:18:59.520 --> 0:19:02.119 you know, do some music videos because maybe they'll accept 0:19:02.119 --> 0:19:04.080 me a little bit more and I hope to pay 0:19:04.200 --> 0:19:07.680 the way for fuller bodies and music videos, uh during 0:19:07.720 --> 0:19:11.960 that time. And then I said, well that open doors 0:19:12.040 --> 0:19:15.560 within the urban fashion scene, whether it was like a 0:19:15.640 --> 0:19:23.840 n cha all that stuff, so um and and I'm like, 0:19:23.880 --> 0:19:26.679 they're embracing me, so let me run with it. And 0:19:26.720 --> 0:19:29.160 that's what I did. And I'm glad that I did 0:19:29.600 --> 0:19:34.840 because each level helped to give me skills and ability 0:19:35.000 --> 0:19:38.600 to prepare me for the next level. So okay, I 0:19:38.760 --> 0:19:42.800 mastered this, you know, music videos taught me how to 0:19:42.840 --> 0:19:45.920 get ready to be in front of the camera from 0:19:45.920 --> 0:19:50.520 major acting roles. Not only that, it helped me to 0:19:50.560 --> 0:19:53.560 be a better model, you know, it helped me to 0:19:53.680 --> 0:19:59.600 learn set, terminology, all those things. If you really take inventory, 0:20:00.200 --> 0:20:06.280 learn and be a sponge wherever you are, wherever you are. 0:20:07.400 --> 0:20:11.919 So I mean, I'm really glad that, um that I 0:20:12.040 --> 0:20:15.760 allowed myself to go through the process and I didn't 0:20:16.880 --> 0:20:21.119 allowed the nose to deter me from pushing forward. I 0:20:21.200 --> 0:20:23.280 was glad that I was able to find an agency 0:20:23.840 --> 0:20:27.520 that had I didn't. Truthfully, I didn't even know that 0:20:27.560 --> 0:20:31.400 plus Molly existed when I started the The lady who 0:20:31.440 --> 0:20:34.040 had sent me to my first agency just said, I'm 0:20:34.040 --> 0:20:36.040 gonna send you to an agency that has and I 0:20:36.080 --> 0:20:38.680 look like you. And I was like, okay. I get 0:20:38.720 --> 0:20:41.320 there and it was Wilhelmina Models and it was their 0:20:41.359 --> 0:20:46.080 ten twenty board and they had beautiful women who were 0:20:46.720 --> 0:20:51.000 anywhere between the size eight to a size twenty and 0:20:51.040 --> 0:20:52.959 they just had more meat on their bones. And I'm like, 0:20:53.000 --> 0:20:54.320 if this is where I have to be to be 0:20:54.359 --> 0:20:56.160 able to make my dreams come true, so be it. 0:20:56.560 --> 0:20:58.679 And I got in there and I dug in and 0:20:58.720 --> 0:21:01.959 I just continue to try to find my way. Period. 0:21:02.880 --> 0:21:05.920 So was it easier trying to change yourself or did 0:21:05.920 --> 0:21:10.879 you find it easier being yourself? I found it easier 0:21:11.040 --> 0:21:16.879 being myself. But that doesn't mean that you still aren't 0:21:16.960 --> 0:21:26.879 going through the process with the storm. Because if society 0:21:26.960 --> 0:21:32.239 has a cookie cutter standard requirements or ways that you 0:21:32.520 --> 0:21:36.120 have to fit in an industry it has that, then 0:21:36.240 --> 0:21:39.320 you're trying to fit into what they are asking for, 0:21:40.440 --> 0:21:45.880 you know. But I had to just say, Okay, I'm here, 0:21:45.960 --> 0:21:48.800 but I'm just gonna keep finding my way. I'm gonna 0:21:48.920 --> 0:21:54.399 keep pushing through. And although I'm being myself, sometimes it 0:21:54.520 --> 0:22:02.480 takes a second for people to catch on, appreciate, see 0:22:02.480 --> 0:22:06.960 where you're coming from, and say, you know what, I know. 0:22:07.080 --> 0:22:09.480 We said we were looking for girls school are side six. 0:22:09.560 --> 0:22:14.639 But she's beautiful, and she's got a great body, she 0:22:14.680 --> 0:22:19.320 has a great energy, she's um, she's photogenic. Let's use 0:22:19.400 --> 0:22:23.800 her like we're wasting our time, we're sleeping on her. 0:22:24.160 --> 0:22:28.680 Let's use her. And those are the things that just 0:22:29.920 --> 0:22:32.520 those are the moments that were just started to happen 0:22:32.760 --> 0:22:36.200 and and I helped to create change, and I'm I'm 0:22:36.240 --> 0:22:40.040 thankful for that, you know, It just reminded me. You know, 0:22:40.080 --> 0:22:43.439 you talked about Yeah, I say, how things are boxed in, 0:22:43.680 --> 0:22:45.040 and you know, we hear it all the time. If 0:22:45.040 --> 0:22:47.119 you're a girl that loves to get her a beauty 0:22:47.760 --> 0:22:49.920 you hear about a beauty box. And if we think 0:22:49.960 --> 0:22:52.040 about and trying to conform to sit in a box, 0:22:52.119 --> 0:22:55.160 how uncomfortable. But so here's the thing I was thinking 0:22:55.160 --> 0:22:58.879 about myself. This year has been very transitional, transformational. And 0:22:58.920 --> 0:23:01.240 always tell people that, oh it isn't that it's easy 0:23:01.280 --> 0:23:04.480 because I'm growing in ways right, So we're asking God 0:23:04.480 --> 0:23:07.280 if we're saying, hey, I aspired to be at this level, 0:23:07.720 --> 0:23:09.200 and we even take it back if we want to 0:23:09.200 --> 0:23:12.120 say bibically speaking of just like being in the Potter's 0:23:12.119 --> 0:23:14.760 house and you think about that clay, it's about to 0:23:14.800 --> 0:23:17.159 be molded, it's about to be pulled, it's about to 0:23:17.200 --> 0:23:19.560 be you know, contorting the way so that it can fit. 0:23:19.600 --> 0:23:22.199 And guess what, I still gotta test you under the 0:23:22.240 --> 0:23:25.479 fire because there's some strength that needs to so that 0:23:25.680 --> 0:23:28.360 you can have the capacity to hold. And so I 0:23:28.400 --> 0:23:32.080 love that you said that because I think sometimes just 0:23:32.119 --> 0:23:38.760 the way society is made up, we strive to conform, 0:23:38.800 --> 0:23:42.800 but we forget that we're celebrated for being different. Yes, 0:23:43.480 --> 0:23:46.840 And I call the like the process. I call it 0:23:46.880 --> 0:23:51.199 the prunting because it's like the cutting a way of 0:23:51.359 --> 0:23:57.640 things to make you bloom even more. You know, a flower. 0:23:57.720 --> 0:24:00.560 When we get flowers, that always says, you know, cut 0:24:00.640 --> 0:24:03.439 some of the stems off and it will help your 0:24:03.480 --> 0:24:05.480 flowers to bloom. And you gotta put it, shake that 0:24:05.480 --> 0:24:07.920 little powder and put it in the vase with the water. 0:24:08.480 --> 0:24:11.440 It helps it to bloom even more. But guess what 0:24:12.160 --> 0:24:18.719 cutting come on on those flowers? It hurts, hm, you know, 0:24:19.080 --> 0:24:23.080 maybe putting the flowers in the cold water. You know, 0:24:23.960 --> 0:24:27.240 But when you go through that process and then you're 0:24:27.280 --> 0:24:30.240 able to see the flower in it blooms and the 0:24:30.440 --> 0:24:34.879 vagrance is all over your house and the petals have 0:24:35.080 --> 0:24:41.440 opened up and they've made this beautiful shape, You're like, oh, okay, 0:24:42.280 --> 0:24:45.160 it had to go through the process. And I think 0:24:45.240 --> 0:24:50.040 sometimes what's a little scary about society now A lot 0:24:50.080 --> 0:24:54.040 of people want to jump the process. They want to 0:24:54.119 --> 0:24:59.040