Anna May IS doing it, BIG TIME!
Anna May knows actions speak louder than words!
I often talk to my clients about how their own body language speaks volumes; it tells us more than any words can say. The moment a person walks into a room they are being assessed. It is human nature to scan the posture, expression and attitude of a person upon first glance and no matter how much we tell ourselves to reserve judgement, there is still a part of us that makes assumptions based on that first impression. Anna knows all about this. Every day she is judged because of the way she looks, you can see why, it will come as no surprise that Anna May is a model and rising star in the fashion industry.
I first met Anna when she was still at school. She had been scouted because of her unique beauty and was starting out in the daunting and brutal modelling industry where they certainly do not hold back the punches. Even at that young age, Anna was smart enough to realise that she is her business. Everything about her must be on point for her to succeed in an extremely competitive and unforgiving career; what she looks like, how she chooses to be seen, how she communicates verbally and non-verbally, her health, her attitude, her work ethic and her determination, everything.
So, our work together was all about Anna finding her path, pursuing her career goal and doing it confidently, her way. Confidence is tricky when you are in your teens and you have people glaring at you, scrutinising your face, your skin, your hair, your body and the way you walk. I remember thinking this girl is BRAVE! I mean really BRAVE! She hadn’t grown her confidence and thick skin yet but she was consistently showing up for shoots and castings and gathering as much experience as she could so that she could reach her goal.
Recently, I asked her how she thinks she has changed since we first met, she said the one change she recognises most is her growth in confidence. I’m sweetly pleased that she hasn’t forgotten the useful boosting strategies we found together. She still uses them! Anna appreciates more than ever that her mind set is key to her success. If she is happy and healthy everyone will see it, even those of us admiring her on the cover of a magazine will know her beauty is more than skin deep by seeing the spirit in her eyes. I often say that no one can give you confidence, you must keep growing and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone to appreciate and trust that you will be ok. The path to personal growth is not easy, one must trust that when they step beyond the bounds of safe familiarity, into unknown territory, they will handle anything; this is where progress is made and confidence grows abundantly. Support from others is great but ultimately, growth is our own responsibility. In the few years I have known Anna, I have had the privilege as her coach to witness her take full responsibility for her own success; it is her own strength, resilience, and grace that has brought her great reward.
There is nothing overtly gritty about Anna. No, she has what I can only term as graceful grit which she communicates to the world in everything she does. The look to the camera, the nimble escapes from scrapes with unsavoury opportunists, (trust me, it is no accident Anna has become very streetwise), brushing off the rejection, celebrating the wins and the compliments, the bold and elegant strides across countless runways, flying to London, Paris, Lisbon, Istanbul and Milan. One day shimmering down the catwalk and another spending hours on set just to get the perfect shot.
In our catch up I asked Anna if she remembered the conversation we had in the early days about how she must practise and be prepared to make sure she was ready to seize every opportunity that came her way. One of her goals was to practice walking in heels as much as she could so that she would ooze confidence when striding about the room to nail those catwalk castings. It’s no secret that it’s all about the walk. She remembers! Anna literally walked up and down the halls of her school in her PE kit and heels with friends videoing her so that she could critique and improve her model walk. She still has the footage! This is true determination and dedication; it is the difference between those who are dreaming and those who are actively pursuing their dream to realise and live it.
Anna is at the start of her very exciting journey so she sometimes finds herself wondering what will happen next and where life will take her but she knows that she wants to walk the big catwalk shows and have a life in the fashion industry no matter what. To do this, she works the odd shift in a café or restaurant, she drops everything and runs to the next opportunity. With graceful grit Anna picks herself up when the castings don’t work out, she does all she can to be the best version of herself and she shows up ready. Relentlessly, this model generates energy and momentum around her so that the universe keeps providing and the hard work pays off.
In What to do when it’s your turn, Seth Godin says, The safest dreams we experience are dreams with no hope of coming true. The dreams of superpowers, of omnipotence, of immortality. The teenager who dreams of stardom but never puts in the work isn’t dreaming, he’s hiding…..Concrete dreams, on the other hand, are based on effort and a keen sense of what is possible. Concrete dreams juxtapose the what if with the maybe, they expose us to hope and to risk at the very same time. Living with the possible takes guts.
Anna wanted it, she kept doing it and she IS doing it, BIG TIME!
Anna May keep going, it’s your turn!
You have an army of support behind you and I’m proud to be fighting on your side. You are an inspiration. All that you do is a masterclass in how to realise concrete dreams and all that you are speaks volumes to the rest of us.
