Cover Feature: Modeling for Good by Alice Laura

I grew up in the western part (Bergisches Land & Rhine Ruhr Metropolitan Region) of Germany. According to Wikipedia, “the “Bergisches Land” (Berg County) is a low mountain range region within the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, east of Rhine river, south of the Ruhr. The landscape is shaped by woods, meadows, rivers and creeks and contains over 20 lakes. It is a very beautiful region.” I used to spend hours in the woods taking long walks with my dog.

During these long strolls in the summer, I enjoyed walking barefoot to ground myself and to become one with nature. My dog, Hector − a Labrador & German Shepherd mix, always was my loyal companion. I did not even have to use a leash. He would follow me everywhere and together we would enjoy the beautiful views and the smells of trees and plants.

My father is originally from Czech Republic, but fled from Soviet Communism at the age of 19 to Germany. My mother is completely German. I have one brother who is 2 years older than me. As a child we used to visit my Czech part of the family several times per year and for that reason I would say that Prague and its people has also had a big influence in me growing up.

Prague is a political, cultural and economic center of central Europe with a rich history. The city has more than ten major museums, along with numerous theaters, galleries, cinemas, and other historical exhibits. It was very normal for me to go to the theater, opera, exhibits and classical concerts in buildings that were sometimes over 600 years old.

This had a great impact on me growing up and has made me appreciate art, classical music and history. We used to take long walks in the historic city center of Prague. My father would tell my brother and me one interesting historic story after the other. Stories like that of Charles the 4th, the first King of Bohemia, or Jan Huss a Czech theologian and Church reformer and the inspiration of Hussitism, and a seminal figure in the Bohemian Reformation. If you have ever been there you will know that walking through Prague is like taking a walk through history.

Although I was born and raised in Germany and have a German mother, I never felt completely “German.” Thanks to my father I was raised with a different perspective and culture. This made me identify with other children from immigrant families and opened my mind to different cultures and to not only accept but also embrace them.

Two major set-backs during my childhood made me grow up and mature very fast. One was the divorce of my parents at the age of 7 and the other one was a severe illness I had at the age of 14. These events made me wiser and more mature. They taught me that sometimes the most important lessons in life are the ones we learn the hard way. It definitely made me think differently about life and how fast it can all be over. Therefore, it is very important for me to do what I love, to enjoy every moment, and to find a sense of fulfillment in my work. Health, since then, has become my priority and I am even more aware of the fact that without a healthy body and mind we are not able to do anything at all. Nowadays, I am grateful for this illness since it was a wakeup call and redirected my focus to the essential things in life.

After curing my illness I was even more excited to live life to the fullest. Therefore, from an early age, I had the desire to see the world. After high-school, I studied, worked and lived in different countries. I tried to get into as many exchange programs as possible and, while my main university was in Berlin, I had the privilege to study and volunteer in different countries for several years. The time abroad after high school (Gymnasium) and later, while in university, has taught me way more than school or university ever did. Living abroad was the best school of life.

As a child, I fondly remember going camping with my grandparents and parents in the northern part of the Netherlands in a town called “Julianadorp.” The town is located by the North Sea and is well known for its lovely sandy beaches, nearby dunes and tulip fields. My grandparents used to own a mobile home at this camping site and we went there every summer. We used to bike on the dunes and I could spend hours playing with my brother and other new friends who I had met at the camping site or at the beach. I had beautiful adventures there, loved being in nature and breathing the fresh coastal air. I also enjoyed the community aspect of it. Everyone knew each other and helped each other out. People barbecued together and there were a lot of amazing children’s events (Mini Playback Show, Bingo etc.) that filled me with joy. I loved taking part in all these fun events, being outdoors and playing with the other children, even if we did not speak the same language. It was like a home away from home.

All the experiences and adventures I lived abroad shaped me into the person I am today. I have learned how to live in the moment and to appreciate my own country, background and the privileges I have/had thanks to growing up in Germany. At the same time, I was also able to see my own country from a different lens and to learn from different customs and world views.

Now, I would definitely describe myself as a global citizen. Thanks to my personal setbacks as a child, I lost my fear of leaving my comfort zone. I fell in love with being alive again. So far, I have lived in six countries. Every place I lived in has shaped me differently. Still, I am always extremely happy to return “home” to the “Berg Country” in Germany.

I launched my agency in Dallas around 5 years ago, but have been in the industry since I was around 16-17 years old. While in university, I worked for major modeling & premium staffing agencies on many national and international conventions, fashion shows and premium events throughout Europe and Latin America. It was a great side income to have as a student and allowed me to finance my travels. Thanks to my modeling jobs, I was able to focus more on my university studies, since I did not have to work a “fixed” job. Especially, the work at international trade shows and events allowed me to gain insight into all kinds of different industries, network, learn and grow with every job. While working as a model myself, I noticed the need for intelligent, beautiful and hardworking people. Many times, models would just stand around and smile, but would not create value for the company. With my agency, I want to provide value for the companies we work with. I want our models to help our clients with sales, lead generation, translations, etc. Beauty is great and opens doors, but one has to be able to hold a conversation, be educated and have a good heart to really make an impression.

Our agency focuses on more than just pretty faces. While we also do the typical fashion, print and commercial modeling jobs, our main niche and target markets are high-end events, corporate events and trade shows. For these jobs our models need to be more than just beautiful. They need to be of value for the client, be hard working, highly professional, reliable and real team members. Our models need to be willing to take great care of guests at events, help with registration, translations, product launches, lead generation and anything else the client might need help with. Most of our models speak at least 2 languages and have a university degree. Some even have doctorate degrees. Working at these events and trade shows is a unique networking opportunity for our models. They learn about different industries and make valuable connections for their future careers. I want the jobs to be a stepping stone for them into other opportunities. As a matter of fact, it has already been a great opportunity for many of our models. A few of them have launched their own businesses and are collaborating with me as business partners.

We only work with direct clients and bookings. This is a huge privilege for our models since they do not need to go to a lot of castings/auditions and compete with other models for jobs. We have worked with clients such as Teri Jon, Sam Edelman, UBeauty, Ese Azenabor at events and international trade shows like People Magazine Launch Party, IFA Berlin, BSC Expo London, AAHOA Dallas, Modefabriek Amsterdam or SIAL Paris, to only name a few. In Dallas we have organized shows and events at the most beautiful sites such as The Hall of State or the Perot Museum. We often collaborate with artists as well since we love to support their thought- provoking work. We have placed our models at several incredible artistic film projects and events. One of the films was even selected as a finalist for the European Cinematography Awards.

Another unique aspect about our agency is that we ultimately want to use the agency for doing “good.” We want to be able to choose our clients and support ethical businesses and social entrepreneurs. Before the pandemic, we launched the project “Models for Good” and our models used their social media influence to educate others about different topics related to living a more Eco-friendly and sustainable life. We have also supported many charity events and organized charity fashion shows. Our plan is to expand this aspect of the agency even more and to use our influence wisely. We want to have a positive impact on people and our society. The next event/fashion show we are planning will be to raise funds to buy land in the rain-forest in order to protect it. I am very excited about this initiative as it has been one of my childhood dreams to help protect the lungs of our precious planet.

I did my Master studies in Political Economy and International Relations and received several scholarships to study abroad. I learned six languages fluently in preparation to work in an international atmosphere and live and work all over the world. The agency happened more organically. I started it while in Germany when I was still working as a model myself and later launched it in Dallas around 5 years ago. Fortunately, the agency has allowed me to work remotely and, before the pandemic, we placed models for events and shows all over the US and Europe.

I am very passionate and grateful about what we are doing and am constantly trying to incorporate all I have learned in my studies and while living abroad. I think we can have a huge impact on changing the narrative of models being only beautiful but empty shells. Due to my background I have such a different approach to the industry. Alice Laura Models is ‘not your typical modeling agency.’

I believe the agency allows me to mentor young women every day. It is actually an incorporation of just that. I consider my models as my sisters and brothers. I ultimately want to guide and protect them. I really hope while working with us they are inspired to work on themselves intellectually, network with different clients and even be inspired to start their own businesses. I love seeing my models do exactly that and I got some amazing feedback from parents and models thanking me for my work. A lot of our models started to learn new languages, others started their own businesses and some got internship opportunities or actual jobs.

My best advice for women is to just start and to believe in themselves. If you believe in yourself, others will do so as well. It is not always easy and as a business owner you work a lot, sometimes 24/7. But if you love what you do and it is your passion, it does not feel like working. You are able to materialize your thoughts and visions. This is the great privilege of being our own boss.

Go after your dreams. We only have one life. Do whatever makes you happy and never forget what is most important in life: your health and your loved ones. Never sacrifice your health or your family for work. It is not worth it. You need to be satisfied, happy and have a balance. Do not stop enjoying life. Stay young in your heart and mind. Do not just live for your pension.

While living, studying and working abroad I have a met a lot of elderly people who just left their country and started traveling for the first time. I remember one elderly couple telling me: “Alice, you are doing it right. Please do not make the same mistake we did. We have worked our whole lives for our pension and are just now starting to live and enjoy it. Unfortunately, we are too old now to really enjoy and live the experience. The world is so beautiful and we just now started to realize it. Please do it while you are still young and not when it is too late.” I will never forget what they said and am trying my best to live by it. After all, we live for the beautiful moments and experiences and not for accumulating things.

WhIle it is not easy, you need to love what you do and you need to be persistent. There will be a lot of ups and downs. In the beginning you will not earn much, or may even lose money. In the first year of my business, I personally did not earn anything and was working basically 24/7. See it as an investment, stay focused and positive. Take some days off to recharge and get back to it after. Do not give up and if it is really what you are passionate about and you can be your authentic self, you will be successful in the end. People need to see that you are real. Do not fake anything, stay humble and be diligent. Be respectful to everyone who works with you no matter the position or social class.

My persistence and flexibility were tested once more when the pandemic hit. Last year was hard for all of us and it was particularly so for our agency because of our focus on premium event staffing. One after the other booking suddenly got cancelled due to the Pandemic. At first, I was really sad since the agency had just been starting to grow very fast. I thought of all the time we spent in building the business and the hard work and time that we invested in securing the bookings. But then, I changed my mindset and decided to make the best out of the situation. I took advantage of all the free time I suddenly had, focused on self-improvement, improved my languages, studied Ayurveda, travelled all over Europe and spent a lot of time with my family. Furthermore, I changed my business strategy and focused on Influencer Marketing and “Virtual Modeling” during this time. In the end, it is all about your mindset and we need to learn to fall and get back up again.

Personally, I prefer working with other business women. I know that there is no ulterior motive other than business or friendship and I can be comfortable meeting and collaborating with them. I feel that in working with other women entrepreneurs there is another level of trust. There is enough out there for all of us and we are much stronger and can grow much faster if we work together. I enjoy working with many other woman-owned modeling agencies, modeling schools and other businesses. We have organized some amazing networking events together and we are in constant communication and collaboration. I think that this is the best way to grow and to stay human at the same time. As human beings, we need to think more collectively in general since we all share this planet and, in the end, all want the same: to live peacefully with our loved ones, have financial security and freedom.

Next for me is hopefully getting back to doing events in Europe and other cities all over the US once this Pandemic subsides. My main focus will be Dallas though. I really like this city, its people and how welcoming they are to entrepreneurs like me. There is so much opportunity and great people who will mentor and support you. I am extremely thankful for being here and for all the support. Furthermore, I would like to start launching a YouTube channel for the agency showcasing the work we do even more and to tell the inspiring stories of our amazing models. Moreover, I would like to continue growing the “Models For Good” Project and maybe even start my own ethical fashion or organic cosmetic label. There is a lot more to come and I am excited about the future.

Alice Laura is the Founding Executive & CEO of the Modeling & Premium Staffing Agency of “Alice Laura Models.” Her agency goes beyond pretty faces. She is all about encouraging young women and men to focus on more than just their looks.

@_alicelaura_ // @alicelauramodels

www.alicelauramodels.com

Photography // Kate Ma rie Portraiture // @katemarieportraiture

Venue // The Space on West Main // @spaceonwestmain

Hair/Makeup Artist // Hair by Olivia // @makeup_by_olivia

Florals // Flora & Vine // @flora.and.vine

Gowns // Dallas Gown Rentals // @dallasgownrentals

Creative Direction // ELLA Inspires Magazine