Issue 46: Vesta

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FLEURIR FORTY - SIX

MAGAZINE

THE L WORD

V E S TA 1

E d i t o r ?s n o t e BABY, We're Ba c k! Reig nla nd Ma g a zine ha s reb ra nd ed a s Fleurir. Other tha n the style, nothing else ha s c ha ng ed . Still, we're c om m itted to b ring ing up ind ie a rtists, telling the stories tha t need to b e told , a nd p rovid ing lig ht for those in need . My sinc ere a p p rec ia tion g oes out to a ll of the c rea tives a nd PR b oss b a b es tha t help ed m e p ut this tog ether. Trusting m e with these stories will a lwa ys b e a n honor for m e. It's g ood to b e b a c k. Welc om e to Forty Six.

by

EllaRae CEO, Desig ner & Journa list Fleurir Ma g a zine

@fleurirm a g & @ella a ud reyra e 2

C r e d it s

The ones who m a ke Fleurir the p la tform .

Ed it or in Ch ief Ella Aud rey Ra e

W rit ers & Cu ra t ors Ella Aud rey Ra e

Con t rib u t in g Ph ot og ra p h ers Na ta lie Wa lker, Whitney Otte, Ma d d i Heb ner

Fa sh ion Con t rib u t or: Ta m eka Withers

Dig it a l Pu b lish er Issuu & Reig nla nd Crea tives LLC

Prin t Pu b lish er Peec ho & Reig nla nd Crea tives LLC

Pu b lic ist Reig nla nd Crea tives

W a n t t o c on t rib u t e? Sub m it your work a t hello@fleurirm a g .c o 3

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s e a s o n a l f a s h io n f in d s y o u n e e d .

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J IL L IA N S T EEL E During a sc roll throug h Insta g ra m , I c a m e a c ross the reel of New York ra ised a nd Na shville- b a sed sing er, Jillia n Steele. In the b a c kg round , she p la yed her new song , 'You Ca n Ha ve Him ,' while overla ying a rela ta b le c a p tion. The m om ent I sa w it, I fell in love with it a nd ha d to find out m ore a b out her. "My fa m ily used to b ring m e into NYC to wa tc h m y c ousin p erform a nd I rem em b er I wa s p rob a b ly five yea rs old wa tc hing her a t som e c a b a ret show thinking "OK this is wha t I wa nt to d o I wa nt to sing on sta g e."

At 18, she m oved to Na shville to stud y a t the p restig ious Belm ont University a nd d ec id ed Na shville would b e her hom e. "I loved every m inute I sp ent a t Belm ont a nd m et som e inc red ib le p eop le a nd m entors," she sa id . Ad d itiona lly, she noted tha t g oing to sc hool c a n a lso hind er your c a reer d ue to exp enses a nd not b eing a b le to g et out there a s a full tim e stud ent.

In her first p op - c ountry song , "You Ca n Ha ve Him ," Jillia n c a p tures the em otions of a young wom a n just out of a toxic rela tionship , d ra wing insp ira tion from her own p a st. " [ It] a c tua lly isn't a b out a sp ec ific p erson or story ( a lthoug h i d efinitely p ulled som e insp o from m y p a st lol) . I wa s sitting with m y c o- writers a nd we were d isc ussing how there a re so m a ny sa d b rea kup song s a nd not enoug h song s a b out b eing g la d a c erta in c ha p ter ha s c losed . I a lso a m the b ig g est fa n of "Jolene" b y Dolly Pa rton a nd a lwa ys wa nted to write kind of the op p osite of "p lea se d on't ta ke m y m a n" whic h is how "you c a n ha ve him " c a m e a b out."

Her op enness b ec a m e inc rea sing ly p op ula r a s she b ec a m e inc rea sing ly p op ula r on soc ia l m ed ia . "I think i a m a rela tively op en p erson. i ha ve a lwa ys

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b een sup er p rotec tive over wha t i would write a nd c hoose to sha re with the world , a nd it took b eing on p la tform s like TikTok a nd Insta g ra m reels to und ersta nd tha t p eop le rea lly wa nt to know a b out the hum a n b ehind the song s. Onc e i sta rted sha ring m ore a nd b eing m ore of a n op en b ook I felt m ore love a nd sup p ort tha n ever!"

In term s of a d vic e for wom en who c a n rela te to her song , Jillia n sa ys to just feel it a nd know wha t you a re feeling is norm a l. "I think the m ost im p orta nt thing is just to sit with a nd m a ke sure you a re rea lly feeling every em otion. knowing tha t everything you a re feeling is a norm a l hum a n rea c tion. it is so ea sy to b rush thing s off or b ottle up how we a re feeling , b ut i d on't think you ever truly hea l or "d ea l" with thing s tha t wa y. a lso there's som ething so freeing a b out trusting the universe ha s your b a c k a nd som ething b etter is a lrea d y on it's wa y to you."

While she wa s working on new m usic , Jillia n p a used to a d d ress issues c lose to her hea rt, Roe vs Wa d e. She took on the song she loves m ost, 'Just A Girl', b y Gwen Stefa ni, to exp ress her op inion. The c over ha s over 11k views on Insta g ra m . "I ha ve a lwa ys b een SUCH a fa n of this song a nd Gwen Stefa ni. she is like the ep itom e of a b a d a ss, em p owering wom a n a nd it just felt like this wa s the p erfec t tim e for this m essa g e to b e b roug ht b a c k a round g iven everything g oing on in the world rig ht now."

Desp ite the fa c t tha t it m a y ta ke tim e to p roc ess, voting is the key. "Vote like your rig hts d ep end on it b ec a use they d o. It's c erta inly a n unea sy tim e, i feel like i a m still p roc essing it a s well, b ut there a re so m a ny resourc es a nd sup p ort g roup s a nd inc red ib le wom en a nd p eop le sha ring their stories tha t m a ke this whole m ess feel a little less lonely."

As long a s Jillia n relea ses the ra w a nd unc ut truth in her m usic , she g ives us hop e tha t we a re strong enoug h to m a ke it a nd strong enoug h to fig ht for our rig hts a s wom en. Her full d eb ut a lb um is set for la te next yea r, a nd I a m ea g erly a ntic ip a ting it.

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a d a ly n g ib le r t The CEO of Soc ia lsb yAd a lyn, Ad a lyn, is a thriving c ontent c rea tor a nd soc ia l m ed ia m a na g er who I d isc overed while sea rc hing Insta g ra m . It wa s the 'a esthetic ' she b roug ht tha t I found a p p ea ling . The them e m a tc hed m ine so well tha t I wa s c om p elled to d esig n her site. Thoug h I d id not know her, I m essa g ed her in her DMs a nd offered to d esig n her web site for free. She a g reed ( la ter p a ying m e for it) a nd the rest b ec a m e history.

As a young g irl, Ad a lyn sta rted m a king YouTub e vid eos for fun a s a wa y to sp end her free tim e. Over tim e, she took YouTub e m ore seriously until she rea c hed 4000 sub sc rib ers. She then d isc overed Tik Tok a nd lea rned a b out the role of a soc ia l m ed ia m a na g er. She wa s intrig ued b y it in a wa y she ha d never exp erienc ed b efore. "I sta rted ta king on c lients, m a na g ing their soc ia l m ed ia a c c ounts a nd c rea ting tons of c ontent for them , a s well a s m y own." .

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In y ou r role a s a soc ia l m ed ia m a n a g er, d o y ou fin d it d iffic u lt t o c on v in c e p eop le t h a t soc ia l m ed ia is n ec essa ry ?

Som etim es it c a n b e very d iffic ult to c onvinc e p eop le tha t soc ia l m ed ia is nec essa ry.

Ma ny p eop le a re still a fra id of c ha ng e, a nd d oing thing s d ifferently. A very c om m on wa y of g etting your b usiness out there is b y word of m outh, a nd som e p eop le rely only on tha t, even thoug h soc ia l m ed ia is where the true m a g ic is a t.

Her d ec ision to lea ve her 9- 5 ha s b een la rg ely a ttrib uted to the fa c t tha t she find s it extrem ely d iffic ult to d o b oth, sta ting , "I d id not ha ve a work- life b a la nc e a nd I wa s only working . I would work on m y soc ia l m ed ia m a na g em ent b usiness, then g et into b ed a t 12 AM a nd rep ea t this routine every d a y." For those who a re trying to p ivot out of a 9- 5, she enc oura g es them not to g ive up , "It sound s so c lic he b ut it's so im p orta nt not to g ive up when thing s g et d iffic ult. It ta kes a lot of tim e a nd ha rd work to sta rt your own b usiness while working a 9- 5, b ut it's so worth it."

In t h e m id st of t h e w h ole m od ern "a est h et ic " t ren d , w h y d o y ou fin d it so a t t ra c t iv e?

I love a esthetic c ontent, a nd I think m a ny p eop le d o a s well. Life itself isn't a esthetic , so I think it's so interesting to wa tc h "a esthetic " c ontent b ec a use it shows life in a d ifferent, m ore b ea utiful, p ersp ec tive. Som etim es c ontent c a n just help p eop le g et a wa y from their c ha otic rea lity, a nd I think "a esthetic " c ontent rea lly d oes tha t for them .

In t od a y 's b u sin ess w orld , h ow im p ort a n t is 'b ra n d a est h et ic '?

Bra nd a esthetic is so im p orta nt a nd I c a n't em p ha size tha t enoug h. Your "b ra nd a esthetic " is essentia lly wha t som eone p ic tures & envisions when your b ra nd is m entioned or b roug ht up .

Asid e from m a na g ing b ra nd s' soc ia l m ed ia 's, she is now d ip p ing into UGC or user g enera ted c ontent c rea tion. In this c a se, she uses herself a s the foc a l p oint of c ontent for other b ra nd s instea d of just m a king g ra p hic s or using their c ontent. She c ites tha t she 'em b ra c es a uthentic ity' whic h I p ersona lly think is wha t will keep her b ra nd a t the top .

Clea rly, Ad a lyn is m ore tha n just a soc ia l m ed ia m a na g er; she knows wha t she wa nts a nd will d o her b est to a c hieve it. In a d d ition to va luing life, she is c om m itted to help ing others a long the wa y. "I used to let p eop le wa lk a ll over m e a nd m a ke m y own d ec isions, b ut now I'm ta king tha t p ower b a c k a nd living m y own life."

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K o r i W h it b y K o r i W h it b y K o r i W h it b y K o r i W h it b y

Kori Whitb y is a q uirky, outsp oken c op ywriter who uses storytelling skills to help c om p a nies lea rn their a ud ienc e a nd und ersta nd how they c a n a m p lify their influenc e.

Throug hout this a rtic le, we d isc uss her story, the need for c op ywriters, a nd her thoug hts on the Rod e vs Wa d e c a se.

"I went to c olleg e for thea ter, a nd left sc hool thinking tha t I would b e a p la ywrig ht or work in the litera ry d ep a rtm ent of a new works thea ter. I q uic kly rea lized tha t the litera ry c orner of the ind ustry is tiny, a nd tha t it would b e nea rly im p ossib le to find a job without working a s a n unp a id intern for a t lea st a yea r. Tha t wa sn't fea sib le for m e a t the tim e ( is it fea sib le for a nyb od y, rea lly?) so I p ivoted ."

In a d d ition to working a t the front d esk of a rea l esta te firm , she worked a s a c op ywriter on the sid e. She rea lized she c ould turn her p a ssion for writing into a p rofita b le b usiness b y d oing this "It took m e a few m ore yea rs to ha ve the g uts to try, b ut ob viously I d id , a nd it worked out. I g et to exerc ise m y c rea tivity in a d ifferent wa y, a nd feel sup er fulfilled b y m y work."

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In the b eg inning , she sta rted a s a virtua l a ssista nt sinc e it wa s a trend ing c a reer p a th, b ut soon rea lized it wa sn't her c up of tea . Eig ht m onths la ter, she b ec a m e a full- tim e c op ywriter.

Kori isn't the only storyteller in her fa m ily. Her fa ther is a journa list. While working for a n ind ep end ent newsp a p er in FL, he p ushed the b ound a ries of tra d itiona l journa lism a nd exp osed c orrup tion in loc a l g overnm ent. "They g ot in a lot of troub le b ec a use of this, b ut m y d a d a nd his sta ff were foc used on telling the truth no m a tter the outc om e. My d a d ta ug ht m e a b out sa tire, how to b e unb ia sed in m y writing , a nd everything I know a b out g ra m m a r. " She c ontinued , "My d a d will b e the first to d eny this, b ut he is the funniest, sm a rtest, b ra vest p erson I know. I still c a ll him to this d a y whenever I'm stum p ed b y sentenc e struc ture, p unc tua tion, or how to la nd a joke in m y writing ."

Cop y w rit in g is b ec om in g in c rea sin g ly p op u la r in t h e b u sin ess w orld . W h y d o y ou t h in k t h a t is? Yea rs a g o, t h e t erm w a sn 't w id ely u sed .

I think with the rec ent influx of ind ep end ent b usiness owners, freela nc ers, a nd entrep reneurs, p eop le a re sta rting to und ersta nd tha t b uild ing a susta ina b le b usiness is a lot m ore c om p lic a ted tha n sim p ly "showing up ." In rec ent yea rs, I've notic ed a n em p ha sis on b ra nd rec og nition, long evity, a nd m a rketing . Cop ywriting sits nea tly in the m id d le of tha t venn d ia g ra m . Cop ywriters used to b e viewed a s the p eop le sitting a round a d a g enc ies writing c heesy slog a ns, b ut sinc e a strong d ig ita l p resenc e ha s b ec om e so c ruc ia l for b usinesses, c op ywriters ha ve evolved into the hea rtb ea t of sa id b usinesses.

We c ontrol the voic e, p erc ep tion, a nd m essa g e of a b ra nd . It's im p orta nt exerc ise m y c rea tivity in a d ifferent wa y, a nd feel sup er fulfilled b y m y work."

W h a t m a k es c op y so im p ort a n t for a b u sin ess's su c c ess?

This is a toug h q uestion. I think tha t a b usiness tec hnic a lly c a n b e suc c essful without c op ywriting , b ut c op ywriting m a kes it so m uc h ea sier. These d a ys, p eop le a re sea rc hing for c onnec tion, even ( m a yb e esp ec ia lly?) with the b ra nd s tha t they a re b uying from .

Cop ywriters foster tha t c onnec tion in a wa y tha t is p ersona l, stra teg ic , a nd d a ta - d riven.

It's our job to und ersta nd how to c onnec t a b ra nd with their a ud ienc e in a n a uthentic wa y. Consc ious c onsum ers a re looking for b ra nd p ersona lities tha t they c a n la tc h onto, a nd when you work with a c op ywriter to na il tha t b ra nd p ersona lity it b ec om es so m uc h ea sier to c rea te a loya l a ud ienc e of b uyers, sup p orters, a nd fa ns.

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W h a t k in d of exp erien c e d o y ou offer t o y ou r c lien t s w h en t h ey h ire y ou t o d o t h eir c op y ?

I c ustom ta ilor the exp erienc e to every sing le one of m y c lients. A lot of p eop le will enc oura g e freela nc ers not to d o this b ec a use it m a kes our job "ha rd er." But m y c lients a re p eop le who a re d eep ly p a ssiona te a b out their b usiness, a nd I would b e d oing them a d isservic e b y trying to fit them into a rig id form ula or workflow. I sa y yes to "c ra zy" id ea s, flex the b ound a ries of wha t a c op ywriter "should " b e a nd d o, a nd enc oura g e m y c lients to think outsid e the b ox. Most of m y c lients end up b ec om ing m y friend s, a nd I ha ve m a d e som e g rea t c onnec tions just from b eing willing to d o thing s a little out of the ord ina ry.

How d iffic u lt is it for y ou t o w rit e c op y for y ou rself v ersu s for ot h ers? W h y is t h a t so?

Writing c op y for m yself is wishy wa shy. Som etim es it flows out of m e a nd I c a n write a sa les p a g e or em a il funnel for m yself in like, 30 m inutes. Som etim es it ta kes weeks. I think p a rt of it is b ec a use it's ea sy to p roc ra stina te on m y own work in fa vor of m y c lient work.

It's a lso typ ic a lly ea sier for m e to step into som eone else's b ra nd voic e tha n m y own. I think tha t's b ec a use it's ea sier to sec ond g uess m yself when I'm living in m y own b ra in.

Som eone else's b ra nd is sp elled out for m e on p a p er. Mine feels a m orp hous a nd liq uid b ec a use I a m a lwa ys thinking a b out it.

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As a b u sin ess ow n er, h ow d o y ou b a la n c e life a n d w ork ?

I d on't ( lol) . I a m a c hronic overa c hiever who is d esp era tely trying to sep a ra te her sense of self- worth from her c a reer a c c om p lishm ents. I find it rea lly ha rd to "c loc k out" a t the end of the d a y b ec a use even when I'm not sitting in front of m y c om p uter a c tively working , I a m still thinking a b out m y b usiness. I'm working on it a nd when I fig ure it out, I'll let you know.

One thing tha t I will sa y is a hug e relief to m e is trusting other p eop le to d o the thing s tha t I ha te d oing . It's ha rd for m e to relea se c ontrol of a nything in m y life, b ut hiring p eop le like a b usiness m a na g er, jr. writer, a nd g ra p hic d esig ner ha s m a d e it ea sier for m e to step a wa y sem i- p ea c efully a t the end of a work d a y.

Sc rollin g t h rou g h y ou r st ories, I n ot ic ed y ou r fru st ra t ion ov er Rod e v s W a d e. Cou ld y ou p lea se sh a re y ou r t h ou g h t s a b ou t t h e sit u a t ion a lit t le b it m ore?

Ga thering m y thoug hts a round this sub jec t is ha rd for m e, b ec a use I g et rea lly em otiona l when I think a b out it. To b e honest, I'm terrified for the future of this c ountry. At the end of d a y, the only thing tha t we truly own is our b od y. If we d on't ha ve a utonom y over it, then we ha ve nothing .

Roe v. Wa d e b eing overturned is just the tip of the ic eb erg . Anyone who thinks tha t they won't b e g oing a fter g a y m a rria g e, ( even m ore) tra ns rig hts, interra c ia l m a rria g e, a nd m ore, is b eing intentiona lly na ive. Nothing is sa fe in a p ost- Roe world , a nd we ha ve to stop with the "how c ould this ha p p en???" rea c tions. We KNOW how this ha p p ened .

Am eric a ha s never b een the la nd of the free, nor the hom e of the b ra ve.

In y ou r op in ion , h ow c a n w om en rise u p a n d m a k e su re t h a t w om en 's rig h t s w ill c on t in u e t o exist in t h e fu t u re?

This isn't som ething tha t I c a n p retend to know the a nswer to. I find m yself teetering b etween a ng er, d esp a ir, a nd d esp era tion every sing le d a y. Wha t I d o know is tha t wom en a lone c a n't d o it. Peop le ha ve to c a re a b out p eop le tha t they c a n't rela te to. All too often, we ha ve to b e p ersona lly sla p p ed in the fa c e with the ra m ific a tions of som ething in ord er to c a re a b out it. Tha t ha s to stop . We ha ve to c a re a b out p rob lem s tha t a ren't our own, a nd fig ht for ea c h other. The Am eric a n g overnm ent is system ic a lly c orrup t a nd ha s b een rotting from the insid e out from d a y one. If it were up to m e, I would sc ra p the whole thing a nd sta rt over. Ab olish b illiona ires, a b olish the p olic e, a b olish p risons

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M e et Vest a, th e m y s t ic m in d b e h in d a 5 t r a c k m a s t e r p ie c e t h a t w e a ll n e e d e d .

Her a b ility to b e va lua b le in her m usic a nd yet m a inta in a m ystic is wha t m a kes her the a rtist she is. "Althoug h I'm a p riva te p erson, I d on't feel "exp osed " or like I'm oversha ring in m y m usic . Nob od y knows the rea lity b ehind the m usic so m a yb e tha t's where the c om fort stem s from ."

She b eg a n writing a nd rec ord ing song s a t 13 with her long tim e friend , Elija h Moon. "He a c tua lly g a ve m e m y first m ic , ta ug ht m e the rop es a nd m ixed / m a stered everything I d id . We were a d yna m ic d uo a nd to this d a y I feel like our c hem istry is unm a tc hed ."

Eventua lly, she m et a g roup known a s the 5ive Collec tive tha t further fueled her c a reer. "I ha d g one to sc hool with Leon Knig ht a nd worked in the sa m e p la c e a s Con. I went from b eing a fa n to b ec om ing the ?b a b y? of the g roup , tea m ing up with their p rod uc ers a nd the rest wa s history."

Sp ot ify list s y ou r son g 'Pu rp ose' a s t h e ea rliest on y ou r a c c ou n t . W h a t w a s it lik e w rit in g t h a t a n d b ein g so v u ln era b le a t t h e b eg in n in g of y ou r jou rn ey ?

?Purp ose? wa s m y first sing le a fter m y How Sing ers Cry EP. I try to keep a ll of m y m usic a s vulnera b le a s I c a n. Purp ose m ig ht?ve b een the first song I wrote without a ny a c tua l m otive. I ha d just lea rned how to rea lly rec ord m yself a nd la yer m y voc a ls how I wa nted to, it wa s still a n extrem ely ra w song b ut it wa s d efinitely a p ivota l m om ent for m e when it c a m e to fig uring out wha t works for m e.

Th a t sa m e y ea r, 'Fa c e' w a s a lso relea sed ( on e of m y fa v orit es) . At t h a t p oin t in y ou r

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c a reer, w h ere w ere y ou ? How d o y ou feel a b ou t t h a t son g n ow t h a t y ou look b a c k on it ?

?Fa c es? c a m e rea lly out of the b lue for m e. I rem em b er sitting on m y g ra nd m a ?s p orc h. It wa s ea rly in the m orning a nd ra ining outsid e b ut I wa s ha ving c offee a nd c hec king m y em a ils like I a lwa ys d o. My g o- to p rod uc er a t the tim e ( who a lso p rod uc ed Purp ose) ha d sent m e a p a c k of b ea ts. There were m a yb e 6 b ea ts in the p a c k a nd Fa c es wa s the only one I g ra vita ted to na tura lly. Everything just sp illed out. I d rew insp ira tion from a q uote I ha d rea d a nd sta rted the song with ?you fell in love with the sound of m y voic e b efore a nything else?? a nd just let the rest follow. THAT wa s m y first leg it vulnera b le m om ent sinc e m y EP.

In the yea r following the relea se of 'Fa c e', Vesta wa s silent not b y c hoic e b ut b y nec essity.

She fa c ed wha t m a ny a rtists d o, b a d c ontra c ts. "I wa s in a terrib le m a na g em ent c ontra c t. After ?Fa c es? d rop p ed , it wa sn?t long until I flew out to LA to b e c loser to m y m a na g er who p ra c tic a lly g hosted m e. He d id just enoug h to where the c ontra c t wa sn?t nec essa rily b rea c hed b ut a ll- in- a ll he d id nothing for m e b ut keep m e b ound . I rea lized tha t a nything I relea sed , he would own in full inc lud ing m y EP whic h he la ter rem oved from strea m ing p la tform s, Fa c es a nd Purp ose. I wa s d isc oura g ed a nd wa sn?t even sure if the m usic ind ustry wa s one I c ould survive in so I stop p ed c rea ting in hop es tha t he would just g ive up on hold ing m e hosta g e."

She fina lly found the freed om she wa s looking for when she m et her c urrent m a na g er, Ron. When he d isc overed her twitter a c c ount a nd hea rd her ra nt a b out LA, he wa s d eterm ined to help her a nd free her from her c ontra c t. "We m et a t a Sta rb uc ks a nd ta lked a b out m y g oa ls a nd where I wa s. He told m e a b out his b a c kg round in m a na g em ent a nd wa ys he c ould help . Ob viously I wa s c ynic a l a b out the whole id ea , you know? I wa sn?t sure I c ould trust him . I d id n?t trust a nyone c onsid ering I wa s 20 yea rs old a nd 2000 m iles a wa y from hom e. But he c a lled in a fa vor from his la wyer a nd I wa s free in no tim e! Before jum p ing into a nother c ontra c t, we worked tog ether for like 3 m onths. By the tim e it wa s tim e to p ut som ething in writing , I wa s c onfid ent in our rela tionship a nd still a m ."

Is t h ere a st ory b eh in d 'Fa m ou s'? As I list en ed t o y ou r v oic e, I felt a s if t h e st ory w a s t ru e.

?Fa m ous? wa s m ost d efinitely a rea l life situa tion tha t I think m ost a rtists g o throug h? when you just d on?t ha ve the tim e to b e who som eone need s you to b e b ec a use you?re

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loc ked in on your own g oa ls a nd a sp ira tions. I tried to p ortra y m y own p ersp ec tive while still keep ing it rela ta b le, b ut ultim a tely m y m essa g e wa s ?Look, I?m not tha t g rea t a nywa y.

You?re not m issing out. Let m e d o m y thing ?

Som et im es I see y ou t a k e t h ese h ia t u ses w h ere y ou d elet e ev ery t h in g in c lu d in g m u sic , p h ot os, v id eos, et c . W h en y ou d o t h a t , w h ere a re y ou m en t a lly ? Do y ou t h in k a b ou t it or is it ju st a n a b ru p t t h ou g h t ?

Honestly, the p ressure of trying to b e releva nt a nd a p p ea ling to a ll of these a lg orithm s m a kes soc ia l m ed ia a d ra g for m e. I feel like I ha ve to foc us so m uc h m ore on how I?m p erc eived m ore tha n who I a c tua lly a m . It?s a ha b it I?m still trying to outg row a nd I ha te tha t I?m still in the sta g e of fig uring m yself out b ec a use I?m d oing it a t the forefront of m y sup p orters.

Her m otiva tion to m a ke m usic a nd p erform wa s d im inished d uring the p a nd em ic , som ething m a ny a rtists a re still trying to rec over from . "The p a nd em ic ruined m y m om entum , I won?t lie. It wa s ha rd a d justing to not c onsistently b eing a round other a rtists. It ha d g otten so b a d tha t even now, I turn d own op p ortunities to p erform b ec a use I feel like I d on?t ha ve tha t sa m e sp a rk."

Vesta fina lly relea sed a full p rojec t in 2022 c a lled 'The L Word '. The m usic ind ustry need ed this 5 song m a sterp iec e. The title d oes not just sta nd for love, b ut ea c h song is sup p osed to evoke either lust, long ing , loss, or love, a c c ord ing to Vesta . "I left it to the listeners to interp ret!".

Th is p rojec t 's op en er, 'My Ty p e,' h a s a n a iry v ib e t h a t I lov e. It feels a lm ost lik e a d rea m m ixed w it h t h e feelin g y ou g et w h en y ou p u t y ou r h a n d ou t t h e w in d ow on a lon g roa d t rip . W h y d id y ou c h oose t h is a s y ou r op en er?

Honestly it wa s the first song I ha d finished in m onths. My Typ e wa s just som ething tha t c a m e a b out on a c c id ent a nd I wa s so p roud of the song ( a nd ha d so m uc h m ore to sa y a b out the p erson who insp ired it) tha t m y p rod uc er a nd c o- writer d ec id ed to d ive hea d first into a n EP.

Th e t h ird t ra c k , 'You 're W ron g ,' is on e of m y fa v orit es, esp ec ia lly w it h t h e a rt ist sin g in g on t h e h ook . How d id y ou a p p roa c h w rit in g t h is?

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I d on't entirely know how to a nswer this without p rovid ing too m uc h b a c kstory. Ironic a lly, m y ex b oyfriend a nd I c o- wrote the first verse tog ether a nd the a rtist you hea r sing ing on the hook, Elxjh, wrote tha t p a rt. It's p rob a b ly the lea st p ersona l song on the p rojec t b ut a "fa n fa vorite" a nd m y fa vorite a s well.

In t h e sa m e son g , y ou t a lk a b ou t t h e im p ort a n c e of h ea lt h y c om m u n ic a t ion in a rela t ion sh ip . In a rela t ion sh ip , h ow sig n ific a n t is t h a t t o y ou ?

Com m unic a tion is vita l. But of c ourse, c om p rehension is key! I've d efinitely lea rned throug h tria l a nd error tha t you c a n ta lk a ll d a y long a nd g et nowhere with a p erson who is c om m itted to m isund ersta nd ing you.

'W h ile W e're You n g ' & 'My Ty p e' c a rry t h a t a iry v ib e I m en t ion ed a b ov e. Do y ou look for t h ose t y p es of b ea t s in t en t ion a lly ?

Everything on this EP wa s p rod uc ed on the sp ot. So I went into these sessions c om p letely b lind a nd let Elija h Moon work his m a g ic ! We just ha ve the typ e of d yna m ic where a ll he's g ot to d o is a sk m e how I feel, I tell him a nd he's g ot it from there.

I lov ed t h e ou t ro of t h is p rojec t . To b eg in w it h , is t h e v oic em a il rea l?

Ha ha , fortuna tely not! I a c tua lly ha d so m a ny p eop le c a ll m e to lea ve voic em a ils a nd the one you hea rd wa s the m ost rea listic .

W h en t h e list en er rea c h es t h e la st t ra c k , d o w e see Vest a fin a lly feelin g free from t h e st ru g g les sh e exp erien c ed in t h is p rojec t ?

This song , even with it litera lly b eing a ll of 3 sentenc es, wa s rea lly just m e sa ying "d o you still see m e a s the p erson I wa s when we weren't on g ood term s?" At the end of a lm ost every "era ," I feel a n im m ense a m ount of g uilt a b out the wa y I a m p otentia lly p erc eived .

To a fa ult, even. I would ra ther a lm ost ra ther b e unha p p y with som eone tha n to lea ve them first b ec a use of this very rea son. So yes, the outro is Vesta freeing herself from self- a b a nd onm ent a nd p erl. .

Get Vesta 's new EP, 'Th e L W ord '. You c a n d ownloa d it or strea m it on a ny of your fa vorite p la tform s. You c a n a lso follow Vesta on Insta g ra m @voc a lvesta .

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OSTON

Artist OSTON, b a sed in Los Ang eles, ha s b een c om p osing m usic sinc e she wa s a b le to sp ea k. At the a g e of six, she b eg a n ta king voc a l lessons a nd c ontinued throug hout hig h sc hool. While g rowing up in Pa rk City, Uta h, she d id not see m uc h of a m usic sc ene to b e involved in, so a s soon a s she g ra d ua ted from hig h sc hool, she reloc a ted to Chic a g o to a ttend m usic sc hool. She sp ent severa l yea rs d em oing song s for other a rtists b efore b eg inning to write for her own a rtist p rojec t, OSTON. After relea sing her d eb ut EP, she m oved out to Los Ang eles, where she ha s b een working a s a n a rtist a nd song writer for the p a st few yea rs. "Wha tshisfa c e" is the song tha t I d isc overed her throug h. As I sc rolled throug h reels, I wa s c a ug ht off g ua rd b y the sound of her voic e. My first rea c tion wa s to a sk, "How d id she know m y story?"? It wa s refreshing to hea r the ra wness a nd em otion c onta ined in it. Throug hout her m usic , inc lud ing '20 nothing ', she d oes not hold b a c k a nd I b elieve tha t is one of the rea sons so m a ny of us a re fa ns.

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You r EP, 'Mela n c h olia ', a lrea d y feels lik e a c la ssic p rojec t b a sed on t h e sin g les y ou h a v e relea sed . I n ot ic ed t h a t y ou m en t ion ed t h e t it le in t h e sin g le '20 Not h in g '. Ca n y ou d esc rib e y ou r jou rn ey w it h it ?

I b eg a n writing for this p rojec t b a c k in Ap ril of 2021a t a writing c a m p in Big Bea r with 3 of m y b est friend s ( JORDY, Drew Polovic k a nd ka te the d rea m er) . The first song we wrote tha t I knew ha d to b e the sta rt of the EP journey wa s ?HARD TO LOVE?. It wa s so ra w a nd vulnera b le a nd felt like the p erfec t wa y to c lose m y Chic a g o c ha p ter. Following this song , I kep t b eing a s op en a s I c ould a b out key m om ents I?ve exp erienc ed so fa r in m y twenties. Pa inful a nd toxic b rea kup s, c om ing to term s with m enta l hea lth issues, strug g ling to love wha t?s sta ring b a c k in the m irror, a nd trying d esp era tely to fig ure out wha t in the world it m ea ns to ?g row up ?. ?Mela nc holia ?ta kes the listener throug h the a rc of m y ea rly twenties - feeling like the ?b est? version of m yself is a lwa ys rig ht next to m e a nd c lose enoug h to touc h, b ut never fully a tta ina b le. I still d on?t ha ve a c lue wha t I?m d oing ( a s m a ny of us 20- som ething s feel) b ut I?m g etting there a d a y a t a tim e.

How a re y ou d oin g w it h it n ow ? Do y ou h a v e a n y a d v ic e for ot h ers d ea lin g w it h it t h a t c a n t ot a lly rela t e?

Growing up is a n a d venture a nd there?s no textb ook on how to d o it the ?rig ht? wa y.

Na vig a ting throug h life a nd its resp onsib ilities a nd exp ec ta tions is a rea lly b um p y journey. Som e d a ys I feel like I?m on top of the world a nd I?m tota lly ha p p y with wha t I?ve a c c om p lished so fa r, a nd other d a ys I c a n?t sha ke the feeling tha t I?m nowhere nea r where I wa nted to b e a t 25. The a d vic e I find m yself g iving a ll m y friend s who feel sim ila r is tha t we?re not a lone in feeling lost a nd c onfused . We?re d oing the b est we c a n! I c ould d efinitely sta nd to ta ke m y own a d vic e in tha t reg a rd .

The im p orta nc e of song writers c ontinuing the na rra tive tha t m enta l hea lth is som ething tha t m ost p eop le strug g le with, a c c ord ing to Oston, is c ruc ia l a s is song writers b eing willing to b e honest a nd vulnera b le a b out their m usic a b out it. Her fa vorites inc lud e Julia Mic ha els, Ca role Ad es, a nd Chelsea Cutler.."I stum b le a c ross m ore a nd m ore vid eos on soc ia l m ed ia every d a y of p eop le op ening up a b out their own m enta l hea lth strug g les a nd how they c op e."

Ha s t h is EP a ssist ed y ou in h ea lin g from t h e exp erien c es y ou sh a re on it ?

Ab solutely. Writing this EP wa s a n und enia b ly thera p eutic a nd c a tha rtic exp erienc e for m e. If I d on?t hea l from the writing p roc ess or from listening b a c k to a song I?ve written, then I d id n?t d o m y job c orrec tly

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OSTON p erform ed her first Lolla p oloza set la st yea r a nd this yea r she wa s b roug ht out b y her friend Jord y to p erform 'Tom orrow'. This p erform a nc e wa s the hig hlig ht of the festiva l, a s their voic es m elted so well tog ether.

Ca n w e t a lk a b ou t h ow a w esom e Jord y is? How d id y ou g u y s m eet ?

How is it w ork in g w it h h im ?

JORDY is one of m y c losest friend s a nd I love him d ea rly. I c a n sa y with c onfid enc e I rea lly d on?t know where I would b e without him . I op ened for him on a sm a ll run of shows b a c k a t the sta rt of 2020.

From the m om ent we m et we insta ntly just c lic ked a nd sta rted writing tog ether a nd sp end ing a ll our tim e with one a nother. He?s b een suc h a n im p orta nt p a rt of m y writing p roc ess a nd ha s help ed b ring som e of m y a b solute fa vorite song s to life ( inc lud ing 2 of m y fa vorites on Mela nc holia ) !

OSTON relea sed her d eb ut EP, MELANCHOLIA, a t The Moroc c a n Loung e this p a st weekend , her first LA hea d lining show. Da sha p erform ed a s a sp ec ia l g uest."Pla ying live shows is the thing tha t m a kes it a ll feel ?rea l? for m e. It?s one thing to look a t num b ers on a p hone sc reen, a nd a c om p letely d ifferent exp erienc e to see a c rowd of rea l hum a n p eop le showing up to sup p ort you. I wa s just honestly exc ited to c eleb ra te a ll the ha rd work m y tea m a nd I ha ve p ut into this p rojec t now tha t it?s fina lly out in the world ."

You c a n now strea m her d eb ut EP, 'MELANCHOLIA', a c ross a va riety of strea m ing servic es.

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LUC K

While sc rolling throug h m y Insta g ra m stories, I notic ed m y p hotog ra p her ha d d one a p hoto shoot with this m usic ia n na m ed 'Luc k'. There wa s som ething a b out her style tha t rea lly c a ug ht m y a ttention. As I ta lked to m y p hotog ra p her a b out the exp erienc e, she b oosted a b out Luc k's voc a ls a nd a b ility to b ring som ething d ifferent to the m usic ind ustry. It wa s im m ed ia tely ob vious to m e tha t I need ed to know m ore a b out her m usic a fter exp erienc ing it for m yself. Luc k is a Los Ang eles- b a sed a rtist with a n ea r for m usic a nd a n eye for d esig n. She knew a t a n ea rly a g e tha t she wa nted to b e a n enterta iner. "I ha d a lot of g rea t influenc es g rowing up from d ifferent wa lks of life a nd tha t help ed sha p e m y p ersp ec tive."

You m en t ion ed in y ou r Pa p er in t erv iew t h a t y ou ov erc a m e st ru g g les, c a n y ou t ell u s a lit t le a b ou t t h a t jou rn ey a n d w h a t p rin c ip les h elp ed y ou b ec om e t h e LUCK w e k n ow a n d lov e? "My b ig g est insp ira tion is d efinitely the c om p lexities of life itself. I lea rned tha t the thing s tha t I onc e looked a t a s a fla w, or the thing s tha t would c ount m e out a nd work a g a inst m e, a re now working for m y hig hest g ood . I p la c e a hig h va lue on m y d ivinity these d a ys. And I'm very intentiona l a b out keep ing tha t sp a c e a nc hored . My em otions m a tter, m y hum a nity is d efinitely rela tive .. b ut it d oesn't overrule wha t I know is a lrea d y written for m y life . I c rea te from tha t sp a c e , a nd m y p urp ose Is to sha re the g ood news.

I'm so exc ited a b out this l

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If you d on't see a sp a c e for you, c rea te one. Believing in yourself a nd your trib e is the wa y. It's wa y m ore freeing a nd fulfilling to b e you.

LUC K

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new la ng ua g e tha t I've d isc overed a nd

On e of m y fa v orit e t ra c k s on t h e EP is

b eyond exc ited to ha ve the op p ortunity to

'Don 't Sw ea t '. Th is son g g iv es off b oss g irl

p ut it into the ea rth throug h m y m usic &

v ib es a n d serv es a s t h e EP's sem i- c losin g

c rea tivity. You t a lk a lot a b ou t st ep p in g

t ra c k . Does t h is son g reflec t h ow p ow erfu l

in t o y ou r d iv in it y a n d y ou r d iv in e d esig n .

y ou h a v e b ec om e a ft er a ll y ou r st ru g g les?

Ca n y ou t ell u s a lit t le a b ou t h ow y ou

Prec isely! Tha t's wha t I d isc overed . And

lea rn ed t o d o t h a t ? Yes, I surrend ered to a

tha t's wha t the overa ll ep sta nd s for .

hig her b eing , I surrend ered to everything I

Und ersta nd ing tha t the p ower lies within a ll

thoug ht I knew a nd listened c losely to the

of us. We just ha ve to sea rc h for it . There's

m ira c le tha t wa s ha p p ening insid e of m e . I

so m a ny hid d en g em s a nd hid d en g lory

b ec a m e ob ed ient to the a rt. when I wa sn't

tra p p ed on the insid e of us! Th is son g

wa lking in m y d ivinity it wa s b ec a use I ha d

sh ow c a ses y ou r v oc a l a b ilit ies t o t h e

lost foc us on wha t m a ttered the m ost . I

fu llest . I rea lly a p p rec ia t e h ow t ru e a

und erstood tha t the world s p ersp ec tive

sin g er y ou a re. Tha nk you! I'm just ob ed ient

ha d d iluted m y own. inner d om inion wa s

to a rt. I'm not selfish in tha t wa y. I d o

essentia l, a nd I ha d to b ec om e ra d ic a lly

wha tever the m usic c a lls for. All the notes

foc used on who I wa nted to b e so tha t I

a nd id ea s a re a lrea d y there in the universe.

c ould ea sily d ec ip her who I wa s not. a ll

I'm just the vessel.

these thing s hig hly effec ted m y c rea tivity . I sta rted to show up d ifferently in the world .

The m ost surp rising thing a b out this EP

And the m usic tha t I m a ke is a full

wa sn't tha t it d id n't ha ve a ny fea tures, b ut

Reflec tion of m y ob ed ienc e.

tha t I thoug ht it d id b ec a use of Luc k's d ifferent voc a l ra ng es. Often, p eop le think

'It wa sn't luc k', Luc k's five- p iec e d eb ut EP,

this b ec a use she ha s a lot of c om p lexities

wa s relea sed in 2022. It wa s in 2018 tha t she

in her voic e. "Lots of c ha ra c ters. This p rojec t

first em b a rked on this journey. Luc k

is luc k fea turing luc k." W ere y ou a lw a y s

d esc rib es the EP a s a sm a ll p iec e of a

in t erest ed in b ec om in g a g en re b en d in g

la rg er p rojec t a b out the end less stories she

a rt ist , or d id y ou h a v e a sp ec ific g en re in

need s to tell. Besid es referenc ing her sta g e

m in d ?

na m e 'Luc k,' the title a lso illustra tes her

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journey to g et to where she is tod a y. "I'm

I ha ve a lwa ys c onsid ered m yself A c itizen of

here b y g ra c e , a nd this p rojec t d oesn't

the World ! And there's so m a ny d ifferent

ha ve m y g lory written a ll over it , it's g od s

wa ys to exp ress m yself . And m y feeling s

will. And the sa m e g oes for a nyone else

d on't a lwa ys sound or look the sa m e, But

a nd their life, a nd a ll their hop es a nd

they a ll a re a p a rt of m e. it fee Good to know

d rea m s. The oil tha t is p la c ed on a n

tha t p eop le a re feeling the sa m e thing ,

ind ivid ua l's life is very sp ec ific to them . And

rec eiving the m essa g e in the wa ys tha t I

no one c a n a lter tha t. There's no luc k, it's a

intend ed . These d a ys I d on't feel a lone

journey a nd a will.".

a nym ore.

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t h e f a ll s e a s o n p ic k s

Here a re this sea son's six a rtists tha t we c a n't g et enoug h of. Ea c h of these six wom en b ring s som ething uniq ue a nd va lua b le to the m usic ind ustry. Am ong this b a tc h, we ha ve Pop , R&B, a nd Roc k. We'd love to hea r if you a d d one of these to your p la ylist or lib ra ry! Would you like to a d d your own to our sea son p ic k? Free sing le sub m issions c a n b e sent to us via em a il.

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k e ia n n a s u m m e r s & th e b reak th rou g h s t o r y w e a ll n e e d t o h e a r.

We a re p roud to introd uc e you to Kia nna Sum m ers, one of the m a ny new fa c es in the b ea uty ind ustry who you need to know. As som eone who g rew up in a household where d om estic violenc e wa s c om m on to som eone who a ttem p ted suic id e a nd still m a d e a na m e for herself, Kia nna 's story is one we a ll need to hea r. It is a n honor for m e to sha re her story.

Initia lly, I d isc overed Kia nna while sc rolling throug h soc ia l m ed ia . She shot b rea thta king self p ortra its a nd wa s working on her own m a g a zine. "I ha ve a lwa ys film ed m y life g rowing up . I never rea lized how m uc h I loved it until som eone p ointed it out to m e. I went to film sc hool a nd rea lized , even m ore, the p a ssion I ha d , not just for p hotog ra p hy b ut for film a nd TV.", she sa id . The m a g a zine, on the other ha nd , ha s not b een relea sed yet. Due to issues with the c om p a ny she b ooked with, the relea se will oc c ur ea rly in 2023.

It wa s in 2020 tha t Kia nna b ec a m e the vic tim of sexua l ha ra ssm ent a nd kid na p p ing .

While in sc hool, she worked for WWE, b ut d ue to Covid , she lost her job . In need of work, a friend help ed her g et a c lea ning job tha t c onsisted of 12 hour shifts a nd c lea ning p a rking lots. "I a c tua lly rea lly enjoyed m y job there too!

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I rea lized I loved to c lea n a nd notic ed how d irty thing s were tha t need ed help ." One stra ng e nig ht she notic ed her sup ervisor not only a rrived to work la te b ut b eg a n m a king stra ng e a d va nc es a t her d uring their route. Sum m ers sta ted tha t she exp erienc ed ina p p rop ria te touc hing , horrib le c onversa tions, a nd d ea th threa ts for m ore tha n 20 hours. "Ea c h a nd every sing le loc a tion we stop p ed a t, I wa s a ssa ulted ."

After Kia nna c onvinc ed the p red a tor to let her use the restroom a t Pub lix, she hid there until the p olic e a rrived . In sp ite of the fa c t tha t he ha d never b een c ha rg ed , she la ter found out tha t he ha d rep ea ted this a c t c ountless tim es with his young est b eing 16 yea rs old a t the tim e. Ad d itiona lly, the c om p a ny she worked for offered no a ssista nc e a nd silenc ed her.

Following the inc id ent, Kia nna strug g led with m em ory loss, self- love, a nd m ore, b ut a s of 2022, she feels a b solutely inc red ib le. "I ha ve tra veled to Atla nta , New York, a nd even Los Ang eles to c ha se m y d rea m s. I ha ve p ut tog ether a m a zing tea m s a nd c rea ted som e a m a zing thing s for m yself a nd others.", she sta tes.

W h a t a d v ic e w ou ld y ou g iv e t o ot h er w om en in t h is sit u a t ion ?

"No job is worth your life. Listen to your g ut THE FIRST TIME! I thoug ht I wa s overrea c ting b ec a use I wa s a wom a n working in a field full of m en, b ut I wa sn't."

Sinc e step p ing onto the runwa y, Kia nna 's life ha s ta ken a 360 d eg ree turn.

W h a t h a s b een t h e b est a n d w orst t h in g a b ou t b ein g a p a rt of t h e b ea u t y c om m u n it y ?

Best thing : The thrill, the a b ility to c rea te a nd exp ress yourself, a nd the p eop le you m eet.

Worst thing : Not enoug h exp osure for b la c k c rea tives, too m a ny p eop le who would ra ther c om p ete tha n b uild , a nd the la c k of b ea uty sc hools not tea c hing how to d o ha ir a nd m a keup on POCs.

How c a n t h a t w orld m a k e it b et t er for fu t u re m od els?

FEED US FOOD! Ha ha ! But yes, feed your m od els. I know this seem s like suc h a foolish thing to sa y, b ut so m a ny m od els ha ve this fea r of ea ting . I b elieve a g enc ies a nd soc ia l m ed ia c a n lim it the p ressures of m od eling . You d o not need to b e a size 2. Also, the world c a n m a ke it b etter b y p rovid ing sim p le thing s like food a nd wa ter on EVERY SET. Tea c h m od els how to b uild . It isn't a b out just your looks, b ut it is a b out your hea rt's p osture a nd your a ttitud e.

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W h a t d oes it feel lik e t o fin a lly liv e t h e d rea m y ou 'v e w ork ed so h a rd for?

It feels so a m a zing ! I flew to Los Ang eles with less tha n $100 d olla rs in m y p oc ket for the first tim e ever a nd it wa s a hug e lea p of fa ith! I flew out a lone for a fa shion show a nd I wa s only sup p osed to sta y for 4 d a ys, b ut I end ed up sta ying for 2 weeks! I wa s g iven a g a m e show hosting job while there a nd m y life ha s forever c ha ng ed this yea r! Live Pla y Bing o w/ Hosts is the g a m e in the a p p store! The yea rs of stress, tea rs, a nd p ersevering is a ll worth it b ec a use I a m now living the sta rt of m y d rea m s. I a lwa ys d o wha t I sa y I would , whether it ta kes a d a y, a m onth, or a yea r, it'll ha p p en. I owe it a ll to God of c ourse!

Shout out to Johnny Na va rro, Tom a s Rosa les, a nd m y g irl Eliza b eth Ma rtinez for g iving m e a hom e to sta y a t while in Los Ang eles for m y first tim e!

Is t h ere a n y a d v ic e y ou c a n g iv e t o w om en w h o a re sc a red t o en t er t h e b ea u t y w orld ?

Just d o it b a b y! Just b ec a use it's a c utthroa t ind ustry d oesn't m ea n you c a n't m a ke it. It is wa y m ore inc lusive now tha n ever b efore. Enter in a nd b e yourself! To m y skinny g irls, d on't let c a sting d irec tors m a ke you feel like you a ren't thic k enoug h. To m y p lus size g irls, d on't a llow the ind ustry to m a ke you feel like you a ren't skinny enoug h. To m y g irls in b etween the two, love on your hip s d ip s, c urves, a nd slim thic kness in every sing le wa y a nd g o for it! There is rea lly room for you! But BE YOURSELF a nd COME AS YOU ARE.

The future hold s p lenty of p rom ise for Kia nna a s she exp a nd s her m od eling p ortfolio, rela unc hes her p ub lic a tion, a nd exp a nd s her hosting resum e. Her g oa ls inc lud e m oving into her own p la c e a nd b uild ing with other c rea tives, shed d ing lig ht on wha t seem s im p ossib le. Ha ving a c c om p lished wha t seem ed im p ossib le, I know she's c a p a b le of a nything .

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FLEURIR.

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