Episode 7: Sara Davenport, 2x Cancer Survivor & Modeling Agent - F*ck Toxicity!

0:06 Hello, beautiful humans, welcome to another episode of Role Models GC conversations with beautiful humans. Today's guest is a very special person meet Sarah Davenport. There are just not enough positive adjectives in the dictionary, to describe this woman. When I hear the phrase. God will never give you more than you can handle. Well, I think of Sarah and I think it's so many other Brave individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer. Not once but twice or multiple times and kicked its ass to the moon. During her career, Sarah worked in the fashion industry for many years. And can I just say, if we think cancer is toxic try working in the fashion industry as a modeling agent. Sorry.

0:53 I needed to make a change for her own well-being. So enter natural models, a radically inclusive. The modeling agency, where representation is always in fashion. This modeling agency is way ahead of the curve. So today, Sarah is agency director of natural models. And I am so honored to be represented by her, because she is changing the game of Model Management. Welcome, Sarah. Oh, thank you so much for that. Very lovely introduction. So happy to be here. Thank you for asking me. Lee and I am so happy to have you here. So I would love for you to tell your story to everybody tell us about your early life and what the beginning of your career was like how much time do you have? I always joke that I've already lived Ten Lives. So yeah, I moved, I grew up in Iowa. So very like, small-town, always was obsessed with fashion. Got Vogue and Elle and all the magazines. And I remember my parents.

2:00 And being like, why do you let her get these magazines? This doesn't seem right. They were like whatever. She loves it. And always been to Art and Design. All of that, move to Los Angeles. The day after I graduated from college. My initial plan was to work in the art department on movies TV, things like that. And that's what I started doing. I harassed an art director on this one movie and totally gave me a job. I would call him like every couple days ago. Hi, remember me? Hi? Remember me? And he was like you don't have enough experience web of lives. Like you just have to meet me and then you'll want to give me a job. So finally, he broke down was like, fine, come in for a meeting. Will you stop calling me?

2:44 If I just bring you in for a meeting? I was like, yeah, I'll stop calling you if you just meet with me, so he met with me. And then he was like, fine. I'll give you a job. So that was my first job in Hollywood was working in the art department on some. Bad, like B movies that, you know, straight-to-video type of thing, but it didn't matter. So I started working with him. We worked on several movies together and then there would be big brakes of time in between these movies. I wasn't making enough money to just support myself. So I was like, okay, I got to find something else to do and met a woman who produces fashion shows. And so, she started hiring me. So I was helping with, you know, the production side of things is styling side of things, basically, whatever she needed, we produce some shows.

3:29 Bloomingdale's and they were hiring for a PR system. Then I get hired a Bloomingdale's. So I'm helping to put on all of their fashion shows and events. And then from there, I met people on the modeling agency side because I was booking the models and got offered a job. And the rest is history. I worked for agencies from then on several different agencies. One of the biggest ones in Allah, Allah than help to open a small agency like a boutique agency in Allah. Allah. Yeah, so just started diving in on that. Outside of thing. So it was completely by accident. That's an amazing story. And I love how you were. So tenacious were younger and I have heard this from very successful.

4:11 Women particular, is that you kind of have to be the nag and don't even consider yourself nagging. This is you believing in yourself and actually putting forth that energy of just persistence persistence persistence pays off. And so I encourage you all to get out there and nag some more because Totally. I was like, I'm not just taking no, for an answer. Like, you didn't even give me a shot. He doesn't know me. I'm just going to keep going. And yeah, and that says more than anything because that skill of being able to continue in the face of rejection. Internally, that guy saying, yeah, this is a go-getter. This is somebody that's not going to give up and I can actually use that on my team. So, yeah, it was actually, it was really funny. So my first day, like, on the job on set, I show up in and all this and they had this moment of panic like I have no idea what I'm doing.

5:06 Then I and then I kind of looked around. I was like, okay, how do I make this work without getting fired immediately, you know, and so I realized I was like, I need to learn to everyone's name on set that will help me. That will be the first step. So I went around meant every single person onset learned every single person's name. So cut to the next day. The grip Department had all of this stuff like right where we needed to be setting up for art department and the art director and the auction designer were just bitching. I was like, oh, hold on just a second. Let me see if I can help. I walked over to the league grip and I was like, hey, Steve. Okay. No, this is a bit of a hassle.

5:47 Could you help us out? We really need to get set up here. You know, do you think we could get this stuff moved? And he was like sure Sarah no problem. So you've got his guys over, they moved it and burn director in the production designer were like, who are you? And what? Happened and they were like, okay, good gear like the art Department. We Aids on now missions. You just got yourself a new role. So you started to get into like a modeling agency side. And so, tell us about that, like the early days and to be totally honest. I struggled in the industry. I was good at my job and that helped. But just as you mentioned, like if you want to see it.

6:29 Toxic environment, working in that industry. It's brutal. It's brutal. And you know, part of it was just the standards for these girls almost my whole career. It's been all right. Women have to be 59 to 511. You have to be a size zero to maybe a size 4 as ice cores. Pushing it, you have to, you know, look a certain way, your body can't change. You have to do these things. It was like, very rigid. Very brutal and you know, no one had time. For like feelings of models or it's like, nope, they're a commodity and they either do it or they don't. And if they don't, then you brush them aside.

7:10 And and that was really hard for me. And I, you know, for a lot of years, I stayed in the job because I was like, I'm hoping protect these girls. Like I felt very much like a mama bear because nobody was nobody was looking out for the girls. Nobody was and I would watch it all the time, you know, if a girl Came in and she looked good and she was making money. Everybody loved her. They are the best friend. If, for some reason, something changed, she wasn't booking. It was just like, you know, like Mean Girls all the sudden, it shifted, your, you know, we can't take your calls anymore. Yeah, things like that. So, it was very much in the time of photographers, taking advantage, clients taking advantage. People, wanting to really not seeing models as humans. And that It was so hard for me.

8:01 Like I would have clients book girls and then not feed them and they were there for 10 hours and not have any food, not have any water. And there were times when I would order pizzas and send them to set, girl's got to eat. Like you can't not feed someone all day. You know, they're like, well, they're just models. I heard that so many times. So the toxicity of it really wore me down. This has been healthy for them. It's not healthy for me. I mean I had a girl one time. She was 16 sent her to New York her agency in New York made. Her get measured every single day, like come in stand there. You have to stand with your feet together, to measure, like the widest part of your hips. And, you know, they would be like you're too fat, you're fat. She was 511.

8:46 She was a size 2 and she called me one day. She was like, I can't take this anymore. I have been coming in here for weeks every single day, to have them. Tell me, I'm too fat. She was like an and to add insult to injury. They were sitting there eating like french fries and burgers and talking to me. Like, you're just too fat. Like we can't clients aren't going to want you. You're too fat. Like you need to go run more. She's like Sarah. I'm barely eating. I'm running six miles a day. I can't do this and I was like, come come home. Come back to LA. Like this is insane, you know, the damage that that does to a young woman, especially when you think this is your dream and oh my God, you've made it your in New York and then they just treat. You like a piece of dirt.

9:27 So, that's when I kind of started thinking. What AM I going to be doing, I can't do this for the rest of my life. So I went back to school. I went to culinary school. So for a year and a half. I would go to work from 8:00 to 5:00. And then I would go to school from 6, to 11 p.m. Five nights a week. Clearly. It's because you were so hungry for the girls that you needed to make some good food. That's exactly where exactly, I would like all the food. I also went to school to become a health coach and that kind of feeds into my childhood. My parents didn't know anything about all, they knew how to do was workout. And then they ate horribly.

10:10 Like we ate at McDonalds on Monday and Taco Bell on Tuesday. And well, he's on Wednesday, like it was bad. So that was part of my drive without cuz I was like, I want to be healthy and I don't know how to be like, I don't know how to cook. I don't know how to take care of myself. Self. And so I figured okay if I'm struggling with this other people are struggling with this. Let me learn how to do it and then I can help teach other people. So that was the plan with that. That's where cancer kind of came in out of left field and changed everything. So, oh my gosh, fortunately a knock on wood. I have never had a personal experience with cancer.

10:51 Many, many people around me. Loved ones, friends, family have had it. My own mom passed away from complications with cancer later in life. Had a full life at all. That I would love to just know you were seemingly in a healthy situation, from a physical standpoint, at that moment. And so it must have been quite a surprise for you when you did get the diagnosis. Like what did you feel? Did you have symptoms before that? And what was that? Like it was so crazy to me. I mean, I thought I was being super healthy and granted you never know. I mean, I grew up in Iowa, pesticides, fast food every day, like God only knows. But at that time, yeah, I was extremely healthy and how I was living. In hindsight. Yes. I had symptoms. I wrote them all off to stress.

11:34 I was like, oh ho my job is really demanding. Of course. I'm tired. Yeah, so I drink a lot of coffee because I can't get through the day. There were symptoms and then my grandfather actually passed away. So I went home for his funeral. It was right before Christmas. And my mom looks at me and she's like, you have a giant lump on your neck. I like, what are you talking about? And my mom used to be a nurse? And so, she was like, no Sarah, that's not normal. And it looked, I mean, and you can see it in pictures. Like when you go back, you can see it here. I have long hair. I never looked at my neck. Like, I don't really think anything of it and so, my mom was like, no, we're getting you into a doctor tomorrow.

12:17 That's not normal. All right, fine. So it's a small town. She knows everybody. So she called and she's like, no, you're seeing this auntie tomorrow. This is the appointment. We go in here. Saturday. He doesn't ultrasound and he's like, oh my God, that's totally. Cancer was like, I'm sorry. What? First of all, don't you mean to do a biopsy or something? Like, I don't know much and he was like, okay. Let me sorry about that rewind. Yes. You should do a biopsy. He's like, it's very calcified. You've got several tumors in your neck. I would be shocked if this wasn't cancer and I was like, Oh, okay, like was not expecting that at all.

13:02 Like not on the radar and then you know, he was pushing his like, well, let's do a biopsy right now. So we did the biopsy. Like I can get you into surgery. Like next week, we can wrap this up and I was like, I'm not having surgery in small-town, Iowa. I live in Los Angeles, like no offense, but I would rather go there be able to do follow-up like have the team there. I don't want to, you know, whatever. So So then we waited waited, got the results. They were inconclusive. So then I was like, okay, I, you know, let me go back to Allah. Let me go see somebody there. I went to see an endocrinologist. So she did the biopsy right then, and there, and then it was like, oh, yeah, it's totally cancer.

13:43 It was just so out of left field. It was not on my radar. Nowhere near it. I'm just shocked for the longest time. I was just just numb from it like, okay. What does this mean? All right, what do we do? You know? Just totally left field. Wow. And so, this was thyroid. Correct. And it turned out to be metastatic thyroid because it had spread a lot. I had three giant tumors in my neck, a lot of lymph nodes. So yeah, the scar is very small. My surgeon did, my name is almost amazing job. Wow, and so, what was the course of treatment? Like first you had surgery and then you had to do a mugging. Oh well, for this one so surgery. And then, I had to wait two months for it to heal a bit. And then a weird treatment.

14:33 It's actually called radioactive, iodine, and sometimes they use it with people who have thyroid issues. And then a lot of times, yes, when you have thyroid cancer. It's one of the forms of treatment. So I did meet with a nuclear medicine doctor. It was the weirdest experience. I had to be isolated in the hospital for several days and when I showed up for it, they have to shut you. You in because you are radioactive, the whole idea of it is that the thyroid cells are the only cells in the body that up, take iodine. So, they give you this radioactive iodine. If there are any cells left, they should take it up and then they'll die. So, that's the thinking behind it. But, I walk into the hotel room.

15:16 Everything is covered in plastic. You go into the bathroom. Everything's covered the toilet seats covered. They have to brush their this there and then they're like, okay. Are you ready to take the iodine pill and Like okay. Yeah, and they reel it in and this little steel pot and they're like, okay, you're ready to get some ready, take off the lid, pull it out, and it was couple pills, but then they take it and then they leave and the nurse comes in to check that they have these little markers to show how much exposure they've had. So they like come in, drop something off in Wing. It's the weirdest experience. I'm sure because a covid, so many people had to the isolated and different things, but at that point, you know, it wasn't on my radar. Our.

15:57 And then, after a certain number of days, it should have broken down enough to be able to let you leave. Then they check you with a geiger counter. It's like the other than you know, and then they take, are you gonna so you're glowing or you? And I was like, I'm Spider-Woman, they take everything from the room and they have to put it in a special container for like, 85 days. To let the half-life break down more. All the sheets, all the classic, all the everything, before they could even throw it away. Like, this is how crazy this stuff is. Wow. Then I have to be isolated at home for like 10 days. It's bananas.

16:39 I mean, thank God for modern medicine and it's insane after that whole 10-day. Quarantine. Do you go back and they say, congratulations? It's completely gone. Or is there some sort of a protocol of treatment after that to, for the thyroid cancer? My thyroid was totally removed so I had to get off. On hormone therapy, they do this test. And then basically, I have to meet with my endocrinologist at least once a year and do neck ultrasounds because the type of thyroid cancer, I had was like, I responded well to treatment the surgery made a big difference. The only hard part is that I have a 25% chance of it coming back. It's a lot for the body and I think is humans, especially as Americans.

17:21 We sort of dismiss a lot of the healing process, especially Really emotional physical all of it and we're just, it's that like, nope. I can get back to work. I can be fine. Let's we're moving on, you know, not actually it's processing any of it and understanding my body went through a massive trauma and it's going to take time. Yeah. Do you think that you gave yourself that time after the first period of cancer? Did you go back to work straight away? Or did you give yourself time? I didn't give myself enough time with that one. I definitely was in that mindset of like, no, I'm fine. I'm going to be fine. It's okay. Yep.

18:01 I'm healthy. It was hard. Even just coming back to work after this surgery. I remember my co-workers and it's changed how I approach people when they're going through things. Now because I remember my boss and my co-workers were like here. It's okay. If you need to take more time, like we've got you and I was like, no. No, I'm good. And then I would come to the office for like two hours and have to go home. But that was part of the learning process for me because it did shift it definitely. I realized after the fact, why didn't I just take more time? Just want to be okay, right. A little bit of denial and almost a willing of your body and of your psyche to be able to withstand that we are tough. We're strong.

18:41 We can do anything that we set our minds to and so you went through this, what I would call a Purgatory period between 2014 to 2015 and then tell me what happens right then and there 2015 rolls around and I was like Life is short. What am I doing? Why am I still working? As a modeling agent? I don't like it anymore. I don't feel good doing it. Like this is not I'm quitting so July 2015, left my job. Started my own business to do healthy cooking and the health coaching and all that was getting that up off the ground. Cut 2 November. I was like, what's this? I have a weird thing behind my jaw bone and then I was like, that's strange.

19:26 And I sent some pictures to my one doctor. He immediately was like, well, why don't you come in? Let's take a look at this. It was hard. It wasn't like, you know, lymph nodes, when you get sick, they're swollen, but they kind of move around and they're kind of soft. This was like hard. He had me come in, ended up getting a biopsy. It came back as lymphoma. I was like sitting watching TV and my phone rang and it was 7:30 8:00 at night. It's my doctor. I'd start laughing, who have got to be kidding me right now, and it was like fast and And Furious ended up in the hospital for a few days and it was this they thought I'd moved to my brain. Then it was growing and it grew like out the side of my face. I mean, it looks like when you see pictures, it looks like it was photoshopped out.

20:10 It was a whirlwind. He told me, he's like, we need to start chemo. Immediately had a very aggressive kind of lymphoma. It spreads, really fast. And if you don't get a handle on it, immediately, it can be really bad. I took that time and that to me felt like that first step. I'm doing this differently. Mmm. No, I'm not showing up the way I did. For the first one. I'm doing this differently. I'm accepting help. I'm going to use whatever resources I can and we're just going to take this a day at a time because I have no idea what's going to happen. And that is when it really shifted, Amazing Story. Wow, you talk about the power of community and I think that that's something that you did perhaps differently. This second time.

20:53 Can you tell me a little bit about that? Yeah. Definitely. I I've ensured about this much publicly, but I'm also sober I've been in recovery for a really long time. And that is the first place where I learned that you could actually count on other people and that Community is really powerful because I grew up in a way that was very much. Like I got this. I don't need anyone. I can't rely on anyone. Anyway, I got this and in recovery, it really started to shift that I was like these people actually care, they show up for each other and I think that also Helped me, especially in the process. Would number two, you know, I got to see through number one, how people showed up for me, even though I was like, no, no.

21:33 No, I'm good. I'm good. And then, in number two, it was just like, wow. I need people, I can't do this on my own and I had the most amazing friends from recovery and just friends do show up for me in such incredible ways. Even just checking in sending a text of like, hey, I know you're tired. I don't need to hear anything back. I just want you to know I'm thinking of you and I love you. That was one of Of the best gifts I could get. Oh my God these people care about me and there's no expectation. You know, there's no expectation of me doing anything that they get it and then also just being able to talk to other women who had been through cancer complete Game Changer. Being able to have that Community, have them get it. I didn't have to manage their feelings about it because I mean, God bless my friends and family. They were scared too.

22:23 They were really scared. And so then I would want to No, no, I'm fine. It's all good. Like Yep. This sucks. But you know, I tried to help them feel better. But within the cancer Community it was totally different and I got to see women on the other side of things. You know, I didn't mean it was perfect. Even if they had completely different types of cancer. I was like they made it through. I believe I can make it through and that helped. Oh, yeah, first off, I want to say thank you to all of you out there that show up and give of yourself and have Of the sense of compassion and act upon it. You're exactly right when friends come in, and they're like, what can I do to help? What can I do, what it's exhausting, because then it's up to you.

23:06 It's a burden on you to think of well, what can you do to help? Or if you say no, no. No, I'm okay. I'm okay, then it becomes very awkward. But if you just show up and say, I love you. I'm thinking of you. I'd like to bring you some food. Like just do it just do it. You know, let's do it. Yeah, make the other person. Think, because they've got enough to think about. Especially, you know, about your feelings to. So yeah, definitely, and people come to me now all the time. They're like, oh my gosh, my cousin, my aunt, my sister, my friend, just got diagnosed with cancer. What do I do? And then I'm able now, to be, like, do this, do that. Do they have a pet? Can you go take the dog for a walk? Like, that is a gift, like that is a gift for them. Send them a gift card to Whole Foods, send them a GrubHub gift card.

23:52 It's the my face said with send them a big gift card to Postmates or something. Right, right. You don't want to cook for themselves. It's the simple day-to-day things are the hardest. I'm like, I don't need some big, elaborate. But, man, I had a girlfriend who came over. She's like, okay. I'm going to do your laundry and I was like, I think it was the sweetest gesture ever. That is beautiful. That is so beautiful. No matter what? Modality you choose, whether you choose to have a therapist, whether you choose to Medicine. Whether you choose to have just time with yourself, or family, or friends or nature, or whatever it is.

24:33 It's just like, recognizing that you're okay to take that time for you and do what you need to do in order to heal. And the unfortunate thing, is the pressure of oh gosh. I gotta make a living. How am I supposed to? You know, how am I supposed to gravel with like, and for the people who don't have insurance? Like, how am I going to pay? Like, there's all of these things that make it so difficult and dupe. Put pressure on it, but there is always this very step by step, put one foot in front of the other. And eventually, there is the sunlight eventually there is the yeah. Being able to see the good in the world. And certainly I think that from your story, you were able to get a new perspective after that things changed.

25:15 And so, can you talk a little bit about? What do you think? Was the turning point? Or was it just like, you can't really say? Like this was the AHA moments when people like look for the magic of an aha moment really isn't one, but tell us what Was like to all of a sudden realize that maybe there's a shift in perspective that you've come to. Yeah, two thoughts here. First one, Speaking of the challenges of going through in the financial challenges. One of the things that I learned and part of the reason why I started the uncommon Healing Collective, which is my free cancer, survivor Community, is that there are so many resources out there to help people. It's also really hard. When you're in the thick of it, trying to research trying to find help trying to figure out which nonprofits help financially, which help with this, which help with that, all of the different pieces.

26:06 And I feel like I have gotten a PhD on all of that. And so that's also part of why I wanted to start that communities to be able to have a place with resources and be like, hey, did you know this nonprofit has money to give to help pay bills this one. If you need rides to chemo they do that. This one will help. You with all the insurance maze, all of the different pieces, but it's hard to figure out that maze. So I just wanted to say that as far as they'll change. For me. It's sort of been like an unpeeling of an onion. Like one little layer comes off. Have this new understanding of whatever it is. Like, oh, okay. I can use different types of healing. Now.

26:47 I'm in the space for doing the deeper trauma work. Okay. Now while my body needs more nourishment, I've done acupuncture. I've done sound healing. I'm going to use everything. In the East and everything in the west everything I get my hands on but it's not everything is right for the certain time. So it's been a slow process and I think that's also the piece of it with that patients of this is where I'm at right now. And this one be a really challenging part and let me see. Is there support out there? Is there something else I can do? Do I just need to be and let this be it's doing a lot. Of self-reflection to I'm a big journaler. And that's where a lot of my clarity comes into, as far as like, what I mean, what my body needs at the time between journaling and meditation.

27:37 Those are hands down the to kind of constants. That help me get clear about what's next. And I have a girlfriend to a life and business coach. And she always says, okay. What is it time for now? Okay. What is it time for now? Where am I at, right now, not where was I, not? Where do I think I should be? Where am I at right now? And that's been a really useful tool for me, staying present in the moment and being able to stop and look around and just be and then living up to expectations or feeling like you're being Shackled by the past. I think that's that's a really powerful lesson for a lot of people then. Alright, you decided to get well and I'm sorry, your life suckling and you turned into this Mega athlete what happens? Come on.

28:27 Interesting. So I actually had lost a model that I had wrapped / friend to lymphoma long before I got sick. And I went to his memorial and his parents were like, you don't need to give us anything. Just donate to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. They were so amazing. So helpful, we just donate there. So I was like, all right, I'm gonna go donate in his honor. Drove home got on the computer and I I realized I had these races and these different things until I was like, wait a minute. All right, maybe I could donate 50 bucks or 100 bucks and like or I could fund raise. I'm probably donate a lot more and maybe get a little healthy in the mix of things.

29:12 So, I signed up for a triathlon. I'd never done one before. I know I would. And it was it was awesome. Like it was really hard, but it was great. And then I signed up for another one right after that. And that was the lava man race in Hawaii. And that was the last Triathlon I did before I got sick. They were just so fun. And in the course of doing those two races for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, every 25 thousand dollars. So like I could have just donated $50, but in just stepping up to do just a little bit more when I would be training and I would have to Get up in the morning and work out. I feel like I don't want to get out of bed and then I would always think of Jet and I would be like he would give anything to have another day here.

30:07 Why am I not living and showing up and doing these things? Like this is insane. He would give anything for another day. And so that would get up and go work out. I would do the things when I got lymphoma. I was like, that's it. I'm going to get healthy and I'm going to do the lava man race again. So, I signed up, I started fundraising, I started training and about a month before I was struggling. I was physically struggling with the longer and longer. Out. I really had to come to this space of, this is too much for my body and decide not to do the race, which was so hard because I had so many people that had already donated and cheered me on and though, I felt really good about that decision.

30:50 I'm like, this isn't about anybody else. It doesn't mean I'm a failure. It doesn't mean anything. And just means I tried this thing and it doesn't work for me right now. And that's okay. That's okay. And that is also so true because we put these expectations on ourselves. It harder on ourselves and if we can't live up to those expectations and yeah, it's like am IA failure. And all of that. But no, it's like, you know, what wasn't right. Not this time. Not maybe ever and and I'm just going to think about something else to put my attention to next. Well, and it's that idea to of like goals are amazing. I love setting goals and it really is about the process of who you become and and working towards those goals.

31:33 Because whenever I achieve a goal, I'm like, okay, cool check that off the list. Now, what's next? All of the steps leading up to that goal and sometimes it's not the right goal, but you're not. I like I don't know that until I dive into it. Yeah. Yeah, the experience is where all the magic is for. Sure. Sarah, you are now the agency director for natural Model Management. So after all you've been through what made you decide to slide back into the eat and seaside and how is natural different? Honestly, it was a really thoughtful Choice. Katie, who is a Plus-size model. She has been in the industry for a really long time. I was her first agent at 17. We used to always talk about what we wish was different in the industry. Man.

32:17 If agencies did this, or if they just did that, it would make such a difference for the models, for the client, for the agent than employees. She decided to make it happen Naturals, been around for 11 years. Now, she did such an incredible job of starting the agency while still modeling getting it. Up and running making it happen and I would be there in the corner. If she had questions and then over the past 11 years. She's grown it into this incredible agency. Her vision is always been very clear about inclusivity diversity. What's possible when we open up and show so many different types of people and give clients access to those kind of models. Because it's kind of like, clients would say, there's no good talent out there.

33:04 We can't book, X, Y and Z because Can't find any talent and so she decided. Okay, great. We're going to provide that. So when they're ready, they can't say that anymore. So, that's kind of how it started. Then me diving back into it. Katie approached me last summer. I said to her, I would never go back to any other agency, but this one, because of how she's doing it, because of her Integrity, because of my relationship with her and I know what she has been out to create in the world and what she foresees for the Future like we talked about earlier. It's really important for me for that alignment. It's like I'm just at that space in my life of. Yes.

33:45 I need to make money and I believe I can do it in a way that really aligns with my own values, but I believe what's important to me because I can't be out of alignment in something. I'm doing so often it impacts my health and that is just not worth it to me. And so that's really why I do back in. It is because of Katie and because of what she's created with natural. And it's been so exciting and so fun because there are a lot of aspects of the fashion industry of working at a modeling agency that I do love. It was just all of the toxic stuff that I could just like. Okay, the good doesn't outweigh the bad.

34:26 Yeah. So let's talk about that because obviously, as a plus size model, I think that she's probably gone through a lot of the unfortunate aspects of modeling and Talent and all of that and probably sought out to change that when she founded natural Model Management. Can you talk about the nature of inclusivity at your agency versus others? Perhaps. Yeah. Definitely. There has been a shift over the past two years since George, Floyd and black lives matter and things really coming to the surface in a way that I do think other agencies have started to, let's say diversify more but the amazing thing about natural is that's what it's been about from the start.

35:06 It really lives those values. We actually just hired some new people. Our team is growing, one of them, Ashley. She joined. And after the first call she was like I almost was in tears because looking at the team it really is just as diverse as what you see on with all the models. She's like, this is the first place that I've worked where I haven't been the one person of color in this sea of completely white people. She's like it really is diverse from the inside out and that It is beautiful. And this is who we are. This is who the company is, as it's been created from the ground up, and it feels really good. It does. It is extraordinary. The change that has happened in the last five years, with, in representation, with diversity, with awareness, for not only different kinds of skin tones.

35:56 But yes, body types, and abilities. All of that I think is fascinating. And of course, neurodiversity is really very much front and center to a guy choked up talking about it. You know, it's very near and dear to my heart to and one of the most exciting things that I love about how we're doing things at natural is telling those stories as well. And you see this a lot on her social media, a lot of our models, who are all different races, all different colors, the whole range, and them seeing themselves on Billboard's or in stores and what that means to them. What that means. They're younger self. There's this one in Particular that just brings me to tears.

36:39 And one of the girls is talking about how she grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood and never saw someone like her self-represented anywhere. And now to see herself. She has giant pictures of herself in Sephora and talking about the power of that. I mean, purchase just for her, let alone the impact and the ripple effect outward into the community into other young women. Lives and telling those stories is so important because it's so much more than just, a beautiful picture. It brings that depth and richness to our lives, to all the different pieces. So I love that too.

37:20 Now you have done something very unique, which is you've come up with this new board, which is called Game Changers, and I don't think that I've ever seen something like that in another agency before. Can you tell us about what that is? Yeah, definitely. So when I started Katie had, The idea, she was like, I think it's time. We move past influencers. I think it's time. We start highlighting people who are doing more in the world. I don't know about you, but I want more depth and I want more realness and I'm kind of tired of just influencers or just celebrities and partly because I've been in the business and I also know, whenever I see a celebrity like Hey by this product, I'm like, oh they got paid an insane amount of money. Like who knows?

38:07 If they actually been like it, you know, it's just, it feels a little, a little outdated here. Our beautiful people inside and out, doing incredible things in the world. All of our game changers have different platforms as far as what's important to them. What they speak about, what they're really trying to advocate for be champions of we're spreading goodness. Talking about Good People sharing messages of Hope and positivity and resilience and strength. Oh, yeah. Yes. To the idea of people who have a story to tell people who have inspiration to offer out, that is the depth and the dimension that you're talking about which goes above and beyond. What modeling is, what goes above and beyond what acting is or what just like paid influencing is. It's really the idea of, you know, everything that we're doing comes from a place of this is me and this is how I want to show up in the world.

38:59 And yeah, there's a lineman with what your brand story or your corporate story is as a message. And here's We can build so much positive energy going into the community, which is healthy because far too much activity. Has been happening in our economy, which has been serving to deplete our health and our Wellness as you know, yeah, definitely definitely and I think that's the piece to and I don't think influencers are going away anytime super soon. But I do think there are a lot of Brands who are like yours where it makes more sense. It's like He who is your audience? Who are you marketing to, are they going to respond to an influencer? Or is it going to matter to them? Because they are shopping from their values? What's important to them?

39:48 And it's like finding that alignment in business is huge. It's very powerful and I feel like this is also, the difference in the shift that I see that, I try to embody between masculine and feminine energy, because this feels like a much more and I don't mean male female. But it's just very like that feminine energy is so much more from that intention and that place of like, let me get into alignment, then things flow versus masculine energy. Of we have to achieve, we have to do this, we have to do that, you know, there's that balance and it's nurturing versus forcing, so, it's exactly. Exactly. And yeah, that's one of the reasons why for what I would consider my version of an ambassador program or for an influencer program. I called them cultivators because I felt that it was more nurturing.

40:35 It's like, yeah. No, I want to beat these long organic relationships with people that they know they feel an affinity in it. And a connectedness for the long term. Not just like, you know, one-and-done kind of a thing, totally totally. And they're talking about your products at parties out with their friends. It's not just about posting on social media. It is. It's that, like, commitment appreciation. It goes so much deeper. I want you home, cultivators it anyway, so, I'm sure that there are a lot of people listening who are like, okay, if I wanted to get into modeling. How would I even start, where, what I do? Sarah help me out. Definitely.

41:16 Definitely. I mean, the easiest way is when you go to our website natural models at ale.com and there's a way to submit through the website, you know, it's interesting with modeling and with natural. It's like we're doing things a different way. We're showing up in the marketplace, a different way. We're showing up with our Models in a different way yet. We're still playing in the old sandbox. So although at the end of the day, I think everyone is beautiful in their own way. That doesn't mean everyone is going to be a model like there are certain things that we have to look for that will work for clients. Like I'm not going to bring somebody on that.

41:57 Maybe I think is like, oh my gosh, they're so amazing. They're so beautiful. And then they're not going to do anything because maybe for whatever reason claims wouldn't click with that. Stop firing line of inclusivity and certain parts of the business that we still have to cater to. I just have to caveat it that way. So if you do submit yourself to an agency and you get turned down, there's so many reasons. It's not about you as a human being because I know the rejection side of it, people can take it really hard understandably, but it's also just understanding and knowing that, so there's that. But yeah, you can go to the website. You can submit yourself to a lot of times we Do casting in different places.

42:38 We just had a little casting in New York City. If you do get signed with an agency. I always tell girls, men. Whomever people. Make sure you're doing your research and then submitting to reputable agencies, and then you kind of take it from there. Very good words of advice, Sarah Davenport. Thank you so much for being a guest on Role Models today. It's just been absolutely a pleasure speaking with you. Likewise, thank you for having me. I feel like, yeah, I could talk to you for hours. So I just love you to pieces. I'm so grateful. You're a part of my life and a part of the game changers, and I love absolutely everything you do in the world.

43:20 It really is incredible. Thank you.