Sophie Sargent

I attribute my success to the voice in the back of my head that wouldn't let me give up, even when I tried to by going to college for something completely different and taking classes in emergency management. There was always something in my mind saying I should try and just see what happens. My family has been very supportive and told me that anything I set my mind to, I can do, and I fully believe that. Growing up doing karate and getting my black belt taught me discipline and motivation and really how to execute that at a young age, and I think that just carried through my life in ways I didn't expect it to. I just kept that fire alive and took advantage of every opportunity I could.

The best career advice I've received is to definitely send the message or the DM, because you never really know where that will lead you. Show up to the event you're invited to if you think there could be some benefit in it, because you never know who you'll meet, who will say yes, or who will give you a connection to the next exciting thing. Life works in mysterious ways, and sometimes you don't know what's going to happen, especially when you're trying to build your career and you're young, but if you can take advantage of the moment, be a yes person. Say yes to things that maybe you won't be able to in 5 years or even one year, because it could lead you to the next big thing.

My advice to women entering this field is to be ready for people to question you. I don't know if this is necessarily a woman problem or just a young person problem, but be willing to show how excited you are about a role or pursuing this career, because people will question that and try to downplay how serious you are about it and say things that probably aren't very nice. On the TV show I work on at New England Sports Network, I was once told in a job interview that my role was really eye candy on the show, even though I was conducting interviews and doing everything a normal reporter or host would do. When I heard that, it didn't make me discouraged - it made me pissed off and gave me more of a fire in me. I wasn't immediately outright angry at this person, but it made me think, oh, you're going to continue to test me. Alright, bet, I'll show you what I have. You'll have those moments, but you just gotta be calm, cool, collected, and show them what they're trying to bring down. Show them your power.

The biggest challenge I think is the rejection, but at the same time, it's kind of a blessing, because when you're turned away from something, it allows another door to open. It lets you pursue an opportunity that maybe you wouldn't have prior, and that might align more with what you're meant to do or what you're supposed to do in this life. I faced a lot of rejection and a lot of no's, but especially in modeling, that led me to the agency that has given me the most opportunity and more. I am so grateful for them, and that has been true in a lot of other ways in my life too, especially in this career. I've always believed in and followed that, and it seems to be true throughout this whole time.

I think loyalty is a really big one, and transparency and honesty. There reaches a point where people just want certain things from you, they want certain connections, and it's tough to know who the people are who actually support you. That's why honesty is so important. If you want a connection or want to work together on something, just tell me straight up, and we'll know if it's going to work out, if it's a good fit, or whatever is needed out of that situation will come to fruition. I don't like being blindsided, and it's hard for me to trust people without knowing what their true intentions are. I'm happy to work with people, just be honest.