Zaharraa Geyhanna

I contribute my success to having a good support system around me, those of my family that truly believe in where I am and what I'm trying to do and trying to become. I also attributed my success to my unwillingness to continue walking in my dream path and knowing that God has my back. My mother raised me to be very independent - I'm an only child, so I didn't have a choice but to be independent. She raised a strong young Black woman in a time when we weren't supposed to be. I was born in the 60s, and we were supposed to kowtow and hold our head down and just be seen and not heard, and I was not that person. My mother didn't raise me that way. I also had my great-aunt Martha, who was blinging before bling was even considered bling, and her love for fashion and creativity really got me into it. My mother's passion for life mentored me through becoming a model and standing my ground and being strong in my conviction in doing what I do. My grandmother Kimora was very strong-willed as well. I had three very strong women in my life that saw potential in me more than what they even fathomed in their own lives.

The best career advice I've received is to keep going, to keep walking in my dreams. That has been a mantra that has been given to me, that has been said to me, that has been prayed over me - to keep going, because I will see the fruit of my flourish as I walk forward, and I see it in every model that I help come up, or every model sister that I have that comes to me and says you're an inspiration. The best career advice is to keep going, just keep going, because I'm making a difference for so many people.

Do not allow others' views to shape who you are. Know your wealth and know your worth. Understand who you are from whence you came to understand where you're going. Know your story, see your story, live your story, and walk in your path. If this is what you truly want to do, run and do the research on what it takes to become a model. Put yourself in rooms with people that are like-minded. A lot of people, not just kids but women today, don't understand that putting themselves in the same room with like-minded people only brings about positive change. The networking alone makes a huge difference. You take what you learned from the negativity, roll it into something positive, and use it for the next time you're being seen by someone else. You know what not to do because the person just told you what not to do. It all comes into play in the long run, and if you just give it an opportunity, it will make you a better person and teach you patience. If nothing else, it will teach you patience.

The challenges I have faced throughout my career include being Black, being African American in the industry, and also being a woman that is secure, because a lot of people are insecure and I've never been one of those people. I've been very secure and independent. My mother raised me to be very independent as an only child, so I didn't have a choice but to be independent. She raised a strong young Black woman in a time when we weren't supposed to be. I was born in the 60s, and we were supposed to kowtow and hold our head down and just be seen and not heard, and I was not that person. As for opportunities, there are so many major opportunities in my field - branching out and being a designer, branching out and being a model coach, being an editorial director, being a model coach on set. There are so many ample opportunities in my field. You just have to understand where you fit, and I don't fit in one niche. I admire Grace Jones for her ferociousness, Iman for her gracefulness, Beverly Johnson for what she brought to the table and that beautiful smile, Dorothy Dandridge for her strength and character, and Josephine Baker for hers, Zora Hurston for the words that she was not afraid to utter. It's so many things that you could do being a model - you're not just pigeonholed to one particular area. We're so much more than just putting on pretty clothes.

My character is very important to me - I value my character as a person, as a mother, in the role of wife, and as a woman that has a service for other people. I value being humble, which is very important as a character trait for me. And I value being respectful of other people's time and ability. Those are three core things that stick with me: my character, being humble, and being respectful.