Podcast Summary
Expat experiences, Cultural identity: Growing up as a British expat in the US influenced Meredith Duxbury's accent and identity, but she encourages not to let others' opinions hinder pursuing passions, even through embarrassing moments.
Meredith Duxbury, a TikTok star, model, and entrepreneur, shared her experiences of growing up as a British expat in the US and how it influenced her accent and cultural identity. She discussed the challenges she faced when her high school peers discovered her old YouTube channel, which featured DIY content popular during a specific era. Despite the embarrassment, she encouraged listeners not to let others' opinions hold them back from pursuing their passions. Meredith also talked about her transition from full glam makeup looks to more natural styles, and the time and effort required for each. Overall, her story highlights the importance of embracing one's unique background and staying true to oneself.
Authenticity and passion on TikTok: Being true to oneself and expressing unique quirks can lead to virality and success on TikTok, as demonstrated by the speaker's experience with applying foundation by hand and subsequent collaborations.
Authenticity and passion can lead to success on social media platforms like TikTok. The speaker shared her experience of using her hands to apply foundation instead of traditional tools, which went viral and led to collaborations with notable figures in the beauty industry. She emphasized the importance of being true to oneself and not trying to force virality, as unique quirks and sincerity can resonate with audiences. The speaker also discussed her surprise and excitement when celebrities like Selena Gomez discovered and appreciated her content.
Meeting people in person: Despite initial nerves, forming genuine connections is possible through discovering common ground and sharing vulnerabilities, recognizing everyone's complexities, and accepting our own tendencies.
Meeting people in person, even those we may idolize or perceive as extroverted based on their online presence, can be an intimidating experience. However, once the initial nerves subside, we can discover common ground and form genuine connections. It's essential to remember that everyone, including public figures, has their own vulnerabilities and struggles. Sharing our own experiences of vulnerability can create a sense of relatability and foster stronger bonds with others. Additionally, it's important to recognize and accept our own introverted or extroverted tendencies and understand that they don't define us completely. People are complex, and we all have a unique balance of introversion and extroversion.
ADHD medication side effects: While ADHD medication can improve academic performance, severe side effects can negatively impact overall well-being. Seeking extra help and learning to work with ADHD rather than relying solely on medication can lead to a challenging but rewarding experience.
While ADHD medication can significantly improve academic performance, the severe side effects can negatively impact an individual's overall well-being. The speaker shares her personal experience of struggling with sleep deprivation, migraines, and mood swings while on medication. She eventually decided to take herself off the medication and focus on alternative methods, such as seeking extra help and learning to work with her ADHD rather than relying on medication alone. This decision led to a challenging but ultimately rewarding experience, as she was able to complete college despite the added difficulties. The speaker emphasizes the importance of respecting privacy when discussing personal relationships online and shares her insights on the importance of independence and self-reliance.
Alone time in 20s: Embrace alone time in your 20s to explore identity, build self-confidence, and broaden horizons. Respect privacy when sharing experiences as an influencer.
Embracing alone time and learning to be comfortable with oneself is an essential skill, especially in one's 20s. This period is an opportunity to explore one's identity and build self-confidence before entering into relationships and starting a family. Being comfortable in one's own company allows for new experiences and meeting new people, broadening one's horizons. However, navigating alone time in the public eye as an influencer can be challenging, dealing with unwanted speculation and intrusion into personal life. It's crucial to respect privacy and take time to process and share one's story on one's own terms.
Long-term relationships and personal growth: Maintaining balance and privacy in long-term relationships and personal growth takes time and effort. Healing and manifesting dreams require dedication, while pursuing passions like modeling can present financial challenges.
Relationships and personal growth require time and balance. The speaker shares her experience of a long-term COVID relationship and the challenges of maintaining privacy while sharing her life online. She emphasizes the importance of healing and manifesting dreams, while putting in the necessary hard work. The speaker also discusses the realities of the modeling industry, including the importance of editorials and the passion that drives individuals to pursue it despite the financial challenges. Ultimately, she encourages living authentically and diversifying your passions.
Brand uniqueness: Successful brands focus on quality and uniqueness to stand out from competition, rather than relying on personal popularity. Innovative and different products lead to consumer preference.
Creating a successful brand, whether it's in makeup or fashion, requires focusing on quality and uniqueness rather than relying solely on personal popularity. The speaker emphasizes the importance of creating innovative and different products that consumers will choose over existing options. Charlotte Tilbury is cited as an example of a brand that succeeded by offering exceptional products, which eventually led to consumers wanting to buy it because of the brand's reputation. Additionally, the speaker expresses a desire to create something unique in fashion but feels the need to learn more about her personal style before doing so.
Self-expression and Confidence: Embrace your unique features, stay true to yourself, and be patient to achieve personal and professional goals through self-expression with makeup and art.
Self-expression through makeup and art can captivate audiences and inspire confidence, while patience and authenticity are key to achieving personal and professional goals. The speaker shares her journey from watching makeup tutorials to becoming a model, emphasizing the importance of staying true to oneself and giving oneself time to grow. She encourages individuals to embrace their unique features and believe in their worth, as well as to appreciate the artistry and transformation that comes with makeup application and modeling. Additionally, she emphasizes the power of manifestation and staying focused on the present moment to attract positive experiences and opportunities.
Model authenticity: Authenticity is crucial for models to build a successful career in the fashion industry by showcasing their unique personality and engaging their audience throughout the journey.
Models are more than just pretty faces. They have unique personalities and cool lives that often go unseen by the public. To break the stigma surrounding models, it's essential to bring your authentic self to the table and showcase your personality. This can help influencers transition into the fashion industry and build a successful career. It may require sacrifices, such as changing up your content or appearance, but staying true to yourself and engaging your audience throughout the journey can lead to new opportunities and a deeper connection with your followers.
Transitioning into a new industry or persona: Being open-minded and adaptable can lead to personal growth and new opportunities. Changing perceptions and trying new things can be exciting and rewarding.
Being open-minded and adaptable are crucial when trying to transition into a new industry or persona. The interviewee's experience in the fashion industry shows that people's perceptions of us can change based on their expectations, but it doesn't mean we're changing who we are. Trying new things, like changing our look or style, can help us grow and evolve. The interviewee's example of going from blonde to red hair shows that even significant changes can be exciting and rewarding. Additionally, having a routine, like taking care of pets or children, can help us establish discipline and structure in our lives. Overall, being open to new experiences and adapting to change can lead to personal growth and new opportunities.
Persistence and Positivity: Bringing personality and building a connection with the casting director can lead to unexpected opportunities despite initial doubts and uncertainty.
Persistence and staying positive, even when faced with uncertainty, can lead to unexpected opportunities. The speaker shared her experience of auditioning for a modeling gig with Diesel, where she initially doubted her chances but eventually got the part after a lengthy and uncertain process. She emphasized the importance of bringing personality to the table and building a connection with the casting director, which helped her stand out. Despite the initial disappointment and long wait, her determination paid off, and she was able to reframe her mindset and stay hopeful throughout the process.
Emotional acceptance: Accepting emotions and practicing self-care activities can help cope with feelings and improve overall well-being. Avoiding societal pressure to conform to beauty standards can lead to long-term satisfaction.
It's important to acknowledge and accept emotions instead of pushing them away. Coping mechanisms like cooking, yoga, or even putting on makeup can help deal with feelings while making oneself feel happy and comfortable. Simple activities like eating well or going for a walk can also be effective. Sharing experiences, especially the difficult ones, can provide valuable insights and help others make informed decisions. The pressure to conform to societal beauty standards can lead to regret and dissatisfaction, so it's crucial to be honest with oneself and consider the long-term consequences before making permanent changes.
Authenticity and self-acceptance: Embrace your natural appearance and value authenticity over glamour, stay open-minded and humble, and share your personality with your audience.
Authenticity and self-acceptance are valuable in a world that often emphasizes glamour and external appearances. The speaker shares her experiences of desiring to keep her natural appearance after getting lip fillers dissolved, and meeting inspiring figures like Pat McGrath and Donatella Versace who remain humble despite their success. The speaker also acknowledges the importance of staying open-minded and not being too hard on oneself in the modeling industry. Additionally, she expresses her excitement about working on a book and potentially starting a podcast to share more of her personality with her audience.
Authentic Interactions: Authentic interactions, whether online or in-person, can lead to meaningful connections and fulfilling experiences, and can bring joy and excitement to our lives.
Being vulnerable and authentic in online interactions can lead to meaningful connections and fulfilling experiences. Whether it's through social media or in-person events, putting down the phone and engaging in conversations with others can bring joy and excitement to our lives. Celebrities, such as Rihanna and Beyonce, have leveraged this concept by engaging with their fans through their brands, creating opportunities for fans to feel closer to them and promoting their products in a more personal way. Meredith's experience of attending events and trying new things, including acting, highlights the importance of challenging ourselves and stepping out of our comfort zones. Overall, the power of genuine connections and conversations cannot be underestimated, whether it's with friends, fans, or even celebrities.
Determination and hard work: Believing in oneself and putting in effort can lead to achieving dreams despite challenges and negativity, instilling a strong work ethic and staying true to oneself is essential.
Determination and hard work, regardless of one's background, can lead to achieving dreams. The individual in this conversation went from painting houses and gardening to becoming a TikTok sensation and a runway model. Despite facing challenges and haters, they continued to believe in themselves and put in the effort. It's essential to appreciate the value of hard work and set boundaries early on to instill a strong work ethic. The conversation also highlights the importance of staying true to oneself and not letting negativity deter progress. Overall, the conversation serves as an inspiration to never give up on your dreams and to keep pushing forward.
Staying informed, Personal growth: Connecting with young minds and learning from diverse perspectives broadens horizons and offers new opportunities for growth and collaboration.
Learning from people of all ages, especially the younger generation, is essential for personal growth and staying informed about the changing world. Meredith, who represents Maraby, is an inspiring example of the innovative and influential young minds emerging in various industries. Meeting and connecting with like-minded individuals in the industry is a valuable experience that broadens perspectives and offers new opportunities for collaboration and growth. Meredith's impact can be seen across multiple platforms, and her presence is a testament to the power of embracing new ideas and perspectives. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of staying curious, open-minded, and engaged with the world around us.