Story & Lesson Highlights with Jade Patton

Jade Patton shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Jade, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
What are the most proud of building that nobody sees is the fact that I took initiative of my path. I can still vividly remember as a 15-year-old at the time, hearing my peers being more concerned about who’s going to the dance with them. I recall at that time that my future would be so bright that the only impact would be nothing but a trail of my personal resilience, taking matters into my own hands, even being alienated and isolated for just being tall, skinny and different, and the impact of leaving in my wake of self-exploration in the willingness to not give up.

I can sit here all day and tell you about how many times people have wanted to see me fail. Even my own dad that used to model in New York City, openly doubted that I would ever make it to where I am now. How I got to where I am now reflects the vision that I had as a 15-year-old. At that time, I made a promise to myself that I would conquer things that I never thought that I could. My personal brand as a model as evolved as much as I have with my personal life. Growing up, watching America’s next top model as a young teenager, growing into adolescence, shaped my approach towards modeling. Even from trying out for it as an adult, I was left with the rejection of being told that I was too laid-back and easy-going. What I am most proud of is that most girls would lose their mind just about anytime when they’re told they haven’t won anything. I took that as a sign that I’m going in the right direction from being true for what foundation that I was laying upon as a young 15-year-old.

Getting to work with people like Ron Howard, Will Ferrell, Famke Janssen, Andie MacDowell, I could go on and on. What nobody sees is the silent work ethic of showing up to work and doing the best job that I know that I can do, and that is making sure that nobody forgets who I am.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Jade. I’m an Alabama native. I started working in Atlanta full-time and Acting and modeling around 2018. One thing that’s unique about me is that I have a very nerdy personality. Besides having a father that has passed down on the genes of height and qualities that would surpass expectations in the modeling world, I was more interested in intellectual pursuits like school. The pivotal point in my life was when my mother encouraged me to begin modeling as a way to help with my confidence, mainly accepting the way that I am even if it’s different from others. I started modeling at 15 years old from participating in a local modeling class taught by a girl that would attend pageant and has built a clientele base of photographers and filmmakers. So in the small town of Gadsden, Alabama, I would eventually graduate with a high school diploma, and then be offered to teach the modeling class that I used to participate in as a student. And that short timeframe, I started working in Atlanta, which prompted me to have to move because of the work demand and commute. This is where people think dreams are impossible, but this is where my story begins of how that reality can be anyone’s possibility.

I started my resume after beginning Acting shortly after, adding the modeling gigs that have already been done. Then I begin to be an extra for different projects and being lucky enough to meet people like Emma Roberts. After working for photographers that would publish their works in the possibility of it being featured in a magazine, my modeling career slowly, and surely started to make its way into being solidified of what I still do today. All because of my mom telling me that I should believe in myself a little bit more.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
What I started modeling I was technically still in high school so my self-esteem was obviously quite very low because I didn’t try to fit in with any crowd, but people still saw me as “weird” because of my nerdy personality and being a video gamer. Yet, if you saw me in the wild, you would think that I’m just some other pretty girl that probably has the world be beneath her feet. The truth is, I grew up pretty poor so I wasn’t as fortunate as my peers.

I remember to reinforce my confidence and not letting those factors get to me, I remember on a chilly winter day wearing a pea coat and skinny jeans and high heels just to purposely put myself in that position of making yourself have to feel confident because I have no other pair of shoes with me. That was my way of practicing. As I started getting older, and I guess people were noticing my demeanor changing into how I would carry myself as a model off the clock, I eventually won prom queen which really caught me off guard. I honestly thought at first I was being pranked. It took a few people to convince me that it wasn’t, and once I started before everybody, that’s when it started to kinda hit me. I was definitely not used to it.

Then after graduating high school, and trying to pursue modeling as much as possible by applying to modeling agencies before I was applying to school. It was at this point that I had made a pact with myself at 15 years old, that if I did not get signed with an agency by the age of 25, then I would begin pursuing a college degree. It was at this time I heard back from one agency in New York City, the only condition was that they wanted me to travel there. I was working disposable jobs like fast food, saved up enough for me to go for a few days, only just to come back home after being told that I was too old for modeling agency. It wasn’t the negative response that I’ll never forget, it was the fear of trying to learn a brand new city by myself on my own. If that one of the biggest cities in the world, as a 23-year-old.

Then once I return back to Alabama, which I’m still close enough to work in Atlanta. I wished a friend that happened to be a photographer a happy birthday, and he informed me that he was a modeling agent and that I should come by and see them for an interview. Sure enough if I did, still unsure though because I got used to rejection at that point. Later on, I got signed with Click models two months before my 25th birthday.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Growing up in one of the most conservative parts of the world, even as a child hearing things like a burning place like hell is a place that you could go to for just doing something that is deemed inappropriate, honestly, I think would scare anybody. The psychological factor of it all really made me scared to even use my voice as a young woman growing up. Especially for the easiest one of the fear of rejection, which happens almost every day in any form if we think about it. But especially when it considers what you look like how much you weigh, even down to your own personality of what is deemed the it factor. Sometimes it gets tiring after even having a thick skin about it and understanding that that’s just part of the process. No one wants to hear that they didn’t ‘make it’ based off of just face value looks.

As convoluted as it was being raised under these types of values, one thing I was scared of the most was just embracing the fact that I am beautiful and I am worthy of respect. Especially contradictory of pursuing modeling, while being afraid of expressing a womanly figure with poses. Another reason for being scared was the next level of shame that came with people over, analyzing me for the choices that I’ve made. It even came down personally to boyfriends I dated at the time would almost dictate what jobs they would prefer me doing because they didn’t feel comfortable with me showing off my body. I think that’s mostly one fear that has held me back. The most in life is my vulnerability and authentic personality of just being myself as a unique video gamer girl type. Sometimes feeling ‘too seen’ has its own boundaries because I’ve had people stalk me and my family.

Realizing that my voice has power has given me hope that this fear that held me back most mostly in my life helped of reclaiming that power of myself, my voice, and bodily autonomy.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I think one of the biggest lies that the industry that I’m in and is constantly still a precedent unfortunately, is people think that they have to meet this cookie cutter, perfect quality of a person that embodies everything that not your regular person should. We shouldn’t have to be absolutely perfect or that would just be really boring. I think it’s absolutely important for someone to understand and believing of the impact that your personality can have rather than just looks alone at face value. You never know how much of an impact it would leave on another, as well as making you stand out even more because sometimes the vibe just may not be so great and you can be the light in the room so to speak.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
The story I hope people tell about me when I’m gone is my impact and my resilience through the hardships of growing up and not having much financial support until I can finally work legally, beginning to believe in myself after I started going to a modeling class at 15 and decided to pursue modeling, achieving national honor Society, and graduating with the high school diploma all while having already have done a few gigs before reaching the age of 18. I hope that I inspired others to believe in themselves, to be unequivocally themselves, and the most important part of being true to yourself, even when nobody else believes in you. And currently right now, as I am attending community college, completing my prerequisites and still pursuing modeling— I can only hope that this story can help continue to inspire others along the way that might’ve face similar difficulties growing up or along the way. And most importantly, showing as much love as you can at the end of the day, making sure as many people can see it or feel it. Even if that means in small acts of kindness or just a simple acknowledgment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.clickmodelsatl.com/women/main/3574-jade/
• Instagram: @redneckprincess

Image Credits
Instagram: @lofiyokai

https://www.instagram.com/lofiyokai?igsh=c3RzdzRybHd6bm9h