MODEL-PRENEUR: WHAT IT MEANS TO ME

I don't fully fit into one box. I'm a model, yes. I've spent years in front of the camera and learning the language of fashion through movement and energy. But I'm also an entrepreneur - a businesswoman, a creative director and a builder.

Where It All Began

When I first started modeling, I thought the career path was pretty linear: book work, shoot campaigns, repeat. And for a while, it was. But something inside me - maybe a mix of restlessness and creativity - wanted more.

I didn't want to just represent brands. I wanted to build them. That's where the idea of being a model-preneur started to take shape. I realized I could use everything I'd learned - how to sell a story through an image, how to navigate contracts and branding, how to connect with people - and apply it to something of my own.

So. I did.

Owning My Narrative

Being a model in an industry that often tries to define you can be challenging. Your measurements, your face and your appearance are valued. But becoming a model-preneur gave me my voice back. It allowed me to flip the script and step into roles where I wasn't being chosen - I was doing the choosing.

I created my first brand in 2019, See Thru Nikki, and built something that felt like an extension of my values: transparency, vulnerability, and female empowerment. I started creating, designing, and networking in ways that gave me a further sense of purpose.

What It Actually Looks Like

It's early mornings, late nights, balancing contracts and emails and making tough decisions without a guidebook.

But it's also freedom. It's creativity. It's waking up with ideas that excite you. It's building something that's yours, brick by brick, in an industry that doesn't always make space for that.

Why It Matters

Being a model-preneur is about more than business. It's about representation. It's about showing the next generation of models that you don't have to be just a face, you can be the founder, the visionary, the leader.

To me, it means having the courage to evolve. To not be afraid to grow beyond what the world expects from you. It's saying, "Yes, I'm a model. But I'm also a brand builder, a creative, a businesswoman. And I belong in all of those rooms."

Final Thoughts

The term "model-preneur" may sound like a blend of two words, but for me, it's the blend of two worlds - one where art meets ambition, where fashion meets business, and where passion meets purpose.

Xo

Nikki

Author: NIKKI GAL