Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashia Amavè . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Ashia , thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

When I quit my job, I thought I was quitting to model but what I was really doing was taking a 7-year course in how to get back to myself & unlearn everything I thought I was supposed to be doing. Even in modeling, I still had an employee mindset, looking to be told what to do, what was best for me & work for the company that paid me the most. It wasn’t until 2 years ago that it dawned on me that modeling was actually my first experience with entrepreneurship, not the company I have now. There are so many creatives who are having a similar experience as mine. Although they work a creative and freelance job, they have a corporate mindset & approach to it.

In 2023, the era of the creator, my mission is to become the ultimate guide and voice of creative entrepreneurship in the creator/modeling economy. I want to inspire all creatives to use their talents in other mediums that have a need for their craft. I am committed to doing this by being an example of what can be done when you utilize your personal brand. Not only am I a model, but I’m also a wife, a cat mom, a creative brand strategist, a website designer, a karaoke queen & so much more. We no longer have to identify as one thing & ignore the other parts of ourselves.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My pleasure! My name is Ashia Amavè and I’m a Commercial Model, Creative and Entrepreneur. Back in 2016, I was working as an Executive Assistant at a major media company, making a great salary 2 years out of college and I had an *almost* corner office. In the corporate world, I was killing it, but internally I felt like I settled. I was bored and creatively unfulfilled. My boss had 7 directors & they all had assistants which made sitting in the office wishing for work just miserable.

During the year I worked as an EA, I tried to get creative and resourceful as I could from my desk. I worked a second job, took a digital marketing course, and started a YouTube channel. It distracted me temporarily, but it still wasn’t enough. One day, I was just fed about with my bleek, boring career and I asked myself, “If you couldn’t do anything, what would you do?” and I decided I would finally pursue modeling. I’ve always considered it, but never found the right time to start. In April 2016, I quit my corporate job and never looked back.

To date, I have modeled in marketing campaigns for Apple, Google, Target, Etsy, Covergirl, Ebay and more. Although I originally quit my job to become a model, this 7-year journey has given me the freedom to confidently claim my title as a multi-hyphenate with several interests.

Throughout the years, I would work in different freelance marketing roles to help fund my modeling career including brand storytelling, activation & retention as well as website & digital design. When on set, I started to notice a theme between the kind of jobs I was booked for, what story they were telling & why I was selected for the jobs. After confirming the pattern, I created a strategy for myself based on what I’ve learned about Commercial Modeling brands & the story they were told that way, I would always be the best candidate for the job. My auditions began to skyrocket & I was like “Hey, I think I’m on to something.” The most important thing that I built my company off of is that anyone can be a commercial model & people can be paid just for being themselves.

I started thinking about all the creatives and freelancers I worked with over the years while trying to make ends meet like designers, stylists, painters, athletes, cooks, etc, and knew this can be a great source of income for them, plus they get to be co-signed by a major brand. It’s a win-win!

Now, I consult all creatives whether they work freelance or hold a corporate job. I use my experiences to teach creatives how to amplify & monetize their personal brand + guide models through the Commercial modeling industry. My services begin with an intro call where I meet creatives and then consult them on how they can use commercial modeling to their benefit. Next, I create a personalized action document to inspire to imagine what they really want, and their overall vision and create a plan of how personal branding & commercial modeling can help get them there. Then, I establish their digital presence by setting them up with a website, newsletter & media kit. Once we solidified the creative’s personal brand, desired audience, and goals, I coordinate a personal branding photo shoot that speaks to their talent & authenticity.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Of course! When I first started Commercial Model Guide, it was a PDF Guide that provided creatives with everything they needed to know to get started & thrive in the Commercial modeling industry terms, rate FAQs, rejection advice & more. After a year, I conducted feedback from my target audience & I noticed while they were excited about my info, they were overwhelmed & never completed the guide, which meant I wasn’t really helping my customer & would never have a success story.

So I decided to create a course. I assumed that creating an engaging video element to go along with the guide will fix the issue of my customers not going through all the information. I started to put all my energy into creating a course including finding a production company, creating video scripts & finding funding. I found a production company I really loved, I shared my vision and concept, and they created a treatment & told me the final cost would be $15K. Yikes! Although, my business hadn’t even made money for the year, I was still determined to find the funding & I set my sights on securing a business loan. I worked day and night creating a business plan from scratch. It was a mentally exhausting process to complete by myself, but til this day, has been the best exercise for me to understand my business.

When I didn’t get the business loan, I pivoted again, but this time I asked myself – what is really the best option that will help my customers, not the option that I think will look the best, or give me the credibility I’m looking for. After that analysis, I found the best option for my customers and walked them through the process each step of the way. Starting off my education, then guiding them & then execution. Since I’ve pivoted, I’ve had more volume in the last 2 months, than in the last year of my business. This example taught me not to rush, to prioritize the customer’s needs over my ego, and most importantly, don’t be afraid to pivot.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I had to unlearn & am still unlearning is perfectionism. When I trace back its roots, I realized it started at college. When I first arrived, I felt like I was the only one who was grossly underprepared. When none of my peers shared my sentiment, I masked my insecurity by working really hard, if not harder than my peers just to keep up with the perceived standard. I took 18 credits a semester, was a part of multiple extracurricular activities, maintained a long-distance relationship & a social life on campus. College was a lot, but I accepted this level of work as my standard and I was rewarded for doing so. I graduated a semester early and everyone seems to be so impressed by my work ethic. I kept up this habit for years even when it proved to be unhealthy, limiting & counterproductive.

It wasn’t until I started Commercial Model Guide that I realized perfectionism just doesn’t work in business. Regardless of all the analysis and money, there’s no guarantee that your idea will go as planned. This was a huge realization for me because I realized I was trying to approach my business, as I did my personal life. This POV helped me inspect how perfectionism was playing out in my personal life & it showed me that perfectionism doesn’t belong in my personal life for the same reason it doesn’t belong in business. I’m a creative human being and how can I learn if I don’t try? How can I grow and explore if my metrics of success are superficial? Now I embrace trying new things & showing up honestly & authentically – as a explorer who strives to help others from their experiences.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.commercialmodelguide.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/commercialmodelguide
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ashiaamave
• Youtube: youtube.com/@commercialmodelguide

Image Credits
Website by Ashia Amavè Photos by Yekaterina Gyadu