Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dominique Jordan-Perry. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Dominique, appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?
I know we all have a love/hate relationship with social media but there is a lot of good that can come from it. One of my first clients came through social media!
In July of 2021 I was modeling in a store window at the iconic Macy’s store on state street in downtown Chicago. I was posing in the window when this sweet girl that looked just like me walked up. I couldn’t help but to break character, come down to her height and show her love. Through the window I blew kisses and drew hearts as she placed her hand on the window. And it just so happened to get caught on camera!
I posted it and it went viral with over 1.2 million views on my page alone. Countless shares on Facebook and IG pages such as Barbie, Malcolm X daughter, Tabitha Brown, DL Hughley, and Good News Movement reposted it as well out of many. We even ended up on NBC news where I got to meet her again, it was such a beautiful story.
One of my clients found me through mentioning this video to someone who is best friends with my mother! My mother gave her my name, she began to follow me on social media , I launched my business called My Prayer Space — my interior decor business where we create beautiful and simplistic spaces to spend time with God daily in homes and she booked me!
How sweet it was to know that was how she found me. All things have purpose.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
Where do I begin! I’ve been a model since 2012 — professionally signed since 2014. I remember when I got discovered. I was sitting at the salon getting my hair cut after school finals when a hair stylist told me I should model and she knew a photographer. I laughed and joked about it but during my last year of college I did a few photo shoots just for the fun of it not having a clue what was in store. After that photo shoot, I went on to go to a casting call for a fashion show and booked it. An agent was in the audience and approached me and told me to come see him on that Monday. I did and was offered a contract. I remained with that boutique agency for less than a year before Select Model Management, the leading fashion modeling agency in the Midwest formerly known as Elite Model Management offered me a contract that changed my life.
Through Select Model Management, I’ve met and worked with names such as Michael Kors, Zac Posen and Adam Lippes. I’ve modeled multiple times in Paris and spent 3 months in Capetown South Africa landing ad campaigns and working with top brands while there. The most important thing that I’ve kept with me is my why. “Why” do I model and my “why” has never changed.
It’s not the fanciest of runways and photoshoots and those I get to meet that keeps me going, although that is nice, it’s the people I met, the conversations I get to have. There’s so many people hurting, lost, and disconnected from Jesus or don’t know Him. I am able to share my story, my faith, and be the light in an industry not many are welcomed into. We are all have a specific look, a certain type of personality, within a certain profession for a reason and it is to be the light exactly where we are. Whenever I am heading to a modeling job I go in with the mindset that is bigger than me.. I am always open to connect with others on a deeper level knowing deeply know my life is a testimony and many need to still here how God is real…in details. It is an example that you can use your gifts for the good. For the glory of God.
I also work as a Medical Lab Scientist. You know how you go to the emergency room or doctors office and have your blood drawn, urine sample taken, poop, spinal fluids, etc? Those specimens come to the lab and I run any test on them that the doctor needs. I’m the first to know if you have cancer by identifying cancerous cells under a microscope, a bacterial infection, Covid, anemic, pregnant, if it has to deal with the body I am the run behind the scenes running the test to aid in your diagnosis. I love it. As passionate as I am about fashion I am equally in love with science, the way the body works.
Again, my favorite thing about Medical Lab isn’t what people think. I hurt when people hurt and my heart response towards anything hurtful is to immediately pray. What patients don’t know or anyone know until now [a canvas magazine exclusive! haha] is I believe God has strategically placed me in the medical field for this purpose — to be the first to see what a patient is diagnosed with so that I can pray. I pray over that patient because I even call that result. I pray for healing, for God’s supernatural strength and peace. I don’t know what is happening on the other end but I trust God will move because I’ve seen Him move based off the love of others prayers over my life and over my prayers for others. And I believe He moves according to our faith. When I am in the hospital lab, it is not the most glamorous job, but I know I am exactly where I need to be to make a difference.
I’ve been a professional model since 2014, a medical lab scientist since 2012 and many things led up to me desiring to start my own business. Truthfully, it wasn’t about having my own business but the question was “How can I help others experience how real God is the way that He is real to me?”
You know how you are just spending time in prayer and something just hits you? My sister in law is a full time mom of 3 young boys. She does all the cooking, the cleaning, the teaching, and is in school to get her real estate license. She has been having such a difficult year with the pandemic and some personal things. And after spending many days in prayer for her, I felt an urging on my heart to turn her walk in closet into a prayer space. A space she can go to free of distractions and truly get still before the Lord to hear His voice, direction and gain strength. I’ve had my very own prayer space since 2016, I turned a full bedroom into a space I can spend with God. It is where I’ve spent time sharing my joys with the Lord, crying out to Him, learning about Him through scripture, repenting of things I’ve done wrong, asking for strength, clarity and so much more through the hurt I’ve experienced through the lost of my father, estrangement/abandonment from family, depression and health issues and I’ve seen on a personal level how God would speak to me, respond and comfort me in my alone time with Him . I knew if God could restore me when I’ve lost so much that He could do the same for my sister in law + more. Because Matthew 6:6 says “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” And He also says “Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy. NO shadow or shame will darken my face. In my desperation, I prayed and the Lord listened. He saved me from all my troubles” Psalms 34:4-6.
What better gift than helping someone draw nearer to God, a gift to push them to experience Him on their own. Imagine sitting down with a friend and pouring your heart out to them. Your deepest struggles, fears, and/or needs. They listen to you intently and right when they are about to respond… you get up and leave. That’s what we do to God. If one person can be still long enough to pray, seek, and just be with the Lord, nations, generations, will be touched by just that one prayer. That’s where my heart sits. I desire for all to slow down and truly experience what a relationship with God is like, because it’s real, we just have to make time to seek Him. And that’s how My Prayer Space was birthed.
I am most proud of my heart. No matter what I continue to love and cling to God’s robe. I can be beat up by the world and by others but yet I stay anchored in God especially when many of my peers have left the faith that makes me cling even tighter. I love to have others think of where you’d find yourself in the Bible. Would you be David, Job, Martha or Mary? I know I’d be the woman who knew if I could just touch Jesus I’d be healed. Who would you be?
How did you build your audience on social media?
I have two experiences to share. For my personal page, whether I have 100 followers or the 15,000 followers I have now, I don’t have a social media strategy, my strategy is to only post what is genuine. If it don’t feel right, I don’t post it.
If you browse through my IG you will see that my post from 2011 to now have all the same tone and that works [Yes, I still have all my old posts up!]. People often ask me how I stay consistent, please, I am not consistent on social media, as in I do not have a schedule to post on my personal page, however, I am consistently myself by sharing what’s happening in my life, the lessons I am learning, and I do not compare. My life is beautiful the way it is just as yours is. Post what feels good to you, what feels right, pure, and genuine — not for others, but do it for you and you can’t go wrong.
I’m also big on redrawing to recharge in God arms understanding that social media is only a small piece of the puzzle. There was one time in 2020 where I turned my phone completely off for over a month. I then took an additional month before getting back on social media after I turned it back on. I slowly responded to missed texts, and missed calls. I was completely unplugged for two months for my own personal reasons… and that time was pivotal. That time was personal with God and it was only for me. If you ever choose to unplug one day without explanation or decide to try some form of it [depending on your lifestyle] please know that no time would be loss, only time will be gained “When you go through deep waters, I [God] will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2
As for my business page, I have strategy. I pay attention to analytics, I pay attention to the times that my followers are the most active on my page, and I post every two days which means 15-16 posts a month depending on the month and I respond to every comment within the first hour since IG counts that as if your post is relevant or not depending on the likes and comments within the first hour. I batch post my content every Saturday which means throughout the week I save any inspiration or ideas I get in my notes on my iPhone and on Saturdays I put the content together and record reels. If I tried to do content all week, I’d be so stressed so I commit one day a week to it. Sometimes I do two weeks in advance which is just 7-8 posts if I am feeling it!
However, what I really want others to know is social media is just a small piece of the puzzle. Your website is your bread and butter. It should be heavily SEO’d, it should be practical and packed with information in a simplified format that can be easily understood. You should have multiple testimonials/reviews that can be found easily, and another piece of the puzzle are newsletters. You should be connecting to your community via newsletters. Those three things are your bread and butter. You can only do so much connecting on social media but your loyal followers can be found within those that signs up for your newsletters and those same followers wants to see reviews. If they can see how it has helped someone else, they’ll be able to see how your services will help them. People are tired of purchasing from these larger companies that feels like robots, they are more connected to what is real. When they purchase from you, they are purchasing a piece of you, so stay yourself at all times, people would love to purchase a piece from you.
Lastly, with social media, have fun! If it’s not fun for you, or authentically coming from your heart, people will sniff that out. Again, if it feels good for you, and from the heart, post it. Your target audience will love it because usually your target audience has a lot to do with who you are. Have fun and move forward.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to learn to invest in myself. I remember praying for a financial miracle to cover the expenses that comes with starting an interior decorating business, I remember praying for a dope photoshoot in New York to fall into my lap so that I can update my portfolio so that I can gain the fashion clients that I want, I remember praying to be healed of my trauma, loss, abandonment and the hurt I carry. I chose to invest myself. I put my own money into starting my business because if anyone is to bank on me, it would be me because I deeply know what value I bring to the table. I know my heart, my integrity and grit to persevere that whatever I put my hands on it will be gold. I launched my business after thousands I invested and within the first month I had my first consultation which led to a booking which led to more before the end of the year was up and even went into the next year booked. I launched my very first product, hour glasses, to aid in your time with God! It’s to be used to gauge the amount of time you spend with Him! Once you turn the glass over, it gives a solid 30 minutes to pray, journal, study, worship and go where the Holy Spirit leads. And for parents, it can be the visual reminder to your sweet children not to walk in until the sand runs out. I met my one day goal in ONE hour and within 24 hours I met my one MONTH goal. No credit cards used, no loans, and nothing borrowed from friends/family and God multiplied what I had. I invested in myself with the photoshoot I desired to have and the money I spent on that photoshoot I booked a modeling job and made it right back within the same week! And I invested into therapy so that I can have a healthier perspective and understanding of my journey which allows me to have healthier relationships with those that are in my life and a healthier view of myself. Invest in yourself, it’ll come back to you.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.myprayerspace.co and https://www.selectmodel.com/chicago/women/mainboard/dominique-jordan
- Instagram: @myprayerspace and @dominiquejordan_perry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyPrayerSpaceLLC
- Twitter: @myprayerspace
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo-31gd7bB9O29hlOH8n0tw
- Other: www.myprayerspace.co/shop
Image Credits
Photographers: Deanna Williams Anna Jungwha Julia Janse Van Vuuren Make up/Hair artist: Mercedes Small Teri Tomsett