We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jade Syan McKissick. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jade Syan below.

Alright, Jade Syan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

A few years ago, I took my first trip to Miami. This pushed me to take modeling more seriously. I was invited to Miami to be a brand ambassador for an Instagram store called Sauced Outfitters. I have never travelled alone or been on a plane at the time, but something told me to take that risk. My social media presence increased a lot just from that trip alone. Eventually, I got to where I was doing a photoshoot basically every weekend.

Isaiah and I took a risk when it came to starting the clothing line. They say that most business startups fail. We worked on branding for two years before actually launching in April 2022. I would say that we’ve had a successful first year, and we’ve grown a lot. Outside of the clothing line, my brother and I still balance a job to fund our businesses. It’s honestly a constant grind. With entrepreneurship, you have to keep the faith when it comes to making your vision a reality.

Jade Syan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Jade Syan. I’m a 25 year old model, artist, and designer from Louisville, KY. I’ve been modeling for six years, and I’m currently an independent model. My brother, Isaiah Bey, and I have a clothing line together called A New Dream LLC. Isaiah is the founder, and I am the co-founder. The brand itself was my brother’s vision, and I’ve helped along the way to bring his vision to life. I ended up designing the crown logo for our brand along with other clothing pieces. I am also a model for A New Dream.

A New Dream is a luxury streetwear brand. Our mission is to spread awareness to the mindset of living a life with no limitations. A New Dream is a movement and lifestyle. We want to empower others to always follow their dreams despite how hard their path may be. There’s power in persistence and perseverance. We aim to offer substance and quality on a global scale.

Throughout these years, I’ve had amazing opportunities. I was selected to walk for Fllumaé in NYFW (New York Fashion Week) in 2021 and featured on the NYFW website. Last fall I worked as a brand ambassador for Gatorade during the Kroger Wellness Festival in Cincinnati, OH. Earlier this year, I was featured in a campaign for Hibbett and Nike during Nike Air Maxx month, along with my brother. I’m so thankful for the experience. I’m grateful to have been able to do this with my brother, and for Hibbett and Nike allowing us to feature our brand. Isaiah and I just recently became influencers for Hibbett and City Gear.

As a child I have always had a love for art, especially drawing. I used to watch my dad sketch all the time. I would draw anything from cartoons to realistic animals and people. As I got older, I had a passion to become a fashion designer or maybe even a model one day. Around the time I was in middle school, I started to slowly lose my love for sketching to focus on academics. I gradually picked it back up in college.

Modeling has been a dream of mine since I was very little. People used to tell my parents I should model when I was a kid. I grew up watching America’s Next Top Model. I even envisioned myself on the show one day, but I was never sure if modeling was something I could do. The modeling industry wasn’t as diverse then compared to now. I’m very petite. For the longest, I thought my height was something that would keep me from achieving that dream. Six years ago, one of my friends was just getting into photography and wanted to use me as a model. I posted photos from the shoot to Instagram. From the time I posted the pictures, I gradually started to have more photographers reach out to work with me.

I feel like I was born to create. As a child, I always felt like I had to choose one path. It’s crazy seeing it all come together and me becoming everything I dreamed of. It took a lot for me to get to where I am now. I am most proud of persevering despite adversity.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My brothers and I didn’t have the easiest upbringing. We came from poverty. My parents split after my youngest brother was born, and we were raised by my dad and his parents. My mom wasn’t in my childhood as much as she wanted to be . She wanted to be more involved, but she just wasn’t capable. My dad always worked, so we didn’t have much of a bond growing up. My grandma was my role model, the epitome of what a woman should be. She passed away when I was nine. This left my grandad (Poppy) to be the main one to raise my brothers and I.

I remember us not being in the best living conditions, especially when I was in high school. From having eight people living in a three bedroom home, helping out with the groceries from time to time, not being able to afford school clothes, and even using our oven for heat. My Poppy always did his best despite losing my grandma, he was a provider his entire life. When I was in college, Poppy’s health started to decline. He was always the type to not dwell too much on what he had going on. It was like he felt like his health would be an extra burden on the people around him. My poppy ended up passing away in 2021. There were many health issues we didn’t even know about because he simply didn’t want us to worry about it.

My poppy was my rock, he saved my brothers and I. If it wasn’t for him, we would have grown up in foster care. It really took a toll on me when I lost him. My grandad was one of the few people I could turn to for guidance and to open up to about anything, especially my future. He was always the one that pushed me and saw my potential in being very successful one day. I remember telling him I was going to walk in NYFW (New York Fashion Week) that February, and he was so proud of me. One of my pictures even made it on the NYFW website. I didn’t get the chance to show him any of the footage, and he passed away right after it released.

It took a lot to get back up. I knew that no matter what I had to keep going, not just for me but for my family. My brother’s and I don’t really have anyone else to fall back on but each other. I’m proud of where all three of us are in life despite the cards we were dealt. I can feel that my brother’s and I are meant to change things for our family and even generations to come.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I am a creative. Modeling, sketching, and designing are some of the few ways I express myself artistically. I am also a graphic designer, web designer, and content creator. By sharing my creations, I want to inspire others to follow their dreams. When you are confident in yourself and what you have to offer in this world, you can conquer anything you set your mind to.

Stay determined and persistent. There have been many ups and downs throughout my journey. There’s even been times I wanted to give up. I try to view rejection as redirection. Overtime, I’ve seen where modeling and entrepreneurship can take me. I realized it is best to create because art is my passion, and whoever resonates with me will gravitate towards me naturally.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jadesyan.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jade.syan/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-mckissick-ba9992180/
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/0_XrP4Zzuqg
• Other: https://anewdream.shop/ https://www.hibbett.com/blog-lifestyle/what-to-wear-this-summer-influencer-outfits-inspo.html

Image Credits
Ke’Ondris Hughes Alexander Diego Jewell Greene Mariah Kelly Delmontae Roberts

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