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

Kris, appreciate you joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Often times when creatives become full time the people around them can think of it as an “overnight success”, as if taking the risk and quitting your day job is all that it took to be full time as a creative when that’s the furthest from the truth. What’s often not talked about, or even really acknowledged, is the years of ground work that happens before “the leap”, the years of mastering your craft, networking, finding clients, finding a balance between doing something you love and offering a marketable service, and building what is essentially a small business from complete scratch. Being full time as a model/actress has its ups and downs, and there are some times I don’t budget right, or there’s a slow period, and I have to get a day job again but I always get back to the industry because it’s my passion, I find so much fulfillment and purpose from my career. I’m hoping 2024 is the year we can be a lot more honest about what it’s like to have a creative career.

Kris, 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?

I’m a commercial model and actress, my main specialties are trade shows, UGC/influencer ads, and commercials. My talent is taking a product or service and being able to re-communicate it in an appealing and entertaining way to multiple different types of audiences, whether that be a scripted ad or in person sales. I’ve been modeling for almost 5 years, got signed to my agencies about a year and a half ago, and became full time 9 months ago. I pride myself on professionalism, being adaptable, and having strong people skills, I think this combination of priorities contributed to being able to have a profitable career in such a saturated industry. This year I want to focus on working with small/local businesses to help build their brand, while also helping connect other creatives with opportunities so as to build a strong local network.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had had the courage to reach out to the people I looked up to when I first started my creative journey for advice. As I’ve progressed I’ve learned that a good amount of successful creatives have tons of wisdom they’d love to tell those starting out, so that new creatives don’t have to struggle and suffer in the way that they did.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

While I don’t have much of a social media presence I’ll tell you the same advice I give my UGC clients, if you would scroll past it on social media chances are everyone else will too. You’re not going to get anywhere copying everyone else, be authentic, be yourself, let go of your ego and be engaging, make friends and build a community. Overall be natural and the rest will sort itself out.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Kris.dew_
• Facebook: Kris Dew

Image Credits
Personal photo- Photographer: Alyssa Tranbarger (@alyssatranbargerphoto) Stylist: Mya George (@myalyn16) HMUA: Abby H (@applicationsbyabby) Runway photo- Photographer: Drew (@drewsshootz) Designer: High Roller Designz (@highrollerdesignz) Green tinted “Salt” BTS- Photographer: Lo Kuehmeier (@lokey_photo) Bow dress BTS- Photographer: Alyssa Tranbarger (@alyssatranbargerphoto) Stylist: Mya George (@myalyn16) HMUA: Abby H (@applicationsbyabby)