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

MeMe, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I have wanted to pursue a professional path as a singer since as long as I can remember, and have always felt a deep connection with music and emotion. I remember crying during church as a child because I was so moved by the emotion of the lyrics and melody of the song. My family always supported my dream, but I was the only one holding myself back. I was a very shy child and had terrible stage fright; I couldn’t perform in front of anyone other than my family. I started writing songs when I was about 12 years old to help me express my emotions that I could not convey to others, and hoped that I would inspire others who felt just like me.

I started performing for friends and small crowds in high school with the help of my sister, who also had a passion for singing. We formed our duo, “MNA” and started writing songs together. With the help of a producer, we were able to get some of our songs on Spotify, and are now listened to internationally! We took a little break to focus on some personal things, but will still perform at small venues in Nashville, TN, or anywhere else the road takes us!

As for my model career, that was something I least expected. Torrid, which is a well known plus size clothing store, had an open casting calls in major U.S. cities to find their next top model. I had a couple of friends send the advertisement to me and said I should go to the one located in my hometown of Nashville, TN. I was very hesitant to go because I have always struggled with being self-conscious of my body and how it does not conform to society’s beauty standards. I was also diagnosed with PCOS and an eating disorder, which has made the struggle to accept my body that much more challenging. Even though I wasn’t confident in my looks, I made a last minute decision to go to the casting call.

I am so glad I made that decision because it just felt like a big party of empowering women. Everyone was so kind and supportive, it really gave me the confidence boost I needed to take my headshots and interview with the judges. I received an email a few months later saying that I had made the top 30 semi-finalists out of 11,000 applicants internationally. I pushed for those who supported me to vote daily through my social media and by word of mouth so that I would be able to make the Top 10 finalists and get to go to LA for a photoshoot and model boot camp.

I was even more ecstatic when I received the email a few weeks later saying I made the top 10 and was going to LA. It really was a once in a lifetime chance. I was mentored by Candice Huffine, a plus size super model, who gave me great advice on how to present myself and just have fun during the photoshoot. After my turn to shoot ended, a loud applause erupted. I saw pictures of myself on the big screen and was so overwhelmed with emotion I cried. That was the first time in a long time that I believed someone else when they said I was beautiful. Even though I was the winner, it was such a pivotal moment for me and has changed my life for the better. I am still in connection with Torrid for some promotional opportunities, but am passionate about pursuing my modeling career even further.

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?

I am 28 years old and have a full time job as a registered nurse for stable income. I am able to focus on my passions of singing and modeling in my free time.

I have always had a heart and ear for music, so it has been a part of my life as long as I can remember. My sister and I formed our indie pop duo, “MNA,” when we were in high school and started releasing music on Spotify in 2021. I think our duo sets us apart from others with our vast mixture of genre influences from singer/songwriter, Kpop, R&B, pop, and many others. Also, our familial blend of tone with singing and harmonies, and our openness and authenticity in our lyrics and towards others is a very unique quality we bring.

I am most proud of our duo because we got through the hardest part – starting. We now have performed at several venues, we have international fans, and still have passion to relate to others through our lyrics.

For my modeling career, I was discovered at the Torrid Casting Call 2024 for their next top model. I made their Top 30 semi-finalists out of 11,000 applicants internationally, then pushed through and made it to the top 10 finalists. I got a once in a lifetime experience where they flew me out to LA for a photoshoot and model boot camp. I love a more natural modeling shoot, whether it is with clothing, or beauty. I have also not had the chance to experiment with other sides of modeling yet, but would be open to exploring most things!

I am most proud of showing up for myself at that casting call when I didn’t think I would make a difference out of all the other stunning ladies there. I want to show up and inspire others by being open and authentic in all aspects. It’s okay to want to change yourself – as long as you are being kind to your body and don’t lose yourself a long the way. It is okay to have insecurities and be a model – you just can’t let them control your life. No one is perfect, and I think that beauty is in every unique feature we have.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Music saved my life. I struggle with anxiety and depression, and my college years were the most difficult for me. I had recently been diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and an eating disorder, so my physical and mental health were at an all time low. I had no motivation to get through life. Writing songs and singing didn’t make me happy anymore, and I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror without being self-critical. I was doom scrolling through social media when a video of a Kpop group, BTS, came up. I was so intrigued by their music and dancing because it was something I had never heard before. It didn’t matter that I didn’t speak the language. I could feel their emotions in their voices, in their dancing.

They released an album “Love Yourself” that spoke volumes to me after I listened to it and translated the lyrics. I’m not sure how, but I felt something flip in myself. I learned to love myself, imperfections and all. Not to say I am completely cured from having insecurities, but every time I find myself in a self-conscious state, I listen to their music or think back to how I felt when I first discovered their songs. It has made me infinitely more resilient with how I handle my physical and mental health. To honor that, I got a tattoo with their song lyrics to remind myself of how far I have come.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I would say the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the process of the art. Whether I am writing songs, or modeling, I love living in the moment. As things progress, I get to see/hear the final product of my hard work which is definitely rewarding, but I also get to remember how it felt during the making of the art.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @_meme.myers_ @mnaduoofficial
• Twitter: @mna_duo
• Youtube: @mnaduoofficial
• Other: Link Tree for MNA: https://linktr.ee/mnaduo

  Tik Tok: @_meme.myers_ MNA Tik Tok: @mnaduoofficial