Paula Rodrigues, Fashion Model

0:02Welcome to the Business of Modelling, the podcast where we explore the fascinating world of the modelling industry. I'm Tessa Dewing, Managing Director of Sandra Reynolds, a commercial model agency celebrating its 50th year of business. Today we're recording in Dubai and this episode features Paula Rodriguez, a model whose journey has taken her across the world and ultimately to Dubai. With a career spanning multiple markets, Paula has experienced the industry from all angles, adapting to new cultures, trends and opportunities along the way. Welcome to the podcast. Thank you.

0:43Paula Rodrigues: This is my first time and I'm kind of nervous, but I've been trying to do my best. We're very appreciative because you have just literally got off a plane and come straight here. So, Paula, can you talk us through your background? So I'm from Brazil, basically from favela. So ghetto from Brazil. And actually, like, I never wanted to be a model. Everyone, like, when I was young, I was pretty tall, skinny as well. And they were like, oh, you're going to be a model when you grow up. I was like, no, never. so one day I was like extra like doing skateboarding with my friends not girly at all like a tomboy you know and then one friend just said like oh I started like photography so could you be my model I didn't want it for the beginning but to help her I was like yeah let's do it how old were you then uh 17 yeah so and then she took some picture I was pretty shy that time the moment and then And she just took the picture and then she sent the agents behind my back.

1:50Paula Rodrigues: Exactly. And the agents accepted me. And when I got an agent, I was with straight hair, totally different. You know, I didn't know how to use makeup or high heels. So the agents just say, like, you're perfect. You just need to change some stuff, but you're perfect. And you don't belong to Brazil. You belong to international. You're going to be an international model. so and then I was like I don't believe that's happening to me but it's not something that I really wanted so I started to work and I was seeing the money that I was making was more than my mom was making for like the whole month so I was like I think this this path I can follow through you know and so where were you at this point which part of Brazil which city Rio de Janeiro right okay which agency were you with 40 degrees models okay I tried to translate, yeah.

2:43Paula Rodrigues: It was a big agency. It's a big agency in Brazil. Are you still with them now? No, I changed it. Okay, okay. So what did they do for you to start with? They sort of taught you, they trained you? Yeah, they sent like some jobs. I was doing some catwalk. They were teaching me how to be a model. I did a workshop as well with them, you know, so it was very nice for me to start because I didn't know how to take a picture. I didn't know how to walk in the hills. I didn't know how to catwalk. And you weren't very keen to do it. it wasn't something that you wanted at that point. Exactly. I just did because it was something that was worth it for my future, actually.

3:19Paula Rodrigues: So, yeah. And then I changed, I moved to São Paulo. Okay. So where were you at school? Were you good at school? Were you academic? I went to the school, I finished my school. Yeah. When I was 17, I still like was doing my school. And then I went to São Paulo. I finished my school there. And after I finished my school, I went to Thailand. Okay. And what were you doing? What did you want to do at that point? What were you hoping your career would be? So my family is there from the hospital, like my mom's a nurse, my grandmother was a doctor. So I grew up in a hospital, in a cancer hospital, actually.

3:59Paula Rodrigues: So yeah, I saw everything when I was young. And I was like, I want to take care of people as well you know like bring happiness this kind of stuff and I see myself doing that you know I didn't have any problems to see sickness or nothing in the hospital so I was like I'm gonna say you grew up in a cancer hospital that was because that was where your family worked and so you were there all the time sometimes my mom didn't have a person to leave me you know to take care of me. So we would go with her, spend the new years with her. And sometimes with her, you know, like inside of the hospital, because we didn't have like someone to take care of me.

4:39Paula Rodrigues: And also my sister, you know, I could appreciate life more because I was seeing like a lot of people have this problem, this kind of problem, and also kids, because my grandmother was from the kid side of the concert so uh I was seeing this stuff and uh I could appreciate more like why this girl is not here anymore why she's passing through this you know so I could more understand about life when I was young and appreciate more about my life gosh that's quite a lot at such a young age to see okay so you went to uh to Rio no you went to San Paolo to start with San Paolo uh when I was I finished my college and I went to Thailand.

5:21Paula Rodrigues: It was my first trip. Okay. So as a model at that point. As a model, yeah. Okay. And how did you find Thailand? What kind of work were you doing there? So I was doing a lot of TVC because I'm a kind of person that when you put a camera in front of me, I can do whatever you want. Like I dance, I sing, I can recreate myself, you know. So I was doing a lot of TVC. I did some fashion shows there as well. some campaigns was pretty good actually like I could travel around Thailand as well in other countries like close by so yeah it was pretty good but that must have been different suddenly leaving home and finding yourself yeah I didn't know how to speak English actually like I learned how to speak English there in Thailand okay so yeah it was pretty amazing I was you were in Bangkok I was in Bangkok yeah yeah okay and you did you meet people there did you meet people there My best, best friend is from there.

6:11Paula Rodrigues: Not from there, but we are together there. So it was a lovely place. It was beautiful. Like, for me, it's my top country. Yeah. And was there anybody growing up that sort of had an impact on you? My mom, for sure. My mom. My mom was alone, taking care of two kids. Why that? We didn't have, like, even money to survive. she was handling with the best energy ever I'm gonna cry so yeah she was handling the best energy ever you know being strong she wasn't showing like she was needing help so that's what I admire her like every time like she was passing through some bad stuff she was smiling and saying to me like everything's okay and I was like I want to be a half of of this woman when I grow up you know like And that's why when I got the challenge to go to other countries, not knowing how to speak English, I just thought about my mom, say, like, my mom passed through a very hard moment.

7:17Paula Rodrigues: And I can do the same. I can recreate myself as she did, you know. So, like, yeah, she's my biggest motivation until now. Wow. And is your mom still in Brazil? She's still in Brazil. She came to Dubai. She saw the things. It was amazing. Yeah. For me, she's my queen. Oh. I think when you're a little child, you don't really understand because you don't know any different. Exactly. And when I got older, I got to see through a lot of things and I was like, wow, what a woman.

7:52Paula Rodrigues: How long were you in Thailand for? So my contract was for three months, but I stayed nine. Okay, so it works. That was a good market for you. It was a very good market for me. Yeah, tell me about the market there. So there's a lot of TV commercials. What type of brands? A lot of TV connections. Like the baggage is not good there, only if you do TVC. And back then I had a lot of TVC. I don't know about now, but yeah, I could make a good money to come back to Brazil and help. And then where did you go from Thailand? So I came back to Brazil and after I went to Milan. I did Milan Fashion Week, you know, some jobs there.

8:28So that was your first time in Europe?

8:30Paula Rodrigues: Yeah, it was my first time in Europe. and it was pretty great, like, as working, you know. I mean, Milan's a tough market, so which agency were you with there? I was with, I think, 25 models or I don't remember exactly. Okay, and they flew you in. How long were you there for? Three months. Right, okay. Three months. And how did you, that must have been a real eye-opener doing Milan Fashion Week. Tell me about that. It was a lot of competition. the girls there is not joking i mean like they're really like wanted to make this work you know and i never had this feeling as a model i never had this competition as like i want to do this you know like i feel like when you just leave the the feelings that you know that you are able to do it and put this pressure on you you're not going to be able to make or take a job the client is going to see you like disperated to get the job and you're not going to take the job.

9:31Paula Rodrigues: When you just relax and you know that you're a good model, you can make it work. And for me it was always like that. And I didn't have like some problems. Some girls tried to sabotage me, this kind of stuff. Wow. Tell me what happened. Like one day the girls put like pepper in my food, this kind of stuff. They like hiding my stuff or like robbing my stuff. Yeah. It's kind of tough. Yeah. I think the hardest moment was in Europe for me yeah because I'm super peace I'm trying to like to really like calm down but sometimes they're really like a competition that see like you work more than then they're like trying to affect you somehow that's what I pass through in Europe every time that I go actually that's tough it is yeah okay and did you get support from your agency did you feel supported they had the support they try like sometimes to talk to them but it's something from then you know like yeah okay so you definitely toughened up in europe it is you had to get a lot of castings that's really sad that's really sad to hear that you know i think as women we should be supporting each other that's what i'm missing like in a model life you know like all of my girlfriends that i have from my side i always support them and i always like make sure that they know they are beautiful they are special they have a good energy and they have to show that in your model industry, you know what I mean?

11:00Paula Rodrigues: So for me, it was the same, and they do the same with me. And you can create a very good harmony, like feelings in the model industry like that, you know. Don't need the competition, you know. Just be yourself and know that you're able to do, and it's the most thing, like... And there's room for everybody. Exactly. That gave you the first taste of the European market. did you then go to Paris or London? I went to Paris I went to work with Rocha to do some shows with them so first I went to do Rocha just to do the the shows there and the second time was last year then I went to walk for Pierre Cardin but before I've worked with them like with him no with him with them Pierre Cardin like brand in Brazil I did the worldwide campaign and also I I did the fashion show with them.

11:52Paula Rodrigues: So it was kind of an exclusive with them. So it was beautiful. And it was after I had to go out of Europe because I was, how do I say, not in the right management. Okay. So, yeah, I had to leave before the Fashion Week in Milan. Because they said you were too big. I was too big, even though I'm not too big. No, who told you that? My ages. And did they put pressure on you? um no actually just like said to me like you have to be 90 and for me it's kind of hard because I have 183 and 61 yeah so yeah to be reaching this this measurement is for me it's hard yeah so at that point I was with 98 so they're like no it's impossible to do the fashion week and I totally understand so I had to come to Turkey so I did my turkey season but you were good with that like you were kind of good because this is so healthy that i'm hearing you know you are obviously very confident in your skin and you and i think in this industry you know rejection happens every day and it's so important that you don't take it personally and you think okay well i'm not right for this but it's okay i can do other stuff yeah you know what i mean like a model curry we have a lot of like seasons and a lot of type of models and i could understand that that type of modeling I'm not fitting but in other stuff I am it's not that I'm ugly it's not that I'm like fat I'm not fat my body was fit you know they're like your body's amazing but just don't fit just not the right shape for this exactly you know they couldn't send me for the casting but I wouldn't fit in the clothes yeah so there's no point there's no point yeah so I had to move to Turkey yeah and then Pierre Cardin called me so I didn't do the Milan Fashion Week but I did the Paris Fashion Week so for me it was like a big win yeah okay and how did you find the turkey the market in turkey oh so the jobs are pretty cheap yeah but it was amazing i loved turkey a lot of turkey food i love turkey people you know like i was the first country that i overstayed because i didn't want to go out you know so for me it was amazing and i worked pretty well there as well yeah and now when you go going to these places you obviously on your own when you get there yeah how do you meet people how do you find the confidence to kind of go at so I'm kind of people that make friend friendship so easily I love to talk so I always make friendship even in the plane you know so like we can put me in the middle of the street I'm gonna make friends off with the homeless so like I'm so easy going person.

14:37Paula Rodrigues: So when I get in the house with the models, sometimes the model is a little bit in their space. And I just say, I just show my good energy to them and just broke the ice. So yeah, this is how I deal with all the time. All the girls doesn't have the same way to deal with this. You know, like they're lonely, they're alone, they're without the family, without their friends. and sometimes they just close their self. It's normal. People have your difference to deal with this situation. For me, it's always an adventure. I love to make friends and some people doesn't, but I like these people that doesn't, it's not open because I love to break the eyes and show how beautiful the life is.

15:25So when did you come to Dubai? Because you now live in Dubai. After COVID. Okay, so tell me, where were you during COVID? I was in Brazil. Right, so you'd gone back home.

15:35Paula Rodrigues: Yeah, I was actually like, I was in Milan when it started. Right. Thanks God I come back to Brazil after one month. That happened because it was really hard to get the plane to come back to Brazil in that time. And I spent like one year and a half in Brazil, just waiting for the COVID like slow down. And what did you do during that time? My mom, my ex-boyfriend, my sister, they all got COVID. So I was taking care of them. I was the only one who didn't take it. So I took care of them. And for me, COVID was very important because as a young model, I could I went broke. I mean, like most of the girls or people went broke in that point.

16:20Paula Rodrigues: I went broke so I could have the time to study about financial and this kind of stuff and could like know more, you know, about financial education. yeah so if that happened again i wouldn't pass through this okay what would you do differently so i started you know like study about trading about bitcoins this kind of stuff how to invest my money because as a model we earn good money and even though we're not earning good money we could like uh invest some piece of the money and be safe for the future and i did have this mentality when I before the COVID for me it was like oh it's always coming more coming more coming more and no it's not like that mother life is a stable life so like I had to learn with that so yeah COVID was important for this okay and I guess your your family your mom and everyone when she didn't have COVID was working in the hospitals no she stopped work uh when I was 15 years old she quite she quit her job just to take care of us and also to pay my quinceanera so she took whole money that she made with 25 years was working in the hospital just to pay my body because it was her dream because she didn't have when she was young so yeah so yeah was that yeah yeah so she was at home this whole time so I was taking care of her she was take care of me and it was good because it was out all the time so I couldn't spend the time with my mom yeah and my sister as well and so do you think you could have had more education through about the financial side do you think that the agency should offer more education to young models about the importance of saving your money and investing your money and I think it's don't need to come from the agents, but it's cool because I think all the people needs to know how to be educated, financially educated, you know, and of course they can give some advice, but I think it's have to come from the person.

18:32You have to want to. Yeah, you have to want to, you know,

18:35Paula Rodrigues: because you can make one billion and you can be like, sorry, dumb and spend all of it, you know, and you can make one billion and you can make it more or you can make one thousand and make it even more if you have education. So, yeah. So what drew you to Dubai as a place to work as a model? So it was my model agents. Yeah, after COVID, as I said, I came here and was like the best model market that I had because I was working every day. And you were with Bareface in Dubai. I was with Bareface, yeah. I'm still with them, but I'm like freelancer now. But yeah, I was with BareFace. They were supporting me a lot as a family.

19:16Paula Rodrigues: I never had agents like take it out. My mother agents and my agents from Brazil. I mean, outside of Brazil was the agents that hugged me as a family, you know, that was like there for me and 24-7 that I appreciate so much. That's why I was with them like for three years. I didn't want to be a freelancer because I really have them as a family. Even the bookers are my best friends. So yeah, they made me work a lot. They are really there for me when I need some mental advice or some things. They make me good. Even out of the job, they always care about me. So I was like, that's my place. They just care about me.

20:01Did you come here thinking you'd be here long term?

20:03Paula Rodrigues: No, I didn't. Actually, like, I didn't know about the model market here in Dubai. I was like, that is model life there? I didn't know. So, but let's go because I always loved the adventure. So, like, let's go. So, when I came here, I was working every day and I was, like, shocked the amount that I did. I was like, wow, Dubai is a new place. London and Europe is, like, has a bunch of history. You know, everything starts there. so here is a new place where like other brands bigger brands are exploring here of course not like too much but they're exploring and it's been amazing and I feel like Dubai is going to grow up more and more and more as we see like in one year they change everything so yeah like it's been amazing and people should know that here has a model jobs and it's amazing people that we can work with what kind of brands were you working for I did Louis Vuitton Gucci Loro Piana that he was mentioned thank you love Loro Piana and Herbal Essence as well and other brands that is from here as well yeah and you work right the way across so you you'll do fashion shows you do photographic you do commercials I do everything like commercial fashion show a commerce like lookbook everything thing what's your favorite i i love campaigns i love campaigns that i have to dance that i have to show myself and everything i love it what's your best campaign you've done for me uh i think was here because uh every time we work with central point is the biggest i think no i don't know but i i've been seeing like one of the biggest brand like uh fast fashion here is a Central Point and they always like bring the good stuff about you I had to dance you know I had to be happy and for me it's the most important thing and of course the crew the people that work with Central Point also is my friend so I feel like home so yeah I can say that.

22:15How would you describe the industry here compared to the other places that you've worked?

22:20Paula Rodrigues: So it's really really amazing because I don't feel the competition here. We usually don't do castings. The clients book you through your portfolio. So it's amazing. It's like, no, Europe, like we have to spend like one hour on the line on the casting, you know. And also like people here are amazing, humble, you know. They really care about you. I had just few moments that I had like some problems in the job, but like I can count in my finger in three years that I'm here, you know. So I felt like every time I'm going to the job, I just meet my friends and just be me and just spread it out the best thing that I have for me, you know.

23:05Paula Rodrigues: No, actually like here I see like people love the diversity of the person. Like, for example, I work a lot and sometimes like I face some problems like or I'm not white or I'm not blonde or I don't have like light eyes. And here I see they really like this diversity of people, you know, so they really hug. So, yeah, I don't have any problem like actually leave love. That's what I love about this place as well, yeah. Yeah, that it feels like you can be anybody, you can be anything you want to be. Exactly. Yeah. I can be me and with my hair and with my color. so yeah and they're gonna appreciate that that was the light of the work here actually like they love the weight my body my skin my hair and that was making me like different here yeah even my sister she is like plus size model now okay yeah she works in Dubai she started here actually was out of nowhere she started to be a model because Mark my booker one of my best friend here he saw her he was like you have to be a model she was like I don't know how to be a model he was like walk and pose she was like and then they're like you're perfect you're perfect so she became a model now she's working she's doing campaign she's doing a lot of stuff and now she's able to speak English because she came here without no speak English and has like four months yeah it's been great so that's why I see like here is like a bunch of opportunity that's why I love this country I love this town and I love people that works here really do you remember your first catwalk your first big catwalk was in Milan actually for fashion week just before you walked out onto the catwalk how you felt I felt nervous really nervous I was like oh my god I'm gonna do right you know I just have one chance you know we have the rehearsal before but we feel like it's just one time it's just one way you know like that is not turning back and that is not a rehearsal we cannot do mistakes so like it's really like panic but yeah it was beautiful it was good and then you just get out of the stage it's like I'm relieved I did a good job what are some of the biggest challenges you faced when you've been at being a model to be away from my family from my friends and to recreate myself in each place that i am being what was passing through actually like a few months ago that i was feeling like a nomad like i didn't belong to anywhere even like my country my own country so i was like i need to choose a place to stay that's why i chose dubai because all of my best friends are here the life has been great for me and also with my sister here as well it's been way better so yeah I think it was the distance and be away from people that we love

26:15have you ever had a difficult experience on a job and how have you handled that

26:22Paula Rodrigues: was one day that I wasn't feeling good and I passed out in the middle of the job I was like in the front of a camera and a huge light. And my pressure went so low that I faint. And I remember the client didn't understand that I wasn't feeling good. I'm a human, okay? Sometimes I'm a mannequin, but I'm a human. He's still a human. So she complained about me. She was like, how you just bring a model that she's not able to work? I was like, I didn't know that I wasn't able to work. So it was not like my real fault that I'm not feeling good in the way, the position that you put me. So like, so sorry if I didn't do good as much you could.

27:03Paula Rodrigues: The first one and the big one was in Milan because I speak a little bit Italian. Like I understand more than I speak. So the client was smiling to my face, but she was telling me like terrible things, you know, about my lips, about my face, this kind of stuff. She was being so rude and so fake at the same time. She was smiling to my face and saying rude things. She thought that I wouldn't understand because I arrived in the job, say like, I don't speak Italian. You know, that day I said to the client, I don't speak Italian. And that happened. And then I was in the middle of the shooting. The photographer was like shooting me.

27:39Paula Rodrigues: And I started to cry because I got offended, you know, like she really like was rude. And she was like, why are you crying? I was like, because I understood everything that I said. And she got shocked, you know, and I had to talk to her. and the way that I handled it, I put her in my position. I was like, you're a woman. You have insecurities. I don't have this kind of security that you are talking about, but it makes me feel bad because you're not perfect. I'm not perfect. So you should understand, if you are not liking the way that I'm posing or something, you should say. But don't take it deep and say as a defect and say bring it up as a big a huge thing that offensive comment about myself look it's like about my face about my look because I'm pretty sure that you don't like yourself 100 % you know and she was like yeah I'm so sorry and she apologized to me wow yeah and let's hope that she learned a big lesson from that for sure and I think she's not gonna do this anymore I hope so.

28:48That's awful. And the fact that you were mature enough to have that conversation with her and there could have been a much younger, a much newer girl that wouldn't have dared and that could have completely damaged.

28:59Paula Rodrigues: For sure, I would stop and then just let it be and keep to yourself. I cannot keep anything for myself. And I wouldn't say, text my agents for something that I could talk to her in a humble way. Yeah. You know, that was the way that I handled the situation. What has this industry taught you? to be creative happy and strong you know because you have to be strong you passed a lot of stuff and you're alone all the time so you don't have anyone to hold your hand and say like you're gonna be the best you're gonna you're gonna pasture this no sometimes you don't have sometimes you're totally alone so you have to be strong and believe to yourself all the time

29:46Have you noticed a difference in rates in what you get paid in different parts of the world?

29:52Paula Rodrigues: Depends on which model type, level actually, level are you. Because sometimes you can be a big model and you can get other rates. You know, like sometimes a campaign costs more than a fashion show. And sometimes the fashion show pays you less if you're just a normal girl. I cannot say that much about the rates, but my best rates was, I think, in Brazil for campaigns. For me, it was the best rate, like the most rate that I got was in Brazil. But yeah, the rates are like almost the same for me, almost the same. Yeah. It just depends how much you work. For me, I work a lot here in Europe. And you've built up clients here now that know you and that ask you.

30:39Exactly. Yeah.

30:39Paula Rodrigues: you have your regular yeah that's about the good things about here like you got friend of them they know you and they're going to require you all the time yeah and it must be nice for you now to have a base to do you call to buy your home now now i've called my home yeah now it's my home yeah that's lovely um and what would you say are the essential things about middle eastern culture so the culture here and the customs that a model should know before moving here for work i mean I was really worried when I arrived here about the Muslim culture and everything to be disrespectful or something like that.

31:16Paula Rodrigues: But I saw here is like a tourist place. We have, of course, a Muslim culture is a bridge, but we can be ourself. Of course, I felt more educated because I'm from Brazil with a little short, you know, with a little bra. And here I got to know how to behave as a woman, a delicate woman, how it can be respectful. Exactly. That's the word. So actually, I appreciate so much being here because when I come back to Brazil or other place, they're like, wow, you really change, you know, even the way that you talk or you act is beautiful. I was like, I learned in Dubai. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And what other advice would you give to a model who wants to come and work here?

32:07Paula Rodrigues: So first of all, come with the agents. Yeah, because the agents are going to take care of you. They're going to like direct you for the good clients. They're going to take care of your image. Don't come like as a freelancer because you're going to be lost. Dubai is not an easy place. is not, as you see, it's not a kind of open place that you're going to arrive here, you're going to have everything in your hand. No, you have to describe. And when you describe, it's a beautiful place. You know, it's a stable place as well. It can teach you a lot of stuff. So yeah, come with agents and trust your agents.

32:44Paula Rodrigues: And if you go to work, make friends in your work so the client's going to request you more. You know, and there's a kind of clients that are going to take you as a priority and going to book you a lot and going to make you have a good balance, you know, at the end of the month. Work in your Instagram. When you're posting your job, when you post the location that you work with or the clients that you work with, it's very important. You know, you can do your networks through that. The clients can find you through that. So it's very important to work in a social media. here and other places as well, because you become a brand.

33:25Paula Rodrigues: Your Instagram is your portfolio. So you have to take care of yourself and what you want to show to people, not only for the clients, because when you are a model, there's people that get inspiration by you, you know. So it's very important to take care of it. Yeah. I think it was my breakdown was that because I was posting everything that I was like doing. Yeah. And it's not good for your image sometimes. so you have to really take care of that and what were you posting that you then realized wasn't good i post like happiness you know like i post my daily sometimes you know but mostly like about my model curry you know yeah and paula what makes you a good model i i think still humble you know don't have a competition and also like be strong that's make me a good model yeah and also open to learn every time because the model life is always changing and we have to improve ourself all the time so yeah

34:33can you share with us any particularly memorable shoots that you've done any stories of any shoots or anything that you just thought wow this is amazing oh i think was herbal essence when i did

34:45Paula Rodrigues: the commercial they really like bring it out how my hair was beautiful how my skin tone was beautiful and where was that shooting it was here okay it was here yeah so it was beautiful and it was i think three days of shooting i was with the the team and everyone was really lovely we had a shower we did so many stuff and they're bringing up like the happiness of being a curly girl so for me it was a huge job that I had to handle like a flag of a curly girl model that I love my hair and I love myself. That was amazing for me. Yeah. How did you learn and how do you handle the financial side of modeling?

35:31Obviously, you're self-employed, you have to put money away to pay your expenses and pay your taxes in each country. How did you, did you get advice on that or how did you learn

35:41Paula Rodrigues: that so actually came from the covid because when i was uh younger i didn't have this much thing and i was from a poor poor place you know so when i got a lot of money i just wanted to spend i was like oh this i can because i'm gonna make more and the models uh thinking about that model life is really unstable one time you can work every day the other time you cannot work for a few months so I've learned like going up and down going up and down and for me I wouldn't like accept anymore when it came to COVID that I was totally broke for like one year and a half that I could even like buy a burger or like a candy on the market I was like no I cannot pass through this because I know how much I made in the past so I can make it a difference so yeah for me and if you weren't modeling what would you be doing probably something related with a medicine or something like that yeah okay okay and can you see yourself modeling forever or is there something you think that you might be able to start doing that will work alongside modeling in life for me it was beautiful because i could uh open myself and also like figure out about myself who i am and what brings me happiness I think for years I feel like myself opening a business you know because I really like this kind of life where I work with something that I love and I don't need to be what uh how do you say like in a monotony and so I really want to work something like that yeah or open a business so I'm gonna be free to do whatever I want to do so I'm taking care of it my money just just to do that and you're thinking about what that's gonna be exactly because I don't want to be modeling forever okay although i think now modeling is a career that can can last a long long time which is lovely so it's nice if you could maybe find a career that works alongside it that you can still do your modeling but i feel like also like modeling open yourself to figure uh how do you say to to know the world you know know the people and to understand about yourself as well you know like you always like changing the country and change the circle change everything and give you a possibility to do whatever you want and also like if you take care of everything that I've done you can do whatever you want what is the best piece of advice you've been given yeah be yourself uh believe in your dream anything is impossible because from where I come from so everything is impossible and look where I am like right now I'm in Dubai I'm meeting a lot of people I could like work and help my family and friends so be yourself 100 don't hide don't don't be afraid because sometimes when you're afraid of something you just block yourself and it's a huge mistake out of being seen like models saying to yourself like I don't speak English no you have to say I'm able to do that you know when you just say to yourself you're able to do it you can do anything so yeah be brave be strong and be smart because also it's a it's a very good thing to have in the industry and what are your future aspirations is there anything that you any dream campaigns or collaborations of course i want to be a Victoria's Secret actually I started to modeling yeah when I started modeling uh I don't know if it's rude to say but I have I have a good body so all my my agents were saying like oh you're gonna be a Victoria C created and at that point was a possible dream because they had the show but and then when I really got like international they stopped so now they come back so I think my biggest dream that size I was younger and start modeling yeah uh was be a vitória secret model why why do you would you love to do that i love how they act sexy and they improve their self they're like unreachable i don't know how to say but they're like beautiful and they show that when the cat walks or i would show that part of me also like in the show because sometimes when you work like for example in a fashion show and in Milan you have to be like straight and just show the clothes and that's all.

40:15Paula Rodrigues: But the total secret we have like your power. To be more yourself. Exactly, your power, your feminine, everything, your beauty. So for me I was like, that's what I want. That's who I am. Yeah. Finally, where can people follow your journey and see more of your work? What's your Instagram page? Ah, my Instagram page, pl.rodriguez.

41:07Thank you again, Paula, for sharing your journey and also to you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow for more conversations with industry experts. Thank you until next time.