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As a part of the Morning Lazziness sequence highlighting empowering ladies who’re making a exceptional impression with their concepts, I had the pleasure of interviewing Monique Jeremiah.
Monique Jeremiah is the founder and innovator behind Variety Fashions, Australia’s first-ever NDIS Registered Supplier modelling company for individuals with disabilities. Pushed by her ardour for inclusion and mentorship, Monique is reshaping the modelling trade by championing visibility, confidence, and open employment alternatives for individuals of all skills.
Along with the company, she launched Variety Fashions Academy — a novel experiential studying and deportment college designed particularly for NDIS members. Via immersive weekend workshops, the Academy nurtures social expertise, private confidence, grooming, employability, and trade data, whereas fostering real networks. Her applications are celebrated for being inclusive, empowering, and transformative, giving members the instruments to shine each on and off the runway.
Backed by tertiary {qualifications} in HR, Industrial Relations, and coaching, alongside a 13-year entrepreneurial profession in training and recruitment, Monique brings collectively her experience in PR, advertising, and business modelling to drive change with objective. Variety Fashions isn’t just her enterprise — it’s her ardour mission, devoted to breaking obstacles, difficult expectations, and constructing a extra inclusive future for the style and artistic industries.
On this interview, she discusses her entrepreneurial evolution, from early struggles to the achievements that formed her on-line enterprise success.
What impressed you to begin your small business, and what drawback had been you enthusiastic about fixing?
I began Variety Fashions as no modelling company in Australia initially specialised in variety. Variety Fashions then advanced to be the primary modelling company within the nation specialising in incapacity fashions, 6 months later as I realised the shortage of inclusion and illustration of individuals with disabilities within the media and modelling trade. The corporate was began as a result of I knew my strengths and entrepreneurial historical past lay in business modelling, media, advertising, and recruitment. Being a trailblazer entrepreneur, I went all-in to place individuals with disabilities into the highlight to create significant employment alternatives by modelling, construct their private confidence and begin their careers.
How has your small business advanced since its launch, and what key selections have helped drive that progress?
Upon the pivotal second to concentrate on disabilities, we went by full registration course of to turn into an NDIS registered supplier as the primary modelling company in Australia with this recognition. This choice was made as I consider wholeheartedly in doing all the pieces 1000%, all in or nothing. Variety Fashions Academy Retreat was developed in 2024 to begin our modelling and deportment college for individuals with disabilities.
In your view, what really units your model aside in as we speak’s aggressive market?
Variety Fashions is the pioneering Australian company specialising in casting incapacity fashions. We’re essentially the most modern modelling company, as we not solely mentor and practice fashions by Variety Fashions Academy, however we additionally create incapacity employment alternatives by Variety Fashions. Subsequently, we’re a novel recruitment company and artistic company mixed.
What has been your handiest advertising technique to date, and why do you assume it labored so effectively?
Our handiest advertising has been by our fixed social media content material creation and distribution to make sure our fashions are consistently seen.
How do you keep related to your superb viewers and perceive their wants or behaviors?
We consistently talk with our superb viewers and current alternatives the place they are often employed or be engaged direct by and to our potential shoppers who will e book them. We use a mixture of selling and PR within the mainstream and incapacity sectors to draw consideration. We ask them their targets, what they will do after which we reply accordingly to create modelling and media alternatives.
What’s one branding transfer or marketing campaign that helped elevate your small business to the subsequent stage?
We created Variety Fashions Academy weekend workshops which permit us to mentor our fashions intensively over a full keep weekend after which we seize the content material after which we publish it all over the place throughout our social media campaigns to construct their visibility, engagement, and publicity.
What does success appear to be for you, not simply in numbers, however in objective or impression?
We’re essentially the most purpose-driven modelling company in Australia as we not solely function as a modelling company, however we a care company which matches above and past to assist construct the desires, targets and confidence of our fashions by media and modelling and occasions. Success to us is when our fashions are booked for employment, after they get the alternatives to shine and after they refer us and share what we do to their networks. We goal for each mannequin inside Variety Fashions to reach their very own method.
How do you personally outline success, past income and progress metrics?
Success to me is being remembered for creating an enormous change in society, for going in opposition to the norm and doing what others by no means aspired to do and doing it very effectively. Success is being the innovator and the chief of impression, while in fact having fun with work life steadiness.
Are you able to share a problem or setback that in the end grew to become a turning level in your model?
A setback we now have confronted is when NDIS has tightened the reigns on purposes to hitch our company. Because of this, we now have to speak very clearly to make sure they perceive how our modelling company is making essentially the most optimistic and unbelievable within the life of individuals with disabilities who be part of us. We could also be a artistic and social NDIS firm, however we’re simply as highly effective and helpful as a medical enterprise in fixing challenges for NDIS members.
What each day habits or rituals hold you centered, artistic, and grounded as a pacesetter?
I at all times have my 7-day-a-week routine of morning espresso, lunch, and afternoon non-alcoholic drink in 3 completely different café/eating places with my laptop computer connected to my waist, to maintain me mentally stimulated and social so I don’t go to sleep observing a display screen (after I’m not on shoots or at occasions). I keep artistic by altering my bodily environments and travelling and dealing from nice locations to maintain me motivated. I additionally take heed to enterprise/entrepreneurial sensible coaching on YouTube nearly 5 hours a day to maintain me sharp in my advertising, media, PR and enterprise skillset and to push me to realize and study consistently. To remain grounded, I don’t dwell exterior my means, I keep humble and provides everybody my time and respect. I don’t name myself a CEO.
How do you method innovation and threat in your small business technique?
I consistently innovate and I at all times take heed to concepts from my fashions or companies round me who make recommendations. I study from my surroundings at all times. I reply to threat instantly and swiftly.
What recommendation would you give to somebody beginning a enterprise in as we speak’s fast-changing digital world?
I might say study natural advertising and social media instantly and centered on producing content material each single day, at the very least 2 to three occasions a day to remain in individuals’s faces and minds, so that they need to meet you in individual. At all times ask individuals how did they discover out about you or your small business so that you perceive what advertising/ PR is working.
The place can our viewers join with you and study extra about your work or choices?
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