Bridgett Burrick Brown (00:01.208) Hello, Kenz, how are ya? KENZ (00:03.133) Hi, doing good. How are you, Bridget? Bridgett Burrick Brown (00:06.19) I'm good. I'm so excited to chat today. So I'm going to tell everyone how I discovered you. I found a reel where you called out Janice from America's Top Model. And I was like, yes. I had just done a reel. Tyra had just walked on the runway. And I had done a reel just about America's next top model. KENZ (00:18.57) my god. KENZ (00:27.871) Mm. KENZ (00:33.321) Mm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (00:33.416) And so I love that you called her out. And since then, I did like a little deep dive also to just prepare for this. And you had said a quote that I was like, God, it sounds like something we would have written at Beyond Beauty Project. You said something like, together we can transform the industry so younger generations can understand what beauty really looks like. KENZ (00:52.703) you KENZ (01:00.037) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (01:00.334) And I love that so much. I have a daughter who's 10 and she was a lot of the inspiration of why I walked away from the industry and started my project. So I just hope that my hope for this conversation today is that we help move things a little closer to that. Cause I think that's just such an aligned vision for us. So I'm excited to dive into all of it with you today. So thank you for being here. KENZ (01:23.785) Yeah. KENZ (01:27.981) me too! thank you for having me. Bridgett Burrick Brown (01:29.792) Yeah. you're welcome. So start, let's start by giving us just a little glimpse of where you're from, maybe how you got into the industry, where you live now, all that kind of stuff. KENZ (01:43.103) Okay, it's actually like a really crazy story, but I'll try to keep it short and sweet. I was in college. I was about, what was I, like 17, 18 years old. I was in community college in Arizona studying journalism when I decided that I wanted to move to LA and become a model. I was originally just going to come out here for like a few days because I wanted to just see if I could even get signed. And then while I was out here, a family friend introduced me to their neighbor who was the talent manager. And my mom and I go to the talent manager's house to meet him and they were using his house as the set for the George Lopez show. And so they're filming and I've never even like been on a proper set like this. And so I meet George Lopez and I'm like internally freaking out a bit and yeah, so random, like what the hell? And he was just kind of making small chit chat. Bridgett Burrick Brown (02:30.883) So cool. KENZ (02:37.351) in between takes and was asking me like what I was out here for and whatever and I told him I wanted to model and he said well you gotta live here if you want to actually do it and I said well it's decided George Lopez said that I have to move to LA so I'm moving LA so that was it. Bridgett Burrick Brown (02:51.502) That's awesome. What'd your mom say? KENZ (02:54.249) She was, I think like once I said it, she kind of had that look on her face, like she knew this was coming, but she was really proud of me and I'm really, really fortunate. She was very, very supportive and she's like, yep, it's what you got to do. It was just one silent tear. I know. Bridgett Burrick Brown (03:03.199) Hmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (03:11.714) that I was going to community college before I left to model too. That's funny. Yeah, yeah. And then I was gonna study psychology, which I mean, I was studying it, but that's what I never ended up getting my bachelor's. yeah, I left after like, I went to college for like two years and then I was like, all right, I think I'm gonna go travel the world. Bye. See you later. I know. KENZ (03:19.827) What were you studying? KENZ (03:36.073) Yeah, that sounds like more fun. And you know, I don't know about you, but I actually like really enjoyed college. was kind of like, part of me was sort of sad to leave because I felt like I was missing out on like whatever, what everyone else was experiencing at that time. And I kind of wanted the college experience. But at the same time, it's like, if we're all trying to go for a career, ultimately, I might as well just get started now and you don't go to college to be a model. So just got to get into it. Bridgett Burrick Brown (04:00.014) Totally. No, I definitely had moments of like, oh, missing my best friend's birthday party or, you know, and it was like, I left when I was 19. So it was like the 21 birthday parties and all that kind of stuff. But I felt like we like made our own college just like traveling around the world, you know. So it's cool. KENZ (04:06.196) Yeah. KENZ (04:11.465) Mmm. Mmm. We did. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You definitely get to have unique experiences as a model, which is nice. Bridgett Burrick Brown (04:23.39) Yeah, and you, think traveling is one of the best educations that you can give yourself, whether it comes to your emotions, your mental health, what we're going to dive into, like diversity of beauty in the world. So I think there's just so much more. And like I always loved meeting so many different people and be like, what are you reading? What are you listening to? Like, what is like giving all the stuff? You know, I was always interested in people. OK, so KENZ (04:29.321) Mm-hmm. KENZ (04:37.567) Mm-hmm. Yeah. KENZ (04:47.933) Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (04:52.958) You had a TikTok that went viral where you were just taking your makeup off and you're talking about, you know, people think they can't be a model if they don't have perfect skin. So what I'm just curious, like what inspired you to make that? KENZ (05:04.511) Mm-hmm. KENZ (05:08.809) Well, this was during the pandemic. I had no plans of being an influencer or anything like that whatsoever. I was like fully into modeling, but because it was the pandemic and there was no castings going on, I was like, let me just create some content. And that was just what was on my mind that day. And I was just, I kind of had a lot of time to reflect when we were in the pandemic. And so I was just thinking, man, like there were so many things that I was told when I first was getting into the industry. Like you can't have. Any acne, you can't have this, can only have that, whatever, so many rules. And then I realized, wow, I was able to accomplish a lot of my dream bookings in this industry and I didn't get rid of my acne. Shit, I still struggle with my acne and I'm 27 years old. So even though I was told all these things, I was kind of thinking, I'm like, damn, I still was able to achieve a lot of my dream jobs, even regardless of having acne or whatever the issue was. Bridgett Burrick Brown (05:51.288) Yeah? Bridgett Burrick Brown (06:04.835) Yeah. KENZ (06:04.959) So I just found it not to be true. So I was like, you know what? Younger me really needed to hear that. So I just made the video of me taking off my makeup. I'm like, I've never seen a model do that before. Might as well do it. Bridgett Burrick Brown (06:12.598) Yeah, I love that. I love that. What do you think are some of the things you thought or were told going into the industry versus what you know now? KENZ (06:25.791) That's such a good question. There's so many. Well, another big thing aside from acne is when I first got into the industry, everyone was really hell bent on your hip measurement. Like that was every model's worst nightmare. It's like we had the height, but then it was like the hip measurement. Oh God, not the hip measurement. And it was like, if you were a perfect 34 inch bust, 24 inch waist, 34 inch hip, you weren't those perfect numbers. Bridgett Burrick Brown (06:45.944) Totally. KENZ (06:53.855) and it's like, couldn't be a model and yada yada yada. And I even had an agent once tell me, you know, cause I was signed to the runway division and she's like, I'm gonna send you to some castings and the other girls are gonna be a solid dress size too. And you're more like a two four. So I just want you to, you know, stop running because you're gonna gain too much muscle. So don't run anymore. No more avocado toast. No more like, like just random shit like that. And I'm like, okay. Bridgett Burrick Brown (07:16.27) Stop. KENZ (07:20.423) And you you take that to heart, especially when you're younger and you're only used to listening to like people that are older than you. You don't really like question authority so much when you're younger. And a lot of models are like still teenagers as I was. So I was just like, okay, this must just be what it is. But it turns out it's not true at all, especially in LA. It's a commercial market and there's plenty of work to book out here where they do not care if you were two, three inches over the hip or nowadays they're a lot more flexible. So that's great. Bridgett Burrick Brown (07:31.214) Totally. Bridgett Burrick Brown (07:48.278) Yeah, yeah, that's cool. my god, it's so funny because like, I feel like I have I started modeling in the late 90s. And me and my girlfriends have the craziest stories just like the avocado toasts or the stop running that you just said, my one girlfriend got told just you should just lay in bed for like three months. And then you'll lose all the muscle on your legs. And like the agent was dead serious. Just like crazy stuff that KENZ (08:01.562) Mm. Mm. KENZ (08:13.983) What? Bridgett Burrick Brown (08:15.514) They tell you and it's true, it's like you're so young. She was 18, you know? It's like really, what the hell is right? Exactly. Okay, so your mission is to inspire women to use fashion and beauty as a way to express themselves rather than fix themselves, which I love, and to diversify the modeling industry. So there's a lot there. So I want to sort of unpack this a bit, but... KENZ (08:20.329) What the hell? Yeah. KENZ (08:32.371) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (08:43.628) Tell me first just about empowering women to use fashion and beauty versus them thinking they have to fix something. What does that mean for you? KENZ (08:54.063) Mm-hmm. Well, next time you go shopping, this is for anyone listening, next time you go shopping, I want you to notice on any beauty product, does it say something like, taming your unruly blah, blah, blah hair? you know, just like, it feels like every single beauty product on the market geared towards women is always like, fix this issue that you have. It's never like a positive message, like. Bridgett Burrick Brown (09:15.436) Yeah. KENZ (09:18.011) let's enhance your natural curls or like whatever the tagline could be. It could be something positive and uplifting, but it never is. It's always like fix this issue that you have. It's like people profit off of women's insecurities and that's so integrated into how we market our beauty products for women. And I'm so sick of it. I'm like, why are we always trying to fix ourselves? Like I have learned so much being a model and playing around with makeup and hair and having fun with it. It's like dress up. do it with my friends. It's fun. And that should be the focus, I think, and should be the main selling point for products. It's like how to enhance your unique features, how to have fun with it, how to express yourself, like getting new ideas instead of just always trying to like keep up, you know, shouldn't be about fixing yourself. Bridgett Burrick Brown (09:48.471) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (10:05.238) Yeah. Or even like, maybe it's not even enhancing because that could even go towards fixing words, but it's just like, I like the whole like expressing yourself or like an extra layer of like your authenticity or an art form. You know, it's sort of an art like fashion and makeup and hair. And I feel like you can have a lot of fun with it. KENZ (10:21.012) Mm-hmm. KENZ (10:26.864) yeah, I'm a different person every day. Bridgett Burrick Brown (10:29.43) Yeah, I love that. love that. What do you wish? I think you sort of said it, but like what do you wish the beauty brands, fashion brands would do to sort of change that marketing? Do you think it's more about like self love and KENZ (10:47.583) Well, I think that it's important to focus on people's unique features that we have, because one of the most beautiful things about being a human being is that we don't look the same. We all have something that makes us unique, a feature that we might want to really highlight. And so I just feel like the beauty products should, they need to connect with their audiences more by having more of a story, like a real human to human kind of. Bridgett Burrick Brown (11:04.183) I love that. KENZ (11:15.273) connection and then like a way for people to people should look at the product and be excited about trying it genuinely because they feel like it's going to Enhance the features that make them who they are Bridgett Burrick Brown (11:27.362) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Like, it's a positive. It's not like, need this. KENZ (11:34.109) Yeah, you shouldn't be like rushing to take your product home to be like, my God, finally, I'll be able to fix this thing. I mean, which I also don't, I don't know, we all have insecurities. I'm not going to pretend like we did, like I have insecurities. We all have insecurities. fine. But I just think the way that it's being marketed, like beauty brands know what they're doing. They know that it's going to like jerk someone's attention because people respond to negativity. And so it's kind of like a perfect storm, unfortunately, but it's going to take some. Bridgett Burrick Brown (11:48.056) Totally. Bridgett Burrick Brown (11:59.362) Mm-hmm. KENZ (12:03.325) rewiring of our brains and time. Bridgett Burrick Brown (12:04.874) Yeah. Yeah. Do you think it's like continuing to have these conversations? KENZ (12:10.737) I don't know what the secret sauce is gonna be. I have to be honest, I don't know what it's gonna be, but I definitely think having the conversations does help. It makes it less taboo. It makes you feel like, okay, if there's someone that is experiencing something similar to me, I'm not alone in this. Just hearing that is really helpful, I think. So it's a good place to start. Bridgett Burrick Brown (12:27.754) Yeah. Yeah. Do you think there's any like control of women in there? People will say that with the sort of the way they market to women to keep us small or to keep us controlled. KENZ (12:43.689) Hmm, I'm sure there is part of that. And then also, I feel like some of it is simply just like dumb ignorance. Like a lot of these beauty brands are ran by men. And it's not to be like a man Haiti thing, but it's true. A lot of beauty brands are ran by men and they can't, how are you supposed to market a product that you wouldn't even use? You know, I think that there, there needs to be more women in the business, especially if it's going to be a product that you're selling. I think it's important that Bridgett Burrick Brown (13:03.534) Absolutely. KENZ (13:12.403) They believe in the product. They would use the product. know, it's that authenticity. Bridgett Burrick Brown (13:15.854) Mm hmm. I love that. I think to expand on that, it's like as consumers, we should think about who we're buying from because I've talked to a few founders and CEO of beauty brands and they're trying. They're trying to not use words like anti-aging or fix or and you know, they're smaller brands. So. KENZ (13:26.534) Absolutely. KENZ (13:36.265) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (13:39.96) they're not getting picked up as much. So if we can be a little bit more mindful on what we're consuming, I think it will also help, right? KENZ (13:44.148) Mm. Absolutely, because money talks and I've seen it happen before. know, there's been brands and I won't like say any specific ones, but there's been brands, but that have been canceled because the community didn't like what they stood for or something that happened or their values. And so they stopped buying from them. And then guess what? The brand has to change or they go bankrupt. So and it's happened with major brands. But yeah, like you said, like a lot of the brands that are trying to be progressive and mindful of these things are smaller and newer. Bridgett Burrick Brown (14:06.286) Mm-hmm. KENZ (14:17.039) And especially in the US, it's really hard for small business to thrive. So as the consumers, we've got to remember our power. Bridgett Burrick Brown (14:21.158) Yeah. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I love that. Okay, so you're also working to break stereotypes about models. Tell me about that. KENZ (14:33.277) Yeah, you know, you mentioned this earlier, think the idea of like, I mean, I'm not a mom yet, but I think about that sometimes because, you know, I'm near in that age, it's crazy. But I think about the fact that, you know, if I have a daughter one day, I want her to grow up not with some idea in her head of what this one type of beauty is. I think it's really, really important that she's able to see beauty in many different ways. I want that for my friends, my other fellow models in the industry, my other girlfriends in the world. I want that for women. think we need that. I'm so sick of there just being one cookie cutter type of beauty. It's boring. Bridgett Burrick Brown (15:17.646) It's boring. I agree. KENZ (15:19.849) It's so boring. We could be better than this. There's so much opportunity, you know? Bridgett Burrick Brown (15:23.544) We can. I know, I agree. Don't you feel like people think the industry, like even the people in the industry think the industry has changed more than it has? Like sometimes, there's a lot of industries in there. I just feel like, okay, let me back up. I think specifically the people in the industry, some of them, KENZ (15:38.227) Whoa, say it again? Bridgett Burrick Brown (15:52.918) almost think things have changed more than they have when it comes to like diversity or seeing different kinds of beauty. Do you feel that way? Sometimes I'm like, I want to like hit people over the head like, no, it hasn't changed. Like there's a lot of change that still needs to happen. And there's a lot of tokenism still. KENZ (15:59.38) Mmm. Mm. KENZ (16:07.495) I think... Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I think it really depends on who you're talking to. You know, it's funny. I was, when I was first popping off, I had a beauty brand work with me and they are so, it's funny. It's like, well, first of the crew is mostly men and they're all really, really kind, awesome people, great at their job and stuff. But... my whole thing was showing my skin as it is and that was the video that we were focusing on but it was like they couldn't let go of like but the lighting but the you know we got it we could just put a little concealer here and and da da da you know they weren't getting the concept they were getting the point of it and it wasn't because they were trying to be sneaky or malicious or anything i genuinely believe they're just so used to just like doing their job because people forget like these are These are specific jobs people have. There's one guy just for lighting. There's one person just for makeup. you know, so they're just so fixated on doing their job the way that it's always been done. And this idea of changing it, they're just like, what? So I think that like, depending on who you're talking to in the industry, I think a lot of models will just straight up tell you, no, there's not been nearly enough diversity and growth in that direction. And we could go along a lot more. But then if you talk to like maybe, Bridgett Burrick Brown (17:07.682) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (17:14.254) Yeah. KENZ (17:30.783) or if you talk to like maybe some beauty brand owners, they're like, well, we're doing all the things. We're using all the trendy words right now. know, diversity, body positive. Like, see, we're doing it. They think they're doing great. I think some of them really think they're doing great. Bridgett Burrick Brown (17:39.18) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (17:43.31) Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you wanna like, yeah, applaud the effort, I guess, but is it authentic, right? KENZ (17:53.233) Yeah. Yeah. Not really. I mean, yeah, I don't know. I guess you can't generalize, but point is, is there definitely could be a lot more growth. Bridgett Burrick Brown (18:05.078) Yeah, absolutely. That was the real I had made about Tyra and America's Next Top Model. was like, why did she walk down the runway? I think it's great that she walked as a 50-year-old. She's in a larger body now, but what was the real intention behind it after what had happened on her show? was just like... KENZ (18:26.483) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (18:31.01) What was the intention? Was it to stay relevant or was it actually to help, you know? KENZ (18:31.199) Yeah, it felt a bit hypocritical, in my opinion. And I mean, how can we all saw what we saw and like given we, you know, we know it's reality TV, but like what was said was said, what was done was done in that show. And, it just, we have so many other curve models out there that would have really, really thrived from that opportunity. And also would have been a lot more consistent in their value system. Like they would have been supportive. Bridgett Burrick Brown (18:39.042) Yeah. Yeah. KENZ (19:05.399) we should have picked someone that was supportive of body positivity from the get-go, Tyra wasn't. Bridgett Burrick Brown (19:14.606) Mm hmm. Well, and you said something just how we're all so unique and we can celebrate those different things. I think if that would have been done on that show, too, it would have been really cool. Like I'm thinking of the girl that had the teeth gap, you know, like, change that? That's beautiful, you know. OK, so you speak a lot about the transparency behind like Photoshop's Photoshop in the industry. Now we have so much KENZ (19:23.262) Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (19:44.514) just on our phones with like Facetune and filtering, you know? What do you think those things, whether it's like we're seeing it in advertising or we're just seeing it scrolling, you know, on TikTok and seeing our friends or filtering ourselves, what do you think it's doing to our self-esteem and our self-worth? KENZ (19:49.663) Mm-hmm. KENZ (20:05.695) of just holding us up to an impossible standard. There's some people that have gone as far as getting surgery to look like they're filters. I mean, come on. And like think about what it's doing for someone who's, know, born into this world of this new technology. mean, like now I think we've officially hit the year where the generations are all being. Bridgett Burrick Brown (20:16.354) Yeah, that's for real, right? KENZ (20:32.543) Like I at least grew up to a certain point without a phone, you know now it's like from here on out Everyone's gonna have it from those impressionable years. They're gonna have that there definitely should be some kind of restriction on it because especially when you're just like a young teenager God, it was hard enough. Wasn't it for us? I? Can't imagine now Bridgett Burrick Brown (20:36.782) Mm-hmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (20:50.39) Yeah, yeah. No, no. So you think it's just... KENZ (20:57.161) How is that actually, can I ask you, how is that for you as a mom? Bridgett Burrick Brown (21:03.725) It's tough. So my daughter's 10, so she's not on anything, but I do preteen and teen workshops. And sometimes moms will be worried, my daughter's not on social media. seeing, like, are you going to talk about too much about that? Because I talk about sort of like media literacy. And I always remind them, like, it's everywhere. You can walk down the aisle of your drug store or KENZ (21:08.553) Mm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (21:31.604) Soon it's going to be happening with AI in movies, it's on commercials, it's everywhere, you know? But I feel like I just try to educate her and make awareness around it and we talk about it. Like she'll say, like, that's not real, mom, right? Like she knows now. I think like sussing out the difference between like what's real and what's not, what's real life, what's not real life is important, right? Are the girls in the industry worried about AI? KENZ (21:34.079) Mm-hmm. KENZ (21:47.272) Okay, good. Yeah. Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (22:01.58) or everybody in the industry. Yeah. KENZ (22:04.317) Yeah, I just got a casting for my agent like literally last week and I don't know if I should be talking about this, but I didn't send an NDA. It's fine. They were asking for models to give up their rights as far as like their... their face and the way they sound, their movements and everything to like an AI avatar. basically like they, whoever they cast, they'd have them go in for a one day shoot where they make all these like facial expressions and whatever and different vocal inflections. They create an AI version of you and then brands can go purchase that AI version of you and use it however they'd like. have no control after you sign off, you have no control over like what content they create from your AI. Um, there was like some regulations that it's like, you know, they can't be turned into like something like really detrimental, but I don't really know what the ins and outs of that were. But, um, so yeah, basically brands can purchase you as an AI, create whatever kind of content that they want. Um, and this was like for a three year usage and, um, they wanted to pay like $20,000 for this. And I was worried because although. I of course was going to be like, no, thank you. This is not for me. I know that that's going to be really tempting for a lot of models, especially when they're first starting out and they're like, $20,000. That sounds pretty good. You I could really use that $20,000. But what you have to remember is that you take that $20,000 now and that usage term is three years. Well, then what reason are you giving brands to hire you? They can just go get the AI version of you for cheaper. You're not going to make any additional money from that. And $20,000 is not going to Bridgett Burrick Brown (23:32.323) Mm-hmm. KENZ (23:50.985) pay your bills for three years. So what are you going to do? Bridgett Burrick Brown (23:53.134) Mm-mm. God, I feel like everyone just has to say no. KENZ (23:57.863) And how can we, I mean, how can we control that? There's gonna be some person out there that's gonna be like, yeah, I could use that money and they're gonna do it. And that's scary. I don't know. Bridgett Burrick Brown (24:04.99) Mm-hmm. I remember that reminds me of when online shopping, like I feel like I've been through all the things. I remember when Plus I started, I remember when retouching started, I remember when online, but online the rate is lower. And I don't know if it's still like that, but, and I remember everyone being like, we just, we can't do it for lower, but then it just, it just happens. You know, it's like, you can't, yeah, huh. KENZ (24:32.041) Yeah. There's someone that will cave and then it just like, it messes everything up. And I'm sure it's terrible. Brands don't want to pay anything. Nowadays they might as well just be like, I'll give you a Chuck E. Cheese gift card and a pack of cigarettes. What do you think? That's like basically the equivalent. Thank you so much. Bridgett Burrick Brown (24:34.69) Yeah, it. Bridgett Burrick Brown (24:49.806) Chucky, cheese. By the way, that's where my birthday parties were growing up. I love Chuck E Cheese. That's amazing. I love that. N, N. If I still smoked. That's hilarious. my God. Okay. Well, I mean, Chuck E Cheese could be good for your mental health because that's what we're going to talk about next. KENZ (24:56.703) You're like, I would be that girl. I would say yes to the shakichi. KENZ (25:05.841) Great. Bridgett Burrick Brown (25:16.174) I mean, it was fun and they had like ski do to like, could watch the show and then yeah, pizza. Yeah. Okay. It's a tempting offer. I'll take the 20,000 but I'll maybe that one. When it comes to mental health in the industry, like, what are you seeing happen? Because I know you work with some younger girls sometimes too. Like what are you seeing happen? Good and bad, I would say. KENZ (25:19.591) Yeah. Yeah. It's tempting. It's a tempting offer. Yeah. KENZ (25:47.207) In terms of mental health, has there been a shift versus when I first started modeling? Bridgett Burrick Brown (25:54.976) Well, I guess like if someone was going to ask me like when you first started, what did you see? I would say I like saw a ton of eating disorders, like lots of eating disorders. KENZ (26:04.303) I am. Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (26:09.332) And I would say people were definitely like losing themselves a bit. And then there was also this other side of like, it would give you some confidence and stuff too. Do feel like that's pretty common still? KENZ (26:22.957) yeah, especially depending on the market that you're in. Maybe not as much in LA, but when I was in Milan, saw a lot of that, a lot more eating disorders there. Cause I think when it comes to the European markets, because it's so fashion oriented, they still tend to be pretty traditional in their measurement requirements. So I think that it kind of depends on where you are in terms of eating disorders. Not that it doesn't exist everywhere, but it's definitely. Bridgett Burrick Brown (26:31.982) Hmm. Bridgett Burrick Brown (26:44.334) Yeah. KENZ (26:51.075) more prevalent, I think, in the European markets still, and maybe New York. But at least with LA, it's like the commercial market. we're actually better in terms of honey diversity than a lot of other markets. Bridgett Burrick Brown (27:00.227) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (27:03.658) Yeah, you're allowed to be yourself a little bit more. How would you say your confidence has changed since starting in the industry? Because you've been in the industry for 10 years now, and now you're more, I would say now you're more an activist advocate doing other things. Like, how do you feel versus when you started? KENZ (27:06.856) Yeah. KENZ (27:13.961) Mm-hmm. KENZ (27:17.855) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. KENZ (27:24.287) that's a good question. I don't know. In some ways I'm more confident, like in my business skills, I'm in my business girly era. And so I feel more confident in terms of that and like, and stepping into these producer roles. so I feel more confident in that just cause I've had the experience. but at the same time, I think like constantly going to castings and the rejection and stuff, even though I'm kind of, I'm sort of numb to it now. It does kind of feed the people pleaser in me. Like me, please like me, because you're like, I need to, I need them to like me so I can pay my rent because I, I need this job. I need to book this job so I can pay my rent. So I need them to like me. So it feeds the people pleaser in me, which is not great. So I'm having like a hard time just really. Bridgett Burrick Brown (28:00.686) Totally. Bridgett Burrick Brown (28:11.821) Yeah. KENZ (28:20.553) trying to find my own voice and being consistent in that. Because some days I feel really strong in my own voice and then other days I really, really, really struggle. So, yeah, I think maybe like that. Bridgett Burrick Brown (28:29.26) Hmm, yeah, I get that. I get that. I walked away. I mean, I still do a couple things here and there, but I really like took a big step back when I was 41. And I can say like till the ending, I still felt like that. I still felt like, like why don't they pick me? Like not totally. Like I could also say I like for the most part, I was numb to it, but it's like you're human, right? So how do you... And I think I always was like, one day I won't care, one day I won't care. And then, you know, now sort of in hindsight, a few years later, I'm like, of course I cared, you know, it's okay. I think the whole finding your voice as a model has been interesting for me too. And I think there's been a lot of healing with that for myself since I started my project. I love that you're doing these other things because... We have so many things to say and when we do work as a model, we don't get to say all those things because we sort of have to show up and act and be and, you know, the way they want us to. And although we know that intellectually, mentally, it's like it can still sort of like seep into our psyches. So I think the more we can use our voice, I think it's really beautiful. So I'm glad you're doing that. KENZ (29:46.335) you KENZ (29:55.327) Yeah, it's almost like, like practice. It's a, it's a little workout for your brain because you're going against everything that you've been taught for so long and practiced for so long. And I guess that's something that I'm kind of looking forward to as I transition out of modeling specifically. Like I think I'll always be in the industry, but not necessarily as like a working model. Bridgett Burrick Brown (30:15.49) Yeah. KENZ (30:19.479) and I guess that's something that I'm sort of like looking forward to is developing that voice, strengthening that voice more and being able to have the freedom to speak out. like you said, it's like when you are working as a model, you can't say certain things. Like there's certain, there's times where I want to make a certain piece of content. And then I'm like, I can't post that. I literally will never get work again with this client or, know, like it's obvious. They'll know. Bridgett Burrick Brown (30:19.682) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (30:40.354) Yeah, yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (30:44.205) Yeah. KENZ (30:46.505) who I'm talking about, even if I don't say the brand names, they'll know. And they watch, because I can see, like, just even my stories and stuff, like, I can see who's viewing my posts, and some of them are my clients. And so you're like, it's a toss up. Bridgett Burrick Brown (30:58.188) Yeah. It's tough, it's tough. It's tough because... Nobody wants to be called out, I guess. I mean, I totally get that feeling. I don't know, there's something to that industry too, where people really, there's a lot of people that don't wanna talk about stuff, you know, because, yeah. So I understand that for sure. There's like a fine line you're walking. Let's dig into like what the other things are that you're working on then, because I know you have a new series, New Face, which is really cool. KENZ (31:27.677) Yeah. KENZ (31:35.016) Okay. Yeah! Bridgett Burrick Brown (31:39.054) and I watched a couple of your videos and you just seem, first of all, you're such a great instructor. yeah, I was like, I like those moves. yeah. And, I feel like you're just really empowering and uplifting to these girls. And I love how you're trying to expand what we see as beautiful through this work. So tell us about your series. KENZ (31:45.732) thank you! KENZ (32:06.525) Yeah. So when I got the platform, I had tons of people messaging me asking me for tips on how they can become a model, how to get into the industry. and so I just thought of the idea of like, well, what if I just created a series about this? And I started with short form content. And then I realized like there was so, I had so much fun in the shoot day of like being able to see their confidence transform of taking someone who is an aspiring model and making them feel like a supermodel for the day, and then actually giving them photos that they can add to their book and hopefully break in. That whole process and just seeing them transform and bringing out that inner supermodel, that was so cool for me to witness. And that showed me that maybe I really wanna be a coach because this was just amazing for me to see. And it unlocked a whole new sense of inspiration for me, because everyone's a new canvas. So I was like, this is exciting. I need to make this long form because I don't wanna miss a moment. So I started New Face. Bridgett Burrick Brown (32:53.88) Mm-hmm. KENZ (33:03.711) And yeah, that's out on YouTube now. I have my first episode out, which is really exciting. The only tough thing is I'm a one man band. I do the pre-production, the casting, the scheduling, the filming, editing, like I literally end the coaching, the whole thing that I'm there for. So I'm doing all these different job roles and it's really, really tough to like put out that long form content on a regular basis without a team. So it's a slow, it's been a slow burn. Bridgett Burrick Brown (33:21.902) Yeah. KENZ (33:32.915) But I really, really hope that at some point we can get it in front of the right pair of eyes and find an investor to help me keep this going because my ultimate dream would be able to do new phase for the rest of my life. So. Bridgett Burrick Brown (33:45.216) I love that. And tell us the like mission behind it. KENZ (33:49.737) to diversify the industry and provide real opportunities for models, aspiring models around the globe. Bridgett Burrick Brown (33:56.862) Mm-hmm. And is it for models that maybe wouldn't have a chance because of their height or just like where they live? KENZ (34:06.269) Yeah, we definitely, we prioritize having at least like that one thing. Like when I go to cast someone, I try and veer away from casting someone who's like already signed to an agency or like already has a look that's like, they'll have no problem breaking into the industry. I want to find someone where I'm like, okay, let me help guide you. I want someone that like really, really wants it and is really like a hard worker and Bridgett Burrick Brown (34:26.062) Mmm. KENZ (34:35.483) is down for anything and like whatever has that like one thing that's holding them back like maybe it's the hype maybe it's i don't know it could be anything and kind of help Bridgett Burrick Brown (34:44.928) or they just don't look like the stereotypical model. And you're like, we need to see that kind of beauty. Like that. KENZ (34:48.433) Right, exactly. Yeah, because I think a big issue too is like when some models will go in and meet with agencies, if the agent doesn't like already see a supermodel right in front of them, they'll just be like, no, not interested. And I'm really good about seeing someone and being like, we just need to do this. We just need to like a color hair color change, or we just need to do it this or whatever. I'm really good about doing that and working with my team and like literally bringing the supermodel out of them and pulling inspiration from them. Bridgett Burrick Brown (35:17.966) Hmm. KENZ (35:17.975) so I get really excited about stuff like that. And I, yeah, I think it's just really important to try and diversify the industry and like, what's the point of having a platform if I'm not going to do anything positive with it. Bridgett Burrick Brown (35:29.23) So like in a positive Americans next top model. I feel like someone needs to pick this up. KENZ (35:33.585) Yeah. And also it's absolutely and it's going to, I have a focus on it being international. Like I really want to find the beauties from all over the world because some models, the issue is that they're just like nowhere near one of the major markets. They're often like some tiny small town somewhere, you know? And so I want to eventually make this like really international. Bridgett Burrick Brown (35:43.746) Mmm... Bridgett Burrick Brown (35:51.255) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (36:01.038) Cool. Do you really try to, like, if you see like, okay, we could just color your hair, do you just try to stay very true to their authentic selves? KENZ (36:11.101) Yeah, I think that's really important actually, because even as a model, you're brand yourself. So I take what I know from the industry. I do a little forecasting of what I think the industry is moving towards and what we need. And I use the features that make them unique and kind of mesh them all together to create this new supermodel version of themselves. Bridgett Burrick Brown (36:35.904) Yeah, I love that. What do you think the industry needs right now? KENZ (36:41.361) Aside from diversity, more women in business positions, for sure. And also I think that in order for us to move away from fast fashion, we should also move away from these trendy looks and make the focus more about instead of trying to recreate some particular look, more about like kind of customizing it to the individual so we can all learn how to have personal style. Bridgett Burrick Brown (36:47.476) Love, yes. Bridgett Burrick Brown (37:11.118) I love that. I was just thinking that I'm like 2025, I'm like done with any trends. Not that I really fall into them that much anymore, but I'm like, we're not doing any of that. Like, I'm just gonna focus on like, yeah, I like that. That's cool. KENZ (37:18.185) Yeah. KENZ (37:23.668) Yeah. KENZ (37:27.443) And the quality of fashion nowadays is like going down and like I would rather get quality pieces that really resonate with me that I know are gonna last a long time. Bridgett Burrick Brown (37:37.77) Mm-hmm, absolutely. Tell us about your online model masterclass. I know you do that too. KENZ (37:44.847) Yeah. So, that's something that I'm working on right now. It's we're still in production, but I'm about to drop like probably within the month or so an online model masterclass, because most of the things that I've offered have been like, you have to be an LA sort of thing. So this way, if anyone is an aspiring model and just wants to learn more about the business and how it works, how to prepare, what to expect. Bridgett Burrick Brown (38:01.25) Hmm. KENZ (38:08.787) They can just buy the online master class and it breaks down everything from casting to the business terminology that you need to know how to pose, runway walks, everything. Bridgett Burrick Brown (38:18.328) That's amazing. That would have been so helpful. I love that. So a month or. KENZ (38:23.327) That's why I created it too. I'm like, needed this when I was first starting because so many people just give you a bunch of misinformation and you don't know what to listen to. Bridgett Burrick Brown (38:33.934) Totally. Just like knowing how to move. It's such an art. It is such an art. Okay, well before we finish up, I have two final questions for you. But is there anything I didn't ask you that you think we should chat about? Is there anything or any, I know or anything like else you have going on that we should chat about? I think we did a good job. KENZ (38:38.109) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. KENZ (38:45.799) Okay. No. I don't think so. Watch me think of something when we hang up. KENZ (39:02.099) We really did. I loved the questions that you asked. I feel like I covered so much. Bridgett Burrick Brown (39:07.99) good. I feel like the last two will cover a little bit more too. Okay. Okay. So you ready for my final two questions? Okay. Okay. So the first one is if you could go back and talk to little Ken's that's just starting in the modeling industry, what would you tell her? KENZ (39:12.126) Mm. KENZ (39:15.839) I am, to me. KENZ (39:31.359) Right now I'd be like, come up with a long-term plan girl, cause that's like not a fun answer, but that's the truth. I feel like so many of us don't think of that. When I first wanted to become a model, I was just like, let's just go. Like I'm going to become a supermodel and then all my problems will be fixed and I'll be rich and traveling the world. Nope. But yeah, I had to go through it to learn. But yeah, you hit like what 25 is the age and they're like, you're too old for modeling now. Bridgett Burrick Brown (39:40.215) Yeah. Bridgett Burrick Brown (39:50.126) Totally. KENZ (40:00.883) Grinch and I'm still modeling, still it's like, I don't know, having kind of like a long-term plan is helpful. Bridgett Burrick Brown (40:06.986) Yeah, or like diversify like what you're doing and that's what you're doing now. Yeah, I actually love that advice. Like do it, but don't make it like the thing. Like you can make it the thing, but have something else cooking. Whether it's just you're getting your education or yeah, I like that. Okay, how would you define beauty? KENZ (40:11.327) Right. Yeah, and that's why I'm so... Just being smart. KENZ (40:23.665) Right, have something else cooking. Yeah. KENZ (40:32.159) Bridgett Burrick Brown (40:33.452) If you could redefine it, what would you say? KENZ (40:38.719) thing KENZ (40:42.335) I want to think this one's good. How would I define beauty? I would say to me, beauty is in all of the things that make us different, make us unique. Like I love gapped teeth, I love freckles, I love bushy eyebrows, I love no eyebrows. Like I love seeing a person really lean into their... Bridgett Burrick Brown (40:44.59) I know, right? KENZ (41:09.595) specific unique features that make them who they are. I love seeing that when people can like identify that thing that makes them different and just like really rock it and with confidence. I think that that's really cool. And I always like really admire those kinds of people, even if it's just like your wardrobe style. Awesome. You know, I love just, I think that's the most beautiful thing when someone can really tap into who their identity is and learn how to. Bridgett Burrick Brown (41:11.886) Hmm. KENZ (41:38.341) express that through fashion and beauty? Sick. Or just like on themselves? Sick. Bridgett Burrick Brown (41:43.816) Yeah, I love that. That's so cool. So cool. Okay, tell everybody where they can find us. Find you, find us. Tell everyone where they can find you. I'll put it in the show notes, but also just pop it in here quick. KENZ (41:51.647) Yeah, KENZ (41:58.515) Ken's Lauren on any platform. Bridgett Burrick Brown (42:01.368) Cool, easy. Thank you so much. Thank you, it's so nice to meet you and we're gonna keep in touch. KENZ (42:02.813) Yeah. Thank you. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much, Bridget. Thanks for having me. Bridgett Burrick Brown (42:12.194) Thank you. I'll see you soon. KENZ (42:14.449) Okay, sounds good. Bye! Bridgett Burrick Brown (42:16.5) Bye. Bye. I'm just kidding.