Muscovite gave up a good job and went on a model visa to New York: how did her fate

MGIMO graduate Lana Pozhidaeva successfully built a career in Moscow, and her life was planned for five years in advance. Once she won the beauty contest, and on a model visa she moved to New York. About how well everything turned out in a new place, the girl told the publication "Voice of America".

In Moscow, Lana worked as an analyst at a financial company. However, she didn't like how predicted her life was. “I have planned my life for five years ahead. Now I will have my first promotion. In two years I will probably marry my boyfriend. In three I will buy a car, ”she explained.

The girl tried to leave for New York on a tourist visa, but the consulate refused her without explaining the reason. So Lana started looking for other ways. She sent a photo to the Maxim competition and reached the final. Then she signed a contract with Elite Model and left Moscow for Europe. “As a result, on a model visa, I managed to move here (to New York. - Ed.). She did not tell anyone except her parents. The parents said: “You are crazy,” she says. - When someone says to me that I am crazy, then I take it as a compliment. Because for me the worst thing is when you are boring, ordinary. "

This month there were two interviews with her participation at once - for Vouge and for Forbes. “That is, the largest fashion and the largest business magazines (wrote about her. - Ed.). I myself didn’t believe that it all happened, ”she says.

Moving to New York

After moving to New York, Lana quickly began to make money, which, according to her, rarely happens in the modeling business. “Very often, at first, you go into the negative, because apartments, flights, test photos are very large expenses for the agency,” she explained.

To complicate matters further, the models are rarely familiar with accounting. “After working six months, you may still be owed to the agency,” Lana added. - I have always been good with numbers. So I checked my accounts all the time and counted everything myself. "

On the subject: Personal experience of an immigrant: why New York is better than Moscow

The girl gave the money she earned to her mother, so she put it in a bank account. For them, during the year, Lana planned to buy an apartment so that it would generate income.

Platform base We talks

“In the modeling business, as in any other business, where beauty or some kind of external values ​​are the main ones, this is all short-term. That is, you get to the top, and then you gradually go down, ”the girl notes.

Therefore, after moving to New York, she founded the We talks platform for women entrepreneurs. 50 people came to the first meeting. Today the platform gathers over 200 women. “We organize panel discussions around different topics. For example, how to use information technology when you have your own startup, ”Lana said.

She also noted that she was surprised at how easy it is to find speakers for meetings. “I thought I would have to convince. In my opinion, no one told me "no", I do not want to work with you. They said it did not fit according to the schedule, ”she said.

Despite the fact that the platform is aimed specifically at women, Lana notes that she is not against men. “Among my friends there are many men, partners, I like to communicate with men. We're just trying to support women, she said. - That is, this is absolutely not an anti-male direction. This is support for women without criticism of men. "

Plans for the future

The girl's plans are to launch a large national project. “Traditionally there is a beauty contest, and we are doing a brain contest. It is not correct that women do not receive resources. It is not correct that women still participate in beauty contests where they wear swimsuits and heels. This symbolizes that the main goal of a woman is to be beautiful and desirable for men. We think this is wrong, ”she explained.

“I've been here for over seven years. I didn't know anyone, didn't go to school here. I didn't have friends, family here. I felt very lonely, - the girl shares. “The feeling of loneliness and not belonging to any of the existing communities in New York led me to the thought: maybe I should try to create something of my own?”