Emma Cat
Emma’s a fashion model getting after her dreams from Nashville, TN.
Emma’s life is a story of faith in action through a willingness to say “yes.” Whether it’s an unexpected opportunity or a goal she’s been after for a while, she continues taking risks knowing the greatest outcomes are just outside her comfort zone.
From starting her modeling career at age fourteen working with local brands, to signing with Ford Models in New York and Los Angeles working with major brands (Vogue Italia and Elegant Magazine), Emma continues to see all God will do as she keeps taking one step after the next.
We know you’ll be inspired as you hear more from her story and pursuit on our blog and weekly newsletter.
What dream are you currently turning into reality?
I’m currently pursuing a career as a model. The high fashion editorial side of the modeling industry is my dream and the one I’m working to make my reality.
When did you first realize you discovered your dream?
I first began modeling when I was fourteen, kind of stumbling upon the industry. I was invited to an open call at an agency in Nashville. So, with no expectations, and figuring I had nothing to lose, I went. I was one of two models signed that day. At that point I hadn’t even realized I had just walked right into what would become my dream career.
How does your faith go hand in hand with pursuing your dream?
Pursuing my dream has always been an exercise of faith. It has grown my faith in ways that, from the outside, you would never expect. I am a very achievement-based person, throwing all my effort into a task to get the outcome I want. I hold on so tightly to that mindset, but at every turn, I am realizing that I am capable of nothing on my own.
It’s when I let go and rely on God’s sufficiency that doors to new and unexpected opportunities open up. I feel that God opens these unexpected doors to build my reliance upon Him. These open doors have become my testimony for how God will provide at every turn.
I believe God places us in situations that are unique to us and the abilities He’s gifted us with. I believe that the modeling industry is my mission field. It’s where God has placed me, and I’m grateful for every door He continues to open up.
What’s one or two practical steps you take to keep moving forward?
I always like to have actions I’m taking that are beneficial to my dreams and making them a reality. I find it important to be prepared for new developments in my career that could come at any time.
On a daily basis for me, that means - Taking care of myself physically and mentally by eating well, working out, reading my devotionals, and being part of a like-minded community. I have to keep balance in my life. If I’m always burning the candle at both ends, I’ll find myself too worn down when something significant comes along.
I am also a big list person. They help me focus my efforts on specific tasks. So, I find that it helps to have lists of both minor things to accomplish for the day and major things that I am working on currently. It gives me a really tangible way of seeing progress in my life.
What encouragement would you share with someone who’s going after their dream?
The journey you dreamed of may take a turn in an unforeseen direction and the future may look different now than it had when you first stepped foot onto the path. Don’t shy away from that. Lean into the unexpected.
The most influential experiences I’ve had in the pursuit of my career have not been the ones that I was so meticulously planning, but the detours that lead me in a direction I never knew to go. Those experiences only happen by leaning into the change and going full force in whatever direction your path takes.
Don’t sleep on yourself. Put your all into whatever dream you pursue. You may not end up where you expected, but you will never look back and regret that you put your all into it. Regrets come when you look back and see that you were the one holding you back all along. A piece of advice that’s guided my entire career, but that I’ve really been leaning into recently is, “Just say yes.” This way of living says: When God opens a new door, walk through it. When you have an exciting opportunity outside your comfort zone, take it.
Don’t limit your life to what is comfortable, what is known, or what is expected. That one principle is the only reason I’ve made it where I am today. It’s how I came to discover my love of modeling. I was given an opportunity and I just said ”yes.”