Today we’d like to introduce you to Tulsi Thakor.
Hi Tulsi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story has really been about allowing myself to pursue every part of who I am, rather than feeling like I have to fit into one box. Modeling has been a huge part of that journey. What started as a passion and creative outlet has grown into something that has given me incredible opportunities, pushed me outside of my comfort zone, and helped shape the confidence I carry into every other area of my life.
Over the years, I’ve continued to build my experience as a model, from photoshoots and creative projects to runway opportunities, castings, and working with different brands and designers. Every experience has taught me something different—not only about the industry, but about myself. There is something incredibly empowering about stepping in front of a camera or onto a runway and owning exactly who you are. Modeling has taught me presence, resilience, professionalism, and how important it is to keep showing up even when you hear “no.”
One of the things I’m most proud of is continuing to pursue modeling while building a completely different professional career. I work in the financial services industry and have spent years developing myself professionally, while also pursuing my MBA, which I’m now just weeks away from completing. There were definitely moments when balancing work, school, modeling, content creation, and life felt like a lot to handle, but I never wanted to give up the creative side of myself to be successful professionally.
As my modeling journey has grown, so has my work as a content creator. Fashion, beauty, travel, lifestyle, and sharing pieces of my everyday life have allowed me to build a platform that feels mine authentically. I love that modeling and content creation give me the opportunity to collaborate with brands, meet other creatives, and, hopefully, show other women that there isn’t an expiration date or a single “right” path to pursuing something you love.
Community and leadership are equally important parts of my story. I serve on the board of AAHOA and as a peer leader with Brave Step. Both experiences have reminded me of the importance of using the confidence and voice I’ve developed to contribute to something bigger than myself.
This season of my life feels especially exciting. I’m preparing to graduate with my MBA, continuing to grow professionally, stepping into new modeling opportunities—including runway work—and building my presence as a creator. I’ve also recently become a homeowner, so personally and professionally, it feels like so many things I once envisioned for myself are beginning to come together.
I think the biggest lesson my journey has taught me is that we don’t have to choose just one version of ourselves. I can walk into a corporate environment and be proud of the career I’ve built, walk onto a runway and feel completely at home, create content and express myself creatively, serve my community, and still continue dreaming about what comes next.
Modeling, especially, has taught me to take chances on myself. Every casting, every runway, every photoshoot, and even every rejection has been part of becoming the woman I am today. I’m still growing, still learning, and still saying yes to opportunities that scare and excite me—and I think that’s one of the most beautiful parts of my story.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road, and I think that’s part of what has made the journey so meaningful. Modeling, in particular, can be an industry filled with rejection, comparison, and moments where you question whether you belong. You can walk into a casting feeling incredibly confident and still not be what someone is looking for—and learning not to internalize that has probably been one of my biggest areas of growth.
There have been times when I’ve compared myself to other models or wondered whether I was too late, didn’t have the “right” look, or needed to change something about myself to fit into a particular space. Over time, I’ve learned that what makes me different is actually what I should lean into. Not every opportunity is meant for me, and a “no” doesn’t take away from my talent, experience, or what I bring into a room. Sometimes it simply means making space for the opportunity that does align with me.
Another challenge has been balancing all the different parts of my life. I’ve pursued modeling and content creation while maintaining a career in financial services, completing my MBA, serving in leadership and community roles, and still trying to be present for the people and moments that matter to me. There have absolutely been seasons where I’ve wondered how I was going to fit everything into 24 hours.
But I also think those challenges have shaped the way I approach opportunities today. I’ve become more disciplined, more comfortable advocating for myself, and much less afraid of hearing “no.” I’ve learned that confidence isn’t walking into every room knowing you’ll be chosen; it’s knowing that you’ll still believe in yourself if you aren’t.
The road hasn’t always been easy or perfectly mapped out, but I wouldn’t change that. Some of the moments that felt like setbacks at the time ended up pushing me toward something better. I’m proud that through every rejection, busy season, moment of self-doubt, and change of direction, I’ve continued to show up. And I think that persistence has become one of the most important parts of my story.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My creative work is rooted primarily in modeling, fashion, content creation, and storytelling. Modeling has become one of the biggest ways I express myself creatively. Whether I’m walking a runway, working on a photoshoot, collaborating with a designer or brand, or creating something for my own platform, I love the transformation that happens when fashion, movement, confidence, and storytelling all come together.
As a model, I’ve worked to build experience across runway, editorial-style shoots, brand collaborations, and fashion-focused projects. I especially love runway because there is an energy to it that is difficult to describe until you experience it. The preparation, the clothes, the designers, the other creatives backstage, and then that moment when you step onto the runway—it requires you to be completely present and confident. I love being able to take someone else’s creative vision and bring it to life while still adding a little bit of myself to it.
Content creation has become another extension of that creativity. My content blends fashion, beauty, travel, lifestyle, home, and pieces of my everyday life. I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with brands and local businesses while creating content that still feels natural to who I am. I never want my platform to feel like a highlight reel of perfection. I want people to see beautiful fashion and exciting experiences, but I also want them to see the personality and real life behind them.
I think what sets me apart creatively is that there are so many different sides to who I am. I’m a model and creator, but I’ve also built a career in financial services, pursued my MBA, taken on leadership roles, and remained involved in my community. For a long time, I think people were encouraged to choose one identity: you could be the corporate woman or the creative woman, the academic or the model. I’ve realized that I don’t have to make that choice. Some days I’m in a corporate setting, and other days I’m walking into a casting, creating a campaign, or stepping onto a runway. I genuinely love that contrast.
I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve continued to bet on myself creatively. Modeling is an industry where rejection is inevitable, and putting yourself out there requires vulnerability. I’ve kept showing up, applying for opportunities, attending castings, building my portfolio, collaborating with creatives, and pushing myself into spaces that once intimidated me. Seeing those efforts turn into runway opportunities, brand partnerships, and new connections has been incredibly rewarding.
Ultimately, I want my work to represent confidence and possibility. I want another woman to see me pursuing modeling and creative opportunities while also building a career and a life outside of them and think, “Why not me?” You don’t have to fit into one category to be taken seriously. I think there is something really powerful—and creative—about embracing every version of yourself.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
If there’s one thing I’d love readers to take away from my story, it’s that you don’t have to wait until you feel completely ready to go after something you want. Apply for the casting. Walk into the room. Start the business. Go back to school. Take the trip. Wear the outfit. Say yes to the opportunity that scares you a little. Some of the best things in my life have happened because I decided to take a chance on myself before I knew exactly how everything would work out.
I also hope my story reminds people that we’re allowed to be multidimensional. I’m incredibly proud of my career, my education, my leadership and community involvement, but I’m equally proud of the creative woman who loves fashion, modeling, being in front of the camera, and walking a runway. One part of me doesn’t make the other less serious or less valuable; they all make me who I am.
As I move into this next chapter, I’m excited to continue growing as a model and creator, work with more designers and brands, walk more runways, travel, create, and keep challenging myself creatively. I don’t know exactly where every opportunity will lead, and I actually think that’s part of the fun.
More than anything, I want to keep building a life that feels like mine—not one based on what I’m “supposed” to do or who I’m supposed to be. If sharing my journey inspires even one person to take the chance, submit themselves for the opportunity, or revisit a dream they thought they had to give up, then that means a lot to me.
There is room to be ambitious, creative, professional, fashionable, evolving, and still figuring things out along the way. You don’t have to choose just one version of yourself. I certainly don’t plan to.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tulsiithakor
