More Than Just A Beautiful Face — Inside The Story Of Alice Laura

  • Photos by:
    Alice Laura
  • Published on:
    May 31, 2019
  • Reading time by:
    7 minutes

If you speak fluently 6 languages, have studied to be a diplomat, been a model for a few years and have worked in a fair amount of shoots, runway shows, and the like, you might want something new and something different. You want to put your intelligence and experience into your life a lot more. The best way to do this is to use best of both worlds, opening a model agency that goes beyond pretty faces, just like Alice Laura did.

Alice Laura Model & Hostess agency is an international high-quality staffing & modeling agency. The agency provides premium personnel for conventions, promotions, trade shows, congresses and corporate events.

Alice Laura, the owner, has worked for major modeling & staffing agencies on many national and international conventions, events and trade shows throughout Europe and Latin America. She did this while completing her Master degree in Political Economy and International Relations at the Free University in Berlin and fluently learning six foreign languages apart from her mother tongue, German. Her broad live marketing experience and talent for foreign languages has allowed her to understand exactly which proficiency is demanded of a model to best promote a product or brand. Besides being just beautiful, Alice’s models are expected to be highly educated.

 Why deciding to start your own business, what inspired you to start a Model Agency? 

The idea for Alice Laura Models originally came up in Berlin, Germany, while completing my Master’s Degree. To understand my company and the philosophy behind it, you should first know a little more of my personal story:

Before starting my studies, I was working as a volunteer in the Dominican Republic teaching English and French, while working in environmental education and ecotourism. Then, through merit scholarships, I studied abroad for 2 years (1 year in Havana, Cuba and one year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). All these experiences and many years of studies allowed me to learn six languages fluently and to open my mind to different realities and perspectives on life. 

To finance my studies while in university, I started working as a model/hostess on many national and international conventions, events and fashion shows. Working as a model, I quickly realized that companies needed more than just a beautiful face. I helped them with translations, filtered important clients and explained their products. Thus, I became a valuable member of their team. Clients would not notice that it was my first time working with the company. Satisfied with my work, more and more companies approached me looking for professional talent to add value to their company and brand. I began connecting companies with highly educated models who were students, as I was at this time. This is how the idea of the agency came to life. 

Have you always been entrepreneurial? 

Being entrepreneurial means thinking outside the box, and yes, I have definitely always followed my unique path and focused on my personal and spiritual growth. It is good to question the way we live. It is the only way to create improvement. I followed and still follow my passions and try to create value and new opportunities for others. I have the great advantage to be able to share my ideas freely and try out something completely new and different. I am able to grow with my mistakes. It is as a permanent learning process. 

What makes Alice Laura Models different from other model agencies? 

Our company specializes in placing high fashion models skilled in sales, brand promoting and hosting for upscale events, trade shows and fashion events. We are known for the class, elegance and intellect of our models. We have found our niche focusing on elegance, class and competence, rather than short dresses. A high degree of education, knowledge of foreign languages and a very attractive look, are only a few qualifications that are required of our talent. We want our models to be valuable team members for the company, who help translate, filter important clients, direct customers to the right contact person and make any event, trade show or marketing campaign a success.

What are your goals currently? As in vision and mission?

Our mission is to break down the prejudice of models being beautiful, but empty shells. Generally, we want to empower our talent for their future lives. We love being the force that drives them to work on themselves intellectually, to learn new languages or get to know more about an industry they may be interested in. But most importantly, we want to encourage them to do what they are passionate about.

Our vision is to work with companies that, besides from turning a profit, also focus on having a positive impact: Ethical Fashion, Fair Trade, Innovative Technologies, Organic & all Natural Cosmetics/Food.
We only have one planet. This is why we want to use the tools of beauty and intelligence wisely, supporting a good cause. 

I would love the agency to become an ethical modeling and staffing agency that, on the one hand, empowers young people by being able to finance their studies and invest in their education. While on the other, it supports these good ethical businesses with their marketing, branding and lead generation. 

Are you making sacrifices being an entrepreneur?

You are definitely making sacrifices being an entrepreneur; still, I would not change it for any corporate job. Starting a company is always a challenge, more so, if your background is not in business. From creating a logo, a website, building valuable connections and scouting talent, to making sure strict quality standards are kept, in the beginning, you are basically doing everything. You feel every success and failure that comes across and it is a ride of emotions. More and more, I am learning to delegate tasks in order to focus on growing the company. Otherwise, you are loaded with work and have no time to think about the bigger picture. It is a challenge and a constant learning process. People see only the iceberg of success, not the late nights, sacrifices, rejections, doubts, risks, persistence and hard work that come with it.

Tell us about your proudest achievement? 

My proudest achievement so far has been being able to grow the business in the US market. It was a completely foreign terrain for me and I came across a lot of cultural differences and personal challenges. Before, I had studied and worked in different countries, but I had never before launched my own business in a foreign country. It has been a challenge for sure, but I am proud to say that I have been able to make valuable connections and partnerships. Now, I have a better understanding about US business life and culture. 

What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?

Entrepreneurs have a different mindset; they create something new and can have an impact on society and the business world. I love being in this environment, because entrepreneurs realize their visions. They do not only talk, they make it happen. I always knew that I wanted to have an impact on society, which is also why I chose to study political sciences, economy and cultural anthropology. I believe that having your own business, enables you to create value for society and to make a difference. You are able to support environmental and life changing projects, empower & inspire others and; at the same time, be in harmony with your own beliefs and values. 

6 foreign languages? How, when, why?

Being in school I always tried to focus on skills that would help me in life and to make the most of my time there. I thought skills, such as public speaking and an understanding of money/taxes/finances, would help me a lot in life. Speaking foreign languages was one of these important skills that I thought to be valuable. Therefore, I tried to take any language classes they offered in school. I started with English in the 5th grade, continued with French in 7th grade, then Latin in 9th grade, and Spanish in 11th grade. Then in university, I started learning Portuguese and Arabic. Furthermore, I was lucky to grow up speaking two languages as my father is Czech and my mother is German. 

I now speak 6 languages fluently. Studying and working abroad in Spanish & Portuguese speaking countries helped me a lot to apply what I learned in school and to improve my active speaking skills. 

I believe that languages open the doors to new worlds and allow you to really engage with different cultures and their people. My experiences abroad would not have been at all the same if I did not speak the languages. I am so thankful for the friends I made and the adventures I shared with the people I met. 

Alice Laura Models
Instagram: @alicelauramodels
Facebook: Alice Laura Models
Twitter: @alicelauramodel
LinkedIn: alicelauramodels 

You might also enjoy..

Join the discussion!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *