Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
Dear In Real Life readers, I’m Becca Lee. Over the past ten years, I’ve established a presence in the modelling realm, working with brands like Colgate, Seiko, Digi, KFC, Nescafe, and Kit Kat, as well as local brands like Orkid Cosmetics.
I started my modelling career at 16 and dedicated the following 10 years towards balancing my modelling pursuits with a supplementary career in interior design.
Becoming a model undoubtedly presents a range of challenges, but it was my unusually harsh upbringing that equipped me to confront these obstacles directly. It’s this background that has shaped me into the person I am today.
Behind the scenes as a model
Image: Behind the scenes at Nanowhite commercial shoot; typically a shoot like this can take up from 10 to 16 hours on set.
There are many misconceptions about becoming a model. People only see the glamorous side. They don’t know how much work goes on behind the scenes.
The first thing you learn when you walk into a photoshoot set is how many people there are involved!
It takes a whole village to create the glossy perfume and fashion ads you see on billboards.
Aside from the talents themselves, there’s the video production crew, photographers, makeup artists, marketing & advertising team, art directors, assistants, graphic designers, branding consultants, social media managers, and talent managers.
Commercial shoots can be challenging depending on the concept and direction. For example, one of the Kit Kat shoots that I was the main talent in was a night shoot that lasted up till 7am. I vividly recalled shooting my part from midnight till sunrise, seeing people going to work while I got off work & back home to sleep.
We were all super exhausted by the end of it, but the outcome was fantastic, so we were proud of our work.
How much can you earn as a freelance model?
Image: Becca goes to the gym 5 times a week, eats healthy, does all sorts of sports , and typically sleeps 8 hours a day. Being fit is an integral part of her job.
For each modelling contract, you can typically earn about RM1500-4000. The highest that I’ve landed a contract was RM10,000. As you get more experienced, you can negotiate for a better rate based on your level of professionalism, speed, and quality. The modelling industry is rather competitive and saturated with options, hence, the client or company tends to go for the cheaper option.
As an influencer, I was able to earn between RM1,000 – RM4,000 per sponsored IG post. However, there isn’t a hard and fast rule for how much a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) can be paid. Some KOLs can earn 5 figures per post!
It’s also important to keep improving your skills outside of your industry. I do interior design work for clients in the renovation industry in between shoots. I’ve done some small acting & hosting gigs as well. I’m looking into further exploring opportunities in acting and emcee-ing. If modelling ever stops making sense for me, I have these to fall back on.
Tip: Contracts can be tricky to handle by yourself. Always get your legal team to review the contract. Once you sign it you can’t turn back.
Modelling is also about personal branding and how well you can negotiate and show your value to big name clients.
Everything you’re involved in – commercials, photoshoots, music videos, events, and so on – should be showcased on your digital portfolio to attract potential clients. You need to have a strong social media presence so that agents know where to connect with you.
What does it take to succeed in the modelling industry?
Image: Becca has modelled for Colgate (left), Calbee (middle), and Kit Kat (right).
There are different types of modelling in this day and age: Fashion runway, editorial, commercial, billboard, retail, and so on.
When you first start out in the modelling industry, you’ll quickly realise it’s a very saturated field.
There’ll always be new faces and new talent that you’ll be compared to.
At every model-call, you have to project confidence and poise in the way you carry & portray yourself.
If you can’t meet certain requirements such as budget, brand, look, or campaign objectives, they will usually go with the other talents that are vying for the role. Even after being shortlisted, the probability of being rejected is about 50:50. You need a thick skin to handle the rejection.
Getting the job depends on whether you have the right ‘look’ for the brand and their target audience.
Self-awareness is key. You must understand what physical traits you are naturally endowed with that fits the industry’s standards.
For example, I recognize that my stature isn’t that of the tallest models, making runway modelling an impractical pursuit. However, I did receive encouraging feedback about my highly expressive facial expressions and outgoing demeanour. These qualities align well with the requirements of TV commercials, where versatility in portraying various characters and roles is essential.
Over the years, I learnt not to take it personally whenever I get rejected from a job. I realised, “Hey, if I’m appreciated in one specific industry, field, category, I’m gonna be grateful and stick with it.”
It may be a cliche, but it is true that if one door closes, another will open. Perseverance is key.
No one knows I had a harsh upbringing due to my dad
People may assume that I had an idyllic upbringing within an ideal family, but what many are unaware of is that I actually spent my early years in a troubled and unsupportive environment at home.
I experienced domestic violence and mistreatment from my father, enduring mental, verbal, emotional, and physical abuse throughout my childhood.
I have this core memory of when my dad picked me up from kindergarten. While driving home, he asked me a question that I didn’t know the answer to. Without warning, he smacked my face and I started bleeding from my nose.
Whenever my father perceived disrespect or things weren’t going his way, his anger would quickly escalate, resulting in him lashing out at whomever provoked his emotions. His temper was incredibly short, susceptible to being triggered by even the slightest of occurrences.
It was like living with a ticking time bomb.
So I grew up very fast from a young age. In school, I couldn’t connect with others and felt isolated and lonely, because no other child had a father like mine.
The other kids had this perception of me that I was one of the ‘popular girls’ – but no one knew that I was hiding this fear of my own father in me.
Within our household, my father subjected my mother to mistreatment, admonishing her for errors and resorting to physical harm if she dared to voice her disagreement.
On a particular occasion, his actions escalated to the point where he struck her and issued severe threats, leading her to break into tears and contact the police for assistance.
However, they informed her that their hands were tied due to the nature of the situation being a domestic violence matter.
After more than a decade of this abuse, my mother finally found the strength to leave my father. But because of complicated family stuff, I was forced to stay with my dad for another 2 years.
My dog Hayley saved my life after I fell into depression
Image: Becca with her dog, Hayley.
Having to go home every day to my abusive and toxic dad, it was too much for me to handle. At my lowest point, I even attempted to take my own life, and I nearly succeeded.
I owe my life to my dog, Hayley. Whenever I felt down or demotivated, playing and taking care of her would perk me back up.
Adopting Hayley helped me slowly crawl back out of that darkness. Hayley showed me that life is worth living by focusing on creating new memories instead of dwelling on the unchangeable past. Her lessons in love and belief helped me regain the capacity to love again.
At the age of 18, I finally left the environment of my home and cut off all ties with my father for good. I pursued higher education and obtained my degree. Gradually, I pulled myself out of that depression spiral.
3 lessons I learnt from becoming a model
Image: Becca as a baby (left) and Becca graduating with a Bachelor’s in Interior Architecture.
It’s been 10 years since I first started, and I’m now 26 with a full-time career in modelling.
Although I had a terrible childhood, I don’t regret my experiences. Because of my harsh upbringing, I became independent much earlier than my peers.
In a twisted way, my dad’s terrible example of a parent taught me how to be the opposite of him: I always strive to have a good heart, be considerate, and kind.
Looking back, I’m very grateful for being able to start working at such a young age, because it really helped broaden my perspective about the world. The experiences and exposure I acquired are invaluable, contributing significantly to my personal growth and character development.
Contrary to what society says, the earlier you gain working experience, the earlier you get a headstart in your career. Regardless of your educational background, you must look for a niche that is a combination of their passion, talent, and opportunity in order to be successful.
Being a model is hard work. You need to have professionalism, persistence & resilience as it is a competitive and challenging field. I’m grateful that my less-than-wholesome upbringing allowed me the resilience to take these challenges head-on.
To sum up, here are the 3 lessons that I learned from my personal journey:
“The ability of gaining freedom comes at a price.”
Be self-aware. As a model, it’s important to be self-aware that we’re born with certain traits and certain physical attributes we can’t change. If you know your strengths, then you can find your niche and thrive within it.
Freedom comes at a price. To escape from under my dad’s thumb, I had to fight every inch for my freedom. I have a lot of compassion for those who are victims of domestic violence, because it’s really not easy.
Never give up. It’s a cliche, but it’s true. Never rest on your achievements and always try to be better than you were before. Be ready to take each opportunity when it comes to you, because you might only get this one chance.
If you’ve been through a tough family situation, I hope you have the courage to take a leap of faith and live life for your own sake. I hope my story serves as an inspiration to others and gives a voice to those who are unheard, encouraging kindness towards one another.
Did you enjoy reading Becca’s story?
Share your thoughts in the comments!
For more stories like this, read:
I Spent 80K On My Business Degree Only To Become A Freelance Model – In Real Life
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