We recently connected with Sidney Nicole Rogers and have shared our conversation below.
Sidney, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Picture this – it’s the year 2000 in Virginia. A bubbly, four year old bursting with enthusiasm and self assurance stands on top of a table yelling at her parents that she’s moving to California to become an actress! Fast forward, and that same little girl has made quite the portfolio for herself and her small town agency refers her to a top modeling agency in New York. That little girl got READY: she practiced her smile, wore the shirt that best complimented her skin tone, and made sure every bouncing curl was in place. During that big time meeting, the little girl was told that she has amazing photos and she could signed…only if she lost “the baby fat.” Apparently her cheeks were too round and her stomach showed she loved food too much to be accepted in the big league. Confidence, deactivated. Body dysmorphia, activated.
As you know by now, that little girl was me. My child/early adulthood was littered with shame and doubt over my appearance. “Confidence” was something I faked, and faked well (seriously, I could’ve won an award). On one hand, I was celebrated for being on magazine covers, commercials, brochures, and in pageants. But the shadow of that was me nitpicking every inch of myself, supporting unhealthy eating habits, and never telling myself that I was pretty for fear of being called conceded.
Fast forward to senior year of college. I was contorted in a ball, weeping on my spring-filled mattress telling God that I was tired of this – I wanted to be healthy and get well. Instantly, I heard an audible voice say “Get up. Go to the bathroom and lock the door.” I did just that and stood in front of the mirror and attempted to say the sentence, “I am beautiful.” Listen, I could barely pronounce the “b” let alone the “-eautiful!” But it was a start. I kept at it every day until I could say the full sentence, finally. Then, eventually, I began to believe it. After that, I walked IN it.
Almost a decade later, I can now profess that my confidence and self esteem comes from knowing what it’s like not to have it, faking it, discovering it for myself, and fully embodying it. I now know who I am. I understand the power I hold. I’ve spoken to the bubbling, bright little girl and I’ve apologized for not taking care of her.
Have you ever had the thought knowing there’s “more,” but also knowing you’re the one holding yourself back? For me, developing my confidence stemmed from being fed up with the life I was giving myself. I’ll tell you what, being on the RIGHT side of self-esteem feels darn good and I have vowed to keep it that way.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about what you do/your career before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m happy to inform you that I did, indeed, make it to Los Angeles to become the actress four year old me set out to become!
I have the pleasure to play make-believe and dress up for a living; how cool is that? In 2017, I obtained my BFA degree in acting from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Hollywood. From there, my credits include starring alongside Vivica A. Fox in the Lifetime movie, “The Wrong Cruise,” understudying for ABC Live’s “The Jeffersons” and “Good Times” (working alongside living legends such as John Amos, Kerry Washington, Jamie Foxx, and Viola Davis), and filming an epic sci-fi movie in Morocco set to premiere soon!
My modeling career has opened the door to numerous opportunities; from meeting Naomi Campbell right before opening a runway show in Paris, to landing a campaign with Nike. All I can say is I’m beyond BEYOND thankful.
Career wise, there is so much I’m excited for! There is more I’d love to experience. There are numerous hats I’m eager to wear. And that’s where entrepreneurship comes in. I have something brewing that I’m bursting to launch! You’ve got to stay locked in at @sidneynicolerogers to know what it is and, believe me, it’s going to be GOOD!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if you had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities have been most impactful in your journey?
The three qualities most impactful in my journey have been
1. Having a “root system.” What keeps you grounded when situations are rocky? God is my foundation – with Him, I’m solid.
2. Being brave enough to go all in. It’s easy to do, or even hide behind, what you’re good at, it’s another thing to say “I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m going after it anyway!”
3. Know that you’re not just one thing. I urge anyone reading this to never allow yourself or others to label you as solely one title or talent. Explore your creativity, your likes and dislikes. Take leaps and learn. Reinvent yourself then do it again. Guess what? You can be whomever you desire to be. So go, be free!
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
My biggest area of growth/improvement within the last 12 months has simply been coming into the fullness of me. During this last year, I’ve intimately gotten to know who Sidney Nicole Rogers is, I’ve explored my five senses, I fell in love with my dream come true and married him, and I’ve invested in myself more than I ever have before. And you know what? Lord willing, I will get the pleasure of seeing what “the fullness of me” morphs into over the next 12 months. Remember that “reinvention” I told you about before? Yeah, I’m living that out season by season (ps, it’s so fun!).
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sidneynicolerogers.com
- Instagram: @sidneynicolerogers
- Youtube: @sidneynicolerogers
- Other: TikTok: @sidneynicolerogers
Image Credits
Amina Touray Photography Paul Smith Photography Jerome A. Shaw Making The Cut AmazonPrime
