Meet Kris Dew

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kris Dew. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kris, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome was and still is one my biggest enemies when it comes to self doubt. I often times find myself in rooms or in opportunities I never thought I would ever see. In those moments I have to remind myself this is what I dreamed of and worked so hard for. Key word being “worked”, I’m deserving of the opportunities and positions I’m in because I put in the effort to get there. There’s also the additional comfort of knowing other people recognized my work ethic, skills, and ambition and put me in those situations to achieve my dreams. I can’t be an imposter if I’m achieving the things I set out to do.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Im a commercial model and actress. I represent petite models and try to show there is no limit to success when you have determination, professionalism, and work ethic, even an industry typically tilted against you. I work with all types of brands but have a strong preference for working with small local businesses to increase their sales and establish themselves as a professional brand. I do everything from large scope commercials, to UGC/influencer ads, to trade shows, runway, etc, there are few things in the industry I haven’t done at this point

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The most useful or most important quality I learned along my journey was humility. It was realizing I don’t know everything, I am not above anyone and no one is above me. Every person I meet is an opportunity to learn more and an opportunity to teach as well. Even if someone is on a different journey I can still learn from them. The second most important thing I learned along the way was how to network in a way that felt authentic to me. At the start of my journey I was meeting and working with people because I thought I needed to know and work with as many people as possible to see success. I was told time and time again success came from networking and I needed to shake every hand I could but I hated schmoozing. I felt like a cheesy salesman. I eventually realized networking could be as simple as connecting with people with common interests and working on projects I was actually excited about. The projects I was actually interested in had the best success rate and elevated my career in ways I felt more fulfilled in. The 3rd most important quality I took on was authenticity. In a world full of lies, people seek out realness. They want to connect with people on a real level. Being authentic to yourself will allow you to connect with people that see you for you

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed I sit down with myself and write out everything going on. Then I start to break down priorities, what’s actually important, what feels important but can wait, what’s the consequences if these tasks aren’t finished on time? Then once I’ve got priorities broken down, I figure out what needs to be done by me, what can I get help with, and what can be delegated to others. Then I figure out how much of this stress is routine, how much is new, and how much is temporary. If I’m stressed out because of new problems that are temporary I find comfort in knowing it’s temporary, if it’s new additions to my routine or it’s just my routine I ask myself if this schedule is sustainable long term if it’s causing me to be overwhelmed. If it’s not I figure out a new schedule. All of this is to say when I’m overwhelmed I take a step back and reevaluate everything

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kris.dew_
• Facebook: Kris Dew
• Other: TikTok: @krisdewdew

Image Credits

Cover photo credit: Photographer: Charrisa Menken (@thedallaspose) Stylist/Designer: Chloe Menard (@chlomenard)
Desert Sword: Photographer: Charrisa Menken (@thedallaspose) Stylist/Designer: Chloe Menard (@chlomenard)
White swirl paint: MUA: Abby H. (@applicationsbyabby) Photographer: lionharte