We recently connected with Qveen Culver and have shared our conversation below.
Qveen, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
To be honest, my resilience didn’t come from a place of peace or perfection. It came from failure. From loss. From grief.
I’ve been through some really dark times where I questioned God, where I was losing jobs back-to-back, getting evicted, watching my car get repossessed, my money gone, my credit torn. I’ve been at rock bottom, asking, “Why me?” But through all of that pain, I started to realize: the storm wasn’t meant to destroy me it was meant to develop me.
A lot of people want to skip the darkness and go straight to the success, but they don’t understand the beauty that can come from pain. As hard as it is, pain teaches you who you really are. I wouldn’t know how strong I was if I never had to fight. I wouldn’t know how to change a tire if I wasn’t forced to pull over in the middle of nowhere and figure it out. That’s life.
Even though I’m only 26, I’ve been through more trials than most people my age. And yet I’m still standing. Still pushing. Still growing.
There were moments when I didn’t get the modeling shows I auditioned for, and I could’ve given up. But I didn’t. I kept trying, kept showing up, kept believing that the right people would eventually see me and they did.
And through all of that, my faith kept me grounded. I think a lot about Job in the Bible he was faithful, and yet he lost everything. But in the end, God gave him double for his trouble. That stuck with me. Because when everything was being stripped away from me, I didn’t know it then, but I was being prepared for something greater.
That’s where my resilience comes from. From not giving up when it would’ve been easier to quit. From believing in the light, even when all I could see was darkness. From trusting that God doesn’t waste pain. He uses it to mold us into the version of ourselves we were always meant to be.
So now, when I look back, I’m grateful. Not because it was easy but because it made me, me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
What I do now is honestly an extension of everything I’ve lived through. I’m a model, a podcast host, and an entrepreneur but really, I’m just a young woman who turned her pain into purpose and decided not to let her past define her future.
What excites me most about the work I do is that it’s not just for show. It’s layered. It’s deep. It’s meaningful. When I walk a runway or post a piece of content, it’s not just about beauty or clothes it’s about visibility, representation, and showing other women that they can overcome too. I know what it’s like to come from struggle, to question your worth, to feel like doors keep closing in your face. And now I get to be the example that you can come out stronger on the other side.
One thing people always notice about my brand is that it feels real. It’s not curated perfection it’s truth. Whether I’m sharing something on “Royalty Talks Podcast” about mental health or showing up to a casting call, I try to lead with transparency. I’ve had people message me saying my story gave them hope or helped them see themselves in a new light. That’s the kind of impact I care about.
Professionally, I’m really focused on building out my platform in a way that reaches beyond fashion. I’m currently expanding my podcast, exploring the idea of launching detox and wellness products that align with my mission of healing from the inside out, and continuing to work with other Black creatives and women-owned businesses. Everything I create has to feel purposeful it has to reflect where I’ve been and where I’m going.
I think what sets me apart in this space is that I didn’t come into it trying to be seen I came in trying to be heard. I wanted to speak to the girl who’s been through heartbreak, the one who’s had her car repo’d, who’s felt embarrassed about her past or scared to start over. That’s who I do this for.
And what’s crazy is, even though I’ve gone viral and walked in shows like Miami Swim Week, Fort Lauderdale Fashion Week, LA Swim Week, and more, the biggest highlight for me has been the quiet moments. The messages from women who say, “You helped me through something,” or “You made me feel less alone.” That’s when I know I’m living in my purpose.
So, whether it’s through my modeling, my podcast, or whatever business I build next I’m here to leave a mark. Not just with my image, but with my voice, my story, and my heart.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Honestly, one of the biggest qualities that’s carried me through everything is being a communicator for real. Growing up, I talked a lot. Sometimes way too much! But now I look back and realize that was a gift. Being able to connect with people on a deeper level, knowing how to express myself, knowing how to read the room and say things that really land that’s helped me so much in life, in business, and even in relationships.
It’s funny because people always think the way to my heart is money, but that’s not it. It’s how you speak. It’s how you express yourself. I pay attention to how people use their words. That’s how I connect. That’s what draws me in. And in the work I do whether it’s modeling, media, or podcasting communication is everything. Especially with networking. You can have the look, the talent, the skill… but if you don’t know how to talk to people or build relationships, it’s going to be a lot harder to grow. I’ve gotten opportunities just off the strength of how I carried a conversation.
The second thing would be being tech-savvy and creative. I’ve always loved picking up a camera. Like, once that red button starts recording it’s a scene. I enjoy creating, editing, producing, all of it. I’m the type to teach myself how to work something if I don’t know. That kind of mindset—just figuring things out and being hands-on has been huge for me, especially as a content creator and podcast host. You can’t always wait around for someone to do it for you. Sometimes you gotta be the model, the creative director, the editor, and the marketing team all in one.
And the third thing is honestly resilience. I know we touched on that earlier, but it deserves to be repeated. Life is going to test you. It’s going to hit you with things that’ll make you question everything. But the ability to bounce back, to keep showing up even when you’re tired or discouraged that’s a skill too. And it’s one you can build over time.
If I could give any advice to someone just starting out, I’d say this:
Work on how you communicate. Practice how you speak about yourself and your vision. Learn the tools of your industry whether that’s editing apps, social media strategies, or how to pitch yourself. And most importantly, don’t give up when things get hard. That pressure you’re feeling? It’s shaping you.
Also, don’t be afraid to start from the bottom. I’ve started over a lot. But each time I leveled up in ways I couldn’t have imagined. That’s where the growth happens.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
I think I’m going to answer this question in the simplest way possible because for me, it’s not a who, it’s a what. And that what is God.
God has been and will always be the most important force in helping me overcome everything I’ve been through. No one person alone could have done it for me. I had to learn how to feed myself spiritually, to fill the parts of me that were empty with faith and belief. That’s where my strength really comes from.
I’ve been very open about being a Christian and a believer because I’ve seen miracles not just in my life, but in the lives of people around me. I’ve seen doors open that no man could have opened. I’ve seen situations turn around that no amount of planning could’ve fixed. That’s not luck. That’s God.
I think sometimes people hear “Christian” and immediately assume it means perfect, or judgmental, or like we have it all figured out and I’m here to say absolutely not. I’m not a perfect person. I make mistakes. I fall short. But every single day I try, and that’s what matters to me. I strive to be better, not just for myself, but for the people around me and the purpose I believe I’m here to fulfill.
It’s bigger than me. Life is bigger than any one person. You can’t just be floating on this thing we call Earth and not believe that something greater is keeping it spinning. That’s what centers me. That’s what reminds me to keep going, even when things get hard.
So yeah for me, it’s always been God. Always will be.
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