Karlie Kloss: How A Model Turned Entrepreneur Transformed The Fashion Industry!

You just have to continue to keep dreaming bigger, and that's why it's so important to always continue learning. All you can do is do your best. Even when you make mistakes, sometimes those can be the most important experiences to learn from. I've always been an entrepreneur at heart. I love the idea of starting a business. That's always been a dream of mine long before modeling.

Need motivation? Watch a top 10 with Believe Nation. What's up, it's Evan. My one word is believe, and I believe in you. I believe you have an amazing gift inside inside you that I want to see explode out onto the world. So let's get your motivation to a 10 and get you believing in you. Grab a snack and chew on today's lessons from a woman who went from being the daughter of a freelance director and emergency physician to becoming a model, Victoria's Secret Angel, and entrepreneur. She's Karlie Kloss, and here's my take on her top 10 rules of success. Enjoy! Alright, let's kick things off with rule number 1, my personal favorite: do what you love.

Growing up in a house in the Midwest, you show love by feeding people. So for me, I've always loved to cook and bake for others, and I started a charity project called Carly's Cookies to donate school lunches to kids through selling vegan cookies. Totally crazy idea, but it combined all my passions and it was a way that I could actually make a meaningful impact by doing what I love. And I think that that is when you're most successful and fulfilled, when you tick both those boxes, when you do what you love and lead from that place first and foremost. And whatever you're trying to accomplish, I think that comes naturally when it's from a place of just passion, because you have to work for it. Long days and long nights, and if you're not enjoying what you're doing, then it's probably not a recipe for success.

Rule number 2 is take control.

Hi guys, I'm Karlie Kloss, and welcome to my YouTube channel. Clearly run your brand. Over a billion users for YouTube. Did you look at those numbers and say, this is smart business? I did. I had an opportunity to do something with a channel, with network, that was ultimately going to be in the hands of producers and editors in a dark room somewhere, but I didn't I didn't have control of it. And I had that realization and I realized I want to control my story.

Rule number 3, dream bigger.

My goals continue to change and continue to get bigger. And I think as I sort of reach certain milestones, certain accomplishments, you know, it only makes me realize that I need to dream bigger. And I think that same thing for you guys. I think as you really build that confidence through your career, as you really start, start, you know, building your career and building your relationships and seeing your dreams actually realized, you just have to continue to keep dreaming bigger. And that's why it's so important to always continue learning, in my opinion, because there's always, there's, you've never made it. I think we all can always continue to do more and to be better and bigger.

Rule number 4, start your day right.

When I want to just calm down, I guess, and have a good day, I try and wake up a little early so I could like listen to music, have my coffee, and do all those things. Yeah. You clearly don't have time to do any of that. Well, now more so I have time to do that. Okay. And I've made time to do that, you know. I think that's the thing is that like I've learned that you can't just keep running around. No. Otherwise you're gonna burn yourself out. So I wake up early because I I like to take my time, have breakfast. I love to work out first thing in the morning because I feel like I have more energy in the morning and just immediately get it out of the way, you know, and then you can shower and, you know, do your makeup, put, you know, cream on, get dressed, and then sort of start your day. So yeah, but— That's big, guys. She exercises in the mornings. We have no excuse. I mean, really. No excuses. I just think it gives me more energy. I feel lethargic and tired if I don't, but when you actually like make time, get your butt to the gym, you actually end up feeling so much more energized.

Rule number 5: Take your work seriously.

You said about sort of a lot is riding on, on you as a model. I, I, not, you know, you have no responsibility really than just to show up, but I think that that's one thing that I, I have grown an appreciation for, um, is all the work that goes into leading up to that moment. All the incredible people that are involved, the editors, the interns, the stylists, the hair and makeup, the photographers, everybody's sort of preparing in their own way. And so it's not like you can just sort of show up because so much money, so much time, so many people are involved before that point. So I think that that's— Yeah, it's the prox moment and then you have to make it perform. Yeah. All come together. Which is like kind of scary as hell, but also like It really, you know, it makes you, I don't know, I think it sort of made me take this seriously, that it's not just sort of like, "Oh hey, let's go like take pretty pictures and put makeup on." It's like, actually, this is important. Well, it's a business, not a lifestyle. It's a business.

Rule number 6: just do your best.

One of the first ballet recitals that I danced in pointe shoes, and I was so nervous, because it was the first time that I was gonna get on stage. Everyone that I loved and care about was gonna be in that audience, and I didn't want to let them down. I didn't want to let myself down. How I sort of learned to cope with that is just really to take that anxiety, that sort of adrenaline, and actually pour it into something productive, meaning like what can you do to best prepare for that moment? So when it came to the point where it was showtime, it was time to get out on that stage, I knew that I did everything I possibly could to get out there and feel amazing and just perform. And I think something clicked in me. However, it doesn't always go right. There was a time I remember I walked in a Fendi runway show and I you know, made a little slip and kind of slipped off the runway. And— but all you can do is do your best. Even when you make mistakes, sometimes those can be the most important experiences to learn from.

Rule number 7: Keep learning.

I happen to be a closeted super nerd, so I personally have begun learning how to program on my own because programming is the It's the language of the future and of now. I wish I would have started learning at 13, but it doesn't matter how old you are, you can always start learning. Jump into it. Learn. Just try and take one class. Give it one hour. It's amazing what you can learn in one hour. It's important to break that stigma of thinking that it's not cool to be smart. If you can understand, much less speak, code, you can build anything.

Rule number 8 is don't lose yourself.

It's a really difficult thing to do though, to sort of separate you as a physical being versus you as who you truly are. I think that sort of especially being that we start our careers at such a young vulnerable age, it is challenging at times to sort of separate the two. Like, you know, you go to work and you play dress-up and you become a million different characters, but how do you not lose you? And I think that that's something that is definitely, you know, you know, and we're still finding ourselves. I mean, I find, at least I am, you know, I'm 21 years old, and so I think that that's, I don't know, something that, you know, being, not getting lost in, in all of it.

Rule number 9: Have an entrepreneurial spirit.

Growing up, I loved science, but I never had computer science, coding, engineering classes, and it wasn't until I went years later to go take a boot camp and learn basics of learn how to code, and I really realized how valuable that skill set is. Even just that understanding of how technology works is super valuable. I've always been an entrepreneur at heart. I love the idea of starting a business. That's always been a dream of mine long before modeling. The beauty of the world we live in today and the power of code is that you can actually take an idea— doesn't matter who you are or what kind of formal education you have and build it out yourself or understand what is possible to build. And that's why it doesn't matter that I'm a model. There's opportunity for anyone to be an entrepreneur.

And rule number 10, the last one before the bonus clip, have fun.

All right, untap your pens and draw a blind portrait of each other without looking down at the paper or lifting your pen. Go. Can't look at the paper part. Okay, okay. Wait, okay, I got this. 3, 2, 1. What? How is yours— How is yours so good? What is wrong with you? Mine's awesome. Actually, I prefer Carly's.

Now I've got a special Carly bonus clip on being good to yourself, but before that, my question of the day. I love how Carly has a whole bunch of hyphens to her. She's a model, she's an entrepreneur, she likes to code, she likes science, she likes nerding out. You know, what are the different things that make up your hyphens? How do you describe yourself? I want you to pick 5 different hyphens that make you, you. You're this, this, this, this, and this. Put hyphens in between. Leave in the comments below. I want to see what you got. Thank you guys so much for watching. I believe in you. I hope you continue to believe in yourself and whatever your one word is. Much love. I'll see you soon and enjoy the bonus clip.

The best thing I can do for myself is, is be good to me, be good to my body. And, you know, getting a workout in is for me the best way to beat jet lag, the the best way to just kind of stay energized. And so we're gonna kick off this morning with a good workout. I definitely find that in my life, you know, health and wellness and fitness and strength in the body and in the mind is so important. It helps me be the best version of myself, and I really am never done on that journey. Women are really— I grew up in a house of women. 3 sisters and my mom. And, you know, I think we are resilient and powerful and sometimes too hard on ourselves. So I think you have to also— I think self-care, self-love is, is, is always a good thing. So as long as you're setting goals to be the best version of yourself and take care of yourself, raise your standard.

Apple, at the core Google, its core value is that we believe that people with passion can change the world for the better.

Not one drop of my self-worth depends on your acceptance of me. I don't ever give up. I'd have to be dead or completely incapacitated.

Hey, Believe Nation, if you want to see my all-time favorite top 10 rules of success, I have a very special secret video for you. These are the individual clips that I have personally learned the most from and applied to my life and my business. Check the link in the description for details.