LALA BAPTISE WENT FROM MODELING TO BECOMING A DIGITAL MARKETING PRO
In this economy, many of us have had to learn to pivot careers in order to keep everything going and Lala Baptise is no different. Starting off as a traditional model, over the years Lala has taken her love for social media and enhanced her skills in all things digital marketing. We got the chance to learn about how she did it, her advice for aspiring models and much more!
FEATURE INTERVIEW:
Take us back to 2017 when you took a trip to LA and ended up getting discovered by Wilhelmina Models. Walk us through what happened that day.
Because my first trip to LA was with family, I couldn’t really explore the city like I wanted to but I definitely left fascinated. I grew up in a small suburban town and my mother was very strict so I told myself that I would go back on my own when I graduated high school.
At the time, my former manager had just moved there which provided a perfect opportunity for me to take a trip there. While I was in LA I took meetings with a few agencies but Wilhelmina was the one that made me feel like I belonged the most.
The day I met with Wilhelmina, I was definitely nervous and overthinking because I had absolutely no experience and hadn’t grown into my full confidence yet. I just showed up as my timid and awkward younger self. They were super warm & welcoming which made me feel very hopeful by the time I left even though it was definitely preparing myself for disappointment. I was so shocked when I got a call back saying that they were interested in signing me!
When you decided to leave Atlanta and pursue modeling seriously, what were your initial expectations and how has your life exceeded that?
I always knew I wanted to leave Atlanta as soon as I finished high school so it was a no brainer when I had a legit reason to go. I never felt inspired there. I knew in my heart that I was destined for greater things and needed a change of environment.
As soon as I got an offer to sign with a modeling agency, I took a leap of faith and booked a one-way ticket. I had some money saved from the jobs I worked throughout high school but the fact that I had a manager helped plus I also had some family in LA that allowed me to stay with them until I got on my feet.
I truly had no set plan or expectations, I just knew there was a high risk of me failing but I was willing to throw myself into a drastic change and be uncomfortable for a bit if I had to. I was able to save enough to get my first apartment using all the money I made from my modeling jobs.
Now that I’ve lived in LA for almost 7 years, my life has exceeded my expectations—I’ve been able to overcome a lot of personal obstacles, take care of myself, and elevate in a city that so many young adults get lost and struggle in. That alone is an accomplishment to me.
For anyone hoping to professionally model, are a few things you wish you knew starting out?
The best advice I could give would be to find what makes you unique and use that to your advantage. Modeling is a great way to get your foot in the door but also don’t get stuck in that box. COVID changed a lot, so traditional modeling as we know it isn’t that in demand.
Your unique characteristics work to your advantage in 2024 because brands are all about diversity and inclusivity. Brands want people who are unapologetically themselves. I used to feel a lot of pressure from the other models around me and I thought my body or hair had to be a certain way to fit in, when that was never the case. Also, don’t be a prisoner of your past mistakes. We’re human so sometimes we may do things or even take jobs that we end up not being proud of but life goes on.
You’ve worked with so many brands from Savage X Fenty, Morphe and Anastasia Beverly Hills – just to name a few. What is your dream brand campaign?
My dream brand is me. I want to curate an empire of different brands across industries that I love. Of course I’m still open to collaborations and modeling for other brands but I’m also ready to create my own.
I have a few dream clients so I’ll list them by category: Miu Miu for fashion because they’re just the epitome of classic, cool, femininity which is totally my style vibe. Ouai for hair care since I actually love and use their products… then Farmacy or Sol de Janeiro because I’m very into body care.
After years of working in the industry you chose to step back and focus on your personal brand. Take us back to this time in your life and talk about what led to this decision as well as what came from it.
I think COVID was the gamechanger. Things slowed down and I started noticing brands being less interested in booking traditional models. It was during this time when I had gotten heavily into YouTube and even tried OnlyFans. OnlyFans wasn’t really for me though because although I was literally sharing the same content from my IG, I realize that being active on that platform came with a stigma that I just didn’t want attached to my personal brand.
One of my close friends is very popular on YouTube and I saw how much they were profiting off their content. They showed me how to monetize my channel too since my content was getting great engagement which opened up my eyes to the potential of my personal brand growth. I love YouTube because I really have a lot of fun making videos. I really love talking to the camera and just genuinely being myself.
I liked the freedom that came along with self branding via social media which is something I’d never felt with modeling since you really don’t get much control over your narrative. Through this transitional period, I learned a lot about myself and discovered that I had a natural passion for digital marketing. I figured, why not pursue building my own personal brand instead of just modeling for other brands. Now I get to make my own rules as I go.
What tips do you have for anyone looking to work with major brands in the digital marketing space?
I really love the whole BTS aspect of digital marketing. From editing my own videos to learning how to market myself on different social media platforms, I wanted to further explore my new found passion so I took a digital marketing course and became certified.
If digital marketing is a space that you want to work in, I would say to start with just branding yourself and your own social media…work on elevating your digital presence. You’ll learn what works and what doesn’t- that alone will provide experience and your analytics can serve as a case study.
Your pages can be your portfolio for brands to see what you’re able to do and hopefully that builds trust for them to be interested in booking your services. Do as much research as possible and figure out specifically what you want to specialize in because the digital space is vast and there’s so many routes you can take whether it’s with ads, SEO, social media management, branding, influencer marketing, content creation, etc.
It also helps to get a mentor who’s in the same industry. I was able get my foot in the door thanks to my mentor. I’ve been shadowing her for a few years now and have learned so much from her.
From your social media platforms, it’s no secret that you love traveling. If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why? What would you do while you’re there?
Traveling has truly become my biggest passion. I’ve always loved learning about history, other cultures and geography in general…the more places I’ve traveled, the more intrigued I am to see other parts of the world.
I’m currently in Sicily and I’m falling in love, but if I could go anywhere else in the world that I haven’t been yet, I would say South Korea! I’m obsessed with Korean skincare and I would love to do a skincare & wellness girls trip there to recharge.
What are your top 3 favorite beauty products to use during the summertime?
Ooo, this is so hard but right now my fav sunscreen: Beauty of Joseon SPF, Drunk Elephant bronzing drops (the combo of these two is my secret for the most beautiful natural glow), and lastly would be Laura Mercier body cream in “Almond Coconut”—smells heavenly!
How would you describe your personal fashion style?
My personal style is constantly evolving. However, I’m currently in my super classic feminine era—ballet flats, long dresses, pointed heels, preppy skirts and collared shirts.
What do you have planned for the remainder of 2024?
For the remainder of 2024 I’m going to be locked in and focus on a few new business ventures. I hate speaking on things before they’re completed, but I will say one of the projects I’m working on is a travel concierge company that I’m super excited to launch.
I’m taking my time right now to make sure it’s perfected first, but I plan to expand into the travel world with my own concierge agency. It’s going to be very personalized yet still creative and innovative. While I do have a lot of professional goals, I am also trying to take some time to get to know myself better and just enjoy life. Pre-COVID hustle culture was at an all time high. The pandemic showed me that you can get work done even if you’re going at a slower pace so I’m taking my time with things.
TEAM CREDITS:
Editor in Chief: Prince Chenoa (@princechenoastudio)
Feature Editor: Taylor Winter Wilson (@taylorwinter)
Photographer: Lorenzo Martin (@xlorenzom)
Videographer: Tani Gunn (@madmantani)
Creative Direction & Production: Sunflwr Agency (@sunflwragency)
Hair Stylist: Naomi Quinn (@naomiqhair)
Makeup Artist: Christine Victoria (@christine.victoria)
