How to become a Plus Size Model (or not!) with Madeline Jones

Healthy At Any Size

Madeline (Maddie) Jones is the editor-in-chief of Plus Model Magazine (PMM) and one of the pioneers of the plus size fashion industry. She is sometimes referred to as the Anna Wintour of plus size, and through her work has blazed a trail that many of us have the pleasure of following in.

Maddie’s presence in the industry pre-dates the social media crazed world we live in now. From the beginning, Maddie has been using her voice to create a space for plus size women in the fashion industry. All along, she and her husband, photographer Lucas Jones, have been documenting the faces of plus size women and challenging society’s expectations of how plus size bodies should be photographed.

In my own journey as a plus size model, Maddie has been there since the beginning. I did my very first test shoot with Maddie, and along the way she has supported me and guided me at every turn. Maddie has so much wisdom to share with models at any stage of their career, but she’s got an especially great perspective for women looking to launch their modeling career.

Maddie’s advice is hard-hitting, straight talk about what it really takes to build a successful modeling career for yourself as a plus size woman. It’s not always an easy road, but it can be incredibly rewarding! And regardless of whether or not you wind up getting signed by an agency, Maddie has advice for all of us about how to use our voices, how to conduct ourselves in business relationships, and how to create our own opportunities as women.

Key takeaways:

• The early days of Maddie’s advocacy for plus size women, and how PMM got its start
• What it takes to build a brand like PMM, and how Maddie put her publication on the map
• Maddie’s journey of coming out from “behind-the-scenes” and putting herself out there as an influencer
• Maddie’s journey as an Autism Mom
• The importance of being authentic (don’t try to be “the next Ashley Graham,” or anyone else!)
• Why you should never take things personally in your business
• The importance of having your own, unique point of view when creating content as an influencer
• How we can make a greater impact when we work together with other women, rather than just trying to advance our own image

• The essential steps you must take if you want to launch a successful modeling career
• Some reasons that you might not actually want to become a plus size model--it’s not just about being a pretty girl!
• Why you don’t need to become a plus size model to validate your worth, or to make a positive impact in the world

Mentioned in this episode:

Plus Model Magazine

Maddie’s personal brand

Maddie’s husband, photographer Lucas Jones

Maddie’s journey as an Autism Mom

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