Supermodel You
What can you tell us about your new book Supermodel You?
I started writing Supermodel You after becoming a model and realizing that people needed to know that not all models have an eating disorder or do other crazy things in order to stay thin. Many models are actually really healthy or want to be but don't always know what to do. I became the go to girl for many of the models I was living with in model apartments, traveling with, and working all over the world with. Health and fitness has always been a huge passion of mine so once I realized that I had a message that needed to be told, I really dove into learning everything I could about health, fitness, food and all the things that affect our bodies. What I realized is that there are only really 5 key elements that affect your body and your health. We call these the 5 Keys to Supermodel YOU. The book will show you how models master these keys so you can step out onto the runway of your life and master them for yourself. The overall message is to find the supermodel within you, because every model had to be discovered at some point and it's time for you to be discovered.
Sarah you overcame childhood poverty and personal tragedy before becoming a supermodel, so please can you expand on this for us?
Well, first I don't think I'm a supermodel. The supermodel era was a time in the past that belongs to the greats like Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Shiffer, and those girls, but I definitely aspire to be a Super"Role"Model, probably because I never really had one. My childhood was pretty crazy and my family life still is... Home life had its ups and downs to say the least! When I was in the 1st grade, my Dad was taken to prison and my siblings and I were taken to a foster home. My mom got us back, but she was dealing with her own demons and eventually wound up in a jail cell herself. With both my parents in jail and dealing with their own problems all of kids basically raised ourselves. Unfortunately, my siblings, and even myself for a short period of time, found ourselves repeating our parent’s mistakes. Luckily, I realized that wasn't who I was or what I wanted for my future. I was driven to succeed and make something different of myself than what I saw before me. I am the 1st and only kid in my family to even graduate from high school and I did that with honours! I graduated from college early after that, but it was graduating from high school, something so normal, that was such an accomplishment for me.
When and how were you discovered?
I finished college at Oregon State University early and moved to California planning to attend UCLA's College of Business at Anderson. Once moving to Los Angeles I was constantly approached by model scouts and photographers to model, but I was really insecure and didn't trust anyone. At Starbucks one day, a legitimate LA based photographer approached me and for some reason I trusted him. I've always listened to my intuition and he just wanted to shoot me and pay for everything. He taught me how to take pictures. The day he showed me the pictures, he tricked me and took me to a modelling agency where I was signed that day. My first official photo shoot became a magazine cover. Shortly thereafter, I was off to New York and that's how it all began.
Which runway show have you enjoyed the most?
There are so many! One of the most memorable is the Christian Dior show we did in Kyoto at the Kiyomizu-dera Temple which is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Tokyo. They closed the temple for the show. The temple is breath-taking and the show only added to the beauty and allure of everything. It was truly a beautiful experience.
What is a normal day like in your world?
There is no "normal" day in the life of a model. Some days you're shooting in the morning, some days you shoot at night. Some days you have shows or just fittings for shows. Other days you have castings or other client go-sees. Other days, you're traveling for work. And some days, (rarely) you have nothing to do and get to rest and catch up on laundry and other errands like everyone else. It can be hard to not have a set schedule, but that's why balance (which we talk about in the book) is so important. I live and breathe by the 5 keys in Supermodel YOU.
Eve, you have written five bestselling books and co-written over 50 so please tell us you process in working with another writer?
I began my career working with a book producer, who puts together projects and pairs an expert with a writer. I learned how to co-author that way, working with many experts on many, many books. That was a great learning experience because it was supervised. When I got good at it, people started coming directly to me to help them write their books, and I went off on my own. The process usually involves lots of phone conversations so I can get to know my author, learn her voice, speech patterns, and personality. Then we create a table of contents together, then we draft out chapters and send them back and forth until everyone is happy. It’s a fun process.
How did this collaboration come about?
Sarah found me through social media. She already had a book proposal but she had admired some of my past books and asked if I could help her to write hers. I read the proposal and talked to her a few times and loved her, and I thought she had a great, unique book idea, so I agreed.
When did you begin your writing career?
I have a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing so I always wanted to be a writer, but after graduate school I was working as a word processor in a hospital to pay the bills. After the birth of my first son 17 years ago, I couldn’t bear to go back to work in a cubicle, so I decided to take a risk and try freelance writing. It took a few years to get off the ground, but then it became a solid career for me.
You share passions for natural foods, health, yoga, beauty and veganism, so please can you expand on this for us?
I do quite a bit of food and health writing because it has always interested me—I love that we can do so much to heal and optimize our physical bodies purely based on what we choose to eat, do, and think. I believe we all have the power to evolve the human species, and we can do it purposefully and with intention. How awesome! I’m always learning more about this and exploring ways to do this for myself—it’s a quest. I got interested in yoga many years ago when I co-wrote The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Yoga with a yoga teacher from Chicago. I’ve been doing it ever since.
What is next for you both?
I just had a co-authored book go #1 on the New York Times best seller list, so that was very exciting. I’m currently finishing up three books, including my fifth book with Bethenny Frankel; a book about healing multiple sclerosis through diet with renowned Dr. Terry Wahls; and a diet book with a nutritionist from Portland. After those are done, I’m heading off to Niagara Falls to get married to the man who has lived with me and helped me raise my kids for the past ten years. (No sense rushing things…)