For centuries, women have been adored for their beauty and glorified for their outward appearance rather than their mind. There is a worldwide culture of women being idolized for their looks inherently dictating the stigma that models are not of intelligence or substance. Many models today are taking control of their careers and learning the business of the industry to secure financial freedom and become their own boss.
The modeling industry accounts for over 20 billion dollars annually, but models receive a small percentage of that income. Models are required to pay commission to their agency, cost of travel, taxes, and other expenses. It is nearly impossible for a person to survive on a print model salary alone because more than 50 percent of their income goes to other entities.
After spending 18 years in the modeling business, Raven Lexy defeated the odds by becoming a Real Estate Investor. This is her story of how she came from being idolized in front of the camera to a lionized deal maker.
A Rising Star
Raven Lexy stumbled upon modeling in 2001 when she was walking through Caesar’s Palace casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Someone noticed her beauty and asked if she ever considered being Cleopatra. She was aware of her attractiveness, but at that time had not contemplated a career in modeling. Raven was offered the job of portraying Cleopatra at Caesars Palace and that role propelled her into modeling at neighboring casinos, magic shows, and a variety of media outlets.
Modeling was a life-changing experience for Raven. She worked for a variety of companies, posed in a plethora of magazines, and traveled across the globe. However, the perception was not Raven’s reality because she was secretly living in a tumultuous marriage fueled by physical, mental, and verbal abuse. Her career was thriving, but she was barely surviving in an attempt to keep her family together. After twelve years of abuse, Raven found the courage to rise above fear and take back her life. She commenced on a journey toward financial freedom and entrepreneurship.
A Boss is Born
Lexy, newly divorced and living paycheck to paycheck was no longer satisfied with just being a model. This was the only life she knew but realized this was not how she wanted to continue living. She was now a single mom of two daughters and was determined to make a better life for herself and her children.
In order to become financially free, Raven needed to focus on building passive income. Modeling was strenuous and only provided her with active income. Additionally, the amount of work outweighed the pay and residual income was non-existent.
Tony Robbins was an unofficial mentor of Raven’s. She studied his methodology and became financially literate. “I learned that you need to have your money work for you, not you are working for the money.” She realized then that the modeling lifestyle was not enough.
Surrounding yourself with friends that are living the life you desire is key to growth. Raven began following the same path as her counterparts and became aware of the common thread of how they invest their money. The answer was real estate. Each person she spoke with had made their career in various venues, but they all invested in real estate. At that moment, she decided to be her own boss and become a Real Estate Investor.
Creating an Empire
RL Financial Solutions, Raven Lexy’s mortgage broker company, was incorporated in 2017. After making the decision to take back her life, Raven hit the ground running and began investing her money. This resulted in the purchase of five investment properties in one year’s time. She leveraged her career as a model and networked her way into financial independence. Her hope for the future “is to build an empire that spans generations. I want my daughters and my future granddaughters to never be stuck in a situation like I was”. It is necessary for all women to gain financial literacy and learn how to become financially independent. Raven is proving that with hard work, dedication, and determination anyone can beat the odds and rise to become your own boss.