Comedy
Doing the right thing, is hard. Leveraging your power for good once success hits, is even harder. It's a moral challenge many people who are fortunate enough to meet success are faced with. I’ve always found it my personal duty to do the right thing and champion the rights of those around me who have faced adversity, need a voice to amplify their pain through injustice and be a mouthpiece for those who don’t want to be put directly in the line of fire but desire change. A bit of humility and grace goes a long way as you gain opportunity and it's always great to meet other people who value the sanctity of using your power, to do better for the entirely of humanity. Very very rare. Cue in Veronica Pome'e. I met Veronica when I was living in Los Angeles in 2017 and we were both coerced to be on a think-tank panel at a community event in the strip-mall portion of the fashion district of Downtown LA. In what can only be described as part-evangelical affirmation, part community business event and one of the most motley mixes of attendees for the subject matter -- we were both thrown into a situation we made the best of. Veronica was a presence off the bat - strikingly beautiful but admirably very deep and poetic, I was stoked to meet another woman a pacific islander status who was into community organizing and doing good deeds. It was a rare find and she certainly stood out. In one of the most random situations of my adult life, I found a connection with someone who seemed legit and destined for big things to come. Side note - this was the occasion where I realized I needed to say NO to way more. Not everything is for you and just because someone asks you to do something, you do not have to oblige them and fear looking rude. SAY NO. After moving back to NYC soon after, I stumbled across Veronica's picture on Sports Illustrated and had to double take. As the first Tongan model in Sports Illustrated, she literally made history and showed body representation in a traditionally white-male-fantasy driven heritage publication that was notorious for casting skinny models. Veronica took NYC by storm appearing on runways for NYFW, a multitude of commercial campaigns and generally helping to shake up prior perceptions of what a supermodel could look and be like. She is an IRL super woman and hearing about the work she has been doing for the Tongan people and foresight she's grasped through her activism pursuits was truly inspiring. In a time where humility and humanness is something we REALLY need, this interview shows that no matter what one may see on the outside, the inner beauty and intention make the person. One of my favorite interviews to date, I cannot wait to see what she does in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years - there is no doubt she will be successful, respected and always bring compassion to the table. Check Veronica Pome'e out on her SITE and IG. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ladyish/support