Tyra Banks has strutted down the world's most iconic fashion runways and has appeared in front of millions of people as host of “America’s Next Top Model,” “America’s Got Talent” and even her own talk show. So, it’s surprising to many when they find out the supermodel-turned-businesswoman struggles with social anxiety.
“I don’t have social anxiety on a large scale. I can stand in the biggest soccer, football stadiums and talk. But when it comes to one-on-ones, intimate-like co*cktail parties, walking around…I freeze,” Banks admitted at Forbes’ 30/50 Summit in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Banks, 48, said she thinks her one-on-one social anxiety has stood in the way of accomplishing more, especially as she expands her ice cream brand Smize Cream. “…If you don’t get out, if you don’t network, if you don’t meet more people to get closer to your dream coming true, your success is slower,” she told the audience, which included generations of women from both Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list, which highlights the world’s most influential leaders and Forbes and Know Your Value’s “50 Over 50” list, which celebrates age defying leaders and entrepreneurs.
She added that it’s the “getting out of the house, picking up the phone, asking someone to mentor you — that’s how you get to your dream faster. And I’m trying to do that more.”
During the conversation with Moira Forbes, publisher of ForbesWomen, Banks — who took a step back from modeling at the height of career — also gave her best advice to women who are also considering changing or pivoting their job.
“Different is better than better,” said Banks. “You can’t just have a product, or a service or an offering that is better, because someone is usually just going to copy that and those are just minor, minute differences….But when you are different, that is an open sea that you are creating to make people copy you, and that’s how you stand out in the marketplace.”
She also urged the audience to do what they love. “I know that’s not always easy,” said Banks. “I bet some of you guys are in businesses that you think are just going to make a lot of money. Ain’t nothing wrong with that, but what else can you add to that business so that when you are waking up that first day of the week you are jumping out of bed so excited? …”
Banks noted that when she was a model, she didn’t enjoy getting her photo taken — but she loved the feeling of walking down the runway. And now, what brings her joy is ice cream and her new company. Banks said she even bought 15 pints of ice cream in Abu Dhabi to test out what the United Arab Emirates has to offer. And at home, she has an ice cream party with her family three times a week.
“It makes me happy," she said. "Try to find what makes you happy as you also bring those revenues into your pockets to change the course of your careers so the generations behind you can enjoy the fruits of that labor."
