Interview with Olga Gretchen Schwartz
Olga, tell us about your greatest strength as a professional?
I believe in having faith and being a visionary. Amid the chaos, I quickly think of an operational plan and solution. I foresee the future outcomes in the present and the course of action that needs to take place to achieve the results I wish to achieve. No matter what circumstances life puts you in, you still have the power to take back control of your life.
What inspires you the most as a model?
The new movements in fashion illustrating the beauty of women of all races, shapes, and ages inspire me. I’m motivated to use this platform to inspire all women, no matter what generation. I would like to see more women of my age represented. Becoming mothers in our late thirties and forties while working on our careers is becoming the norm. Women like me are pioneers in how progress in technology is allowing us to reshape our future, family life, employment, and goals. I hope to inspire and empower women to keep dreaming and reaching their personal, family, and career goals and, if needed, reinvent themselves.
Tell us more about the beginning of your career as a model.
It all began at a local beauty contest in Atlanta, Georgia, when I was 18 years old. I entered the competition for fun and the experience. That led to signing my first modeling contract.
What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage anxiety?
Physical and mental health is the most precious gifts in life to me. I take it very seriously and work daily by eating healthy, meditation, self-care, and physical activity. There are many things I still want to experience, see and accomplish for myself and with my family. I want my followers to know that I’m all about having a healthy body and mind as we age gracefully. We have total control of our future. It’s on us to choose what we want that future to look like.
What is your favorite part of being in the fashion industry?
I’m always amazed by the people in this industry. I’ve met the most amazing creative minds and humanitarians using the sector to do tremendous things.
Five years from now, where do you see yourself and your career?
Becoming a model again in my mid-forties has opened many opportunities. I see myself finishing my first book, having a second child, doing a few feature films, getting my first golden globe, and gracing the covers of Magazines like Bazaar, Vogue, and Glamour, as well as Shape Magazine and Women's Fitness to represents today's modern women. There is a movement I want to create, “Age Positivity,” because women in their late ’30s and 40s are more relevant than ever.
You are a true multi-talent. What motivates you?
Authenticity and breaking free of the norm for women after children and in their forties inspire me. When I lost my health, I realized that I was not just a mother in my forties with the desire to have enough energy to run after my daughter but also that I was a woman who was not done living her entire life. My daughter was a strong motivator after pregnancy. Much has changed for women since my great-grandmother and the stories she used to tell me. I wanted to become the prime example of the modern woman, and there was no one else closer to her but me to show her what that woman looked like. A woman she could look up to with solid values and the drive to achieve anything she wants. Success is such a subjective concept that everyone likely views differently.
How do you define success?
Success is having the discipline to achieve the lives we want to live; financial stability, health, love, career, and family. It is a sense of accomplishment.
How do you keep in shape?
Many people ask me this. My routine consists of five workouts a week, and I do my best to eat a healthy diet consistently. I’ve been working on a particular project to bring my lifestyle, activities, recipes, and home life to my followers.
What is your time management philosophy?
Journaling every day keeps me consistent. My journal consists of what I did that day and how those activities align with my short and long-term personal, career, and family goals. Also, I keep a food journal. All of this helps me to stay focused.
Further, I also use technology to make my life easy. My appointments, bookings, acting classes, workouts, birthdays, and set alarms are all on my phone. This frees up my mind and attention to living present. This helps me consciously see what I’m doing unconsciously and make changes if needed.
Team Credits:
Photographer/Retoucher: Rutvik Katuri (@rutvikkaturi)
Model: Olga Gretchen Schwartz (@babymatribe)
Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist: Alicia D’Angelo (@aliciadangelo) Showroom: Showroom Seven (@showroomseven)
