CSM Game-Changer Issue with Cristiano Ronaldo 2019 GAME-CHANGER ISSUE - Heather Blackburn | Page 33

IN-DEPTH CONNECTION
AND PERSONALITY
CSM: This year’s bimonthly edition is about going for greatness in careers and individuality and
inspiring people (being a beacon of inspiration); describe how do you exude your excellence and
confidence in your career and what did you do to push that boundaries
ADELA: I think that before exuding confidence you must first find a way to gain it in the first place.
For me it took quite a long time to be confident in myself and my skills, in some ways I’d say it’s still a
work- in-progress as I still consider myself a shy and awkward person. In order to push through those
boundaries I like to try to challenge myself by trying new things.
CSM: You have to be assertive and attentive for this kind of profession. Have you ever made or en-
countered difficult decisions? How did you manage that?
ADELA: I don’t actually think you need to be that assertive but you do need to clearly know what
it is that you want in your mind and in your heart in order to make decisions that won’t detract from
your true self. I’m still pretty new to the industry and so I haven’t had to face any particularly difficult
situations where decision making was required, however whenever I do need to decide on something
for my future I try to think of what the Adela at the very beginning of her career would say on the
matter, along with the knowledge that I’ve gained through my experiences to guide me. I don’t want
to lose too much of myself.
CSM: Do people get intimidated by you and your work? How do you handle that situation?
ADELA: I’m not sure if I’m the person to ask if people are intimidated by me…it isn’t something I
think I would be aware of if ever people were. I think I’m approachable and I try to be friendly and
polite to everyone I meet, but I’ll never be able to gage other people’s perceptions of me.
CSM: Who is the person that gave you a huge impact in your life and why is that person is vital?
ADELA: Definitely my mum made the biggest impact on my life! My father has always travelled
abroad for work so I spent a lot of time with my mum whilst growing up and I think she’s been the
most significant individual in regards to shaping the type of woman I am today. She’s always sup-
ported me and often encouraged me in areas I may have been uncertain of. I owe a lot of what I have
achieved to her.
CSM: How do you set goals for yourself?
ADELA: I like to keep my goals fairly abstract. I have ideas of what I want to achieve in a very
conceptual way but I don’t like to plan too much. Someone once told me that the easiest way to make
God laugh is to tell him your plans. I think there is a plan for me but it is up to me to be receptive to
the right opportunities for me.
CSM: You work as a model and social media influencer. What exactly motivates you and how do
you do it?
ADELA: I don’t really consider myself a social media influencer. I hear that a lot but social media is
not my job, it is only a part of it. I am highly aware of the fact that social media plays a really large
role in the modelling industry these days as someone is more likely to have seen a picture of me on
Instagram than they are to have seen me in a magazine spread…but to say I work as a social media
influencer may imply it’s my job and I make money from it, I don’t.
What motivated me to model is the artistic expression, I really enjoy transforming through clothes
and makeup and bringing to life the imaginations of photographers, designers and creative directors.
I think I’ve always like the idea of becoming someone else besides myself, I firmly believe modelling is
like a still form of acting. Along with this, I understand popularity is a side-effect of being successful
at what I do and so I try to be the best role model I can, as I understand the majority of my supporters
are young people and even though having an “influence,” isn’t something I necessarily signed up for,
I hope that I can positively have an effect on them.
CSM: What is the true nature of being sexy and an eye-catching individual?
ADELA: I’m not sure I’m the right person to ask about this, it probably depends on the individual but
I think being comfortable in your own skin and who you are is a part of it (laughs).
CSM: The industry you are in right now is very fast-paced, full of competition and full of talent
and unavoidable politics at times. What makes you stand out and how do you keep up with talented
people around you?
ADELA: I don’t. I don’t really pay too much attention to other people in my field anymore. At the
start of my career I really became obsessed with, “this person started at the same time as me but now
they’re more successful,” or “what does this person have that I don’t?” That’s really damaging and
I think the only person you should compare yourself to is the person you were yesterday. When I was
competing in Asia’s Next Top Model I was often asked who I thought was my biggest competition, and
I would always answer, “myself.” This wasn’t coming from a cocky place but more that I knew that if
I was in my own head too much I wouldn’t be able to grow.
CSM: Work-wise, what does it take to be successful in this type of profession?
ADELA: Being polite, being genuine, and being earnest. I think people outside of the industry have a
tendency to underestimate how much networking plays a role in booking jobs. You might be the pret-