--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I became successful as a model in…" description: "\"When I became successful as a model in the United States, I knew that my chance to be heard had come and so I took it.\" — Waris Dirie" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/waris-dirie-18358_chance_when-i-became-successful-as-a-model-in-t_3112364.png" --- # When I became successful as a model in the United States… ![“When I became successful as a model in the United States, I knew that my chance to be heard had come and so I took it.” quote by Waris Dirie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/waris-dirie-18358_chance_when-i-became-successful-as-a-model-in-t_3112364.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/waris-dirie-18358_chance_when-i-became-successful-as-a-model-in-t_3112364.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/waris-dirie-18358_chance_when-i-became-successful-as-a-model-in-t_3112364.png) > “When I became successful as a model in the United States, I knew that my chance to be heard had come and so I took it.” [Waris Dirie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waris-dirie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seizing a platform after success allows one to amplify important messages and drive change. **In simple terms:** Use success to speak out. Key Takeaway Leverage fame for advocacy. Themes activism media empowerment career voice Mood inspirational determined Type personal activist When to use this quote - fashion industry - human rights campaigns - media interviews - public speaking events Key Concepts social justice personal branding public speaking Questions to Reflect On - How can you stay authentic while in the spotlight? - What topics deserve your platform? A Different Perspective Success may bring scrutiny that can dilute the message. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [“It was more important for me to try, than to not have the chance at all. Where had I heard that before?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-donovan/it-was-more-important-for-me-to-try-than-to-not-have-the-chance-at/) [Rebecca Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-donovan/) > [“I felt rather than heard someone come up behind me and I didn’t have to wonder who. My vagina had just gotten a heartbeat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-chance/i-felt-rather-than-heard-someone-come-up-behind-me-and-i-didn-t-have/) [Karen Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-chance/) > [Since I have been called up I think I have heard from everyone I have ever come into contact with in football, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrone-mings/since-i-have-been-called-up-i-think-i-have-heard-from-everyone-i-have/) [Tyrone Mings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrone-mings/) > [Successful model? That's a myth. The year I modeled was the most painful year of my life. Editors would always talk to you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-lange/successful-model-that-s-a-myth-the-year-i-modeled-was-the-most/) [Jessica Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-lange/) > [Every person in the world while working as a successful model to show personality. Who better than his father could be the ideal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/every-person-in-the-world-while-working-as-a-successful-model-to-show/) Mak\_786 > [Hard work is not why I have been successful as a model.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-russell/hard-work-is-not-why-i-have-been-successful-as-a-model/) [Cameron Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-russell/) > [Modeling was another job like some of the other ones I had. Working as a cashier, I delivered newspapers, I worked in a retirement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-ireland/modeling-was-another-job-like-some-of-the-other-ones-i-had-working-as/) [Kathy Ireland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-ireland/) > [Rejection is, of course, part of any successful model's career, as ironic as that sounds. 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Having gone through this cruel practice and all the long-term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waris-dirie/well-of-course-there-s-my-own-experience-of-being-mutilated-as-a/) [Waris Dirie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waris-dirie/) > [Laws are important. But they can only be effective if the people know about the particular laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waris-dirie/laws-are-important-but-they-can-only-be-effective-if-the-people-know/) [Waris Dirie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waris-dirie/) > [Female genital mutilation targets little girls, baby girls - fragile angels who are helpless, who cannot fight back. It's a crime against a child,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waris-dirie/female-genital-mutilation-targets-little-girls-baby-girls-fragile/) [Waris Dirie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waris-dirie/) > [I've never been one to stay still. I was born a nomad, and I still am a nomad and always will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waris-dirie/i-ve-never-been-one-to-stay-still-i-was-born-a-nomad-and-i-still-am-a/) [Waris Dirie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waris-dirie/) [Explore all 35 Waris Dirie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waris-dirie/) ## More Chance quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I understand it's promotion, but no one ever gave me a chance. 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With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/) [Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's not who, it's when”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-taubas/it-s-not-who-it-s-when/) Alejandro Taubas > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I thought my first few jobs would just be off, off, off, off, off broadway. And by chance and how the world works, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dorfman/i-thought-my-first-few-jobs-would-just-be-off-off-off-off-off/) [Tommy Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dorfman/) > [If you’re worrying about the past, you’ve got a good chance of screwing up the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-a-tullman/if-you-re-worrying-about-the-past-you-ve-got-a-good-chance-of/) [Howard A. Tullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-a-tullman/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) [Browse all 12,460 Chance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I became successful as a model in the United States, I knew that my chance to be heard had come and so I took it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Waris Dirie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waris-dirie/when-i-became-successful-as-a-model-in-the-united-states-i-knew-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waris-dirie/when-i-became-successful-as-a-model-in-the-united-states-i-knew-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/waris-dirie-18358_chance_when-i-became-successful-as-a-model-in-t_3112364.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/waris-dirie-18358_chance_when-i-became-successful-as-a-model-in-t_3112364.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/waris-dirie-18358_chance_when-i-became-successful-as-a-model-in-t_3112364.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I became successful as a model in the United States, I knew that my chance to be heard had come and so…” — Waris Dirie", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Waris Dirie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waris-dirie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I became successful as a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waris-dirie/when-i-became-successful-as-a-model-in-the-united-states-i-knew-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waris-dirie/when-i-became-successful-as-a-model-in-the-united-states-i-knew-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```