We spoke with entrepreneur and model Sydney Reed—Birdies’ very first model and the model for our most recent photoshoot—about her very personal experience as a fire survivor that’s driven her to boldly chart her own course. Inspired by her mother, who’s always instilled in her that she can achieve anything she dreams of, the Bay Area native hopes to start a nonprofit to help other fire victims and their families. “The cause is super important to me because my family and I lost our home to a large fire many years ago,” Sydney says. “If I can help other families during that difficult time, just as many foundations helped us, then I will feel like I’ve accomplished something good in my life.” Sydney also plans to launch a blog this Spring. Here, she tells us what being bold means to her and how Birdies make her feel bright, bold, and confident.
1. What is your definition of bold and how do you incorporate this into your day-to-day?
My definition of bold is to live life loudly, not settle for anything that doesn’t meet my standards, and not feel bad for requiring a lot of myself and the people around me. Every morning I wake up and meditate for at least 5 minutes. After my meditation, I write out the list of things I need to do for the day and get started.
2. What’s a bold move you’ve made in your life?
A bold move that I’ve made is choosing entrepreneurship. I was so nervous but I’m so glad that I did it. Being an entrepreneur is scary because there is no safety net. My decision has made me bet on myself…and I couldn’t be happier.
3. What’s one way you plan to make a bold move this year?
One way I’m planning to move boldly this year is to finally launch my blog and YouTube channel. For years I was afraid of judgment, and I finally feel like now is the right time to not allow my fear to control me.
4. What advice would you give future generations of women to live boldly and with purpose?
Take a look and study the generations of women before you so that you can learn from everything they have done. This way you’ll be able to move farther and faster than we were able to. Our job is to guide you to be better, and I hope I’m doing that.
5. How do Birdies make you feel bright, bold, and confident?
Birdies make me feel really great. The comfort, style, and flair of each shoe help me feel confident. (In these photos, Sydney is wearing The Blackbird flat in eggshell.)
Sydney is part of our Bold Women series, featuring and celebrating women who embody what it means to be bold inside and out. In this series, they share their stories of success and how Birdies help them soar.
