Jessica Rae
Rae Model & Talent Agency
San Francisco, CA USA
"Don’t listen to anybody’s story with a comparison because your life is your life and your journey is your journey."
Career Roadmap
Jessica's work combines: Music, Art, and Being Creative
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Speech and Communications
San Francisco State University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
From a very young age, I knew that dance, music, and movement were in my blood.
2.
In college, I juggled go-go dancing and catering gigs to support myself while dreaming of building something of my own.
3.
At 19, I launched my first dance company with four performers, which quickly grew to a 50-person squad performing in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.
4.
After facing rejection from traditional modeling agencies, I created my own—one that welcomes all bodies, stories, and backgrounds.
5.
I sat on the steps of a Union Square building until the landlord gave me a shot, and that became my first real studio space.
6.
I turned my dance company into a home for working artists, giving dancers steady income through teaching and agency gigs.
7.
Today, I lead a thriving model and talent agency, a dance studio, and city-sponsored community classes.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
You're not fit to build your business here.
How I responded:
Because I work in the arts, which don't typically have a high gross sale, it's challenging to prove that I'm fit for the economic background for a business space. Without a financial safety net, I was told I didn’t qualify for a space I knew was meant for me. So I waited on the stairs to speak directly to the landlord. I showed up, shared my vision, and he took a chance on me. That space became the heart of everything I’ve built.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
When the COVID pandemic hit, I really struggled financially and almost had to shut everything down. Rather than give up, I reminded myself why I started. I asked for rent forgiveness, pivoted to Zoom, and kept showing up.