A New Generation of Empowered Women – Bay, Batrisyia and Ivor
Happy International Women's Day! Today marks 111 years since the very first International Women's Day. A lot has changed, evolved and developed for women and the world continues to grow for women.
This year's title is #BreakTheBias, where we want to challenge stereotypes limiting women and girls. To #BreakTheBias, we sat down and spoke to six powerful women in various industries and learned how they are going against stereotypes and breaking limits.
Bay Doucet (@baydoucet)
Please tell us briefly about yourself.
I'm a 24-year-old content creator and model, and proud cat mom. I'm always looking forward to starting my day with coffee, listening to my Discover Weekly playlist on Mondays and treating myself to flowers every once in a while. I love experimenting with self-portraits through my work and capturing emotions and stories through videos.
Do you find work-life balance difficult in the creative industry?
Sometimes, but I try to make it a priority to take breaks to rest and do nothing. It helps my creative process to have time to zone out and daydream.
What empowers you in the design process or content creation in general?
I enjoy seeing the process of creating from beginning to end. From the first fleeting thought of an idea to the planning and execution. I think content creation is something I enjoy, mainly because I often get to work as a one-(wo)man team. Having the space to create, explore and work through ideas by myself is a process that feels fulfilling and empowering to me.
Is there anyone that inspires you in your career?
There are so many incredible people who keep me inspired daily, but to name a few: @mandygioh, @alyssainthecity, @cocobaudelle, @thatschic, @martine and too many more to count.
If you could have dinner with three inspirational women, dead or alive, who would they be and why?
My mother, because I love having dinners with her and being able to talk about anything, always. Taylor Swift, because I have to live out my teenage dreams. Alie Ward, the host of the Ologies podcast, because I feel like she knows so much about so many things and it would be so much fun to talk to her.
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Batrisyia (@bae.trisyia)
Please tell us briefly about yourself.
I'm Batrisyia, a model by day and a comedic content creator by night. I really enjoy exploring different creative pursuits and trying new things. In my free time, you can probably catch me at home playing video games, watching films and sometimes writing about them after.
What’s the biggest challenge of modelling and content creation at the same time?
I think the biggest challenge for both modelling and content creation is the fact that I need to constantly put myself out there everyday, even if I don't feel like it. Confidence plays a big part in my career, and sometimes well, we're not always confident, haha! So I try to give myself breaks and time off social media when I can. I had to learn that it's okay not to be at your very best everyday because we're only human!
What is the most important piece of advice you have been given?
Do something to improve yourself each day, even if it's small!
Is there anyone that inspires you in your career?
Aditi Mayer, a model as well as a sustainable fashion blogger, photojournalist, labour rights activist and frequent speaker on topics of social and environmental justice. Since I am also a fashion model who studied Journalism and interested in climate justice topics, her work really resonates with my passion and interests.
If you could have dinner with three inspirational women, dead or alive, who would they be and why?
Jameela Jamil, Zendaya and Maya Angelou. Jameela Jamil because aside from acting, she uses her fame to inspire confidence in women and young girls, advocating for greater discussion around body image. She's also really funny and I always enjoy listening to her speak. Zendaya, I honestly just want a reason to have dinner with her! I love her acting, style, and personality -an all-time girl crush. As for Maya Angelou, I've always found her story to be very powerful and inspiring. My friend once shared her quotes with me when I wasn't feeling my best, and since then, I keep going back to Angelou's writing.
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Ivor Xian (@ivor_xianz)
Please tell us briefly about yourself.
I’m Ivor. I used to practice as a lawyer, but I’ve always had a stronger passion for creating videos such as YouTube content. So when the world was put on pause thanks to Covid, I had the opportunity to be creative and chase after my passion. That’s when I even got to try TikTok and I’ve been posting daily ever since.
What are you most proud of doing?
Getting out of my comfort zone and doing something that I’m passionate about - video creatives!
What is a common misconception people have about business owners?
I think mainly when it comes to local business owners here in Malaysia, the public would often think that we raise our prices just to have profits. They do not know the time, effort, and investment that was put in the whole process of creating the business.
Have you faced any barriers in your career due to being a woman? If so, how did you overcome them?
Yes, I've been doubted by people thinking that a female video editor in the creative industry is often less competent than a male video editor. But somehow, the outcome of my videos and ability to trim clips to draw the audience's attention has shown them that female video editors do exist and we’re just as good or probably better than our male counterparts!
If you could have dinner with three inspirational women, dead or alive, who would they be and why?
Megan Fox because her spiritual energy is just all positive vibes! Emma Chamberlain, as I admire her authenticity as a Youtuber that is often rare to find in the social media industry. And finally, Rihanna. From being an iconic artist to owning her own brand and becoming the one of the highest earning women in the world, she’s a true inspiration.
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