Beauty, when wielded with purpose, becomes something far more potent than mere aesthetics. Just ask Brenda Payne. Her knowing smile on this month’s Excellence cover hints at someone who’s discovered this truth firsthand. Payne has quietly—then not so quietly—rewritten the rules of an industry notorious for its rigidity.
“I never set out to be revolutionary,” Payne explains with a slight eye-roll, fiddling with her silver bracelet as afternoon light filters through her Manhattan office windows. She pauses, searching for the right words. “I simply wanted autonomy over my career and the ability to define success on my own terms. God knows nobody else was going to do it for me.”
What began as a conventional modeling career has morphed, somewhat haphazardly at first, into a multifaceted empire. Payne, who started modeling at 17 (though she swears she lied about her age to her first agent), quickly recognized the industry’s suffocating limitations. Her coffee grows cold as she recalls those early days. Rather than accepting the traditional path—that brief, glittering window of visibility followed by the industry’s favorite word: “next”—she strategically leveraged her platform to build something that wouldn’t vanish with the season’s trends.
“The runway was just the beginning,” she says with characteristic directness. “I saw it as a launching pad, not a destination.”
By 25, Payne had founded her first business venture, a skincare line developed from her grandmother’s natural remedies and modernized with cutting-edge science. Within three years, the brand secured distribution in major retailers worldwide. This was followed by a wellness app that has garnered over four million downloads, a podcast exploring the intersection of beauty and entrepreneurship, and most recently, a venture capital fund supporting women-led startups.
Her daily routine—which she admits she sometimes throws out the window during fashion week—reveals the discipline behind her success. Rising around 5:15 AM (she hates even her own rules sometimes), Payne begins with meditation and messy, stream-of-consciousness journaling, followed by a workout with her trainer of eight years. “Consistency creates excellence… or at least keeps me sane,” she notes, suppressing a yawn. “The quiet morning hours are where I connect with myself before my phone explodes and everyone wants a piece of me.”
Industry insiders—the ones who’ll actually speak candidly off the record—point to Payne’s stubborn authenticity as her most valuable asset. “What makes Brenda exceptional isn’t just her business savvy, it’s her refusal to compartmentalize,” explains fashion editor Sophia Chen, who’s known Payne since her second Vogue shoot. Chen leans forward, elbows on the table. “She brings her whole self to everything she does—vulnerability alongside strength, ambition alongside compassion. And trust me, that’s rare as hell in this business.”
With over 3.8 million followers across platforms, Payne’s digital presence has become as influential as her physical one. You can follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, where she shares everything from behind-the-scenes glimpses of photo shoots to candid discussions about entrepreneurship challenges.
This holistic approach extends to her advocacy work. Payne has been outspoken about transparency in modeling contracts, sustainable practices in the beauty industry, and creating pathways for underrepresented groups in fashion. Her foundation has provided scholarships to over 200 young women pursuing careers in business and creative fields.
“Success without purpose feels hollow,” Payne reflects, scrolling briefly through her packed calendar. “I’m interested in redefining not just how we look, but how we operate in the world.” Her latest TikTok series on ethical business practices has garnered millions of views, proving that substance can indeed be viral.
As fashion weeks transform and the personal brand becomes increasingly monetizable, Payne stands as both pioneer and mentor. Her masterclasses on personal branding routinely sell out, with participants ranging from aspiring models to established entrepreneurs seeking reinvention.
“The greatest misconception is that beauty and intelligence exist in opposition,” she says, just after posting a quick story to her Instagram thanking her team. “My career is built on refusing that false choice.”
At 34, with achievements spanning multiple industries, Payne remains refreshingly forward-looking, if a bit restless. When asked about her proudest accomplishment, she stares out the window for a moment, then smiles—a genuine one this time, not the camera-ready version. “It hasn’t happened yet,” she admits. “That probably sounds ungrateful, doesn’t it? But the best part of creating your own path is that there’s always new territory to explore.”
Our interview runs over by twenty minutes. Her assistant hovers nervously at the door, but Payne waves her away. “Five more minutes,” she mouths. In that small gesture—prioritizing completion over convenience—I glimpse the real source of her success. For Brenda Payne, the destination has never been the point. It’s the messy, beautiful, complicated journey that captivates her—and now, by extension, the rest of us.
