Check out our interview with TV personality, philanthropist, and divorce expert Keni Silva, who has become a red-carpet notable, including this year’s LACMA Gala, and is quickly growing as a press favorite. Keni is also a very successful former fashion model.
Keni is currently working on a book about her high-profile divorce, which is about to help women everywhere and disrupt the scary one-sided process of divorce by writing a guidebook on all the things you need to know to break up successfully.
Follow Keni @kenisilva_
Describe yourself in three words.
Ambitious, adventurous, and funny
Who has made the biggest impact on your life so far, and why?
I think becoming a mother changed my outlook on life and had the biggest impact. With motherhood, you realize you are becoming responsible for another person’s life. I started to look at things differently. Any decision I make will not only affect me but also the lives of my children. I can’t just take off or move places; I have to think about my children and their lives. I have to plan my future accordingly and be more careful of my decisions and the things I say and do, so they can be proud of me.
How and when did you start modeling?
I was 14 when I saw an ad about modeling school. I asked my mom if I could go there to become more confident, learn how to apply make-up, learn how to walk, and take pictures. Soon after, I signed a contract with a modeling agency in Moscow and my career began. I was very mature from a young age and modeling gave me the freedom and the ability to live in different parts of the world and to travel.
What is fun and rewarding about modeling? And what is not?
Traveling, meeting interesting people, and going to different events that most people can only read about in magazines are definitely benefits of modeling. However, it is definitely a very competitive field, and you have to be confident in yourself not to be discouraged.
What did you learn from your biggest failure?
I personally think there are no failures in life; some things are just not meant to be and some were given to us to learn lessons from in order to achieve greater success.
The most important thing when you are shooting is:
Be professional, be on time, be kind, and follow directions.
Now tell us about your upcoming book and what it’s about.
My upcoming book “Divorce As An Opportunity” is about explaining what divorce is, what comes with it, and tips on how to handle it. I want to show a different perspective that even though it is the end of your marriage, it’s a new beginning for your life and you need to start preparing for it during your divorce.
What’s your advice for young models and girls?
Confidence is the key to success, as is the ability to stand out in a crowd. Finding what makes you unique will make you feel more confident and will help you create your own unique personality that people will be attracted to. Always be nice and kind to everyone, because people will remember you for that.
What mindset helped make you so successful and popular?
I think some of my best qualities are being extremely ambitious, independent, and not afraid to start all over again. As they say, the most powerful people are the ones who can do everything themselves! I consider myself that. I was very independent early on. I don’t rely on anyone. I am not afraid to start over or get a new degree to start something new. I always have a positive attitude; even if it doesn’t work out, it was a stepping stone to something bigger and better!
What do you think is the secret to success?
First, you have to know what you really want. Persistence is the key; don’t give up. If you believe that you can do it, you can succeed at it.
What would you say are the greatest lessons you have learned so far?
Looking back at my life, I learned that everything happens for a reason. Even when something didn’t go the way I wanted, it was because something better was prepared for me. Learn to allow yourself to make mistakes and reward yourself for accomplishments.
Now tell us how the divorce process is going, how you keep moving forward in your life, what advice you would give to others who might be going through a similar experience, and how your support networks have helped you navigate this period.
I have been divorced for a year and a half. The biggest challenge for me was to admit to myself that I was not happy and that I wanted and deserved a change in my life. Divorce is not an easy process and is very emotionally draining. But it does get better. It’s like you are walking in a dark tunnel; it gets very dark before you start seeing the light, but you need to keep walking. For me, concentrating on my life after divorce helped me a lot to get through it.
Which place that you have visited do you think changed you in a particular way, maybe for motivation or to see a different reality, etc.?
I think India, when I went there, changed my mindset in so many ways. I realized that people don’t need much to be happy and seeing so much poverty made me also realize how blessed I am.
Tell us your top 3 countries to travel to.
Maldives for a beautiful vacation, India for an eye-opening and spiritual experience, and France for culture!
And which countries or cities are still on your bucket list?
I really want to go to Nepal and South Africa.
Which project is still on your bucket list?
I want to start a podcast interviewing women who achieved success later in life. I want to show people that you can start at any age and be successful if you really put your mind to it.
What advice would you give to your younger self, and why?
Learn to say no and not to apologize for it! I realized I spent so much time trying to please everybody and do things that people expected from me. For example, going to places or being a part of something I really didn’t care much about. Time is so precious; concentrate on what you like and want to do that has a meaning to you.
Name one of your strengths.
Being persistent and also very optimistic.
What’s your favorite form of cardio? And how often do you workout?
I love walking; it helps to clear my mind, especially when I am stressed. I love Pilates too.
Best advice ever given?
Take 24 hours to respond to or react to any information received, especially negative.
Do you support any charities?
Yes, I am on the board of the COSF organization, which supports kids cancer research. I also support Amfar and I recently started supporting the Baby2Baby organization.
Where can we follow you?
Instagram: @kenisilva_
