Meet Sydney Sarayeva – Playboy’s First Transgender Centerfold

Society has shaped us to see people who are transgender as less deserving individuals, especially in some careers such as modeling and acting. The stigmatization and discrimination they face have been a barrier to discovering these individuals’ talents. Only those who are confident enough and are ready to fight for their space can bring their best talents to the world. An excellent example of a transgender individual who has overcome many hurdles to rise to the top echelon is Sydney Sarayeva.

Sydney is an actress, model, writer, content creator, and influencer. She is a first-generation Canadian of Russian origin. She graduated from Earl Haig Secondary School with a certificate in drama. During high school, she was diagnosed with gender dysphoria, where she was gendered male and expected to act like a man. Yet, she didn’t feel comfortable hiding her feminine body and needed to transition and embrace the feminine side. Sydney says she transitioned successfully through the help of other transgender people. Before her transition, she was frequently featured as background talent until she pursued principal roles and ad campaigns post-transition.

Sydney has become the pacesetter for all others battling the issue of being transgender. She illustrates that self-acceptance is important and that despite being transgender, you can scale to matchless heights. Her most notable career highlight was being represented by one of Toronto’s top agencies, Le Drew Models. She rose to fame by being the first transgender model for the Sally Hansen Beauty Campaign, Shetopia, and #EveryWomanCampaign. Also, she has done some diverse brand representation for Knix. Cementing her space in the modeling industry, Sydney is the first transgender Playboy centerfold model.

Being transgender, Sydney faced challenges in her career. She says the most significant hurdle she dealt with is being tokenized. Many organizations hire her to provide criticism for not hiring transgenders and not because they appreciate them for who they are. “So often I find myself in situations where I’m pushed to do certain roles or take certain shoots where I’m essentially being exploited for being trans,” she says. She has also gotten roles that promote diversity without actual inclusion in mainstream media. However, she has overcome this by choosing to work on her craft, building her confidence, and pursuing the same job as everyone else.

Sydney shares her story to inspire everyone out there who feels they aren’t competent enough because they are transgender. She encourages them never to stop thinking they can’t do something because they are different. Being different is what makes them unique. More importantly, Sydney encourages people to believe in their abilities, which translates to confidence and presence. “Just being visible, open, and being an accessible role model for people in your position can truly change the world in more ways than a lot of people think is possible,” she adds.

As she continues to soar higher in her acting and modeling careers, she hopes to represent transgender people as equally talented and deserving. Sydney’s ultimate goal is to get a platform to create meaningful change and be a voice for transgender women. She envisions getting more casting roles in the mainstream media and being the face of Playboy’s lingerie campaign.

Entertainment

Get Lost in the Romance: A Review of the Latest Must-Read YA Novel

Are you ready to get lost in a whirlwind of teenage romance? Look no further than Sevan Minaskanian‘s debut novel, Winter Time, the first book in her Winter Saga series. As a young adult (YA) contemporary romance author, Minaskanian has crafted a compelling story to make you feel all the emotions. From the first page, you’ll be transported into the world of Victoria Evans, a sixteen-year-old girl trying to navigate the challenges of high school while dreaming of a better life. With a touch of humor, intriguing characters, and surprising plot twists, Winter Time is a must-read for anyone looking for a heartfelt and heartwarming romance.

Winter Time tells the story of Victoria, who silently endures verbal and emotional abuse from bullies at St. Paul’s private school in Magnolia Springs, California. Despite her posh lifestyle and love for daydreaming about happy romances, Victoria feels helpless until she convinces her friends to go on a winter forest trip. It is there that she meets William Winter from England.

What follows is a heartwarming and emotional tale that immediately captures the reader’s attention. Minaskanian’s writing is refreshing and filled with surprising plot twists, and her ability to create relatable characters that evoke strong emotions in readers is genuinely remarkable.

A case in point is that Winter Time is currently the number one Young Adult Romance and clean and wholesome fiction novel on IngramSpark, an impressive feat for a debut novel. The book has also been released on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, where it has garnered rave reviews from readers who can’t get enough of the Winter Saga.

What distinguishes Winter Time from other contemporary YA romance novels is Minaskanian’s ability to tackle complex subjects such as bullying and abuse in a sensitive yet impactful way. In addition, the author’s message that love is all around us and can be found in unexpected places is powerful and will resonate with readers long after they finish the book.

That love stands out as the driving force in Minaskanian’s books and her own life. A proud Armenian-American, Minaskanian got her gift of writing from her father, whom she deeply admired for his wisdom and knowledge. With her quick and creative solutions to life’s challenges, her mother taught Minaskanian how to keep calm by turning difficult situations into life stories. Family and God are also a vital part of Minaskanian’s life. The lifelong book lover and Elvis aficionado lives in California with her husband and two children.

With Minaskanian’s Winter Time available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, IngramSpark, and over 200 bookstores, her book signing tour has been an enormous success, with her first signings in Burbank, CA, and Valencia, CA, selling out within hours. The author has several signings planned for March, April, May, and June, which is a testament to the popularity of the Winter Saga series.

Winter Time is a must-read for anyone who loves YA contemporary romance novels. The book is well-written and filled with intriguing and relatable characters. But, perhaps most important to the author, her motto of living an authentic life and following your dreams is readily apparent throughout Winter Time. Readers who are excited to see what Sevan Minaskanian has planned for them next can follow her on Instagram. For interviews or more information, please contact Vick at vixmarketingllc@gmail.com.

Entertainment

1 Million Followers in a Year: Melina Cherry’s Ambitious Quest for TikTok Stardom

Social media is one of the vibrant digital spaces promoting talents, especially young people. Content creators who are consistent and authentic have managed to capture the attention of their fans. TikTok has been on the front line to ensure young people can bring their creative side to the world. Young people who have discovered the art of remaining relevant in this arena are making a fortune and inspiring others yet to bring their best to the world. Melina Cherry is a social media influencer, a multi-published model, and the digital environment’s new face.

The talented Melina’s journey in the social media sphere began six months ago when she created a TikTok account. Every journey begins with taking a step, and the small steps we take in the right direction eventually lead us to our dreams. However, these steps must remain consistent and bring a new wave to the audience. Melina’s determination to bring her hobby and talent to the world as a profession was driven by passion. She challenged herself to get 1M followers, and in under one year, she got over 273M views on TikTok.

At 23, Melina gained a vast audience on her TikTok account and her Instagram account, where she enjoys a following of over 83K followers. Her authenticity and high-end fashion have brought her to light. In one of her viral TikTok videos, she also demonstrates her love for animals, especially horses, which is a plus because many women are only fashion-centered. Additionally, she has perfected her modeling wear, especially lingerie which emphasizes her curvy body.

However, Melina’s journey as an outstanding icon in the modeling industry was challenging. Her most significant hurdle was when she got fired from her real estate job when a client recognized her from a lingerie magazine. “I was doing very well and had a lot of monthly payments, I had to find a way to make it work fast,” she says.

Hard work and perseverance will always take you to the top echelon in any industry. Through resilience and hard work, Melina has experienced incredible growth from 0 followers to an average of 3-4 million views per week. Although she says it takes a lot of work, the results are worthwhile. She now wants other young influencers to know that everything is possible. What may have taken other renowned influencers years to build may take a shorter time; you only have to put your best foot forward and give your best. Additionally, Melina believes if you want to thrive in this career, you must shun any negativity that comes your way.

There is no doubt Melina is made for greatness, and she will continue to soar high in her modeling career. She aspires to continue growing her social media, make a fortune from it, and consequently build a real estate empire. She envisions herself growing to become a brand ambassador for renowned brands. Melina also hopes to inspire other young people afraid of bringing their talents to the world to make bold moves and earn a living from social media.

Former LEO turned Martial Arts Expert, Matt Kelly Shares 7 Steps to Purposeful Living

Matt Patrick Kelly is a man of many talents. He is a published author, a poet, a former law enforcement officer, SWAT team member, Defensive Tactics, and Firearms Instructor with over 40 years of martial arts experience. Through his experiences, Kelly has gained insights and knowledge that he now shares with others through his speaking engagements and the Order of the Iron Rings, a community of like-minded individuals dedicated to living with purpose.

Kelly draws from his extensive experience in law enforcement and martial arts to help people achieve self-empowerment and live a more fulfilling life. He believes that everyone has the potential to live with purpose, but it takes dedication and effort to achieve that goal. In his speaking engagements, Kelly shares seven steps for a fulfilling life, which include finding a meaningful cause, seeking mastery in all pursuits, surrounding yourself with great people, being positive, getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, having gratitude, and believing in something greater than yourself.

Here are the steps towards finding a purposeful life

Find a meaningful cause.

This could be creating one or joining one that is true and meaningful. Giving from the heart is important, and a true and just cause should also give you tenets by which to live and act. This step can be a challenging one, but it is essential for those who want to live with purpose.

Seek mastery in all worthy pursuits.

Kelly believes that people should be the best they can be at what is important to them. This requires living in the present and building a future, not looking in the rear-view mirror, remembering past glory days. Kelly encourages people to look to true, inspiring, and driven real people that are better than them. These examples should not discourage but encourage.

Surround yourself with great people is the third step towards a purposeful life.

Kelly believes that iron sharpens iron, and people are the sum total of the people they hang out with. It is essential to surround oneself with people who challenge and inspire them to be better.

Be positive.

Kelly believes that it is too easy to be negative about everything and see nothing but the bad. The media and government are experts at this, designed to kill one’s spirit, cause fear, and make people dependent on their solutions. It takes training and time to flip this habitual way of thinking for the positive, but it can be done. If steps one, two, and three are already in place, this step becomes easier.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Kelly believes that growth is not easy, or everyone would be the best version of themselves. It requires challenging oneself, waking up earlier, working out, having a daily routine, learning, reading, acting, and meditating.

Have gratitude.

This means being grateful for what you have, where you are, and doing things as a role model to help others so that they can also experience gratitude.

Believe in something greater than yourself.

Matt Patrick Kelly believes that this means believing in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and Christian values. This step provides people with a sense of purpose that goes beyond themselves, connecting them with something greater and more significant.

Kelly’s seven steps are designed to help people live with purpose and meaning. They are based on his extensive experience in law enforcement and martial arts, which has taught him the importance of self-empowerment and capability. Through his work with the Order of the Iron Rings, Kelly helps people from all walks of life gain the skills and attributes they need to live in an unpredictable world more fearlessly.