As part of the Morning Lazziness series highlighting empowering women who are making a remarkable impact with their ideas, I had the pleasure of interviewing Monique Jeremiah.
Monique Jeremiah is the founder and innovator behind Diversity Models, Australia’s first-ever NDIS Registered Provider modelling agency for people with disabilities. Driven by her passion for inclusion and mentorship, Monique is reshaping the modelling industry by championing visibility, confidence, and open employment opportunities for people of all abilities.
In addition to the agency, she launched Diversity Models Academy — a unique experiential learning and deportment school designed specifically for NDIS participants. Through immersive weekend workshops, the Academy nurtures social skills, personal confidence, grooming, employability, and industry knowledge, while fostering genuine networks. Her programs are celebrated for being inclusive, empowering, and transformative, giving participants the tools to shine both on and off the runway.
Backed by tertiary qualifications in HR, Industrial Relations, and training, alongside a 13-year entrepreneurial career in education and recruitment, Monique brings together her expertise in PR, marketing, and commercial modelling to drive change with purpose. Diversity Models is not just her business — it is her passion project, dedicated to breaking barriers, challenging expectations, and building a more inclusive future for the fashion and creative industries.
In this interview, she discusses her entrepreneurial evolution, from early struggles to the achievements that shaped her online business success.
What inspired you to start your business, and what problem were you passionate about solving?
I started Diversity Models as no modelling agency in Australia initially specialised in diversity. Diversity Models then evolved to be the first modelling agency in the country specialising in disability models, 6 months later as I realised the lack of inclusion and representation of people with disabilities in the media and modelling industry. The company was started because I knew my strengths and entrepreneurial history lay in commercial modelling, media, marketing, and recruitment. Being a trailblazer entrepreneur, I went all-in to put people with disabilities into the spotlight to create meaningful employment opportunities through modelling, build their personal confidence and start their careers.
How has your business evolved since its launch, and what key decisions have helped drive that growth?
Upon the pivotal moment to specialise in disabilities, we went through full registration process to become an NDIS registered provider as the first modelling agency in Australia with this recognition. This decision was made as I believe wholeheartedly in doing everything 1000%, all in or nothing. Diversity Models Academy Retreat was developed in 2024 to start our modelling and deportment school for people with disabilities.
In your view, what truly sets your brand apart in today’s competitive market?
Diversity Models is the pioneering Australian agency specialising in casting disability models. We are the most innovative modelling agency, as we not only mentor and train models through Diversity Models Academy, but we also create disability employment opportunities through Diversity Models. Therefore, we are a unique recruitment agency and creative agency combined.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to date, and why do you think it worked so well?
Our most effective marketing has been through our constant social media content creation and distribution to ensure our models are constantly seen.
How do you stay connected to your ideal audience and understand their needs or behaviors?
We constantly communicate with our ideal audience and present opportunities where they can be employed or be engaged direct by and to our potential clients who will book them. We use a combination of marketing and PR in the mainstream and disability sectors to attract attention. We ask them their goals, what they can do and then we respond accordingly to create modelling and media opportunities.
What’s one branding move or campaign that helped elevate your business to the next level?
We created Diversity Models Academy weekend workshops which allow us to mentor our models intensively over a full stay weekend and then we capture the content and then we publish it everywhere across our social media campaigns to build their visibility, engagement, and exposure.
What does success look like for you, not just in numbers, but in purpose or impact?
We are the most purpose-driven modelling agency in Australia as we not only operate as a modelling agency, but we a care agency which goes above and beyond to help build the dreams, goals and confidence of our models through media and modelling and events. Success to us is when our models are booked for employment, when they get the opportunities to shine and when they refer us and share what we do to their networks. We aim for every model within Diversity Models to succeed in their own way.
How do you personally define success, beyond revenue and growth metrics?
Success to me is being remembered for creating a huge change in society, for going against the norm and doing what others never aspired to do and doing it very well. Success is being the innovator and the leader of impact, whilst of course enjoying a good work life balance.
Can you share a challenge or setback that ultimately became a turning point for your brand?
A setback we have faced is when NDIS has tightened the reigns on applications to join our agency. As a result, we have to communicate very clearly to ensure they understand how our modelling agency is making the most positive and incredible in the life of people with disabilities who join us. We may be a creative and social NDIS company, but we are just as powerful and useful as a clinical business in fixing challenges for NDIS participants.
What daily habits or rituals keep you focused, creative, and grounded as a leader?
I always have my 7-day-a-week routine of morning coffee, lunch, and afternoon non-alcoholic drink in 3 different café/restaurants with my laptop attached to my waist, to keep me mentally stimulated and social so I don’t fall asleep staring at a screen (when I’m not on shoots or at events). I stay creative by changing my physical environments and travelling and working from pleasant places to keep me motivated. I also listen to business/entrepreneurial practical training on YouTube almost 5 hours a day to keep me sharp in my marketing, media, PR and business skillset and to push me to achieve and learn constantly. To stay grounded, I do not live outside my means, I stay humble and give everyone my time and respect. I do not call myself a CEO.
How do you approach innovation and risk in your business strategy?
I constantly innovate and I always listen to ideas from my models or businesses around me who make suggestions. I learn from my environment always. I respond to risk immediately and swiftly.
What advice would you give to someone starting a business in today’s fast-changing digital world?
I would say learn organic marketing and social media immediately and focused on producing content every single day, at least 2 to 3 times a day to stay in people’s faces and minds, so they want to meet you in person. Always ask people how did they find out about you or your business so you understand what marketing/ PR is working.
Where can our audience connect with you and learn more about your work or offerings?
- Instagram Page: Diversity_models_australia
- Facebook Page: Diversity Models
- Website
