There was no magical moment when someone walked up and gave me permission to call myself a model. I practiced. I planned shoots. I learned what worked on camera. I submitted myself and kept showing up prepared.
Visibility comes after readiness.
Being overlooked does not mean you have nothing to offer. Sometimes it means the right people have not seen the clearest version of you yet. Your job is to build that version with intention.
Make three lists: what you already do well, what your current portfolio communicates, and the work you want next. The gaps between those lists are your next moves.