Iskra Lawrence has never been one to fit into just one box.
Before becoming a champion of body diversity and self-care, the British model was told she was "too big" for straight-size modeling, but "not big enough" for plus-modeling.
"I quickly found out that when you set a goal that isn't your own, you're going to continue to fail over and over and start to realize what's wrong with you," she exclusively told E! News. "I constantly faced rejection and no's."
But as a new mom to a 9-month-old baby, Iskra is determined to grow from her past experiences and raise children who believe they can do anything in this world.
"We definitely do affirmations already," she explained. "We talk about how you are capable of being whoever you want to be. We've been very considerate about gender and how we talk about it…We've just been very considerate and open."
Iskra explained that she didn't have a sex reveal party with her partner Philip Payne in case their child has a "different decision on who he wants to be." Both parents are also considerate that their child is biracial.
"We've been talking about race. We've gotten some fantastic books by Black authors and make sure that we're showing him all the different parts of him and that they are beautiful," she said. "We love and celebrate it…We make sure that the little daycare he went to was diverse and we're looking into when he goes out into the environment and does more activities, to make sure that it's diverse too."
Iskra also hopes to raise children who know that whatever mental health space they find themselves in, there is always help.
On Feb. 27, the model will be a speaker at BodCon 2022, a one-day virtual conference focused on body confidence and radical self-acceptance. Both Iskra and event organizers hope to spark conversation that will have a lasting impact on how people view their mind, body and soul. For Iskra, personally, she said she plans to touch upon her recovery from having an eating disorder of body dysmorphia, and what her personal journey looked like.
"I feel like everyone has not felt enough. And being vulnerable and open about that hopefully allows people to feel seen and heard," she said. "I talk about the steps I took and the tools that I've put in my toolkit to try and consistently look after myself, which sometimes is a struggle."
These days, Iskra is empowered by who she is and the work she has accomplished. In addition to her role as one of Aerie's Role Models, the businesswoman also co-founded Saltair, a skincare brand for not just your face but your entire body.
"My value system is not just based on appearance or popularity or likes. It really is based upon the good that I can put out there and the positivity I can have on the people around me and my community online," she said. "I've worked very hard to provide for my family…We have to make sure that our child knows that he still needs to have a work ethic and just be motivated to build something for himself and have a passion."
And while her parenthood journey hasn't been easy—she's faced mom shamers online and questioned if she was enough—Iskra hopes to spread a positive message to women feeling the pressure to do it all.
"I want everyone to know you were created to be exactly who you are right now. And as you develop and grow, even if you feel alone, even if you don't feel enough, you will start to build your sense of self and you will find your community," Iskra said. "You have to fit in building your own definition of who you are and what you want to be and going out and finding that community."
"There are people who are just like you," she said. "You're not alone."