Keeping Up With... Sofia Richie.
The 21-year-old star is a force to be reckoned with, and her latest accomplishment couldn't be more proof. Gracing the cover of Cosmopolitan for its April issue, the Los Angeles native is stepping into her own spotlight after being in her famous father's shadow for far too long.
"When things were first starting, I was discouraged because everything I did was 'Lionel Richie's daughter,'" she expressed, while also appreciating her upbringing and family's legacy. "But it's hard branching out into my own person when I have such a powerful artist as a father."
She added, "My dad was always like, 'Once you find your thing, you'll move away from that,' and I feel like over the past couple of years, I found my lane in life to go the direction I want to go."
It's clear Sofia has found her own path, especially with the upcoming launch of her first-ever fashion line. Moreover, she's close with one of the most famous families in pop culture: the Kardashian-Jenners.
Aside from the fact that Sofia has been dating Scott Disick for over two years, she's become friends with his ex, Kourtney Kardashian, whom he shares three kids with—Mason Dash Disick, Penelope Scotland Disick and Reign Aston Disick.
Because the 21-year-old model has taken center stage in the spotlight, so has her personal life. That means she's constantly reading comments about her relationship, however, spoken like a true boss, she doesn't pay too much attention to all that negative energy.
"[It] doesn't bother me because I'm very happy," she told the publication about people who criticize her romance with Scott, who is 15 years older than her. "Why would I let someone from the middle of nowhere ruin that for me?"
"I just don't care what people think," she reiterated.
In fact, Sofia is focused on following the beat to her own drum and has even become close with Kourtney—how many people do you know who are close with their boo's ex? Last season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians showed the 21-year-old star vacationing with her beau and the Poosh founder in Finland.
Sofia's motto for keeping things cordial and light-hearted with Kourt? "I mean, just be nice," she put it simply. "There's no reason not to be nice."
That's not the only mature piece of advice the model and soon-to-be fashion mogul isn't afraid to share. On the topic of wellness and mental health, Sofia admitted that she suffers from anxiety, and she wants to use her platform to help others who might be going through the same thing as her.
"I feel like there's a space for me to talk about mental health, having dealt with severe anxiety," the 21-year-old said. "It was zero-to-a-hundred panic attacks."
She explained that her panic attacks can sometimes stem from "stupid things, like not having a water bottle in the car or getting stuck in traffic."
While she visited doctors, she explained that she didn't want to take any kind of prescription drugs so she turned to reading books and mediation.
"I read a lot of books, and once I figured out what I was doing to myself, I learned how to control it," she shared. "I would convince myself that I was panicking or that I wasn't comfortable, and once I realized that I was doing that to myself and nothing was actually wrong with me, I was totally fine."
All in all, Sofia isn't letting anything stop her this year.
"2020 is about no fear, and I'm doing things that would usually make me very uncomfortable," she shared.
Her goals include launching her bikini line, turning that into a full-fledged clothing collection, coming out with her own beauty company (which will not focus on makeup, she clarified), making a YouTube channel and kickstarting her acting career again.
"It's time to start hustling," she expressed.
Adding, "I was too scared to fail, and that was the reason I didn't do it before. This year, I'm not scared to fail. I don't think there's necessarily failing. It's just learning and growing."
The April issue of Cosmopolitan hits newsstands on March 10. Sofia's full interview with the publication is already online.