Check Out Nise Davies’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nise Davies.

Hi Nise, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I was “discovered” while working in Nashville’s first shopping mall. I had just turned 16 and got my first job and an advertising agency executive was at the mall looking for a brunette model for a full-page ad in SEVENTEEN MAGAZINE. That was a fun shooting. The photographer and the other teen model were both local to Nashville. My first few jobs were shot with local photographers and were fun. Then I booked an editorial spread and cover test for a TEEN magazine. This time the photographer and director were from NY and the other model was a top NY model.

We filmed at Opryland and that was NOT a fun day.

The NY photographer yelled at me for not changing my pose enough. The TEEN Magazine client who had requested I do a cover test and come to NY to shoot their next spread, changed her mind after I “ran out of poses” after 15 minutes. After I returned home and had a teen girl pity party, I decided not to give up, but rather to learn how to never run out of poses again. Soon afterward, I got a call from the local ad agency executive who suggested I take modeling classes from respected women in the fashion industry. I paid my $40 for 4 weeks and my life was forever changed.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
“School is NEVER out for the PRO” and “the beginning of WISDOM is the fear of the LORD”

Looking back on my life these 2 statements have been true. My mother was 14 when I was conceived. My dad was 19 and never completed 8th grade. They married and were divorced a few years later. I was adopted by my mother’s 2nd husband and we eventually moved into the downstairs of my grandparent’s home.

My grandparents and parents taught me how to pray and trust the LORD. At ten years old I knew God had a special plan for my life and I choose to get baptized. I began a habit that has lasted all my life of reading the Bible daily. When I had a problem I learned to study the word of God like it was a “treasure map” to find the answer. My faith, personal relationship with Jesus, and my Bible knowledge were crucial in helping me navigate the challenges that life brought me.

My beloved grandfather suffered an agonizing death from cancer when I was 15. At 16 my adopted father committed suicide while I was at my very first modeling job. That left me, my 10-year-old brother, my grandmother, and my mother alone. Miraculously our financial needs were met and we learned to stretch a dollar.

My modeling and pageant coach was Marsha Blackburn who is now the first female elected to the US Senate from Tennessee, Marsha taught me valuable business skills, interview skills, on-stage and on-camera skills, and further lessons in money management. She helped me the select fabric on sale and draw a picture of an evening gown. I then paid a neighbor $20 to sew the dress. I actually won 7 pageants in that homemade dress including Miss Middle Tennessee State University.

I was the first person in my family on my mother’s and father’s side to graduate from college. I paid my own way through college by winning beauty pageant scholarships and working as a model and actress in Nashville, Atlanta, & Tokyo. I ended up in over 300 TV commercials, 6 magazine covers, billboards, and magazine spreads.

My first modeling job for SEVENTEEN was easy but my 3rd modeling gig was with TEEN magazine and the NY photographer and editor of the magazine and TOP NY model. I was yelled at by the photographer for running out of poses too soon. It was a humbling experience. After that, I enrolled in modeling classes and learned the skills, studied fashion and magazines, and practiced daily. I was determined to always be prepared for every job.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

Yearly Goal setting was a habit I started in elementary school. Each year around Christmas – New Year I would review the goals list and re-evaluate. My goals evolved from being elected cheerleader and Class VP, to traveling the world, graduating college, getting married, and having a boy and a girl by the time I was 30.

Well, My life happened pretty close to that list. After getting married to Brad Davies, a Vanderbilt Football Player I met while shooting a swimsuit ad that won 1st place at the Addy Awards in NY, I stopped modeling overseas. I opened Advantage Training Center after the birth of our first child. New Goals included helping others dream big and developing a plan so they could accomplish those dreams. Also to help my clients/students know who God is, and how much He loved them, and to honor God in all they do.

Advantage Training Center became so successful that we opened Advantage Models & Talent, then Advantage Talent Agency. Our clients included: Miley Cyrus (her agent for 3 years and booked her in her first movie role), Chris Young (CMA star with multiple #1 hits), 2 Miss USA winners, 2 Vogue Cover Models, and thousands of amazing people we helped become the best version of themselves.

Along the way, I realized I needed to help my clients achieve picture-perfect skin and healthy weight management, so I spent 2 years studying, researching, testing, and finally found a solution! Arbonne! These plant-powered, gluten-free products help me and my clients achieve our best beauty without drugs, toxins, surgical procedures, or injections! And the Arbonne Nutritionals helped my children compete and win at the highest level and my models/actors achieve their fitness/weight management goals.

My husband and I were blessed with 3 children. They were each National Champions in Track & Field and all received D1 athletic scholarships. Two of my children are award-winning scriptwriters Philipa Booyens & Ben Davies, Ben Davies also has had starring roles in 20+ movies, and my other son, Josh Davies, is a creator and developer of software programs.

I sold the agency and began casting and producing family-friendly and faith-based films and TV. I continue to take on a few private students as time permits.

Currently on the board of directors of the non-profit ETERNAL HEIRESS
Advisory Board to KINGS HILL HOUSE OF PRAYER
Executive National VP with Arbonne
Married 37 years
3 children who are all world changers
9 grandchildren

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?

Happiness to me is helping others be the best version of themselves. Also, as a casting director, I love to find the “perfect” actors for each role in the movie or TV series, or promo.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://nisedavies.arbonne.com/
• Instagram: @nise_casting
• Other: https://www.imdb.me/nisedavies

Image Credits
Arbonne Team