I wanted to be a film and television writer and producer.
— Tyra Banks
I was always a good student. I wasn't the A-plus student, but I studied really hard, and I probably had a 3.2. I always wished that I had the capacity to get straight A's, but I didn't. I didn't beat myself up about it, but I really studied hard for my grades.
My aunt used to call me light bulb head because my head is small at the bottom and bigger at the top. But it was a term of endearment.
I think every woman would want to do something about their cellulite!
I love being able to go to a store, let's say... a store like Topshop or Zara or maybe even Macy's, depends on what department, and not have to look at the price tag.
I think I'm too young to be a mogul. I think I'm too young for that.
I'm a perfectionist. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it's okay if there are flaws here and there.
Journalists told me that a talk show wouldn't work. Some told me I was going to get canceled before my first season was up.
I loved planning 'The Tyra Show' more than actually having to do it. I loved coming up with show ideas, honing each program and crafting it. I'm more excited being in a meeting than being on TV.
I don't go to the cool, trendy restaurants. I go to either the holes in the wall or the super-fancy restaurants where there are no cool people.
A smart model is a good model.
Designers are very fickle. I never wanted to be a victim of that. You're in one minute, out the next.
I enjoy doing fashion shows and transforming myself into different looks for photo shoots.
When I am full, I stop eating.
I had had an extroverted personality with a lot of friends, but when I lost the weight and grew so tall, I withdrew within myself.
I talked about adopting a baby when I was 20 years old, before it became 'hip.'
I look at myself and pick out the things I don't like. No matter how much I work out, I never get muscle tone in my butt and hip area.
It was hard to get guys to notice me, period, because I was so skinny and all my friends were curvy. Plus, I used to be very nervous in front of guys.
Tyra the businesswoman is very close to - and I hate third person, but you said it, oh, chiiild, you said it - but me the businessperson and me the person: very similar. I can be in a business meeting and be all 'Wooo!' and 'Oh, child!' and still be talking revenues and profits and cash flows.
I used to love writing in my journal.
I've made millions of dollars with the body I have, so where's the pain in that?
I don't like expensive things... I just can't help looking in a magazine for the splurge and the save.
You've got to learn to accept the fool in you as well as the part that's got it goin' on.
My fingers used to hurt really bad when I played guitar. I stopped because of it.
I made my living being 20 or 30 pounds heavier than the average model. And that's where I got famous.
I'm trying to build a strong business. I want to create new stars, new shows and new products for my audience and create a legacy that outlives me. There are so many other ways I want to reach women besides doing a talk show.
It's not like I want to hop on a bandwagon, because I said it 15 years ago - bringing a child into your life who is not genetically yours is one of the most beautiful things you can do. But I'm also interested in having my own baby, too.
I'm competitive with myself. I always try to push past my own borders.
I've always seen modeling as a stepping stone.
People always ask me if I'm going to stop modeling because I have started an acting career. I hope to continue to model for years to come.
I love food and feel that it is something that should be enjoyed. I eat whatever I want. I just don't overeat.
The runway symbolizes something in society that's very intimidating to women.
My mom never taught me to be waiting for some prince on a white horse to swipe me off my feet.
I'm not sure exactly how gossiping about my life with my audience really helps them.
I didn't have a job because nobody would hire me. My friends were getting hired, and I couldn't even get a job interview. That really rocked my self-esteem because I didn't understand what I did wrong on those job applications.
I've helped some of my classmates on how to strategize to get to the next level of their businesses. And it's interesting, because here I am sitting there from the entertainment industry and the fashion industry, and I'm giving a billionaire that has a business that's been in his family for 300 years - I'm giving him advice about strategy!
In high school I definitely had a clique of friends. And what I loved about it was that we were healthy and good girls.
I feel more comfortable when I'm lighter - I sleep better, I snore less, I have more endurance when I work out, my arms look better.
When I think about moguls, I think like Donald Trump who... owns NYC practically. That's a mogul. I feel like I'm on my way to a lot more, but mogul is a really serious thing. I think it's a word that gets thrown around easily.
Self-love has very little to do with how you feel about your outer self. It's about accepting all of yourself.
I've been singing for six years. I've been in and out of the studios with top producers, but it wasn't something I was ready to express to the public or to the press. I wasn't ready to come out. I wanted to perfect my voice and be 100 percent positive that I could come out right.
Smiles come naturally to me, but I started thinking of them as an art form at my command. I studied all the time. I looked at magazines, I'd practice in front of the mirror and I'd ask photographers about the best angles. I can now pull out a smile at will.
Models now need to promote themselves, think like businesswomen and diversify their careers by doing other things. Chances are very slim that a mere model will become a household name today.
From offstage until the moment I walk onstage, I constantly tweak my talk show and 'Top Model', but at the same time, I often leave my private life by the wayside.
There's always going to be dreams and goals I have, but I never really tell people what they are.
You can't model for the rest of your life, so it is important to diversify your career.
I love all kinds of bread. Whenever I crave junk food, I want salty things like peanuts or potato chips.
Paris is one of the most beautiful places in all the world. Unfortunately, I was so homesick I couldn't appreciate its beauty.
I want to be like the athletes who seem stuck in time. When you see them at 50, you say they probably can still run like a champ.
I have so many goals.
