Zoe • Product Manager • S1/E3
Words, photos and video by David LamThe worlds of fintech and beauty pageants converge in episode three.
Zoe McGrady’s experience in becoming a successful product manager and pageant competitor has been one of overcoming barriers and embracing her individuality. Growing up in a small town where she was one of the few African-American people, she never thought she could compete in beauty pageants.
"I just didn't see anyone who looked like me, so I didn't really think that I could be in a sphere of beauty," she recalls.
McGrady pursued her education in mechanical engineering at Duke University. After graduating, she decided to pivot towards a more people-focused career. As a product manager at a fintech startup in New York City, she helps banks optimize their interest rate portfolios, while also working closely with clients and engineers to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Despite McGrady’s earlier doubts, she eventually found herself drawn to pageantry. "It's kind of a beautiful thing and maybe a blessing in disguise," she says. "Because it allowed me to build my career, to get this good education. And then now, being able to start modeling and enter pageantry and do well at it has really allowed me to live a full life."
McGrady's success in pageantry includes being first runner-up at Miss New York USA in 2022, a significant achievement for her. However, preparing for pageants involves more than just wardrobe selection and practicing walking. It also involves being introspective and understanding how to inspire others who may have had similar experiences. She adds, “I think that has been the most transformative aspect of preparation."
Throughout her pageantry experience, McGrady has also developed her sense of style. She prefers to invest in a versatile wardrobe and loves to buy pieces that can be worn to the office with a blazer or switched out to a skirt for the club. McGrady also recognizes the importance of choosing clothes that suits her body type.
"I am much more muscular, I am curvier, and so I feel a little bit uncomfortable in certain trendy styles," she explains. "That's why I stick to what I know, which is the high-waisted and the crop tops. I think it's more important to dress for your body type than [try] to follow a trend.”
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Credits
Featuring
Zoe McGrady (Instagram: @zoe.mcgrady)
Camera, sound, graphics, edit & production
David Lam
Music
“One Species” by melodysheep
“Brazil” by Smokehouse
“Chandelier (Camoufly Remix)” by Will Paquin
“Fire on Up” by Paper Kings
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Listen on Spotify
Additional footage
Zoe Mcgrady
Edomt
iStock.com
Damian Lugowski
Fizkes
Rachel Barringer
Sviatlana Lazarenka
Thanasus
Alex Potemkin
Merydolla
ACIDBITE
Filmed in
New York, NY, United States, October 2022