Today’s guests are model, author, and activist Cameron Russell and prolific photographer Mei Tao. 

Raised in China and the U.S., Mei Tao took her early interest in fashion and spun it into a thriving photography career, shooting for the likes of Apple, J.Crew, and Warby Parker, and photographing luminaries from Michelle Obama to Jane Goodall.   

Born and raised in Cambridge, Cameron’s mega-successful modeling career includes gigs for Calvin Klein, Prada, and Ralph Lauren—alongside a degree from Columbia. 

With activism interwoven into everything she does, Cameron recently published her powerful memoir, How to Make Herself Agreeable to Everyone—which recounts her experience in the fashion industry and her own complex mother-daughter relationship.

Moms to three young children and a college grad (respectively)—the two long-time friends recently came together for an inspiring joint project and traveling art exhibit called The Art of Care, which asks us to recognize the often overlooked creativity and skill that goes into care-giving. 

In this far-ranging conversation, we discuss all of the above—and then some.

Follow Cameron at @cameronrussell and Mei at @taomeitao

Today’s episode is brought to you by three brands we love—Babyletto, The RealReal, and Hello!Lucky. See a list of their exclusive offerings for our listeners, below.

~Check out Babyletto.com/MOTHERMAG and score $50 off your purchase of $500+ 

~Visit TheRealReal.com for $25 off your first order

~Head over to HelloLucky.com/MOTHER and use code MOTHER10 for 10% off.

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For more stories about motherhood and so much more, visit mothermag.com and follow @mothermag on Instagram.

For more on Cameron & Mei’s inspiring careers + life stories, check out these links:

MOTHER (Article)

What If We Get It Right? (Podcast)

Carolina Bucci (Article)

The Art of Care (Website)

The Cut (Article)

How To Make Herself Agreeable To Everyone (Book)

The MOTHER Podcast is produced by Em Roberts and Ali Alquiza.