One of the best decisions I ever made was to move to Brooklyn, New York. Not to put too much of my life on this site, but, when I first moved to New York – it was a little intimidating. The lights, the sounds, the drama could’ve been too much for a small town kid like myself to handle. Much could be said the same way about the 23-year-old Brooklyn born and raised beauty – Bracha Krueger.

The 5’9” model of German and Haitian descent has fought her way up as an entertainer, working with such companies as G-Unit, Rocawear, Time Warner and Borders Bookstore. In addition to modeling, the well-versed model also hosted her own music video show for two years called Life With Bracha on WNYX – where she interviewed celebrities and made men drool over her 34-27-38 frame with obsessive Tivo tendencies.

Now on the other end of the table, Ms. Bracha Krueger sits down with Beauty & Brains to spread love the Brooklyn way, explains why age shouldn’t deter you from your dreams and gives advice to the young ones on how to make a name in the modeling business.

B&B: How are you doing? Being in New York, how does it feel?
Bracha Krueger: I love it. I could not imagine myself in another place. Nothing else is like it in the world.

B&B: Being here – what is there to do? Are you a spontaneous person?
BK: There are a ton of things to do in New York, but there’s not enough time in the day to do it all. I find myself eating out a lot. I don’t have the time to even cook with all the things that I need to do. But, really, there is a lot of free things to do. I’m not a girl who needs a lot of things. I love trying out new and exciting places; like there are a lot of spots on the Lower East Side that I love. There are a lot of vegan spots, but I’m not one, but I always drive my friends to a lot of the small vegan spots around the way.

B&B: Do you think that there is a way to succeed in this industry?
BK: All I can say, truly is, if you’re not on your hustle then you’re not going to succeed. I really like challenges. I was taught and believe that you can do whatever you put your mind to doing. Man, when I started off in this, I was first modeling when I was 16-years-old. I had a great time doing what I did, at a young age, primarily because it was something I wanted to do. The more I did it, the more it kept me wanting to continue to do it as a profession. I find inspiration in a lot of the people who are close to me in my life. They keep me going and the offer me support and advice when necessary and sometimes when not so necessary. [Laughs] My mother is a very big inspiration to me.

B&B: What does your mom think about you and your profession?
BK: Aww, man, she’s been used to it. I’ve always been a girl who likes to stand out. She’s always been used to my antics.

B&B: What about when you get older – is there still a market for you as a model?
BK: I think that that is one of the hardest things about modeling. It’s a very competitive business and the older you get, you don’t know what is necessarily going to work; you don’t know what’s going to book you. You have to be diverse and never limit yourself to just one genre. People’s perceptions affect how they do business and if you fit the right one, then you can make a name for yourselves. Their opinions are exactly what they are. You need to do the best that you need to do to be satisfied from a business standpoint. Always radiate that inner confidence, take the suggestions given and work it to the best of your ability.

B&B: So, with that in mind – what advice would you give the up-and-coming talent who want to be in the game?
BK: I think that is important to encourage and inspire as many people as you can. Everyone has a calling as far as what they want to do in this life. But I humbly believe in the effects of karma. To me, it’s important to believe in that because it’s true. What goes around definitely comes around. You can’t get to the next step in this business unless you’re dealing with cool individuals. People are trying to get their buzz through the Internet. There have been people who have been successful, but I think it’s important to go through a legitimate agency. You can find many that are reputable. The agents end up taking commission off of the gigs that are booked and have been worked. For people unsure about this business, I’d say that you should be just leery about people. When I first started out, I would sometimes go to castings that I would find online. When I got there, there would be a whole lot of red flags that you ended up knowing that it wasn’t a legitimate deal. Anytime they ask you for a fee upfront, that’s a big, huge, gigantoid “go-the-other-way” sign.

B&B: How hard is it for a man in your life to have the ability to listen?
BK: It’s not as difficult as one would think. When I ask for attention, I usually get it, without trying to be cocky. My time is dedicated to honing my craft, so for someone to make it into my life, they have to stand out to make me want to deal with them and to give them my time. There is a routine that I have; a weeding out process. As a career, every hour that I’m awake goes to work. Whether it’s attending casting calls or heading out to the gym or even going to industry events to network, you kind of always have to be on guard for anything that may or may not happen.

B&B: How do you determine who is serious about their craft versus those who are half-assed about the game?
BK: The “it” factor lives inside those who have confidence within themselves and those who know what they have to offer in this industry. It’s not something that you can learn or be taught. It’s either something that you have or you don’t. As long as you have that, you don’t have to determine who is serious or not, that is someone that can be seen right when you lay your eyes on them.