A few times a month I pour myself some bubbly and sit down to answer YOUR questions!
Stay tuned to my Instagram Story where I put up a question box and answer all your beautiful questions!
READ A FEW OF MY FAQ’S BELOW!
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Denver, CO and still love a good trip to the mountains and a chance to wear a good flannel (I even rocked one with my wedding dress!) It was such a wonderful place to grow up and my hometown will always have a special place in my heart! We moved to Los Angeles, CA in September 2016 for a multitude of reasons - change, adventure, a chance to create our own life here and of course career paths. As a curve model & content creator, opportunity is much more vast in places like LA, so we were happy to trade the mountains for the ocean and love calling California our home.
How did you get into modeling/any advice for aspiring models?
When I moved to LA, the dream was to continue pursuing music. From the time I was 6 years old, I had spent the majority of my life as a professional performer. Though I love musical theater, and always will, I knew that I wasn't meant for the east coast Broadway lifestyle, and truly loved being a singer above anything. So I decided LA was the place to pursue my career as a singer/songwriter. On our drive to move to the west coast, we were rear-ended by a distracted driver, and due to these unforeseen circumstances and ongoing injuries, I had to make a new plan. I spent the better part of two years feeling sorry for myself and the cards I had been dealt. After a lot of laying low, healing, and trying to move forward, I started submitting to agencies. I had this weird gut feeling that maybe this was my sign from the universe that I was needed elsewhere and I needed to dive in to a different platform to tell my story. What I didn't know was that I would learn to love my body and become the most authentic version of myself in the process. I was signed in July 2018. At the time, I knew absolutely nothing about the industry - I started making connections everywhere I could, attending every single casting I got submitted to and HUSTLED MY HEART OUT. My best advice is to get yourself in front of the camera as much as possible (confidence is key), be yourself, show who you are, find what sets you apart, learn from others and use that learning experience to make it your own and kill it!
How did you find your positivity/ do you have advice on not caring so much about others' opinions?
I have always been a pretty positive gal - from the time I could talk I was loud, bubbly, bold, and brave with a big personality to boot. With that said, growing up in theater was a cornerstone for growing up to depend on myself. I was taught very early what it feels like to be disappointed and to be told no a thousand times before I heard a yes. When it came to being let down, it was learning to lean into it that taught me so much about how to believe in myself when no one else did. I spent far too many years well into my 20's caring about what other people thought about me - we all learn to let go of that in different ways, but for me it was experience and finding out that life never goes as planned. Everyday, I make a promise to stay rooted in my self-love and my authentic roots. It truly is the most freeing thing you will ever do for yourself.
How did you become so confident?
Whoof. A long, hard, windy, difficult road. In my darkest moments of body image, I ALWAYS told myself that I would grow up to be the woman that I needed when I as younger. So when I woke up in my adult life and didn't see that girl in the mirror, I knew I had some serious struggles to work through and barriers to break. I knew it wouldn't be easy, I didn't even know how it would be done, but I did know that it was all up to me. I came up with a mantra that got me through my days (and still does) - 'Confidence is not a one day journey; it is an everyday choice’. This truly altered how I looked at confidence. I always believed I would just wake up one day and feel it - or that it was this ultimate destination. What I figured out is that it was actually a journey without an end; and a beautiful one at that. I focused on the baby steps: wearing the suit, saying hi to my now-husband online, etc… I was always an 'off the beaten path' kind of girl. From my body type, to how I wanted to experience college (online), to what I wanted to do for a living (perform, create, etc), I was always doing things my way, the way that felt right but maybe didn't look 'normal' or 'average' or 'live up to society standards'. I stuck hard to those convictions and they truly made me the woman I am today. They weren't always crystal clear - but they were always honest and heartfelt. I grew up in a body that was made fun of, judged and bullied - and now I live in that same body that is loved, cherished and confident. It's an everyday journey, some days are better than others, but they are all beautiful.
Where/How did you and your husband meet?
We met online when we were still living in Denver on a site called OkCupid (I like to refer to it as the free version of Match!) I actually messaged him first ;) and we chatted for about 2 weeks and officially met in person in Denver International Airport at gate B38 (fitting for a pilot and avid traveler). At the time, we were definitely already communicating as a couple and needed to meet to see if the spark felt the same in person and this was what worked with our schedules, a true testament to our wild on-the-go lifestyles. I was flying in, he was flying out and showed up early so that we could meet and have dinner, which ended up being a moment that we never wanted to end. I walked him to his gate, where he made the bold move to kiss me (sparks flew), and I watched him walk away like a true movie moment. When he got back home, he took me on the date he first had planned which was to a winery in downtown Denver and the rest is history! We are truly best friends and each other's biggest supporters.