man bun

OK, so I guess I’ll milk this while I maybe have a captive audience for like 3.5 seconds: IM IN GQ! I’ve been hustling in New York for 7 years and this comes just 3 days shy of my 7-year anniversary here in the city. I’m so grateful to the Universe for this supreme manifestation.

That being said, my choice to pursue a career as a professional model has challenged me in many ways: I’ve been criticized for not having the perfect 6-pack, turned down by top modeling agencies over and over again, gone on hundreds of hours of castings and not booked the job, spent countless hours working out, eating “right,” working with a dermatologist on my skin for years, etc, all to fall short of the “industry standard.” Thankfully, we are in a time where many models of all types are breaking through barriers. I’ve traveled around the world to shoot a major campaign only to be cut out after bragging to all my friends about it. This honestly was a lucky break because they were looking for a “hippie Jesus,” and apparently that’s my type? I’ll take it.

I didn’t give up. And there have been a lot of days, especially recently, where I’ve come really close to saying fuck it, I’m done, it’s not worth it. But in those moments I have to remember that modeling has brought me to New York City, created an opportunity for me to have an amazing career in real estate, made me tons of amazing friends, kept me physically fit and healthy, brought me to other countries, helped me pay off debt, gave me the validation I’ve always wanted, and helped tear down and rebuild my self esteem in a strange way.

Thank you to the amazing team:

Photographer: @sarahanneward

Hair/Make Up: @jessica_o_

Prop Stylist: @bossgonecrazy

Casting: @wulfcasting

Agency: @bicoastalmgmt