– What do you think is the most important attribute a model must have to succeed in her/his career?
That’s an easy one – personality. You can be the most beautiful girl or guy, but you will never have a long career if your personality is dry, and you can’t express what you feel or what a set requires. In my experience, clients do not want to work with a boring, uninteresting, dull model. Your beauty will open the door for you once, but to keep coming back, you must have something special about you, something that will make everyone ask for more.
– You are a proud wife and the mother of a beautiful baby boy. How do you manage a demanding career and your family time?
Luckily, I was able to establish myself in the business before having my baby, so most of my clients were very understanding and welcomed me back after my maternity leave. I am also blessed to have a very supportive husband who understands the business, and takes on a lot of responsibilities with regards to our baby and the household when I am away from home. We also often travel together to some of my jobs and stay there a few days to create a mini-vacation, which helps us unwind from the daily hustles.
– What aspect of your personality do you wish your child would possess once he grows up?
I think I am a very loyal person to my friends and my family. I truly hope that my baby boy will become a loyal father, a faithful friend, and a husband. The modeling business can be quite cruel at times, with stiff competition for either fame or money, often resulting in friends betraying each other and willing to do whatever it takes to get to the top. I feel that since the very beginning, I was never willing to put business before friendship, and this helped me to stay true to my beliefs, to enjoy a successful career, and to cherish those genuine bonds with people I call friends.
– Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?
I really enjoy being a mom and want to give my son everything I can to help him become a solid human being. In the future, I see myself having a few more kids and providing them with just as much love and attention I give to my son now.
As far as career is concerned, although I have a few ideas, nothing is set in stone yet, and it will largely depend on my future passions. It could be something in fashion or something entirely different, like running my own business or developing an online brand. I am a true believer that whatever you set your mind to will eventually become a success, as long as you love what you do and have the discipline to work hard towards your dream. One of my favorite quotes is from Winston Churchill: “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” So, whatever the future holds for me, I am coming after it! – GM