Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Haylee Baldwin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Haylee, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How do you feel about asking friends and family to support your business? What’s appropriate, what’s not? Where do you draw the line?

I’m a fashion/beauty/lifestyle content creator on social media, so my answer this be pertained to this career field:

I think it’s totally okay to ask friends/family to support your business. For me, this could be liking, commenting, sharing, etc. It’s simple to do, doesn’t take much of their time, and is an easy way for them to show their support for your and your endeavors. However, I don’t believe your social media is for your friends and family. I feel that in my field, a lot of people are held back from posting what they want & living up to their fullest potential due to fear of judgement from friends/family.

I think it’s important to post what feels authentic and fulfilling to you with an understanding that some people are going to support, while some people aren’t but you have to be okay with either outcome.

Haylee, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Yes! I’m a model and content creator (primarily fashion/beauty/lifestyle on Instagram and TikTok) based in Los Angeles!

I had always dreamed of doing something “bigger” and being in the entertainment industry, whether that was modeling, acting, or even working behind the scenes in marketing or PR. I did pageants from a very early age and have always loved getting dressed up and being in the spotlight. However, I grew up in a very small town in Southwest Virginia where those dreams always seemed very unattainable. There weren’t any opportunities within hours of me to do anything like modeling/acting.

At 18, my family and I moved to North Carolina in a slightly bigger city with slightly more opportunity. I was scrolling on Facebook one day and saw an ad for a New York Fashion Week casting that was a 6 hour drive away. I begged my parents to take me to audition, and we went. After lots of waiting and anticipation, it was my turn to walk. I had never done runway modeling before so I had no clue what I was doing. My walk was quite literally horrible (I didn’t know it at the time but watching the video back now makes me cringe lol). I didn’t make the cut. But, that’s not the end of the story. I continued to follow the designer on social media and 2 weeks before fashion week saw that one spot opened up and she was going to host a content and the winner would be rewarded the spot to model for her on the NYFW runway.

The contest was to make a jingle about why you she should choose you to model. I have the most supportive mom in the world, and her and I immediately put our writing cap on. We got our neighbors, friends, family, everyone we could think of to be a part of the video and wrote in my opinion the catchiest song we could write about the topic.

The designer was blown away with the effort we put in and invited me to come walk for her in NYFW! What a crazy first modeling job!

So, I began my modeling journey at 18 when I walked in New York Fashion Week. From there, I went on to model for designers/brands all across the country doing runway, e-comm, and campaigns. My most recent modeling highlight was being the face of Dae Hair’s new product launch and getting a placement in Sephora as well as walking in Miami Swim Week.

My love for modeling is what drove my social media career. I began posting my modeling work around the same time I started and used Instagram a portfolio. Over time, I began to grow in numbers, receive PR packages, and get brand deal offers. I started taking social media seriously in 2020 and have since worked with dream brands such as Armani Beauty, Free People, Skims, Victoria’s Secret, and American Eagle, just to name a few.

Social media and modeling is now my full time job and I feel so blessed to be able to do what I love and am truly passionate about!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

It took me 3 years of posting consistently on social media to get my first paid brand deal over $50! Now, after more consistency, lots of outreach/networking, and truly believing in myself, it’s now my full time job.

I was told no by 50+ modeling agencies because my measurements were “awkward”, I was too big, or I just simply wasn’t pretty enough. This year, I got to see my photo in Sephora and am placed on countless brands websites and social media pages.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

That no means no! No doesn’t mean no, it just means you’re not talking to the right person. Be persistent and patient when it comes to your dreams. Keep trying and don’t give up after the first few no’s or even first hundred no’s. You’re not going to be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay, but eventually when you meet the right people, they’ll see you for the special, talented, valuable person you are. When one door is slammed in your face, another one is waiting for you wide open.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.itshayleealexis.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itshayleealexis
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@itshayleealexis

Image Credits

Mark – @photo_mark
-headshot in black top & necklace
-headshot on the beach in white top