We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maria Montgomery. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maria below.
Alright, Maria thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
Even though I had always dreamed of modeling professionally, I also knew it was very hard to make that a reality with how competitive the industry is. But I am incredibly grateful to say I’ve now done that for 15 years! My biggest advice for aspiring models is to simply be available to work. It’s very hard to get started when you have to make money from other jobs, because many modeling bookings don’t have much flexibility at all. So if you can’t show up for the job, the job will go to someone else. So I made sure to keep an open schedule and only take other work that was very flexible when I was first starting. I also would work hard to prove to my agents I could do it! I remember driving 6 hours to Chicago for a 10 minute casting and back just to prove to FORD Models that I can be booked. Because once I got booked for one client, I knew it would open the doors for others. I also tried to even take small jobs at first. They often opened up doors for other bookings in the future. It’s all about networking and being pleasant to work with! There are a million beautiful girls who can model out there, but those that truly put forth the dedication to study the industry, work hard, and show up in a good attitude can succeed! Especially because many jobs aren’t as glamorous as people make them out to be! I have scars on my feet to prove it :) But I truly think my drive to work hard, being available, and hungry for it made my career a possibility!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Hi yall! I am Maria Montgomery, a former Miss Kentucky USA. After placing in the top 5 at Miss USA my modeling career was launched! That prompted me to live in various cities across the country for years. Although I’ve come back to calling the south my home base, I still travel weekly for shoots. Some of the campaigns I’ve been seen in include Nike, Pantene, Olay, Garnier Fructise, Jockey, Curel, Kohls, and much more. I’ve also been spotted on TV in music videos for artistic like Tim McGraw, Matt Stell, and many more. For the TV hosting side of things, I have hosted lifestyle content for SEC Network, in various commercials, and currently FanDuel TV. I also worked as the on-court entertainment host for Univeristy of Kentucky Men’s Basektball… go cats! Although my career is now half modeling, half tv hosting, I still also like to make time to mentor young women through my company Maria Montgomery Mentoring. Most of my clients are either aspiring models, tv hosts, or girls competing in pageants. In our sessions I help them improve their walking, modeling, and interview skills! I am so grateful to get to do what I love.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn the desire to be perfect! Once I stopped worrying about what was working for everyone else, and simply started focusing on what works for me, I started to succeed. Everyone is their best version of themself when they are 100% authentic and genuine! Plus… it’s so much more fun :)
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Being relatable and genuine! In the modeling industry, there are lots of people who are only after the fame and attention. Being a good hearted person, that is easy to work with, not a diva, and simply fun can go a long way! Plus, being reliable and consistent always helps brands want to book again. I’ve been told from photographers when they saw my name on the casting list they booked me mostly because it’s fun to shoot together. That meant a lot to me because I know there are a lot of gorgeous girls out there that could model and host as well!
Contact Info:
- Website: MariaMontgomery.com
- Instagram: @MariaMontgomery
- Facebook: Maria Montgomery
- Twitter: @Maria_Montgomry
- Youtube: Maria Montgomery
- Other: Tik Tok: @MariaMontgomery19