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

Megan , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been one of the most interesting investments you’ve made – and did you win or lose? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

The best investment: bet on yourself. I’ve been modeling for about four years and looking back on how I got into this industry, I would say the best thing I did was believe in myself. People will always try to put you down. That’s just a fact of life. You have to be willing to look beyond the opinions of the haters and try it for yourself. Multiple times I was told I was not “good enough”, “too tall”, not “skinny enough”. But I didn’t let that phase me. I started to surround myself with people who did believe in me such as my family, friends, and mentors. When you surround yourself with people who encourage you, you start encouraging yourself. A huge thanks to photographers Keith Miles, Donya Claxton, and Tim Temple who took the pictures featured in this article.

Megan , 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?

I’m Megan Schelling and I’m a model. I’m currently a senior in high school in Nashville, Tennessee. For the past four years I have been involved in various runway shows, fashion weeks, and photoshoots in the Nashville area. This journey began in 2020: the infamous COVID year. I remember being home all day everyday. I only got out of the house to go to volleyball practice because school was online. But when I was tired of doing school work I would read Vogue. Any article, any day, because I simply had nothing else to do. I didn’t think it would change my career path. So I began reading these articles online about fashion and design and I was introduced to the world of supermodels (a world I didn’t know much about at all). I remember my mom telling me a little bit about Cindy Crawford, but I didn’t know any of the brands on the catwalk. So, as any magnet school student does, I educated myself and studied this cool industry. Later on a rather random thought entered my head: “What if I became a model?” Of course it was completely out of no where and I started trying to convince my parents that we should drop everything and move to LA, but again, COVID. So I waited. I waited for agencies to start castings again and I waited for normalcy to return. I had binge watched every video about modeling and acting on YouTube, but my first actual acting/modeling class was with none other than Frederick Taylor, CEO of Tomorrow Pictures. His class was exceptionally helpful and he has been a very close mentor of mine across the entirety of my career. A lot of people say “your network is your net worth” and I would agree. Networking with Fred and other models, photographers, and designers in the industry has proven to be the key to success. It’s all about who you know, and who their friends are. That’s the beginning of the story. As far as my work, I began with TFPs (trade for print shoots). Jules Smith, a close model mentor of mine, told me about this and I must say it has been a crucial part of building my portfolio and getting gigs. Basically, a trade for print shoot involves a photographer and model, and no one pays anyone anything. The photographer gets a free model and the model gets free photos. Both parties can then share these photos across social media for exposure. That really became my bread and butter. Being a teenager, it’s hard to get castings because almost everyone wants you to be at least 18. With trade for print shoots, it’s just about creativity, and no one’s getting paid, so your age is irrelevant. Using the pictures from these shoots I built a resume and reached out to casting agencies and designers. I soon was able to be a part of multiple runway shows and designer shoots. I would say that my favorite part of modeling is the creative collaboration that takes place between designers, makeup artists, hair stylists, and photographers. It’s a really unique atmosphere to be a part of and this community that I’ve had the privilege of being a part of has inspired me to pursue a career in filmmaking. I plan to continue modeling even as I learn about being behind the camera and I really hope I can work with more aspiring creatives in the future.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

One of my friends always says “do it for the plot”. I think modeling is something I was just lucky enough to bump into. I saw an open door and I ran through it. I don’t know what my future holds and I don’t know how modeling will fit into my future, but right now I’m taking advantage of the opportunities I have. And I encourage everyone to do that. If you have a gift or talent, use it. You never know the path you’ll end up on just because you tried something out.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I must say “Legally Blonde”, the movie, has changed my mindset on life. I grew up watching the movie and I’ve always loved Reese Witherspoon, but when I think about the story, I realize it’s a good life lesson as well: sometimes you just have to go for it, because you never know what will happen. In the movie the main character, Elle, is dumped by her boyfriend because he needs someone “more serious” if he goes to the esteemed Harvard Law School. Now, I wouldn’t suggest this if you find yourself in this situation, but in true Hollywood fashion, Elle studies up and manages to make it into Harvard so she can get back her man. By the end of the movie Elle becomes this hot shot lawyer and meets her future husband. So what I took from it was that sometimes you might have to get a little dirty, you may have to show up to some awkward networking events, you may have to sneak into a few castings, you may have to study to get into Harvard like Elle did. But you do it because you never know what may come from it. You never know who’ll you’ll meet. So that’s how I like to live, a little spontaneous every once in a while.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://instagram.com/megan_t_schelling?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/megan_t_schelling?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

Image Credits
Keith Miles, Donya Claxton, and Tim Temple