Life & Work with Steph Wehmeyer of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Steph Wehmeyer.

Hi Steph, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I moved to Los Angeles in 2021. I grew up in Arkansas (in the Ozarks, not the farmland) and I honestly loved it. It was so beautiful with lakes and rivers and plenty of hiking. The area I lived in was very corporate (home of Walmart), but I never quite made my way into that world. Looking back, I am so glad I followed my passions and inherited my dad’s entrepreneurial mindset.

I went to the University of Arkansas and got a BFA with a double major in Art (with an emphasis in Photography) and Print Journalism. At the time, I thought I wanted to be a Vogue editor. Little did I know, I would later become a model in one of the largest commercial modeling markets in the world.

I started my career as a commercial fashion photographer for an online boutique, then worked in tourism/hospitality/social community building. When I was working in the latter, I met a dog photographer and booked her to shoot me and my Pomeranian as a fun, silly gift to myself, but when I posted the photos on social media, they caught the attention of another local boutique owner who asked me to come model for her store. I immediately said yes, and worked as a model for store credit for about a year or so.

My brother went to grad school at UCSB, so I had started coming out to California to visit him and also stopped to visit friends here in Los Angeles as well. The first time I visited, I knew I would live here someday. (A very “hopped off the plane at LAX” moment.)

Fast forward to 2021, and I finally had the chance to move to Los Angeles. A nice little severance package and a dream, if you will. I was of course devastated to leave my family and friends, but the thought of finding another job in Arkansas was an overwhelming and visceral “ABSOLUTELY not.” I learned later that it was also my Saturn return at the time, which totally checks out.

I packed up my dog and took a 3-day road trip to “live” here for a week to make sure it’s still what I was envisioning without the whimsy of being in “vacation” mode. I wanted to feel the day-to-day. The grocery shopping, the activities, the dog-friendly vibes, etc.

In classic LA fashion, I serendipitously book a mother-in-law suite AirBNB of a wonderful and generous human during that week and afterwards, ended up living in his house while I got settled for the next few months as I looked for a job. He was away for work, so I watched his dogs in exchange for free rent.

I started working at a coffee shop and got signed as a model fairly quickly. I booked mostly fit jobs, so not exactly the on-camera action I was envisioning, but it was consistent and still felt like “I can’t believe I get paid to do this.”

Fast forward 5 years, I’m still in Los Angeles. I still model and have worked for some dream clients and have even traveled to New York City to model, I work for a celebrity skincare brand, and have started two business: an apparel business to support women going through cancer (@hotgirlshavecancer) and a fitness community for curvy women to enjoy wellness (@withcaia). I also started background acting for some extra money and fun because “when in Rome,” right?

Growing up so close to corporate America, I never considered entrepreneurship an option, but LA has always inspired me to go where the wind takes me (can you tell I’m an air sign?) I also had a pretty major health scare in 2023 that shook me up a bit and inspired me to ignore the fake rules that our society puts on us and just do whatever I want!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not! In 2023, I was actually diagnosed with cervical cancer. I had been dealing with some issues leading up to my diagnosis for about 2 years, but I was keeping it a secret from my friends and family, mostly because I didn’t want them to worry. I was being pretty hard on myself, and I couldn’t handle any additional negative feedback. Luckily, once I had a major diagnosis and actually HAD to start sharing the news, they were nothing but supportive.

I was only 31 at the time, so I didn’t know anyone else my age who had dealt with cancer, much less cervical cancer. I didn’t really know what to expect, so I went to Tiktok to see if I could find anyone else who could enlighten me. Apparently it was the ONE niche that hadn’t popped off (yet.)

That’s when I decided to make a new account, block everyone I knew IRL, and document my journey as a creative outlet. I called it @hotgirlshavecancer. I wanted true anonymity to share my thoughts and feelings and hopefully help someone else who might feel as scared and alone know what to expect. Knowledge is power, and cancer really tries to take away your power.

Cancer really changed the way I see the world, how I approach dating, and has really clouded my vision for my future in ways I am still working through. It’s taught me to live in the present as much as possible because we really aren’t promised another day. I lived in a haze for about a year, crying every single day, faking smiles and laughter, trying to go about business as usual, trying to take extra care of my body that felt like it betrayed me, feeling disappointed in myself. I’m usually the bubbly, positive, supportive friend, but I couldn’t be that for myself during that time.

I hoped I would get back to “normal,” and eventually, I started to feel like myself again, but it took a really long time with very consistent therapy work.

I think there’s a misconception that cancer is just a physical battle, but it’s so much more mental and emotional that people realize.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I most recently consider myself a serial entrepreneur. Since moving to LA, I’ve been working in the beauty and lifestyle industry with brands and agencies, but lately, I have been doing whatever life throws at me and I feel excited about.

I’m a model and have recently picked up background acting, though I wouldn’t (yet) consider myself an “actor.” Through my cancer journey, I started making apparel that says “hot girls have cancer,” and that has been really cool to ship orders all over the world and connect with so many women through their journeys.

Most recently, I started a curvy wellness community called CAIA Collective. Prior to my cancer journey, I was the healthiest I had ever been, and it’s been quite a struggle to get back into that for many reasons, but recently, my frustration has pushed me to start a fitness community for women who may not feel 100% comfortable in the gym or simply want to find community through fitness without having to take it so seriously.

Growing up in Arkansas where my exercise was kayaking, hiking, rock climbing and biking, I love the idea of making fitness FUN to where it doesn’t feel like a burden, but just a natural part of life and overall wellbeing through community, fitness, mental health and positive energy.

I think what sets me apart is being able to act on my passions. If I sense a need, I can make it happen. I love rallying people around a cause and turning my energy into a collective energy.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I think my resilience, my ability to pivot and to find the positive in any situation (I call it gaslighting myself) have all taken me quite a long way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://swehme.squarespace.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swehme
• Other: https://www.withcaia.com

Image Credits
Anouk Morgan, Abby Hagan, Caitlin Villescas, Alexis Lepisto, Clay Boutte