Today we’d like to introduce you to Hailey Miller
Hi Hailey, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in Eugene, Oregon and always had an eye for more than I saw directly in front of me. From the time I was 3 years old and on, I had a microphone, guitar, or notebook in hand. I was always creative, and leaned heavily on the arts as a way to express all the hard emotions that came with youth, and growing up. I was borderline obsessed with my vision of the future, and there was not a doubt in my mind when I packed my car and moved to Nashville the second I turned 19.
There, I pursued a career in music for around 2 years, before getting a feeling deep in my gut that it was not my final destination. The internal heartbreak that came with letting my first big dream/love go was a challenging one, but it was also something that prepared me for a future of constant pivots. Any entrepreneur will tell you that you must face your fear of failure, in order to get to where you need to be. In a way, I am really grateful I had to learn to work through this at such a young age.
In the midst of all of this, I had my first ever photoshoot with a professional photographer, wardrobe stylist, and makeup artist for a single release I was doing. It was so much fun, that it got me interested in the world of production and photoshoots. I had joined a Facebook group for “young entertainment professionals” and would check it every so often. One day, a photographer named Kelsey Maggart had posted looking for models, and I commented – not thinking much of it. We happened to shoot, become great friends, and continue to work creatively together. It was all just for fun, until it snowballed into getting hired by brands together. This is when I realized I could actually do modeling as a “job”.
I then started pitching myself to brands, got an agent in Nashville, and after a lot of unseen hustle – started working as a full-time model. After around 4 years of working full-time in the Southeastern market, I decided it was time to take a leap into a bigger market. I packed up, and headed back West. I now live in LA, have multiple agents in different territories, and get to do my dream job every day.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not! With social media nowadays, it’s so easy to look at someone’s highlight reel and be envious. I can tell you from experience that nothing good ever comes easy, and that person who found “overnight success” probably endured a lot of struggles behind the scenes to get there.
I have experienced SO many more “no”s than “yes”s over the last 7 years. It has taken a long time to build up the confidence to not take that personally, and persevere on. And to believe that rejection is just redirection!
Aside from that, the industry I work in can be super busy one month, and dead the next month….which is really hard for someone like me who hates feeling out of control. The highs are so high, and the lows can be pretty low.
Working as a creative, you are essentially running your own business entity, and the product is YOU. As someone who has (in the past) put my personal value, into my work – it has definitely been a learning curve as far as managing confidence, time, finance, stress, and more. Learning how to manage work-life balance, separate the “me” that performs vs the “me” in daily life, and acknowledge that it is OK to rest/take a break when needed has made a huge difference for me.
However, on the highest level, it has truly been so rewarding to see how all of these challenges have contributed to my personal growth and there are so many more pros than cons. I think every path in life is hard in its own way, and I would choose this “hard” over and over again.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a commercial model, specializing in print and video. I also get to create photo/video content for some amazing brands on my own, aside from being on set.
I’m really proud of how I’ve created a career in an industry where all odds are stacked against me. I started later in life than most models, am on the “shorter” side for fashion at 5’6, and could’ve easily quit on the first “no”.
I worked with some amazing clients like Royal Carribean, Dillards, Oneill’s, Revlon, YSL Beauty, Body Armor, David Yurman, Cupshe, Gold Hinge, and so many more. So many that I either grew up knowing, or love now.
But even more so than the final product, I am so proud that I’ve built a life where I get to be around the most BRILLIANT creatives, who also love what they do – and that we all show up to set ready to bring such positive energy to a really hard industry. Knowing how hard everyone in those rooms worked to get there, and getting to be there with them is something I will never take for granted.
What matters most to you? Why?
Connecting with, and inspiring others. I would not be who I am today, or where I am today if I did not have people to connect with, share with, feel loved and supported by, and look up to.
I believe the entire purpose of life is to love, live, and connect to the absolute fullest while we are here on Earth. Being there for someone going through their own human experience is when I feel the most purpose. Money, things, and accomplishments aside – people will always be the most important thing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.evolveartistsagency.com/divisions/evolve-x/portfolios/hailey-miller?package_token=cuukqk5fs9cnjdpt8ung
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haileyemilller/
Image Credits
Andrew Vasquez
Matt Lee Morgan
Kelsey Maggart
