Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Fernandes.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Monica. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My modeling journey has been an extensive process, to say the least. It’s been seven years in the making and I am still not even close to where I want to be yet. I started acting and modeling classes when I was 13 and naturally leaned more towards modeling. I decided I wanted to take it seriously when I was about 17. I was intense about it right off the bat. I was taking my own digitals in my bathroom with my iPhone 4 and sending them out to every LA agency I could find. I had a list of about 15 agencies and I would submit to them all weekly. I was totally that desperate girl that emailed every agent’s email that I could find. All I was concerned with for about a year was getting signed. Instagram modeling wasn’t a thing at this point, so being signed was the only way I really knew how to get my foot in the door.
When I was 18 my mom finally started taking me to open calls. It never amounted to anything though. I’ve heard the words “you’re not what we’re looking for” and “we already have someone with your look” an enormous amount of times. It got to the point where I felt like maybe this isn’t my path. So I stopped for a little bit. I stopped trying. I would send out photos here or there but the drive definitely diminished.
Come my 22nd birthday, I got that itch to try again. I followed a photographer who put out a post that she needed new faces to work with, so I messaged her and though I expected to hear nothing back, she actually surprised me by wanting to set up a shoot. That’s when I did my real first photoshoot and realized that I didn’t need an agency to develop me. I could develop myself by using social media and networking. So I went ham with that! I’d message any photographer or brand I could find on Instagram. Within two months of doing this on my own and bugging everyone I could possibly find on Instagram I was getting pretty dope bookings like K Swiss and Reebok. Fast forward to age 24 and I am finally signed with No Ties Management. It was a crazy feeling to finally hear yes. What made it crazier was that No Ties was the first agency I ever went to see. I went to their office back in 2013 and they turned me down. It’s crazy how the tables turn.
My modeling career turned me to meeting one of my best friends Moni (@holaamoonii). We literally met on Instagram and created a concept for a shoot together. We had a really spiritual connection right off the bat and would commute to LA pretty much every week to shoot with whoever was down. We have started so many creative ideas since then. One of those is a podcast called Winging It, and that is in the works of becoming a brand and company. We’re currently on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and soon we’ll be filming for Youtube and IGTV. We’ve talked about mental health, relationships, cheating, monogamy, the modeling industry, health, spirituality, and it’s all just getting started. I’m excited to see where it goes. I think modeling was meant to lead me to this. It’s something that can make an impact and I’m loving where it’s going!
Great, 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?
The road was never smooth, but looking back, that’s what makes most of my accomplishments in life worth it. I think the biggest struggle was seeing people achieve what I desperately wanted. Instagram became a crazy platform for artists, creatives, photographers, and models. So my timeline was flooded with people that I was comparing myself to. I stayed in that light of comparison and doubt for a while. It took years to realize I could do whatever the hell they were doing too, I just had to try.
Rejection is honestly the biggest obstacle to get over though. I’ve been inside the same agencies multiple times, meeting the same agents over and over, and constantly getting “no” from them. You start to question your sanity at that point, and I definitely did. I gave up on modeling and made the conscious decision to just let it go a number of times, but for some reason, the doubt doesn’t last long and I always decide to try to get shit going again.
As for Winging It, just getting started and learning all the ropes of production and broadcasting has been a struggle. We both had no clue as to how we start it, but we’re well on the way up. YouTube was our best friend in learning everything. I remember we had to record our first episode like four times before we got it right and actually put it out. It’s been fun and it honestly doesn’t feel like work to us.
Winging It – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Winging It is one of my babies, it’s a podcast I started it with one of my best friends Moni (@holaamonii). We started out just creating shoots and content together then eventually we realized that the special connection we have can turn into something more. Moni and I have always had crazy, intense, spiritual revelations with each other and always dive into topics that not many people like to get into. One day someone asked me if I would ever consider doing a table talk, and that’s honestly what sparked the podcast we have now.
We are currently rebranding and adding more to Winging It. We want this to be a fully developed company within a few years. As of this year, we changed our direction and are specializing/focusing on all things women. We want our brand and voice to be a safe place for women and a place they find expression and comfort in. We’re all about starting conversations and getting what matters to women out there. That’s what we’re most proud of and what we want to stick to as a whole. We have a lot in stores such as picnics, sleepover events, girls nights out, and more.
We legit started from the ground up and have zero experience in broadcasting, production, or event planning but hey we out here. This is all so new to us but our vision is so important, and women are important, so it’s only right we do this. We’re still learning and now we’re filming all of our episodes so it’s going to be a crazy ride of lots of content and fun. Winging It is essentially going to be a whole brand represented by us and other women, so the possibilities are endless.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Modeling: My agent’s phone call that I booked Urban Decay. I remember I had just gotten the news that I been dropped from a shoot for major shoe company hours before so it was a cool feeling to get that call.
Winging It: Dropping our first episode after weeks of learning and trial and error.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: wingingit.podcast
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/winging-it/id1439748728
Image Credit:
@bygarduno John Garduno
@visiblevibez_v2 Cristine Armosilla
@jordanburgandy Jordan Burgandy
@shotbyashton Ashton
@puerilemind Christian Smiley
@vanordaz Vanessa Ordaz
@proluca Jamie Luca
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