Today we’d like to introduce you to Lacey Blayze.
Hi Lacey, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My journey into the world of modeling, acting, Instagram influencing, and digital media is a story of evolution. I went from a young girl with a dream to an entrepreneurial woman, but the roads were often unpaved and the hills were mostly rocky.
I spent my formative years in Orange County, California. Even as a child, I had a natural inclination toward performance, often creating and performing dance routines and plays for my friends and family. My mom noticed this early passion, seeing how I loved to embody different characters and even adopt different names during play. This innate theatricality, though I didn’t realize it at the time, would later shape my professional choices.
While I took a drama class in the ninth grade, I didn’t actively pursue acting again until I was eighteen. That’s when a significant turning point happened—I was cast in the MTV reality show “Date My Mom.” This experience was pivotal, as it reignited my passion for acting and gave me the confidence to seriously consider a career in the entertainment industry.
My modeling career began completely by chance. I met a photographer and we became quick friends; he was the one who suggested I try modeling. While I had a little experience before that, it wasn’t on a consistent or professional level. He took me under his wing, and for about a year, I focused on “trade for print” work to build my portfolio. This was a crucial time for me to learn the ins and outs of the industry before I felt confident enough to pursue paid opportunities as a freelancer.
My hard work paid off, and I’m proud to say I’ve been published in a significant number of magazines (around 90 publications). This number continues to grow, and it’s always as exciting as the very first time I was published because my passion for this industry has not once faded and most likely never will.
My transition to the digital space, specifically on Instagram, was a pivotal moment. Under my Instagram username, @laceyblayze, I built a strong following of almost 200,000 people by focusing on what I love: modeling, fashion, and lifestyle. I believe my success in the traditional media world gave me a unique credibility that helped me build my brand online. It showed people that I wasn’t just another digital-native creator but someone with a deep professional background.
As my digital presence grew, so did the opportunities to collaborate with brands. These partnerships, from sponsored posts to product reviews, have allowed me to work with a wide range of companies, especially within the fashion, lingerie, and lifestyle sectors. Brands like Bikinis, FemmeLuxe, and Kashmere Kollection have trusted me to connect with my audience, and I’m proud of the partnerships I’ve built.
My formal entry into acting gained momentum when I successfully auditioned for a role in an independent film called “A Date for Anya.” Even though the film was based in New York and I was living in Southern California, my acting skills made an impression. Paul Tracy, the director, producer, and writer, saw my talent and brought me onto the cast. We filmed in Rochester, New York, and I played a character named April Nerf—a model who becomes a subject in the film’s story. Although I finished filming my scenes in New York, the producer has since hired me to continue helping with the film as the official Line Producer. It has been a fantastic experience that is really helping to show me how the collaborative nature of filmmaking works.
Beyond acting and modeling, I’ve always had a strong entrepreneurial drive. I drew on my background in web design, development, and journalism to co-found a magazine, “Midnight Nation.” My vision was to create something more than just a typical “look book.” I wanted to give readers a deeper understanding of the models, so the magazine features articles often written by the models themselves, biographies, and interviews. We even incorporated podcasts to expand our content and reach, which really showcases how I love to use my diverse skills to build something unique.
I also established a clothing line that includes lingerie. This wasn’t my first attempt at a fashion line—I had started one about eight years prior that was a fitness blog, but it became dormant because I was juggling a 9-to-5 job and full-time school. After building a loyal fan base through my modeling work, I decided to launch another clothing line, and this time I’m personally designing all the graphics. It’s important to me to be creatively involved in every aspect of the business, and it shows my willingness to learn from past experiences to achieve my goals.
I held a significant role at Vision Studios, a photography studio in Downtown Pomona, for over 3 years, where I’m a model, influencer, CEO of three companies, podcast host, website designer, actress, content creator, and mentor. I initially connected with the studio through a colleague over a year ago, and my role has since evolved to the point where I’m “pretty much running the whole thing.” I had a high level of responsibility and creative control over the studio’s daily operations. I’ve been actively involved in redeveloping the studio and expanding our services to include photography for couples, weddings, engagements, and maternity shoots.
My venture into podcasting is something I’m very passionate about. I co-created and co-host “Model Talk: Sex & Relationships Unzipped” with my fellow model Miss Kitten. Launched in 2024, it’s a weekly podcast where we explore topics related to sex and relationships. I’m also the editor for the podcast, which is available on platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. We’ve even recorded a few episodes where we appeared nude, with the video available on our website. Our podcast is a great way for me to connect with my audience on a more personal level.
I also love to engage with my audience through live online shows. I started “LIVE! W/ Lacey” in 2020 on Instagram, and I still host it. It’s a casual, spontaneous show where I interact with fans, models, and friends. A popular segment is a game called “Dirty Drinking Never Have I Ever.” Additionally, I created, produce, direct, and host a more structured show called “Model Vision.” It’s filmed live every other Sunday at a studio in Pomona, California, and features a different guest from the entertainment industry in each 60-minute episode. The first half is an interview, and the second half is a game with the audience, often my signature “Dirty Drinking Never Have I Ever.” “Model Vision” gives me a platform to interview models and other industry professionals, allowing them to discuss their work and promote their projects. My live shows highlight my ability to create engaging online content and foster strong connections with my audience and peers.
I’m always looking for new ways to connect with my fans and to leverage emerging technology. I joined Cameo in July 2023 to offer personalized video messages for various occasions. The positive reviews I’ve received, like “She always goes above and beyond,” mean so much to me because it shows that my commitment to fan satisfaction is paying off.
Beyond all the business ventures, I have a deep personal philosophy that guides my work. I have a profound desire to affect people around the world and to try and take people’s hate and turn it into love. This message is at the core of everything I do. I truly believe that if enough people adopted this philosophy, the world would be a much better place. My commercial ventures are not just about making money; they are a platform for me to share this message and to create a more positive impact on society.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like anything in the world that is worth having, it’s not going to be easy to get it. Getting to the place in my career where I am now has been no exception to that rule. Besides the normal learning curve that every Model goes through when they first start in their career, while they’re building up their portfolio and their skills to work towards being able to start charging for their shoots, I have faced multiple obstacles and challenges, however, I chose to have a different perspective on what they were. There were many days where I’d find myself in situations that I could’ve easily just labeled it an obstacle and given up, but recognizing it as a challenge or more like a puzzle to solve helped my brain to strengthen my problems solving skills, overcome the obstacle, and come out successful. For example, over the course of the last eight years that I’ve been in this industry, there have been many times where I have not had my own vehicle. This can be frustrating, having to constantly rely on other people for rides and stressing about if they’re gonna even show up or if you’re gonna make it on time. And spending money on an Uber when you’re going 70 miles away for a job is just ridiculous; you might as well not even take the job. However, it was during these times that I learned how to be resourceful when it came to making sure I got to where I needed to go, or worked it out to where the event or shoot came to me instead. I also found cheaper ways to find temporary rides, as an alternative to uber, while I was in the market for a new permanent ride. Also carpooling to Group Shoots or other events where there were people going that I knew through networking was a great way to make sure I got to the event. And then there was lucky times when the event was in walking distance, but that was few and far between.
I also discovered that, although I may be very creative when it comes to creating businesses, products, etc., I would find that after finishing a new project that I was ready to release the world I would always run into the issue of marketing. Marketing is never been my strong suit, even though I am an Instagram influencer and I’m constantly marketing myself naturally, when it comes to actually marketing products and services, I have never taken any formal lessons or classes and therefore who would find myself going in circles, not even knowing where to begin. This lead is several failed business ideas because although the product was great and the demand was there, I did not know how to get the word out to reach my intended target. I have since discovered that it is best to do the things that you’re good at and outsource the things that you’re not good at if you want the best results, such as through sites like upwork.com.
Another challenge that I faced and have always faced to day is that I am one woman trying to run multiple businesses and play every role inside all of those businesses. There have been times when I’ve been blessed enough to hire assistants and they truly help triple my productivity, however, the extra income hasn’t always been available to me, and therefore I am usually on my own, running everything by myself. This can become frustrating and overwhelming at times, and it was during one of these times when I started to wonder if I had untreated ADHD. Although at the time of answering the questions for this article, I have not been formally diagnosed so I have not been able to start any kind of (ideally) holistic treatment. But the symptoms of untreated ADHD fit a lot of the issues that I have seen within myself and also have been pointed out to me by five other people who do have ADHD. So I’m hoping as soon as I receive my formal diagnosis, I can get on the road to treating a lot of the things that I feel are holding me back due to ADHD.
Another challenge for me is that somewhere along the way I became a workaholic, and this started not only a unhealthy work life balance, but the inability to know how to just “take a break.” I always say “I fall asleep with my laptop on my lap, and I wake up with my laptop on my lap,” and that’s actually a very true statement. I’ll work late hours into the night, unable to stop working on a project because I’m too excited about it, only to end up with maybe two hours of sleep before I have to runoff to a modeling gig in the morning. There have also been many nights where I have fallen asleep in my office chair. I am happy to report that since last December, I have forced myself to slow down when it comes to overbooking myself and overworking. Although it wasn’t by choice, I found myself dead smack in the middle of burnout. After years and years of been warned that I was burning the candle at both ends, the warnings finally came true. I would find it very hard to get out of bed in the morning, every little task seemed like it required the energy of 1 million giants, I had no motivation for anything I previously enjoyed and loved, and my body and brain just felt fatigued. However, very happy to report that I got myself through it by resting and doing some much-needed self-care, and I’m now back on my feet with a much better awareness of how to schedule myself so that I am not overloaded at any given time. I also make it a point to schedule regular breaks.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Although I touched on some of my professional work in the first part of the interview, I can go into more detail here. With a strong background in website design and development (I taught myself HTML at 13 years old and developed an entire website for teens that included articles written by teenagers all over for United States and also entertainment for teens), and graphic design, as well as journalism (I was Front Page Editor of my high school newspaper and Features Editor in College) and the love of performing (I was a cheerleader in high school and have technically been performing/dancing/acting since I was 4 years old), I have been able to combine that with my passion for acting and modeling to start building an empire at most, or one-woman ran multiple business ventures at the least.
I have built a diverse career spanning multiple industries in entertainment and business. I secured an acting role in the independent film “A Date for Anya,” playing the character April Nerf, which connected me professionally with Director/Producer/Writer Paul Tracy. My modeling career is equally impressive, with features in over 90 modeling magazines, while also maintaining a strong presence as an Instagram Influencer and Content Creator who engages regularly with my audience.
As an entrepreneur, I demonstrate remarkable business acumen through various ventures. I co-own a magazine focused on providing in-depth perspectives on models, including articles, bios, interviews, and podcasts. Additionally, I created and manage my own clothing line that includes lingerie, personally designing all the graphics. I also utilize my skills as a Website Designer to support my various business endeavors.
In media and content creation, I have established myself as a versatile host and producer. I co-created and co-host the podcast “Model Talk: Sex & Relationships Unzipped” with Miss Kitten, while also hosting the popular Instagram Live show “LIVE! W/ Lacey.” Furthermore, I created, produce, direct, and host the show “Model Vision,” which features interviews with entertainment industry guests and interactive games.
My leadership capabilities are evident in the numerous years I held a significant role at Vision Studios, where I oversaw operations and creative direction while expanding services. As an advisor and leader at the studio, I demonstrated strong management skills. Beyond my professional work, I dedicate time to mentoring aspiring models and conducting workshops to help them develop their careers.
My professional network includes collaborations with a photographer who helped launch my modeling career, business partners in my magazine venture, and various industry professionals I interact with through my shows. I exemplify the modern multi-talented professional, successfully balancing careers in acting, modeling, entrepreneurship, and media creation while building meaningful professional relationships across industries.
I think the thing that sets me apart from others is that I genuinely want to help others succeed. I mentor new. models for free so that they can learn how to navigate the industry properly; for example, how to set themselves up for success in getting modeling gigs on social media and websites like Model Mayhem, how to communicate properly with photographers, what to do before, during, and after a shoot, posing, and all the general unwritten rules and guidelines to this “little league of modeling” that you usually need to experience yourself to learn. I will always help a model with good vibes who reaches out, with whatever it may be, because I truly believe you can’t keep what you have unless you give it away.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Photographers/videographers/producers/directors can work with me by sending me an email to laceyblayze@gmail.com, messaging me on my Instagram (@laceyblayze), or contacting me on Model Mayhem (https://www.modelmayhem.com/laceyblayze). Since I am sincerely passionate about what I do, it’s rare I ever turn down a collaboration with other content creators or businesses who want me to represent their brand (the only reason I would turn it down would be if their ideals were completely opposite of. my own). And people can support me by following me on Instagram, joining my OnlyFans page (https://onlyfans.com/theonlylaceyblayze), or checking out laceyblayze.vip and becoming a VIP member as soon as I finish and open that side of the website.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://laceyblayze.vip
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laceyblayze/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lacey.blayze.79/
- Twitter: https://x.com/Lacey_Blayze
Image Credits
Photos by NicotineBanditPhoto and Travis Leland
