You have to be persistent and have good self esteem. Those are the two most important things, in my opinion. You are going to get doors slammed in your face, clients won’t pick you for jobs and you have to learn to let it go and move on immediately. I had to learn this over the course of a few years. I used to be very shy and I took everything people said/did to heart. Now I see that kind of attitude was only hurting me. A lot of people say whatever they feel like saying, and the don’t care if they are hurting your feelings. Don’t take it personally.

If you want to get into the industry, do a few shoots and mail/e-mail/bring the photos to good agencies. The best places to go in the U.S. are NYC, Miami, L.A. or even Chicago (Orlando is okay too). The same goes for plus size models. Go to agencies with a plus size division.