Steph Sphire: Model vs food

This next girl has been a friend for years, but that's not why she is being highlighted this month. Steph Sphire is a girl that knows what she wants! She's a model, foodie, event planner (and great friend) who has traveled the world and taken her experiences and lessons learned modeling, and put them to good use by starting a blog: model vs food. Her blog gives tons of helpful advice for girls starting out like tips on dieting, style, working out, current modeling\fashion trends, and even how to file your taxes. Her blog is a MUST READ for everyone! As soon as I decided to create March Model Madness I knew that I wanted to feature Steph, because she has a few things that every model needs: confidence, goals, and a strong sense of self.

  

Personally, I am always so amazed by Steph's ability to make the industry work for her. She is very laid back, but at the same time is extremely outspoken and knows how to make things happen to her advantage. She knows what she wants, and she goes for it. My goal for her interview was to find out how she makes such strong decisions, and figure out how other girls can apply that to their careers as well. Read below to find out more....

For new models developing a style is very important. As a "style expert" how would you suggest developing personal style when it comes to both fashion and modeling (ex. posing, expressions, etc)

Thanks for the compliment although I am definitely no expert. It took me years to develop a personal style. It is difficult to be inspired in Ohio where you tend to wear what is comfortable, i.e. Ugg boots and hoodies.  I also wore a Catholic school uniform for 12 years so technically I had zero personal style.

Even though I was so far removed from the fashion world, I tried to plug myself in via fashion magazines and internet.  When I moved to Miami I didn’t necessarily try to fit in with the other girls. I just wore what I liked which, at the time, was easy, breezy dresses and tshirts and jeans. However, the way I stood out was adding in my unique flairs. I grew up listening to music like The Doors, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and 80’s bands. I had some pretty sweet vintage band tees and would wear anything with studs or motorcycle boots. I mix feminine with an edge. Now that I am getting older I am realizing more and more what works best on my body. The hardest part is meshing what works on you and what you like. If it were up to me I would wear boxy, comfortable clothing all day long. Knowing boxy clothes do not flatter curves, I have to tweak my style.

What inspires you? Don’t just stick with the trends, because they are very fleeting. Do you love art? Try experimenting with different fabrics, textures and colors. It is all about confidence and if you can carry an outfit well, other people will believe in it.  Are you tomboy and scared of fashion? Ease your way in by finding a cute vintage tee and pairing it with skinny jeans, Frye boots, and a blazer. Again, work with what you like and what looks good on you.

As for modeling it is very important to be recognizable in the industry. There are thousands of girls out there trying to get the same jobs you are so you must develop a uniqueness. If you go into a shoot well equipped with 100 different poses and expressions, they will book you again because you gave them variety. Also, the biggest advice I can give is to show your personality. Long gone are the days of the model who doesn’t speak. People want to book someone with a happy, positive, energetic disposition and that person will get booked over the quiet, introvert any day. Break out of your shell, it will pay off!

Your blog modelvsfood.com gives lots of great receipes for eating healthy. What suggestions would you give to models that struggle with their weight, or haven't quite gotten down to the size that they need to be?

Thanks, I have struggled with my weight my whole life. I remember being 10 years old and telling my mom I didn’t like the way my thighs rubbed together (I was a stick.) It is just the way it is with women, in particular. We are our worst critics.  Modeling has affected my confidence and body image, as it does most girls. A lot of girls I know have Body Dismorphic Disorder and don’t even know it. This is where your image of what your body looks like is much different from reality. You may look in the mirror and see a very heavy person. All of this is why it is very important to be in a healthy state of mind when you start out in this world. Make sure to have a strong backbone and be able to handle criticism because you will be told to lose weight no matter how thin you are.  The most important thing of all is to be happy with yourself if you are going to model.

  

Now, you have to be realistic with losing weight and with your goals. If you want to be a high fashion model like Erin Wasson/Karlie Kloss you will have to be 5’10 and a size 0. Is this attainable for you without starving yourself? If it isn’t consider moving into a different bracket because in the long run it is not worth the yo-yo dieting and starvation. Trust me!!!! Those girls are in the top 1% of girls who make it into supermodel status. The models I know who make the most money are a size 4-8 who shoot catalogs and beauty campaigns or a size 12-18 who work in Plus modeling.

For those of you who aren’t going to listen to this advice and want to shoot for that supermodel status, just do it the right way if you’re going to lose weight. Don’t eat less than 1200 calories a day because your metabolism will slow down and your body will go into starvation mode and start to burn muscle (NOT WORTH IT!) Do circuit training workouts 5 times a week and eat a balanced portion-controlled diet. You will lose weight and tone up without having to sacrifice your health.

Over the years you've learned how to make this industry work for you, and you have strong opinions as to what others should do to become a success. Will you list a few of your top priorities on a shoot?

My first priority on a shoot is to please the client/photographer and to do whatever that takes without compromising your morals. It is important to be a good listener, don’t talk back and take direction well. I want to give the photographer a lot of different looks so the client has a lot of photos to choose from. It is important to be positive, have a good attitude and really just have fun with it. You will be getting paid a lot of money and the job could be a lot worse so you might as well enjoy it while you are there.

 

When should you speak up for yourself on a shoot? When should you hold your tongue?

You should definitely speak up if two things happen. If your morals are being compromised (the photog asks you to remove your top), and this was not in your job description or discussed previously it is okay to say no. If something like this ever happens call your agency immediately and they will handle it. Also if your day is running over time make sure to say something and call your agency to discuss a higher rate.

As a model you will be put in many uncomfortable positions. I have modeled bikinis in the middle of winter, swam as a mermaid in the ocean as the waves were knocking me in all directions, walked in 8 inch heels for 12 hours straight, etc. The point is I sucked it up. No one wants to hear you moan and cry because you are cold or your feet hurt. If you are bleeding or sick it is one thing, but if you are tired or sore keep it to yourself because when it comes down to it you are getting paid to be uncomfortable. If you don’t like it find another job because many other girls would love to be in that position and can’t.

 

 

How do you handle competition? Have you ever had to deal with other models overstepping their boundaries on a casting\booking\show?

I have definitely dealt with competition. There was a girl in my agency who resembled me very closely. She was 2 inches shorter so I had the advantage except I was very mild-mannered and she was aggressive. She would do whatever it took to take a job from me, and she did a few times.  I really had to evaluate what my boundaries were. Was I willing to step on some people or party hard every night with the owner of the agency to get the jobs? No I wasn’t. I lost a lot of work for that, but when it came down to it, what was more important to me was integrity.

I must say though, as difficult as it is to compete sometimes, for the most part most girls get along really well. This is a huge positive as a model in my opinion. Most of my friends are models simply because they understand the lifestyle and the love of travel and fashion. Most girls understand there is only so much you can do to get a job, so we just leave it up to fate and because of that we are able to be friends.

You've always known what you want and you went after it. Do you have any suggestions for girls that may be a bit more shy or unsure?

Omg there was no one more shy than me when I first started. I always had a clear vision of what I wanted but was so terrified to talk to people. My mom took me to modeling classes, which helped my self-esteem immensely. I would strongly suggest putting yourself through acting classes or modeling classes. It will be uncomfortable and you will probably dread going at first but it will be worth it! Learn to do a monologue in front of people and improv and it will pull you out of comfort zone. You will get better with practice.  Just know that probably everyone there will be just as nervous as you and no one is judging you if you mess up. Be yourself, act silly, and have fun with it.

If you can’t afford classes my suggestion would be to do interviews or monologues in front of a camera. Sometimes this can be just as terrifying but it will help. Have someone you love ask you questions you don’t know beforehand and answer them on camera. Practice your slate (name, age, where you’re from) with confidence and you will break out your shell eventually!

What are your goals for the future?

My goals are constantly changing and evolving as I get older and know what is best for me. I would like to continue modeling as far as it will take me and as long as I am happy doing it. I want to continue to develop Model vs. Food and hopefully educate and entertain a lot of people. I want to use my struggles and journey to help others. I also want to continue with Event Planning and maybe someday have my own company. Of course, have a huge family with lots of kids and 3 houses. The American dream.