I was born in Alabama on September 21st, and my mom named me Candy because
she thought it was a sweet name. I only lived there a short time before relocating to
Florida, where I grew up on the Gulf Coast. With its warm waters and perfect white
sand, it was hard to keep me away from the beach and out of the water. (it still is)
I was a cute little girl with long brown hair, and I remember people commenting that I
looked like Brooke Shields and should try modeling. Then I got a little older and
turned into tall, skinny, lanky kid who spent two years missing my two front teeth only
to have them grow in and stick out. Thank you grandma, for the braces. My stepfather
was a photographer who worked at a camera store, so I spent a lot of time in front of
the camera helping with different aspects of photography workshops. For example:
one time I rode my bike past him over and over again so he could practice taking
pictures of speed and movement. I remember looking through all his photography
books, and seeing the beautiful pictures and wanting to be able to be that person in
the photos someday.
But I was a shy little bookworm with a squeaky voice that didn’t like being in front of
crowds. I also tended to wear clothes two sizes too big, dressed like a boy and
sometimes had purple hair. Modeling was not exactly the obvious career choice, and I
drifted into writing and eventually decided to pursue journalism. I excelled at school
and took mostly honors courses and a ton of art classes. After officially announcing I
wanted be a beach bum after high school, a friend picked me up and carried me out of
class, depositing me in the office and demanding I sign up for the SAT’s and get my
act together. I couldn’t say no to that.
I spent a few years at community college trying to decide what direction to take. It was
then that I looked into modeling with a local agency. I wasted a lot of money on
photos and getting my portfolio together and then attending the Millie Lewis Modeling
Convention where all the agents were terribly rude and uninterested in anything but
the free vacation they were getting out of the deal. I actually had an agent look directly
at me in his open call line, and then tell his assistant “I have nobody in my line, can
you get me someone worth looking at?” Another agent asked “And what do you think
I can do for you hon?” When I asked if he could just look through my book, he quickly
flipped through, tossed it on the table and said “You’re too commercial, next in line
please.” Elite was the only agency that offered some constructive criticism and put me
on the right path. The agent told me I was too curvy for fashion and should try
swimwear modeling. This was when I was 5’9” and only 105 lbs. I didn’t even think I
looked good in a bikini at that point. The only highpoint of the convention was
winning a ribbon for “most photogenic.” Afterwards the agency that I had given so
much money to got me one job- working for $10/hr as a promo model for Cadillac. I
reevaluated my whole approach to modeling and decided to concentrate on school
instead.
So I headed to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida and earn a degree in
magazine journalism. It was there that I got into the Internet and learning about
building websites. A little one page website with a few snapshots grew into the website
I have today. It was through research online, self promotion and building my website
that I was able to start modeling again on my own terms. I also started doing more
promo work in college working as a campus rep for Playboy.
After college I moved to San Francisco to write editorial content for websites. It was an
interesting time with the whole dot com business booming. After all that went bust,
the writing jobs dried up and everyone started offering “exposure” instead of money.  
That is when I looked into modeling again and started doing a lot of promotional
work. Pretty soon I got tired of the cold weather and decided to move south to San
Diego. After searching in vain for a decent paying journalism job, I went back to
promo work and now do promotions and modeling full time.
With the online modeling business growing every day, and so many young girls trying
to break into the business, I felt the need to get the word  out about the scams that are
so prevalent in the industry. I was hoping to save at least a few other girls from
blowing all their saving and going into debt while trying to pursue their dreams in the
wrong direction. I’ve been a member of allexperts.com for a few years and have been
giving advice to new models and their parents about what is and isn’t legitimate when
starting out. I had to learn the hard way! I also started writing again and published an
article in Supermodels Unlimited Magazine on how to have a successful freelance
modeling career.
So this is where I am today. I enjoy working on my website and all the opportunities
modeling has brought to me. I’ve gotten to travel, met some interesting people, attend
some great events and seen myself in print and on TV. In my free time I still enjoy the
beach, and have grown to love surfing since moving to SD.  And although I may have
gotten over most of my shyness, I’m still a little squeaky-voiced bookworm at heart.