You may not know her name, but chances are you know her face! The 2010 winner of the Face of Foothills contest was Stephanie Mannon- a tax analyst from Gilbert! Here is an exclusive Q&A with Stephanie on modeling, winning the contest and what she's accomplished since!
How did you get started modeling?
I was in my sophomore year at ASU and was approached by a scout for a local agency here in Arizona for a casting call they were holding on campus. Being a dedicated student to my studies and all, I wasn’t able to make the casting, but that brief encounter really sparked my interest in the world of modeling. A couple years later, I signed with SIM Agency and the rest is pretty much history!
What kinds of jobs did you have before you applied for Face of Foothills?
Well, I am a full time tax analyst for a large semiconductor company here in Arizona. Prior to applying for the Face of Foothills, as far as modeling jobs goes, I have done catalog work for Antigua and Robert Redford’s Sundance Catalog, local runway shows and fashion spreads, an Arm and Hammer Instant White Commercial (which only aired in Europe), appeared in Entertainment Weekly for a Nintendo fitness ad, infomercials for hair and makeup and etc.
What made you decide to try out for Face of Foothills?
My agent sent out an email to all of her talent about the contest. I got on AZFoothills website and started reading through what the magazine was looking for and I thought to my self “Hey that could totally be me!” The sophistication, class and elegance of the magazine really is what drew me in to enter (and maybe the $10,000 in prizes did too!) Not to mention, Arizona Foothills magazine is known in the modeling community to have of the highest quality of fashion and beauty spreads in the state (they are all so beautifully done).
How did you get all your Face of Foothills votes?
A little thing called Facebook helped! I had voting surges at my office where my co-workers and I would all get on at a certain time around lunch and vote hard for like 30 minutes! I think though a ton of my votes came from my husband, mom, aunt and grandmas who I know were helping me vote every night sometimes till like 1am in the morning (crazy)! It really was a combined effort from everyone. At times the voting was very exhausting, but at the same time it was exciting and uplifting to see all the votes come in everyday. All I can say, is I am very blessed; blessed with such wonderful family and friends!
What has Face of Foothills done for your career? Winning the Face of Foothills has been amazing!
After the Finale Party, I went to post that I won on Facebook and had already 30 friend requests. Not just any requests, either, but from people in the fashion industry here. I go to modeling jobs now and people are like “Ohh…you are the Face of Foothills, right!!??” People at work think I am a celebrity now; I had a couple of people bring the magazine to my desk and ask me to sign it! The biggest honor though for me, is to be able to put this achievement on my modeling resume “2010 Face of Foothills Winner”. I have done a lot of modeling jobs over the years, but this really tops it all!
Are there any interesting jobs you've had in the past year?
Some of the interesting jobs that I have done this past year so far have been: shooting Blue Diamond’s Almond Breeze Commercial, a QVC campaign for Cosmedicine (which was hosted by supermodel Rachel Hunter) and featured in a small role in the new movie with Will Ferrell called “Everything Must Go”… which by the way I actually got to meet Will! We are only 5 months into the year and I am just so excited to see what else 2010 has in store for me!
Anything on the horizon for you?
On the horizon, I plan to enroll in some acting classes in hopes to book more commercial and tv roles. I have a couple of shoots lined up for the summer here in AZ and plan on taking a trip out to LA sometime in late July. I am always looking to keep growing, keep striving for my goals and learning from my experiences along the way.
What is your advice for those trying out for Face of Foothills, and aspiring models in general?
My advice to those trying out for the Face of Foothills would be to stay true to who you are, because that may be what sets you apart from the others. In an industry where there are so many beautiful people, it can be really hard to stand out from the crowd. For me, and from what people have told me is that, although I am beautiful on the outside, it is truly my inner beauty that shines through. Be confident, have fun and just be you!
For aspiring models, do your homework. Look into the agencies that you are submitting to, are they legit and reputable? Know the fashion industry and market in which you are in; Arizona’s market is quite different than New York’s. Eat healthy and exercise; take care of your body because that is your marketing tool! Also, don’t give up. If an agency/job rejects you, it is not the end of the world. This is industry is so subjective; where one agency/job will pass on you the other may not. Lastly, know who you are and what you stand for. If you are not comfortable with a certain vision a client/job/agent is trying to achieve; then don’t do it. You don’t have to comprise who you are to get ahead in this world. Success is like people, it comes in all different shapes and forms.
