Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Anderson.
Hi Holly, 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.
I started modeling back in 2018, which I never really saw coming as I hadn’t given it much thought before. But when I saw on Instagram that a local modeling agency in my hometown in Canada was doing open calls, I thought why not? I had been told a couple of times when I was younger that I should try modeling, and I had always been a creative person my entire life.
And sure enough, when I was invited back to do the development classes, I quickly fell in love with everything I was learning and I also met my best friend. We spent the next year or so learning photo movement, model etiquette, runway walk, improv, public speaking, makeup, and styling while walking in our first fashion week in Vancouver (SS’20), competing in an international talent convention, and meeting international scouts during various castings.
My very first paid gig was actually for a vegan mattress company based in my hometown in June 2019, and I will never forget driving to the showhome and having vlog myself trying out these different mattresses. Pretty sure I am still on the website. I don’t think I had ever been so passionate about something before in my life, and learning more and more about the international modeling world made me even hungrier, and I kept visualizing myself traveling the world and documenting my experiences.
I gave it everything I had, even while I continued to study psychology full-time at university. I had also taken my first acting class through my agency, and I quickly realized how much I loved the feeling of totally immersing myself in a scene and becoming someone else entirely. One of the most pivotal experiences for me was definitely my trip to Taiwan in early 2019.
I had been wanting to visit one of my best friends who moved back home there, and I decided I just needed to book the trip already during my week-long break in February. Not only did I immediately feel so at home there, but I felt like I really got a glimpse of what my dream life would look like – traveling modeling, and living in other countries. I bought a camera and vlogged in every day of the trip, realizing how passionate I was about creating content as well.
I felt so deeply immersed in what I was doing with more determination than ever before, and coming back it was difficult to continue to feel the same way about school. I could tell deep down that it wasn’t in alignment for me anymore, and I no longer wanted to go down that path. However, it took me at least a year to slowly drop out.
I’m not sure if “dropping out” is the right thing to say, as I just kind of slowly stopped taking classes after doing a few online in 2020. My plan was to take a semester off anyway following the talent convention in Nov 2019 if I received any international modeling contracts, as that is what I truly wanted. However, the world had many different plans
As the pandemic continued to spread and our daily lives continued to change, and with international travel not being possible, I ended up working full-time with a sales company, slowly phasing out of my classes, and moving to Vancouver by the end of 2020. Even though things went in a very different direction that year that I couldn’t have seen coming, I was still determined as ever to make things work with moving to my dream city, working for 100% commission, and being closer to a much larger volume of modeling opportunities.
With the natural tendency to do things myself and also living in the much more expensive downtown Vancouver, I soon began freelance modeling and was able to get an abundance of new experiences and connect with some amazing and creative individuals in the industry. I had developed such a new sense of confidence in myself as well, just putting myself out there, networking, marketing myself, making new friends, and trying more things out of my comfort zone like music videos and a short horror-comedy film.
To this day, I am so grateful for my time living in the city the valuable experiences I’ve had, and the connections I’ve made there. Not only did it really help build my career, but also built me. During this time I also started really taking my content creation more seriously, working on my video editing skills, and falling in love with this side of things as well.
Fast forward a couple of years and after having moved back to my hometown Kelowna, BC, I am now currently in beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah creating content full-time and modeling as much as I can. I just returned from walking in my very first New York Fashion Week which was such an exciting opportunity, and something I definitely want to do more of as I have always absolutely loved runway.
Next month I will be heading to Guadalajara, Mexico on my first international modelling contract and I couldn’t be more excited. I am really looking forward to exploring another culture, developing my skills, making new friends, and also working on my Spanish. I am also very excited to be starting my own podcast very soon, where I will be sharing more of my story and things I’ve learned along the way while giving advice to those who want to get started as a model or creator.
I’d say one of the most important things I’ve learned over the last 5 years is to always take chances on yourself and to put yourself out there. Know when to take risks, because trust me, some of the biggest opportunities for growth and expansion are on the other side of taking a huge, scary leap. Either you get what you want or you learn something valuable, so either way, you win.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not always been a smooth road. In the modeling industry, one of the most common things you’ll face is rejection. It’s just part of the job. You do need to have thick skin remember why you’re doing it, and know that rejection is just redirection. The clients that want to work with you for you, and not just your measurements, are the best ones to work with anyway.
You also have to stay true to yourself, even when you’re told you need to do things a certain way or look a certain way. Beyond rejection, some other challenges I’ve faced have been comparison, frustration that “nothing is happening”, and pushing through uncertainty. Additionally, listening to my intuition when making some difficult decisions which ultimately benefited my personal life and career in the long run.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a fashion model, with over 5 years of experience in the industry. I have experience in fashion, runway, fitness, beauty, e-commerce, commercials, bridal, music videos, and short films. I am also a content creator, and I specialize in producing engaging, aesthetic short-form videos for brands in the areas of health and wellness, fashion, lifestyle, travel, tech, skincare, and beauty. Either these videos are to promote on my own social media platforms, or solely for the brand to use as organic social media content or as paid ads.
What I am most proud of and what I believe sets me apart is my overall work ethic and attention to detail in whatever project I am taking on. I am passionate about what I do and always put my full effort into it while trying to learn as much as I can in the process. I don’t give up easily, and will always find a way to do something.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
If you are truly passionate about something and want to pursue it, find a way to make it happen. You will be so much happier going after what you love than what you “should” be doing, despite any challenges you may face. People will always have their opinions and ideas about your life, but it is your life.
If you don’t like something, you can always change it. I never ever expected to be doing what I’m doing now, and my life has taken so many crazy detours over the last few years that I never saw coming, but that’s what makes it fun. Stay open and expect the unexpected. Be brave enough to let go of things that no longer light you up, and never stop searching for what does.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hollyelisaa.my.canva.site/modellingportfolio
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-a-428b89127/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/hollyelisaa
- Other: https://hollyelisaa.my.canva.site/
Image Credits
Rico Marques, Andrew Gerard, and Hans Myles
