Today we’d like to introduce you to Marissa Springer
Hi Marissa, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
When I was younger, I was a competitive dancer for 10 years and a cheerleader for 3, so I’ve always loved being involved in something fun. This definitely made me comfortable being in front of an audience. Throughout high school, I also had a makeup and hair business in which I built up a pretty large clientele.
As I was graduating high school and starting college, I wanted to start a career but also incorporate my personality into it. I didn’t want it to take up a lot of time because my ultimate goal was to get my college education.
I was always asked if I was a model or told that I should be, so that’s what really made me look into the industry.
Social media is not something you can easily take a class on; it’s continually developing, so you have to immerse yourself in it to understand it. I started doing my TikTok research on growing your Instagram and how to get into modeling industry. I also focused on taking lots more pictures of myself, posting more, using hashtags related to my niche, and identifying myself as a model for photographers, agents, and other people in the industry to see on all platforms.
I started collaborating with photographers and small businesses to build up my portfolio. I created my own digital portfolio website with all my work and features to present to agencies. Because of my constant focus on social media activity, I actually get more jobs through freelance instead of with an agent.
Fast forward I am now about to graduate with my Bachelors of Business Administration and am modeling for celebrities and brands that you see on the daily!
I will be spending the summer in London working a paid marketing internship for a professional sports company and also pursuing modeling jobs in the London area with a local agent!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I haven’t had many obstacles because I’m fortunate enough to have strong family support. That’s afforded me the freedom to do some of these things that take a long time to develop, where I couldn’t do that if I had to work and survive on my own. My biggest challenge now is balancing modeling jobs with schoolwork!
I encourage others to do what you have fun doing; it doesn’t have to be a 9 to 5. Find your niche and market yourself; social media is your best friend.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a fashion model and college student at the University of Houston.
As a model, I specialize in print, commercial, promotional, fashion, and film. I am most proud of my work with celebrities such as Paul Wall, Baby Bash, etc., and brands like Best Buy, Modelo, SoClear Beauty, and more! I feel I am unique in the sense that my career picked up quite quickly and is now a full-time job for me!
As a college student, I am about to graduate with my Bachelor in Business Administration, double majoring in marketing and management from the University of Houston. I will be continuing into the master’s program to get my MBA as I feel it is the perfect fit with my modeling career now and I aspire to be an expert in my field.
My education goes hand in hand with my modeling career, as I am mostly self-marketing and self-managing myself. Things I learn in school apply to my career and vice versa.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I think the Modeling industry has definitely expanded into a more diverse and inclusive industry. Brands that have used the same types of models for years on end are now open to being inclusive. With Covid, auditions, castings, scouting, and open calls all changed drastically into virtual, which had never been done before. It has remained that way since Covid. Social media has also made agencies less necessary in that models can market themselves, but also the employers that want to hire them can find them without the help of an agency. That actually creates a challenge for agencies to learn how to stay relevant.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://marissaportfolio.my.canva.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bby.marii?igsh=MXFlODQ5d2U4NGcxMg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/bby.marii?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=5bdea347-2857-4bd5-9c31-cfbf3ef8d1e6
