Interview with Ashlyn Ahlers — Hot-Mess Motivation
Ashlyn Ahlers is a 22-year old model residing in Saint Louis, Missouri.
How would you introduce yourself to our readers?
Hey everyone! My name is Ashlyn Ahlers, from Nashville, Illinois. I currently live in St. Louis, Missouri with my man, Joey, 7 month old daughter, Collins and my fur-baby, Pixie. I love to travel, attend concerts, get dinner with friends and spend lots of time outside. I am a full-time mommy, part-time Certified Personal Trainer, and volunteer for two non-profit organizations.
When, how and why did you first get involved in the modeling industry?
I was first introduced to the model industry in 7th grade when my grandmother signed me up for modeling classes in St. Louis. A month after I started my classes, I submitted my portfolio and head shots to a few local businesses and received a call for my first print opportunity.
What are your personal and professional goals? Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?
My personal goals have changed dramatically since having my daughter. I used to be ‘all about’ how my body looks in the mirror and wasn’t too concerned with being strong. Now, I want to be as strong as I can to keep up with my growing child, although looking awesome in a bikini is always a bonus! My professional goals are to inspire my clients and followers on social media by living by example. Having a healthy diet and exercise program myself is so important when coaching others through their mental and physical transformations.
How often are you modeling and what does it usually consist of?
On average, I do 5 to 6 modeling jobs a month, and most of the positions are for print advertising for clothing boutiques, or in-person demonstrations. Once in a while, I will do on-camera shoots for commercials, but before I had my daughter, I was booked for quite a few fitness photo shoots for catalogs, social media advertising, and online video promotion. I am working on getting back into pre-baby shape and expect to jump right back in to fitness shoots.
Please tell us about the best and/or worst experiences you’ve had so far in modeling.
The best experience I have had as a model is getting to travel all over the US to do demonstrations, promotions and seminars for a fitness and nutrition company. It’s also funny when I get tagged in all kinds of funny photos of people posing by my pictures in the St. Louis airport. The worst experience I have had was working with a very unprofessional company that tried to put me in harms way to get a photo for a CD cover… who even buys CDs anymore anyway?
Have you had anything funny, embarrassing or completely out of the ordinary happen during your modeling career?
When modeling at a fitness expo, I got completely star struck by one of my favorite fitness icons and stepped on her foot when she came to ask me about the company I was working for. If you’re reading this, sorry DLB!
Is there anything you would change about the modeling industry if you could?
If I could change anything about the modeling industry, it would be to give the fitness models credit for having a real life, just like everyone else. Contrary to popular belief, fitness models don’t get to spend every second of every day in the gym. We have children and families, other jobs, and food cravings. We’re all human.
Do you practice any sports and what do you typically eat? Please elaborate on the importance of nutrition and exercise in your life.
Diet and exercise is so important for everyone, you only have one body- if you don’t take care of it, where will you live? I always try to keep my diet pretty clean and healthy; my body is super sensitive to carbs and dairy so if I stray from my clean diet, there’s no hiding it I am also a breastfeeding momma, so the better I eat, the better my daughter eats. I exercise every single day, and although I may not make it to the gym every day, I am sure to get at least one hour of some sort of exercise daily. I lift weights 3 to 5 times a week, and also run 5k’s 10k’s and half marathons to raise awareness and money for childhood cancer; this year, I am running 5 runDisney races. Don’t hesitate on contacting me on my social networks if you’re interested in getting involved.
Please share something people don’t know about you.
Fun fact: I can play the harmonica like a pro.
Would you change anything about yourself?
If I could change anything about myself, I would love to be better at multitasking, since I always seem to take on so many things at once and it always ends in a cluster. I am also a huge people-pleaser, which is usually why I take on too many tasks at once.
What superpower do you wish you had? Why?
If I had a superpower, it would be to sprout extra limbs so I could play with my kid, play with my dog, be on social media, shop online, do the laundry, clean the dishes, iron clothes, workout, draw, play the piano, study, message my friends, and work… all at the same time.
Visit Ashlyn Ahlers’s website for more photos and information