We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Hafley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
I’m happy when I’m learning different things and meeting new people. Traveling is one of my favorite hobbies, I’ve been to 56 countries, many of which I was fortunate to visit due to modeling. I love exploring new cultures and seeing the world through unique lenses. Discovering new parts of the world makes me thankful for our wonderful country and also makes me work harder knowing all the opportunity that is available in the United States. There is no feeling like waking up in a new place and spending the day trying things you never thought you would. Being a world traveler has not only expanded my mind but also made me more understanding of the important obligations we have to our world around us. Being kind to one another and keeping our wildlife and planet safe is a goal we should all have.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The camera captures much more than poses and facial expressions. When I started modeling at 18, I didn’t fully understand the impact your inner feelings can have on your outer appearance. Looking back at old pictures, I can see my past break ups, my first modeling paycheck, and old insecurities. I could fake a smile anytime but the pictures didn’t lie. When I was genuinely happy, modeling didn’t seem like work. I finally learned inner peace was the key to becoming a successful model and artist. Keeping a healthy and happy frame of mind created amazing pictures that captured people’s attention. Overcoming negativity and insecurities became a strategy for success.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
L.A. is one of the only cities in the world you can find a piece of every culture and cuisine. If you’re someone who likes to travel, L.A. is a godsent because you can find almost anything you enjoyed in another country somewhere in the city. One of my favorite stores in L.A. is the Beverly Hills Cheese Store. When I go there I buy an entire wheel of a french cheese called Raclette de Savoie and serve it at dinner parties off a cheese heater. This is one of the only cheese stores in the United States that sells high quality unpasteurized cheeses from around the world. Little Tokyo and Thai town are also some of my favorite places to explore. Matsuhisa near West Hollywood is a great restaurant to catch celebrities at. The restaurant chain later become known as Nobu but Matsuhisa in L.A. was the original. My favorite museum in the city is the Getty Center. If you’re a history and art buff, this place will knock your socks off. Once the world’s largest art collection, now J. Paul Getty’s trust is available for the public to view. I would also recommend driving a little out of the city and visiting a local orchard in California. Besides getting away from the city, this is a great activity because California has some of the best fruit and vegetables in the county. Finally, one of my favorite places to visit in L.A. is the TLC Chinese Theatre off of Hollywood Blvd. the theatre opened in 1922 and brings you back in time to old Hollywood. The architecture of the theatre is like none other in the world with an elegant and sophisticated style inside.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shoutout to Bukola Majekodunmi owner of Sleektrends and TeeDay USA. She was the first person to hire me as a model for household brand name companies. Her clothing is sold at Walmart, Sears, and Amazon closet. Working for her opened up many opportunities for me in the future.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/emilyhafley
Facebook: www.facebook.com/emilyhafleymode
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPYySmlSMF7ZmRG-odJeUAg

Image Credits
Picture 1 photo by Roberto Barahona, photo 2 photo by Chalo Garcia, designer Yeimi Guido, hair and make up by Glen Marhall, Photo 3 photo by Jacob Mulemeax designer H&M Photo 4 photo by Christoph Weise Photo 5 photo by Raymond Playas make up and hair by Karen Adriana Photo 6 photo by Ray Urner Photo 7 photo by Johnny Atomic Photo 8 photo by Raj Fylling