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

Hi Masha, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I believe talent and passion is very important to growing a brand. However, I believe it’s more important to be reliable and have good marketing. Marketing can really make a brand take off and is one of the most important factors! Through good marketing you can really take your brand to the next level. That being said, you need to be able to deliver on what you market and promote! So make sure there is quality behind what you have marketed.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a model, I’ve focused my art on being able to pose for photographers. I’ve worked in fashion, glamour, and art modeling. As I grew my brand and worked with a wide range of collaborators, I found that I really enjoyed bringing concepts to life and moved slowly into the cosplay world. I’m most proud of how far I have come in my craft and that people in my industry now recognize the name I have built for myself. It was a long journey and it wasn’t easy. I frequently had to re-evaluate the direction of my brand, handle the negative feedback received online from being a social media personality, and deal with shady characters that hide under the guise of ‘photographers’ wanting to book models. Through my experiences I’ve learned a lot about the freelance modeling, cosplay, and photography industries as well as how to use my business background to really take my brand to the next level. Now I’m shifting focus to use my image and experiences to teach other creators how to navigate the industry as well. I’m really excited to be launching an official website with online courses in the new year!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Houston has so much to see and do and… EAT!! I’d definitely take them around to some great restaurants! Also I find the Heights and Montrose areas to be really great to take friends to.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wouldn’t be where I am without my amazing team! I spent years growing my online personas and my brand, but was finally able to take the next step to grow when I found strong, reliable team members to join me! A special thank you to B Grant Photos for being able to understand my concepts and help bring my ideas to life!

Instagram: instagram.com/mashamodels
Twitter: twitter.com/mashamodels
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/mashamodels

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.