Dream Big
Meet this month’s cover star Marley Wallace / @marleywallace
Such an absolute honor to have you on FHM! What’s a typical day in your life like? Thank you so much! I am honored to be on the cover! I wake up around 6 am naturally and love to go to hot yoga. Then, I take a relaxing hot shower and jam out to music. Music is really essential throughout my day to keep me happy and motivated! I feel like I have a song for every mood. I rotate weight lifting and cardio on days I’m not doing hot yoga, and on a rest day, I’d start the morning with stretching. After I shower, I find it important to have a routine of getting ready with putting oil on my body and taking my time. When I spend my mornings relaxing after my workout, and doing those self-love practices I find I feel much better and centered on love throughout the day. I like to have coffee or hot tea in the morning. I usually post my workout or yoga pictures online in hopes to inspire others to lead a healthy lifestyle. I have a health group on Facebook that is free and I share my healthy living habits along with ideas for recipes of healthy food. I encourage others to share their food recipes and pictures. It is a 21 Day Challenge and I lead it every month. After making my posts for the day I usually have massages booked. As a masseuse, I start by cleaning. Even if my home is pretty clean I like to sweep and light candles to create a clean and inviting atmosphere. I pray for each person once I start the massage that they let go of anything no longer serving their highest purpose and that they feel healed. We start by slowing down our breathing. We take 3 deep meditative breaths together while I place my hands over their heart. The lovely whipped cream and cherry for me with massage is, not only do others feel better during the massage, but I also feel centered on love. After the massages are done I usually run whatever errands I have for the day. Some days instead of massage I have modeling work, like photoshoots, or more interacting on social media. I love spending time with friends or family after work. Family is very important to me and always has been so I really enjoy staying close with them and I am so thankful to have the incredible family I do. After my work day is over I think my favorite relaxing thing to do is lay on my heating pad and draw or watch whatever Netflix show I’m into at that time. Using a heating pad, stretching, meditative breathing/ praying, hot tea, and spreading genuine love are all really important to me to keep myself in a healthy positive mindset and physical well-being throughout the day. It’s also important to be to be transparent with people, so not every day looks like this for me. Sometimes I’m so sore from hot yoga and weight lifting I spend a lot of time relaxing and resting. I listen to my body and it is my best inner compass to healing and feeling happy within myself. Even if it’s just taking the time to be introverted, (because I love spending time with people and being extroverted as well) I find it very important to take the time to “hibernate” and relax, recenter, and reclaim my energy alone at home. My favorite way to end the night is snuggling with the people I love.
What’s one defining moment in your career so far? Getting my first magazine cover really changed my life. It was another New Zealand cover but for Maxim. My favorite movie is Furn Gully and the scene with the glow worm caves are just like the glow worm caves in New Zealand. It’s a beautiful childhood nostalgia that will always be dear to my heart.
How do you stay true to yourself in such a competitive industry? I like to help other aspiring models and actors believe in themselves and live their dreams. I always knew I had the drive and determination to be successful in magazines and my other dreams but it did take me 11 years to accomplish. I would love to share how I became successful in my modeling career to save other people hopefully some of the stress and hardships that I went through. I do have more of respect and appreciation for the success in my career because of all the years I worked 5 to 7 jobs to keep my modeling and acting dream afloat. My advice would be to other models that if you follow your intuition and listen to your heart, it will guide you in the right direction. I look for photographers that I really feel drawn to their style and when we communicate with each other, I like to feel that there is a mutual excitement for the artwork we’re going to create together. I stay true to myself in this competitive industry by genuinely wanting success for others in whatever their dreams are. I do believe that we can be successful in our own endeavors while encouraging others to believe in themselves and their dreams. I’ve been talking to a lot of models and content creators lately about working together, and I am feeling an outpour of love I’ve never felt before. I have exciting projects in the works. I think once you are truthful to yourself about whatever you’re unhappy with in your own life and if you take the time to sit down and make a list of your dreams that you want to live out… that’s when you really start to face your own fears of success and failure. Almost all my dreams I was at times too scared to admit to myself I desired them. It was a lack of self-esteem, lack of confidence, and a lack of listening to my heart that kept me from being more honest with myself. I was stuck in a waitressing career I knew I didn’t want to continue. I am so thankful for the incredible people I met as my regulars and a lot of them still encourage me online. I was holding onto my job and scared to start a new life of living my dreams because that meant I could fail. I think I was equally scared of being successful as well. Admitting this all to myself and opening my heart to take the lead of my life was the best decision for my actual wellbeing. The more I avoided taking those scary plunges into the unknown, the most I felt unwell in my stomach from not being true to myself, and I had this looming feeling that I wasn’t going for it. I had gone to school for an ultrasound and didn’t get into my program with a 4.0. I basically addressed the fact that I had so many other dreams to live out before I worked in a setting like a hospital. I got into the University of Michigan and attended classes for acting and ballet. I was a Theatre Major Dance Minor. I quit my waitressing job to audition for the show Empire and I got in! I went to shoot for that show at least 6 times. I also booked with Chicago Med, (marathon scene, hospital scene), Chicago P.D. (Gym scene), and a CAT construction commercial. I then booked a Chevy commercial in Michigan. After facing my fears of success and failure, I addressed these mental constructs that hadn’t even happened yet and felt set free of them. I could then focus my energy on actually accomplishing my dreams. I would help others on set learn how I booked acting jobs and modeling work. I was empowering others when I would meet them to live their dreams and work we would have fun networking together. I stay true to myself in a competitive industry because I believe in rising up together. I do not agree with putting others down to get to the top. I’ve always thought if we helped each other be successful we would all thrive. The struggle I’ve experienced living like a starving artist for a decade, living for my passions humbled me and brought a deeper sense of appreciation. I live my creative passions and dreams with authenticity.
If your life were a movie, what would the title be? “Marlette Rising.”
What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure snack or meal? Chinese food.
How do you unwind and recharge after a busy day? Yoga, a hot shower or bath, and my heating pad. I like practicing deep breathing exercises. I love reading, listening to music, stretching, connecting with a dear friend, drinking hot tea, and I make gratitude lists.
What has been your favorite project or collaboration to date? Glamour Magzine cover for Glamour Bulgaria! I absolutely adore the gorgeous photography articulated by @Ollyvento She even let me keep the gown! She is such a beautiful woman on the inside and out! We celebrated with sushi and popping champagne to celebrate. Glamour posted me next to Rhianna and I think that was the first time it truly set in how far I’ve came. I love Rhianna so it was such an incredible moment because I love her whole creative journey especially her fashion shows, and her music. I definitely shed some happy tears that day.
How would you describe your personal style? I really have such a broad range! I love yoga clothes, flannels, and being comfortable. I also love dressing up! Dresses, skirts, and heels are a favorite! Nothing like being in a perfect-fitting pair of jeans. My style really goes off my mood. I will always adore 1950’s style pin-up. It’s such an elegant classy way to dress, and I’ve been incorporating more of that style into my everyday wardrobe. As much as I love fashion, it’s a great feeling to not take forever to get ready and just throw on an outfit.
Is there a dream brand or platform you’d love to work with? Vogue! 100% I absolutely would love to honor my mother’s dreams of modeling and my heritage shooting with them.
Which piece of clothing makes you feel confident and empowered when wearing it? Heels. 100% Skirts and dresses. I love getting dressed up! It’s probably my favorite.
What’s a must-have item in your wardrobe right now? Workout skirts like for playing tennis definitely get me in a cute feeling myself confident vibe for lifting at the gym. I have loved wearing them since summer. Something about them is so fun and flirty.
What legacy do you hope to leave behind in your field? I really care about empowering others to believe in themselves and believing they can accomplish their dreams. I care that others feel that they are one of a kind, unique, and worthy of love. I myself have struggled with positive thinking, self-confidence, self-worth, and positive body image. I think we can be our own worst critic. I have worked on my own personal friendship with myself in how I talk to myself and I know that can be one of the hardest parts of life. My legacy is empowering others to be kind to themselves and work on their own mental and physical health. I know I constantly uplift others every chance I get, and I truly believe if we all uplifted ourselves in our thoughts and others in our actions our lives would all benefit.
Thank you for your time, Where can our readers keep up with your latest news and events? I have 3 new magazine covers lined up! I am so excited to share! I am planning shoots with more high fashion, ballet, and fitness. I think some of my best work and art are yet to come! Right now I am about to shoot this week a more whimsical look like you would meet me in a secret garden. My photoshoot last week for Valentine’s Day was very 1950s. I really love the old Hollywood style and the fashion. I am absolutely loving the pictures and publishing them soon. One of my most exciting surprises is doing a duel cover with another model. I have two models that would like to collaborate on a cover and it’s going to be unforgettable.
