Her Story
About Danielle
I started my journey in high school as a thespian, very interested in theater and the arts and entertainment. I always wanted to be a model, but back in high school around 2005, modeling classes were very expensive. My dad and mom were both in the military, so we didn't really have time to invest in my dreams. Once I became grown, I went into the military myself, but I started modeling before I went in. Then I got deployed and wasn't able to really mature that dream until I got out of the military in 2017. Now I've been living my dream and doing what I wanted to do. I became a licensed agency, which is an accomplishment I'm really proud of because it's a rigorous process, especially when it asks about your character. They only allow people with good character to do this business with models because they don't want models to get taken advantage of by the wrong people. I'm so proud that I was entrusted with other people's careers. I also own Florida Fashion Week, which we'll be doing in June 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida. My day involves signing people to my agency, looking at their talent, telling them what level of modeling they should be in or where they'll get paid gigs from, doing modeling classes, acting classes, and networking. I'm also a mom and a wife, so I balance both home life and work. At 5'9", I did print modeling, some runway, commercials, and theater and acting. Now I want to help the next generation get to where I was at.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Danielle
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think true dedication and my husband. When I was building Florida Fashion Week, I was pregnant with my daughter that I just gave birth to, and I was literally on a conference call during labor. I was 10 centimeters dilated already. Now that I look back, I was like, women are so powerful, like we can do anything. I think the dedication piece, I was so dedicated and I wanted it so bad that no matter what I was going through, I would continue to keep going. My husband was right there with me in the delivery room, on the other phone, on the conference call as well, so I can attribute to both of those.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say respect the industry. I know a lot of people like to change things about the industry to fit everybody, but not every industry fits all. I definitely respect the industry and their requirements in certain things. I'll also say hard work does pay off. A no is not forever, a no may be just not yet. And just keep going.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the biggest challenge is that this industry is very close-knit, and in order for people to open the door for you, they kind of have to get to know you first. It goes back to that character piece. One of my challenges is that getting to know someone and building relationships takes time, and you can't skip the process.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My values are honesty, good character, good business practices, and having a moral compass.
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