Meet Shayna Hickox | Model and Creator

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

Hi Shayna, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I feel like your life is all based on the risks you take and how far you put yourself out there! You’re only going to get as far as you let your self! A lot of people get comfortable and are afraid to step out of their comfort zone, that’s why they stay in the same place, for me the only way I can grow and succeed with a career in this industry is by taking risks and stepping outside of my comfort zone and pushing myself further to develop a more defined resume. No one wants a model who does the same thing over and over, they need someone who’s willing to be spontaneous and open to trying new things and who can get the job done! I would be no where close to where I am in my modeling career if it wasn’t for the risks I have taken!

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
The biggest thing about my art is that it’s made with my body, my goal with anything I post or shoot is to make other people feel something when they look at my image. Whatever I’m wearing, wherever I am, no matter who the photographer is, it’s my job to make sure there is emotion and meaning behind each image!! Modeling is way more than just a pretty face or a pretty photo. For me and what sets me apart from others I believe is my posing and ability to adapt, my posing is very unique and I know the angels pretty well, I’m good at creating lines and showing emotion through my photos and being able to move well behind the camera! I learned most of that through Cocos camp and again, I’m so grateful for taking that opportunity! If it wasn’t for her camp or the skills I learned there I probably wouldn’t have the confidence or drive that I have now! I’m super proud of how far I have come in such a short period of time! It wasn’t easy at all and I’ve learned so much by trial and error and at the end of the day the best thing I’ve learned is to just keep going! I’ve definitely learned that you will get more NOs than you will YESs but how you handle those NOs is what will change the outcome for the next time. Me being 5’3 in the modeling industry has been the biggest set back for me, and will continue to be, I’ll get in contact with an agency or a brand or a casting and they’ll love me but when they hear or see my height it’s a whole different story, they say the modeling industry is changing but it hasn’t changed enough! I’ve been told though, if they don’t want to work with you, then you wouldn’t want to work for them anyways, you gotta find people that people in you and who can help you grow! Something as small as someone’s height should not define how good of a model they are. My goal is to make my dreams happen and to inspire those from a similar background to not give up and to keep pushing and that no matter what your height, weight, bank account balance, or experience is, you can make it happen!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well first things first, I’d pick them up from DIA and immediately take them to get some food! My favorite spots to eat would depend on what mood they’re in, if they’re looking for some good seafood I’ll take them to the tastiest and messiest seafood restaurant called The Juicy Seafood, their crab boils are amazing! If they want more of a boujeee experience I’d take them to get some juicy steak at STK, or if they want something a little more casual and light then my go-to would be Sonic to sip on some slushies! Now they’re in COLORADO! I’m sorry but one of these days I definitely would be taking them to a park to have a picnic and smoke a little joint since it’s legal 😉 maybe hammock a little and take them to a Red Rock concert to enjoy the beautiful view and feel the bass through their body! It’s an experience everyone should have! The sunsets are beautiful here too so I would want to watch the sunset up at Daniels Park and look at the stars! Some of the best places to go on the weekend would be 1Up, it’s a bar but also an arcade so I would have to take her there! I would have to take her over to Gin Mill as well for a night out because they have the best music for girls and the best drinks! Denver is home of the Rockies! And it’s baseball season so what’s better than getting cheap tickets, sitting in the sun and getting a few drinks while at the ball park! It’s a must! If we have time then I would take a trip to Colorado Springs so they could experience feeding giraffes at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo!! That’s also a must! To end the trip I’d probably take them for a spa day and get our toes done at Littleton nail spa and get some facials too! I’m newish to Denver too so I would try and experience new things with them as well!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Big shoutout to Coco Rocha and her team in New York!! Going back to taking risks, back in 2021 I invested in myself and my dreams and got selected my Coco herself to come to her model camp in New York! I was so hesitant because it was way more than I could afford at the time and I also was in no place to spend that type of money, but thanks to my community here in denver they helped me fundraise enough to go! Also big shoutout to everyone who believed in me! That camp was hands down the best experience and most influential moment in my career! Coco gave me all the insight and knowledge and skills that any model could hope for! My skills since that camp have changed drastically, and even photographers have noticed the difference! I would also love to shoutout my best friend/brother Austin Carmichael because he and I moved to denver to pursue our career together except he was a photographer so we both worked so hard together and gained trust and respect and relationships with the denver community and fast! He’s the reason why I first started modeling! And the final shoutout is to my boyfriend Mfon Ekiko who has stood by my side through all of this and who has supported me and kept me going and who has always encourages me to keep going when I feel like I’m stuck !

Instagram: Shaynahickox

Other: TikTok: ShaynaHickox

Image Credits
Chance Eugene, Roxie Carrasco, Kimberly Rodriguez