We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michelle Carney a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Michelle, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
It still catches me off guard when people point out how confident and self-assured I am. Read my journals from most of my life and you’ll find pages upon pages of insecurity and self-doubt. A switch flipped when one day I found myself crying on my suitcase on the sidewalk in New York City. I had lost my job, I had been aimlessly traveling for two years so I had no home, and I hadn’t been taking care of my mental and physical health. As I sat there, it dawned on me how much time and energy I spent bringing myself down because I didn’t think I was good enough. How that lack of confidence actually brought me to that moment. I had a vision of what my life would have looked like if I had instead put the same energy into taking care of and believing in myself. Without much else to lose, I decided to go for everything in life. A job I didn’t think I was qualified for, a date with a guy who I believed to be out of my league, runway shows at Miami Swim Week, roles in films and commercials, the list went on. I heard hundreds of no’s, but I viewed each failure as an opportunity to learn and grow. Each yes made me realize that I was capable of far more than I thought I was. I became addicted to dreaming bigger and bigger. If I could walk in Miami Swim Week, I could walk in New York Fashion Week. If I could get printed in a magazine, I could get my face on a billboard. Why not? Now I let myself believe that I can do anything, no matter how crazy it feels, and I work as hard as I possibly can to make it happen. I believe that confidence comes from action and commitment. Every time I push myself to achieve something that once felt out of reach, my confidence grows.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I grew up in Ohio and was always incredibly shy, so a career as an actress and model was quite unexpected for me. In 2019, I moved to New York City to begin earning my Masters in Nonprofit Management at Columbia University immediately after wrapping up a summer of teaching in Cape Town, South Africa. I settled in too late to get an internship and ended up randomly signing up for the Miss NY USA pageant to fill my time. That experience opened my eyes to the creative industry and led me to modeling, which I quickly fell in love with. I found so much joy in working with designers and photographers to bring their visions to life. Since my start, I’ve had the opportunity to do a mix of commercial, editorial, beauty, and runway. This year I walked in Miami Swim Week, New York Fashion Week, and LA Fashion Week, so it’s been a busy year but in the best way possible. As for my acting career, it began when I, again randomly, signed up for an acting class that began the day I moved to LA. My intention was only to do something that scared me and meet new people, but in that first class, I knew I wanted to act every day for the rest of my life. Recently, I have been working on a number of short films, primarily in the comedy, drama, and romance space. I’ll admit my heart lies in comedy. I get so much fulfillment out of entertaining and making people laugh. However, a large part of my love for modeling and acting is that they challenge me to grow, so within both, I constantly seek roles and opportunities that push me out of my comfort zone.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I’d also encourage you to be a risk-taker. Half of the things I do scare me. I do them anyway. I was afraid to fly to Europe solo with no real plan. I was afraid to take my first acting class. I was afraid to put myself out there by doing this interview. Achieving something you never imagined you would do is so fulfilling. You also never know when that risk is going to lead to passion, purpose, or love.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
It’s an honor for me to be part of anyone’s creative vision. I get so much joy out of meeting and collaborating with new people. It’s a huge part of my love for this career. If you’re a designer, director, producer, photographer, or writer I’d love to connect with you. I’d be happy to hear from you whether you have something in mind for me now or just want to stay in touch. I’m open to opportunities that align with my current portfolio, but if you think I’d be a good fit for a new type of role or look, let’s talk about it. The best place to reach me and follow my work is on Instagram @michellekcarney.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.michellekcarney.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellekcarney/
