HADLEIGH PAINTERJUST A TEENAGER WITH BIG DREAMS

Although, Hadleigh Painter would describe herself as

just an ordinary teenager most of us wouldn’t agree with that. It’s a rarity to find someone so young with such dizzying scales of talent and focus. In fact when looking at the catalogue of triumphs this fifteen year old has achieved it’s difficult to know where to start.

Already highly influential on Twitter, this sophomore and honour student from Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, North Carolina is followed by over a hundred thousand people worldwide and this number is growing fast so by the time of you reading this it probably would have doubled. There is no doubt that Hadleigh Painter, the highschool student who along with finding fame and fortune on screens large and small, also enjoys pole vaulting, track and studying, is a name that will soon be a household name.

“I would say I’m just a normal teenage girl with big dreams, just one who is fortunate enough to have a great following online,” she says, “I’m taking the usual honours classes at school as well as AP Psychology, I was one of the few Freshman to letter in

Track this past year and one of three female pole vaulters on the team, I’m also studying to get my Learners permit and I’m looking forward to getting my drivers license,”

As modest as she may be, Hadleigh has worked very hard, putting in the many diligent hours required to develop herself as a serious model and actress, “I would love to travel the world modelling and acting and using what I’ve developed on social media to help others.”

She goes on to explain that one of her greatest passions and ambitions is to find ways to give back and help create and reinforce a positive self-image in tweens and teens, “Growing up is hard and I think we are all too hard on ourselves. You have to be proud of who you are and proud of your differences, those differences make you what you are.”

With such a vast and growing audience online, Hadleigh has had to come to terms with a celebrity status that practically popped up out of nowhere, “I don’t really think of myself as a celebrity,” she says, “I’ve been on Twitter for about three years now, it’s only in the last year or so that my following has only

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really exploded. And I’m really happy about that, but it can be weird at times too. People you’ve never actually met know your name and recognize you when you’re out in public. Sometimes it can be scary.”

She goes on to point out, “I feel very blessed to have the amount of followers I do and I am appreciative of all their love and support, but you have to be careful though and make sure there are boundaries in place to protect yourself. It’s not something I like having to worry about, but it is something you have to remember, safety first.”

For the most part though, her following has been more fun with some interesting and unexpected surprises, “It is cool getting a tweet sent out to you from the Red Carpet of the VMA’s from the Official Cover Girl Correspondent relaying a message to you from your favourite boy band member, Mikey Fusco from the To Be One’- he said, “What’s up pretty? (; “’

Additionally, being followed by and having tweets shared with well known names like Chris Trondsen (@christrondsen) and the others from the band To Be One, and the guys from B-Brave who were the third place finalists for X-Factor in Holland, not to mention Paul Fisher, world-reknown modelling super-

agent who was also the host of the CWs series called “Remodelled,” and more recently hosted another series in Holland called, “I Can Make You A Super Model.”

“I also have had Awesomeness TV commenting and posting stuff to me on Facebook,” she says, “Especially after I did an interview with Andrea Russett and put it on my YouTube Channel,”

What Does It Take To Be Hadleigh Painter?

Luck has nothing to do with success. Consistent hard work is Hadleigh’s only secret. Recognizing that the harder she works, the more she directly impacts the number of doors that open for her, Hadleigh maintains several dedicated routines on a daily basis.

First thing I do is check my various social media feeds,” she points out, “A healthy breakfast and then depending on which day it is either cross fit, yoga, running, elliptical machine or an abdominal workout.”

When speaking with Hadleigh I keep forgetting that I’m speaking with a fifteen year old girl and not a

“Growing up is hard and I think we are all too hard on ourselves. You have to be proud of who you are and proud of your differences, those differences make you what you are.”

grown up professional. Along with the responsibilities of an adult that her career has placed upon her she still has the rigours of highschool to get through, “School starts early,” she begroans, “My bus comes in at 6.20am and it’s a full day of lessons and studying and then track practice either indoor or outdoor depending upon the season, and then after that comes homework, auditions and more social media.”

When Hadleigh was ten years old she was scouted by Carolina Talent and has been modelling and acting since then. She has become a master of managing her time especially when she has to divide it up between auditions, call backs and making appearances at shows and while for most of us this could be enough time she reveals that, “I am also a counsellor at a horse camp near my house during the summer and help judge horse shows and help with kids parties on the weekends throughout the year,”

This last one is very much a labour of love because Hadleigh reveals that she rode horses when she was younger and has competed for many years, happily admitting to being a barn rat.

“I also volunteer at the Elevation Church on the Student eTeam and have been a part of the Photography and Greeter eTeams,” she tells us, “Through things like Samaritans Feet, Samaritans Purse, Loves and Fishes, Second Harvest and Food Bank I help support as many important causes as possible and I’m especially keen on anti-bullying campaigns.”

Giving back is important and Hadleigh goes on to explain that she has always enjoyed volunteering and is always happy to spend time giving back whenever she can. The Church has played a prominent role in her life, providing her many opportunities to volunteer and help others and she credits Elevation Church and Paul Fisher for inspiring her to create her own campaign, ministry or charity #BeTheLight which is currently in the development stages.

AccoladesLast June, 2013, Hadleigh was one of three finalists worldwide

for Romeo and Juliet Couture’s online modelling contest with over one hundred thousand views to her Youtube video entry and in the Shorty Award 2014 she received the most nominations for modelling and her school district also nominated her for an award and shared on their Facebook and Twitter profiles that Hadleigh Painter was “Not just a model but a role model,”

“There is a rumour that I have the most Twitter followers in my school district,” she says humourously, “Although I have no idea how to confirm that one,”

Hadleigh also recently appeared in a commercial with Kyle Larson in an Axe Body Spray commercial entitled, “Peace,” and as an extra on the television series, “It’s Supernatural,”

another one to three hours on Instagram, Vine, Gifboom, Facebook, Snapchat and Tumblr,” she says, “Honestly, five hours a day online managing social media is pretty common for me.”

Hadleigh also explains that Twitter isn’t just about making a noise but giving a part of yourself to your audience. Whether you have two hundred followers or two hundred thousand, these are people who are interested in what you’re doing and so she does her best to keep things interesting, funny and light-hearted, “You have to have good content. You have to give them a reason to want to follow you.”

In The BackgroundWho are the people that Hadleigh Painter relies on? While she’s

out inspiring her peers and supporting those who need it who does she rely on for support?

“Easy, the number one person I rely on is my mom,” Hadleigh declares, “She’s a main inspiration for me and helps me with everything.”

Pam Painter, Hadleigh’s mother, has always been a major inspiration and a strong supportive force behind the teenager’s success. Offering encouragement, words of wisdom and occasional discipline and focus, “She’s also taught me to treat others with kindness and compassion and to remember that everyone has their own story and that no person’s story is more important than another’s.”

Paul Fisher, one of her managers has shared in the above endeavour, helping to develop Hadleigh into a person of high standards and good character. Instead of being just one of a million models and actresses out there, he wants her to be a person who stands up for what she believes in, a young lady who zealously pursues what she believes is right and fair.

Mikey, Madison and Jason from To Be One are also a big inspiration to Hadleigh (and also Louis who is no longer a part of the group.) This group of boys started as part of the dance group The ICONic Boyz that were featured in the TV series America’s Best Dance Crew (ABDC) and also enjoyed guest spots on several TV shows. Having endured bullying and teasing because they were pursuing their dream of dancing and singing, they learned how to stick with it and to work hard. They persevered, and now they are more successful than ever and they’re doing what they love, “I’m so proud of them and I am their BIGGEST fan!”

The Expected Image Vs RealityA number of expectations have befallen the younger generation

to meet the standards set by a notoriously uncaring celebrity industry

“I take my school work very seriously,” she says, “Both in class and on track and I’ve always been able to make the A-Honor Roll,”

While not an award, one of the things that Hadleigh is most proud of are the DMs or direct messages and tweets that she receives from some of her fans and followers, personal messages from people thanking her for helping them their darkest times such as depression, bullying and thoughts of self-harm, “It’s humbling to have someone thank you for being you and to say that the only reason that they are here today is because of you,” she explains, “I think so many people don’t realize how important and healing kindness and compassion can be,”

The Social Side Of Things

Social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Youtube may have originally just been created to connect friends and family but have now become essential tools in developing brands and have redefined the purpose and position of fame into something that needs to be nurtured. Part of the age group of teens known as mellenials, the generation who have grown up with social media and developing an intuitive understanding of the internet Hadleigh approaches her social networking as a priority.

“I spend about two hours a day on Twitter alone and

however things are changing. Whereas models and actresses are expected to conform to a purported body image that is dangerously skinny, thanks to a strong online presence and pressure the ideals of what it means to be beautiful are slowly moving towards being healthy and happy. And Hadleigh is playing her part in this.

“Being a teen or a tween is tough,” she says, “It seems like everyone is always judging everyone else. And we’re the worst culprits in how we view ourselves, thinking we’re not tall enough, smart enough, skinny enough or athletic enough or pretty enough and these doubts can really hurt.

“And as much as we’re trying to move as a society towards healthier living and healthier body images, the average fashion model is anything but. Currently, I’m actually short for a model and hoping to grow a bit more but I’m only 5’8 right now and that’s short for a model. And I’m not a size 0 or size 2 either. I consider myself fit and healthy, my body is not that of a typical ‘hanger model’ and at times that limits my ability to get modelling jobs. Honestly, there’s an industry bias against anyone who’s not 5’11 and a size 0 or 2 at the most. And that’s really unhealthy for your average girl who sees these glamorous pictures, ads or commercials out there and thinks to themselves that they should look like that too.”

There’s a fight to be started here and Hadleigh is very proud of

the man who is keen to be the one throwing the punches. Paul Fisher of Paul Fisher Management, says that’s the modelling industry has been a dark place filled with corruption and unattainable, unhealthy body images for too long and he has set himself apart to try to be a light in that darkness to help change the industry standard and to show that healthy IS beautiful.

“As I mentioned, Paul was the inspiration for my upcoming #BeTheLight campaign or charity,” Hadleigh says, “I adopted Paul’s mantra and made it my own. For me “Being The Light” is about being a light in the world, about being a light in my generation. It’s about trying to be an example for others, and always trying your best, and doing the right thing, even when that’s not always the easy or popular choice. We need to be thankful for what we have and what we are and also strive to give back to the community and support others with kindness, understanding, compassion and encouragement.”

FutureA number of exciting developments are populating the landscape

of Hadleigh Painter’s future, including serious considerations to relocating to Athens, Greece for a couple of months during the upcoming Fashion Season but no decisions have been made yet.

She is also stepping things up on her Youtube Channel with a new idea for a web series.

Upcoming photoshoots with her favourite photographer Jennie from Shantay Ink coincides with an revamping her website as well as working on her own clothing line and merchandise which will made available through her site to her scores of fans and followers.

Finally, Hadleigh Painter’s success is a prime illustration on the importance of taking control of your own brand and not being afraid to show people who and what you are. A shining example of what it takes to not only be a success but a prominent feature in other people’s lives and this is what fame means to her.

“A lot of work goes into it,” she explains, “My mother has sunk thousands of dollars into my portfolio and my career but I have spent countless hours working at it too. I’ve taken responsibility for building my following and developing my audience. I have spent hours upon hours working on my Youtube Channel, being in front of the camera, going to auditions and making sure that I’m in front of every important audition so that when people think of a name they think of mine. It’s a lot of hard work.”

And what does Hadleigh believe is the most important thing to remember?

“You were born to be an original, not a copy.”

www.facebook.com/Hadleigh.Painter.modelwww.hadleighpainter.comtwitter.com/HadleighPainter800casting.com/profile/42560shortyawards.com/hadleighpainterink361.com/app/users/ig-16200361/hadleighpainter/photoswww.pinterest.com/hadleighpainter/www.youtube.com/user/vintagemod99 twitter.com/ChrisTrondsenwww.nick.com/shows/awesomeness-tv/twitter.com/AndreaRussetttwitter.com/PaulICMYASwww.carolinatalent.us/www.tobeonemusic.com/www.iconicboyz.com/paulfishermanagement.com/www.facebook.com/paulfishericmyasen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remodeled_(TV_series)www.fashion.net/influencers/paul-fisher/www.voice-tribune.com/life-style-2/spotlight/ceo-of-the-network-talent-agency/