How does one get into a bikini competition?
I mean, obviously, I've never worn a bikini.
>> [LAUGH] >> So
I really don't have much to base this off of.
But versus like, hey, I'm gonna be in shape and go to the beach and
look cute for my friends.
How does it come to that next level?
>> Well, it was really random.
It was actually a friend from work that I was waitressing with and she's like.
You should start training with my coach, and it's a lot of fun.
You get to walk on stage, and I was like, I really like I said,
I really didn't know much about it.
So I was like [SOUND] I don't know if that's something I wanna do.
But I'm kind of like a free I'm just like, I could try it and see.
What I really fell in love with was obviously the fitness side of it and
getting my body in shape.
And I was always athletic growing up, but I never really knew bodybuilding and
strength training.
So I got kind of really hooked on that.
My coach right away was like, you need to do a show.
And I was like I don't know about this.
But there was a show in Boston, which was not far from me, I was in New York.
So I said, yeah, let's let's train for it,
if I make to there, it was like three months.
I was like, we'll see, whatever.
I ended up doing it and I placed first.
I just kind of like did my thing, I had like a good presence on stage, and
they liked what they saw and I placed first.
>> You messeed around and got first place.
>> [LAUGH] Maybe no big deal [LAUGH].
But no, it was a lot of fun and then from then on it was like, wow,
this is something really cool.
I obviously fell in love with the fitness side of it, but
I was like maybe this can go somewhere.
Maybe I can get sponsorships, maybe I can build my own brand.
I was living at my dad's still and I would wake up and
remember I gotta take my selfies, it sounds really silly.
My brothers used to make fun of me they're like enough with the selfies.
But I look back at it and I'm like, well no, it's made me develop this following.
And I was able to, we used to do these shout for shouts, it was called, S4S.
>> So explain to me, just for my own clarification, what is shout for shout?
So, let's say another fitness model would reach out to me, and
let's say we had a similar amount of followers.
Or maybe she had way more and it was like, you wanna shout for shout.
And what we would do is I would shout her out just a photo.
>> Like hey, check out my friend so-and-so.
>> Exactly, yeah, it was so big and that's like all those gym fitness pages.
That's how they got big was actually collaborating with other models and
other pages.
And doing Shout for Shouts which is how I developed my following.
And, of course, when I kept competing I was getting more notoriety and
more exposure, but you seem very interested [LAUGH].
>> I'm very curious, I'm starting to wonder, like, if I bring back shout for
shout, what would could I get?
What could I obtain in this world?
>> I know, what's crazy is that, it kind of died out and now like you said,
it was always like I'll give you something free and you post it for me.
But now it's like everyone wants, you know $1 with it or
it's kind of got like oversaturated which makes sense like everything does.
But that was like a big thing, it was kind of crazy.
I placed first the Boston show, ad then I went on to Worlds WF Worlds,
where it's like the biggest show, basically.
And I didn't place that first time I was there and so I waited another year.
And I thought let me try again, I switched coaches and what not and
got more familiar with it.
And then I placed first the next year so I was 2014 I was the Bikini World Champion.
>> So you went from not placing to winning.
>> Yeah, not placing at all which is weird.
>> But very interesting.
Yeah but I put more muscle on I was a little too lean at the show before that.
And after that I was recruited for the reality show Tough Enough, well,
try out I shouldn't say.
I wasn't picked right away for that [LAUGH]
>> So talk to me about your your try-out,
or [SOUND] what's the word I'm looking for here?
>> Audition. >> Audition.
>> Yeah, but no, it was like, [LAUGH] >> M brain just stopped working there.
>> It was actually a Skype interview,
and like I said, it was really random too.
It was weird, it was random, but it was also a little bit of a coincidence.
That I was started training with Mike Guadango in New Jersey.
And he actually trained under DeFranco who trains with triplets, of course.
>> Fitness training just for clarification, not wrestling training,
>> Right, more like strength and
conditioning and stuff I do more now.
So I actually started getting more involved in that and I liked it and
he would always throw little things out there.
Like, you should get into wrestling,
I could I could see you doing that, whatever.
And my ex at the time was a big wrestling fan and
he always pushed me and motivated me to pursue that.
But I didn't really know much about wrestling,
I didn't really grow up watching it to be honest.
And I got the call from the head of the WBFF.
And he's like, there's a couple spots to do a Skype interview for
the reality show Tough Enough with WWE.
And I was like, so of course I'm Googling Tough Enough and
like when the last time it was a show was like years ago too, right?
Yeah, so I was like and I wasn't sure if that was the route I wanted to take.
If I was gonna get into WWE but I just did it, why not?
I did the Skype interview, I would love to see that interview cuz I had no
idea what I was even talking about probably [LAUGH].
Probably really embarrassing, but yeah and then I was picked to come to Orlando.
But the way it was which you know, of course, was you were picked for
the try-out.
It's gonna be a three day tryout, pack your bags for three months.
If you get picked, you're flying in Orlando and I'm like, what?
Like living home still, like pack my bag for three months, this is crazy.
So I just I went with it and then I flew down to Orlando.
>> So having little to no knowledge of WWE before you entered the doors for
Tough Enough.
>> Yeah. >> What is going through your mind
at first when you see this whole new world?
>> Gosh, I don't even know, I didn't even know what to expect obviously.
Because I had no idea but I kind of just went in there I did with
the competing it's just like I just,- >> Just naturally?
>> Naturally, [LAUGH] >> I don't want to sound cocky but no,
I just went with the flow.
And I just listened to whoever I needed to listen to when it came to advice or
whatever it was.
And I just gave it a whirl and I actually fell in love with it pretty fast.
Because if I'm good at something, of course,
I think we all are like this, but I felt like I belonged in a sense.
>> Sure. >> And I was like, I can learn so much,
but I was like no, this is great.
Because I was killing it in the try-outs in the best shape of my life.
So the physical part of it came natural and easy for me.
>> Right.
And then when they said you got to get in a bikini and
cut a promo in front of all the executives.
I was like well, this part's easy, while meanwhile,
a lot of big girls were like, my God.
>> You like what you hear?
Catch full episodes of After The Bell on Apple podcasts.
Subscribe now and never miss an episode.