Beneath the Bikinis: SI Swim
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Just like me. Just like me. Just like me. Just like me.

I have been keeping a secret from you guys for a while now, but it's finally out. And I am going to take you guys behind the scenes of shooting the first ever digital cover for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. And I think at the end of this episode, you guys are going to have such a better understanding of the SI Swim brand and how it's changed. And when I sit down with MJ and we kind of talk about everything, it's not what it was 20, 30 years ago when you're thinking of just like this very like

male targeted audience with these like typical model girls and the brand has really come so far and so I'm very very excited welcome back to another episode of hot mess with Alex Earl I've been moving like a hot mess

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We have...

so much to go over and this is going to be a really, really exciting episode. It's basically like a movie. So maybe if you're listening to this, you might want to pause a moment, wait until you can watch this because there's a lot of vlog footage in this. We did the fitting for the shoot. We did the actual shoot. We did swim week. We have everything going on in here. We also sat down with MJ, who's the editor-in-chief of Sports Illustrated Swim, and I'm

so beyond excited for this episode. I'm not really the best when it comes to keeping secrets, especially about something that I'm excited about. Of course, I can keep a secret if it's like a friend and she's like, don't tell anyone this. But when it's something like an exciting opportunity, all I wanted to do when I found out that I booked Sports Illustrated Swim was scream it from the rooftops. And I only had to keep in this secret for two months. I found out at the beginning of April, which I'll tell you guys the story of how I found out.

But usually when they're shooting the magazine for Sports Illustrated Swim, this is like eight months prior. Sometimes it's like a year in advance that they're doing these shoots and everyone keeps it under the wraps secret. It's a big surprise. Let me take you back and set the scene of when I actually got the call for Sports Illustrated. So, I mean, anyone on my team knows that I have been like dying to work with Sports Illustrated for so long. I've always been like, that's like something, you know, if we ever see the opportunity, like I would love to do.

And I'm sitting in a hotel room with Kristen, my roommate, and we are in LA. It's right before we went to Coachella. We had a few days in LA. I'm literally laying in bed. I have on like my pink poppy set. I'm just laying back, chilling, and I get a call.

I answered the phone and it's my publicist. She was like, Hey Alex, like what's up? Like I have a very exciting opportunity for you. And I was like, okay, like what's going on? And she was like sports illustrated before, like the word sports came out of her mouth. And like, I almost dropped dead to the floor and I literally perk up in bed. I was like,

Yes. And she was like, Sports Illustrated swimsuit just asked if you would want to shoot their first ever digital cover because they have their regular magazine, but now they're launching these digital covers online and it's their 60th anniversary of the magazine. So they're doing a big launch for this. It's their first ever one and they want you to be the cover of it.

I thought she was joking with me because first of all I'd never seen them do a digital cover before and I had been wanting to work with Sports Illustrated for so long so I kind of thought she was like joking with me and I didn't really believe her take her seriously for the first minute I was like wait are you serious like I was asking her details because I was like um are you sure because I thought this was some type of like April Fool's prank and she was like no I'm being serious and I like I

I don't know, when I find out exciting news, sometimes I'm not very great at like reacting. Like I just kind of go into like a state of shock. Like I literally was just like, oh my gosh, yes. And then I hung up the phone and I'm sitting there and Kristen obviously just heard me take this call, but she had no idea what I was talking about. So Kristen's looking over at me in the room. I'm sitting there smiling ear to ear like this. And Kristen's like,

Alex like what's going on over there and in my head immediately I'm like okay well this is a secret like I can't tell anyone and Kristen I'm beaming I'm purple I'm the color of the sweat set that I'm wearing and Kristen's like Alex what just went on on that phone call she's like I know you just got some type of like exciting news and you can't keep this a secret from me and honestly it it was maybe like 10 seconds before I was like sports I was trying to swim just asked me to be the first ever to

separate digital cover and we were freaking out like I mean I remember just like looking at Chris and grabbing our hands we were jumping up and down and then of course my mind I'm like wait let me take a video of this moment so that when this is actually posted and I can talk about it I can share this moment so I put that video on TikTok of us just like jumping around but I was just like freaking

freaking out and shaking and I was just like out of breath. You would have thought I just ran a marathon, but it was just like the most exciting news I had ever received. And I was so, so excited. So that means I had...

What was this? April 10th. And we shot on May 20th. So I had a month and like 10 days to get prepared for this. I was like, okay, this is the time. I had just got my extensions in my hair. I was like, perfect. We got the long blonde hair going for this. And now it is time to feel our best, look our best, get excited, prepare for this. And I honestly like

preparing for this I didn't really prepare until in terms of like you know I wanted to like eat healthy I wanted to feel good and I kind of just started to prepare because I couldn't think about it too much otherwise I would freak myself out maybe like two weeks before I got to Miami I was really on my Pilates grind is what I was doing shout out form 50 in Miami because that Pilates class is so so

so hard and when I first started going I actually was like out of breath about to pass out within the first five minutes still during the warm-up so then after going for like a month but it's hard with travel sometimes like working out all the time but I was just trying to like set times that I would go to Pilates or do my like Alexis run butt workout on YouTube or do the Daisy Keach crunches and I

Really kicked it into gear. I would say like two weeks before this photo shoot. I was like it's happening I got my groceries. I was at home. I was like, I'm not traveling so going into this photo shoot I have to say that I really didn't know what to expect and it was way different than I thought it was gonna be because you know Anytime I've seen Sports Illustrated swim. It's always been like beach bikini photos and I

I vlogged going into this fitting for you guys. So I'm going to show you guys everything going on right now, but you'll notice too in the cover story that came out, there's photos of me in like this big furry jacket. I have on like pants at one point. I have on heels. I have on sunglasses. There's bags and they were playing around with like a lot of different like luxury items and clothing and we shot inside actually for the first half of the day, which I was not expecting when I got the mood board for this shoot. It was just like all photos of girls like on a bed, on a couch, inside and I was like, oh,

This is not what I was expecting at all. And Sports Illustrated swim with this digital issue is really leaning into the storytelling piece. It was like setting the scene of like, I had just been out for a long night before they kept saying it's before you turned into a hot mess. So it was like, we're still, we're still looking hot. We're still looking good. But you know, we've been out for a long night. Maybe the hair's a little teased on done eating some food, coming back home and

We did a bunch of shots inside, and then we also did a bunch of shots outside on the beach. And during this photo shoot, we experienced...

every type of terrain you could imagine. It was a sunny, beautiful day. We were inside in the AC. Then we were outside. It was like hurricaning. Then there was a beautiful rainbow. Then we went down to the beach. I was in the water. I was in the sand. And it was just the most amazing day and the most amazing team to work with. And I truly could not have asked for a better experience. With all that being said, what you're going to see in this episode first is

I'm going to take you guys to the fitting. We're going to try on outfits for the first time, meet the Sports Illustrated team for the first time. I had no idea what to expect and I was so nervous going into this. So I vlogged the fitting the morning after the full photo shoot. We were talking about my brand and I was explaining it, you know, to not only my audience, but a new audience. And I kept coming back to the idea of like, well, you know, I'm just always very like

authentic and transparent. Like I share a lot. You guys know you listen to Hot Mess. I'm like, I overshare too much. You guys are like, Alex, we didn't need to know that. But, you know, I always say it's something that people can relate to in one way or another or just make them laugh or, you know, laugh at me. And

As we were talking about all of this, we kind of decided and we were talking about the idea like what if we just do these photos like unretouched because I was sharing a big part of my journey has been like acne and sharing my skin online. And that was something that I think really moved the needle for me when getting started on social media was just being transparent with an audience. And it was something that was really scary for me. And I was talking about this with MJ and we were like, this would just be such a

a cool idea and I think very on brand with my brand, the Alex Earl brand as well because I don't know, I just think that there's maybe a little imperfections and things, sure, but that's what makes us human and that was a very big part of the storytelling piece for this shoot is that we wanted everything to just be raw and organic and similar to how I am with you guys on here. So we left the photos unretouched, which I'm not gonna lie,

after saying yes to that it was like do I regret that because I don't know what's going on with these photos you know like you do this shoot and actually the turnaround for this was pretty quick we had like a week but I didn't know what was coming out I didn't know what was going to be on the cover in one of the photos you can see like if anyone has boob implants like you probably know what I'm talking about but if you like flex your boob like sometimes it like crunches up the boob implant like

crunches a little bit and there's like a dimple and you know in one of the photos like you can see my boob implant crunching and then you know you can see stubble maybe around like my crotch or my armpits I have bruises on me or it's like you can see a little bit of the fuzz on my face but like that to me is so important and it's just real like I don't know those are things that we look at photos and I'm like oh no like maybe that should all be smoothed over and be gone but it's like that's

not realistic and I think as women we tear apart ourselves so much or we nitpick little things that like no one else would notice like there's things that I would be insecure about that I'll show like Kristen or Ashton will be like Alex like I don't even see what you're talking about right now and we're so like we're a little delusional in a sense because we get so wrapped up in

perfecting these little things that don't need to be perfected and that no one else is even noticing. Another thing of this is of course I post stuff online all the time looking like a monster, not looking great. Like of course I feel very confident in these photos because you know we have hair and makeup done, we have cute outfits or bikinis and a professional photographer, but it's also a big

stress factor of like knowing that everyone's gonna nitpick these photos apart or maybe compare to other people or maybe say like oh you know well she's not a typical model here and this and that and everyone online has a lot of opinions and when you're doing a photo shoot for such a big brand your

you're of course subjecting yourself to all of that online criticism. And I think there's moments where I'm like, okay, these need to be as perfect as they possibly can be. And you get so wrapped up in your head. And then I'm like, what, what does it matter if anyone says anything about like, oh, this there, or, oh, her boob implant looks squished here. Like that doesn't matter to me. I'd rather send a great message out to women. And I think that's

more aligned with what the si swim brand stands for now anyways but of course there's a part of me that's sitting here like oh my god like what are they gonna say what are they gonna pick apart what are they gonna do what they're gonna compare this to someone else they're gonna be like oh well she has fake boobs so she's a fake girl and like she is just the worst and we hate her and she's all plastic and i'm like i know all of that's coming but i don't know i think this was a really um

special decision that we made and I'm happy that MJ was so supportive of this and we kind of just mutually came to this decision when we were on set and I'm so excited that we went forward with it and I'm happy that we got to put out a good

especially for younger women. And I hope that I'm able to keep doing that with my brand. And that means a lot to me. If you've only been listening to audio at this point, maybe you want to switch to somewhere where you can watch this. You can watch it on Spotify or on YouTube. So here's the first part of the SI Swim photoshoot vlog. I'm going to clip this to my shirt. Oh my God. My shirt's on backwards. Hold on.

Hold on. I hope you're getting it. This is literally the definition of a hot mess. Oh my god. Okay, we're on the way to the fitting right now. We're going to the Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Florida? I think it's Hollywood. We went there for my birthday, so that's actually the only time I've been there before, and we just went to the casino.

and we were gambling but now we're going to one of the hotel rooms there and i think there's gonna be a bunch of different options for bathing suits maybe some clothes i honestly like don't really know what to expect and now my palms are sweating as i talk about this i've actually stalked sports illustrated

their website accounts, past covers, everything. Like I'm Sports Illustrated's number one stalker this week and their number one viewer on everything because I'm trying to like see and learn and like learn different sexy poses. I'm also just nervous. Like what if I'm trying to really give sexy and it's just not giving sexy? It's like, looks like you're trying too hard. So like, I can't try too hard, but I also need to try and like

Just, I don't know. I'm just really hoping that in the moment something's going to come over me. I don't know. I think I'll have a better idea once we try on different bikinis and this fitting and different outfits. Then I can go home tonight and like place these poses with the different outfits. I cannot believe the hotel looks like this. How do you go about building that? I'm so nervous. I'm going to throw up. This is where we were made.

pull it together, not nervous. I'm so excited though. How are you? This is my type of fitting. Glass of champagne. - You can try on as many as you want. - Okay. - Literally don't need to stop any time. It's up to you. - Gosh, this is so cute. Everything is so fun and colorful. We need to do a shot that's just the bow. Guys, this is already my favorite look. I'm ready.

Especially with the socks and the microphone clipped to me. Don't mind my furry legs, I'm waiting to shave them until the morning. So, so sorry. This color is cool. Hi! This is Alex. Hi! So great to meet you. All these, I'm like, you can wear them out. These are my new clubbing outfits. Either these are supposed to be really long or this person has the longest arms in the entire world.

Okay, cool. This is so fun. Corner, boom, and then there, hot. That's like my favorite type of hairstyle, just like mess it up, undone. This is your hairstylist. We love Libden. Perfect. Don't wash your hair tonight. Oh, sorry, Adam, don't do it. No, no, no, please don't wash your hair. You're in a good spot. Okay.

I can't touch my head in this. Apparently it's supposed to rain tomorrow, which is not great, but we will figure it out. So now we're going to incorporate some also like outfitty outfits with the bikinis. This is an outfit. So cute. That looks so good.

Getting ready for bed. This is like cave woman gone swim party.

Yeah, I found this big boa when we came in and I was like, what if we just wore that as an outfit? And maybe that would be a little bit too much. But I was like, OK, what if we try it as like a top? And we settled on these bottoms with this as a top. And I feel like this could just be really fun to like play with or like drape around. And I'm really happy they're letting me.

do this and listening to my crazy ideas because I feel like this will be fun. Yay! Thank you! You look amazing. That's a wrap for the fitting. We have more than enough looks because I ended up just loving everything. So I will see you guys at 7am tomorrow morning. Good morning! Okay, we are officially on the way to shoot the cover for Sports Illustrated Swim.

What time is it right now? It's 7:53. We are planning to get there at like 8:30. Hopefully we're still on time for that.

I'm so excited right now. I feel like all my nerves have subsided. Like, I think yesterday before the fitting, I was really nervous, didn't know what to expect. And then once I met the team, like, the team was just so amazing and nice and normal. And usually in fittings and around, like, new people, I get really shy at first, but they just, like, really brought out the energy. Like...

I was rolling around on the floor in the fitting. Like, we were just having so much fun. So it made me really, really excited for today. And now, like, I'm just, like, anxious to get it going. Like, I want to be in hair and makeup. I want to be in the bikinis. And I want to start shooting. Also last night, I forgot to film this, but I got a lymphatic drainage massage. So this girl was basically just, like, rubbing me down for, like, an hour. Like, really fast in all this motion. She was, like, going in a circular motion around my stomach because I heard that it, like...

I don't know, it drains you out and then you like pee out all the...

bad stuff or whatever and it like really gets you like snatched for the morning. So we did that last night in my apartment and I'm naked on this bed in the towel and she came and did it in my living room and then I didn't tell anyone that I was doing this like my sister staying with me and I didn't tell Kristen my roommate because it was so last minute and Kristen walks into the living room. I'm naked on the table with this girl like

really rubbing my body down. And Kristen walks in and she was like, uh, and she turns around and I was like,

We're getting ready for Sports Illustrated. I think I shaved every inch of my body and then I shaved twice over again. I was like, we can have no hair today, no bumps. We're ready to go, ready to feel sexy. I've got my coffee going, which I need to chug. I also did everything in my power because if you guys have seen any photo shoot that I've done, a lot of those like YouTube ones that I'll do are always early in the morning and I just like

I'm a salt girl. I'm not sweets, I'm salt. And I'll have like a jar of pickles before I go to bed. Usually my eyes are so puffy when I wake up and they like, you can't even see them. So I did everything in my power yesterday to have like as minimal sodium as possible. That way my face wasn't like all puffy this morning. And I think I did a pretty good job. Like for 7 a.m. my face has never looked not like a balloon. So I think, I think it worked.

We met you yesterday, you saw he does like a lot of the Sports Illustrated. He's such an amazing photographer and I could just tell his energy like right away. He was already like, whip your head like this, do that. Like, I'm just going to scream and shout at you during the shoot. And I just, those are the type of vibes I like because sometimes photographers are like

so quiet during shoots and I don't think you guys understand like photo shoots are actually like sometimes my worst nightmare because it's dead silent like crickets you could hear a pin drop and you're just trying to like pose out here look good I'm also not a model so it's kind of scary for me when I go to photo shoots especially like the fashion-y editorial ones because I'm like I don't know what I'm doing like I don't know how to do these cool poses where you like kick your leg up

in a square at a 90 degree angle and it looks like all great and cool. That's just not me. So I get very nervous. And when the photographers and the team are silent, all that's going through my head the whole time is I'm like, you suck. You look stupid. You're not doing this right. And I could tell yesterday, they already told me, they're like, oh no, we're going to be like screaming at you the whole day through the shoot. And I was like, perfect. That's exactly what I need actually. So this will be great. Oh my God.

This looks insane. Good morning! It's starting to feel very real now. I cannot believe this! Slowly. Slowly. Wow. Yeah, eyes closed. Make a pretty face.

I'm feeling it too! Oh my gosh! These are so fun!

Smell this ketchup. We brought the new summer hot mess merch that we're going to drop. And I thought this would be fun to give MJ a bikini since they're styling me and so many fun things today. And we brought a whole bag of the merch for everyone on the team. So we're going to go give it to them now. We have a bikini for you. Oh my God. I'm so excited. Like the OG hot mess right here.

Guys, I love it! Everyone looks amazing! The extra coffee that I just chugged is kicking me right now. I just got a hop of espresso. Tenth coffee of the day! Oh my gosh. He's...

We're gonna put my hair in a towel, but the towel was too big. We couldn't find the right size. So we're just cutting up a bunch of towels over here to find the right size to put it on my head. Because it can't look like a big tampon on my head, but we want it to look like cute and sexy. I'm dripping in diamonds that are not mine, but for today they are.

in my house, on my water, in my diamonds. Oh, there we go. Well, I guess. It looks like, is the girl from The Simpsons Marge with, like, the big blue hair? That's what I look like right now. Miami Marge. Beautiful. Lovely, she smiles. What happened? I don't know.

We're more than halfway done, but I'm a little stressed because I want to get a really slutty hot photo. On the beach. On the beach. So I'm anxiously awaiting.

Are you tired? Are you running out of steam? I'm actually like not that tired. I don't think I've really had that much water today. I've just had a lot of coffee and I feel like I keep, instead of like I should be drinking coffee, I mean water, coffee water, I just keep sipping coffee. So maybe I should have some water. But I'm feeling hyped up on espresso. Oh no. Oh no. Love, love, love, love, love, love. This is super cunty. Chin up a little.

Love love love chin up a little gorgeous Oh my god that is a cover That one, that one. Yep.

- Dragon fight? - Yeah. - I hope that good luck. - Yeah. - It was like, choop, and then it was like choop. - Okay, well I'm super suspicious, so. - That was good. - Oh, get in! - It's like the fall off.

It is hurricaning out right now. We've been shooting in the rain and honestly I feel like I'm loving a wet look and we're hopeful that the sun is going to come back out, the clouds are going to go away and we're just going to keep shooting, keep going, keep grinding but I mean I feel like it's kind of a vibe. Got a little wet on the beach. I was not expecting to walk out of the pool.

That's like a Florida rainstorm. It's like 10 minutes and it's done. That was crazy. These are fun. Like I love this just like big Alex Earl energy. I know. I love the pullback. It looks great. Beautiful. I can't believe it's a rainbow. We're on the sand finally. March, march, march. Stunning. Right there, right there. Like the beached.

It's the birth of the digital magazine! And Alex wrote a cover line. I love this! Oh my gosh, you would never know that my legs were quivering under there. Oh my god, look at that! It's like crazy. Because I'm squatting down because you said I had to get low. Come on, get lower, lower, lower. And here is the road! Woohoo!

massive champion. How's that? Does that disappoint? We did it. We did it. We just shot the first ever digital cover for Sports Illustrated Swim. I'm on a high right now. Can't take me down.

Holy hell. That was the craziest day of my entire life. And I feel like usually at the end of a photo shoot day, my brain's not working. I want to sleep. I want to go to bed. I'm like, I'm so tired. I don't think I've ever been filled with more energy in my entire life. And I haven't stopped smiling. Even the people that know me are like, Alex, I've never seen you smile like this. And I just cannot believe how amazing today went and how amazing this

everyone on that team was. I feel like I always, well, before I did this and I've seen Sports Illustrated and everyone would always say they have such an amazing team and they're so great to work with, but I was like, maybe they're just saying that. I genuinely have never been around more fun, genuinely just nice people.

I felt so confident during that. Like everyone just made me feel good. Even when there was a moment where I was like, Ooh, like, I don't know if that photo was looking good or this angle or like, you know, I saw something with myself and I was like, Oh God, I hate that. Everyone was just like hyping me up the entire time. And I'm so excited for this story to come out because I think it's just going to be so amazing and different. They like, even sports illustrated went out of their comfort zone with like what they do with their swim issues. Usually just like

beach bikinis. We did more of like an editorial style shoot the first half of the day and like we were playing around with different clothing items and different like luxury bags and I just think it's so fun that they were stepping out of their comfort zone at the same time that I was stepping out of my comfort zone because that can be scary to do but I just feel like there could not have been a better team to do that with. MJ was so amazing. She's also a Jersey girl so I

Obviously, we're just the best. But that was the best day ever. We're also on the airport. We're on the airport right now? No. We're on the way to the airport. I can't speak. I'm so excited. I just want to go back. I was like, I kept going.

Maybe my brain is a little more fried than I thought it was. We're going to New York. I have a charity event in the morning, so best of both worlds. I'm feeling like Hannah Montana. We just packed up all the bags and we're off to New York and we're gonna be like a corporate girly tomorrow. I'm literally wearing like a suit, you know, like nice tights, nice bag, formal, going into an office building. Today I was like stripping down in a bikini, but you know,

get a girl that can do both. I'm gonna sit down when I'm not in a car and my wires aren't all crossed and actually talk to you guys about the rest of this and I'm also hoping that maybe we can sit down with MJ and talk with her about what her vision is with this digital cover and just how she's transformed the Sports Illustrated swimsuit brand so much because she has

just such an amazing story and she's done so much for the brand so maybe fingers crossed fingers crossed that she will want to sit down and talk to me about that and then we get to walk the sports illustrated swimsuit runway for miami swim week that's the next hurdle we have to get over here because this girl does not know how to like do a runway walk at all so um

Maybe when I'm in New York, I'll venture off for some walking classes. But that's, yeah, that's the next thing that's going on. This episode is brought to you by Tinder. We all have a dream of how we'll meet that special someone, right? We think it's going to be this big romantic moment. I'm going to be walking down the side of the road. He's going to see me, think I'm the most beautiful girl he's ever seen, turn right back around, come sweep me off my feet. But that's never a

quite how it happens. I mean, I met my boyfriend at the bar, at a party, you know? I mean, I feel like that's how it happens when you go out. Some of you are still waiting for a meet cute moment to happen, but in reality, you might be more likely to find your meet cute on Tinder. A new relationship starts every three seconds on the app.

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Now that you guys watched the recap of the photo shoot, MJ and I actually sat down in New Jersey because she's also from New Jersey and we just happened to be home the same week. So she came over to my house in New Jersey and we sat down on my couch at my dad's house. We talked about everything Sports Illustrated and how much the brand has evolved. And I honestly think this is really important for you guys to hear because honestly, I learned so much during talking with her as well, besides just from like

what I had known from online and the brand truly has evolved so much especially you know in the recent years so now we're gonna sit down with MJ and we're gonna hear all about Sports Illustrated and the brand and then after that we are going to prepare for Miami Swim Week because we are walking in the Miami Swim Week Sports Illustrated show. This needs to be an episode of you just like crawling. I think one time we should put together all the bloopers and like me setting everything up.

Make it look easy, girl. You don't know what's going on behind the scenes of this. Sweat, blood, and tears. Well, MJ, welcome. Hi, Alex. I'm so happy we're doing this in New Jersey and that this worked out. I know. I can't believe it. I'm like, my Jersey girl. We're in Jersey. Can't get rid of me this week. Thanks for coming over. We're at my house right now. And I wanted to talk to you about

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. And how many years have you been with them now? Longer than you've been alive. Really? 26. Really? Yeah, I started in 1998. Oh my gosh. So you've been there through a lot. Everything. A lot. And I mean, the brand has evolved so much. And I feel like especially recently, and it's really redefined the beauty standard. And

I mean, like, how is the brand different now from when you started back then? It's very different. I mean, when we, when I first started as an assistant back in 98, it was sort of in like the heyday of publishing. It really still featured powerhouses.

powerful women and women that were very famous at the time and looking to build their brands by being a part of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. But it was really focused on one kind of specific type of woman where that's not at all what we're doing now. So it's come a long way. I like to...

I like to speak about it in terms of we're kind of for everyone now. Back then, it really was specifically targeting the male readership. And now we're really speaking to women. So it's changed a lot. I was going to say, I feel like it's so women-focused now and such a women audience. And I mean, I've seen it all over my social media and stuff. But it's like you also kind of had to make that transition onto social media, I guess. Because when it started way back when, that really wasn't a thing. And then you have...

the social media aspect of thing and everyone like giving their opinions on everything and I feel like that can be a lot as well and like being on social media myself I feel like there's a sense of like I like to take into account what people are saying on social media but then like

Not too much. You know what I mean? It's like you have to balance it. It's like you care about what people are saying, but then, you know, you can't make that like completely everything. I actually really do like social media because it helps inform us a lot of times. However, we are very, very committed to what the brand is and what we want to do with it and how we want to use it and who we want to speak to with it. But it is nice to have that feedback. I mean, it's, you know, most of the time,

It kind of complements what we're doing. A lot of times, you know, there's also haters out there. Yeah, of course. You know, you're always going to get when you're as big as Sports Illustrated, when you're big as Alex Earl, like you're going to get the world of, you know, opinion. You're going to get it all. Right. So, I mean, we did have to we did have to kind of evolve into that space, which has been scary. Yeah.

exciting, helpful, you know, and it's really, it's a great place to live and it's a great place to live all the time. You know, you don't have to wait until like the issue comes out to be present in people's lives or to interact with your fan base, which I love. You know, I think that's really cool. I feel like for anyone who doesn't know this sports illustrated swimsuit issues comes out in May and I feel like maybe walk us through, um,

what that looks like, what the magazine entails, what goes into the magazine and what people are really like taking away from it. And this is like a big event and you guys just got off your press door for having the, you know, swimsuit issue launch. And what does that all look like? Yeah. So this year was our, um, our 60th anniversary issue and it's a year long process. Um,

We start figuring out where we're going to go and who we're going to shoot, sometimes 18 months ahead of when the issue comes out. Which is crazy. Which is crazy, yeah. And then we spend the better part of the year doing the photo shoots all over the world and working with people. But really, the talent is what this issue is all about. And we really try and highlight and champion and platform women that are more than just a pretty face. It's important when I cast to have women in here that...

represent so many different things just themselves but also when you look at

the collective whole of the people, everybody's going to see themselves represented in one way or another, or they're going to see somebody that they're like, wow, I really aspire to be that person. Or I really love what she's doing. And I really want to be like that. Or I really see her and she encourages me to do something that I didn't think I necessarily could have done. So that's the brand today. And a lot of thought and effort goes into that. So, you know, it's important for people, I think, to realize that that necessarily wasn't

celebrated in the way that it is now back in the day. Really powerful and cool and interesting and inspiring women were always been part of Sports Illustrated swimsuit, but everyone is really handpicked because they are

contributing to our conversation in society in really meaningful and impactful ways. Yeah. And that's what I was going to say. I feel like everyone always has such like a strong story or different message. And I feel like the brand does such a good job of encapsulating so many different women and backgrounds and stories. And I don't know, I think that's really amazing to see. And of course, I mean, that's evolved over the years. You were saying, you know, maybe like 18 months in advance, you're, you know, placing people, picking people. And that was something that shocked me.

I feel like when I started doing like photo shoots or working with magazines in any type of way, it's like, oh my gosh, you don't realize like how far in advance these are actually prepped. It's like, okay, you'll shoot in October. This will come out like in May. You know what I mean? Yeah. It's crazy. It's such a long burn. And you're, you know, it's so funny because we'll shoot people sometimes almost like a year before the issue comes out and they're like, oh, I got to wait this long to be able to like see the photos and like talk about it and get excited about it. But yeah, a lot goes, you know, the process is,

is long and you have to like secure the places and people's schedules are busy. I mean, like, you know, your schedule is bonkers. Like it's been, you know, it's a lot of moving pieces and it's a pretty small team. You know, there's only about 10 total full-time people that are dedicated to the brand across everything. So we always joke, like if we could clone ourselves, maybe we could do things, you know, a little bit closer, but there's, we all have to be

And so, you know. But I feel like that makes it so special. You guys have such a fun team. I was so nervous going into this photo shoot and just any photo shoot in general. I'm not like a traditional model, you know. So it's like I'm not used to that. And photographers and it's like dead silent in the room. And I'm like, oh my gosh, they hate everything I'm doing right now. And like you guys are just like cheering and happy.

Yes.

smaller and exclusive you know I agree I mean my whole what can we just talk about how you're our inaugural digital cover Alex Earl Sports Illustrated so it's your cover model right here say it it really still hasn't hit me like I don't think you understand when I got that call I was like is this some type of prank right now because I was like I really want to meet the Sports Illustrated team like all year and I got that call and I actually was like wait

I'm confused like this must be some type of like sick joke right now it like I feel like it still hasn't even processed for me I'm like when I see these photos and I'm gonna drop dead to the floor you are gonna drop dead because they're amazing but like also it's a sick dream for us too because I mean you're the embodiment of the type of person that we love to have here you're doing so much you are you're really like the face of like

the modern young woman. And I, I love that for you. You're this boss. You are so transparent. You're such a hustler. Like you're doing, I mean, we're like here, you're doing all this. Like you're, you've set all this up on your own and it's awesome. Thank you. People love you. Like I like, I can't tell you, Alex, like,

you are the world's just darling. And it's no, but it's seriously, I mean off, like, I mean on whatever, like, you know, I'm at like my high school son's, you know, things and their, their kids' girlfriends are coming up to me and they're like, you know, you should shoot Alex Earl. And I'm like, wink, if only you knew. Um, who is that? Exactly. But I mean, it's true. Like you have captured who you are and how you are and what you are has really captured your,

like everyone's hearts. I mean, the way that you, you know, you're unapologetically you, you're out there doing your thing, living your best life, being completely transparent. Also, you have incredible taste. You're doing these wonderful things, these fun things. You're a fun person to watch, but you're also this whole other business woman on the side at 23. I mean, like I look at you and I'm just like, wow, like this type of drive and what you've been able to do with,

all of your access and all of the, you know, talents and skills that you have is really impressive. Like, like creation, content creation, like doing what you do is a full-time job. I mean, you are putting the work in girl. And I love that about you. And I love to be able to celebrate that and highlight that and, you know, show people that, okay, look, check, check, check. She's doing all these things, but also, you know, she can slay in a bikini. Yeah.

Thank you. And I mean, I guess, yeah, like I really credit, I guess, all my success to just kind of taking down those barriers and being authentic online and, you know, being unapologetically myself. And I feel like that goes well with like the Sports Illustrated brand and what you guys are trying to do. And it's like so crazy because for so many years, I really, really wanted to like be successful in social media. I would always look at girls and I was like, oh, I really want to do that. And I

I always tried to like put out picture perfect pictures or videos and I was tapping all the filters and I was like this is what my skin looks like it's so like clear and smooth and like no one would ever know a thing and then the second that I like got so fed up with myself and I was like I can't even keep up this act anymore of like what I'm trying to do and like fake this life or fake this persona or fake what I look like I just kind of like gave up one day because I actually posted a so

photo on the beach and I literally

looked like I had airbrushed skin in it. I was, it was like, you know, you could see my freckles. I was like really working the face tune on that photo. I was like, they would never know a thing. And then I posted it. And as I posted that the same day, I'm looking in the mirror and I have acne all over my face, all down my neck. And I'm looking in the mirror and I like started tearing up. And I was like, what kind of like message am I putting out? Because I'm like, I feel so horrible about myself right now. And I'm just like putting out this like

fake image online to try and make myself feel better and to like, I don't know, fake some type of confidence. And then I was like, you know what? I posted this picture, but this is what my skin actually looks like. I did it on my Instagram story first. And I was like, refreshing. I was like, oh my gosh, I was like, I'm going to lose all my followers. Like this is my downfall. And then I took it to TikTok. And I guess on TikTok, it's very easy for things to like

catch fire catch speed on there and that's when I really started to grow an audience um and I was like wow like I guess there's really nothing to be afraid of being yourself and then of course you're going to get the comments that are like oh well that's ugly or why are you saying this or why are you doing that and that's just been a really big part of my brand is just sharing like everything and I always say I'm like I'm probably sharing too much and like things I shouldn't

But, you know, it's like it's life. And I think that's the thing with social media is it was so curated for so many years. And I think that's important to like take down that barrier. And I feel like that goes hand in hand with like what you guys are doing now. And then the whole digital piece of Sports Illustrated Swim now, it's like a whole I feel like we had like a whole process.

built out throughout this photo shoot. And is that like what you guys are looking to do with this issue more? Like more storytelling or more editorial? Because we even had some fashion pieces on during it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I think, I mean, the fact that we're doing these digital covers now are, it's very exciting for me because you're so limited only coming out once a year, right? It's like you have a finite amount of time, finite amount of pages. It just is, it's very limiting. So you have to be very conservative and,

the decisions you make, not necessarily with what we're shooting, but like, you know, in the print product, you know, you may only have like two or three photos in the whole thing, but you know, in this new digital space, it gives us an opportunity to really explore the people that we're working with, which is so exciting. I mean, as you saw from our shoot, you know, what we really wanted to do and what we really want to do with the

this digital product is to create opportunities to dive deeper with the personalities that we're working with. And for us, you know, you represent so many different things, you know, you are like this beautiful, vibrant, young, exciting, you know, personality, but you have this very, very well-established family.

fashion persona that you exist in that space. And, you know, you represent sort of all that is fun and life and exciting. And we wanted to really highlight that in the story. So we, we did want it to feel more editorial than we've done in the past. And then, but you are also a sports illustrated swimsuit cover model. So we,

as the day evolved and you work harder and better than anyone I've ever worked with, you know, we were able to do even more. And so,

We evolved the whole day into Sports Illustrated, Swimsuit meets Alex Earl, which is amazing because it's that kind of cool dichotomy about you. I think that's important. I mean, we could do 20 stories about all that you are. You could be boardroom Alex. You could be fashion Alex. You could be party Alex. You could be like, you know, swimsuit Alex. You could be girl next door Alex. You could be all these different things. And I think because we have unlimited space,

were able to do that better. And I love that we have that opportunity because it goes hand in hand with our

ideal about and our vision about women is that we are these multifaceted creatures and you may look a certain way you know when your followers see you on your platforms but we all know that you're your big sister you're you know girlfriend your daughter your bestie you're like business girl and like it's just cool to be able to dig and dive deeper and really make people think about that you know and I can imagine it's kind of tricky if you wanted to

say do this a little bit more with like the regular swim issue that's coming out in print and it's like oh if like something doesn't go right or you don't know how like much you want to dive into this you have to wait a whole nother year for it to come out and it's like it is a little bit easier to kind of like test the waters with the digital space and like it's freedom pumping and keep them coming out there's so many interesting women to be able to

platform and to be able to talk about and to be able to cross-pollinate with even, you know, who share our values and our ideals. And it's like the more we can just get people thinking and talking about themselves differently, the better it is for everyone out

there. We want women to see and hear about you and like what you've gone through and what you want to do and all of the things that you're doing as a young woman in this business and be able to see maybe those opportunities for themselves too. And it's important to like,

Get that out there. It's so limiting in what either your algorithm pushes to you or what you're seeing on the newsstands or hearing about in the news. And you and I both know how many just compelling people are out there. You're one of them. We're so excited to be able to do this with you for the first time. I mean, there's no better person in my opinion. Like, I am just...

It's like beyond. And then, you know, and we still have, you know, the print product and like the May product too, which, you know, Alex. I'll come back for anything. You can run, but you can't hide from us now. We are team Alex. I was like, I could keep going all night with this. Like we've just had so much fun from like an outside perspective. It always just seems like such like a fun family. Like the girls just seem like family together, you know, like even watching like the events this week, like,

There is just that sense of, I guess, family. No. Ten times over, but like... But it's true. You can really feel it. Yeah, there's camaraderie. It's like... I mean, it sounds like really cheesy. I'm always like kind of cringe when I say it, but it's like a sisterhood. It really is. Like, because we pick women that are in that mindset, you know? They're here for other women. They're not just here to like...

plow through and take all the thunder. And you know what I mean? Like all eyes on them. They want to share the space. They want to create a better space for everyone, not just the girls that they're in the issue with, but they're also doing this because they know it speaks to other people and

And that's where they sit. So just the energy itself is so super positive and welcoming. It's not that catty kind of bullshit. Can we say that? Can I say that? Can I curse? Sorry. Oh, perfect. It's not that kind of catty bullshit that like people associate with the industry. Even just like seeing from an outside perspective, you can definitely feel that. Yeah. And honestly, I'll tell you what too. And if I get that sense that somebody doesn't think that way or feel that way or treat others that way,

They're gone because I'm not here to perpetuate that either. Like if you're going to be part of this brand, you're going to walk the walk and you're going to talk the talk. You're not just going to come up and put on the face and like act a certain way and then not treat, you know, the other people that you're here with or the women that aspire to be where you sit the same way because we're

We are not curing cancer, you know? Like, but what we are trying to do is make a difference. And that's what this brand attracts. And I just, I love that. Like it's,

It's like the most like drama-free, wonderful, beautiful environment where people are just like best friends. And they're such sweet girls too. Like I've met so many of them on the outside, even like this past year, I met like Camille, Brooks, Katie, and like, they're just been so amazing and nice and just like nice people in general, nothing to do with Sports Illustrated. Like, you know, it's just like,

They're good people. And I think that really shows through and that's a big part for the brand. I agree. I mean, I'm like only good people, only good people. There's enough bad people in the world. We don't need to give any more attention to them. Like let's pay attention to the good people because they're, they're deserving, you know? So you had the like legends issue this year with so many, I mean, icons of the brand that have been around for so long. And I feel like

Kate Upton is a lot of the times when I think of Sports Illustrated, I think of her. And that was kind of a big disruption in the industry. Huge. That's crazy. And I didn't really know that at first because I was just like, oh my gosh, beautiful, beauty standard to my eyes. But it's because she wasn't a traditional model. I had no idea about that. It's kind of crazy, actually. I'm glad you bring it up. Kate started working with us when she was 18. Literally brand new model on the scene. We cast her.

we were mesmerized by her. We thought she was like the next like huge thing. I mean, she is, she was, you know,

But we were just like, wow, this girl is everything. Same thing. Personality, like A++. I mean, she's a goddess, right? Like in that time, though, which is hard to imagine, actually, which I have to remind people of a lot because we have come a long way. So when you look at Kate Upton now and you're like, what do you mean it was a disruption? Like, how could that be a disruption? She's like hot and gorgeous and perfect in every single way.

When she came out on our cover back in whenever that was, like 12 years ago, 11 years ago, she was not.

The standard size. She was bigger than the standard size. That blows my mind. Right. Because I learned about this because I was doing like an ungodly amount of research on Sports Illustrated because I was just like so excited for everything. And I saw this and I was like, wait, I'm like not sure if I'm reading this correctly right now. That is crazy. People came for her. In fact, this issue really...

is dedicated to Kate Upton. I mean, she's on the cover for 60th for a reason, right? And it's not just because she's Kate Upton. Kate Upton is the person that really was solely responsible for the entire process

pivot that this brand has made and I'll tell you why in a second but it's because of her and you know it's like huh why how but when she came out on the cover and to us right we looked at Kate and we were like she's just awesome like she is really like the next sort of generation of like sports illustrated swimsuit models and we didn't see her any differently we just thought she was great she's the coolest girl she's the best energy she really is all of that right she's everything you want

In a model. And in a cover model. But when she was on the cover, the world reacted to her in such a negative way. It was insane. I mean, I can still remember reading the comments as they were coming in of people being like,

50% were like, oh my God, hottest thing ever. Other 50% was like, what is this? Like curvy plus cow, like all the names coming after her, like criticizing her body, ripping her body apart for not being sports illustrated swimsuit cover worthy.

To the point where somebody at Victoria's Secret somehow who was involved with Victoria's Secret at the casting or something basically was like, we would never have her in Victoria's Secret because she's like the way she looks because she's too big. Or I can't remember. It was something really negative and horrible. Yeah. This is so fucked up. This is so wrong. This is our world is so messed

and think so poorly of women and incorrectly about women. Like, we need to be different and we need to do better. And it was the catalyst for change that you have seen with this brand that has trickled down and has reached every single industry. And...

seeing women of different like shapes and ages and just any type of differences at all was very limited back then. But when that response to Kate Upton happened, we took it upon ourselves to change and be a leader in inclusion. And,

Every consecutive year since then, we have done more and we have pushed ourselves to try and be better and to be the change and to be different because it felt like our responsibility. Seeing what happened to that young 18-year-old girl, 19-year-old girl at the time, was one of my life's like...

most upsetting moments because it, people tried to destroy her mentally. And when I thought of, this is what's happening to her, to Kate Upton, what's happening to her?

Every other girl out there that's put herself into this position to be scrutinized or criticized, whether it's by her classmates in high school with her 100 followers or any other person that has a public persona. The world is absolutely hostile and disgusting to women and the way that they are judged by their appearance alone is

was something that as a brand, I think we contributed to. Yeah. And it needed to stop and we needed to be better. And we were, we had that opportunity to do that. And so we decided to change. Yeah. Which says so much about you guys too, because you could have gone in the opposite direction and it's like, oh shit, like we're getting backlash. Like, wait, yeah. Like, nevermind, like stick to it. And it's like, that says so much about you guys that you kind of like

almost leaned into that and you were like, no, this is wrong. Like, that's not what we stand for. I can't sleep at night. I cannot sleep at night. I'm, I'm looking me, I'm a 40 something year old size 12 person, you know, and I have been a size 12 my whole life. And just knowing that in some way, shape or form, we could contribute to changing things for people for the better. I was not going to do this job anymore and not do that. That was like a slap across the face that

I never expected, but honestly, she took on so much and people don't give her enough credit for it because if it wasn't for her saying also, I'm

Screw you. I'm going to do me. I'm going to come back year after year after year and be strong. Like maybe we wouldn't have had the strength to then, you know, bring in like Ronda Rousey on the cover or Ashley Graham on the cover. Tyra Banks is 40 on the cover or, you know, Martha Stewart is, you know, 80, Hunter McGrady, like everything then consecutively that happened was a direct response to what she took on personally and,

because she was on their cover. I'm thinking of all the girls listening to this that may be younger and may not have been around for this because this shocked me when I heard this like Jaws are going to be on the floor like I cannot believe this because we've come so far as like a society thank God but like that is exactly it's like you would never expect anyone now would never say anything like that and it's just like that's

Kate is by all standards, like the epitome of perfection right now, now, but, but back then people had so many reasons to rip her apart, but then, okay, so we've moved past that, but now we have to think about all the other beautiful, different women that exist out there that don't feel seen or don't feel respected or don't feel like they're worthy. And it's,

They are. And they may get backlash now. And then it's like, in 10 years, we're going to look back at this and it's going to be like, that's insane. And let's hope so, right? Yeah, exactly. Let's hope so because of like whatever reason, oh, you're too short, you're too big, you're too thin, you have too much acne, you don't have this type of hair, like what, you're gay, you're straight, you're whatever, you know, and it's like,

wow, when as a world did we become so critical and sinister? And the fact of the matter is, is like, we need to retrain the way people think about themselves and think about others. And that's what we're trying to do as a brand. That's what we're trying to do. They're looking at themselves and they're saying, this is me. Just like you did that day when you saw yourself in the mirror and you're like, you know what guys, I call bullshit on this. Like this is who I am. I want you to know the truth about like what my skin is like today or how I'm feeling mentally today. Yeah.

And we're all like, yeah, girl, me too. I'm sad or I'm happy or I've got a zit or I've got this cellular, I got this stretch marks or I got this pooch. Like, you know what I mean? Like it's, it's, it's okay. Yeah. Guess what? That's normal. It's normal. It's normal. That's what I always say. And I'm like, everyone has their own insecurities, but it's like, it's normal. That's life. It's just like,

talk about it, you know, like be confident in it and understand that like there isn't a specific mold that's perfect or that we all need to fit into anymore. Correct. Like even the most confident women wake up on days and they're like, I don't feel great. I don't love how I feel. I don't love necessarily how this outfit looks on me, whatever. And that's okay. We're human. Thank you for sharing all of this because I think this is so important. And

One last thing with all of this is like, what do you see like going forward for Sports Illustrated Swim? I want to be that place for women, young and old, to come to feel good about themselves, to see themselves represented, to learn something, to really just, I want this brand to be

a vehicle for change, not just for the industry and, you know, the general population, but for the individual too, you know? And that's really what I see. I, I want to do more. I want to be more. I want to be better. I want to keep improving, you know, because we're not perfect either as a brand. I'm not perfect as a editor. Like I know that we can keep improving,

doing it and doing it with more frequency. And that's why it's exciting, you know, to be able to move into this digital space the way that we are, because I think we'll be able to, to do that. And, and it's just to spread as much love and positive energy and good vibes as we can possibly do as long as we're around, you know? And I have to say like, even just doing the one shoot that we did together and it's like the little taste of sports illustrated that I got, you can really feel like the love and excitement from the brand. And,

And I just wanted to say thank you for having me be the first digital cover for this. Because when you're changing something for a brand, it's like, that's scary. And like, that could go to shit really fast. And it's like, I just want to say thank you for trusting me with that. Like, that truly just feels like the biggest honor to be able to be the first. And like, it really means so much to me. So I just wanted to say thank you. Well, you are so welcome. We could not be happier. I am so happy to be able to get to know you this way. And I mean, for all your people that love you,

as much as they do, which I know is a lot there, they rightly should because you're, you are the real deal girl. You were as, as if you, as much as you love Alex Earl times a thousand guys, this, this chick is, she's the bomb. Yeah. And now, I mean, for anyone who doesn't know MJ now, they're going to love you.

It's Jersey, baby. It's Jersey. Well, thanks for coming on. You're the best as a boy. I know. I actually am surprised. I know. We're on the couch. We're just going to snuggle here, guys. I love you. Love you. Bye. Bye. This episode is brought to you by Mejuri. You know, I had a thought the other day. Since Rwanda jewelry becomes something we only bought on special occasions...

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So now that we talked with MJ, I'm feeling good. I'm like, the shoot's over. I'm on a high right now. And now all of a sudden I'm like, oh my gosh, we have one week until I'm going to be walking in the Sports Illustrated Swim Miami Swimming Show. And I have no idea how to do a runway walk. I'm not a runway model. I'm not a model in general. Like I have no idea how to get up there and walk. And honestly, all I cared about was just not falling flat on my face. I was like,

I don't really care what I'm doing, but like I would like to look like I know what I'm doing a little bit, but I know I'm not going to pull out supermodel status in a week. And I just, that's not happening for me. Okay. And I was very stressed out about this. So I was like, okay, what can I do to at least alleviate a little bit of this stress? And I have seen Coco Rocha online before. I've seen her modeling classes. I was in New York and

And we had contacted Kokorosha. She cleared up her schedule. She was like, let's do a little one hour runway walk training session. And as stupid as it sounds, because obviously I'm not walking out there. Like everyone's like, what was that walk, Alex? I still learned so much that I'm like, it would have been so much worse if I didn't take this class. Okay. Like there was just little things that she was pointing out that, um,

She was like, you know, if you do this with your hands or if you swing your arms, like that'll mean you're very nervous. Or if you look down at the ground, like people will tell you're nervous or any like fast movements, like don't do any of that. And she was just pointing out little tips that honestly made me feel so much better. At least that I had like walked in front of her before going out on this runway. And I did feel very confident the whole week leading up to this Miami swim week walk until

Literally the two hours before I was like, I'm going to die right now. Like I was spinning. No one could talk to me. I was, I had the sweats. I was like, I'm so nervous. I don't know how to walk. And you can see when I show you guys, you'll watch the footage in a second. My Miami swimming walk. I was

I was walking pretty fast. I'm not going to lie because it was, it was scary. And I found out that I was going to be opening the show, which I had no idea was going to happen. So now not only am I walking in this where all these people are going to be taking videos from any angle or posting it wherever I'm now opening the show, which means that I don't have anyone in front of me to like set a pace. So that scared the shit out of me because it's a long runway and it's

the thing that makes you cool and like you know what you're doing is you take your time and you're you're walking down you're strutting you're like i got this looking cool but like when i got out there i was like oh my god oh my god let's go fast let's go fast like let me turn around pose like get back like i was so scared the first time going out but then the second time i went around i got to go out with my sisters which was

so, so incredible that MJ and the team had invited my sisters to come walk with me. So I had Ashton, Isabella, and Penelope. And that time was just like so much fun. We were just like skipping, jumping. And that was like so special for me and something that we'll never, ever forget. And that's something that honestly, a lot of people online are like, this is so disgusting. How could you have your little sisters walk in the Sports Illustrated show? Like,

think about all the perverts out there like this is so disgusting and listen I think if you actually understand what MJ's saying in this episode about the brand and how it's evolved like it's not what it was 10 15 20 years ago if this was like 15 years ago and this was a sports illustrated show I'd probably be like yeah maybe that's a

all these girls and we're having a good time and it's my family like they were there to support me they wanted to come out and walk with me it's fun like we were having a good time it's just like a a good event of women supporting other women and lifting each other up and we had the best time ever and like my little sisters after were like I can't believe we just did that like that was so much fun they were so cute and I'm like I don't want them to read anything online seeing these

negative comments and stuff and I'm like don't even put yourself in that headspace because they're so young and I don't know that's just something that I want to protect them over is I'm like just like can everyone just be happy and normal and nice and let like a happy family moment be. That's on time in our life. A little more of it. Bam. Bam. Blam. Boom. Boom. Boom.

So when we get there, this is where everyone starts panicking. One, two, from two, which is, see how I'm not on this one? Just like you're not on that one? You're just gonna step it, okay? So that's one, two, step. Exactly. Does that make sense? Yes! One, two, nice. So now when it comes to our hands, I'm noticing you do this thing, which is fine. Okay.

But it is typically like new models will give us that when they're like, "Okay." So I want-- - It's like I'm trying to do something like half-assed, aired. - Yeah, look at the power. Like I said, commit to it. Because at this point we're saying, "Oh, I did such a great walk, but now I don't know if I believe myself." - Yeah. - This is like great for, I don't know, photos, just kind of chill. Yes, and they are anxious hands. We know that. So how about when we get to the end, we don't need to be like, "Hey." We're just gonna lift our hands to...

And step. And get rid of them. I love that thing! Yes! One, two, step back! Yes! Yes! So when we get to the end, you know when people size you up, kind of, "Mm-hmm." You can give me a little bit of that. Right at that turn, I want a little, like, sizing up. Like, you'll miss this. Nice! Ooh, that looks so good! Hit! - I'm proud of the ball you have no shoes on. - I know. You have no shoes on and you fall. I'm gonna be real mad at you. If you had fallen,

- I do take a moment to be like, "I'm down here." Let's take a photo. - Right, you know when people come running usually, we have lots of friends that will come, take their hand gently, like, "Okay." - We're in swim suits, so it's a little different, like if I was in a gown, I'd be like, "Play with it." - I'm not gonna fall, I'm just saying, just in case. - You're not gonna fall, but you did it exactly right. You fall, take a moment to like, literally just be like, "Okay." - Just stay on the ground. - Just stay on the ground, give it a moment.

And then we get back up and we just keep going. All right? But you're right. There are moments where things happen. Act. I'm going to take one step out and follow my faith. Thank you so much. Thank you. Good luck. You're going to kill it. Thank you for doing this. I'm so excited. Confident. I'm feeling a lot better now. It's been fun. A lot better. We did it. We're done with the modeling class. Now it's time to kick it into gear because now we're actually going to walk.

the Sports Illustrated swim runway for Miami Swim Week and I cannot believe I'm saying that and not only are we walking I'm opening and I'm getting to walk with my little sisters so here we go let's see how the results turned out

Thank you guys for listening to another episode of Hot Mess with Alex Earl. Don't forget to subscribe, follow this podcast, wherever you're tuning in from. This was such a surreal experience and I would not be able to do it without you guys. So thank you guys for your support. I love you. I'll see you next Thursday. Bye.

Listen up, you naughty little pelicans. It's Harry Jowsey here, host of the new video podcast, Boyfriend Material. Dating, sex, and relationships in your 20s, it's messy, confusing, and sometimes you just want the male perspective. That's where Boyfriend Material with Harry Jowsey comes in. Every Tuesday, I'll let you in on what the male brain is thinking, breaking down all of your relationship questions and situations, and giving you honest advice on them all.

Watch Boyfriend Material with Harry Jarzy every Tuesday here on Spotify. You know, you might potentially land the guy of your dreams or the red flag, but there's no judgment here. Follow Boyfriend Material with Harry Jarzy on Spotify.