Meet Jackie Benavidez | Model & Entrepreneur

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

Hi Jackie, what’s your definition for success?
I define success by your own happiness. I know this can be a controversial question, but that’s because everyone’s happiness Is personal. It’s an opinion. Many people can agree success is money, or having a loving family, ect. But that all falls down to where you find happiness. For me, my personal success is my family, my career, my home, my spirituality. All these things bring me pure joy. Success is in you, and up to you completely. Nobody has to agree with what you believe is successful, but you.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a model, an entrepreneur, and a stay-at-home mama. During covid everything kind of came to a halt, and I was just strictly a stay at home mom. My life had forever changed when my son was born on April 14th of this year. It was a huge learning curve becoming a first time mom in the middle of a huge world-wide pandemic. But I chipped at it like every challenge and persevered! The longer I was on furlough due to covid, the more I longed to do work. So my husband and I decided we would sell tacos, not only get us back into a working habit, but to also help out with funds for our new son. Recently my husband was finally called back to work, but my position was still unavailable. I wanted to continue working, but could not keep up with a new business and full care of my son. So I got to thinking, I love making herbal tea! If I only do shipments/pickups twice a week, I have time to get that done and take full care of my child worry free. Also around this time I was able to get back into modeling, as new guidelines had given us a chance to be able to do photography/modeling again! It was such an exciting time, but yet it was so different. I had just had a baby and my body has completely changed. It was a huge obstacle for me to climb. I didn’t feel the same, nor did I physically look the same. Post partum took its toll on me. My confidence was shot. I had no idea where to start. I knew I needed to rest, but I also wanted to work. I knew I wanted to feel better, but my mind said “just make sure the baby is fine and you’ll feel fine.” I wanted to get back out there, but I was depressed. I had to work with my mind, and my body to accept who I now am. Different doesn’t mean bad. I had to train my brain to not look at the differences in such a negative light, I had to find my true Beaty again. Not the outside beauty, but the inner beauty. After some time, I was ready, and I went full force back into modeling! I was me again! I want people to know that just about anything you dream is a possibility. You can overcome battles with your mind especially depression. You can thrive if you’re willing to push yourself there. It starts with pushing yourself out of bed. Then pushing yourself to do simple self care, ei taking a nice long shower/bath, and putting on a fun mud mask. Soon you’ll start making all these strides towards what you want. When you start making the things you want happen, you’ll discover happiness. That happiness is your success. For me it was running a type of business, keeping my son and husband happy and healthy, and modeling. Never forget anything is possible if you’re willing to work for it!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Boy oh boy, where do I start? There are so many amazing things to do, sites to see, and yummy places to eat in Denver! Well, let’s start with breakfast, my favorite is this little brunch spot called The French Press, they have some of the best coffee, delicious mimosas, and the most delectable crab cake eggs benidict! After breakfast we would go to the Denver Zoo. The Denver Zoo is one of the best in the US with 80 acres of animals! The Denver zoo strives to give their animals the best life possible, in terms of it still being a zoo. They have been expanding for many years making even more space each and every year. They truly create an experience that these animals enjoy their relaxed lives. After the many hours we would probably spend there, it would be time to eat again! My absolute favorite place(even the place I Celebrate my birthday at) is the Crawling Crab! They now have two locations and both are equal in quality! They are a small family owned business that specializes in seafood cajun style! They offer a fun (and messy) experience and keep the good food coming! The next day we’d wake up early as its time to head out to Glennwood Springs! We would pack a lunch for the day, as you don’t want to waste time going to a resturant!  They have some many things here, from Hanging Lake, to the hot springs, to the Glennwood amusement park! It’s a jam packed day submerged in nature! Mountains, rivers, waterfalls, cliffs, and natural pools! In my opinion, it doesn’t get any better than that!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The first people I think I have to thank for my success are my husband and my son. They love and support me unconditionally. Always by my side pushing me to try new things and get more creative. Their love and positivity will always make me thrive. Next I have to thank every photographer and creative I’ve ever had the chance of meeting and working with. They all gave me a shot and helped me expand my career. Lastly I would like to thank everyone who doubted me, those who didn’t want to work with me and those who thrive on watching me fail. You all have pushed me to prove I can do this. They have reminded me that maybe I am an amazing model, and maybe I just need to gain more experience. They have given me so many more reasons why I want to succeed, and get better each day. I hope one day I can prove them wrong.

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Image Credits
Matt Archer Misha Marie Eddie Kranc Dakota Pendleton