First Runner-Up in Our Heart Of Hollywood Cover Model Contest.
Lisa Hopkins, 1st Runner Up in the Heart Of Hollywood Cover Model Contest, was born and raised in Tennessee. She was a flight attendant for 12 years for Air Wisconsin Airlines.
“After covid-19, I retired my wings and moved to Alabama to help my dad take care of my stepmom with dementia. During this time, I used settlement money from a hit-and-run car accident to start my own online boutique. Since it took me a long time to bloom and my favorite color is turquoise, I named it the Unique Blue Rose Boutique. My retail clothing line has appeared in fashion shows and photoshoots around the world with Victoria Henley’s Magnifique company”, Lisa says.
Why did you decide to enter the Heart Of Hollywood Magazine Cover Model Contest?
I entered to fulfill my dream of becoming a model from back when I was a little girl. I also wanted to be able to raise awareness about some of the issues that I have a passion for.
How was your life experience when you were growing up?
This is hard. Due to some childhood traumas, I don’t remember much about my early life.
The few memories I do have are of Christmas mornings. I also remember the day my little brother was born. I struggled in school. It was not until I was an adult that I found out that I had dyslexia. Still, I was in pageants and loved being in the band. I played the clarinet and became a majorette. The happiest moment in my life when I was growing up was when I finally won Fairest of the Fair in Dyer County, Tennessee, in 1984.
When did your interest in modeling start?
I dreamed of being a model as I was growing up. I would see billboards and also posters in stores such as JCPenney and Macy's, and dreamed of being on one at some point. Also, when I saw models on magazine covers I would dream of being on a cover one day. I was not able to pursue that passion due to a lack of self confidence.
When I was 53 years old, I saw a casting call looking for models at the mall, and I showed up. When I saw all the younger girls there, I almost walked out. But my confidence had grown. I like to think of it as a nasty onion I had peeled layer by layer, by dealing with the complex post-traumatic stress disorder triggers of all the blocked memories, with help from lots of prayers and counseling. This freed a beautiful rose. I was able to land a model role with Bellah Modeling Agency in Columbia, South Carolina. That led me to meet Victoria Henley, from America's Next Top Model, That is how my modeling career began to bloom.
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What are your dreams for the future?
My dream for the future is to reach women and young girls going through emotional domestic abuse and to open up a non-profit organization so that they have a safe haven where they can go. I want to raise awareness not just about physical abuse, but also about emotional abusem and the damage it causes, such as C-PTSD. I was not even aware that I had it until my late forties. I want to help other women heal And bloom as well.
What message would you like to send our Heart Of Hollywood Magazine readers?
I want to thank Heart of Hollywood for allowing my story to be printed, and also thank all of the people who supported me so that I could get my story out to the world.
The message I have is to never let blocked memories and triggers to haunt you, to the point you think you're crazy. I was able to meet singer and actress MacKenzie Phillips at a flight attendant drug and alcohol program and heard her own story of abuse. She spoke about blocked memories and how they mean there was trauma. I remember asking her, “So I am not crazy?” This was when I got help and it was the best thing I've ever done in my life. It’s never too late to bloom and make your childhood dreams come to pass. I finally found myself and my purpose. Now I can pursue my dream with confidence.
Shop at Lisa’s Online Boutique
Website: www.uniqueblueroseboutique.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2417510371796825/?ref=share
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Lisa's decision to seek help marked a turning point, emphasizing the profound impact of confronting one's struggles. Her story echoes the reasons to quit alcohol, as substance abuse often masks deeper emotional wounds. By embracing healing and rediscovering purpose, Lisa exemplifies the resilience and transformative power of seeking support.