Meet Abbey Engel | Social Media Manager, Entreprenuer, and Model

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

Hi Abbey, how do you think about risk?
I love taking risks. I look at risks as opportunities, however I didn’t always used to see risks in this way. I grew up in a very small town called Fountain City, WI. My parents went through a very messy divorce when we my little sister and I were younger which caused a lot of “risks” in our lives such as financial risk, risk of not seeing one parent over the other, risk of instability, just to name a few. I learned that taking risks meant overcoming the many challenges throughout my life that have formed me into the person that I am today. I took a risk when I had to be a parent for my little sister growing up, I took a risk when I decided to take running seriously in high school which brought me multiple scholarship offers and opportunity, I took a risk when I decided to end my running career in college early to become a full-time restaurant manager at the age of 20 to pay my way through school and to save up for my modeling career, I took a risk when deciding to leave home and move across country to Los Angeles to pursue the modeling and acting industry and not use my finance and business degree I worked 4.5 years for, I took a risk when I didn’t have a single job or career plan lined up for myself when I moved to LA, I took a risk networking my entire way through Los Angeles to establish relationships that have benefited my current career, and every day I continue to take on more risks than I ever could have imagined. Taking risks has pushed me outside of my comfort zone, has proved to me that I don’t have to live with the limiting beliefs I grew up with, and has taught me that being uncomfortable in life is the most powerful way to grow as a person, as a creative, and as an entrepreneur. Because of all the risks I have taken I can confidently say that within a year and a half of leaving my small hometown without a promising career plan, I have built more connections in LA than I ever could have imagined, worked multiple different jobs including a personal assistant to a celebrity model and digital creator, landed in the social media industry based off networking, got accepted into a notable acting studio, recently became a CBO to a start-up athleisure swimwear brand launching later this year, and set myself into the six-figure income bracket by just working multiple side hustles all under the age of 25 years old. None of this I would have ever even come close to accomplishing if I wouldn’t have taken that initial risk early on in my life; leaving my old life behind me and saying yes to every single opportunity that appeared in front of me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Currently in my professional life, I am pursuing multiple different jobs. I honestly have always had more than one job since I started working in high school. I would always be the one to pick up multiple gigs, side hustles, jobs etc. This keeps me open-minded and helps me better recognize my strengths and my weaknesses more easily which is so important in your career. The path of how I got to where I am today definitely did not come easily, not even close to easy. I moved to LA from my small town in the Midwest with nothing except from what I could pack into my car and a pretty comfortable savings that I established for myself working as a bartender and restaurant manager throughout college. However, I had no secured job lined up, no career intentions (other than getting modeling jobs as much as I could), or hardly even knew anyone here. I worked multiple jobs within just a few weeks from moving such as, nannying, modeling, serving/bartending, personal assisting, and more. I worked 7 days a week just trying to pay the Los Angeles rent and keep up with the lifestyle out here. I remember I attended a birthday party with the one friend I met out here about a month after I moved, and a stranger I met there told me, “You can be smart, pretty, and extremely talented, but if you don’t establish connections, you will not succeed in this city.” I took that simple piece of advice that this random man gave me that night and ran with it. Until this day, it is been building connections that has truly gotten me to where I am now professionally. Became I am from the Midwest and have always been super outgoing, talking to people and wanting to help people comes effortlessly to me.. and it is honestly the number one thing that has gotten me the jobs, the work, the connections, and the relationships that I have here today. Especially in the industry I am in now (which is social media), connections and who you know is everything. However, this came with constantly attending as many social events as I could, getting to know who I was serving at the restaurant, using social media to connect with people by just cold-dm’ing on Instagram asking if they are looking to hire someone, etc. To sum it all up, I want as many people as possible to know that the power of networking and building authentic connections truly has on all aspects of your life is absolutely mind blowing. You never know who you will meet, who you will connect with, and who might be the next person to mentor you and help push you towards your next career goal.

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.
I would definitely take them to Venice first! (West side is the best side if i’m being bias). There are so many amazing restaurants and coffee shops on the west side including some of my favorites being Gjusta for brunch and Little Lunch Coffee. Everyone is so outgoing, laid back, and creative on the west side where you can run into literally everyone and anyone! For dinner, I would tell them to explore the east side of LA such as Echo Park and Silver Lake area. There are so many hidden gems and amazing restaurants such as “Gra” which makes the best homemade sourdough pizza. I love being active so hiking is another one of my favorite things to do. I would tell take them to Temescal Trail in Will Rodgers park and then grab a smoothie at Erewhon Pacific Palisades (because you just have to experience it at least once). To grab drinks on the weekend I would take them to West Hollywood at either delila or EPLP rooftop where you have an amazing view of the hollywood hills! And another great weekend activity to do would be to see griffith park and the observatory, followed by lunch at Squirl in Los Feliz, which has amazing french inspired food!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When it comes to thinking about who has inspired me to become the person that I am today, I can’t necessarily think of a specific person. Instead, I find that I get inspired by so many different people that I meet and come across throughout life. I absolutely love connecting with new people and hearing their stories, where they came from, what have they overcome, and how did they get to where they are today. Every person brings something different to the table, and I have learned so much from connecting with so many individuals who come from different industries and walks of life. Once you connect with others and truly listen to them, you can learn so much! Aside from learning from others, there is one book that I found has changed the trajectory of my life in so many ways, which is the “5 second Rule” by Mel Robbins. I feel anyone and everyone can benefit from reading this book in one way or another, as it really just proves that you can actually change your mindset, state of being, and entire life in just 5 seconds. Don’t question it, just read it! Trust me.

Website: https://www.carynmodels.com/portfolios/abbey-engel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbeyannaengel/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbey-engel-2b8552276/

Image Credits
Cover Photo Photographer: @vibelizabeth_ (https://www.instagram.com/vibelizabeth_?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==)

Attached additional photos (in chronological order):

– 1st photo Photographer: @jordenkeith (https://www.instagram.com/jordenkeith?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==)
– 2nd photo Photographer: @joce.james (https://www.instagram.com/joce.james?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==)
– 3rd photo Photographer: @vibelizabeth_ (https://www.instagram.com/vibelizabeth_?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==)
– 4th Photo Photographer: @katydezellarphoto (https://www.instagram.com/katydezellarphoto?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==)
– 5th photo Photographer: @iamisaiahking (https://www.instagram.com/iamisaiahking?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==)