real mom: Sydney Maughan
Meet my friend Sydney. She is a wildly successful model, married to a talented photographer, and is a new mom to baby Alden. Syd is as kind as she is beautiful! When she laughs, you can’t help but laugh along with her. She is the friend you want to sit around in sweats with and discuss everything. She has great tips for dieting, working out and skin care and a great perspective on motherhood, religion and life in general. Her kindness and humility are an example to me and I’m blessed to call this breathtaking beauty my friend.
Name: Sydney Wheeler Maughan
Background: I grew up in Raleigh,NC and moved to San Diego, CA to study interior design at the Art Institute of SD. After college, I worked for a small design firm in SD for 7 months but decided to take on modeling/acting full-time. I’ve been posing and smiling ever since.
Husband: Jason Maughan, we met at a bar in Hollywood named “Happy Endings” but didn’t speak again until 8 months later when he Facebook messaged me. Crazy right?!? We are a true product of Facebook stalking (dont worry, not the scary kind) and yes, we’ve had many happy endings…in life;) Jason has his hand in many different projects but seriously pursues his passion of photography and film. He’s one of those lucky few that makes his own schedule, works from home and loves what he does. Check out his work here:www.jmaughan.com. He is truly gifted with an eye for perfect lighting, good composition and making people look good. He continues to amaze me with his self-taught talents, but not only in his work but as a new father as well. I don’t know what I would have done without Jason by my side those first weeks of parenthood. He is the best father to our three month old ladybug and gives me so much strength and support.
Children: Wahoo, lets talk babies!! Yes, I am so proud to say I have a sweet three month old baby girl named Alden Elyse. She is a little sweetheart, with her sparkly blue eyes and her chubby little thighs. She is a pretty chill baby, just starting to smile a ton and laugh on occasion. I can’t wait till she starts to giggle, I have a feeling her laugh will be contagious.
How did you get started in modeling: Well, I came out to California for college and never would have dreamed of ending up in the industry I work in today. I was literally having drinks in a bar one evening with a couple friends when a photographer scouted me for a local modeling agency. Two years later, after i graduated I was in another bar in San Diego when a casting director approached me to do a reality show. That casting director set me up with a spot on the show Survivor for their 18th season in Brazil. It was an amazing experience that continues to be my go-to story when I meet new clients. Modeling has been an AMAZING ride, taking me to seven different countries in South America and Europe. I’ve jumped on a trampoline in party dresses in Sweden and shot for Avon cosmetics in Buenos Aires. While living in Milan, Italy for a spring, one of my jobs was on a hot dog commercial. I literally had to eat bun-less hot dogs with a huge, cheesy grin on my face…yes it was the highlight of my career;) Definitely not as glamorous as walking the runways in Milan fashion shows but hey, it pays the bills right?!? I have worked for so many different companies such as Kohls, Skechers, Neutrogena and Kay Jewelers (every kiss begins with Kay). I love my job because I get to make someone’s vision come to life. I also get to work with very talented make-up artists, stylists, photographers and directors. Even though I have been in the entertainment industry for eight years now, I still think its weird to see myself in a magazine or on a billboard.
First thing you do in the morning: Eat a Luna bar
(blueberry or choc coconut) and head to the gym! I’ve been trying to workout as much as possible since I’ve had baby Alden. And I am so lucky to have Jason, usually working from home to watch her for that hour and a half.
(blueberry or choc coconut) and head to the gym! I’ve been trying to workout as much as possible since I’ve had baby Alden. And I am so lucky to have Jason, usually working from home to watch her for that hour and a half.
Describe your personal style: I’m totally a tank top and jeans kinda gal. I also have a lot of wardrobe staples like good fitting jeans and tailored blazers. I love wearing flirty dresses on date nights with my hubby and Go through lot of workout clothes in a week, LuLu and I am Beyond are my favorites!
How you stay fit: You know how they say “it’s the small things that matter”, well I’m a true believer in working out that way as well. I do small amounts of reps of different exercises throughout the day. I feel like this keeps my metabolism groovin and my energy up. While I’m brushing my teeth, I do squats. When I’m watching tv, I’ll either do some ab isolation exercises or leg lifts with a 2lbs ankle weight. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely get a good hour workout in at least three times a week, but just doing those small moves here and there helps to maintain.
Number one beauty item: This is a hard question because I have so many favorite beauty items I’ve collected from different make-up artists over the years. Voluminous mascara by L’Oreal, Radiant Touch #2 by YSL but my current favorite… Naked two eye color palette by Urban Decay.
Guilty pleasure: Anything Italian. I could eat marinara meat sauce on top of noodles for the rest of my life if I didn’t have to fit into small clothes for a living!
Children’s item you can’t live without: The green “soothie” (a.k.a a binkie or pacifier) that the hospital gave us. “Where’s the binkie??” Is an all too familiar phrase in our house! Not proud of it but it’s better than her stuffing her whole hand in her mouth.
Tip or trick your mom taught you that have applied to yourself: Always mail (envelope, stamp and all) a hand written thank you note. Bring a small gift if your staying at someone’s house for longer than two days.
How you spend “me” time: This is bad but I veg out in front of the tv. I record everything on prime time from Nashville to Revenge, so when I get home from a long day of standing in three inch heels, I get to relax with a bag of granola in front of the old boob tube.
1 tip to stay focused on your fitness goals: Make an inspiration board and put it in a place you’ll actually see it. Have pictures of the kind of body you want to work towards, motivational phrases and a picture of yourself in a swimsuit. Be realistic for yourself and go after it!!
Favorite motivational quote: “Mind over matter” is a quote I heard from a fellow contestant when I was on Survivor four years ago. I would whisper that to myself whenever I was feeling weak during a challenge. That phrase alone pushed me to survive 18 days in the highlands of Brazil with very little food and no clean water. Survivor was such an awesome experience but boy was it hard!!
How you balance life: Balancing life and all it’s ups and downs isn’t easy but I’ve found that if you try to keep a positive outlook on things, it always works out for the best. I also feel so blessed to have a strong testimony of Christ as my Lord and Savior, something that took me until three years ago to find. Also, Prayer never fails!
XXO,
XXO,
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She is gorgeous. Love that little family.
Lex
as a new mama i’m addicted to reading the stories of other moms. thanks so much for sharing! she is a true beauty! xo
What a great post… She is the cutest!!! Loved her stories.
Loved reading this!
Great interview! I always enjoy reading interviews of models and those in the entertainment or fashion industries. It’s fun to see how they got their start, what keeps them going, and it reminds me that they are human as well! Thanks for sharing this 🙂