Meet Sunshine Love / @walking__on__sunshine__2.0
We’re happy to have you featured. If you could write a letter to your younger self, what would you say? I would tell myself to live my life for me and not to let the insecurities of others cost me opportunities or joy I life! I think I held back a lot of my potential to appease others for a long time. You need to do what makes you happy as long as it is not hurting anyone. You can be or do anything you’d like! Don’t let others narrow down who you are! I am a structural engineer, model, and bikini/ dress designer.) Is that typical? No, but it is who I am. I get to decide who I am. No one else should have that power. One day, I started to do what I wanted. I began to take so many opportunities that came my way, and I really enjoyed those moments. The modeling/ fashion world is so exciting. The creative energy on the designer side and the hard work of creating the pieces really appeals to me. (BTW I am wearing my bikinis in these photos). I also love the modeling side. We create the best relationships and magical moments in this industry. I honestly love it. I have had the time of my life modeling and designing. I really cherish the connections and friendships I have made with models, designers, photographers, and event coordinators. It is nothing short of a magical, joyful world. I am really happy to have found this passion, but wish I had found it earlier in life! Where would I be now in navigating my passions?.
What’s a childhood dream you’ve held on to? I have always been a big crafter. I grew up as an only child until my dad remarried. I had to entertain myself a lot. I did everything from science experiment kits to learning to crochet at 14. I do remember sketching dresses from a very young age. I never thought of fashion design as a career. My family definitely encouraged math and science, mostly. I was very smart, and they wanted me to have a good career to be able to support myself. So I did go the engineering route. I do love my engineering career. I now own my own engineering business and work for myself. I am very science-oriented, but I also have a creative side. Today I am living out a little childhood dream. I started to do bikini pageants, but I couldn’t find bikinis that fit my big boobs and tiny tush very well. I also wasn’t seeing the styles I wanted. So I started to make my own bikinis for the pageants. I got amazing feedback from all of the girls. My friend Nicholas was a designer and asked me to be a designer and model in one of his fashion shows. I modeled for other designers and showcased my handmade bikini line. I have now showcased them in a few local Dallas shows and in Miami Swim Week. I have been asked to show them in NY and Vegas Swim week shows, but haven’t committed to those yet. I just have to juggle my time. Right now, engineering pays bills, and my fashion design hobby costs me money. The next big step will be making enough bikinis to meet the demand, so I can make my hobby profitable instead of spending all my extra money there. I also always wanted to model and compete in Pageants. I am getting to do both this year! I have walked in at least 8 Dallas fashion shows, Miami Swim Week, and NY Fashion Week, and I am about to walk in Sin City Swim week this month! I am also doing a bikini pageant this year. I may even look into the beauty pageant circuit for next year, because why not?! Lift is full of possibilities! Now, let’s talk about the highlight! Being in FHM is definitely the pinnacle of my modeling career. I am so grateful for this opportunity and platform. Thank you FHM.
Looking back, what advice would you give to your younger self? I had amazing women role models in my life who gave me great words of wisdom very young. I am so grateful that everything I would need to tell myself, they told me. I am so grateful to be able to stand on my own two feet. I owe that to my grandma. She made me promise when I was 4 not to marry until I graduated from college (which saved me from 2 divorces, I am certain). She said I should be able to financially support myself in case my husband cheats, hits me, and even if he is a great man, things can go wrong. He may pass away, and I would need to be able to take care of my babies. She said men would always be there after I accomplish my goals. She would joke that they were still going after her. She was amazing and took such good care of her body, nutrition, and mind. She was very ahead of her time, full of enthusiasm, and owned her beauty. She was a gorgeous lady and was not afraid to show off her curves! She taught me to take good care of my body with nutrition and to always stay active and fit. I made it through college and built an engineering career. I am a licensed structural engineer. I also own my own business. It is not always easy, but I am doing it. I am able to take care of myself and do not need to rely on a man. Any man in my life will be based on love and desire, and not necessity to survive. I think that is such an important cornerstone in any woman’s life. So many get stuck in bad situations because they do not have their own feet. I am grateful for those lessons. Another big lesson came from my mom. My mom taught me not to drink. I have tried it, but it was never something I liked. I can count the number of times I have had even one drink on my hands. I really feel that is a big reason I am so healthy at my age. I honestly don’t care or judge others who do. I just know it makes me feel sluggish and yucky. I won’t feel like working out if I have a drink, even just one, the day before. I prioritize my health and body so much that anything that could set me back gets a big no. The one thing I guess I would tell my younger self is not to take too much responsibility for others, and that I can’t fix everything. I always had a big heart and would try to take care of everyone and fix everything from way too young an age. I know now that people who make their own decisions are the only ones who can fix themselves.
What do people often get wrong about you? My mother says it best! She tells me I do not look smart, but I am very smart! I have always had to prove myself in my career. I have had so many people in the industry tell me they did not believe I was an engineer and that I do not look like one. Guys would joke about how easy it must be for me to get permits and that everyone would do anything I’d ask. I really tried to prove I was serious and useful for my mind and not just my looks. I have had mentors tell me how I changed their perspective on women in general. They thought we were not hard-working and just wanted to get married and to be taken care of. I would be the last one in the office so many times, especially early in my career. I always took work very seriously and wanted to do my best. I am very proud to know that, in some ways, I have left a good impression on men in the industry, and those men will possibly take the next woman seriously from the onset. I hope. I think the impressions and little fingerprints we leave in this world are so special, and I want to leave behind a good legacy. I am a smart woman and a hard worker. With that said, the engineering world is still not ready for women with looks and a brain. I have to do all of my modeling under an alias, and that is ok. I go by Sunshine Love in the modeling world, and for this article, because I’ve heard engineers can’t be models. That is ok for now. Maybe one day women can have lives separate from their careers and that will be ok. One day….but today is not that day, I sadly report.
Do you have any hidden talents? If so, what is it? I have so many hobbies because I love to stay busy and to be creative. I would say my best hidden talent is my crochet abilities. I have made crochet blankets, baby clothes for friends, purses, skirts, and bikinis (my favourite). Go check out my crochet bikinis and regular bikinis on my IG.
What’s your guilty pleasure snack? I am so good! I don’t like chocolate, chips, or cake! However, my guilty pleasure is straight sugary snacks like cotton candy or Twizzlers. So bad.
What’s the boldest decision you’ve ever made that changed your life? The boldest decision I made was to start my engineering business! This had given me a lot of freedom over my time and a better quality of life. Don’t get me wrong, I work hard. I have busy and slow seasons. Some months, I work every single day! No days off, and some months I work part-time. However, I have control over my schedule and flexibility in where I work.
What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t dared to try yet? I always wanted to learn to fly! Piloting was on my list of fun careers as a kid.
What’s a powerful lesson life has taught you that you think everyone should learn? Be grateful for your health, body, and abilities. Those are gifts, and not everyone has them.
What’s something that once felt like a failure, but became your biggest lesson? I injured myself training for a marathon. I gave myself plantar fasciitis. It is an overuse injury. I was out of commission for 2 years. It is a serious injury. I learned so much through that trial. I learned to slow down, enjoy my friends and boyfriend at the time. It honestly helped me balance my personal life, career, and healthy habits. I also had to learn other forms of exercise that I still love to this day because I had to find ways to stay active and healthy outside of running. However, the biggest lesson was to be so grateful for a healthy body and to move in smart ways to keep it healthy. I am so much more grateful for every run after that experience. Two years is a long time to take a runner out of her element.
What’s the legacy you hope to leave behind? I hope to leave a legacy of kindness, hard work, and compassion. The world can be so selfish, but I think compassionate people can shift that in their little circles. Every kind of considerate act makes a difference. The ripple effects are real. I hope to show my little circles of influence that they matter and deserve love and respect.
What advice would you give to someone who feels stuck or uninspired right now? I think everyone has gifts. Sometimes people feel uninspired because they are not living in their gifts. Your calling is like love! You just know! You feel the spark light up your heart, and you feel joyful while pursuing it. That doesn’t mean some moments are hard or a lot of work it just means there is a real rewarding feeling at the end of that task. It is not your fault if you feel stuck or uninspired. Sometimes it takes a step back and a little rest/ rest to come back in with a clear head. When I was in school, I thought I wanted to be a doctor. I did very well in my classes, straight A’s, and was always on the dean’s list. I got to anatomy and had to dissect a cat! It horrified me. Medicine did not feel like my calling. I can’t stand blood, the inside of the body, or seeing others in pain. I am too compassionate, and I would feel too sad every day for them. I had to change my degree! I did not know what I wanted to do! I took a semester off, worked and saved up extra money, and used that time to research and think about what I enjoyed. I loved math and science, and eventually, that led me to structural engineering. I was so happy in my design classes, worked hard, set curves in my classes, and felt so happy with the trajectory of my life. I just knew when I landed on the right path, but I had to take a step back and reevaluate my passions. Some people know right away, and others take time, but I think everyone can eventually find their passion. It is that one thing that excites you and you can’t stop thinking about. Once you find it, the next step is making a plan and making it happen. Apparently, you can have more than one passion! I just found out I also love modeling and designing bikinis and dresses! In life, we continue to evolve and grow! Never stop pursuing your dreams. If you reach one dream, then it’s time to start on the next! Life is beautiful. Take full advantage of your time on earth and your skills.
Thanks so much for your time. Where can our readers follow you on social to stay up to date on what you’re up to? Personal IG: @walking__on__sunshine__2.0 (two underscores between each word) Couture Bikini Line: @sunshine_siren_couture (one underscore between each word).