Conversations with Shelby Fetterman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelby Fetterman.

Hi Shelby, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up hating myself, hating my body and how I looked. All I would see on tv and in magazines when I was a kid were thin women getting praised for their appearance as well as “tips” on how to look like them. I didn’t see my body type (or curvy/full-figured women at all) represented in any positive light.

I grew up thinking that I needed to change my body when in reality THEY needed to change their idea of beauty. Around age 25, I started embracing my curves and realizing that I was beautiful too! I fell in love with fashion and found a new passion for dressing my curves! My confidence grew and I fell in love with myself and my body for the first time ever. I made the decision to inspire other women and girls because I knew there were so many others just like me who thought that they weren’t worthy, or beautiful.

But I realized that that is the farthest from the truth! I thought if I could find the confidence and could love myself just the way I was, they absolutely could too!! I acquired a large following on social media (accidentally) and that really helped push me to inspire others. Clothing brands reached out to me and I began working with them as an influencer. From there I was found by my modeling agency and have been so blessed to be able to work with amazing brands as a model as well, representing all my pear-shaped babes!!

I recently discovered that my body and specifically my body proportions were directly related to having a genetic, incurable disease called Lipedema. Since my official diagnosis in 2020 I have been even more motivated to inspire other women! Approximately 11% of women worldwide suffer from this disease yet there are very few doctors in the world who are knowledgeable about it, so many many women go undiagnosed not understanding what is going on with their bodies!

I have found an additional passion, spreading awareness about Lipedema and showing other women suffering from this disease that they are not alone and that we ARE beautiful! Whether the media or society thinks so or not! I couldn’t relate to anyone growing up physically, so I’m just trying to be who I needed when I was younger.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road at all! Being an influencer, model, and someone with a large number of followers online, people just assume you sign up for the bullying, that it just “comes with the job”.

I get bullied online often, including death threats. Additionally, I have faced lots of rejection and even failure in modeling/influencing and many cringy moments that I lay in bed and think about often LOL!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a model as well as a nurse! I do both part-time. I absolutely love my nursing job, I care for adults with developmental disabilities and have been in the field for 10 years! I have been modeling professionally for 2 years, with some great accomplishments prior to that as well!

Honestly, one of my many proudest moments was being one of the winners of Good American’s 2019 model search! Out of over 60,000 applicants I was one of ten that were picked in the end, me being the only visibly plus-size model!

The whole experience was a dream come true!

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I was never comfortable taking risks in the past, but honestly just realizing how short life is, I’ve grown to be comfortable with it.

No major risks that I’ve taken come straight to mind but my perspective on them has changed. They may not always be worth it, but you won’t know if they are worth it unless you go for them!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Instagram.com/shhhelbss
• Facebook: Facebook.com/shhhelbss
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@shhhelbss?_t=8UP9xGrqWqc&_r=1

Image Credits
Ray Alvarez, Kay Alvarez, and Paul Innis