Models

Featured Model: Heather Johansen

By Paige Gilmar | November 2, 2017

Hello Heather, thanks for talking with us today! We’ve read that you originally went to school for electrical engineering, which is a completely different world than what you do now. Why did you make the switch?

I never truly wanted to be an Engineer. The degree was actually pushed upon me by my parents. I was always very good in math. Electricity combined with technology always fascinated me so Electrical Engineering seemed fitting. While attending South Dakota State University, my heart was always longing for the movie sets in California. I always knew that acting is what I wanted to do.

My parents always encouraged me to be practical. To realize the harsh reality that most people don’t make it in Hollywood due to the extremely competitive nature of acting. They stressed to me that I was a small fish in a giant ocean. I took in their advice, did things their way but in the end went off to follow my heart. I don’t regret anything. Life is too short to be unhappy. It’s about doing what makes YOU happy and following your OWN dreams. I may be a small fish, but guess what? I’m still swimming 🙂

Are you currently working on any projects?

Earlier this year, I wrapped up “War with Grandpa” which is scheduled for release in February and stars Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Uma Thurman, and Rob Riggle. It was both a blessing and an honor to work next to such extraordinary talent!

What keeps you inspired and eager to wake up each day?

Whenever you need to summon your inner-strength, it helps if you have little one-liner reminders that keep you going. One of my favorites is by Winston Churchhill, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

Pursuing your dreams can be tough, can you tell us what your personal mantra is that keeps you striving each day?

“Don’t tell me what they said about me, tell me why they were so comfortable to say it to you.” Remember this quote and you’ll always be able to separate the real from the fake easily. Many people will act like they care about you or have your best interest at heart but in reality they don’t. Always be careful who you surround yourself with and you’ll eliminate so much negativity, drama and live more of a stress-free lifestyle.

Switching gears, we hear you’re quite the travel enthusiast. From what we’ve seen Heather, you seem to be at a new destination at every turn. What makes you want to see the world?

Materialistic things can always be taken away from you. Your shoes will fade, your new bag will become obsolete, the latest “must have” gadget is soon yesterday’s news. One thing that no one can ever take from you is your own true life experiences. Experiences last a lifetime, material things don’t.

When I travel, I love to do what the locals do. Whether it be zipling through the jungles of Central America, visiting the Buddhist temples of China, or navigating my way through the canals of Venice, Italy. I love exploring and learning about new places, cultures but most importantly, the food! 🙂

On your social media, we’ve seen some photos of you scuba diving. We ended up finding out you were a padi certified scuba diver. Can you tell us a bit about that?

When I was 7, my parents took me on a family vacation to Maui where they introduced me to snorkeling. I was fascinated by the beauty of the ocean and it’s entirety. Ever since then, I’ve longed to go deeper to explore the reefs that the snorkelers can’t see.

I became a saltwater tank enthusiast and loved watching, collecting and learning about new ocean species. My favorite being the vibrant corals and anemones. In march 2008 during college spring break, I received my PADI Open Water certification. Since then, I’ve logged 50+ dives. Among the several shipwreck explorations, cave diving, and shark diving; the Great Barrier Reef in Australia will still be the most memorable for me. I actually found “Nemo” lol the legendary Clown Fish.

SCUBA is one of the most relaxing sports out there. When you’re down there, it’s nothing but you, the gentle sound of bubbles from your regulator, the faint sound of snapping shrimp and the occasional sounds of whales in the distance. One day, I hope to experience Palau. I can’t wait to see what adventures and explorations lay ahead of me.

Another surprise for us was finding out you were also going for your pilot’s license. From the swimming in the sea to flying in the sky! What’s that experience been like?

For me, it is more calming then any sort of meditation or yoga combined. There’s always that rush when you’re lined up and ready for take off. The thrill of pushing the throttle all the way down until rotation speed; bringing the plane off the ground is exhilarating! Being in the air is very serene and freeing. You’re in control and can go wherever you please. No phone calls, no emails, just you and the breathtaking nature around you. It’s an amazing feeling.

Back to our feet on the ground, we saw some photos of yours cats and couldn’t help asking about them!

I have two kitties – Lucy and Vivian. I’ve always been a huge fan of the iconic television show “I Love Lucy”. My kitties names were taken from Lucille Ball, and her legendary partner in crime: Vivian Vance who played Ethel.