Founder and Owner of modernMarla.com Luxury Consignment and Official Stylist for Miss Texas USA and Miss Texas Teen USA. When not working hard to find beautiful treasures, you can find Marla traveling the world and getting in touch with the outdoors. Marla is beautiful both inside and out but what really catches your eye is her passion for fashion. From styling beauty queens to hosting hit events, Marla does it all.
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How did you decide on your profession?
I graduated from Texas A&M University and worked in the
Natural Gas/Oil Industry fresh out of college. I then worked for my family’s
business. My parents were trailblazers in the Pawn Shop Industry for 40
years in Houston. My passion however was fashion so all of these years
later I launched modernMARLA.com Luxury Consignment. I followed my
passion and also was contacted by Miss Texas in 2018 for styling. That turned
into becoming the official stylist of Miss Texas Teen and Miss Texas. It’s a
dream job and I fuse my styling and consignment together and support
each endeavor with the other. I was good at Styling and Fashion and
continued to hustle and opportunity kept knocking.
What is your favorite part of your profession?
I LOVE working with the Miss Texas organization specifically Miss Texas and Miss Texas Teen. It is beyond rewarding to be around the remarkable, positive, and beautiful energy of
these girls and it’s such an honor to be apart of their journey. In my consignment business, I too LOVE meeting my clients, getting to know them, and also help in selling their treasures.
Who is someone you get your fashion inspiration from?
Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana. As a young girl, I loved following the Kennedy Family and also the Royal Family. I still pull up vintage photos of Jackie and Diana to glean inspiration. Both women were incredibly beautiful and elegant and their style has never faded. My favorite fashion decades are the 70’s and the 80’s.
When did you learn about the importance of self-love?
I learned the importance of self-love in college and again in my
forties. When I went off to college I was incredibly shy, insecure, and
want to just fit in. I was terrified of public speaking and being the center
of attention. I did not like this about myself and I wanted to make a
change. This took lots of self-love as I continuously had to put myself in
uncomfortable situations to overcome this fear. I had to talk to myself a
lot. I had to be my personal cheerleader. And I did it. I overcame so much
fear and I now do public speaking engagements and can talk to any person
from a sanitation worker to a CEO and I find the good in both equally. In my forties, I found that when you achieve things there can be some people
that want to bring you down. I am a very trusting person and I was shocked
to find that some women need to suppress you in order to feel good
themselves. I had to remove some negative relationships and grow from
those experiences. Also, find out a lot about myself and how I ended up
there in the first place. Lots of growth in my forties and facing insecurities
that we all have. It is a continuous talk with oneself to stay above it, to stay
positive and inspiring to others.
If you could share one message to females everywhere about self-love, what would it be?
Believe in yourself and be authentically you without
apologies. Always continue to learn and improve... acknowledge
imperfections and be honest with yourself and speak freely of your journey
to inspire others.
Has there ever been a moment in your life where you felt unworthy, what was it?
When my kids were grown and I was less needed I went through a difficult time of trying to find my purpose. I didn’t know where I belonged at that point. I had to start over and reinvent myself. It took a while for me to process the emotions of moving to the next
phase of life and then finding it within myself to define my passion and turn
it into a business. But I did it!
How do you encourage and promote self-love in others?
First of all, I am kind to everyone I meet(or I try very hard!). I try to make a difference in people’s lives by just being nice and considerate. Staying positive and finding the positive
qualities in others is also key. I try to never speak negatively about anyone.
We all have friends we confide in but that needs to be very few friends that
you trust implicitly. Send a sweet text for no reason, pay for the car behind
you at Starbucks, hold the door open, say hello to a stranger when you pass
them on the sidewalk, be a light in an oftentimes stressful world. I try to
encourage others by being a good example. I hope that (like others’ do for
me) I inspire people to be better versions of themselves with my thoughtful
and compassionate actions.
What does the Glam By Sam motto "Find your GLAMOUR within" mean to you?
I am a girly girl and I find my glamour within first of
all by loving myself. To feel glamourous and beautiful on the inside, one
must be able to GIVE to others and that requires self-love FIRST. Feeling
comfortable enough with oneself and being able to make others feel good
is key. To SINCERELY find the good in others is huge for me. It is exactly the
inner trait that has made me successful in my life and in my business and it
is the quality that I am most proud of. Authenticity opens doors. If you are
fake, people will notice and figure you out. To be authentic is priceless and
it takes hard work, self-reflection, and honesty. Glamour within to me is
shining bright and sharing the sunshine with others.
How do you find your GLAMOUR within on a daily basis?
I have to be positive to do the things I do. It takes great energy to always be UP and double the energy to be UP when you are down. I am at my very best when I am focused on
happiness and when I have a positive attitude. It’s important to surround
yourself with good-intentioned, like-minded, positive people. Stay away
from negative energy vampires. They will drain you of your good energy
and leave you deflated and exhausted. Exercise! A good exercise routine
too will instantly elevate your energy and your attitude. Get Dressed! I try
to put on my makeup every day because I ALWAYS feel better when I feel
like I look better.
During the COVID 19 pandemic, who or what do you turn to as a way to maintain positive, clarity, and motivation?
All of the #9 answer! In addition, I tried to find the beauty of slowing down and what I could learn from being still and being alone without constant activity. I spent a lot of
time outdoors admiring the beauty of the landscaping, birds, and butterflies
and I tried to find the meaning of an orange butterfly flying around every
afternoon. I would actively go out and search for that butterfly! I thought
the butterfly was a positive sign. I would try to figure out what was going
on in my life that day and what that butterfly was trying to tell me. Covid’s
silver lining was time to reassess priorities and appreciate family and
friends more.
Lastly, leave us with some words of wisdom
- Always remember that you never truly know what is going on in
someone’s life and it’s best to never judge.
-Always listen to your gut instinct and stay true to yourself, your morals, and
your goals.
-Be a good listener. Often times we talk so much that we don’t hear others.
If you listen to other people, they WILL tell you who they are.
-Surround yourself with light and positivity.
-Never settle for less than...
-Be Authentic and don’t apologize for being fabulous.
-Be Grateful. The hashtag I use on every IG post is #gratitudeismystyle
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These are amazing words to live by, Thank you Marla for sharing your message of finding your GLAMOUR within and being true to who you are.
XOXO,
Sam💋
For all things, Marla check out
IG: @mod_about_marla ✨
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