Meet Ms. Mindi Smith

Mindi Smith is locked and loaded for her first NPC Figure competition, this weekend’s NPC Sacramento. I caught up with Mindi on the heels of the show and she was kind enough to share a bit about herself. This is one California girl you won’t soon forget.

Name: Mindi Smith

Born/Raised in: Saginaw, Michigan

Currently Live in: Los Angeles, CA

What’s been the best part of living in California? I love the weather and it’s so beautiful! You have the ocean, mountains, valley, and an amazing climate all rolled into one state!

What made you move out of Michigan? I couldn’t bare the cold winters any longer and had wanted to move somewhere warm. I ended up in Florida!

What’s your favorite sport to participate in? Throughout school I was into Track & Field and was always competitive. I loved the adrenaline rush you get before they fire the gun!

Favorite sport to watch? Football

College or NFL? College

Favorite team? Ohio State

Whoa, wait. You’re from Michigan and you’re a Buckeye’s fan? Ha. My Dad is from Ohio and roots for them so I back him up and take the slack from all the Michiganders after me!

You’re a liscened real estate agent, right… Do you miss being in it? I have my license in Florida and California.  I do miss how the economy was during the boom a few years ago!

This weekend you will be competing at the NPC Sacramento. What made you decide to compete in the NPC? I competed in my first show for the WBFF in September of this year which gave me the itch to push myself farther and be the best I could possibly be.  As a result, that lead me to compete in the NPC.

Watch out for a determined Ms. Smith.

Did you ever consider competing in fitness? When I was little I was involved in dance and gymnastics, but that was long long ago.  I have thought about possibly competing in fitness, but it would take a lot of work to see if I could pull off those incredible moves those girls do on stage!

You’ve enlisted the help of trainer Kim Oddo for your prep. How important has it been to have him assist with your prep? I was referred to working with Kim when I had inquired about possibly competing in the NPC.  I have to say, meeting Kim has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life and it has just started!  He’s an amazing guy who is so educated and well known in the industry, I couldn’t have asked to have met a better person to guide me in the right direction and help me be my best.  He has taken all the headache out of everything and it has been smooth sailing since starting our journey and I’m so excited to see what the future holds for us!!

Will you be competing at the NPC Nationals in a couple weeks? Well, I have to place well at the NPC Sacramento Show to qualify for the NPC Nationals, but if it all goes successfully you’ll be seeing me there for sure!

You’ve done quite a few things in the fitness industry. What advice do you have for other women who are looking to get work or involved in the fitness modeling biz? I have been involved in the fitness industry for some time now and have done quite a few shoots for fitness magazines, videos/DVDs, and infomercials. Getting your face out there and networking, networking! Networking is a big part of growing as a fitness model!

You mentioned videos. You have your own YouTube channel and on there is a video fo you and fitness model, James Ellis. Do you think you can bench more than him? Haha! James is a great friend of mine and he’s been putting some extra hours in the gym lately.  I’ll definitely put up a good fight, but in the end I think James would kick my butt!

How important is it as a model to have good images in your portfolio? Having a strong portfolio of fitness pictures to use to promote yourself is very important.  You should take note of different fitness photographers you admire and try to network with them.

Mindi in a Supreme Protein Ad.

Anyone you want to give a shout out to? I want to give many thanks to Kim Oddo for everything he’s done for me.  He’s gone over and above everything I had ever dreamed of and I am so very thankful.  He’s truly a genuinely good person and I will be forever grateful!  I can’t wait to go out there and make him proud!!

Thanks Mindi and all the best this weekend in Sacramento. If you’re like to see more of Mindi, visit her BODYSPACE page.