Even though Danielle Lombard is a veteran and one of the most beautiful girls in the industry, she doesn’t get appreciated as much as some other girls. A lot of that has to do with the fact that she’s super busy all the time hustling as an entrepreneur and partner in multiple businesses. Recently, she even got the chance to shoot an episode of The Bachelor. Luckily, we got her out of her busy schedule to shoot something sexy for this issue.
Photos by Kevin Hype (@kevinhype) words by John Kang
Danielle Lo is one of those girls who not only looks good but has the brains to match. She’s a successful entrepreneur who’s a partner in multiple businesses. You might also recognize her from that reality show called “Roll Models” that aired a few years ago.
You’re an entrepreneur & model. You must have a busy day. Can you take us through your daily routine?
I think the beauty and luxury of being an entrepreneur is that there is no daily routine. My day varies, from waking up, hitting the gym, jumping online and doing research or creating mood boards, product development, branding exercises, contacting merchants, vendors, holding team meetings…the days are always full of activity. That’s what I love. The hustle, the passion. Entrepreneurs aren’t people who like to lay back and kick their feet up – they hit the streets hard and hustle, literally work their ass off. A 80 hour work week is a piece of cake compared to running your own business.
Tell us a little more about your business ventures. How did you start them, how did you get the idea, and how they’re doing.
My first venture was Hana Nail Spa. A friend in the business had called my partner and explained how there was a great location for a nail salon. However, there was an issue in that the landlords did not want a nail salon in their plaza. After getting hung up on countless times we developed a different strategy and arranged a face to face meeting. At first I was more of a business consultant – created a pitch deck, and headed up the entire project from concept and design to execution. After the store was built, we began the real task of get- ting customers through the door. A combination of luck, skill and countless hours of hard work, I eventually went from a consultant to a partner.
For businesses, I guess I’ve always had more of an entrepreneurial spirit. My background of work experiences covers most industries from the medical industry to the food industry. However, every job I worked there were always improvements that I wanted to make and different angles in terms of marketing and overall branding that weren’t being tapped into. All of our businesses are doing extremely well. I’m lucky to have a great partner who appreciates and complements my style of work and contributions to our businesses.
How did you learn to be an entrepreneur, and did you always know that’s what you wanted to do?
I think I inherited this trait from my dad. He was an inventive person, who could think on his feet and create quick solutions in tough situations. Growing up – I loved watching my parents work. After my dad finished his day job, he would come home and work on construction projects. Instead of sleeping, I would drag my pillow and blanket downstairs and watch him work. After college, my career path wasn’t entirely clear. Working in just about every industry out there I quickly realized that I needed to be in a creative environment where I could contribute to a company in a more impactful way. Through years of networking and learning from the best, I slowly developed the skills to become a Chief Branding Officer and Business Developer for new ventures.
Do you have ANY time for fun? What do you do when you get a moment off?
It’s been a bit of a slow period for me now in terms of business, but modeling has been keeping me relatively busy. My goal last year was to find balance and make more time for friends, family and leisure activities. When I have time to relax I love to go to the beach, hiking, exercise, take my dogs for walks and enjoy a nice dinner with good company. Although, I will say that my real moments of rest and relaxation normally requires me to be out of town. Only then does it ever feel like I can relax.
What’s the best & worst part about being a model?
Modeling is another self-employed business. Your success is determined by the amount of work you put in.
Photo shoots are my favorite, because it’s an extension of my creativity and it’s always challenging portraying my emotions to the camera. I like each shoot to be different. No one wants to see the same pose, and same make-up 100 times on their IG feed. Haha Aside from shoots, I love promotional model- ing. I’m a social person – so getting out on the field, meeting fans, fellow models and people in the industry is exciting! Some of my closest friends are ones I’ve met through modeling – photographers, former employers and fellow models.
I think the worst part of being a model are the stereotypes. Models don’t eat, they’re conceited, they don’t have to work hard. Modeling isn’t easy – we’re constantly facing adversity and some of us work very hard on not only looking professional but exuding professionalism and representing ourselves and the brands we’re working for. At the end of the day it’s a job.
Imagine yourself 10 years from now. You’re at the pinnacle of your life. You’re living the dream. What would you be doing and where would you be?
Flying on a private jet with my friends to another country. My greatest luxury I’ve been afforded is traveling the world. It makes you more aware of your roots, surroundings and reminds us of the history that took place centuries before us.
You go into the shopping mall with $10,000. You can only buy one single item. You can’t save the money or donate it. What would you buy?
A single item that costs 10 racks? Probably a Chanel Bag or Cartier bracelet. Can’t really think of what could amount to that much. I think I’d have a nice chunk of change after.
Some of our fans have seen you on the show Roll Models, can you tell us a little bit about the drama we saw on the show? Was it real? Was it staged?
Roll Models was AMAZING! I was against being a part of a drama series initially, but after meeting with the producers I loved the direction they were going.
Nothing was staged aside from the places we filmed and the people chosen to film at certain locations. The producers did a great job selecting people with different personalities. They knew the instigators, strong personalities, and mediators. Having us film with certain cast mates, there was bound to be some drama!
Rank these objects from most important (1) to least important (3) when you judge a guy’s appeal: A six-pack, a Lamborghini, knows how to cook.
Knows how to cook, six pack, then the Lambo. Guys don’t need to be flashy – to me it’s more important to have good character, core values and to take care of yourself ( mentally and physically). I need a guy who can keep up with me, and in order to do that you have to be
What’s the #1 deal breaker in a guy you’d potentially date?
Smoking cigarettes and using Cocaine.
What tip would you give for a guy that wants to date a model?
Be confident. It’s tough for some guys to date models because they get intimidated. At the end of the day modeling is still a job, and the majority of us always keep it professional ;)
Which Asian girl would you go lesbian for?
Probably a tie between Shay Mitchell and Jamie Chung,
All your possessions burned down in a fire except for 3 items. What would you hope those 3 items be?
My baby album, passport and social security card.
If you could learn from one per- son, who would it be and what would you want to learn from them?
Sheryl Sandberg – she’s a self made entrepreneur. Just being around her, I’m sure I could learn so much about life and business. Having a broad social network of intellectual people helps you grow. It’s nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and discuss business with.
Written by Hugh Huynh