Check Out Henna Havila’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Henna Havila.

Hi Henna, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a small-town girl from Finland and growing up there I always felt that I don’t belong there, I didn’t feel like Finnish culture was for me and I had always been curious about what else this world has to offer but for a long time, I felt that since my family was there that’s where I needed to be also and I had this thought in the back of my head that where Finnish small town girl would even get in life?

But that thought didn’t still keep me from dreaming about bigger things than what my small hometown Kouvola could have ever offered me. I think for me everything changed at the beginning of 2020 when I was noticed thru my social media and I started gaining more followers and networking with photographers, models, and influencers online I got many new friends who were encouraging me to do my own thing as an influencer and as a model, I got requests of photo collaborations so I could build my portfolio.

Before that, I never saw myself as a model even though I had so many times earlier in my life heard that I could be a model since I’m tall and I have long legs and my look is also unique back in the days I didn’t have this confidence that I do have now and I wasn’t even half as brave as I am today so that’s why I never earlier in my life weren’t going for it. Through my social media, I was even invited to participate in a beauty pageant in Italy. That was something I considered, not because I thought I could win but because it would have been an amazing experience.

I could have learned so much from it, but then I decided not to go because Covid was still going on and I felt that beauty pageants aren’t my kind of platform, so I would rather stick with modeling. And now when we can travel again I wish that can build my portfolio and eventually I would end up getting a contract with a modeling agency, meanwhile, I will be focusing on my studies on digital marketing and growing my brand on my social media.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Well, first I would mention Covid. I had just got everything started on my Instagram and I had decided that I am going to start building a life in the US and spending part of the year in California at that time then covid hit just a week before I had my flight to San Francisco so I couldn’t leave, because all the flights were canceled and I wasn’t able to travel to the US for 2 years so every plan I had back then was on hold.

I knew that it would not have to go to be easy even without Covid but I was very determined and motivated and when the travel ban was finally lifted I lost all my contacts and plans I had because 2 years is a long time so after Covid, I have needed to start all over. The location has also been difficult because during covid I was forced to stay in Finland and my content is in English so I didn’t have that much audience in Finland the Instagram algorithm wasn’t the best for me either because of my location at that time.

It was also more difficult to come up with new content because everything was closed during covid so there wasn’t much to do or where to go. Another struggle is competition. When I started influencing in 2020 it wasn’t as big a thing as it is now, so it is harder to stand out these days. Also, more people are buying likes and followers nowadays, so it’s harder for people like me who want to play fair to get on the top. But I think my biggest obstacle is that I am on my own.

I am a mother to a 6 years old boy whose only parent I am and my work and all the things that I would wanna do requires traveling and it’s not that easy with a child so I haven’t been able to accept every opportunity that’s been offered to me and things do require more planning because I don’t have any support from anyone so it’s not like I would have someone to help with my son because I am alone but I wouldn’t still give up on my dreams – If there is a will, there is a way.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a blogger/influencer and a model. As a model, I am open to anything but no nudity. As a blogger and influencer, I like to keep it real for example I talk about mental health including the eating disorder that I have been struggling with, I talk about motherhood and what it is being a single parent and I often share my thoughts about what’s going on in this world and what I think is the most important I often remind people that what they see on social media isn’t as glamorous as they think, because too many people are comparing themselves to other people they see on social media and unfortunately there are so many filters and apps that people in these days don’t even need to have any skills on editing, because those apps are doing it for them. So many photos online are heavily edited, so I try to keep mine real.

Of course, I also edit my photos, but I never change my features or make myself skinnier or curvier, etc. Also, I do want my followers to get to know the real me as a person I am quite funny and I joke a lot so that’s what I do on my social media as well, I share my funny protips and things that my son has said to me or what have happened to me and I love funny memes so I share them a lot.

Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’m a risk-taker. I believe that there is no growth if we never step out of our comfort zone. I think the biggest risk that I’m probably taking is that I am taking my son to Texas with me for 3 months. I have never been there and this is the first time I am traveling with my son so I am excited but also a little bit nervous because it is a new environment and 3 months is a long time.

People are always asking me what I’m going to do there and why I go there and I’m just telling them I don’t know yet, we will see after that 3 months what I have invented. I’m always open to new things and I am very outgoing and brave so I just love to see where life takes me. Even though this is going to be the first time in Texas, it is not the first time in the United States. I have been in California and Arizona for several weeks and also visited Las Vegas.

I could see myself living in one of these states in the future. I love the weather, nature, culture, and people there and I have many friends around the US. This is also a good example of me being brave because my friends in the United States have been why I have traveled there so many times. After all, I have wanted to go and meet them in person.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hennahavila/