Meet Rising Swimsuit Model Hayley Maxfield

The all-American beauty is making the jump from business suit to bathing suit.

When Tax Day rolls around, Hayley Maxfield can shelter your assets and deliver a refund that will make you feel ten years younger. That’s because she is the hottest accountant you’ve ever seen. Of course, she’s not an accountant anymore, not after nearly three years. These days she’s a bikini model and social influencer, with 523,000 Instagram followers and counting (@hayleytothemax).

“I was so inspired by other models who were able to build huge followings and careers for themselves shooting and collaborating with brands,” she tells us about making the jump from a business suit to a bathing suit. “I started posting a ton of bikini pics and slowly growing my following. From there, I gained the attention of a popular swim brand [BoutineLA], and was flown to L.A. to shoot with them. Once they started posting me, my following really began to grow.”

Within months she signed with Rebels MGMT, and began building a portfolio and the skills needed to forge a professional career. Not bad for the youngest daughter of an insurance salesman from Kansas City, Missouri. That’s where Hayley was born, but she spent half her childhood in Wisconsin and upstate New York. Finally fed up with the cold, they moved to Florida when she was eight.

“My family would say that I was a pretty weird kid growing up. I was a tomboy and was not interested in girly things,” she looks back, laughing. “For a long time I had a serious obsession with dinosaurs and wanted to be a paleontologist.” But once she reached middle school it was all about cheerleading. Later, she joined competitive squads in high school and at the University of North Florida where she earned her bachelor’s degree.

A late bloomer, she never had the confidence to get in front of a camera, which is why Hayley didn’t enter the modeling world until she was in her mid-20s. She knew her odds of finding success at such a late age were extreme, but hell, what did she have to lose? “It was a skill that definitely did not come naturally to me,” she says. “After a few years, I am amazed at how much more confidence that I have in myself in my regular life, and in front of the camera.”

Of course, her life is not all sunbaked beaches and shady palms. A photoshoot is not as easy as it looks, and it can get hot and bothersome as the hours drag by. And growing a following on social media requires due diligence—posting, on a regular basis, high-quality content on multiple platforms. But the perks range from free stuff to free travel—Mexico, The Bahamas, St. Martin, St. Barts—one of her favorite aspects of the job.

“I’m never at home for too long of a period. It has been the fastpaced and unpredictable lifestyle that I expected it to be,” she smiles. “My favorite travel destination has probably been Costa Rica. It is such a beautiful country and I loved seeing the rainforest and all of the wildlife. And they also have the best fruit there that I’ve ever had in my life.”

Extracurricular activities when traveling combine speed, power and adventure—Jet Skiing, paddleboarding, snorkeling, surfing, horseback riding and weight training (legs and glutes). Her only indulgences are a paperback mystery and the local cuisine, as much as she can get of it. “When I visited Paris, I had to try all of the top-rated bakeries and pastry shops. And they did not disappoint.”

If you’re imagining yourself gallivanting the globe and sampling sweets with Hayley, you can forget about it. She’s got a guy. But get in line, who knows how it might work out? What she likes is someone who’s motivated, with firm future plans, and is true to their word—bonus points if you’re tall, have a goofy sense of humor, and can cook. Guys who are full of themselves need not apply.

“I’m really happy that I decided to take the chance with modeling and social media, as I’ve personally grown so much,” she says, looking back to 2018 when she decided to take the leap from her accountant’s desk. “It has given me more freedom in my 20s than a nine-to-five job. And after I’m done modeling, I would love to take the knowledge I’ve gained from social media and start some type of e-commerce business.”