Growing up, Shettima was often bullied and teased for her looks. She developed extremely low-self esteem and carried that pain well into her adulthood. It was not until she started to model that she found her true beauty not on the outside but on the inside. She realized that she was encouraging women and girls to be their authentic selves. She founded Model Esteem in 2013 as a way to educate models and creatives about the industry but more importantly helping them find the self confidence in themselves.