We’ve all heard the small-town boy/girl turned supermodel story before, likesupermodel Alek Wek, who was born in the remote southern Sudanese town of Wau. But how likely is it that an aspiring model will get noticed when from a small town, whether in middle-America or the middle of the dessert?

In the case of Alek, her family moved to Britain to avoid civil war, and Alek was discovered in London, so she was in fact in one of the fashion capitals. But there’s still a lot that her situation can teach the average aspiring model. For one, you do need to be ready to travel to the fashion capitals if you want to make it big (New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Milan) but the good news is you don’t have to be born there.

If you’re not lucky enough to be discovered randomly on the street like Alek, then you can at least benefit from the great equalizer, the internet!

There are lots of modeling portfolio sites out there that can connect you to the top modeling agencies without requiring you to move. New Faces Models and Talent at was the first of these internet portfolio sites that connects models with top modeling agencies .

New Faces and other modeling portfolio sites allow you to post your photos and stats online for agencies to browse and contact you, which means that no matter where you live, you can be seen in the big markets by the top agencies.

Modeling portfolio sites are only as good as the agencies that use them to scout models, so make sure that the big names like Ford Models, Elite Model Management, Storm Models, Q Model Management and 1 Model Management (which discovered Alek) are listed.

Remember you have to be proactive to succeed, so while a site like New Faces makes all these agencies available, you have to make sure you have quality photos available and manage your portfolio by checking it often and updating your photos. And when an agent or agency contacts you through your online portfolio, be sure to respond promptly and in a professional manner – and who knows, you might be the next supermodel discovery!