Millions of “Today” viewers knew Dylan Dreyer long before she was a regular among the morning show crew on the couch. The personable meteorologist always packed with weather facts made her way from stints on MSNBC and the Weather Channel before becoming a full-fledged member of “Today.” Dylan Dreyer soon became the favorite fill-in for the steadfast forecaster, Al Roker.

Besides foreseeing cold fronts and preparing the viewing public in weather safety, 37-year-old Dylan Dreyer is a recent fixture on “Today’s” third hour. She frequently sits alongside Roker, Sheinelle Jones, Craig Melvin, and another NBC correspondent, who happens to be Willie Geist for this week.

Everyone can see that Dylan Dreyer has the All-American girl look cornered, and a January 24 feature this week on led to the meteorologist-mom’s revelation that her career in the media came much earlier than many could imagine, all because of a CVS Pharmacy.

From behind the counter to on the cover

The focus of conversation centered on the recent decision by the CVS pharmacy chain to disclose which models pictured on products were filtered in photographs, and which were depicted in “real life.” The decision was made to specifically promote to younger patrons that no pressure to live up to a photo-shopped stereotype is acceptable. Competitors of the drugstore giant are reportedly “easing” their use of commercially perfect images.

Al Roker correctly pointed out that many models on the boxes are already beautiful without the help of any makeup, but at least it’s a move in the right direction for self-acceptance.

Her co-hosts couldn't help but tease that Dylan Dreyer had been pictured in a drug ad decades before, and the co-anchor confessed that when she was a 16-year-old in Manalapan, New Jersey, she worked behind the counter at a CVS Pharmacy, like many other young people pursuing early careers.

A customer came in and asked if she had ever thought of doing stock photography.

Dreyer asked what that process involved, not being familiar with the term, and before she knew it, she was posing in the stance of endless everyday activities, and probably featured in “thousands” of print media publications.

Dylan's colleagues couldn’t help but bring a few of the past pictures for the viewers, including an aerobic -exercising Dylan for a calendar, a prosperous Dylan holding a fan of currency for a book cover, and of course, one for diabetes medication.

No shame in an honest living

Dylan Dreyer looks back on her stock photography opportunity with pleasure, noting that “it was a good way to make extra money,” and it didn't interfere with school or her other duties. Growing up around her brothers, Dreyer was encouraged to be industrious and a self-starter, so the venture was a natural fit.

What didn't sound so natural, or so safe, was that Dylan and her photographer captured the lasting images “in this guy's basement,” and such a location is enough to summon nightmares of every “48 Hours” or “Dateline” murder mystery, and make any mother cringe.

According to her daughter, however, Mrs. Dreyer had no qualms about her daughter’s earliest modeling assignments.

It's a good thing that the Investigation Discovery channel wasn't running 24/7 in those days.

Dylan also admitted that she enlists some wardrobe help from Rent the Runway to keep her camera- ready through the week.

The subject of motherhood came up in the same hour, and Dylan Dreyer was characteristically open in saying that even during her pregnancy with just-turned 2--year-old son, Calvin, she wasn't sure if she wanted children or would be a good mom. All her doubts and ambivalence vanished when her son with husband, studio technician Brian Fichera, was born.

The doting mom often documents many of her son's major milestones and recently shared her toddler's reaction to his first Brownie, which was, of course, deliciously unforgettable.

She relates that her lack of experience around children growing up didn’t hinder her trust in her instincts once her baby boy was home. “Within a week, I felt like I was a pro,” Dreyer asserts. Motherhood has only affirmed further her sense that “I'm confident and I know what to do.”

These days motherhood and meteorology come as easily for Dylan Dreyer as her impromptu career in modeling.
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