WHO ARE YOU IN THE MODELING INDUSTRY? PART II

     In our first installment of, “Who are you in the Modeling Industry?” we discussed the primary ways to introduce yourself into the modeling industry.

 Okay, so here we are, you’ve met the agent, either he/she likes you or they don’t.  Let’s start off with the chance that they don’t like you.  Which may be stated, “You’re not quite what we’re looking for”, if this is what you’ve heard or may be fearing—don’t despair. The fashion industry has a reputation of not being very warm and fuzzy, it’s true.  If an agent tells you, “No”, then 1) it’s not the end of the world,  and 2) suck it up and it’s on to plan b or another agency, or another agency, or another agency. Yes, some of the most successful models in the world were seemingly rejected by multiple agencies before they found the right puzzle that their piece belonged to(Gisele Bundchen is a good example). Another thing you must realize is that no agent is the be-all end-all.  Just because an agent was not very nice or didn’t want to represent you, that shouldn’t stop you from shining nor should it stop your dream.  There are many people that started out with the desire to model and ended up successful photographers, booking agents, agency owners or found themselves in other areas of this industry.  Agents are human beings- they could be having a bad day. There’s really not a science to determine if a person likes you or not. I’ve worked in this business for over 15 years and I’ve been involved in huge debates trying to determine whether or not to bring a model on board. One agent may love him/her and the others may not. I’ve experienced this first hand where there were mixed emotions about a girl and the next thing you know she goes to another agency and what happens? She gets a Maybelline contract (TRUE STORY)! So, just because some agent (that may have had a fight that morning with their significant other) decides to tell you “No”, kick the dust off of your heels and move on to something bigger and better and potentially more prosperous.  Once again remember- there is something for everyone, but it may not be what you first expected.

      So, if the agency decides to tell you, “Yes”, then let the games begin!  There are a lot of things that you will need to know before your modeling career really kicks in.  First things first- the sure fire way of not only losing potential jobs, but also losing an agent is TARDINESS—being excessively late.  This will ruin your career before it begins. No one, and I mean no one wants a late model on their board or on their set. When they say time is money…that’s exactly what they mean. It costs money to rent studio space, to get digitals to potential clients on time.  It is a time based business.  If you struggle with that, you are setting yourself up for failure.  If clients find out you have a reputation of being late all the time, you will not be requested or booked.  If you think it’s cute to be late to school, classes or appointments, you better wake-up and smell the Starbuck’s fast.  With the competitive nature of this industry right now there’s a very low tolerance for this type of behavior.  In our next article I will reveal to you some of the myths, and misconceptions about the beginning stages in your modeling career.