By Bruce Edwin
1, Determine your market. Look at fashion magazines and fashion blogs and find the model with the similar height, weight, skin tone and look as you to determine your market, if any. Be realistic with yourself. Don’t expect to be walking on the runways in Milan for all of the major fashion houses if you are nearly just five foot, unless you are the next Kate Moss. Remember that most top models truly are ‘one in a million’ or more. In other words, for every aspiring fashion model, she and at least 999,999 models will not become well very well known. Only one out of that number of even greater will make it big. Determine if you are a fashion model, commercial print model, swimsuit model, or what.
2, On the flipside, have a strong, positive self esteem. Don’t compare yourself to others in a negative way. Feel good about yourself. One of the top 3 reasons girls fail as a model is they are invalidated by others or let the media invalidate them, and therefore have a poor self esteem, and do not believe they are beautiful or have a chance, and so they never try or do not try hard enough.
3, Never give up. If you decide you are going to be a model, then make the decision and stick to it, and never give up. You will go through phases of unemployment. So what? Just keep pushing, and never take ‘no’ for an answer. Don’t let one rejection at one agency, booker, or designer deter you from trying somewhere else, again and again. Never take rejection personally, and always be cordial, even if you get rejected. I have rejected models before, who handled it so gracefully and politely, that I called them back a minute later and decided to give them a chance.
4, Get photos that show you best. The most mediocre looking girls can be made to look like a great model in print, with the right photographer, hair and make up artist, and stylist. Don’t spend money on photos until you get an agent that you know and trust, then, follow their advice on who to shoot with. Every agency will want their zeds (comps) to look a certain, uniform way. If you can, get your agency to sponsor you and cover your photos, or advance you the money for your shoot. If not, don’t spend more than five hundred for everything, including prints, disc, and your book. Since most bookings these days are done digitally, the days of a thousand dollars plus on pictures and a book are over. Make sure that you get to keep and own your photos, full size, full resolution. Don’t let a photographer or agency own the copyrights to images of you if you are paying for them. Make sure that you get something in writing that you own the final rights to the images if you do buy them. Parents, this dollar amount does not apply to children, in which case the figure you may spend should be less, or nothing. Contact me if questions.
5, Get a great agent and booker that you know and trust, and work closely with them, staying in contact with them on a weekly if not daily basis. Check in with them regularly and ask them what you can do to improve, to be getting more work or get higher paying jobs. Show devotion to your agent, manager, or booker. Don’t drop them at the first chance you think you can trade them up for someone better. Have some respect and show some devotion. If you do change agents, managers, or bookers, give them a fair warning, at least a few weeks notice.
6, Be nice to everyone, including your agent, manager, booker, and other girls, even the girls that are your competition. Don’t gossip and talk about people behind their backs. Treat others as you would like to be treated. Show appreciation for those who help you, give thanks sincerely, send thank you notes, and remember those that helped you get to where you are today and show them how you appreciate them. Always pay anyone promptly their commission due without complaint. Remember, giving someone 10 or 20 percent of something will earn you more than keeping 100 percent of nothing.
7, Avoid those with negative attitudes and avoid those who are mean or evil. Also avoid those who put you down, or try to dissuade you from your dreams and goals. One of the top reasons people fail as a model is that they listen to the negative attitudes of others who are either overtly or covertly jealous, or simply haters.
8, Have integrity with your word. If you say you are going to do something, do it. Be on time, which means show up at least 10 or 15 minutes early. Be a professional. Never show up late, or tired. Answer your phone! When you answer, be uptone, and be prepared to write and follow directions. Don’t order. ‘Ask’ things politely, and never ask anyone to call back and leave information on your voice mail. Seize the moment now when you have it.
9, Determine your moral standards, and then stick to them. If you decide you are not going to do nudity for example, then stick by that decision. Don’t let money change your ideals. Just because those around you do something, does not mean you need to. It is more cool to be 100 percent ‘you,’ than a copy of your friends.
10, Find a cause that you deeply care about, and find a way to incorporate that cause into your work to help others that are not as fortunate as you are. Help others. Give back.
11, Avoid drugs and alcohol. Eat healthy, preferably a vegetarian or vegan diet. Get your nutrition checked out and make sure you are getting enough food, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that your body and brain needs. Get enough sleep. Feed your mind with healthy things, not trash TV. Never starve yourself, never take diet pills, which are toxic and dangerous, and never get plastic surgery. Don’t take psychiatric drugs including ambien, which are poison. Avoid GMO’s, avoid processed foods, avoid foods with additives, avoid foods with artificial flavors, and preservatives which are toxic. Avoid junk food, and fast food. Eat plenty of fresh
fruits and vegetables, and raw foods. Drink plenty of water daily.
12, Get a mentor that can help you learn how best to succeed and get to the top in a healthy, sane, fast way. Don’t compare yourself to others in a way that is negative or destructive to your self esteem. The only way to get what others have that you do not have, is to appreciate others achievements, not be jealous of them. Focus on what you want, not on what you do not want. Focus on the future, not the past. Do not dwell on past mistakes. After you are at the top of your field, be a mentor to another person and help those who you can. Always show respect to all, no matter what their industry, job, or profession. Every person has value, whether they work in our field or not. Give thanks to your higher self, and give thanks to the creator of the universe for letting you live such an exciting and blessed life.
I hope some of this has helped you. If you have any specific questions, you are invited to e-mail me at [email protected] where I will give you further free advice.
What’s better than our favorite model, Gisele Bundchen in a video? Gisele singing a cover of Blondie of course! Enjoy.
This content is copyright, 2016, Bruce Edwin / The Hollywood Sentinel, all world rights reserved.
