The point is: are you a Skyscraper or a Strip Mall? You see, according to the unknown source, there are two types of entrepreneurs: Skyscrapers and Strip Malls. The Skyscraper stays sharply focused on his main goal. He knows his business well and works hard to develop that one business, building it floor by floor, never losing sight of his end result. And, when he reaches that goal, there are new heights to reach, new goals, all in line with the main purpose of the business created. He’s successful, driven and very focused. The Strip Mall is a savvy businessman as well, but on an entirely different plane. He develops a business, grows it to be successful and self-sufficient and then, when opportunity comes along for something new, he moves on. He develops a new business, maybe related to the first, maybe not, it doesn’t matter, it’s still developed by him. He creates that business and he moves on to another. He is an entrepreneur among entrepreneurs. He’s a thinker and a visionary. He sees an opportunity and isn’t afraid to move on it.

Which one are you? One is not necessarily better than the other. They each come with their own share of risks, failures and successes. I am no psychologist or even sociologist, but I would imagine a great deal of how you operate in business has to do with your personality. Are you an extremely focused and driven individual, preferring to concentrate on one main task, or do you get bored easily and need challenges, change and risk to keep your attention?

The question posed isn’t just for the businessman. It really applies in all aspects of your life. What type of student are you? Parent? Friend? Actor? Model? Athlete? Think about it. In our business, we can relate this to the model and actor. Are you focused on your main goal or are you bouncing around trying to find different ways to get there? Are you with one agency who represents you across the board and is working hard for you or do you prefer to be with several agencies, each representing you for something different? One is not better than the other. People have succeeded both ways. But, as in anything, it is important to know who you are. Do you live your life as a Skyscraper, driven and constantly reaching for new heights or are you the Strip Mall, spreading yourself out seeking change and challenge? Regardless, as you travel on your journey to success, be sure to do it nobly and honorably because even Skyscrapers can fall and Strip Malls get dozed down.

Instead of the everyday, cliche resolutions that I won’t stick to, I decided to just be happy this year. That means do things, go places and surround myself with people that make me, personally, happy. And, I mean deep down, warm all-over, fuzzy-feeling happy. Not just, “oh that’s nice” happy. I’ve decided it’s the year of ME. Sounds a little selfish, perhaps, but I figure if I’m happy, then it will funnel down to those around me. Besides, it is after all, 2012, and if you believe in the Mayan calendar, we only have a few months left. So why not be happy?

In order to do this, I spent some time reflecting on what kinds of things make me happy and came up with a list of my favorite things. They may not be things you expect, but they are things that either make my life easier or better. And that, my friends, makes me VERY HAPPY! Perhaps they will help you a little, too. Maybe you could make your own list. It’s a little therapeutic and a great reminder if you need a little shake up every now and then.

Favorite Products:
1) iRobot Roomba – Best invention ever! I come home and my floors are dog hair free.
2) Jabra Cruiser2 Bluetooth Handsfree Speaker – Not only does it keep you safe on the road while chatting, but it can play your music library or Pandora through your stereo via the bluetooth and FM frequency. Just plain awesome!
3) Nike+ for ipod – A must have if you are a runner/walker. Where else are you going to get Dirk Nowitzki telling you that you are doing a great job?
4) H2O+ Skincare Line – Heaven in a bottle and jar. My skin has never been better. No, seriously!
5) Pandora – In particular the Relaxation channel. Can’t sleep without it.

Favorite Advice:
1) Swallow your frog. – It’s an expression meaning to tackle the worst thing on your to-do list first. Get it over and the rest of the day is a breeze.
2) Get rid of the to-do list. – It’s a constant stress taunting you and mocking you every day, especially if you don’t accomplish everything on the list. So get rid of it and do what you can. But, don’t forget to swallow your frog.
3) Smile all the way down to your liver. – Advice from Elizabeth’s Guru in “Eat, Pray, Love”. It means smile with your whole being. I try to do this as I drift off to sleep to the Relaxation channel. It’s amazing how it calms my 150 mph mind.
4) Put a fresh bottle of water by your bed at night. – When you wake up it’s there to drink and you can have one bottle done before you leave in the morning. And we all know we need to drink more water. (Thank you @petershankman.)
5)Check your calendar every night before you go to bed. – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten up in the morning and been surprised by an early something or another at one of my kids’ school or for work. Check it before you go to bed, and whalah!, no surprises!

Favorite times:
1) House full of kids – Love when my kids invite “the gang” over for football games, movies or game night. It’s loud, crazy, loud, and oh-so-fun!
2) Girls weekends – I can say no more than that. It would be a violation of Girls’ Law. What happens on a girls’ trip, stays on a girls’ trip.
3) Spa retreat – All day in a luxurious spa like Canyon Ranch with your bestie and no phones or computers, wrapped in lush robes, sipping on citrus water in the steam room with ice cold cucumbers on your eyes and then bathing for what seems like hours in the umpteen-head shower… priceless. There’s no word for how refreshed, and clean, you feel after.
4) Impromptu gatherings with close friends – A few adult beverages, some munchies and Just Dance 2… now that’s the making for a fun evening!
5) Family night – Just us. The four of us. The ultra-competitive, four of us, circled around a game board vying for bragging rights on game night. Or, curled up together on the couch under blankets watching a movie. I have a child leaving for college soon. These particular nights are the most precious. There are very few left.

The thought of him leaving makes me very sad. Sadder than I ever imagined. And, that is the driving force behind my quest for happiness this year. It will be a year of major change and sadness for us, so striving for happiness is not only a goal, but is going to be a necessity to stay sane!

Good luck in the New Year. And, be happy!

A good spokesmodel needs to be quick on their feet, have a quick wit, be extremely friendly and approachable, and be able to carry on a conversation with anyone of any class, race, or education level with ease and intelligence. Sounds easy? Hardly. Not everyone can engage in conversation about something they may not have any interest in or  know anything about or with someone they have never met and make it appear as if it is an absolute favorite topic of theirs and they are talking to the one person they have always wanted to meet—and make it look genuine. It takes talent and  skill. It requires the gift of gab, an outgoing personality and the skill to genuinely care about the person, topic or product you are representing.

Here is IZON Spokesmodel Lindsy Neil in her latest video for BE Beverly Hills hair product line… Inspire. Very natural and very real.

So, we have spent several hours learning the importance of photo movement. We have shot with various photographers in various settings– including individual and group shots. Then, we have spent time reviewing and critiquing the photos. Each model has learned little things about themselves that only the camera can see. These are little things like: squinty eyes when you smile too big, light sensitivity and how to deal with that, too strong of a jaw in a serious pose, sleepy eyes and how to make them pop, cheating the camera to decrease the amount of white in your eyes, etc. etc. Every model has their little quirk. Knowing and understanding how to fix it makes you all that much better of a model.

Needless to say, it has been a very busy few weeks and we will continue to shoot until it becomes second nature. You see, a model’s favorite place to be should be in front of the camera. And, when in front of that camera, there is no time or patience for uncertainty, lack of confidence, “feeling stupid”, or just ignorant as to what to do. The model should take charge, showing that he/she is confident and comfortable. The photographer will instruct and guide if he/she wants something specific. Otherwise, it’s up to the model to make the shot. By changing your pose with subtle movements and angle changes, the photographer is getting a new shot each time and can often end up seeing something he/she really likes. It is not uncommon for a photographer to say “There, that right there. That’s perfect. Hold that. Ok. Now move this way….” The model’s movement and pose changes often inspires creativity and new ideas for the shoot.

Good models are photogenic and take a nice picture. Great models are photogenic but know how to make a picture awesome. It’s all about the 3 C’s: CONTROL – be in control of your movement, aware of body lines, shadowing and angles. CONTACT – connect with the camera. Make direct eye contact with the lens as if you are looking directly into the photographer’s eye. CONFIDENCE – how you feel on the inside will be portrayed on the outside. The camera doesn’t lie. If you are uncertain, it will show. Love what you do. Remember the 3 C’s! They are the ingredients for a successful photo shoot and amazing final product.

Once an agent has seen  you, talked to you, and looked at your book, they will take pictures of you right there in the agency. These pictures are referred to as “polaroids”– a throw back to the day of the polaroid camera. Today, the pictures are taken with a digital camera, but believe it or not, there are some who still use a polaroid. These pictures are extremely important for many reasons: 1) they are a way for the agent to review how well you do in front of a camera, 2) they allow the agent to review how you photograph “raw and fresh”–unphotoshopped, 3) they are taken back to the others who sit on the board (men’s, women’s or kids’ board) for review and acceptance.

Polaroids are not always the most flattering pictures a model can take, but if done well, they are often used on the agency’s website and the model’s cards–until professional test shoots are done and the polaroid images can be replaced with the professional shots. The saying goes, “If you can make a polaroid look good, you can make anything look good.”

There’s more to shooting a polaroid than standing there have your mug shot–forward, now turn left, now right, and back front. Yes, it’s kind of like that, but a good model will know to do more than just stand and turn. Watch as the models learn how to shoot a good polaroid.

Beginning Monday, May 2, and continuing over the next several weeks, we will be posting a video blog series, “Big Market Modeling Boot Camp”. This “blogumentary” will document a group of models as they go through their preparation and training for the somewhat intimidating process of interviewing at agencies in the fashion capital of the world–New York City.

Each summer, IZON takes a group to New York to “make the rounds” for consideration for summer placement. Walking in cold and unprepared into an interview at a New York agency can be the kiss of death for an otherwise beautiful model with “the look”. How well can she shoot a polaroid? How is her eye contact? Can he hold a conversation? Does he come across as stuck-up and aloof? How much work will be required to get this kid ready? Is he ready to go on castings now and will he win over the clients? There are so many factors outside of a model’s physical beauty that affect an agency’s decision making process. So, follow along as we take this group of hopefuls from uncertainty and apprehension to confidence and excitement.

Each week, our group will work on various facets of a model’s everyday world such as shooting a polaroid, test shooting, personal presentation, castings and go-sees, walking, hair and makeup, the art of under-styling, interviewing, etc.

Check the blog each Monday for updates on “Big Market Modeling Boot Camp” and to follow the development of our new crop of hopefuls. Blog series begins Monday, May 2.

Just as musicians, dancers and athletes need their respective tools, so do models and actors. Models need pictures and actors need headshots and a resume. A model intending to really model needs a portfolio with a variety of pictures–professional pictures–portraying different moods, poses and seasons. All representing the type of model he or she is, whether commercial, fashion or both. For a beginning model, that very first photo shoot with a professional photographer is critical. It shows the agency and clients that he/she has been through a full shoot, knows what it is like to be in front of the camera, and can take direction. Shooting with a friend or family member that “knows how to take pictures” in order to save a dime or two is not recommended and can actually be detrimental to your chances of booking a job. A basketball player would not play with a volleyball or a trumpet player would not play with a homemade trumpet. They know the proper tools are essential and of great value to their success. A model’s photos are no different. Her portfolio and comp cards are her tools of her trade.

Actors have required tools as well. Actors need headshots and a resume. They can have a variety of headshots that represent the type of actor they are. A nice soft smile or serious look for theatrical, perhaps, and a big smile for commercial. If you are a character actor, a headshot with some personality could certainly help you get the call back. Stapled to the back of the appropriate headshot is an updated resume listing all the actor’s performance experience as well as training and special skills. Don’t ever undermine the importance of training. Sometimes, it can be as important, if not more, than the list of experience (especially if you are a new actor). Even seasoned, famous actors still train. It shows you are working to perfect your craft. Acting is an art and a skill. Like the basketball player, trumpet player, and ballerina, it takes training, and lots of it, to keep the skills sharp and honed.

It doesn’t matter what field you choose; athlete, performer, model, actor, businessman, the same rule applies: if you want to be taken seriously and be good at what you do, then you have to have the tools of the trade and the skills to back it up. If you plan to enter a profession, do your homework, learn from those in it, and never undermine the education necessary to perfect it. You want to be remembered for your professionalism and talent, not as the one that left everyone asking “Are you kidding me? Is this guy for real?”

Sometimes these influential people are obvious—a parent, teacher, coach, mentor or best friend. They are the people in your individual circle of life that have been put there to advise, guide, inspire and teach. What they say and do are valuable, precious insights. It may not always be what we want to hear or do, but sometimes what we want isn’t always the best thing or the right thing for us. Trust them and LISTEN!

There are others that go unnoticed until months or even years later when the effect of their silent message is realized. Those are the messages to cherish because they are usually life changing. It’s the ah-ha moment when the light turns on and you realize what was being said. Sometimes it takes a hard life lesson to hear that message, a proverbial slap in the face, if you will. Other times, it’s a quiet, private moment during reflection, contemplation or meditation. Regardless, these moments can be rare, so LISTEN!

For a model or actor, the influential people in your inner circle are your agents, managers, coaches and, to an extent, family members. Yes, this is a business. Yes, agents and managers are in this business to make money. But, if you are smart and have surrounded yourself with people who are truly working with your best interest at heart, then what they have to say is not something that should be taken lightly. LISTEN!

We often seek counsel in many outside our inner circle, searching for the answer we so desire. Advice has been given. Direction has been given. An answer has been given. But, it is not the answer we want. So we keep searching. It is then that we often find ourselves in trouble, trusting the wrong people and heading down the wrong path. LISTEN!

Trust your inner circle of advisors. If you’ve got a good agent/manager, be careful not to jeopardize that relationship by undermining their expertise and knowledge. They know what their clients want and they know their business. There is nothing that will upset an agent more than if you go the opposite direction of the advice given because a friend, hairdresser, boyfriend, or whomever told you otherwise. Don’t wait until it’s too late and have to scramble to repair the damage done. It could be more than just your relationship with your agent or manager that is marred. It could be your career or your one chance that falls victim.  In this business, the lifespan of the average actor or model is very short. Very, very short. Windows and doors typically only open once. Be smart. Be diligent. Be ready. But most of all, be LISTENING!