Model Advice. Trust Your Gut and Do Your Homework.

Welcome back Loves! Last week I shared an interview I did with my fellow model and colleague Charvelle. She introduced us to how she got her start in the modeling industry and gave us some solid advice and tips to put to use. This week we continue with her interview and advice of “Trust Your Gut” for the aspiring Model. Let’s get into part II!

Alexa: So Charvelle, any anecdotes or funny/scary stories you’d like to share?

Charvelle: Lol! Unfortunately, in my 9 years of modeling I’ve had tons of awful experiences, particularly regarding the industry still not seeing our worth and treating plus size models as second rate compared to straight size models. I’ve been overworked, underpaid, and taken advantage of more times than I can count, so trust your gut when it tells you something is not right or not worth your time.

Alexa: Here here! I not only agree and relate to that 100% but have shared my own similar experiences and talked about the importance of protecting your energy and stating your boundaries in this business. Speaking of the “business” : How did you prepare to get/ land your first call?

Charvelle: You have to put yourself out there, show the world what you can do. Social media is king, but that doesn’t just mean posting. It means following the models and agencies you aspire to be like, studying the poses, practicing in the mirror and with friends. Agencies rarely want to sign or book someone they have to train and walk through everything. So do your homework, trust it will be seen and rewarded!
 
Listen to the advice of others…

I applied this mindset and the above tools available to me prior to landing my first gig. The make-up artist that had suggested Modeling to me also recommended an app, Plus Model Magazine and their new app, so I got the app and within a month landed the job as the show opener for A fashion Show during LAFW. From there, I stayed connected with the other models since it’s such a small community and that’s how I got a lot of my jobs the first few years.

Alexa: Practice, Practice, Practice. It truly is a large key to success in this Industry as well as the relationships you cultivate with other Models. The industry is such a small community. It helps to support one another and pass on jobs. How about working with agencies? What resources did you use?

Charvelle: I self submitted to my first two agencies and got calls off of super simple digitals I took with a friend against a white wall. Now that being said, I had terrible experiences with them, and definitely have been a little jaded against agencies because of it. I’m grateful for my current representation and the open communication we share. So I would say, take good digitals as often as your body and hair changes, and submit them to the agencies you want to be seen by, again trusting your gut when it tells you something is not right or not worth your time.

Trust Your Gut

Alexa: Yes, it’s not uncommon for agencies and agents to take advantage of us Models. Discernment is key. It also helps to build up our community and talk to fellow Models. We should be helping and looking out for one another as often as we can. Charvelle I would like to thank you soooo much for taking the time to share some of your advice and tips with my fellow Babes! I think it’s wonderful that we can share our stories from within this industry and shed some light on just how possible our line of work can be!
 
Charvelle: It was my pleasure Alexa! Thank you for reaching out and letting me share about my journey and experiences!
 
Thank you for the tips!

And that wraps up my two part interview with the lovely Charvelle! I hope her insights aid you in your own navigation of this industry. Some important takeaways we can adopt from Charvelle are:

As always, thank you for stopping by and showing your support! I hope the articles I share offer you not only advice and tools you can use in your own pursuit of Modeling, but that it also offers continued inspiration and a community where you can always turn to. Sign up for my email list if you haven’t already to get access to all things regarding building Confidence, goal setting, mindfulness, and of course Modeling!
 
XX, Alexa