School and Home Life

'Most people are really surprised when I say that one of the most important career elements for a girl who is starting out in modeling is a good family life.

This is something I feel very strongly about, and I have seen it reinforced over and over again with the young models I have known. The most successful girls are the ones whose parents and other family members have fully supported their decision to model and have taken active supervisory roles.

Starting models are typically between fourteen and seventeen years old-in other words, they are young. They may think they are grown-up and sophisticated, but in reality they are teenagers who are at a critical stage in their emotional development. As models, they are plunged into a heavy-duty competitive work environment that even some grown-ups find intimidating.

The girls I meet are very impressionable. They are at a time in their lives when every setback is a crisis and every triumph is the most awesome thing ever to happen to them. They are also greatly influenced by other people's opinions of them-particularly their friends'. Moods can swing at the drop of a hat.

Girls at this age can be fickle, anxious and very insecure. At the same time, they can also be decisive and calm. There are so many conflicting things going on in their lives-they want to have fun and hang out, but they are starting to wonder about what they want to do in the future. College? Career? Family? Athletics? For a girl who has modeling potential, these pressures are magnified by the immediate opportunities unfolding before her-the tantalizing prospect of wealth, success, international travel, and intense public recognition.

It's paramount for a model to keep everything in perspective, and that's why I encourage them to latch on to their support system of family and friends. I always tell models to remember that these are the people who love you for who you are, the people who will be there for you in good times and bad, and the only people who have your best interests at heart. They love you just the same whether you score the cover of a magazine or a major ad campaign, or if you bobble on the runway and never get another modeling job.'

* chapter four, pg. 97

 

School Life

'This is my rule number one for a girl who is starting as a model: stay in school.

Nothing can replace a high school education. Most models start out working part-time and nobody in the industry-agents, editors, photographers-expects them to drop out of school the moment that success seems tangible. Everyone recognizes that the best models are those who are mature, intelligent, educated, and well rounded, and only a decent education and a good grounding at home can infuse those qualities.

By staying in school, a young girl can develop the interests, talents, and hobbies that will enrich her life whether or not she ultimately pursues a full-time professional modeling career. School is not just a "fallback" in case modeling doesn't work out-it's also a strategic career-enhancing move.

A girl who has successfully balanced a modeling career with high school is Melissa Tominac, who lives in Phoenix and will not take jobs out of state while school is in session. A junior at a top private school, Melissa is so committed to her education that she turns down more than half of the jobs she is considered for because they conflict with her academic schedule. She makes rare exceptions; once, she missed a few days of school to shoot the cover of Teen magazine. She has also worked for catalogs for department stores Dillard's and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Those models who stay in school say they are far richer for having done so. "I definitely had a normal high school experience," said Jennifer Davis , former model who is now a full-time college student. "The only thing different was in the summer, I jetted off to Italy instead of getting on the bus to go to Camp Longhorn."

What is special about these girls, besides their beauty, is their intelligence and the fact that they keep education as a top priority and view modeling as a secondary interest. No matter what happens to them in modeling, they always have their education.'

* chapter four, pg. 98

 

Home Schooling

'I don't recommend it, but it does happen: some young models whose careers are taking off arrange some kind of tutoring program that works around their heavy modeling schedules. At least, home schooling is a better option than dropping out.

When girls home-school, however, they miss out on the social aspects of high school, the interaction with kids their own age. As a model, it is the normal fraternization that helps keep you centered and balanced-especially since you're working with adults.'

* chapter four, pg. 102

 

Modeling vs. College

'While no one can dispute the value of a high school education, some models decide that college is less of a priority, or at least that it can wait.

After much agonizing, Barbara Stoyanoff, twenty-one, turned down a scholarship to the University of Texas in favor of full-time modeling in New York City. One day, she said, she may try to earn her degree through a correspondence school, but for now, things are really working out and modeling as an "adult" has proved more rewarding than it was as a teenager.

"I never thought I'd be this successful," said Barbara, whose credits include appearances in Seventeen, Harper's Bazaar, Allure, Glamour, and Self. She has also been in catalogs for Coca-Cola, Neiman-Marcus, J. Crew, and Macy's. "I thought I'd just go to the university, but I realized that modeling was really happening for me when my agent recommended I wait for a year," she said. "I had changed. In high school, you are deciding what to wear to school or whether to go to the prom-not about a career. So I finished school and then made the decision."

As it turned out, Barbara's one-year sabbatical was so successful that college became a distant wish. "Things are going really well for me now, maybe because I am older," she said. "I've learned so much. You change and learn how to work with the camera, what looks best, how to work and be professional. I have a more active role with my agent now, deciding what to do about my career and how far I'd like to go,and that's changed a lot since I was in school.'

* chapter four, pg. 105

 

Parents

'Parents need to instill values in their children, to help them evaluate situations and make judgements. Parents must also make their children know that they are ultimately responsible for their own decisions and actions.

Of course, these are important lessons for all aspects of their children's lives, but they become particularly valuable when a child decides to go into modeling. A teenager who does stray cannot blame her own irresponsibility on modeling.

Parental monitoring is critical even when a model is far away. Whether it's spending two weeks in New York during a school break or going to Paris for the summer, a young model needs to know that her parents are only a phone call away and that they are checking up to make sure she stays out of trouble. In the beginning it is wise for a parent to accompany her daughter.

My view is that parents, agents, and clients must work together to give a model the support she needs to do the best she can. A girl may have modeling potential-even star potential-but may need to develop the emotional stability necessary to function productively. As teenagers, most models don't have a well-developed sense of self yet.

Parents know that these are turbulent years for their children, and they must help their daughters decide if they are ready for the pressure of a career-in what we already know is a very intense industry. Parents must help their daughters with the anxiety of not knowing whom to trust and must emphasize that modeling is something you do (a job) and not who you are (your identity).

Before a girl begins modeling, the very first step she should take is to sit down with the grown-ups she trusts and talk extensively about her motivations and what she expects to accomplish. She must make sure her reasons for trying to model are mature, valid ones.

At the beginning of a model's career , it's crucial that her home life be kept as close to normal as possible, however it was before modeling entered the picture. Parents of models tell me that they see their daughters struggling to handle the trials and tribulations, successes and failures, that are by definition associated with a modeling career. Maintaining an atmosphere of normalcy is a big help to the girls.

Parents must work with agents and agencies, ask questions constantly, and do research about what standard practices are in the field to make sure that their daughters are not being duped or taken advantage of. They must be perpetually vigilant. If a girl is a hot modeling prospect, she is likely to be showered with attention by agents, scouts, photographers, makeup artists, and other people from different ends of the business-all of whom have their own best interests in mind, not the model's. No one will take as good care of a child as her parents or guardians.

Most models who are young and starting out travel with at least one parent. While some teenagers may not think it's "cool" to have a parent around, most of the models I spoke to said they were really glad when their parents came with them-it showed how much concern their parents had for them and for their careers. Those girls also said that other models on the set who didn't have parents with them were jealous of those who did-a sure sign that having your parents along is definitely "cool".'

* chapter four, pg. 116

 

Parents Talk

'A model's home life is what helps her stay focused and balanced as she pursues her career. Her home life-including her family, friends, school activities, and hobbies-all work together to shape who she is as a person. It is that well-rounded person who steps in front of the camera and who comes across better in film because of the richness of her life. Living a complete and three-dimensional life helps keep the sparkle in a model's eyes-it helps her hold on to those unique qualities that made her stand out when she was first spotted by the agent who signed her.'

* chapter four, pg. 120

 

Quote By Supermodel Niki Taylor:

'"What role did your parents play in the beginning of your career?"

My parents were the framework of my career. They not only got me started but guided me and protected me and set things in place for the future for me to build the career that I have today. They-or a family friend-traveled with me until I was eighteen. It was comforting to have someone there. It can get very lonely away from home.

A trust was set up for me, to protect and secure my earnings for the future, Niki Inc. was created for tax benefits and became my business structure. I'm president! A network, which included an accountant, an attorney, a publicist (George and Isabel Dassinger), and my business manager (Jean Renard), was set in place to handle everything smoothly for my career. But most of all, my family is my family. They are home base, and today I try to keep my professional life separate from my personal life as much as possible.

"What role do you think a model's family should play in her career?"

'Support, protect, encourage, and love. I believe that girls will have more longevity if they stay close to their families and work together. No one else cares as much about them as their families…no one.

If your daughter wants you to handle her career, you must act as the liaison between her and her agent. If you don't, you will surely lose her early on. Trust me on this. They are young, they want to please, they will do anything they are told to make everyone like them.

It is a tough age for these young girls. They are on the verge of adulthood, only a few more years to go. While they're being told they're magnificent "on set," we the parents are telling them to do their homework and clean up their rooms!

If they had a choice, where do you think they'd go? And this happens more often than not. Hold on to your daughters, Mom and Dad. Make an arrangement with them. If they want to do this before they turn eighteen, it's their choice, but I think they will be thankful for you being there and putting things in place for them. It's a good start.'

* chapter 7, pg. 184

 

Modeling Schools

'If you understand what the schools offer you can gain some important information from them.

Some schools are affiliated with agencies and/or modeling conventions. These connections mean that their students have a good shot at meeting an agent from a major market who can launch their career. Schools that boast these ties are not a bad option for some girls. They must make sure that the potential models are well prepared to meet with the agents. Thus, these specialized conventions serve as private seminars, learning experiences, for girls who are fascinated by the world of modeling.

In addition to supplying girls for modeling conventions, these schools may also hold their own "agent reviews," in which they invite reputable major market agents directly to the school to see students.

Modeling schools are a close call. On one hand, they can foster a model's career by helping her develop grace, style, and self-confidence and by giving her experience and ease in front of the camera. They can instill healthful diet and exercise habits and proper beauty regimens. They can even introduce girls to agents from major markets.'

* chapter 10, pg.222

 

Model Camp

'Bianca Englehart, seventeen, got her start through Page Parkes in Houston. Bianca said she learned a lot. "I decided to do it because I wanted to be a model, but I wanted to feel comfortable in front of the camera, so if I did get to be a model, I wouldn't feel like a fool." Bianca began getting jobs soon after camp ended. "I didn't see girls at the camp who didn't come back to get portfolios, but one other girl did well," she said. "I went home and one week later, I got a job. It felt great."'

* chapter 10, pg. 228

 

In Agent We Trust

'Because of the trust factor-and the fact that the agent is handling all the most important aspects of a model's career, the money and the jobs-it is critical to sign with an agent who knows what she's doing, works hard, and seems honorable. A model must feel confident that her agent is doing all he or she can for her career and has the resources to do so.

Some girls are so close to their agents that they describe them as surrogate mothers. "They're great-they're like my home away from home," said Brittny Starford, eighteen, who lives in Dallas and works with Page Parkes. "My booker, we're like mom and daughter. They're so nice. When you go on a trip or something, they call you to make sure everything's okay. When I went to Europe over the summer, they called and faxed all the time and made sure I had everything I needed."'

* chapter eleven, pg. 24

 

Top 10 Things Parents Should Know

Read expert advice from Page Parkes Eveleth regarding the top 10 things every parent should know before your child enters the world of modeling and acting.