everything you need to know about pursuing a modeling career with model Drea Wadsworth

In this episode of The Alina Edit, I’m joined by model and industry expert Drea Wadsworth to dive into the exciting world of modeling. We’ll discuss the basic requirements for launching a modeling career and take an honest look at the realities of the industry.

Drea shares her insights on the growing inclusivity in modern modeling, the different areas of modeling, and the potential challenges you may face along the way. We’ll also cover safety concerns to be mindful of and walk you through a step-by-step plan for aspiring models to start building their portfolios and gaining experience.

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, download our free resources, and leave a rating and review. Tune in for actionable tips on how to kickstart your modeling career with confidence!

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Transcript

Alina: Hello everyone and welcome to the Alina Edit your go to guide to elevating every aspect of your life beauty, wellness, productivity and relationships. I'm your host, Aleena, and together we will curate the best version of you. And today I have a guest on model and artist Drea Wadsworth to talk about what are the steps to starting your modeling career in 2024, if that is what you want to do? So the goal is we're going to talk about the various requirements that are needed in today's modeling world, and you'd be surprised there's really not that many requirements. Right. We're also going to talk about the realities of modeling and how to stay safe, how to avoid burnout, and also give you guys kind of a step by step plan to get started and also just address any potential challenges that you might run into if this is something that you want to pursue doing. So again, I'll just like to introduce my guest. This is my friend, model, creator, artist and owner of her own personal jewelry brand now, which is really, really cool. This is Drea Wadsworth. Hi, guys. Yeah, I'm really excited to be on the podcast. We have so many valuable things to share and yeah, I've just had so many people reach out to me and ask me about this, talk about this topic, and I'm just really excited to share everything. Awesome. Yeah. So I mean, the reason we even came up with this, with this episode idea is because I randomly got a modeling job that I have no idea how I got it, but I essentially was asked to model for a jewelry brand. Sarah Oh, jewelry. And I had so much fun with it. And full transparency made the most for any job that I've ever made in that one shoot. So I was like, How can I do more of this? So I reached out to you and you were like, Actually, this is a really good time for me to implement this kind of consultation thing I've been wanting to do because a lot of other people have been reaching out to you. And what I tell you guys, Drea, like, she just went above and beyond in this little presentation that she made for me that answered so many more of the questions than I ever thought I'd have. So this episode is kind of going to be a breakdown of that kind of service that she provides and just everything that we need to know if you want to get into modeling. So do you want to tell us a little bit about your background and your modeling story? Yeah, so modeling for me actually kind of happened on accident. I was just posting selfies and then one day I set up my phone and was on Self-Timer and took a bunch of photos and photographers started noticing and reaching out to me. And then I just did a lot of shoots and this is very part time for me in college because I was so busy, but it was always kind of a love. It was always kind of there. So then I moved to Coeur d'Alene and I had a bunch of digitals at that point, and I shot with a few more really creative photographers and it was just so much fun. So I got into it because I genuinely love it and I feel like it just kind of followed me. So then I moved to San Diego and I was actually doing marketing and then sales and I made a bunch of money in sales and moved to Encinitas. And during that time I only shot once or once or twice. It was like very I was still alive, but it was like not fully blossomed yet and then moved to Encinitas. There's just so many creative people that wanted to shoot up there, so it just snowballed from there. And I got signed and then it quickly just became a huge part of my life and career. That's amazing. So is it still something that you say you're doing more than anything else that you're doing at this time? Or is it just has now kind of become a side thing again? Yeah, so well, this summer I went to Montana and Utah and I actually had some shoots up there, but I have transitioned to very much UGC, so I'm still modeling. I'm just talking on camera and promoting brands for people. But we just moved back and I'm really excited to keep shooting. And I mean, it's a point now where I have a portfolio and I'm just going to keep going because like you said, it's very good money. When you make money doing it, it can be a really good way to do something full time for sure. I'm so obsessed with your work. I'll definitely put up a visual for the listeners and watchers to see just a few of your pictures, but you're just as ethereal, beautiful, captivating model and you are so good. I've even gone on a shoot with you one time with Abby Jo to the beach, and you're just such a natural. So I'm really excited for the tips that you're going to be sharing with us today. Our topic today is becoming a model in 2024. So would you say there's still room in this field? Is there's still space for girls to enter the modeling field if they want to? Yeah. So I feel. There's never been more space for me because and I also I don't like when people say they want more real people because models are real people too, like a size zero and two is still a real person. So when they say we want real people, I mean, I just feel like everyone's a real person. So you know what I mean? Yeah, absolutely. But there's I mean, for castings, I've seen different sides of agencies where they're casting a very specific look and I can provide resources with how you can apply and adjust your demographics to the roles and roles tailored to you. It's really accessible these days. All you have to do is want to do it. I think that's really important to know. Who would you say I am? I mean, you just kind of touch on this, that there's really room for everyone. But what kind of qualities would make up an ideal candidate? So you really want to do it and then what other ones? I feel like you have to just be yourself and just come with a competitive edge. For me, I feel like I'm size five four. I'm like a size four and I never really thought that that was meeting the requirements. But I cut my hair, I cut my bangs. I just had a lot of fun with it and I felt like I really stepped into my younger self, which I feel like is like my higher self. And that's when I started really getting gigs and that's when it was just, it just was really fun because I had a very unique look and I think everyone is unique, so anyone could go in and just do it as long as you have the confidence. And also remember that modeling is a skill and you need to portray emotion correctly. So there's some things that you could work on developing, and we'll talk about that in a little bit for sure. We also already touched on this, but can people make a good living from modeling? Yeah. So when I first started modeling, it was a really hard struggle because I just never saw myself as a model. I remember my family would be like, Oh my gosh, you're so photogenic and like you should model and all that. And I just never believed that. Like I was just like whatever had so many flaws in my head and it was just really hard. But I think the first foundation is you really need to get a good portfolio, and once you have that, you still need to have other things to rely on as it comes off as needy. If you are just throwing yourself at something fully and not being like super realistic because it takes time to develop networking and connections. Right. And I would say that with any industry or any job, any interview you go to, if you come off as desperate or needy, you probably really won't get that job. So that same concept could probably be applied to modeling. Yeah, absolutely. And I've been there. Yeah, I've been through it all. Maybe not all of it, but like I've been through a lot of that of identity. But when I started, I actually was doing marketing as a side gig. That's when I got my degree in. And then I was also teaching art to kids. And I think what's really nice is if you can find something that you're making, like, for example, I made $85 an hour teaching kids if you can find something that pays high for a small amount of time, so your schedule is pretty available. I feel like that's really important too. Okay. Yeah. So that gives you time where you can work on building this modeling career, but not necessarily be in a position where you're financially strapped. Yeah, because that's not fun. No, it's not. And yeah, I flew by the seat of my pants a few times and like, somehow made it work where someone's like, Oh, there's a music video, like, we're paying $1,000 or, you know, whatever. It's not fun to live like that. Yeah. So, so the point that I'm taking from this is this is definitely something you can start off working on, but to have something that you can consistently fall back on because it's not a consistent paycheck. Well, yeah, and it becomes that what I would say is you should really try to find something that complements your modeling Like for me, I'm on UGC because I'm learning how I look on camera all the time and I'm always getting ready and I'm always modeling for a product and they're pushing it to more people. So then you're getting exposure and then also like having a jewelry brand that took me some time to develop. I had to take a break and I did that because I was sick actually, so I had to take a break. And during that downtime I was like, Hey, what can I do that I love? And that can complement my modeling. Yeah, yeah. I think that's a really good point if you're doing multiple things because you know, for many of us it's really hard to like box selves into just one knee or one thing. It's really hard. Yeah, totally. And for that to be your whole thing. But that's a really good life hack right there that if you want to do multiple things, at least make sure that they all feed into each other and kind of have something to do with each other. Yeah. And I mean, I did teach our two kids, but for me that was so therapeutic. And I love art, so it's like I still found passion and that. I was while I was developing myself still and just figuring out what I like. And, you know, I was 23, I think, at that time. Now I'm 25, but. Okay. Yeah. You're just in the thick of it right now, you know what I mean? 25 is just such a good age. It's like tries so many different things. And I mean, any point in your life is a really good time to just do whatever it is that you want to do and bounce from thing to thing. There's like really nothing wrong with that. I think I, I'm trying to be less limited in that because I kind of grew up with this understanding that you pick a thing and you stick with it and people who are out here trying multiple different things and like failing at some of them, those are the people that aren't making it, you know, and I don't know if it's my community or what I grew up with, but I was just like, No, we pick one thing, we stuck to it. And I can't really say that I've seen those people super duper happy. Yeah, no, I totally agree. And I've seen that so much and I've actually seen it more since I've moved here, which is super funny. It's like a demographic of people. I mean, I'm a Gen Z, I think I'm Gen Z. I'm on. Yeah, you are borderline, but it's becoming a lot more common to have so many different kinds of it's like, what can you offer the world? You know what I mean? And I feel like the older you get, the more you realize what's not meant for you. And I have tried it. I've tried it like I've been fired. I've, like, knocked on doors and, you know, it's crazy. And all those industries, I felt like I was always sexualized and it was really hard for me to be taken seriously, which was really frustrating. And it's like, I mean, might as well get paid for it, right? For modeling and helping people. Not only that, just like helping people the way I know that I can. Mhm. Yeah. It's, I don't think that it's this vapid field that people think it is. You're definitely still doing a service of some kind when you're like sharing your beauty and just sharing your body. I mean, I don't know if that's, that's that sounded okay, but no, I mean, just like it it it just your body. Yes. Oh, sure. Yeah, exactly. It's nice to. Yeah. I don't think there's there's anything wrong with that. And especially like you just said, taking into account that even in all these other more appropriate careers. Yeah. And again, I'm not not to say that modeling is not appropriate, I just think people have a lot of misconceptions about modeling. But it's like easy to judge. Yeah. So how would you say that the requirements have moved towards a more inclusive kind of vibe since like let's say the nineties and early 2000s when everything was like I mean the face cards were all def, definitely very variable, but the body type was all like one the same. Yeah. So everyone I got signed to an agency and people are like, so what are your weight requirements? And I'm like, I don't have them and I don't have that. And like requirements as in like your weight that you're okay with being like or they require me to be okay versus my height, oh, my measurements and everything And I will say when I got signed, they took digitals of me and they measured me to just make sure that it was accurate but it doesn't matter. Mhm. And it was, I mean it's so intimidating but at the same time it's fine and it's just opened up to so many different kinds of people because if you think about the marketplace there is a product for every one in this world. That's why we're in business, you know what I mean? So it's like there's always a target demographic. There will always be a model for that demographic or actor. True. If you want to do commercial. Yeah, you know what I mean? So because I mean, I'm sure they figured out that like things sell better when more people can relate to seeing themselves as a consumer of that thing or seeing themselves wearing that clothes, not being like, Oh, well, that model doesn't look anything like me. So it's probably not for me. Yeah. And I'm sure that had a huge impact on sales for a lot of people. And I have worked in movies and stuff too and it's like there is all sorts of different sizes and things and people who prefer different sizes will love that. So how does a girl start? What's the jump off point? Yeah, so I think the first thing is just making an agreement with yourself that you want to do this and that you're going to commit some time and have fun with it. I think that's like the first thing and second, which is really hard, is owning it as your identity, posting photoshoots regularly and you don't even need a photo shoot like you can literally set up your phone. That's what I did and people will start noticing. They're like, Oh, that looks very s looks like they can model a product really well. So I would say just start developing your portfolio and you can reach out to photographers and you like I have a whole list of them I'm building out. Of course people can access. That's going to be super helpful. I also want to ask you so like let's say someone is really wants to start, right? And they have this dream that they really want to get into modeling. But let's say. They're paralyzed by the fear of what are other people going to think? Because I think that holds back so many amazing potential people who could share their art, their like any sort of work that they could put out there. But this fear of what are people going to think? I mean, I know personally some gorgeous, stunning girls that desire me and they're like, I wish I could pose like you and like, trust me, I don't post any sort of like connoisseur or anything. I just use my Instagram as a digital diary. For real. I build my grid based on what I think I like and I just go from there. But I'll get a question and a girl will be like, I want a post like you, but I'm just so scared. And it's like, Okay, well, nobody else is missing out on you not posting. You're the only person who's missing out on not sharing the things that you want to share. In fact, some people are probably happy that you're gorgeous and you're not sharing yourself with, you know, in a way that you want. So what would you say is a good thing to keep in mind if you're really worried about what people might think? But you want to get into modeling, just feel safe with yourself and remind yourself that you can reach your fullest potential and you really deserve that. And lock yourself in a room and start posing as pose the way you think looks good and whatever that is, expand on it and just practice. And if it's not meant for you, then that's okay. You know, it's also okay if it's totally okay. But like trying is the best thing you can do. You just try if you're not ready, I would say do it anyways, but just get a bank of photos ready. You just like if you're ready to go off on a tangent, just start collecting photos and then start releasing them. And if you get scared, maybe you just like schedule them or like, you know, just like turn off your notifications and like, that's what I post on Ghost. I literally do that all the time. I'm like, I don't want to see anything. I'm going to post it and just go away because I don't want to convince myself that like, because I know like deep down we all know we're going to get bullied, right? Like online. So you just have to ignore it, ignore it or just accept that as a as a reality. But at the same time, just know that those people who are probably talking about you and like sending your posts to each other, that's all they have. They're not out here posting. So and people love bullying. I feel like you have to come from a perspective of like, I don't know who's behind the camera, but I feel empathy for them and I feel forgiveness for them because they don't know what they're doing and they don't know that it's harmful. They just are hurt and they want to hurt other people. Yeah. Projection one on one. Yeah. You've said when we had our little consultation that modeling is an art form. Yeah. Can you explain this a little bit more and kind of give tips on how to develop this as an art form? Yeah, for sure. So if you're thinking about a camera going into a shoot, I like to envision what the shoot would look like. I want to like meet the photographer, see what their vision is, and then when you're shooting, you just think about what the camera's seeing. And if you can relate to different angles, you can make triangles with your body. You want to create space in the camera, so not be like this. Yeah. You want to like spread out and look long. It is really an art and I think this is important for photographers to know too is like when you're shooting a model, you should always show them the composition so they can fill up that space as necessary to. Absolutely, yeah. I think it take a lot of practice and effort to feel like, you know, what the camera is seeing even really hard. Yeah, like I know I do what I look like. I look so bad. But then I look and I'm like, okay, right now. Yeah, but, but then like, when they show you, they're like, here's how it's looking. Then you're like, Oh, I can go from there. So do you want to tell us about what are the different areas of modeling that people can do? Yeah, there's I mean, if you think about, you know, every business, there is a niche for everything. So there's commercial modeling, which I think is very similar to print modeling, and it's basically a brand marketing campaign. Like, for example, I just modeled for White Space, we just did Winter Collection, it's just for their advertising purposes and it was on web or, you know, it's basically for a product. And then there's runway. And that ties in with fashion photography too, because it's these designers that are creating this beautiful, exaggerated pieces of art, basically. So you're like running on the runway. And then that can also turn into editorial, which is editorial is like very creative shoots, which I find very high fashion. Those are my favorite kinds of shoots. I feel like I find myself doing a lot of those just for fun. Hot Take. I feel like Kylie Jenner is a better model than Kendall Jenner. She's been killing. Well, yeah, I don't want to I love I don't want to hate on anybody, but just like because probably because Kendall Kylie's not like. Oh, here I am. I'm a model. But she does all these shoots and then she does clothes. That company show amazing shoes. Yeah, she's the. I feel like she missed out on that career, but I'm sure they're both happy. So. So an editorial model is typically what you see in fashion magazines. Okay. It's a goal. The goal is to tell a story with several images. And usually that relates to fashion. Hmm. So it's more of, like, storytelling. Okay. Which I love. And then there's maternity modeling, which is really popular. And it's very interesting because you can be not showing. You can be showing, you can be postpartum. And then when you're postpartum, if you so wish, you can just model and like, who cares? That's amazing. And also pretty much because who makes up the majority of the market? Moms. Right. That's who's spending money. That's who's seeing the commercials. And that's what so many of the advertisements speak to. So why wouldn't you represent them, right? Yeah. No, exactly. And then there's plus size, which is like your typical modeling. They can do anything that they want and it's just extra large. And and then there is fitness modeling, which speaks for itself. I mean, gymshark models, things like that, alo, lulu, that type of stuff. Does that also fit under the commercial? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, there's just so many different things. I like to model jewelry. That's like one of my favorite things that I know I've done fitness, I've done, you know, I've done all kinds of modeling and I like editorial and I love jewelry. Perfect. It's sounds like you can also fuze all of those together. Mm hmm. So because there's a potential for burnout in any industry that people work in. Would you be able to tell us what this looks like in modeling and how to navigate it? Yeah, so I can share my experience. I know it's going to be completely different than everyone else's, but the first time I got burnt out, I was really trying to push modeling. It's like the full time thing and I wasn't true, like taking care of myself and my needs. I was in a really dark apartment and it was really fun at first and then it turned really like bad and dark apartment, as in like dark environment. Worse or in every way. Okay. Okay. So just not the best living situation. Yeah. And it was sad because I lived in Encinitas and it was like the most beautiful place. So I actually got my hair done in Beverly Hills and it was like beautiful, like celebrity hair. And then as summer went on, my hair started looking, like, super dead. And I was like, What the heck? And my photos weren't turning out how I wanted them to. And I also was exposed to mold, and I was just making me really tired. I just had some, you know, it was. So I actually took a break and I got a full time job for a while and I got back just to be normal. I moved and then I decided to model again. And that's when it was like really, really busy and awesome. And I think that's also really important to know is like there are seasons for modeling and you can really reach out to as many people as you want and like it is up to you to like build your schedule, but you have to realize that there are seasons for it. Summer so slow for me. Mm hmm. And then this time is where it's really, really poppin quarter for. Yeah. Christmas holidays. People are shooting for everything right now, and this is where it'd be a really good time to just get into it, I'd say. I mean, if you want to model, any time is a good time to start. But yeah, for now. Yeah. The second time I got burnt out was last year I got sick from mold, exposure and other things. Like really sick. I'm still dealing with it, which is crazy really. It's had that long lasting of an effect. Was this from the Kremer story? Yeah. So little background. Drea drank some expired creamer at work. Right. And just had the worst reaction possible. You known to humans? Yeah, it was not good. I fell asleep for 20 hours and then, like, woke up and was like, I'm like my lips were swollen. My I would know and I thought I was dying. Like, it was so scary. And I thought I had sepsis because I felt like it was just recurring and then it was just an ongoing infection for like it's still kind of there. But yeah. So this summer I just went to Montana and Park City and I healed and it worked out a lot and I feel so much better. And it's also really nice to model for a while and take a break and come back and look at it from like third eye view, you know, like a bird's eye perspective, like what do I really want out of this and how do I want to be portrayed and who do I want to shoot with? And I feel like that's a great time. Like you need to step. Sometimes, yeah. Get a wider perspective and regain maybe appreciation for it. Right. Let's talk about some things that might be uncomfy to talk about. So would there be any uncomfortable but necessary to know truths about the modeling career, such as, you know, losing friends, things like signing with an agency? What's important to know about like we talked about the exclusive versus non-exclusive. So can you go into those things? Here's a disclaimer for new models. When you start posting, you're gonna lose followers like in any field. If you're going to switch over, you're going to start losing. Like I lost like 50 to 100 followers and probably even more. And then the real people noticed and started following me. And then, like, you build this different connection and that's that's just part of it. But you can't let that scare you. And then, like with friends, thinking about modeling is people can conceive it as very egocentric and just mini me. But like for me it's like very much if I'm expressing myself and I'm expressing myself for other people and for other brands and for a creative vision, and I just find it to be so separate. I would say that it's not egocentric, and as long as you're not harming yourself or harming anybody else, literally do whatever it is that you want to do and what you want to pursue. People's own opinions of what you're doing is what hurts them, not necessarily what you're doing, even if you do. I'm not saying to go out and do this immediately, but even if someone offends you super badly, it's still your choice and how you perceive that. So if people are seeing like you modeling as egocentric and how can she. That's pretty much entirely on them. Yeah, it absolutely is. And I feel like you really learn who your true friends are when you do things like that. And I actually had a professor, he shot my digitals for the first time. He warned me about this. He was like, You're probably going to lose a lot of friends because not everyone understands. And that's okay. You know, you just have to accept that and like go into it and do whatever makes you happy. And the people who really matter are going to be with you in your life either way. Totally. And then when it comes to the agency, tell the listeners what you shared with me, what I didn't know about designing and making sure you know what you're getting into. Yeah. So it depends on what you want, but if you need to make sure that they're guaranteeing you work, if they are exclusive, because you will totally secure yourself. If you just sign with someone and they give you no work and you're not allowed to work with anyone else because you're signed into a stupid contract. So can you expand more and let our listeners know what an exclusive agency means? Yeah. So exclusive is like you'll get in trouble if you go and shoot and then non-exclusive is you can shoot with them and you can shoot with your own network of people. So that's the one that you're kind of wanting to go for. If you want to not put all of your eggs all in the basket of they find you work and then they get you like one job out of the entire year. And like I honestly, the first agency I signed with it was like that. I was I was so excited that I just got signed and then I was like, Oh, well, there's not like I'm not getting gigs that I like. I thought I would and it felt like that at first. But then because they were sending me stuff and then they were like, Oh, you're released from this. They're like, you know, okay. And then I was like, This is weird. But what's really good is I signed with a non exclusive agency who is actually a mother agency, which they have a lot of like secrets. I don't know. It's really hard to get information out of them because I'm like, Hey, can I sign with this person? They're met. They're supposed to assign me, place me at other agencies, but they make it really confusing because I talk to them about that. They were like, Oh, well, I might get in the way of like the work that we have. Like you don't have that much work for me, so I'm going to get in the way anyways. But like you said, you are free to get your UGC stuff involved. So yeah, your hands aren't tied. So that's I think that's also ties really. Well back to the point of don't rely on it as your 100% full time income. Yeah, yeah. What's really nice though is that with my agency it's 1099 and I can write off anything of mine so I don't have to go and start my own business. I can write off all of my gas, all of my travels, like I wrote off in Switzerland. Trip like for modeling. That's a life hack. You guys pay attention to what she's saying. Yeah. So, like, I have a really good talks person. She has a form that I like. I also I'm going to provide it in my course can write off like it makes it really easy for you to like parking tickets, meals like large travel, anything like that. Like I'm using my phone now. So that's really important to note with an agency to use to 99 with them, that's really good to know. Moving into, I think, a very common concern that people have. When it comes to modeling is safety, right. And staying safe, especially as women, especially as girls. So can you tell us what do the dangers look like and how we can kind of be vigilant and put safety first when, you know, meeting up with photographers or saying yes to certain jobs? Yeah. So I feel like you always need to have an exit plan. Photoshoots can get really creative and you can travel and stuff. Just make sure that you like someone knows where you are and you can tell them. Even if it's your bedtime, you have a strict bedtime of 7 p.m.. Be like, I have to be home by 7 p.m.. There's no exception. Have a time that you want to go home in your head because also photographers will use you sometimes with your energy, your work. Like, really milk it? Yeah. It's like, girl. Like, I have a shoot at 6 a.m. tomorrow. I'm tired. I'm in L.A.. Like, I'm going to bed, like, you know what I mean? But there has been definitely photographers that want to do very new things, which honestly, I am I like doing stuff like that. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but like at the same time, I don't like when it's force that's really creepy and I think that's weird. And I think no matter who you're shooting with, they should respect your boundaries and never shoot with someone who seems weird. Also like maybe there's someone that's in love with you. If it seems like they're really in love with you, it's probably because they are like, Just watch out, you know what I mean? So just be careful and have your boundaries and have your set time, have your exit plan, know that you can say no to people. But at the same time, there's a fine line because you want to have a good attitude. I feel like I've seen a lot of people modeling and at the end of the shoot they're just and they don't typically model. They're just so tired and they're just like, I can't do this anymore. I'm so over it. And it's just like diva attitude. Yeah, and that's not attractive. Like, people think that, like, the best talent is the no, no. Like, you need to have a good attitude because the people you're shooting with are going to tell everyone else about you, and it's going to come back to you. So and you're not a celebrity. It's still work and it's still an opportunity to show your work ethic so that you can get called back, so that they can refer you to other people who are looking for models. Right. That's a really good point. Yeah, that's really good point. I mean, just hold your own like you need to say no. So, you know, trust your gut more than anything. Just trust your gut. If someone seems kind of weird, like, honestly, I was in college and I shot with this guy who was like, pretty weird and I didn't realize it, and I was, like, scared. Like, I'm like, he didn't do anything creepy or anything, but, like, I just felt uncomfortable. We were driving to a different location. Kind of gave me a creepy vibe already. So be careful with people on the internet like yeah, especially if you're starting out because it sounds like you were pretty new at this. So no. So your discernment probably just isn't quite there yet, right? I would even recommend, I mean, the very limited modeling that I had done, which was an amazing experience. It was actually an all female team. It was like a very safe situation, but still you never know. And what I did was I actually had a friend come with me out there. She didn't stay for the whole shoot, but she kind of got me there, like saw the whole set up. And I was like, okay, I feel good about this, okay, if you want to take off. So again, if you're questioning any sort of work that you might be signing up for, see how they would react to you. Like just bringing a friend, just be like, oh, like I have a medical condition. I might, you know, like, yeah, this is my nurse. Yeah, I might pass out and only she knows what to do. So it's so funny. I just. I like to stretch the truth, honestly. I have to be home. Yeah, someone's. Someone's expecting me. Like I have a freaking dog. Yeah. Or, like, I have a cat that I have to tend to. Sorry. Like, true. So, I mean, exit strategies and exit plans are like my favorite thing. I love an Irish Irish dancer out of a modeling shoot, but moving on to. So we're going to be wrapping this up pretty soon. So can you give our listeners homework so they can start building up? Yeah. So if you're interested in modeling, I would just, you know, start following some of your favorite models of people who inspire you. Think about why they inspire you. And then I would start posing in the mirror. I have been told that you should try to make all the different expressions of your face that you can. And I'm not a huge, like expressionless. I'm a very serious, like, model. Yeah. And then, like, pose, find your good side, capitalize on it, work on your bad side, work on your angles. And someone told me, actually, I was a deejay meet up in New York and this guy, I hear my name like Quincy Jones. He was like an O.G. guy. And he was just telling me about Kate Moss and what made her so successful. She was a photographer and she knew her. Angles. She's an artist. That's what I'm saying. It's like when an artist is modeling or like you have to think of it like that because it really is an art And I hate when people say it's not an art because you are literally art and you are modeling art that was made and it's a production and it's not complete without you. And it's totally an art because you have to literally you're in your body, right, while you're modeling, but you also have to go outside of your body and imagine what does this look like? Right. And no, of course, it comes with practice, I'm sure, knowing what your angles are and things like that. But again, you have to practice. You have to get in front of the mirror. I just want to say what I've been doing a lot of, actually, and this is a really good exercise too. If you want to get better at not caring about what people think of you getting your pictures done or just getting used to being seen by other people because that's essentially going to be the result is when you start modeling, you're going to have to be okay with a lot of people putting their eyes on you. So what I will do, I will literally take my little digital camera, take the tripod, take the dog, and we'll go onto the street and I'll set it up. And people are walking and they're just like staring right now. This is a girl doing, but I'm like, set it on the timer, get like a bunch of pictures. And out of those like 30 pictures, I have a good handful to post or something. Or I'll go down to the parking garage and I'll set up my tripod and my camera, you know, and just get some good flash pictures down there. And again, people might think, Oh, that's so weird. But like, who cares? No, who cares? Literally, who cares? And also, like I've noticed, when I do shoots with photographers, they're always really excited to shoot with someone who can think of the next move. Like they can give you a move and they have a vision. But what if you go beyond that and like make it something they didn't even imagine they could imagine? That's so fun to work with. An idea is like, listen to them and then do your own thing and then keep on expanding. It's so fun. Mm Yeah. It's really, it really is a creative, creative process. And then can you tell the listeners how complicated is it to make a portfolio? What do they need to do? And we'll put a visual up for YouTube to use so you guys can see what we're talking about. Maybe I can even share your portfolio, if that's okay. Yeah, but yeah. How do you people make one? Don't make it so complicated. Okay. Keep it simple. Like, how many pages does it need to be for you to submit your digitals to agencies you need like for photos and of course to show everyone how that works. An example. Yeah, yeah. But my portfolio looks different because it's, it's just like, like if you look at like top models portfolios, I'm not saying I'm a top model, but like if you look at them, there's so much range like, oh, they dressed up like this and like they're doing these crazy shots and like, that's what I wanted. And I wanted something that no one's seen before too. So I feel like that's really important, what you really want to do, not what someone else is doing. Like you can expand on other people's ideas, but I would say my portfolio is probably like ten pages. You can do two or three photos for each line. I made mine on Canva for you. I literally didn't even buy a domain. I just was like drea model dot canva.com and I got signed that way. Oh, you can build a website on Canva. Yeah. Wait, I'm just now learning this. Yeah, that's amazing. Okay. Okay. Sponsor me. Okay, that's a great tip. We'll put that in. Yes, Canva, sponsor her. The presentation that you made on canvas, Supercuts, we'll plug the the course at the end of this show and also in the show notes, too, and the dropdown description in your course you kind of talk about how to start reaching out to photographers in your area and just kind of pitching collaboration like, hey, I'm, you know, a beginner model. I am building up my portfolio. Would you like to shoot together? Yeah. What are we to do if we run into a we say this, we kind of make it clear that, you know, we're trying to do an exchange. Yeah. What if they hit us with that? Oh, yeah, it's. My rate is $1,000 an hour. Where do we go from there? Is that just kind of like a tough titties situation? I mean, just move on, okay? You'll get a good photo. Okay? You'll get a good foot. You'll get a few. Good. Yeah, but that's just them telling you like, no, I only do this, like, for work and you're not quite there yet. Maybe it's kind of funny because I like, I like worked with people who've like, charged a lot and I'm like, honestly sorry, but like, it's not that like, you're not that good. Sorry. That's, that's what's interesting about the photographer field because I started looking into some, you know, especially getting some maternity pictures done, especially the more like unique way and not necessarily like, oh, we're in a field. Yeah. Holding our ultrasound picture. Sorry, not to like not to rag on anyone who does that, but I just have a different vision. Okay. I'll tell you after we're done recording. But, but yeah, some people just like, I'll look at their stuff and they give you a quote. And it's just so crazy to try to wrap your mind like there's really no industry standard and how much photographers charge. You can't just be like, okay, I'm going to get a picture photoshoot done and it'll probably be like it used to. When I was getting my my senior pictures done, it was like, what? Like in the low hundreds, maybe $150? I paid for my senior photos. But now people just say, yeah, it's 1000 for an hour. Yeah. Girl What? I feel like the best thing to do in that situation is just keep developing your portfolio. I would just be like, Hey, I have this creative idea. Do you want to collab? Mm hmm. That's a great word to use. Make sure that they know that that's. It's at your lab. Yeah, so I would say that. And then they're going to charge you a lot, but then just move on. If that's not in your budget. Yeah. Learning how to deal with rejection is good for any thing that you want to pursue. It's just going to be part of it. But you will get somewhere. You just have to ask enough people. You do? Yeah. Yeah. And I think it will come to you, too. Like, if you're putting it out there, I think eventually, like and it like, here's a thing I've noticed is like I'll shoot with one person and that then goes to like everyone in there if they're getting followed by photographers and brands. So then every time I collab with someone, it, it gets exposed to all these different people and it's like, gives you a little more growth each time. Yeah, like, I just went on a photography retreat in Zion and I shot with five different six different photographers and got followers from each person. So it was really cool. And that's from all over the United States, which is really fun. And that's another thing too, is if you really want to make it big time, you have to travel because if you're trying to compete in L.A., that's the market saturated. Not saying that you can't go in L.A. because there is so much work. But at the same time, if you want to stand out really like you should be going international and just make sure that you're being safe with that and know who you're going when. But like, that's how you really make it, push it even further. Yeah, I think what you said earlier about having range is what's really going to get you noticed. And people seem like a wide variety of your work and not just just beach pictures, right? I like to think of like I want to be that person that no one's ever seen before. Mm hmm. Like, I want to do concepts that no one's ever seen before, and, like, you know, it's just there's something special about that, and I think that stands out. Mm hmm. Absolutely. So to kind of wrap up today's episode, I can't believe this is already the end of it, because time really flies when we talk. But, um. Yeah. So what we learned today about pursuing a professional modeling career with friend model artist Drea is there is still room in the field for you if you want to do this. And the main thing is number one is mindset as with all things that you want to try and get into is just really wanting it and trusting yourself to pursue this and put in the work that you need to put in. There's a lot of room in the field today still for you to get into it. The requirements are just so much more wide and diverse and inclusive than they've ever been. And all you really need to do is all you need to do is want to do it and just start putting in the action. Because for some of us, we can get stuck in like the planning phase of things. That's true. All right. So get in front of that camera. Start taking pictures, because, yes, it might not be your ideal at first, but the more that you do it, the more safe you'll feel with yourself. Practice really does make perfect will. We'll never get to a perfect standard ever in our lifetimes. Right? But the more that you do something, the more confidence you grow in it, and the more you can just be like, Wow, I really enjoy this. I can do this. This is possible for me. And basically, just be your own biggest fan. Mm hmm. Yeah. Yeah. And if you guys want to learn more and have more of a hands on training slash course with Drea or something that you offer, so I'll be starting a course and it's going to include agencies, just a more in-depth knowledge of the field and what you need to know. Connections to photographers. You know how to find your type of modeling that you want to do. I'm also going to offer consultations like I did with Selena, because I feel like if someone really wants to know and sit down and like talk, I'm always here. I also am always looking for models for my brand. So that would be a great way to show them your necklace. Because my necklace. This is Danny, 47. Your friend started it this year and it's been so fun. And I'm always looking for models. So if you are interested, just do me. And yeah, it would be a good way to get your feet wet in a fun career. Yeah, I'm telling you guys. Like, I was just so impressed by what Drea put together for this modeling and informational, kind of like PowerPoint. Like she had all sorts of tips on there, like really tangible things that you can do, like a list of photographers that you can work with, a list of agencies and just so many things. You even had apps on there that are for model. And that will tell you where you can go to do like little collabs or like go and eat for free and then you post their food. So that was that just blew me out of the water. And I just know that people are going to really, really find that useful and amazing. And you did such an incredible job on this project. So I really hope that if you're interested in modeling that you go to Dreyer's. Are you going to be promoting it on Instagram or on your website, Instagram? I'll have a link in mind. Okay. So and then in the show notes and then absolutely offer a discount here to okay, I can do like 30% off for you. That's that's really great and amazing. Thank you so much. So thank you for joining this episode of the Lena. Edit If you're watching on YouTube and if this episode helped you in any way and if you enjoyed it alike would be super duper helpful to the show. And if you want to see more content like this, just hit the subscribe button. You can also follow me on my socials linked down below and find all of my favorite things on my article. And here's your reminder that you absolutely will achieve your dream life. And we will see you next time by.