So Many Hats

I have worked as a model and talent for 4 years and am now pursuing my own tech startup based on the industry.

[brittanylmitchell-blog]

Promotional Modeling Gigs: Agency vs Direct Bookings

As a promotional model should you cut out your agency? Find out the pros and cons of booking promotional modeling gigs directly with clients.

Promotional Modeling Gigs: Agencies vs Direct Bookings

[brittanylmitchell-blog]

Hi! I happened to come across your post about designing your own app, and I was wondering how you got started on that since I'm interested in doing something similar. Was it difficult to come up with an idea, sketch, and coding for your app? Did you have a background in computer science? Who all did you ask for help in this endeavor of yours?

Hi, Thanks for reading my blog! Sorry if this response is long overdue I must have turned off all the notifications.  My app is still a work in progress.  I made a "blueprint" of it using a program on the iPad called Blueprint UI App Design - it's a simple app to figure out but if won't build a real complex working app it's more to demonstrate how an app might look and function.  Aside from that, here is an article that you might find resourceful - http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/21/building-an-app-tapfame-has-a-developer-for-that/

Good luck! Let me know how things pan out. 

Brittany

[brittanylmitchell-blog]

Do you have what it takes to be a model these days?

Are you tall, thin, and attractive?  Do you have good people and networking skills? How many facebook fans do you have?  Do you have at least 400 twitter followers?

That’s right. Gone are the days of just looking pretty or being able to work over a crowded room.  More and more promotional modeling opportunities are requiring the talent they hire to have an exceptionally large social media following.  And it doesn’t stop there, talent have to engage followers before, during, and after an event using their personal connections.  Last year I managed an event for the Empress Fragrance in which I had to call the client every 20 minutes during the activation to share our whereabouts for twitter followers and send in plenty of pictures for tweeting and Facebook albums.  I enjoyed the job and there was definitely an added level of excitement in knowing we were reaching more than just the passersby.  But some job offers are taking things even further. Just last week I received an email stating the following job description - “All staff must: have at least 400 Twitter followers; have at least 500 friends on Facebook aged between 21-30, preferably 21-27. Must "like" ‘Product’ / Friend ‘Product’ on Facebook/ follow ‘Product’ on Twitter. Send 2 tweets and 1 Facebook post pre-event, separate days, using the hashtag ‘#ProductEvent’ (we will provide scripted tweets to go out). Send 1 tweet post-event including a twitPic and 1 Facebook post with a tagged photo, using the hashtag ‘#ProductEvent’ (we will provide scripted tweets to go out).”   While this isn’t exactly a challenging assignment is poses a couple  issues.  The first being that traditionally when working these types of events the assignment is to reach out to the target audience in attendance at the event thus maintaining the ability to keep work and personal life separate.  With this new ploy  clients are requiring the talent to push their product on his or her  own personal social network.  The other issue is that because the talent is going to be advocating this particular product to their 900+ followers they had better actually like it or at least think its worthy of sharing with their best friends and family.  Personally, outside of working an event I will usually post about the products I’m representing.  I think of it as a little bonus advertisement for my clients and it’s an excuse for me to write about what I’ve been working on lately and there are definitely benefits for both parties.  One of my clients (and Facebook friends) approached me with a deal - they want their product getting more attention and I have a nice following.  Perfect match  - they sent me their awesome product for free and I happily spread the word about how much I love using it!  But you can bet I won’t be  advertising anything I don’t believe in to my friends because a client is forcing me to.  I’ll just take a pass on those jobs.

When it comes to social media platforms I enjoy posting and sharing on many, including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and my new favorite, Instagram.  I try to maintain a level of professionalism across the board because I have a lot of my clients and agents following me.  It’s a great way to keep them in the loop as far as what I’ve been working on and to know that I’m busy with my career, not busy getting drunk or complaining about everything going on around me.  This new social-media-popularity development in the industry is causing me to rethink my strategy of just posting updates but to now also focus on expanding my following.  

With this new game plan in mind I did some research and came across this great article on HubSpot Blog 25 Ways to Get More Social Media Followers on obtaining more followers.  I also enjoyed this article on Inc.com - 12 Tips for Stepping Up Your Social Media Presence.  It focuses on getting your followers more engaged and how to keep them interested in what you have to say.   It’s a more geared toward businesses and corporations but I like to think that the www.Brittany-Mitchell.com empire is preparing for total world domination.

Since we’re on the subject, be sure to follow me, retweet this post, and share it with all your friends!

www.facebook.com/brittanylmitchell

https://twitter.com/ChicagoModel

www.youtube.com/user/brittanylmitchell

www.linkedin.com/in/brittanylmitchell

www.tumblr.com/blog/brittanylmitchell

Instagram: @chicagomodel

[brittanylmitchell-blog]

The Work Perk

One of the unique aspects of what I do for a living is having the opportunity to tryout products from a variety of industries.  I’ve modeled and acted with furniture, appliances, breath mints and even a fighter jet to name a few. And the wide range of products I’ve represented at trade shows is endless – from water purifiers to cars and everything inbetween.

After spending a few days learning about and demonstrating a product I, myself, am generally sold on it.  I say that with the exception of one awful gig I booked through Craigslist for which I had to sell a fake version of the ShamWow that I now refer to as “The ScamWow”.  (The other model and I had to peel the “Made in China” stickers off in the backroom before selling them because everyone knows real ShamWows are made in Germany).

Depending on the industry or show there are tons of giveaways and samples –  food at the National Restaurant Show, cleaning products at the Sanitation Show, my friends have  even picked up some wall art at the Graph Expo, a show for the printing industry.  Just recently at the ACE Hardware Show, I was representing a cleaning product called Tub O’ Towels, something that  personally I probably would not have known about due to the fact that I don’t frequent hardware stores and rarely muster up the courage to attempt my own home improvements but this product is fantastic!  The icing on the cake from working with this gem of a product  is that in addition to now knowing the secret to getting spilled paint off the floor in my bathroom is that the client happily gave me healthy supply of Tub O’ Towels to take home (my apartment is now cleaner than when I moved in!).  These little perks show up from time to time and I am always grateful for the generosity of the people I work with.

The best, most generous and exciting product a client has shared with me is my brand new Kuvings Silent Juicer!  A couple years ago I did some commercial/video work with Kuvings and more recently I demonstrated their product at the Housewares Show in Chicago.  I’ve been a big fan of the juicer all along and definitely haven’t seen one that works like this one!  The appliance is so quiet and easy to clean, plus there’s no blade inside so it’s safer to use and it doesn’t break down the nutrients and enzymes, making the juice more nutritious than that of other juicers.  Now to stay healthy and get that glowing complexion for my modeling jobs I make myself a delicious and healthy juice at home.

Now if only Lincoln would pass me a set of keys…

For more information visit www.kuvings.com or www.tubotowels.com

[brittanylmitchell-blog]

@TheTechWeek #startups #entrepreneur #technology (Taken with Instagram)

[brittanylmitchell-blog]

Could it be?

I feel so blessed after having started this journey into the unknown to find that everything seems to be falling into place. Is it because I genuinely have nowhere to go but up or is it possible that this idea of mine is really meant to be? Either way it doesn’t matter as long as I love what I’m doing and am able to move forward. There is one thing that’s been missing though. In all the articles and books I read and through talking with my entrepreneur friends, I’ve been missing a key ingredient to becoming successful. Fortunately it’s one of those situations where “I know what I don’t know” and I’ve always been on the lookout but hadn’t been able to find one - a personal mentor. I’ve been putting “feelers” out in every direction as I hunt and gather information to plan my business strategy and finetune my App idea. I’ve gone so far as to register on a handful of websites to fill the gap as I go, always keeping an eye open for potential matches.

Some of the great resources I’ve taken advantage of are: Sprouter.com, to learn from the experiences of top entrepreneurs like Aaron Patzer of Mint.com; posting business questions on HighTable.com, a site in which seasoned entrepreneurs answer your questions individually; meeting with a free mentor at SCORE.org for private business counseling; and I even put out a request on MicroMentor.com in hopes of a serendipitous union taking place but no such luck. I have a wonderful network of highly intelligent friends and connections that I’m comfortable reaching out to from time to time though it’s tough when I know how demanding their schedules are and don’t want to be butting in for advice all the time. There’s also my “mentor from afar” Bethenny Frankel who I learn from simply by reading every book, article and magazine about (I will reach out to her personally soon!).

As I’ve been navigating this journey to find a mentor I’ve considered a variety of ideal qualifications, some of which hadn’t necessarily occurred to me until that hurdle needed to be crossed. When the offers came in from MicroMentor.com, I was able to view their work experience and accept or deny their proposal. For example, one mentor volunteered 3 hours per week for 2 months and he lived in California. Suddenly it didn’t feel natural to me to be confiding in someone who I couldn’t meet in person and I realized I would have trouble trusting a complete stranger who was so far away. There’s that fear of what these unknown mentors’ motives really are. Do they want to steal my idea? Are they only reaching out because they saw my profile picture and want to chat with a pretty girl? Call me overly dramatic but I’m following my gut. It’s gotten me this far so I’m not going to start ignoring it now. My recipe for an ideal mentor goes somewhat like this - someone who shares a similar interest in or has a background in technology/apps, obviously someone who is eager to share their wisdom, who believes in my idea, and who doesn’t want to date me.

As I branch out my network and new build business relationships I remain hopeful that my mentors are exactly where I need them to be and will enter my life accordingly.

[brittanylmitchell-blog]

Adventures in Businessland

Well, I’ve just gotten back from my free business counseling appointment and I’m not sure whether I should be crying or laughing.  Currently I’m still laughing.  Let’s just say that the old adage “You get what you pay for” rings entirely true and in this particular case I was getting a free business mentor for my could be future technology start up.  

From the beginning:

I got a little nervous when I initially walked in and saw a massive sign that read Small Business Administration and all the government official emblems, flags and so on considering the website that I registered for this meeting on was seemingly not at all this official.  It turns out that the business I was there to see shares an office with the government.  (Deep breath).  I was greeted by a very friendly woman, who I was instantly glad to be working with, only to be led into a cubicle with a man closer to the age of 100 than 90...  (Feeling rather deflated at this point).  

Being that I’ve found “presenting” my idea to a few close friends and family that are at least familiar with various types of technology and mobile apps to be challenging enough, this kind-but way-older gentleman, Norman, didn’t own a smartphone, clearly wasn’t part of any social networks and definitely didn’t know what an App was.  Determined to make the most of my free hour I plunged head first into a discussion of my vision, I whipped out my iPad to show off the fancy mock-up I’d made using the Blueprint UI Design App, and laid all my cards on the table.  His first reaction was at least to say that he thinks I have a great idea!  But it all went fairly downhill from there.  One of the main reasons I made the appointment is because obviously I’m looking for more guidance in how to get everything started and one of the things I’m sure of is that I’ll be looking for investors early on.  A major problem I’ve been having is that of finding out numbers/statistics of the modeling industry to make projections for investors and cash flow analysis.  Norman, in an effort to be useful, got me a spreadsheet I could use to project the potential but had no ideas as to where I might find such information to plug into it.  The discussion quickly turned into a back and forth about him telling me what I need to find out and me telling him I already know that those are the things I need to find out and that “how to find them out?” is the reason I was there.  Obviously I didn’t expect him to know anything about the modeling industry but I suppose I was hoping he would have an idea I hadn’t already thought of.  Needless to say, my free hour turned into a free 40 minutes.  On the positive side, I left with a bunch of Business Plan how-tos and some information about Business Plan Workshops where hopefully a younger, more tech savvy crowd resides.   I’ll now be implementing my Plan B, which will involve reaching out directly to the agencies I work with to see if they can give me any market feedback. Norman, if you’re out there, thanks again. I have no doubt that you’re incredibly intelligent and a wonderful business man. Sorry it didn’t work out between us.

[brittanylmitchell-blog]

I Am Woman

As I’ve been reading and planning for my business idea, I’ve started to notice more and more articles pointing out how rare women entrepreneurs are, especially in the technology field.  I guess it’s no surprise but it’s not something I ever really gave much thought about until now.  For the most part I’ve just done whatever I wanted, not stopping to think about whether my being a woman meant anything.  Having this new perspective has really gotten me to stop and think about how I would want my business to be recognized one day and how much I pride I take in being a woman that wants to break the mold.  Without even realizing I was doing it, just a few weeks ago I was looking into businesses I work with that I might reach out to for insight into running a business and it dawned on me that I was unconsciously seeking out all women owned businesses.   I still don’t know how this was an unconscious decision but I’m happy to know that deep down the “Girl Power!” has always been there.  In the modeling industry, so many of the agencies I work with are owned and run by women - Judy Venn and Associates, Convention Models and Talent Agency, Anne O’Briant Agency - and it’s so inspiring to me.  This is obviously also one of the many reasons I look up to reality-star-turned-entrepreneur, Bethenny Frankel, who is the poster child for proving women can do anything they want having conquered the totally male dominant alcohol industry.   As a result of my subconscious, I’ve spent the morning stumbling onto different women’s resources and it gives me even more motivation to plow forward knowing how much support there is out there for women working in technology.   A great website I came across - Women 2.0 - practically had “Come here Brittany!” written across the top of it.  It’s a media company  ‘offering content, community and conferences for aspiring and current women innovators in technology’.  Of course I’ve already “liked” them on facebook, am following their tweets and will be reading their blog religiously and I can’t wait!  Some other great sites I’m also now stalking are Women in Wireless and Women Innovate Mobile.  I’m feeling totally empowered! Here’s a link for all the ladies who need a reminder - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUBnxqEVKlk

[brittanylmitchell-blog]

Gratification Day

I’ve figured out how to satisfy my desire of wanting to build something towards my business idea.  I borrowed an iPad and downloaded Blueprint UI Design App and am having a blast bringing my idea to life.  All of my creative juices are flowing and it’s an exciting and rewarding feeling to see my creation in front of me.  I can almost see the ball rolling now.   The Blueprint app requires a bit of a learning curve and I admit that I was briefly overwhelmed but once I put myself at square one and reviewed the online tutorials everything started coming together.  Clearly I’m exposing my nerdy side... Who knew a model would get so geeked out about technology?!  (I admit I got the same way about building my professional website www.Brittany-Mitchell.com... I guess I still have a few surprises up my sleeve).  Anyway, I’ve been working on this App mockup for quite a few hours and all I can think is how badly I want to actually be using it right now and in my everyday life.  It’s a great feeling and obviously one that I hope many potential users will experience in the future. In addition to all the creating, I've been continuing to read everything business related - mostly from my favorite entrepreneur websites Forbes.com, Inc.com, Under30CEO.com and Crains ChicagoBusiness.com and it always makes me feel so inspired. There's just something about the word Entrepreneur that gets me excited, as though it's an adventure into the unknown or a special club of elite minds that I'm itching to be a part of.  It’s probably because of the hype surrounding the entrepreneurs that ultimately succeed and isn’t that what we all want?  To be successful.  It reiterates that feeling of wanting more... More results, more direction.  I told myself I’d figure everything out and I literally want to hurl myself forward but am unsure in what direction.  So, since I don’t have a business degree to help me out, I’ve sought out other resources.  I’ve set up an appointment for free business counseling next week.  Hopefully I’ll get help in piecing together my ideas and start ironing out my business plan.  I’m assuming this will be the first of many meetings and I’m interested in all the help I can get!  

[brittanylmitchell-blog]

The Golden Rule

If you’ve known me for a while then you’ve seen the various types of jobs I’ve worked over the years.  If not then stop by www.Brittany-Mitchell.com and take a quick gander through my past posts.  It can get pretty interesting.  

Some jobs have been incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, some highly publicized, and some I work just because I have to pay rent.  While I’m obviously having fun at my non-desk-job I do have greater ambitions than simply getting from day to day with a smile on my face, although I think even that is hard for quite a few people.  I’ve been in this promotional industry for enough time to know that I want to change it and leave my impression on it.  Often my industry friends and I get emails from onlookers wanting to know how we do it.  Why does our job look like it’s so much more fun than their regular desk job?  How can they break into it?  Having stumbled upon this career in (there’s still no name for it, so..) Spokesmodeling, I’ve learned the ropes through trial and error, simply putting one foot in front of the other, with a little help from my friends and now I want to start sharing with you how you can succeed in this industry too.  

So now you’ve decided you want to be a model.  You hate your desk job, you want to be an actress, you see models working at all the glamorous events... Well guess what?  It is glamorous, some of the time.  Other times the work can be just plain dull.  This industry is amazing because you can get whatever you want out of it.  I know girls that work in this field because they like the flexibility, some like the ability to travel, some really would do anything to get out of having a desk job.  I like it because I enjoy modeling and on camera work and I feel like it all ties together into a wonderfully sociable, intriguing, well-rounded package.

My first insight to being successful is this: I’ve learned that this field (and life) is all about having a positive attitude.  That’s where it begins, plain and simple.  This field involves working with various different agencies, clients and consumers and the best way to be successful is to bring a great attitude and leave the diva behind.  When you’re the one smiling, radiating upbeat vibes, and communicating happy messages, that’s when you’re putting your best foot forward.  

A positive attitude and outlook is of the utmost importance because not every job you work will be glamorous.  We’ve all got bills and unfortunately the “dream jobs” don’t come around every single day. Unless of course you remember that you’re working as a means to an end in which the end is breaking into modeling, not sitting at a desk, having a flexible schedule... Whatever it is that brought you to this industry.  Isn’t that reason enough to be positive all the time?  I recently got booked at a convention for which my assignment was to sit in front of a conference room and wait for clients to show up for various appointments.  There were 2 appointments every 30 minutes for 8 hours.  That’s it.  I’m sure you’re thinking OMG! How boring!? Maybe. But how about looking at it as a fabulous time to catch up on your reading (provided you’re allowed to have a book on hand).  I got to keep my iPhone handy and basically got paid to read all my favorite entrepreneur websites so when I got back to my computer I could work on my App idea.  Awesome!  

In my life I try to make a point of not complaining.  I genuinely make a conscious effort to not think negative thoughts and if I do then I definitely think twice before saying them out loud.  No one wants to hear a complainer, they definitely don’t want to work with one and I really believe that you get back what you put out into the Universe.  So you should make it all positive!

[brittanylmitchell-blog]

Minding My Own Business

I’ve been sitting on an idea for about 2 months now.  How to start? Where to begin?  I’d  contemplated applying to business school.  I bought the Princeton Review GMAT book and learned half of it.  That’s when my “idea” came to me.  That’s also when I got myself confused.  Should I go to Grad school or just skip forward and start a business.  The pros of an MBA would be that I’d probably learn the best ways to start a business and run it efficiently.  The cons are that it will take another couple years out of my time and someone in the industry could beat me to my idea.  And more importantly, school will likely leave me in debt and that’s money I could otherwise use for start up.  With all the deadlines for applications and needing further tutelage for the GMAT, on top of my already hectic work schedule, I’ve opted for the latter - Start my own business.  So for two months now I have talked to my friends about my idea, “consulted” with every entrepreneur that’s crossed my path, and read any and every article on all the entrepreneur websites I can find - Under30CEO.com, INC.com, Crain’s ChicagoBusiness.com etc..  I’ve done some research and am currently deciding which business startup book to read... MJ Demarco's "The Millionaire Fastlane", "Four Hour Work Week" by Timothy Ferris, “Lean Startup” by Eric Ries.  I’m sure I should read all of them and probably will, but is that what I’m supposed to be doing?  Reading a lot doesn’t necessarily feel like the start of a business.  Is that impatient of me?  I feel like I should be building something.  Or have an exact blueprint for where I’m headed.  Obviously these things take a bit of time but it’s tough trying to figure it out all on my own.  I need to worry about the development of the actual business plan and I also need to conceptualize my idea and iron out some of the basic functionality.  I’ve never been a real risk taker and this, I feel, is going to put me out on a limb.  How do I know if it’s a good idea?  I get a positive response whenever I share it with other people.  And hey, if anyone is looking for a new venture and wants to partner up, I’m open. So far my research has consisted of figuring out other companies business plans that I can mimic (Sprouter.com is a fabulous resource for learning how other companies got started directly from the ones who created them and HighTable.com which has top business entrepreneurs actually answering your own business questions) and “information stalking” entrepreneurs I admire (Bethenny Frankel is my ultimate role model).  I’m learning a ton and all on my own time.  If I was going to Grad School I’d probably be so busy stressing about homework and passing my classes that I wouldn’t have the extra energy to enjoy this process.  Who knows.  I’ve made the decision to forgo Business School and I feel like it was the right one.  Wish me luck!

[brittanylmitchell-blog]

Meet Brittany

First of all, thank you for taking the time to check out my blog.  As a freelance model and talent I wear "many hats".  I make money where I can and that can be in the form of a tradeshow, photo shoot, TV commercial, street promotion or live event.

My personal truth is that I hate when people ask me what I do for a living because don't have a definitive explanation.  Once I say "model" people expect me to say I'm Heidi Klum or else I'm no one. The most interesting part to me is that some of my jobs that have paid the least and mean the least to me are the ones that others think are glamorous.  If I'm not saying something that people are familiar with then basically they look at me like I'm unemployed and useless. Even when it comes to my own family, they have no idea what I do unless it means they can see me somewhere like in a magazine or on TV. So when I talk about my work I tend to stick with the high profile sounding jobs - I’m in a national Altoids campaign ($600 for a year’s usage), I’m in a national Go Daddy ad seen on Comedy Central (it won a contest and I received $2,500 out of the $25,000 prize) and the best - I’m an extra in a handful of your favorite TV shows and movies (Extra work pays minimum wage and it has a tendency to be on the boring side).  The truth is that I make the majority of my income and a great living doing promotional modeling or what I usually call Spokesmodeling.  

During the summer of 2011, I joined the Auto Show Circuit with LINCOLN as a Certified  Product Specialist and Presenter.  Even with that title people still just assume that I stand around the cars looking pretty when in fact I can regurgitate anything you'd like to know about the vehicles and you can find me microphone-in-hand every hour giving a 10 minute presentation about the cars with no notes.  

The jobs that are biggest to me are the ones that challenge me, I personally learn from, or that prove to be an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Not necessarily the ones that make me look like a celebrity.  Working with LINCOLN proved to be a very big challenge in more ways than one.  The first being that it's very hard to be an attractive female in the auto industry and be taken seriously (or in many industries for that matter).  For example, I can be standing on the show floor with one of my male co-workers and a car enthusiast with a question will approach us.  Nine times out of 10 that car enthusiast will direct that question solely at the male specialist and literally treat me like I don't exist.  I hate to break it to these people but we've all gone through the same training and all have similar product knowledge.  Learning to overcome this has been challenging and something I'm still working on.  There's a balance between leading with my product knowledge and using my appearance to attract an audience.  Another challenging opportunity I've had with LINCOLN is that of presenting.  Growing up, I was always petrified of public speaking and was incredibly introverted.  Everyday that I get up on stage and address a crowd with a microphone is an incredible experience and I know that I'm pushing myself beyond my own comfort zone. 

Another job that left a major impact on me was in 2011 at the American Beauty Show walking the runway for Vivienne Mackinder.  Quite honestly I would have been happy working that same show for free because the whole event from start to finish was exhilarating and unforgettable. The stylists were incredible and personable, the runway show was over the top and the memories I took from it are unmatchable. And I must admit that strutting the catwalk in a $24,000 J Mendel lace gown was priceless.

Those are the types of things that keep me moving and finding happiness in this industry. I don't need to become a celebrity. I'm looking for the work that challenges me in ways that a desk job can't.