Where to start.....

It probably goes without saying, that I get asked quite frequently..."Where do you start if you think your child might be interested in modeling?" The modeling business can feel overwhelming especially when as a parent, you want to protect and support, and having your child's look critiqued can be really uncomfortable.

So this is the only time I will say, that before you decide to pursue this avenue, make sure you've had the talk with both yourself, your spouse and your child that for every agency out there, there's a million of opinions about who's commercial and who's not. For every interview...there's an human being on the other end and their opinion is just that...their opinion.

Every time Maddie is in a waiting room with 50 other gorgeous young women, I have to remind her that she's unique, she's there for a reason, that she can't be perfect for every job. Each girl there is special and has something to offer and in this world when you see one attractive person, there's always someone more attractive around the corner. So if you decide to go into modeling....you have to work on yourself from the inside out. Being physically fit is important. Being mentally tough is even more so. Your experiences as a person affect what you offer in front of a camera, so you can't rely on just being a pretty face. You have to be able to project many emotions, attitudes and strengths in front of the camera. You have to know yourself...your best angle....your go to poses....and expectations for young models is much more forgiving, but you have to be learning and evolving from the get go. Parents....do not project your feelings on to your child. If this is something your son or daughter is interested in...then the best you can do is be their number one advocate and be the eyes and ears to give them the feedback they need to put their best foot forward. At the end of the day, just like any endeavor, our kids just need us to be there loving them whatever comes down the road.

So here's what I did when we decided to get it our best shot at getting Maddie's photos in front of the right people. I really don't have any special connections or any inside information than to go through these steps and see what the response is.

Maddie had some photos taken by a neighbor, who was going into photography and wanted some practice. When we got the photos back, a large percentage of them were really good. Which is often a really good clue.....is your child highly photogenic? Maddie has always been really comfortable in front of the camera. That's another indicator...how comfortable is your child when taking pictures?

My first thought was to find out what agencies had solid reputations when handling minors. After doing some initial research, I ended up on a sight for a local modeling agency in San Diego, called San Diego Model Management. Their site is http://www.sdmodel.com/index.htm. They have some great information on their site such as what are the physical requirements for children, teenagers, women and men. What I thought was really cool was if you scroll down to the bottom of the "Physical Requirements" page, you'll find a link for "major agencies."

The reality is that you as the parent should not....let me repeat....NOT have to spend money to see if your child has what it takes to model. Classes, workshops and so forth may or may not have value, but the reality is to submit photos to an agency, all you need are some basic shots.

Once I got on the "Major Agencies" link I was able to check out the different agencies and from there I was able to discern what was needed to send in for Maddie's photos. I chose five agencies to start with. From there I sent the photos we had available and emailed them to the agencies. After about one week...we heard back from Ford and only Ford.

I got an email from the San Francisco Ford office, in which they requested the following photos to be emailed. Front head shot...hair pulled back off of face, natural lighting, no make up. Side shot, hair pulled back, in a bikini...and full front shot...again no make up. We emailed those photos up and waited about two days. From there they wanted Maddie to go to L.A. and meet with someone from Ford face to face. After that meeting they scheduled a test shoot...at not cost to us. After the test shoot, they offered Maddie a contract.

Each agency will have on their website what kind of photos they're looking for. Ford has a solid reputation, having been in the business for so many years and especially at working with minor children. They have been absolutely wonderful to Maddie during this process and because they are so well connected, they don't work with disreputable photographers and such. We've had a great experience to date.

We have also met models from other agencies and they LOVE their agency. So it's like anything else, where sometimes you have to find out what feels right for your child. If we hadn't heard back from Ford, then I would have continued on down the list of agencies until we had heard back. Unfortunately, via email they don't typically respond and tell you any critiques about your child. For example; if they need to be older or if they need their teeth straightened. If your looking for feedback, you may want to consider contacting the local agencies about open castings in their office. I've been told that these are also excellent opportunities for parents to take their kids and meet with an agent/booker face to face and find out if their child has an opportunity with that agency.

Other considerations once you find an agent:

Most agencies are located in Los Angeles or other large cities. Are you prepared to drive your child to and from for castings. I don't know what the "norm" is but I know for Maddie there are weeks where we are driving to and from for castings about 3-4 days a week. Sometimes it's less and sometimes it's more. Often times the castings are less than 24 hours notice. Some jobs do not require castings, but so far those are few and far between.

Another consideration is school. Managing there time between school, homework and castings takes a team effort. It also takes a certain kind of school and teachers to make it work. Not every district/school will be supportive of a working child.

Initial money investment for Maddie the first year was approx. 5-7k. She needed clothes for castings, items for her model bag, lots of shoes, nails and hair taken care of on a regular basis, auto expenses, some hotel expenses and the list goes on. Once she signed with Ford, there were some free photo shoots and then others were needed that cost approx. 500.00 so that her book stays updated. These shoots take place about every 3-4 months.

So far, navigating puberty, while under the microscope of modeling has been the most difficult part of modeling. It's hard enough to go through changes or have a bad hair day for any child but then to have to pull it together to look your best and project happiness in front of a camera when your child is feeling anything but....well, it's tough. So buckle your seatbelt because it's a bumpy ride. The experience to date has been well worth the time, effort and craziness in terms of Maddie have some money set aside for college but also in terms of her maturity and ability to interact with adults and maintain her sense of self in most situations.

Feel free to ask me any questions I may not have covered. Best of luck to your child and to you!!