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PMM Archives: Plus Size Model Behavior With Sharon Quinn: Part 4 – Taking YOUR Career Seriously (The Business of YOU)

Originally published PLUS Model Magazine  5/01/2008

Meet Sharon Quinn

Part 4: Taking YOUR Career Seriously (The Business of YOU)

As I enter the 4th month period in my new position as a Model Booker for IPM Models, I gotta tell you…. I come home every night with a new story about an aspiring plus size model that crossed my path that day.  Last month I could have easily written several more pages on the topic of Agency/Model Expectations but I only had a limited amount of space that I could work with.  I promise you, I will do a second part to that article later, as many of you have given me plenty of material to pull from.

Throughout my career, I have encountered THOUSANDS of women in my travels who, when asked what they do for a living, will tell you without hesitation – I AM A MODEL.  What I find is while everyone loves to SAY those four words; few are willing to seriously put in the time, money and effort it takes to have a successful career as a plus sized model.  Most folks just want to SAY that because they like how it sounds and it probably makes them quite popular.  It seems these days that EVERYONE thinks that they have “what it takes” to be a plus sized model and that’s what usually comes through the doors of the agency… quite literally “Everyone”.  And nothing confirms that the last statement ISN’T true more than what I see at open calls and from email submissions.

I liken modeling to a high stakes world championship poker match.  There are millions of dollars at stake; and there are definitive qualifications/requirements that you must to meet and rules you must know and follow, BEFORE you are allowed to participate.  You CANNOT play if you don’t meet the qualifications and/or don’t know the rules.  The same line of thinking applies to plus modeling and many of you don’t bother to take the time to learn the rules or you already know them and believe that you are the exception to the rule.  Anyone who thinks that all you need is to be big and have a pretty face, is seriously fooling themselves.  The business of plus size modeling is a billion dollar business and if YOU don’t take YOUR business seriously, I promise you, you will wind up wasting a lot of your time and hard earned money.

Right now I am speaking directly to the aspiring plus size model who is trying to ascend from a career on a local level to a career in the industry mainstream.

The rules of the game on the local level can be drastically different from the “industry standards” and I most definitely want to cover those topics as well at a later date.

Basic Qualifications:

a) Are you at least 5’8′ tall barefoot?

I have hired models who were 5’6″ because their faces were extraordinary, they took great photos and they had that “something special” about them that made it hard for me to stop looking at them and that’s REALLY important if you want to be “the exception to the rule”.  This is probably one of the easiest places to take some er…liberties with.  But let’s face it I’m probably not going to sign you if you are 5’3″.  There isn’t anything in the mainstream market for you at 5’3″ at the moment besides the occasional fit jobs or “Real People” modeling.

b) Do You Have Clear Skin/Complexion?

I have covered this in past articles, I really do believe it’s self explanatory – clear skin is a must, so if your skin isn’t up to par yet…seek out a dermatologist, buy some Proactive, get some fade cream for the dark spots, drink more water – I don’t care WHAT you have to do, just do it BEFORE you come to see me.  I can’t and won’t send you out to see clients if your skin is a mess!  Get your skin together first!  This way NO ONE’S time is wasted.

Read the rest of the article here.

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