Super Model of the Year: Em Marie!

Em Marie, shot by Emily Scimeca (blog post featured image also by Emily Scimeca)

This 14-year-old had me at first glance, last summer in Maine. She is breathtaking in person and ultra photogenic (those two traits don’t always go together). She is lovely, humble, talented, polite, bold, ambitious, incredibly disciplined and destined to be a superstar—whether as a model, dancer, or both. When I took her into my former agency, I had no doubt she would be signed by New York Model Management. It is rare to be that sure about a new discovery. I have never been that sure, in fact. And, yes, they signed her! So I’m not surprised that my panel of industry judges have chosen Em Marie as Model of the Year!

Em Marie, shot by Jordan Matter

Thank you judges: agent and modeling industry guru Page Parkes (read more here: Exclusive Interview with Page Parkes from Scouted); fab photographer Danny Cardozo (read more here: Danny Cardozo Zooms in on Role Modeling, Modeling, and Photography); and counselor and former supermodel Susan Miner (read more here: Supermodel Susan Miner on Modeling, Inner Beauty, and Page Parkes Model Camp).

Em Marie, shot by Gene Schiavone

This is only the beginning, Em. I can’t wait to see where your career takes you!

Congrats, also, to the People’s Choice Winner: Zoe Mann!

Zoe Mann, shot by Ashley Skatoff

Zoe Mann, shot by Ashley Skatoff

Submit Your Entry to the Modeling Mentor Model Search

(If you entered previously, you are eligible to resubmit!)

Congrats, Ana Halozan!

Ana Halozan

Height: 5’10″    Sizes (metric): 83-60-89    Age: 18

Based in Europe

2day in Milan, Seeking Representation in New York

This classic beauty from Slovenia is the winner of the Modeling Mentor Model Search for 2015! Already represented in Milan, one of Europe’s top markets, Ana is poised to hit her stride in the Big Apple—with legs that never stop.

Ana can seek advice from former supermodel Susan Miner during a free one-on-one Skype session to plot Ana’s course to both outer and inner beauty! 

Susan Miner, M.A., specializes in raising women’s inner beauty and peace, which is guaranteed to enhance outer beauty. See: Susanminerbeauty.com

People’s Choice Award: Congrats, Tanya Hendrickson

Garnering 169 likes, Tanya wins the popular vote! That gives us two 5’10″ beauties—one blonde and one brunette—for agents to consider.

A huge congratulations to all the contenders this year—what a stunning group, plus a couple of super cute kids! I’m excited to see where your careers take you in the future. Get in touch with your mentor—yours truly—whenever you have questions, doubts, or any news to share!

It’s time to kick off the 2016 model search. Get your submissions in for Model of the Month!

Meet the Model Search judges:

Erin Lundgren-Scimeca, Director of Scouting at New York Model Management

Erin has been in the industry for 20 years. She worked as a scout at Elite in the Nineties when they represented most of the supermodels in the industry. Erin organized the Elite Model Look contest and then was promoted to Director of Elite Model Look North America. Five years later, she moved to New York Models to run their scouting division.Erin oversees the new faces as well as the movement and placement of the models at the agency.

Page Parkes, Founder/Owner of Page Parkes Corporation

Page founded her agency in Texas 30 years ago and made a name for herself throughout the international modeling circuit. She was one of the first agents to open a branch in the lucrative Miami market (her agency there eventually merged with Ford). She has discovered big-name stars, including Channing Tatum, Shannon Elizabeth, Woody Harrelson, Brooke Burns, and Alexis Bledel. Her finds are placed in major agencies across the globe and her expert eye landed her on E!’s reality show Scouted. Read all about Page here: Exclusive Interview With Page Parkes From Scouted

Susan Miner, Supermodel, Psychologist, Author, and Founder of Susan Miner Beauty

As an international supermodel, Susan Miner graced the cover of numerous top magazines, including Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Self, and Harper’s Bazaar. Her face represented such powerhouses as Revlon, Maybelline, and L’Oreal. After she retired she got her BA in Psychology (Summa Cum Laude) and MA in Counseling and then became an adjunct Professor of Psychology and therapist.

Currently, as President of Beauty From the Inside Out, Inc., Susan is a keynote speaker, Beautiful Energy workshop facilitator, author and counselor. Her expertise as a supermodel and therapist merged into one passion: To raise your inner peace and beauty! Susan is committed to helping you tap into and unleash your Beautiful Energy. Her book Beautiful Energy: Exercises to Reveal Your Inner Peace contains the step by step of how to reduce your anxiety in written, audio and video format.

Subcribe for free mini energy sessions and beauty tips: Youtube: Susan Miner

Read my interview with Susan Miner.

Jill Johnson: Former Model, Founder of Tear Sheet magazine, Writer, Modeling Mentor, and Stage Mom. Read more about Jill Johnson.  (And stay tuned for a blog in defense of stage moms!)

Subscribe to the free monthly Modeling Mentor Newsletter!

A panel of fashion industry powerhouses are currently reviewing the Modeling Mentor Model Search finalists and voting on Model of the Year!

Meet the Model Search judges:

Erin Lundgren-Scimeca, Director of Scouting at New York Model Management

Some of New York Model Management’s Stars

Erin has been in the industry for almost 20 years.  She worked as a scout at Elite in the 90’s when they represented most of the supermodels in the industry.  Erin organized the Elite Model Look contest and then was promoted to Director of Elite Model Look North America. Five years later, she moved to New York Models to run their scouting division. Erin oversees the new faces as well as the movement and placement of the models at the agency.

Page Parkes, Founder/Owner of Page Parkes Corporation

Models in the Women’s Division at Page Parkes in Dallas

Page founded her agency in Texas almost 30 years ago and made a name for herself throughout the international modeling circuit. She was one of the first agents to open a branch in the lucrative Miami market (her agency there eventually merged with Ford). She has discovered big-name stars, including Channing Tatum, Shannon Elizabeth, Woody Harrelson, Brooke Burns, and Alexis Bledel. Her finds are placed in major agencies across the globe and her expert eye landed her on E!’s reality show Scouted. Read all about Page here: Exclusive Interview With Page Parkes From Scouted

Susan Miner, Supermodel, Psychologist and Founder of Susan Miner Beauty

Susan Miner

During her career Susan Miner graced the cover of top magazines like Vogue and Elle and was one of the faces of Revlon Cosmetics. She then embarked on a journey to heal the insecurities she felt during her years modeling. She studied psychology in college and graduate school and ultimately became an adjunct professor. Currently, as a workshop leader, keynote speaker, writer, and counselor, Susan helps others find “beauty from the inside out.” Read my interview with Susan Miner.

Jill Johnson, Former Model and Magazine Editor; Current Writer, Modeling Mentor, and Mom . Read more about Jill Johnson.

Subscribe to the free monthly Modeling Mentor Newsletter and be first to see who wins Model of the Year 2013!

See the 2013 Modeling Mentor Model Search Finalists

How did you get involved with Page Parkes Role Model Camp?

I’ve been working on my spiritual and personal growth for the past few years. There’s a great link between your inner beauty and outer beauty. It all revolves around contribution.  What makes you feel best inside is what you can give back. Having had such a long relationship with Page and now with Susan Miner, I brought them together to do the first one. I’ll be contributing my talent by allowing the girls to shine from within and giving them a beautiful photograph to take with them.

How do you envision the shoot that you’ll be doing with each girl?

I just want to capture their beauty, being comfortable and proud of who they are. A great image can come from just feeling and being, not posing. They will be discovering themselves in the camp; I want to capture in a photo what they have discovered. There may be a makeup artist donating her talent, but the makeup would be very natural. I will shoot in a portrait meets fashion way.

Will you be giving them advice too?

Yes, definitely. A lot of girls and a lot of women don’t have a male figure in their life that understands them and compliments them in an older-brother way. Being a gay guy, I have the freedom to tell them they look hot and have them feel good about it. I don’t come across like a dirty old man! From 13 to 17—it’s a very delicate age. We’re authority figures and can either be helpful or very damaging if a girl feels abused. I’m really personable. My demeanor enables me to connect with teens in a very positive way.

How long have you known Page?

Since I was 20, so 23 years!

How did you meet?

When she opened her office in Miami. She was one of the first three agents there. I was already testing. Irene Marie is the reason I got started in the business. I bought a camera at 14 and learned on my own how to take pictures. I was going out, hanging out with models, and started shooting them. The agency saw some of my pictures and asked me to come in. This is how naïve I was: They asked me to bring my “book,” and I thought they meant a school book! I brought a family photo album of snapshots I had done, using handheld lamps from Home Depot. Still, Richard Pollmann, who I met with, said, “You have a really good eye and you take good pictures.” They sent me to Atlanta to take pictures. By then I was studying Communication Design at the International Fine Arts College at Miami International University.  But I made so much money in one week, I quit school and became photographer.

Do you see Page as a role model?

Yes. 100%. She’s influenced me my whole life. I call her my second mom.

How long have you known Susan Miner?

I remember Susan from when she modeled. I have known her for about two years. Within five minutes, we had a special connection. She’s a really special woman, with an amazing gift, and she’s had an amazing life. She really walks the walk.

How did you meet?

I met her through Ron at Next.

When did you shoot these stunning photos of her?

Last year. She was 42.

Susan Miner by Danny Cardozo

Susan Miner (42 is the new 30!)

Is it your magic lighting or does Susan really look 30?

She looks amazing. She’s just a beauty girl. It doesn’t matter what she does—she’ll be sitting at breakfast wearing no makeup, and she looks like she walked out of a photo shoot. She’s an exceptionally beautiful woman inside and out. My whole life I’ve been influenced 95% by women. I learned so much from you and respect you greatly. [Blush, blush.] I’m very pro women. I want to educate girls to become women like you and Susan and Page.

Do you have experience with the therapy that Susan does?

I’ve filmed and shot one of her sessions. I’ve seen her do hands-on healing on a 15-yr-old and 46-yr-old producer who had gone through a major struggle, and I saw a break-through in both of them. I witnessed the energy that transfers from one to the other.

Do you foresee more camps like the Role Model Camp in August?

Yes. We’re aiming for 20 girls for this one.  If it doesn’t fill up, it will be exactly what it needs to be. We’d rather do it with girls who desperately need our help, like cancer survivors, girls who really need the boost.

Do you play a mentor role with models you shoot? (Typically we only hear the opposite story, of photographers taking advantage of their subjects.)

Always. I always have, ever since I discovered that I had the power to influence people. I refuse to ever say anything negative. Everyone is beautiful, no matter what shape, size, or color. I’m true to the industry, though. I am honest. I would never give a card to someone I don’t think can be a model. What is great about adding the positive “role” model, to the model word that can have negative or superficial connotations, is that everyone can be a role model. You don’t have to be a fashion model. You can be a role model to everyone you encounter.

What inspired you to get into photography?

Beauty, architecture, Patrick Nagel paintings, Duran Duran, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Smiths—all these cultural things I grew up with. I would listen to music and would envision pictures. I started shooting guys, in a very Herb Ritts style. But I prefer to shoot fashion. I love the architecture in fashion.

How did you learn photography?

I was self-taught.

The best photographers usually are, right?

I think you can learn photography, but you can’t learn the eye, the vision behind it. It’s not through a camera that you shoot an amazing picture; it’s through your mind. The camera is just a tool. School will teach you technically how to do it, but the vast majority of great photos are technically incorrect.

Favorite models you’ve shot?

Valentina Zelyaeva, the Ralph Lauren girl—an amazing model and role-model herself. She’s an advocate of healthy eating and is showing other models how to “Beautify Yourself Through Nutrition” (that’s her slogan: check out Valentina’s Blog).

Valentina and Danny in action

Ioanna Ntenti, an up-and-coming model in Paris, who has been featured in Vogue, Elle, Tank. She’s a great girl with an incredible spirit. Robin Linke, a hidden treasure who is here in Miami with Elite. She’s on one of my latest covers.

Ally Ertel, a stunningly beautiful and caring girl, who actually is volunteering in the first RMC (Role Model Camp). Susan is mentoring her. She is the perfect example of inner beauty that flows outward. The reason I like the girls I mentioned as models: images of them just happen—they aren’t forced, you can’t tell these models what to do.

Ally Ertel, by Danny Cardozo

Celebrities you’ve shot?

I shot Serena Williams recently, two weeks prior to her winning her fifth Wimbledon championship. Now she’s headed to the Olympics. She’s such an inspiring woman and athlete, with an incredible work ethic and great determination. She also gives back, through her Foundation. It was a pleasure to photograph her because she also has a strong fashion sense and was very committed to a great end result.

Serena Williams, by Danny Cardozo

Another amazing female personality I had the pleasure of working with recently is Katrina Campins. We have been collaborating a lot this year, as she and I have very similar views and enthusiasm for life. Katrina also is launching her personal brand www.katrinacampins.com and BeGr8er.com. Both are destined to promote wellness and inner strength through business and music.

Katrina Campins, by Danny Cardozo

What makes you a good photographer?

Passion and understanding of a moment. Evolving and always changing. You are only as good as the last thing you put out; the next thing you do, you want to make it great. And #1—having a great team. That vastly changed my work. I live by my crew.

What makes you a good person/a role model?

Love. I love everybody. I love the world. I love my life. Also, gratitude and humility—I begin every day with thank you. [I and my kids are going to start doing that. Thank you!]

Accepting that success is good, unless it changes you and makes you egotistical. The universe wants you to be rich in every aspect. I’ve lost everything a couple of times in the past. I’m here today because I was able to learn and grow. That’s a great lesson to learn at a young age: Life is about lows and highs, lows and highs. The sooner you learn that, the easier it is to cope with it. There’s nothing wrong with being down. That’s where the role model comes up. Nothing ever is going to be perfect and it’s great to understand that. Society is constantly telling kids they have to be #1, which makes them feel like they will never be enough. Our two major fears, according to Tony Robbins (self-help author and motivational speaker) are: I’ll never be enough or I’m not going to be loved.

Clearly you have a lot of advice for teens (and all of us!), what about for aspiring models?

Today’s market is completely saturated with amazing girls. We joke that they must have breeding farms in Russia or Brazil, producing all these tall, skinny, exotic models. And models get scouted everywhere. If you’re living in the jungle in the Amazon, they’ll find you! There has never been a time with so many great girls competing for the same jobs, at least at a high, exclusive level. So, unless you’re 5’9″ to 5’11″ and have good skin, carefully consider your options. Competition is harsh now. Seven out of ten girls are great. The one who lands the job is the one with spirit, personality, and professionalism.

Advice to aspiring photographers?

Trust your instincts. Don’t put anything your not proud of out there. Be patient. Take more time to do it right and you’ll be happy. Don’t compromise your vision for money or someone else. There’s nothing wrong with saying no. Not every job is for you. If a client needs a photographer to shoot diapers in grocery stores—that job is not for me. If it’s Chanel, I understand it. Love what you shoot and you’ll love every job you get. As the saying goes, love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life. You do have to be on social media. You have to be out there. It’s competitive. I finally found an agent who’s really great. Negotiating is hard. She does that so I can do my job better.

Final thoughts?

I think that more models and ex-models should become role models. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to give it back.  It’s everybody’s duty to be a role model to someone younger, so we can change to coming generation. If you have a moment and can help someone out, more than likely you’re going to be the only person who helps them out today.

More info on Page Parkes Role Model Camp

Interview with Supermodel Susan Miner

Stay tuned for a story about some kid role models later this week!

How did you get started modeling?

I went to a small modeling school when I was 14. I had to convince my mother to let me go. I did some small jobs, passing out perfume and mannequin modeling. It was 1983/84 and I made $25 an hour, so it was wonderful! Then I went to a casting for a runway show for the store that is now Casual Corner. Even though I felt like I wasn’t pulled together like the other models, I got the job. I really shined in the show, and they offered me a contract. For two years, I was their exclusive model. Then an agent in Boston picked me up. (I’m from Hampden, Mass.) After I graduated from high school, I got an apartment in Boston. I worked one or two days a week—I was living the life! Two months later, an agency in New York picked me up and I moved there. I was 17. I did really well in New York, at least as well as someone can do without a book; I had Polaroids pretty much! My agent sent me to Australia. I went to a casting right off the plane and worked non-stop.

How long did it take to “make it”?

It happened right from the beginning, starting with small bookings and then leading up to bigger ones. If it had happened any faster, it probably would have been a disaster. There was a three-month period in Paris when all I was doing was wearing out my shoes. Then ten months later, they were flying me back on the Concorde. I went to Milan for almost a year when I was 18 or 19. My first day there, I booked Italian Vogue.

Did you have any of the bad experiences models report from “Viet-Milan”?

I made so much money, they weren’t going to mess with me. My boyfriend, a photographer who was eight years older, went with me. He kept me out of trouble. I didn’t really hear about the stuff that was going on until now.

What was your big break (not that Italian Vogue isn’t big enough!)?

I moved back to New York—I was 19 or 20— and went to a mass casting for Vogue. I had on my boyfriend’s pants (I owned two pairs of pants) and no makeup. When I walked in, Polly Mellen stood up and said, “Susan Miner, where have you been?” Several months later I was on the cover and in the magazine regularly from then on.

Did you like modeling?

I enjoyed modeling, yes, but I wasn’t always happy.  I had my own demons, as most young women do. All my struggles were within myself, and they were contradictory to modeling. I was getting paid a lot of money for how I looked. At the same time, I directed a lot of shame and sadness at myself.

Did being a model reinforce these negative feelings or bolster your confidence?

In one sense, modeling bolstered my confidence because I was very independent. It gave me a lot of choices and people were enamored with the profession. But it played into my insecurities too. A client would feed you a big lunch and then hand you an outfit the size of a toothpick. I never had an eating disorder, but I brushed upon an eating disorder in my mind.  What I struggled with was knowing what to eat, what was best for me. Once I figured out what I needed to eat, it wasn’t hard. The whole fat-free trend was a nightmare.  I was always hungry. When I started eating right and exercising—I love exercising—it wasn’t hard. But if I had to be a size 2, I would have been sick. Even when I was 8 or 10 lbs heavier than my ideal as a model, I worked every day. When I was modeling, I knew very few girls with eating disorders. In fact, only one.

What was your ideal weight and how tall are you?

It was 128. I’m 5’9″ or just under that. I’m not 128 now and I’m happy. I’m 134 or 135.

How many years did you model?

Fifteen, but ten full time.

What did you learn from your career?

I learned to value myself financially. I learned I have the ability to make a good living. I learned that the world in general values and judges appearances. I learned that it doesn’t matter where you are, what you have, or what you look like—it doesn’t make you happy. You can be young, beautiful, rich, and in a beautiful place like Paris and still not be happy.

Biggest perk of modeling?

Money.

What was your catalog day rate?

My minimum was $2,500. I made $3,500 sometimes, and a whole lot more for some clients.

Biggest drawback/pitfall?

If girls attach their self-worth to modeling, that’s a pitfall. The bottom line is a very small percent are going to make a really good living—even a decent living—at it. If girls think that modeling will make them lovable or fabulous, that’s a pitfall; or if modeling keeps them from paying attention to what they really want to do, where their gifts may lie.

Worst experience?

I can’t pick one example, but sometimes I would be so exhausted from traveling and being nervous and not sleeping before a job that I could barely put one foot in front of the other. I was delirious. Or modeling winter clothes in the summer on a tar roof—that was interesting—or standing in snow in swimwear.

Advice to young people interested in modeling?

I’m actually writing an entire E-book on this, so I could talk for a long time. I encourage girls to focus on their inner strengths, their confidence, loving themselves—all the things that will give them a more fulfilling and peaceful life overall.

I read on your site (susanminerbeauty.com) that at age 27, you went to college, got your B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Community Counseling and became Professor Miner! Last year, at 42, you launched a new business, Beauty From the Inside Out. Tell us about that.

My business is designed to give women the experience of feeling their inner beauty: peace, comfort in their own skin, connection with their higher power. It’s very experiential. I’m not teaching anything new, or that you can’t learn in a book. It’s more giving people the experience of feeling peaceful and then giving them some tools they can carry out into their everyday life. I may start with energy movement, which relaxes the body and gets a person into their body and out of their minds, followed by heartfelt accomplishment exercises. I work with clients on Skype and do guided meditations. I have been doing this kind of work for ten years. I really began when I was 20, self studying, trying to feel better myself; I always say that’s why I became a therapist: I was a mess and wanted to feel better!

 

 

Susan Miner now, making the 40s look amazing! (Photos by Danny Cardozo)

Tell me how you will be involved in Page Parkes Role Model Camp?

I’m doing what I call “A Roadmap to Peace.” When I was younger, I would have loved someone to give me a roadmap or have someone be my mentor. It’s a roadmap from empowerment to peace, with exercise to build trust, hope, forgiveness, understanding, love, joy, and peace.

How many girls will there be and what age group?

Twenty girls, ages 13 – 17. I’m very excited about it!

How did you get involved with the camp? Do you know Page?

Yes, she’s one of my clients. Originally, it started that I wanted to support her as she becomes more out there as a role model. She has been a role model for all these years but behind the scenes.

Where do you live?

Orlando. My husband, Anthony, an engineer, was transferred here with Pepsi. Now he’s working full-time with me in the business.

Do you have children?

A daughter, Charlee Rose, who will be five in September.

What would you say if she wanted to model?

[She ponders for a moment.] When she’s older? I would say yes. But now, no way, it would be a full-time job for me! [Read more about Kid Modeling.]

How has motherhood affected you?

Motherhood has made me more committed to being healthy both in mind and body.

What do you do as a mom to try to raise a confident, secure, happy daughter?

I try to be honest with her even at her age.  Mostly I focus on being confident, secure, and happy myself.

Anything to add?

I want to add that, particularly with my business, I’m very interested in collaborating a lot, especially with other models who want to share in a spiritual, nurturing way.

Contact Susan through her website, susanminerbeauty.com, or via email: susan@susanminerbeauty.com

More info on Page Parkes Role Model Camp

Stay tuned for a Q&A with photographer Danny Cardozo next week!

Stay tuned for my interview with supermodel Susan Miner, coming this Friday, followed by photographer Danny Cardozo next week!

Read more about Agent/Scout/TV Personality Page Parkes

Read more about Supermom Page Parkes