Royal Model Management

Quite literally owned my life for several years. I spent every weekend in Chicago, training, prepping, perfecting. I wouldn't trade those times or the people I met for anything! Finally, after months upon months of hard work we boarded a plane for our long-awaited trip to LA,only to get stranded at the airport, then flown to Texas for the night without our luggage, and ended up finally arriving in LA the morning of opening ceremonies(talk about stress!). That afternoon I had my first event, along with several other representatives of our agency. While I can't remember specifically what acting event it was, we had to perform well despite the chaos of the morning, despite the craziness....in front of over 3,000 people. Including top talent agents from all over the world. I remember being scared out of my mind, panicky with doubt & anticipation. Was I going to be good enough? How were we to perform well when inside we were still scrambling for our footing? I remember one of my coaches, Mr. Mattix, grabbing me by the shoulder and spinning me around. Staring into my eyes, a quiet grin emerged from the corners of his mouth. "Did you come all this way, do all this work, to let some people you tell YOU how good YOU are, who YOU are?"

This struck me.

Here is this guy who it's his whole job to make me look good for these people, and he's telling me to hell with what they say?

But then I realized, it's not about impressing them. They don't have the power...we do. Without us, they can't do THEIR jobs. Without us, they are pretty much just watching Masterpiece Theatre. So be strong in who you are, what you believe, what you do. Whoever likes it will like it, whoever doesn't...well...won't. Take it or leave it. Flaws and raw and all. Just be you.

I recited one of Mr. Mattix's favorite quotes in my head as I now stepped onto the stage with confidence...

All your life you are told the things you cannot do.
All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough.
They will say you're wrong to do this, to act like this, to achieve this.
THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless.
All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly.
AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES.