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Wednesday 30 January 2013
Breaking New!!! WHY TONTO DIKEH all the time???
Friday 25 January 2013
The Deal With Agencies & Test Shoots for Portfolio Building
When you sign with an agency you’re well on your way towards a bright and promising modeling career. The first step is to do your first photoshoot for the purpose of building not only your portfolio but your comp card as well. In this day and age of the Internet, many modeling agencies post their models’ portfolios online as well as the print version of the portfolio, which is commonly referred to as a model’s “book.” Of course all this costs money but whose supposed to cover those costs? Should anyone have to pay at all? What about test shoots?
This is a topic that needs to be clarified because I know too many people who have misconceptions and their own idea of what the right answer is. I’ve seen veins bulge out of people’s foreheads while arguing adamantly about what they believe is supposed to be true about this subject (or typing in all caps online screaming their beliefs). Hopefully I can set the record straight.
Once you sign with an agency it is up to the agency and only the agency about how to handle your portfolio shoot. There are three options they can choose from:
1. They will arrange a test shoot, which means you won’t have to pay a dime and neither will the agency. Or they may allow you to find your own photographer to shoot with and give you a deadline for when to have the images turned in by.
2. You’ll have to cover the costs. It isn’t uncommon for a model to pay for the cost of his/her portfolio shoot, which often includes the cost of printing.
3. The agency will pay for your portfolio shoot and the printing costs, which they will later take out of your earnings for reimbursement once you start booking work.
Again, the agency will decide what course to take. Many believe that if an agency does not pay for your portfolio then they are a scam or not a real agency. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The only time this would apply would be if a so-called “agency” was trying to charge you upfront fees to pay for putting together a portfolio before offering you a contract. That’s a no-no. However, if you’re already signed, then they are within their rights to request that you pay.
Agencies each have their own reasons for deciding whether a model should cover the costs or not. Smaller agencies in smaller markets often don’t have the budgets needed to cover model portfolio expenses, but larger and well-known agencies have models pay for their portfolios all the time. Fashion agencies tend to be more welcoming to covering the costs, while many commercial/print agencies have their models handle it. Some agencies simply don’t want to risk losing out on money. For example, say an agency pays for a new model’s portfolio and other expenses but she gets little to no work afterwards. The agency loses out. This is the business side of it. Any business will do what’s necessary to protect itself financially.
Models typically don’t mind paying for this expense because it really is a small investment into their career that is quickly made back once they start working. If there is anytime I say it’s okay to pay for something in your modeling career, it would be this. But only if you already have a contract signed…not before.
The actual cost of the shoot can range anywhere from $200-600, maybe more but that’s the general range. Remember, you’re paying for more than just images. You have a whole crew devoted to you and the cost often includes printing fees for hard copies for your book and putting together your comp/zed card.
If you’re a model who got your portfolio expenses covered, kudos to you, but if you aren’t, don’t feel like you’re less of a model or that your career and agency are any less legit than the next.
9 Smart Ways to Keep Your Marriage Healthy at Any Age
Each decade will have its own drama, be it child rearing, layoffs,
second careers, and middle-aged angst, along with a big helping of the
in-sickness-and-in-health stuff. Here’s how to have a healthy
relationship every step of the way.
First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes decades of time together strewn with a minefield of potential
relationship wreckers. It’s a wonder that anyone ends up walking off into the sunset, hand-in-wrinkled-hand, with
a silver-haired mate. What do those geriatric lovebirds know that you don’t?
Well, the truth is that even in so-called happy marriages, both partners probably fantasize some of the time—or
even much of the time—about throwing in the towel. A new Woman’s Day and AOL Living poll found that a
shocking 72% of women surveyed have considered leaving their husbands at some point. But despite the
occasional rocky patch, 71% expected to be with their husbands for the rest of their lives. So how do you make it
to the finish line with your relationship intact?
Each decade will have its own drama, be it child-rearing, layoffs, second careers, and middle-aged angst, along
with a big helping of the in-sickness-and-in-health stuff. Here’s how to have a healthy relationship every step of
the way.
1. Watch your waistline
Now that you’re married, you can finally relax and skip the gym, right? Wrong. Wedded couples tend to have
fatter waistlines, which can spell trouble in terms of sexual attraction and general health. A 2007 study published
in the New England Journal of Medicine found that your chances of becoming obese increase by 37% if your
spouse becomes obese. So unless you want “till death do us part” to include chronic health issues like heart
disease and diabetes, it’s important to establish healthy eating habits early on. But warding off weight gain isn’t as
simple as whipping up a healthy meal together. Eating with anyone—from your spouse to coworker—can cause
you to consume 33% more than you would solo.
Being aware of the potential fatty pitfalls of marital bliss may be enough to keep your portion sizes in check.
Spend couple time checking out local farmers' markets on the weekends in an effort to consumer fresher, lowcalorie
fare. Or schedule an exercise date to work off some of your hearty, homemade dinners.
2. Have a financial plan
Nearly 40% of married people admit to lying to their spouse about a purchase, according to a 2004 poll, and
money woes can quickly send your marriage south. In fact, money is the number-one reason couples fight, and
relationships tend to suffer during poor economies. You should discuss and agree upon some hard financial
ground rules, preferably before you tie the knot.
Don’t fret if you’re a spendthrift and your partner pinches pennies. “It’s probably not a good thing to have the
exact same philosophy about money, “ says Ken Robbins, MD, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University
of Wisconsin–Madison. “But financial issues are best to resolve early on. You want to decide who is going to pay
the bills, how much discretionary spending is reasonable, and how you’re going to keep track of it all.”
3. Figure out your family rules
Couples spend the first 5 to 10 years of their marriage butting heads over how their family should work, says Dr.
Robbins. “People often don’t realize that they come into a marriage with an idea of how a family works based on
their own family—whether they liked them or not,” he adds. You can end up fighting over something as trivial as
how you should hang your toilet paper, but those little issues can add up to big problems, particularly if children
enter the picture. A 2004 study found that how a couple manages parenting responsibilities when the child is an
infant is associated with the quality of their marriage two-and-a-half years later.
You and your partner may have vastly different ideas about how a child should be cared for and what constitutes
family together time. If one of you is working, should the other partner get up with the baby at night, or should
you take turns? Is it important for you to sit down to dinner as a family every night? “You need to figure out how
you can live together happily while each maintaining your own sense of self,” says Dr. Robbins.
4. Make sex a priority—but not a chore
While you should make sex a priority, you shouldn’t pencil it in on your planner. If you schedule sex, it becomes
a responsibility—just like taking out the trash, says Andrew Goldstein, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist at
the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, in Baltimore, and the coauthor of Reclaiming Desire. The average married
couple has sex 58 times per year, or slightly more than once a week. And a recent eight-year study found that 90%
of couples experienced a decrease in marital satisfaction after the birth of their first child. Yikes!
But it doesn’t matter whether you’re having sex five times a week or five times a year—as long as both of you are
happy, says Dr. Goldstein. In fact, a 2008 study found that couples who reported any kind of marital intimacy—
everything from holding hands to sex—exhibited lower levels of a hormone produced by stress.
5. Be flexible
Whatever financial and household arrangements you agreed to in your 20s or 30s, chances are they’re going to
change at some point in your marriage. Men account for 82% of recent job losses during this recession, meaning
couples are making some hard choices when it comes to both their careers and their checking accounts.
If the traditional breadwinner is laid off, the stay-at-home parent may need to head back into the workforce.
Conversely, if you become a stay-at-home partner—due to choice or circumstance—expect to do more of the
shopping, cleaning, and other chores that make a household run smoothly. A recent analysis of government data
found that employed women spend significantly more time on child care and housework than employed men—and
unemployed men.
Having an open discussion of how household duties need to change can help couples weather some tough
transitions. “Everyone has a role within the relationship and as long as there’s a greater good, it’s not a question
about whether it’s his money or her money,” says Dr. Goldstein. “It’s their money. Your paycheck and your
career are not the value of your worth.”
6. Stay active as you age
If you’re like most American couples, you don’t exercise or you stopped regularly exercising when you had
children. Try to find new ways to stay active as a couple, whether it’s hitting the tennis courts or hiking trails. A
1995 study found that couples who work out together are more likely to stick with an exercise program. And
some experts suggest that couples who exercise more frequently tend to have better sex lives.
Pick up a life sport that you can enjoy together for decades to come, like golf, tennis, or hiking. You don’t need to
be seriously sweating to reap the benefits of regular exercise. Experts say that moderate exercise is enough to help
stave off heart disease and other ailments.
7. Gab (a little) to your friend
In the last decade, researchers have noted a rise in “gray divorce,” or couples over 50 who are calling it quits.
While it’s tempting—and often prudent—to keep couple conversations behind closed doors, you may actually
benefit from blabbing to a close friend.
“It’s often helpful to talk to couple friends when these big issues come up,” says Dr. Robbins. “Many couples live
very privately and discuss these issues with the shades down, but relationship issues like this can often benefit
from hearing how people that you trust dealt with a similar situation.” Whether it’s hearing how a friend dealt with
her husband’s infidelity or other big hurdles, a little empathy can put things in perspective. But keep your gabbing
under control. “Clearly it’s never a good idea to say anything—even to a close friend—that you wouldn’t want
repeated back to your spouse in five years,” warns Dr. Goldstein.
8. Rediscover each other as a couple, sans kids
Forget empty nest syndrome—a 2008 study found that marital satisfaction actually improves once children leave
home. Female participants reported spending equal amounts of time with their partners both while their children
lived at home and after, but they noted that the quality of that together time was better once the kids were out of the
picture. “Suddenly the tyranny of the children controlling the household is relieved,” says Dr. Robbins. “You
don’t have to have dinner at 6, you don’t have to spend Saturdays at the soccer field, and you don’t have to be so
responsible all the time.” Use this newfound freedom to bend the rules a bit and rediscover what you love about
each other.
But if marital problems have already been bubbling, an empty nest can reveal serious tension. “All of a sudden the
noise is gone,” says Dr. Robbins. “If you didn’t have much to talk about, it suddenly becomes more apparent once
the kids are gone.”
9. Be a conscious caregiver
In the event of a serious illness, spouses who assume the role of caregiver often develop a sense of “caregiver
burden” and may become ill themselves. So it’s vital that both spouses ask for help when they need it. Getting out
to see friends and socialize is particularly important for caregivers. And realize that you both have limitations.
“The spouse who needs help typically feels guilty and frustrated. The spouse who has to help feels controlled by
it,” says Dr. Robbins. “While you can’t fix those issues, you at least need to be open about them.”
10 ways to boost your PR career in 2013
With 2013 well underway, I’ve been reflecting on ways to be a smarter, happier, and
more productive professional. Here are my suggestions for professional resolutions:
Take risks and challenge authority.
The most successful relationships are built on mutual respect. Instead of saying
“yes,” when given an assignment, carefully consider business implications. Don’t be
afraid to offer ideas and solutions that may seem against the norm. Your ability to
take initiative, generate new ideas, and deliver thoughtful counsel will earn you
respect and grow your role beyond that of a tactician and into a true strategist.
Affect change as much as possible.
Focus on clients, projects, and priorities with the highest opportunities for meaningful
results. Don’t get distracted by process or minutia.
Stop complaining.
It is easy to dwell on reasons our career, lives, and families are challenging,
unreasonable, or stressful. In 2013, instead of staying on the complaint hamster
wheel, take control and change your situation for the better. And as the cliché goes,
“choose your battles”—stop stressing about organizational or personal situations you
truly cannot change.
Avoid drama.
You are never going to win an argument with someone who isn’t rational. Instead,
turn the demand or rant your boss or client spouted into a calm and positive
opportunity. Don’t get defensive or seek validation; overcome your need to be right or
prove a point. Walk away from situations that truly aren’t worth your energy. This
includes office gossip.
Admit you’re human.
Take responsibility for your errors. Admitting you are wrong and working to rectify the
situation in a thoughtful manner builds camaraderie and encourages an honest
approach to business.
Maintain perspective.
We aren’t doing life-saving surgery, fighting a war, or solving the debt crisis. It may
feel like that sometimes, but although the work we do may be important and
meaningful, maintain perspective and lose the self-importance.
Get over it!
Your boss or client criticizes your work, or worse, you. Not everyone is going to love
your work all the time. Your openness to suggestions or criticisms and ability to learn
from them, and not dwell on the negative, will serve you well.
Turn off the devices.
Being accessible 24-hours a day not only kills work/life balance, but it also sets
unrealistic and unreasonable expectations. Truly shutting down for even a few hours
a day will lessen your stress and help you recharge your body and your brain.
Consider your legacy.
We are all too young to think about our long-term legacies, yet take a moment to
think about how you wish to be remembered and reflect on how you are living your
life. If you honestly consider how you are perceived by colleagues, friends, and
family, you may change your behavior, relationships, and perhaps even your
professional path.
Be benevolent.
Volunteer, take on a pro-bono client, and consider building your corporate social
responsibility offerings or career path. Working to improve society should be an
element of everyone’s work and lives, regardless of the profession.
Best wishes for a productive, joyful, and healthy 2013.
Lorra M. Brown is an assistant professor of public relations/professional
communication at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J. Visit her blog
www.lorrabrown.com or follow her on Twitter@LorraBrownPR.
Self Motivation
Have you ever gotten to a stage in your life when you think "oh am
tired, I don't won't to do this anymore or you say "no one wanna to
care about what am doing?"
Well, as at that point all you want to hear is " hey! Nice job-keep it up!"
Motivation is all you need. That push to make you do more and better
But sometimes the motivation doesn't come. No one really cares about
your existence.
See! In life, I believe one needs to motivate him or herself. Don't
wait for anyone to motivate you.
It is not easy but its worth it
How can you motivate youself?
1. You have to believe in yourself and what you are doing
No one can tell you what you are doing is good if you do not believe
that what you are doing is good. Self motivation has to come from you.
You have to value what you do. With that if anyone does not even care,
as long as you care-dats all dat matters
2. Fill your heart and mind with inspirational words.
At a time in my life I taught no one cared about me, that I was ugly
and I was absolutely nothing.
So I came to realize no one cared because I didn't care about myself.
At that point I got a paper and wrote down the following:
1. I am Adetoke Orekoya
2.I am wonderfully and beautifully made
3.God loves me no matter what
4. I can do all things
5.I am a success
6. Am a role model to my generation
I read this into my mind everyday doing that period of my life. It
helped motovate me... I started working towards making myself better
without anyone's help.
To my surprise, I got progress and even began receiving remarks that
helped motivate me.
Try it! It helps to erase fear and increase faith in yourself and what you do
Self motivation is important, it is one of the important steps to success.
Written by Adetoke Orekoya
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