EVOLVE IN THE WAY WE SEE VALUE.

I COULD, AND PROBABLY WILL NOW THAT I’M TYPING IT, SPEAK TO THIS TOPIC MULTIPLE TIMES ON MY BLOG.  ONE’S PERSPECTIVE DRIVES THEIR DECISION MAKING.  WITH REGARDS TO THE MODELS IN MY ADS, I INTENTIONALLY LOOK FOR ARTISTS LOCAL TO ST. LOUIS AND THE METRO-EAST.  INSTAGRAM IS ONE OF THE TOOLS THAT HELPS ME FIND LOCAL TALENT.

 

 

 

RECENTLY, I READ AN INSTAGRAM POST THAT SAID, “WOULD YOU STILL BE A CONSIDERED A MODEL, WITHOUT INSTAGRAM?”  THE TONE OF THE POST FELT SARCASTIC & BELITTLING, IN MY INTERPRETATION.  I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE, BECAUSE SOME OF THE WOMEN I HAVE HIRED FOR MY SHOOTS, I FOUND ON INSTAGRAM.  AS A MATTER OF FACT, ONE OF MY FAVORITE SHOOTS THUS FAR, IS OF A YOUNG WOMAN I FOUND ON INSTAGRAM.

 

 

PERSONALLY, I SEE HUGE VALUE IN THE “INSTAGRAM MODEL”, ESPECIALLY THOSE WOMEN LOCAL TO MY AREA.  MOST OF THE MODELS I HAVE BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH ARE GREAT PEOPLE!  THEY WORK REGULAR JOBS AND RAISE FAMILIES, AS I DO.  SOME ARE MARRIED WITH CHILDREN, WHILE OTHERS ARE SINGLE PEOPLE.  HOWEVER, WE ALL HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON.  WE ALL CHOOSE TO CREATE ART AND SHARE IT WITH THE WORLD VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, AND OTHER VENUES WE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ALONG THE WAY, I HAVE CREATED SOME TRULY GREAT RELATIONSHIPS CONSIDERING I ONLY STARTED HIRING LOCAL MODELS IN MID 2016.  IT WAS TRULY ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS I’VE MADE, WITH REGARDS TO MARKETING.  WHY?  THOSE I HAVE WORKED WITH KNOW I USE THE PHRASE “WIN-WIN” A LOT.  CREATING MULTI-BENEFICIAL SITUATIONS IS  A PART OF MY PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DUE TO THE PERSPECTIVE OF VALUE I SEE IN WORKING WITH MODELS I FIND ON SOCIAL MEDIA (PRIMARILY LOCAL), BOTH PARTIES WIN, AS THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED TO EACH MODEL IS FAIR AND ADVANTAGEOUS.

 

I GET BEAUTIFUL IMAGES TO CONTINUE PUSHING MY BRAND FORWARD.  THE MODELS GET THE SAME FOR THEIR PORTFOLIOS, AS WELL AS FAIR FINANCIAL COMPENSATION.

 

 

 

 

ONE OF THE BEST LESSONS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT HIRING MODELS, I LEARNED IN 2017.  AFTER REACHING OUT TO A LOCAL MODEL, FOR A SECOND PROJECT I HAD IN MIND. SHE INFORMED ME THAT HER RATE IS NOW $100/HOUR.

 

THE LESSON IS SIMPLE.  THERE ARE LEVELS TO THIS.  WHAT DO I MEAN?

 

FROM THE TIME WE WORKED TOGETHER INITIALLY, UNTIL THE SECOND TIME I APPROACHED HER, THE MARKET VALUE OF HER MODELING HAD INCREASED.  IN OTHER WORDS, SHE WAS COMMANDING $100/HOUR AND HER CURRENT CLIENTS WERE HAPPY TO PAY IT.  THIS SHOWS GROWTH, BOTH PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL, ON HER PART.  I FELT A SENSE OF HAPPINESS FOR HER, BECAUSE OF THIS.

 

 

HOWEVER, THAT RATE IS FIVE TIMES GREATER THAN WHAT I PAY PER HOUR, FOR A MODEL WITH SOME EXPERIENCE.  I MORE GREATLY UNDERSTOOD MY CURRENT ROLE AND NICHE, REGARDING THIS.

 

 

 

MY RESEARCH AND STUDY OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY HAS SHOWN ME THAT CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHICS OF MODELS AND OTHER ARTISTIC SUPPORT PERSONNEL, HAVE NOT RECEIVED (AND STILL DON'T RECEIVE) AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES AS OTHERS, HISTORICALLY.  THE ROLE OF BOWTIE IS TO PROVIDE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, USING MY PLATFORM, SO THAT THE ARTISTS ARE ADDING TO THEIR PORTFOLIOS, THEIR PRACTICES AND THEIR POCKETS.

 

I SEE IMMENSE VALUE IN WORKING WITH LOCAL AND/OR NEWER MODELS.  A BOW TIE CIGAR AD MAY ASSIST IN THE MODEL ATTAINING MUCH LARGER PAYING GIGS.  (ALSO, MANY OF THE OPPORTUNITIES I REGULARLY SEE OFFERED ONLINE ARE “TFP” – TIME FOR PHOTOS.  THESE ARE VALUABLE TOO, BTW, IN MY OPINION!)

 

I CHOOSE TO PAY THE MODELS AND ANY OTHER ARTISTS I WORK WITH.  MY EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGH, AS THEY SHOULD BE, WITH REGARDS TO PROFESSIONALISM.  HOW THEY PERCEIVE THE OPPORTUNITY DETERMINES IF IT IS VALUABLE ENOUGH FOR THEM TO ACCEPT IT, OR NOT.

 

"INDIVIDUALLY PERCEIVED VALUE".

 

 

WITH REGARDS TO CREATION OF THE ART, I TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY.  NO LESS THAN SAY A “RALPH LAUREN” OR “BALMAIN” BRAND DOES.  ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE MUCH GREATER RESOURCES THAN BOWTIE, I TAKE PRIDE IN THE FACT THAT I STUDY AS MUCH AS I DO, TO CREATE THE RESULT I SEE IN MY HEAD.  IN THE END, THE BETTER OUR RESULT, THE GREATER POTENTIAL VALUE CREATED FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED.

 

 

IF ASKED THE QUESTION, “WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE VALUE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MODELS?”  I WOULD RESPOND:

 

“AS A BRAND OWNER, I BELIEVE THE VALUE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MODELS TO BE LIMITLESS!

 

 

 

ALTHOUGH, NOT A TRADITIONAL MODELING ROUTE, SOME OF THE MOST AMAZING IMAGES I HAVE SEEN, COME FROM THE STREAMS OF MODELS USING SOCIAL MEDIA, ESPECIALLY INSTAGRAM.  ALSO, BECAUSE OF INSTAGRAM, I’VE COME TO REALIZE THAT WITHIN ST. LOUIS AND METRO EAST AREAS THERE EXISTS A MULTITUDE OF VERY BEAUTIFUL FEMALE MODELS. (THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE PHYSICAL BEAUTY.)  MORE IMPORTANTLY, MANY OF THEM ARE TRULY BEAUTIFUL AS PEOPLE.  I AM EXTREMELY BLESSED AND FORTUNATE TO HAVE CARVED OUT A NICHE THAT HAS BEEN EMBRACED BY THE LOCAL MODELING AND FASHION COMMUNITIES.

 

 

ALTHOUGH MY BRAND IS STILL RELATIVELY NEW TO THOSE COMMUNITIES, IT IS MY GOAL TO CONTINUE CREATING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE BENEFICIAL TO ALL ARTISTIC PARTIES INVOLVED IN A BOWTIE PRODUCTION.”

 

 

"THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING."  A GUY I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH, BY THE NAME COREY "CO-T" TURNER, SAID THIS ONCE AFTER SHOWING ME A RENT CHECK HE COLLECTED FROM HIS FIRST RENTAL PROPERTY.  IT IS AN APPROPRIATE PHRASE TO USE AT THIS MOMENT BECAUSE MY PREVIOUS PROJECTS HAVE NETTED FRUIT IN THE FORM OF BOOKED PHOTO SHOOTS FOR 2019 AND 2020, AND A MULTITUDE OF OTHER MODELS (SOME BRAND NEW) THAT HAVE EXPRESSED INTERESTED IN DOING A PROJECT WITH ME THIS YEAR.

 

 

 

 

THANK YOU TO THOSE MODELS THAT HAVE AGREED AND MATERIALS HAVE ALREADY BEEN PROVIDED FOR.  I APPRECIATE YOU AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOUR PATIENCE.  YOU LADIES KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

 

SINCERELY,  BOWTIE.