Editorial by Juan Carlos Lopez

As of right now the 2013 HardFitness Calendar will be assembled shortly and will have the final list soon. As of now we have:

So will keep adding more on our facebook pages:
http://www.facebook.com/hardfitness
http://www.facebook.com/hardfitnessmag

Learning the Lesson for Models/Competitors Part 1

This will be a two part editorial as this is a very good topic to discuss and also very complex. This is a great topic for models with no experience and also for the more experienced.

Lets start with some comparisons. There are two worlds first, the one were you compete here and there and do some shoots locally. Then there is the real world where you have achieved a good look and companies are looking to work with you. They will have a business model and then from there a job description. First thing to understand is that a business model is created in order to generate money. Each business model has components, so in order for that business model to work properly all components have to be fulfilled. Marketing is usually the most important of all those components. You can have a terrible product but if you advertise well you can sell it to anyone.

As a model you need to understand that you will be paid a fee and your images can be used in whatever way the company decides to according to their business model. If you have any reservations about anything YOU have to be the one to speak up. A good example is a model is shooting for a supplement company, the supplement company has a deal with crocodile shoe makers and they in conjunction use the model's image to cross promote each product. If the model doesn't like animals to be used for shoes then she should have been specific about this. You could argue that she didn't know they would use then but guess what that cross advertising is key for the supplement company's business model. By no means would the model win in a lawsuit. The release form would probably say "any images can be used in future media and with any type of business".

If you want to be a real fitness model you can't try to control the jobs you get. A real business won't make any exceptions for you since that would be unprofessional. All release forms should be the same for all models for a certain project. Yes you can pay models different fees depending on their modeling abilities. But no model will be paid a lot more than another, there is not need for that. Not one model can make or break a business.

If you are a good looking model with a great body and you have had some offers for jobs but you have not taken them because you think you are amazing or deserve more money; guess what? You have just made huge mistakes in your modeling career and your shell life as a model will end soon. So you will not get those offers again and as you get older you won't be able to model.

So step off the cloud and stop asking for $1000 per hour for modeling specially if you have no experience. Be ok with $50 to $100 per hour at most and maybe someone will hire you. Part 2 will include representation and why not to pick friends or family to work for you.

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