Today we’d like to introduce you to Val Emanuel.
Val, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My journey in the entertainment industry started when I was two years old. I was scouted in a mall and began working a little bit on commercial and television projects. Fast forward to being 14 years old and getting my first but contract with Ford models. The contract didn’t work out the way I had hoped, and I didn’t become a super rich, famous model traveling to Milan every other week, which made me think I was a failure. I sought out a different route and had some success with other agencies, but really had all my big credits in film and commercial through my own efforts.
I sought to give models the experience I wanted while I was with so many agencies that were disconnected from the model and not very helpful on the difficult journey that is the modeling world! I started telling people about my idea and was connected via email with my business partner Anne Therese that had an idea to start a new paradigm talent agency as well.
Role Models Management was the culmination of years of figuring out the challenges in modeling and how we can make it a more positive experience for models. Not only that, but we choose to take on talent that is actively working to challenge stereotypes of models. Our girls and guys are working on a variety of topics including climate change, animals rights, health and wellness, sustainable fashion and more. We are very proud to have em!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been easy! I think many people thought that we had investment or tons of capital to start with because my genius business partner Anne did a killer marketing campaign and Tier 1 branding from day one. Client acquisition was very hard when we started out. People don’t know who you are and you have to convince them you have what they need. Thankfully we have been blessed with an amazing roster of models so getting new Clients is happening more organically every month, but the last two years has been a lot of knocking on doors (via the Internet), sending postcards and sending LinkedIn messages! We have also been blessed to not have acquired major debts by making decisions on spending in a very thoughtful way. We have definitely wasted money on things that didn’t work like PR a and email marketing services, but all in all, we keep things simple and smart!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Role Models Management – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are known for having models and talent that are more than just a pretty face. Every one of our models is a changemaker in their field of passion. For example, we have Models who are climate activist and we have been able to pair them with brands like GAP and Timberland who are not fully there when it comes to sustainability but they are launching those initiatives and they want to work with an agency they can be transparent in marketing with. What’s the point in doing an eco campaign with a model who has a five years contract with a company like fashion nova? It’s hard to do both with social media being so transparent. Brands are very aware of this now and they want to use talent whose values align.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We have big things ahead. Some we can not even talk about yet! A lot of amazing new projects we are working on and also we are producing our own content, which is fun!
Contact Info:
- Website: Rolemodelsmgmt.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/rolemodelsmgmt
- Facebook: Facebook.com/rolemodelsmgmt
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