Meet Lennie Ross of The Cyrano Effect in West Hollywood

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Fashion and beauty have always been important to me. My maternal grandmother was a seamstress, and my paternal grandparents were furriers, so I grew up playing with sewing machines and designing my own Barbie Doll clothes from leftover scraps of fabric and fur. My father was a doctor and always had Vogue magazine in his waiting room. I used to pour over the pages and dream of someday being involved in the fashion and beauty industry.

Inspired by the pages of Vogue and Elle, I designed my own wardrobe throughout high school and university and created a line of ski apparel in my early 20s. I have experience in pattern drafting, fashion illustration, garment construction, alterations, and fabric care. But, that’s not all. At the early age of 14, I started modeling. My first gig was a national Coca-Cola commercial. By age 20, I had a busy modeling career and was also working as a photographer’s assistant — helping with lighting, styling, makeup and darkroom development and printing. I became enchanted with taking something from concept to completion… watching the images develop in front of my own eyes in the darkroom was the most exciting thing to me.

I have worked in the entertainment business my entire life, both in front and behind the scenes, My experience spans from writing and producing for film and television to working as a model, actress, makeup artist and wardrobe stylist for still photography and TV commercials. I have also worked in casting, as an assistant agent, and as a creative director and image consultant.

Today, I have brought together all of my experiences and skills under one umbrella and added to that a life-coach component. While I often work as a makeup artist and stylist, I also offer image consulting for private individuals seeking to fine-tune how they present themselves to the world, be it for their linked in profile, job interviews, dating profiles, personal relationships, etc. I also work with models and actors who are interested in building their portfolios and resumes to best reflect who they are and what they bring to a project. I like to help people succeed in life —  personally, professionally or both.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Nothing in life is ever a smooth road, is it? My life and career has been one challenge after another. I call myself the poster child of the #metoo movement, and that is no joke. That’s simply a fact. I have experienced sexual harassment and sexual discrimination with virtually every job I have ever had. So, yes, there have been struggles. Nobody prepares you for that. Certainly not in my generation. If I spoke up, I lost my job. I tried that several times. There have been other challenges as a woman — not being taken seriously, inequality in pay and opportunity… really the challenges are endless. Creating any kind of career… any kind of life… is challenging. My first company was called Yellow Wood Films, named after the Robert Frost poem. Here’s a little quote from that for those of you who are unfamiliar with it:  “I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

The Cyrano Effect – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I named my business The Cyrano Effect, after Cyrano De Bergerac. This is a story that is lost on many a millennial, but the older generations — Gen X and Gen Y — remember the film “Roxane” with Steve Martin and Darryl Hannah which is an adaptation from a 17th-century play. In essence, the plot is this: Cyrano teaches Christian how to woo Roxane by making Christian more presentable and more appealing to his “target audience.” In essence, that’s what I do. I am a makeup artist, wardrobe stylist and image consultant working both in the entertainment (tv/film, beauty, fashion) industry and the private sector.

In the entertainment world, I help people embrace the image they wish to portray to get the work they want to get. Part of doing that means I need to help them understand the way the world sees them, as people often see themselves through an entirely different lens. For models, I work as a consultant, helping to develop their portfolios, teaching them the way of the industry, and what the job of being a model really entails, and I help them create a unique “brand.” I do the same in the private sector. This can be for a business executive wishing to update his profile on his corporate website or Linkedin, or for someone who is looking to present themselves online to the dating world. I help people put their best face forward — that may be through makeup, wardrobe, etiquette or simply a well-crafted resume or dating profile.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I don’t really think about success. I’m a very Type A individual. I’m a perfectionist and extremely driven and committed to everything I do. My career has taken so many shapes over the years, it is continually evolving. I guess, if I had to define success, I would say it’s doing what I absolutely love, making people feel good about themselves in the process, and making a living – be it modest or otherwise. I just want to wake up every day, enjoy life and feel good about myself. And I do.