Work Wisdom

This blog is somewhat a continuation of my last blog.  So the story begins: When I was growing up my first work experience was with my Dad.  My mother and he proudly owned their own consulting forestry business for 35 years.  I still go out to work with dad on occasion, but when I was 10 or 12 years old I'd go out with dad to tracts of land, and while at that early age I was riding 4 wheelers and playing more than I was working, I did begin to pick up on a few things that were my parents cornerstones in their business world.  While I can't say this verbatim in their words, these are things I learned by observing them and have now developed into my own work ethics.  

Work hard or go home: This is rule number one.  Never do anything, excuse my French, half-ass.  My dad always says, if you do it right the FIRST time you won't have to worry about it ever again.  If you are going to work half-heartedly you might as well go home, because if you aren't working to your full potential you're most likely shorting your client who paid good money for you to complete your job.  Show up to work to give it your all.  Sweat on your brow and dirt on your pants never killed anyone, or in the case of my dad's business, sweat on your brow and paint, tree resin, leaves, dirt, ash, nor grease on your pants ever killed you.  You never know, your hard work may be what differentiates you from your competitor.  People notice a diligent worker and will tend to refer them to other people.

Honesty: This is the most important rule.  Never promise anything you can't deliver and never fabricate a story to cover your own butt.  If a job is going to take you two weeks and will cost X amount of dollars, your customer needs to know that.  Don't set expectations for a customer that you can't uphold or that will cause your work to be hastily completed, because haste can often result in a sloppy job. If you make a mistake, yes, it is a set back or may cost someone money, and, yes, it is hard to admit, but admitting your mistake is the right thing to do.  The customer may never use you again and that's tough, but you did the right thing by admitting your mistake, and your reputation as an honest worker is upheld.  The last thing you want is a bad reputation. Reputations can spread like wild fire and always seem to stick around or, as they say, precede you.  Also, never let someone pressure you into doing something with which you don’t ethically feel ok.  Standing up for your beliefs and saying, no, should never cause you shame.  Honesty is your most important asset.

Communication:  This is key not only between you and your customers, but also between you, your employees, and your employer (if you don’t own your own business).  Always make sure the customer understands the full scope of your services and how much each service will cost.  There's nothing worse than having an unexpected cost, because people don't like bad surprises.  You should account for mistakes, or unexpected needs, in your budget.  If you end up not needing X amount of dollars that you budgeted, then it goes back into the customer's wallet making for a happy customer.  People will remember if you try to pinch them out of a dime.  Make your expectations and game plan known to the customer.  The more they know about what you're doing the more comfortable they will be.  Try to give a time frame and notify them ASAP if there's a miscue.
        As an employer, your goals and expectations need to be as clear as possible.  Growing and developing employees to your liking is on you and no one else.  Preach what you teach and show what you know.  Open the forum for questions, allow your employees to shadow and learn from you, help them to help you.  Always make yourself available, always be supportive, and be a leader that someone can look up to and will want to strive to become.  As a employee, don't be afraid to ask questions or admit you don't know something.  If your employer is unresponsive to this, then you most likely don't want to work for that person.  Lastly, don't forget work should be fun.  Yes, you are out to accomplish a goal and that's serious stuff, but cracking a smile and sharing a laugh always makes the job much better, which leads to my next and final rule.
  

             Attitude is everything:  If you go into work knowing you are going to have a bad day, guess what, you are!  If you know that your day is going to be long and drawn out, guess what, it is!  If you go into work dreading some duty you have to complete, guess what, it will be dreadful!  On the other hand, if you believe in yourself, know there isn't anything you can't overcome (even if you need guidance to do so), know that, despite having to complete that dreadful task, if you get on the ball and get it over with you can get it behind you, then you will.  The people who go into work with a smile tend to leave work with a smile.  Sure, not every day will go according to plan, there will be hiccups, and, "oh-no's!", but sometimes improvisation equates to new ideas, not to mention keeps you on your toes.  Don't be afraid to step up and be that shining light or go-to person for an employer.  Every business has its go-getter and, guess what, they're the person who will go places in this world.  The bottom line being, if you know the world can't knock you down then it won't, even if it does you'll get back up, dust your pants off and mentally flip it the bird (or at least stick out your tongue).

As always thank you for reading.  Below is my poem.  It’s a bit darker than what I’ve been posting.  I was reading an article on abortion recently and these words flew off my pen.  It depicts the turmoil a mother must feel after she’s had an abortion, or even if she is merely considering one.  I hope you enjoy it, or it touches you in some way.

She stands atop a mountain but can’t see the sky

A thick fog smothers her eyes leaving her asking why

Tears drop down escaping the prison from which they are bound

Life crashing toward demise without a single murmur or sound

The beginning of one story leads to the end of another

She stands taking in the new breath when most run for cover

Hoping it will disguise the truth of what she’s drastically become

Finds comfort in the shadows when people ask her where she’s from

It’s easier to hide the truth from those that are blind

That’s why she stays on the move with no destination in mind

Still feels wrapped and bound down by a continuous coil

Like that of a plant being grounded by its roots in the soil

But the sun doesn’t shine often in these parts

Gloom is the tale of the soulless with their empty hearts

Those that have no face who can’t find their one meaning

Back and forth she staggers and can’t stop from careening

She finds the heart of a man but won’t feel his touch

God has forsaken her with fear that strangles her with its clutch

She use to pray for new hope and for a while that helped her cope

Then her knees became bumped and broken causing her to leave his house ablaze and smokin’

The brick and mortar collapse showing no token of God’s presence but the ignorant continue hoping

Lost her conscious long ago, she knows of no hope with her broken wings

Rain pouring down to the point it causes pain and a bitter but welcomed sting

Angels flee from her essence when they use to grace her with their presence and sing

This ache is taking the life out of her causing her vision to become a blur

No longer sure her decision was right which leaves her soul in the balance of a wicked fight

Two youths lost in a single motion is the reason for all her confusion and internal commotion

Left with a void except for the plaguing emotion that leaves her riveted with one hanging devotion

The loss of one is the loss of another who was not ready to be a mother

Learning to lead

As some of you may know, I was promoted to the position of manager at the retail store for which I work.  I have been a manager for about 8 months and have worked within the company for 18 months.  Transitioning from a full-time customer service associate to holding a position as a manager has been challenging and given me ample opportunity to learn as well as grow.

When I was first promoted to the position of manager, I was actually promoted over someone with whom I would have to work with on a daily basis.  I don't mean that I would see this person from time to time in passing, it meant we would work together in the same department and interact daily.  This was slightly uncomfortable and caused me some anxiety.  This was a unique challenge to me that I needed to face straight away.  The person had been working in the department for quite a while and was very knowledgeable in the field.  They most likely felt, and rightfully so, that they deserved the job more than I, and most likely felt resentment towards me.  Before I took the position as manager, I went to the person and explained to them how I felt about our upcoming situation.  I wanted to start our relationship off on the right foot.  So, I told them I understood if they had any ill feelings towards me that it would be natural, but I wanted to resolve any doubts immediately.  I was frank and admitted I had quite a bit of learning to do, and I wouldn't be able to grow and become the leader I needed to be without their help.  This really helped break the ice and showed I had the ability to be a team player.  I still had to work my way in, and although my respect from this person didn't come easily, it did come, and we ended up working very well together.  However, those first few weeks were tough for me.  I needed to learn and ask questions while also providing leadership for my department. It was a daunting task, but once I met the challenge, it made me a much stronger person.  Over time, I was able to share with this person the responsibilities of being a manager, and he/she has become a manager at a different store.  Before he/she transferred, this person came to me and said, “Your being hired was great for this department, and I'm glad it happened.  I'm glad we had the opportunity to work together.”  Lemons turned into lemonade! 
 
Leadership is a tough role. Some parts of the transition were easy for me.  Continuing my ethic as a diligent worker and completing paper work on time are a couple examples of things that came naturally.  Leading by example through work ethic is one of my strongest suits.   Being seen as an authoritative figure was and still is challenging as I am young and new to the management world.  I don't mean authoritative just to my employees only, I also mean to customers as well.  People question me due to my youth. I guess I need gray hair and a few wrinkles (on occasion vast product knowledge isn't enough these days)!  Resolving issues between employees fairly and impartially isn't always as clear cut as you'd like it to be.  Having to answer the tough questions and make judgment calls to resolve customer complaints was something that took me a while to get a handle on (it's never easy being put on the spot).  I have always been a good teacher but sometimes I can't help but wonder if I am doing enough to develop my employees.  Coming into my own is a process.  Having employees understand the company’s goals and how it expects my department to operate can be a hurdle.  Making sure my avenues of communication are accessible and clear between me and all employees is an ever evolving process. A department manager is stuck somewhere between being a boss, a co-worker, and a friend.  I want my employees to respect me as a leader but also feel able to come to me in their time of need.  The boss side of me has to ensure people are working hard, are on task, and staying motivated.  The co-worker in me sympathizes with employees when they are having a bad day, or have been treated poorly by a customer.  The friend in me wants to say, oh, it's ok if you slack off today, I understand, I have a lazy bone occasionally as well.  Knowing you can't allow that "lazy day" to happen is where the lines get murky.
 
The only real insight I have is that there's no one right way but plenty of wrong ways when it comes to a being a department manager.  Sometimes the best way to learn, grow, and develop is through trial by fire and making mistakes.  As a leader you need to be a rock that others can rely upon, but don't be afraid to admit you screwed up. That's what separates the men from the boys. A strong chin and a bit of intelligence paired with a sense of direction can carry you through.  Surrounding yourself with a good team that connects on a personal level is important.  If you enjoy the people you work with, it makes the hard days much easier.  Employ people who are well rounded but vary in their strong suits which allows the opportunity for personal growth.  Don't be afraid to learn. Sure, I am the manager, but that doesn't mean I know everything.  To stay on top, I have to be willing to learn and to evolve. 
 
As always, thanks for reading.  Feel free to make comments!  You'll find this week’s poem is pretty self-explanatory.  A poor man with a dream! 
 
A Case Of Blues 
 
A handsome man walks toward his busted car 
His lifelong dream is to own a classy bar 
It's something he can't begin to afford 
His lucky string is a rusted broken cord 
 
The dreamer's tattered clothes melt into a fitted suit 
He slips into fancy shoes and sheds his shredded boots 
Time piece ticks as he slides it back into his vest 
Bourbon neat as he greets his first guests 
 
He envisions dim yet dazzling blue lights 
Cigar smoke lingers lazily in sight 
Live blue's melodies play low filling the open air 
Jazz tomorrow night to add a touch of flair 
 
Laughter is on the house and is heard all around 
Slow dance by some, hand in hand they are bound 
Applause after a song finishes that touched the crowd 
Now this is work that can leave a man feeling proud 
 
Regulars begin to build as word spreads 
Red leather booths fill with smiling heads 
Beautiful women under crystal chandeliers are finely dressed 
All the men can't hide their wonder and that they are impressed 
 
He wakes to snow fall in a car that won't start with no heat 
Rips in his clothes leave him huddled for warmth in his seat 
A hungry stomach groans and growls angrily at its predicament 
Yet this world shows no real remorse and very little sentiment 
 
Maybe one day he can bring his heart fluttering hope to life 
At the fiber of his being his fixation on this vision runs rife 
Something he can build with his own hands 
Until then he will live in his castle made of sand

I'm not perfect, but who is?

Hello all,

I have had quite the delay since my last blog entry.  I apologize for the "randomness", if you will, of this one but I hope to make this a semi-regular occurrence from here on out(as long as I can get my hands on Amanda's Mac).

Today I write to you from a townhouse filled with the joys of puppy paws pattering around, in the quaint town of Winchester, VA.  It's a town that's not to big and not to small, has a little bit of everything yet wilderness knocks not far from anywhere. 

Without further ado, the topic of this blog is manners.  Now I'm not perfect, in fact no one is, so don't take this as me sitting on my high horse.  Sometimes I'm in a rush and don't have time for formalities, or sometimes I simply forget my manners and end up regretting it later.  My point being, what encompasses this particular blog are small observations I've made and should be taken as such. 

For the past ten years, yes TEN years I have worked in some form of customer service oriented job.  Whether that be waiting tables, working in a clothing store, being a customer service rep taking phone calls, being a cashier at a grocery store, or, most recently, the manager for a retail business.  Over those ten years I have had a plethora of good experiences, customer service isn't a bad business, but I've also had quite a few not-so-great experiences.  Unfortunately, it's the bad experiences that stay with you.  Not all of what I write here has happened during my time as a faithful employee but a majority of it has.

What amazes me this day in age is that other people are amazed when I say, yes ma'am or yes sir.  Nine times out of ten I get the reply, "son your Momma raised you right".  Why is that?  Are we in such a hurry we forget it's the small things that matter most?  Common courtesy and being polite are an ally, use them, people don't forget kindness.

We are all human and people make mistakes, I know I have.  Sometimes I feel I am more susceptible to making a mistake than getting things right.  Unfortunately, most people's knee-jerk reaction when I make a mistake is to blow things out of proportion, as if I intentionally messed up.  Folks, trust me when I say I wouldn't mess up on purpose.  Also, trust me when I say, you getting furious doesn't help the situation.  I will work more diligently to resolve an issue for someone with an understanding, level head, than someone who has smoke blowing from their ears.  Yelling and pulling hair doesn't make me work any faster, in fact, it mostly makes me want to tell you to skedaddle.  Now if I have delayed and haven't worked toward resolving said issue, causing the problem to fester, then by all means, I most likely deserve to be scolded.  Until then, help me to help you by acting like mature adults.

I've noticed more and more that if I open a door for someone going into or out of a restaurant, or any other place, people lack the ability to utter a simple, thank you.  Why is this?  Am I suppose to open the door for you with a bow and a smile, my king?  And, as the person opening the door, if someone does say thank you for your kindness, please have the courtesy to respond with a, your welcome, it's common courtesy.

If you are driving and you suddenly realize that you're in the wrong lane, your turn is up ahead, frantically flip on your turn signal, and I allow you to cut in front of me...please acknowledge my gesture with a wave of some sort.  It shows appreciation by your doing so.

If my company has a policy that doesn't bode well for your particular situation, such as we don't serve a breakfast food after 11a.m., or my company doesn't install a particular home good yet we sell it, know that I am simply an extension of said company.  I didn't make the rules, but I do accept them and work with them.  If you have a problem with any of our policies know that I am sorry for our inability to service your needs.  If you have a formal complaint you'd like to file I can get you in touch with the proper authorities.  Bashing the worker ant doesn't do much for anyone but give me a headache and make you look like a...mean person.

Being ignored isn't much fun, right?  Here recently I've even had people lack the ability to acknowledge when I say hello to them, and it's not because I'm soft spoken.  I project my voice, yet people will flat out ignore me.  If I am making an effort to help you, and you don't need help, the least you can do is say hello in return and "I'm okay, just browsing."  That's all it takes.  Also, please know if your server at a restaurant is seemingly forgetting to refill your drink on a busy Saturday night, it's not because they've forgotten about you or are ignoring you, it's because they have 4 other tables and are stretched very thin, which isn't necessarily an excuse but it should be noted.  Politely stop them by saying, excuse me, when you have a moment would you please refill my drink?  Your words and the way you use them can go a long way.  As a friend once said to me jokingly, "words are important".  Leaving a bad tip and complaining to the manager hurts all parties involved.  Your server doesn't want you to have a bad experience, trust me, they live off your tips.  Believe me when I say that employee's remember the customers who are a pleasure to deal with and the customers who are a pain.

If I don't know what an ingredient is in a food, or what the aroma's and taste's of a certain wine are out of the 200 my restaurant carries in house, it's not because I'm inept, so don't treat me as such.  I will find out for you if given the opportunity.  If I don't know how something works, know that I have a vast knowledge of 10,000 other items but every day I learn something knew.  Getting bent out of shape because I don't know something isn't the right way to react.  Please treat it as a learning opportunity for both of us, because if you had the information already you wouldn't be asking for my help, and I am here to help so please allow me to do my job.  I will learn from the experience and will never forget it.

Lastly, know that if you are eating at a restaurant and you, your kids, or your family leave a massive mess on the table, someone has to clean that up.  Or if you are in a retail store and open something and leave the package askew and it's contents ajar, someone has to clean that up.  If you are in a clothing store and unfold 15 tee-shirts, someone has to fold those shirts up and put them back in their proper place.  If you are drinking or eating something while shopping don't leave the empty cup on a shelf for me to find later, ask me where the nearest trash can is, chances are I'll even throw it away for you. If you are shopping and pick up an item then 15 minutes later realize you don't need said item, tell someone working at the store, "I decided I didn't need this", and hand it to them instead of hiding it on some random aisle, it shows a touch of character.  I'm not telling you to not unfold those 15 tee-shirts, I'm simply asking you to make a half ditch effort to put them back in the relative location you got them from and semi-neatly...it makes a world of difference to an hourly-waged employee who most likely isn't making a career out of the job.  As my father says, "put things back where you got them from".

The list could go on but I'll stop there.  Remember, a simple thank you, yes ma'am, yes sir, your welcome, acting with patience and kindness, and showing courtesy for others will make your life much richer and fulfilling, it may even make someone's day.  I find it hard to be nice all the time, but I will never lose a customer or miss an opportunity due to a bad attitude.  Maybe I'm sick, have had a horrible day, or am in an extreme rush, but there's never an excuse for being unappreciative.  It's people who make the world go round, act with kindness and if you don't receive kindness in turn, know that you are doing what's right.  Lead by example, do it sometime.  Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and feel free to leave comments.  I appreciate all of them.

With my older posts I had started sharing a poem at the end of the blog.  I shall continue this tradition.  It's self explanatory.  Enjoy!

"Color Me Blind"

Two boys are born on the same day

They’ll lead two different lives even though they have similar ways

One grows up with loving parents and guiding hands

The other has no daddy and a mother on welfare doing all she can

Henry will grow to be considered "the man" only to look at other's down his nose

While Tim will be taught to hate and ride the coat tail of Uncle Sam for his woes

Color me blind, oh, Color me blind

Now Henry is friendly

And Tim knows him

They grow up together but are worlds apart

But life can be sweet as well as tart

Henry is number one in his class

And Tim is smart but hopes sports will help him pass

One boy is warned to stay away from kids like that

The other is being recruited by gang’s because he’s strong and won’t rat

They are friends and quite close

But that isn’t the case for most

Color me blind, oh, Color me blind

Henry goes on to get his college education

Tim doesn’t get his scholarship and seeks alternate validation

One boy starts his own business and paves his own way

While the other lives in numbers by what the streets say

White and blue are the varying hues of their collar

Green is the color of the man who measures by the dollar

A red Ferrari drives one to the top of the planet

It’s a dull and dirty ride on the public transit

Henry is looking for a hard worker to fill a job

But Tim doesn’t have the education and decides to rob

The two boys lead two different lives

They diverged at birth by their cultures jive

They were one in the same with an equal start

But they were divided by society at the heart

Now this story doesn’t always hold true

But it can be argued that life depends on hue

Color me blind, oh, color me blind.

Hurricane Reading

I send a big hello out to everyone from my girlfriend's apartment in Raleigh, NC!  Yep I'm home, well at least in my home state, and it feels quite nice.


I flew into home yesterday for a few reasons.  A) I missed home.  B) Hurricane Irene.  C) I left Fusion(my modeling agency in NYC)


Before I go into the details of Fusion and I parting ways I'd first like to tell how I surprised Amanda(my gf) last night.  First off, I had to make up some excuse as to why I wouldn't be able to reply to her texts the hour and a half I was flying on the plane so I simply told her I was at casting calls.  Also, usually, I text her when I first wake up and start my day but yesterday I didn't, my excuse being that Thursday night was a friend of mine's birthday and we stayed out late(which isn't a lie) so when I finally did text her for the first time(after I landed in NC) I told her that I had slept late because we stayed up late for my buddies bday and then went straight to castings.  After being picked up from the airport by my parents and having a late lunch with them, we went home so I could get my truck and make my way to Raleigh.  On the trip there Amanda tried calling me a few times as I hadn't spoken with her all day, which is highly unusual, but I didn't answer her calls in hopes of keeping myself fresh on her mind as well as making her worried and wondering, where is he, is he ok etc.  Upon arriving at Amanda's front door I had a little fun with her.  Of course I brought Willow, my black lab, along with me so I made Willow sit and stay in front of Amanda's door, rang the doorbell and slid off into the night shadows so that I couldn't be seen.  A few seconds later Amanda opens the door, she looks bewildered as she peers down at this black lab on her stoop, then I see the realization hit her, that's Willow!  I hear a gasp, an excited "Willow!" rings through the night air as they exchange a big hug, Willow's tail wagging at 100mph.  I then decide to step out and reveal myself and watched Amanda's beautiful eyes grow even wider, apparently she missed me for some reason! ;)


Fusion.  Ah, my dear Fusion.  The modeling industry is an ever changing species, as can be seen if you Google pictures of models from 1995 as opposed to now.  Some of the models I had the opportunity to meet at casting calls are some of the craziest and wackiest looking gentlemen I have ever seen(which isn't a bad thing, if only unexpected).  Don't get me wrong, not all of the models fit this bill(my roommates being an example) and most of the guys, no matter their look, are extremely nice, caring young men so I do not mean that in a derogatory manner, but I would be neglecting the truth if I didn't say that some of the guys I have seen are not your stereotypical "model".  Some of them are tall, frail, petite, even borderline anorexic, as the beast that is the high fashion industry has evolved its nature.  I invite you to go onto Fusion's webiste, http://www.fusionmodelsnyc.com/ and you'll see what I mean.  As Bob Dylan once said, "the times they are a changing" and I feel that I didn't fit the mold of Fusion's vibe and the rest of their modeling board.  While I have no ill feelings toward Fusion and can honestly say it was a mutual break as they weren't pushing my career as hard as I wanted it to be from day one.  Being signed with them was basically a waste of my time from a business stand point as I feel I didn't get my face out there.  I will admit that being signed with them gave me the opportunity of an inside look into how the bigger markets operate.  In the end what it all boils down to is that I didn't fit the bill of what they wanted in a model.  But do not worry!  I have had numerous contracts extended my way from bigger, better and more well established agencies than Fusion so my career is far from over.  As they say, if one door closes then another one opens, in this case a bunch of doors opened and I will be returning to NYC in October, after my friends wedding in late September!  I hate that I'll be missing NYC's fashion week but all it really is, is a bunch of underpaid models, or not paid at all, walking for designers who are clearly taking advantage of the models services for the designer, without the happy, fairy-tale ending.  That's right ladies and gentlemen, NYC Fashion Week is a bunch of bells and whistle's without a grand finale, for the models at least.  But the models will grace the cat walk, sporting the multi-millon dollar companies latest fashion article without being paid a dime, if the model is lucky he/she will get to take home a pair of jeans or shoes, maybe even a t-shirt.  It can't be denied that it is a great feeling being in front of so many people, camera's flashing, as you "rock the runway", but is that payment enough?  It's a sad world indeed that's not so glamorous after all.


Other news:  I, as always through the restaurant I work for, met some Very interesting and powerful people in the world this past week.  From the Vice President at Goldman Sachs to a Tony Award winning actress, Vice President of Morgan Stanley, President of Details Magazine(an Incredible mens fashion magazine) as well as the Creator and Executive Producer of the t.v. shows The O.C. and Gossip Girls. 
Before leaving NYC I also did a test shoot with a photographer who is also a model.  He's modeled for Ralph Lauren Polo and has mentored as a photographer under Mark Seliger, a famous celebrity photographer.  Mark was Johnny Cash's go to photographer as well as Kurt Colbain and many others.  It was a great shoot and I will share the images as soon as I get them.
Another funny story, I feel, is that Daniel, my roommate and veteran Fusion model, is from Sweden and often I will jump on his Mac to surf the internet and, boy, is that an adventure! All his prompt commands are in Swedish, the buttons on his keyboard are laid out different and all his browser options are in Swedish.  Due to using his computer I can now read a little Swedish! Another friend of mine, who is also a Fusion model named Tony, celebrated his birthday on this past Thursday, Aug. 25th.  Daniel and Tony are brothers to me and I miss them already, as Zack Galaf...however you spell his name, says in the movie The Hangover, "we are a wolfpack".  Speaking of my modeling friends, I'd appreciate it if everyone said a small prayer for everyone in NYC.  If the weather forecasts are correct, a tough time is baring down on them.
I hope you all remember the story about the casting call I went to where the director asked me what part of Europe I'm from.  Well, it happened again.  I was meeting with a modeling agency in NYC and, first off, the agent I was being interviewed by asked, "what mix are you?"  When I replied, "no mix, I'm simply caucasion," he gave me a funny look and said, "well, you look racially ambiguous and that's a good thing."  Then he asked, "where are you from?"  When I answered, "North Carolina" he laughed and said "you are fooling me right now, I thought your voice has some strange hint of European in it".  Folks, maybe ethnicity isn't something I should joke about but being the small town gentlemen that I am, I always get a "kick" out of these people getting who I really am all twisted and confused.


Lastly, I'd like to share a quirky picture with ya.  I am use to seeing yachts, ferries and extremely expensive racing boats cruise and/or zoom by at extreme speeds on the East River which divides Manhattan from Brooklyn.  But this ship was picture worthy as, I felt, it was one of a kind on the River that day!

And of course I will share my latest poem.  This poem exudes a lot of emotions but mostly frustration and anger.  As a model you have to walk a fine line, not just on the cat walk but also with your agency, at times.  Of course you follow standard protocol of being business like and cordial because you want them to like you, after all, they control your career.  At the same time, when you know you aren't being pushed like you should be, it's a struggle to constantly speak up on your own behalf without letting some sense of frustration slip through that could cause controversy between you and your agency.  This poem is about walking that line and struggling to find the right path.  Please pay attention to how thoroughly laced with alliteration this poem is.  If you're not a literary buff, alliteration is when you have two words in a sentence that are in consecutive order that start with the same letter, such as, the man went to get his Shoe's Shined, notice both words start with the letter S.  It takes time to come up with this stuff so that's why I point it out.

Untitled:


Take a breath and hold
Or just bend, break and fold
Don't think, daftly do what you're told.
Maybe try being a little more soft spoken
Even believe best to hold your humble hope in
Does the prophets raven really carry such a terrible token
Hold your hands tied tight behind your back and hope for some slack
Easier ends come from a nice noose with a touch of bloody black
Justice jumps from her broken building and smashes with a subtle smack
This is what it is to give up on life's light due to the periless perspective found in fervent fright
Rooks are black and white but its not so clear what drives your soft somber sight
Beaten, bashed and broken are those that topple due to lack of daring drive
Certainly circumstance can play a rocky role but its the pilot who kamikazis in his deadly dive
Whats your role in life? I don't knows, I don't cares, life isn't fair, I hit a snare, well get up and show some flattering flare.
Readily remember the brush may mold your lovely look but it's still your handsome hair.
Don't look down if you feel bound bare boned to the ground only be tremendously true and see yourself through.

Let's Celebrate!

I come to you today an excited/thrilled/happy individual. 

My commercial shoot with Frye and Pop Sugar Media went so, so well.  The production team was great and the female model was amazing which made for a smooth project overall.  There were two people with high-end digital camera's filming for the commercial along with photographers on set taking still images, stylist, make-up artist and a couple extra hands on set holding light reflectors etc.  We filmed in West Village(in Manhattan) in a cool little park.  There was constantly a stream of hundreds of onlookers who, once they saw all the cameras, would stop behind the production team and take pictures of me and the female model with their digital cameras or cell phones which I thought was pretty cool.  It made me feel like I was a "star".  The female model was from Denmark, she has been modeling for 13 years and can fluently speak 6 languages.  The lead photographer on-set was amazing, he has even worked with Vogue so I feel quite honored to have had the opportunity to take part in this project with him.  Once I have a link to the video I'll be sure to share it!

Outside of modeling I have had the chance to meet some interesting people through my other job at the restaurant I work for.  We had the President of Bravo, Show Developer at MTV Networks, CEO of American Express, a Today Show anchor, the Product Manager at Ralph Lauren Polo and the Cheif over Government Affairs for the NFL have all dined with us.  Another cool thing I stumbled upon recently was the set for Men In Black 3.  I was walking to the grocery store in the neighborhood where I live and happened upon this huge outdoor set with all kinds of filming equipment, tour buses etc.  I didn't see Will Smith but none-the-less it was a cool experience to sit and watch them work for a bit.  Speaking of filming, there has also been a new t.v. show being filmed at Riverpark(the restaurant I'm employed by).  The production team comes into the restaurant early in the morning, sets up for the show, films, breaks down and sets the restaurant back to normal each morning before the restaurant opens for dining service.  Riverpark also recently held an event sponsored by Manhattan Magazine due to the magazines best restaurants in Manhattan of 2011 issue coming out.  I believe 13 chefs were selected including the chef/co-owner of Riverpark.  Riverpark hosted the event and all 13 chefs set up small tables offering samples of their food from their respected restaurant.  I believe close to 300 people showed up for the event, it was quite a night.

Time for pictures!  During my shoot with Frye I had the opportunity to hang out on a really cool private tour bus that took me to the location of the shoot.  It was filled to the brim with various foods and drinks, after initially walking into the bus I remember thinking to myself, "I could get use to this!"  I decided to take a picture of the bus but had trouble getting my Blackberry's camera lens to focus so the image is a bit blurry but will give you an idea of what the interior of the tour bus looked like.

Pictured above: Vegetable display one of the chef's set up at Riverpark during Manhattan Magazine's event

The cover of Manhattan Magazine showing some of the top chef's in the city.  The chef at Riverpark is in the very back row, top right hand corner with the glasses on.

This weeks poem actually started out as two different poems but after doing some tweaking I combined the two poems into one.  Its pretty self-explanatory, but basically its about a boy chasing a girl.  Enjoy.

Untitled:
My heart lays an intricate beat
Her body exudes a sudden heat
Oh baby, fall to my knees
Oh baby, don't you let go
At least wait to see if our souls will dance and flow
Lets grind these feelings away
Don't be afraid to love me true
Her beauty speaks like hey, hey, hey
Never gonna give you up no matter what you do
The bass kicks and the snare rattles through
Jump and skip, one, two, do-dee-do
I can't explain nor contain these words
A beautiful symphony begging to be heard
Look me in my face while I give you a taste
I go on the grind but her eyes leave me in a bind
Sly girl, like a fox
Got me hooked, gotta detox
Lookin' out over castle walls
Winds kick and so I fall
Spiral downward toward destiny
Crooks are out on the cobblestone
She'll love you for a small fee
Steal your soul but leaves her halo home
Skp and whistle you childish thief
True love is dead says the chief
And so I fall, down I fall
They whisper, boy she'll never call
I'm achin' now, gotta stand it somehow
A jealous heart will retaliate
Never the same since feeling her hate

A Day Off

Hello all, I finally have found the time to be able to write my blog this week as this is my only day off over a 10 day work week.

I have good news in the modeling world, I have been selected to be a main character in a film or commercial for a shoe company called Frye.  http://stores.thefryecompany.com/StoreFront.bok  We will be filming this coming Friday, Aug. 12th!  I'm pretty excited about it.  I have also been informed that castings for Fashion Week will start in a couple of weeks so I'll be sure to keep you posted as those begin.

I haven't had the opportunity to do anything overly exciting this week due to working so much but I can say that we've had some people worth noting come into the restaurant.  The President of Calvin Klein, the head of the U.S. offices of Louis Vuitton, and a member of Obama's administration held his 50th birthday party with us.  While these people are only human and are not any more important than you or I, I must admit it is pretty cool meeting them.

A friend of mine, Tony, who is from Hawaii and another friend, Daniel, who is from Sweden are both in town due to Fashion Week drawing close.  It's really cool having these guys around, we all became close friends during the winter fashion week when we first met.  Now that they are back we all hang out like we are old buddies, it's great to have them back.  Speaking of buddies, I am missing home more so than normal this week.  I had to break the bad news to a friend of mine whose wedding I'm going to be in that I can't make his bachelor party due to being selected to be in the commercial for Frye.  Also, I had to miss out on my brothers annual weekend long "Preserve party", which entails hanging out on the PeeDee river all weekend, relaxing, going off rope swings, riding ATV's, listening to live music and eating good food.  Hopefully I'll catch them next year!

That's it for now, I have enclosed a few pictures and the usual song/poem.  One picture is of Brooklyn in the Greenpoint area(where I live) from "way back when".  You'll notice the above ground train lines running through the streets.  The other image is of me going off the rope swing down at the Preserve one year at the Preserve party and the last one is a pic taken of me at a casting call last week.  Enjoy!

This poem deals with time.  Notice how it starts out very simplistic in thought, almost childlike, and slowly progresses to more serious, mature matters.  The point of the poem is to show that we should stop being so serious and be like children(the notion came to me after reading a book entiled "Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo), but knowing that can be hard to do even the poem progressively becomes more aged in tone yet struggles to remind itself to get lost in youth.

"If Time Were Mine"
If time were mine I'd get lost in the golden rays of sunshine, staring straight into her until I find I'm blind.

We'd love like there's no tomorrow and forget all our sorrows for our souls are only borrowed.

The heart of a child running wild as I sift my fingers through her golden locks and play in the mud with no shoes or socks.

I'd spend a stint in everlasting dark to appease the raining heart until it mends in search of a sensual start.

I'd raise my voice to say it's your choice to live in the here and now or your past fouls, possibly even the future somehow.

Come get lost in the clouds instead of the shoulds and coulds of dark memories that are still on the prowl.

Look ahead toward dreams but beware the fiends for they to had dreams and lost sight of whats right for they forgot to much of a good thing can be a man's only plight

Look to the heavens to heal but don't kill the idea of inner wealth or calming the mind to seek health.

If time were mine I'd get lost in the golden rays of sunshine, staring straight into her until I find myself blind.

Clear vision and individual peace may be the best decision to help appease our thirst for no war thus far.

Be easy my friend for no good fortune or end will come from trying to contend for the top spot, even the fortunate 500 sweat and not because its hot.

Be like a child and bask in your youth for a while, don't let time decide your reason or rhyme or turn you askew from whats true to being you by allowing others to pull you down, becoming smothered 'til you drown.

Often it seems to happen that we allow others to captain our ship which causes us to capsize and tip.

Then time tends to trip, tumble and dip but don't be afraid to take control, hit the wave and take hold to your journey's course but remember to never underestimate your own force.

Whether it be a gail or hail put the hammer to the nail and the winds to the sail and even if you fail, its ok always say, hey, at least I tried and gave her a good ride.

If time were mine I'd get lost in the golden rays of sunshine, staring straight into her until I find myself blind.

And I'd say, hey lady, can we be each others guiding path, hey baby, cleanse me in your immortal bath.

Half Gone

Hello all, it's that time again!

I come to you from my now seemingly empty room in Brooklyn as my much, much better half has left to return home.  My girlfriend, Amanda, was here on what seemed to be the quickest 10 day trip of my life(heavy sigh with a frowning face).  But, I tell myself, the reason it went by so quick was because we had so much fun(and it just dawned on me we didn't travel to see the Empire State Building).  Either way, she and I had a blast.  We explored the streets of Brooklyn eating at small, cozy restaurants that scream with personality...we walked the Brooklyn Bridge at night, went to Wall St, saw the old sight of the Twin Towers and saw the new buildings they've erected, Rockefeller Plaza, Time Square, Central Park, walked past a commercial being filmed in the middle of the street in Manhattan and went to a comedy club where Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Rodney Dangerfield and Jerry Seinfeld(among many others) got their stand-up comedy starts.  We traveled and took in so much of the bustling streets of NYC that its hard to recall all the experiences, good thing I had a digital camera handy.  I must say that the comedy club was quite possibly the funniest hour and a half of my life, never have I continuously laughed so hard in my life.  I would recommend everyone go to one(a decent one) at least once in their life, you will not regret it.  She and I also had an amazing brunch with my downstairs neighbors, Jarett and Ari, at this quaint restaurant a few blocks away.  Speaking of restaurants, Amanda and I ate at a place last night that served fish and chips with vinegar from North Carolina!

Modeling experiences:  I went to a few casting calls this week, one of which was for a magazine editorial shoot.  The concept is that a female model and myself would be acting as if we were boyfriend and girlfriend, not in the hot, sexy, steamy way a lot of magazines do but, rather, in a flirty, fun, first date type of shoot.  The funny part of this casting that made it stand out in my mind was that, upon entering the casting room, the director mentioned..."Austin, I like your accent, what part of Europe are you from?"  I felt as if I was in the comedy club again and awaited her punch line.  I was caught a bit off guard but calmly corrected her by saying, "Well, uh, I'm from America."  The ladies face instantly blushed from embarrassment.  She replied, "I'm so sorry, it seems I don't know an American accent when I hear one, what part of the U.S. are you from?"  The casting went extremely well after she and I shared a genuine laugh together, I strongly feel(hope) I got the gig. 

Next up, pictures!

 Radio City

Canopies from work(Catering Event)

The Comedy Club Amanda and I went to.

Manhattan from the Brooklyn side of the East River

The next couple of topics are not of any considerable importance but are funny/quirky and what have you, so I thought they're worth the share.  First off, people in Brooklyn must have THE most sensative car alarms on the face of the planet.  There is not an hour that goes by in the day that someones car alarm doesn't inadvertantly go off, whether it be 5pm or 5am.  A van, in particular, that always parks close to my apartment has the most annoying alarm that must go off at least 6 times a day...for no reason.  I've watched it go off from 100ft away with no one around it, the alarm must be cued to go off if a fly lands on the van.  Now allow me to make a 180 degree turn to a completely different topic.  I was going through the front pockets of my bookbag(I carry it everywhere) when I got a laugh at myself.  If I lost my bookbag and someone went through that front pocket they'd find facial mosturizer, a piece of "Purple" from my sister Kelly, a wine-key, a hackey-sack and a ton of rocks.  Yes that's right, rocks.  It was brought to my attention as I dug through my bookbag and all I could find was rocks...yes I laughed at myself so go ahead and laugh too.  Rocks??  Well most people buy T-shirts or post cards that say, "I've been there and done that", while I collect rocks and I take them everywhere I go to remind me of everywhere I've been and seen which, in the end, partially makes me who I am today.  I have a rock from home, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Forest, the Petrified Forest(don't tell anyone I have that one, you aren't suppose to take them), a rock from the East River on the Brooklyn side, Niagra Falls, London(one from the city and another from Stone Henge), Paris, a Mayan Temple in Belize and lastly I carry a rock with me that was found by a cave in the Dominican Republic.  They all vary in size, color and shape but none are any larger than a silver dollar.  Like I said, this information isn't very important but I thought it was pretty cool once I realized how many I have.

As I have started doing over the past few weeks, I will now share my song/poem of the week.  This one is pretty self-explanatory, I hope you find some sort of useful knowledge in it!

"Once"
I once had a friend who said to me, in life you should never concede.

He said these words and I took heed, so I leave it on the line even if I have to bleed.

I once had a woman who wouldn't be true, my young heart was a feelin' blue.

She laughed and said I should've knew that heartbreak was her favorite hue.

I once had a mother that made me see that I can be whatever I want to be.

She said, Son if you truly believe then I know you will only succeed.

I once had a father who taught me to be a man while also being as kind as I can.

He said the key to life is a solid business plan and not to be afraid to dirty my hands.

Mother leaned in with her finger wagging and reminded me to always empower others, to grow taller than towers by making men into brothers.

I once had a brother who was never around but he showed me love when I was down.

He was always into the deep and profound, yeah, we were blood pound for pound.

I once had a stranger give me good advice: don't love the same woman more than twice.

Fire from his tounge he said to follow Jesus Christ, well hell, sinning is my only vice.

I once was alone and heard a wolf howl at the moon, it taught me not to count my blessings to soon.

I must admit its hard to give your garden a prune but best to cut your losses or else you may not bloom.

I once saw a man who was young at heart and old in the face, if asked he'd say kind and caring are his race.

His eyes shined and shimmered like a boy on the chase, if only he could go back and have one more taste.

Once in a while I'll remember this may only happen once.