A friend of mine sent me an ad on Craigslist of a modeling agency looking for 40+ year old bodybuilders. The Gedney Agency http://www.thegedneyagency.com/home/home.html has been around since 1948 where they started in Bedford MA and since has locations in Connecticut and New York. Their recently starting a new project called the Creative a Age of Bodybuilding for 40+ Men and Women
I traveled Fairfield CT, where they are now based out of, for a two hour interview and met with Craig W. Shoop. Craig is their lead recruiter, a great last name and great guy too. We talked about what they are looking for and what they are all about and how right around the Pumping Iron era they decided to look more towards how bodybuilding and fitness modeling, can work together and how Bodybuilders are not one demoniacal and can be seen in different ways.
Craig was a runway model before he started recruiting, he has also judged in bodybuilding competitions. Craig spent six months in California living up close to bodybuilders, learning what it takes to be one, learning their lifestyle, to help complete his thesaurus on The Psychology Bodybuilding
Gedney wants their models to be like a role model to the public, showing them that "it doesn't end in the gym" and that bodybuilding is a lifestyle and how Bodybuilding and Fitness modeling can be seen as one.
The pay is $250 to $1000 a job, they get 20% and the jobs range from runway work, to trying on a shirt so a potential customer can see how it looks before they decide to buy it, or maybe sitting on a couch for another customer... nothing nude, which is nice to hear.
Craig needs to bring my information to the board to see if I'm what they are looking for. Craig referred to me as a signature model because of how I live the life of a bodybuilder and write about it in my blog, that he has read and was impressed. Basically saying, that he wishes he met me when he started this bodybuilding/fitness modeling venture. Craig said, he has talked to so many bodybuilders throughout the years, but no one has every explained things so simply as I do in my blog
During this time, I need to think about if it's right for me... and I'm learning towards no... and one main reason is, I'm a bodybuilder and I'm trying to become a pro in the sport of bodybuilding. When your a model you need to always be a model, which means you need to be close to contest condition all the time, although I do grow when I diet for a competition, it's a lot different if you are always like that. I would not be growing at my full potential, by maintaining that condition year round.
Craig called me back as he said he would and we talked for about an hour. He told me, that Gedney wants me on board and feels I'm a fit for what they are looking for. He had 6 interviews that week and I was one of the two hired.
I immediately told him my concerns and he came up with a great idea. Instead of them making a portfolio of one look of me, lets make the portfolio have three different looks of me. It will take a little longer the make, but in the long run, I will be more marketable and, in a sense, I'll have three times more of change to get picked for a job.
I like this idea a lot and this will give me the opportunity to continue on my way growing and competing for that pro card and still give me a chance to venture into something new to make a few extra bucks.
The three looks I will give Gedney are, the lean clean look (which he just saw) the big and ripped looked, which I am most of the time during the year and the shredded contest look, which they will see when I win the Masters Nationals this year
I still have a few good years to make some serious gains and cause some damage in the world of bodybuilding and until I'm done competing, I'm going to continue to grow and growing takes eating and eating and more eating and when I'm done growing and competing, I will just get in the best shape of my life and maintain that condition as long as my body allows it. But until then, you get three of me!
If anyone is interested in the world of modeling, please feel free to call on Craig at 203-913-8214, tell him you heard about him from Alwaysabodybuilder
Legs today GONE tomorrow!
sizeBIGGER
I traveled Fairfield CT, where they are now based out of, for a two hour interview and met with Craig W. Shoop. Craig is their lead recruiter, a great last name and great guy too. We talked about what they are looking for and what they are all about and how right around the Pumping Iron era they decided to look more towards how bodybuilding and fitness modeling, can work together and how Bodybuilders are not one demoniacal and can be seen in different ways.
Craig was a runway model before he started recruiting, he has also judged in bodybuilding competitions. Craig spent six months in California living up close to bodybuilders, learning what it takes to be one, learning their lifestyle, to help complete his thesaurus on The Psychology Bodybuilding
Gedney wants their models to be like a role model to the public, showing them that "it doesn't end in the gym" and that bodybuilding is a lifestyle and how Bodybuilding and Fitness modeling can be seen as one.
The pay is $250 to $1000 a job, they get 20% and the jobs range from runway work, to trying on a shirt so a potential customer can see how it looks before they decide to buy it, or maybe sitting on a couch for another customer... nothing nude, which is nice to hear.
Craig needs to bring my information to the board to see if I'm what they are looking for. Craig referred to me as a signature model because of how I live the life of a bodybuilder and write about it in my blog, that he has read and was impressed. Basically saying, that he wishes he met me when he started this bodybuilding/fitness modeling venture. Craig said, he has talked to so many bodybuilders throughout the years, but no one has every explained things so simply as I do in my blog
During this time, I need to think about if it's right for me... and I'm learning towards no... and one main reason is, I'm a bodybuilder and I'm trying to become a pro in the sport of bodybuilding. When your a model you need to always be a model, which means you need to be close to contest condition all the time, although I do grow when I diet for a competition, it's a lot different if you are always like that. I would not be growing at my full potential, by maintaining that condition year round.
Craig called me back as he said he would and we talked for about an hour. He told me, that Gedney wants me on board and feels I'm a fit for what they are looking for. He had 6 interviews that week and I was one of the two hired.
I immediately told him my concerns and he came up with a great idea. Instead of them making a portfolio of one look of me, lets make the portfolio have three different looks of me. It will take a little longer the make, but in the long run, I will be more marketable and, in a sense, I'll have three times more of change to get picked for a job.
I like this idea a lot and this will give me the opportunity to continue on my way growing and competing for that pro card and still give me a chance to venture into something new to make a few extra bucks.
The three looks I will give Gedney are, the lean clean look (which he just saw) the big and ripped looked, which I am most of the time during the year and the shredded contest look, which they will see when I win the Masters Nationals this year
I still have a few good years to make some serious gains and cause some damage in the world of bodybuilding and until I'm done competing, I'm going to continue to grow and growing takes eating and eating and more eating and when I'm done growing and competing, I will just get in the best shape of my life and maintain that condition as long as my body allows it. But until then, you get three of me!
If anyone is interested in the world of modeling, please feel free to call on Craig at 203-913-8214, tell him you heard about him from Alwaysabodybuilder
Legs today GONE tomorrow!
sizeBIGGER
Yayyyy!!!! I am so excited this worked out!!! I think you are an excellent role model being a bodybuilder... And I also think that this opportunity can only help you, not hurt you. I mean, Jay, Phil, Heath and all the other Pro's are ALL also models in the industry. It's only getting your face, dedication, and love for the sport out in the world a little more ;)
ReplyDeleteCongrats Rob! You are a role model to me! Xoxo
Thank you so much for your kind words, I'm looking forward to the new challenge and adventure!
ReplyDeleteWow! You are awesome because you did a good job. I think you really have perfect body shape. Great article.
ReplyDeleteThank you gym equipment!
ReplyDelete