Welcome to the VIP ignite podcast, your source for tomorrow’s talent today.
Hear real life stories of models, actors and musicians breaking down barriers, launching careers, and sharing their stories of overcoming obstacles and finding real success.
They will activate the winner in you by revealing the path with their best tips and advice.
Deneen: Hey everyone, my name is Deneen white and I am the host of the VIP ignite live podcast.
This is a very special series of podcasts and interviews being taped during the quarantine due to the Corona virus.
Our purpose in doing the series of calls is twofold. First of all, we want to create some inspiration in the world.
Second of all, we want to make sure the people know that they can be planning and building for what’s needed to continue pushing forward in a career as an actor, model, or musician.
Today I am here with Joan and I am so excited for her to share her story about what is going on in her world.
So Joan, what are you doing right now to keep yourself busy during this quarantine?
Joan: Thank you for having me miss Deneen and I thank you for this opportunity.
And um, for quarantine I work from 5:00 AM to 3:30 PM and then after that that’s when I get a chance like to go and in your live coaching’s at least I’ve attended most of them.
Like I attended, h, for Haviland Stillwell.
Well I’ve attended for Ryan Colby, I attended for um, Jim Benzing.
Deneen: Oh. Um, Oh my gosh. Jeff Hunter.
Joan: Yeah, Jeff Hunter.
Yes, I know his hat.
I remember that.
And uh, I personally love, love the whole experience.
Like the fact that my first coaching session was Haviland, like it was a dream come true for me.
Like I never saw that happening and it was just like the third day from the time I joined you.
So for me that was mind blowing and also to be part of variety hour.
That was fun.
I’ve never acted in front of anyone at all at all.
So for me to have that platform online for me means a lot and I thank you for that.
And also Maze also taught me a lot of things when it comes to dressing.
And I believe that day I was kinda, you know, off everything that I was not supposed to, but at least I learned a lot of things like, Hey, what to wear in front of the camera, what to put on in front of a video because they’re different.
Joan: So I didn’t know there is a difference.
I didn’t know, I just thought that you can put it on whatever with online, with camera.
So I learned a lot when it came to the dressing part and also the day, the first time that I acted at tension by Joseph, I remember Ryan told me considering that I was able to get the words in such a short time, that that was an awesome thing for me.
And I felt that like I was so happy that that came from Ryan.
Like it wasn’t expected.
Like immediately after I had to record it, I had to, I had to record it and I sent it to my mom and I like, well, you better listen to this and watch it because I cannot believe that the first time that I’m acting that this is the kind of compliment that I got.
Joan: And I was like, yay for me.
That touched me and helped me a lot.
And also for the variety I also recorded and a sense of a mom.
And today she was like, yo, you gotta call me and explain this and yeah, I’ve got, I’m going to call her tomorrow because right now it’s late calling home.
But yes, everyone’s happy at home and seeing how far I’ve, the few days I’ve been with you, how much I have grown.
They’ve seen it because one thing they said to me was, it’s funny how some people are made for books and some people are not because they saw something different in me and which is entertainment.
And the fact that they saw that I pushed myself to the road to achieving that, they were happy for me.
Oh my God.
So for me, eally the coaching for me, it’s a hundred percent like works for me any day.
Any time.
Deneen: Yeah.
I mean I’m the one who brought you on, I’m the one who did your initial interview and Joan, I remember you were.
So it was what, a week ago, week and a half, maybe two weeks ago.
Joan: It was like on my birthday, 28th okay.
Deneen: So it was like, it was like just a couple of weeks ago.
And I remember when I talked to you, you were already, you’re a completely different person.
You were like, yeah, you know, this is something I want to do.
And you shared your story.
But just seeing the transformation in two weeks, it’s amazing.
So I want to dive a little bit deeper. You mentioned pretty much every coach is a part of our coach or as a part of the VIP talent Academy. So let’s go back.
Okay.
So I’m going to ask you some specific questions and I want to know what your biggest takeaway was because again, you literally named nearly every coach that’s a part of the VIP talent Academy.
Deneen: So let’s start with Haviland Stillwell okay.
So for anyone who doesn’t know Haviland was in Fiddler on the roof on Broadway shoot, played Fontine in Les Miserables on Broadway, which is by the way, is my favorite show of all times.
She’s also acting in so many different shows.
I could, I mean I could try to list them, but it would literally take like the rest of our time.
So I’m not going to do that.
But for someone like Havilland to work with you on your monologue and for you to have the opportunity to soak in her knowledge, what did that mean for you?
Joan: It meant a lot because as I said, that Haviland was my first coach.
So that was kind of the foundation that I started in full, such a foundation from Haviland to instill in me.
It was powerful because that day I didn’t have a monologue and I didn’t know what people were talking and behalf because I was new.
So the fact that she managed, like I saw how many people shared the monologues, I heard her, um, thoughts about them and how she said that you can improve or you’re supposed to also choose a monologue that suits you as a person.
So for me, that made a difference and that’s how I ended up choosing my monologue.
Well, for the attention by Joseph Reynard.
Deneen: Okay. So you listened to her advice for other people and you apply it to yourself. Yes.
That’s phenomenal because I think that’s something that people don’t realize.
One of the beautiful things about the talent Academy is that you do have that opportunity.
You may not be the person actually workshopping with the coach, but if you listen to what they say, you can take the, take everything that they say at other people and apply it.
And you did that because let me tell you something about Ryan Colby.
Ryan Colby is an agent that we work with.
He represents people in LA and in New York city.
He places people all the time in TV and film and he is not very complimentary.
He will, if he thought you did poorly, he would have been like, girl, you need to work on XYZ.
So I don’t know if you knew that about Ryan before you actually met him on the variety hour, but now that you know that, what does it mean that he complimented you?
Joan: It meant a lot.
Like it was funny that I wasn’t even like, I was not even afraid to do it and it was last minute.
As I said, like while he was talking on the call as like three people were doing it, I was praying like God, that is not being able to not be me because I had to cram my words, I had to get right, like every word, like each word and you know everything get it right.
This is my first chance.
Never happened.
So once I put my a game on it and I had to do it because it would have been rude, it would have been, I don’t know, disappointing.
Like he has a time to talk to us and for us showcase our talent.
And then me just being on the screen and be like, Hey, I’m sorry I never managed to do any monologue.
So it would have been a disappointing moment.
So I had to, you know to do whatever it takes to do that.
Deneen: That’s awesome.
And I love, cause I, I believe I asked you, are you willing to do hard work?
And you were like, yes I am.
And look at that.
And then you got complimented by one of the least complimentary people that I know and I, and when I say that, when he gives criticism, it’s truly because he wants you to improve.
But I was stricken speechless when he was like, Joan and I don’t believe that you didn’t do that before.
And you’re like, no, no, I’d memorize it.
And I was, that was an amazing experience.
And again, just seeing you talk about it completely different person that I first met, which is amazing.
Like that’s what this cut, that’s what this talent Academy is all about.
And I think I told you a little bit of that too.
I want you to get technical skills.
I want you to learn, I want you to network with people, like Haviland and Ryan.
But more than that, I want you to come into your own and I can’t wait to see what happens for you over the next couple of weeks.
Have you had this much of a change already? Oh yeah.
So let’s talk about Jeff Hunter.
He is a marketing guru.
He is someone who’s a really good friend of VIP ignite. He is an expert at social media.
So what was your biggest takeaway from his call?
Joan: So number one, I didn’t know about IMDB.
I didn’t know about it.
Yeah, I didn’t know about it.
So, but it’s then like, um, if you need to know if someone is legit or like an actress or some like, you know, he said, if your person, a big person here, then you should be there.
So I was like, what is that?
So for him to make me know what that was and the importance of it and also the fact that us and um, your us being the coachee is if they such a word.
Deneen: Yeah, I like coachees.
That’s cool too.
I may have to coin that word.
Joan: Yes. Like for us to know that we can also make it there as you said, that you as Deneen can add us as clients.
That would also put us on the map for anyone to just check us and see how we do it was a good thing.
Deneen: Yeah. Was that exciting for you?
Awesome. Cool. Yeah. Okay.
I’m just going to rapid fire ask you questions cause you, you listed the names of the coaches off so fast.
So Tyronn Maze did a call with us and it was really awesome because he is a stylist to the stars.
Like he literally relaunched Tyra banks career.
I think he mentioned that on the call.
So being someone who’s pretty new to the entertainment industry, what was it like to have someone, he was on America’s next top model as one of the people who, who styled Tyra.
But then he also worked with the people on America’s next top model.
So mind blown.
Tell me about that experience.
Joan: Well number one, I’ve always been a fan of fashion.
Okay.
But if I’m not goinganywhere, that like kinda stays at home.
But he told me a lot of things like this type of bras matter.
I do know that like the, the prints, anything with prints on it as a like it pops you, it pops the top more and more than you.
So I learned a lot like dressing wise, like what to put on, what not to put on, their colors.
I was like so like purple velvet, not a velvet but lavender is a good outfit for a person.
And also you said that when it comes to photography, you know it goes as a package, like from your hair to your dress, to your shoes, you need to know how to blend all that together and come out as a whole person.
Deneen: Yeah. Did you feel like you needed to go shopping?
Cause I feel like I need the world to open up again, like malls open up because I have to go take all of his advice and put it into practice.
Joan: I do cause he said that also, um, you need, he, you go back to you like it wardrobe instead like certain clothes for photography.
So that includes for this, that’s me, but seems like my closet and it’s some, you know, change and I mean I hate change because all he said was I needed to go shopping for sure.
Deneen: And how cool is it that you’re getting these tips now you’re not, he’s giving you these tips before you actually even need them.
Right?
I mean you need them because we’re on camera all the time.
And the VIP talent Academy, we’re on zoom all the time.
We’re on live calls, like we’re face to face virtually all the time.
We’re practicing safe distancing everyone.
So please don’t be mad at us.
But how cool is it that like right at the beginning of your career you got those tips?
Joan: Oh, it was good. It was good.
Like for the first week.
I’ve been here for two months now, but I’ve been only here like two weeks.
More than a month. Wow.
My head is going to blow up.
But with good things though,
Deneen: I know I’m not even going to recognize you.
I barely recognized you today.
So it’s amazing.
So let me ask you another question.
So Jim Benzing is the head of casting for Estee Lauder and major brands like banana Republic gap.
Again, if I could sit here all day and list all of the brands that he is a casting director for, but for someone like you who’s coming into the industry, and again you’re pretty new, what was it like to have the head of casting of Estee Lauder do a coaching call and you be able to be on it and interact with him?
Joan: It was beyond anything I can say right now because as I said, these are people that you never knew that you could talk to and also for them to know your name in the process.
So outside you open a lot of doors.
So for me that meant a lot.
And also to listen to everything that he says it takes like a person to be mentally absorbed.
Because if you miss a thing that he said, then yeah, that’s now up to you.
Deneen: Yeah, it’s pretty amazing.
So I have a question for you.
When you and I were talking and I was telling you everything about the VIP talent Academy, were you like, did you believe me?
Like I have a question for you because I do a lot of the calls, like when I’m talking to people like yourself or like, Hey I want to be a part of this.
Did you think I was like yanking your chain a little bit jokey or like what was your impression when I was talking to you versus what you’ve gotten?
Joan: Honestly, I didn’t see you joking because as I said that I have followed VIP from last year.
So I have seen what you do, how you do it, how you change like a person from grass to you know, to grace.
So for me, I know that will happen and as people say that when it comes to entertainment, to be careful who you choose.
And you don’t end up wasting money for a reason that you’re not going to go anywhere.
So for me, I had to research and do my, you know, my research very well to see who is what, how they do it and if they’re legit and yes, my choice, I loved it and I’m not regretting no.
Awesome. Very cool.
Deneen: Do you feel like you’re a part of a community now?
Joan: Yes. Yeah. Yeah. It’s something that I look forward to after work.
Deneen: Okay, that’s fantastic. So do you feel like everyone was welcoming and do you feel like everyone was supportive of you?
Joan: Oh yeah. Yeah, that’s, that’s definitely, yeah.
Deneen: So because you worked with everyone in the group for a week, a little over a week before we had our first variety hour.
And for anone that’s listening, he was like, what is thisvariety hour is, she’s talking about the need keeps talking about the variety hour.
What we’re doing is we’re having, it’s kind of like an open mic night for the people who are part of the VIP elite talent Academy.
And the reason we’re doing this is because a, I kinda miss open mic nights and live music and just being around people, but we want to give everyone who’s a part of it a chance to shine.
We want to give everyone a chance to show off what they’ve learned all week or over the last couple of months because our first one was this past Friday.
So I have two questions for you.
The first question I have for you is this, what was it like for you to perform your monologue there and have everyone so supportive in a way that you could actually see them being supportive?
What was that like for you?
Joan: If I compare my performance with Ryan and my performance at the variety hour, like I don’t know why, but I was tense for some reason.
But as I said that that tension will not take a person anywhere.
They just have to gain confidence.
And um, that’s important when, especially when you’re, when you’re performing something because you’re trying to tell that person or show that person that, Hey, I’m this type of person.
I know how, how I’m performing my craft, I just don’t want to look like someone who is just there, I guess.
So a whole variety hour for me, it meant a lot.
I performed and also Galinsky definitely came in good comments.
So that’s awesome.
And I appreciate him every day.
And also how people were appreciative on me either as well, so like screaming.
So I was happy.
This is a good community like for sure. Awesome. Very cool.
Deneen: So would you recommend if someone is on the fence and they’re like, yeah, you know, it sounds great, but would you recommend someone to be, to join a part to join our community?
Joan: Oh yeah. And I do, like a coworker of mine.
I didn’t know about it and I told her like, Hey, I’m in this, you know, this VIP talent group and it’s so awesome and everything.
And she said, Oh wow. Okay. So I asked, I told her like, if you know somebody who got a talent, let them come.
And that’s just like, Oh, I see.
I’ll deal with you for a month.
That I didn’t know that.
So I was happy that she said that she was looking forward to, that’s for sure.
Deneen: yeah. Awesome. That’s great. That’s awesome.
Because the thing is we want people to know, again, the reason why we’re doing this is because we want people to know that even during the pandemic, even during the whole country being shut down, you can still be in momentum.
You can still be perfecting your craft and growing.
And again, Joan, honestly, I never anticipated, I think I know I told you I want you to be one of my success stories in six months, but I never anticipated you being a success story in two weeks.
The change, the change in you has been so amazing.
Now have your friends and family noticed like the change in you also?
Joan: Yeah, they have and that’s what my mom is saying that Hey, we should talk because this is because I gave her two things in the same week, like performance with Ryan and performance, the variety hour, two different people in the same week comment.
This about you.
Yeah, she was more than happy.
That’s awesome. It’s awesome.
Deneen: Well, John, I just want to thank you so much for sharing your story because
Deneen: the thing I love about what I do is people like, because like I say, every time I interview someone, I want to make sure that you’re willing to do the hard work and if you’re willing to be committed and you’re willing to be coached, the amazing thing is literally your first call you were coached by watching other people be coached and you absorbed it.
And I think that’s someone who, that alone proves to me how dedicated you are.
And that alone proves to me that as you continue to progress through the program, yeah, you’re just going, you’re definitely going to be one of my success stories in six months.
I mean, you’re already are like serious.
Joan: Oh yeah. I’m looking forward to that for sure. I know like,
Deneen: so the look on your, just seeing the look on your face compared to when I met you a couple of weeks ago is amazing. So
Deneen: I feel like this is probably the best birthday present you’ve ever gotten yourself.
Joan: But I didn’t get no present from nobody.
So for me, this is more than a present.
Deneen: Yeah. Oh my gosh. It’s just amazing. It’s, yeah.
I get so excited. I can’t help it.
My coach heartis like exploding right now.
Deneen: I’m sweating right now because the excitement in me, Oh my gosh.
Like I’m like, I’m like, I need someone to fan me off. Yeah.
Deneen: But John, I’m so excited.
I’m glad that I thank you so much for being a part of the VIP talent Academy.
Thank you so much for sharing your exuberance and your experience and I can’t wait to see what goes on in the next couple of weeks, let alone a couple of months.
Joan: Yeah, yeah, me too.
I’m also thankful for having me. It’s a pleasure. Such a pleasure.
Deneen: Awesome. So thank you again.
Thank you so much for being on the podcast.
Thank you for being a part of our community and I’ll see you on a call soon, I’m sure.
Joan: All right. Awesome.
Have a fantastic rest of your day.
Deneen: You too. Thank you. Bye Joan. Bye.
Deneen: Thank you for listening to the VIP ignite podcast for free resources and to learn more about how to become a model actor or musician, please head over to AMM society.com and if you love this episode, please head over to iTunes to subscribe and leave us a review.
It is very much appreciated. Thank you.
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