The incorrect thing to think about freelance is that "I could do that, why wouldn't they hire me?". Of course you can "do it". But so can a million other manicurists in this country. It becomes about PERSONALITY. DRIVE. And not about WHO you know, its about who knows YOU.
I will never forget the day. Er, night: October 25, 2007. It was a Thursday night, really late. I was online, MySpace to be exact. I noticed that "Melissa Bozant, Celebrity Manicurist" posted a little blurb on Nails Magazine's page about an upcoming Packaging your Portfolio Workshop in LA. I had learned that you needed a portfolio to get more work, and I needed to get to LA to be there. I emailed Melissa immediately to get more info. That night was very emotional for me: we had no money. None for me to pay for the class, my flights and 3 nights in a hotel.
It was raining pretty hard that Friday morning. I got up early, anxious for Melissa's reply. The message was there waiting: the dates of the workshop were 2 days in January, the day after I would return from my family vacation. I called Continental who was able to change my flight for practically nothing. The class was paid for by the grace of God. ;)
January came and just 2 hours before I was supposed to fly to LA, I had a message from Melissa: the class was postponed due to the writer's strike. Later she told me it was like 9/11 in LA: everything shut down.
The workshop was rescheduled for April. I finally met Melissa, along with my mentor, Crystal Wright, both of whom I credit much of my success to, to this day!
I learned so much about the industry it was astonishing. Working on set, how to break into the biz, collaborating with other creatives, building a book (portfolio of your work), evolving your kit (nail colors, everything you need to work), creating my website, business cards, comp cards, getting better photos in your book, I could go on and on. Too much to write!
For more about Melissa, please visit:
http://www.photogenicsmedia.com/
For more information about Crystal and her Portfolio workshop, please visit:
http://www.crystalwrightlive.com/
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