What's the single most important point you need to understand in order to succeed as a model?

While I could probably come up with several points that tie in importance, I'm going to choose this: You need to treat Modeling as a business, pure and simple.

It is just one part, though an important part, of the multi- billion dollar industries of fashion and advertising. Models promote (and therefore sell) much of the world's fashion and consumer goods.

The sooner you understand this fact the happier you'll be, and the happier your clients will be with you...And the more bookings you'll get.

As in all businesses there is a product to sell and as a model, your product is you--a combination of how you look physically and what you project from inside of you. It includes how you relate to and work with clients, agents and others. It is your level of self-confidence, your charm and charisma. It is the sum total of your thoughts, attitudes and personality. That combination is your own brand of magic and is what makes you unique. This is what you bring to the market.

WHAT MODELING IS NOT...

Modeling is not a beauty contest, a popularity contest, or a "most likely to succeed" contest.

And it is most certainly not a gauge of your self worth.

Your self-worth is already validated. It's based on your inherent value, as the unique individual that you are, and it can never be taken away from you. Your inherent self- worth is in no way correlated to your career as a model.

You know, many of the models I've worked with have been stunningly beautiful. And yet, so many were insecure. You could see that they still had an inner image of themselves as that ugly little duckling, wanting acceptance and approval so badly.

They hoped to find love and approval through modeling; a place where, ironically, the danger of rejection and insecurity couldn't be more real.

So never confuse being booked with being loved. One has nothing to do with the other. And conversely and just as important is don't confuse not being booked with being unlovable.

Let's say that you have a client who's very excited about you and books you--they tell you how wonderful you are, they pay you very well and they've got to have you, no one else will do. Does that mean that they actually love you? No. It means that as a model you correspond to what they're looking for at the time.

Sooner or later, that same client will stop booking you. It might be overnight, or it might be after years. But since change is the nature of fashion, they will eventually stop booking you, to change for someone who fits the look they want now.

Remember, it's not personal; it's just business.

The sooner you see the difference, and stop taking such facts of life personally, the happier you'll be as a model.

Even better your clients will pick up on your positive attitude and your sense of confidence, and you'll actually begin to attract more bookings to yourself as a result.