Hello everyone!

Since so many of you are asking…I figured an update to the ole blog would be appropriate. 

I am back home in Indianapolis.  Yes, I was supposed to still be on the cruise…but I’ve found that life never happens how you expect.  I can’t really explain to you what happened…because honestly I’m not even sure!   I was training as an associate on the Norwegian Epic…and one day I got a call from my office saying they have contractual obligations to the ship and had to pull me off.  That’s all they really told me.  So now I’m back home waiting for a different ship…(who knows when that will be.  Hopefully this summer I’ll be going on an Alaskan cruise).

The three weeks living on the ship traveling in the Caribbean were probably the best three weeks of my life.  It. Was. Amazing.  I felt like I was living in a dream.  Part of me sometimes wonders if it even really happened.  Some days I literally pinched myself!  Yes, living in a vacation atmosphere had its perks with the buffet, spa, entertainment, fancy restaurants and bars.  I miss the smell of the fresh sea air, the perfect weather caressing my skin and being rocked to sleep every night to the sound of the ocean crashing and having my room cleaned everyday …but what I’ll never forget are the people.  I met so many wonderful, interesting characters from all over the world!       

Being part of the ship crew was like being part of a family.  There’s a saying, “We’re all sailors together” and the energy and culture surrounding that was unlike anything I’d experienced before.  It became my home and my family…and I miss it!  It’s funny to be home and be homesick.  It was only three weeks but it felt like a lifetime.   Oh…and I’m pretty sure that when I die my soul will float back to the ship….like in the movie Titanic. Pretty sure.  And everyone will be there to greet me.       

Side note, Ladies:  I would like to report…chivalry is not dead!

You may have noticed I’ve been a little MIA lately (missing in action).  You may have also heard that I’m no longer hosting Nightlights TV…which is true.  After four plus years of co-developing and hosting the show about fashion and nightlife, my time has come to an end.   Why?  Simply put…there was a parting of ways and it quickly became apparent that hosting Nightlights was no longer in my best interest.  (And on the same note, I am no longer hosting new content for the Indy Visitor’s Channel)

I would like to thank each and every one of you for your support;  from those who faithfully watched every Saturday on SBT2 in Michiana from the very first episode at Club Noma in 2008, all the way to the last episode in Indianapolis.   It was a joy having you along for the ride and being a part of my fashion and nightlife adventures!  I met so many wonderful people and had so many great experiences that I will cherish forever!  Nightlights will always hold a special place in my heart.

You all have been so important in helping me along this journey.  It hasn’t always been easy…or glamorous…but there has always been someone there with words of encouragement to let me know I’m on the right track and where I’m supposed to be.  With that being said, I hope you will continue to follow me on my brand new adventure!

I’M ON A BOAT!!!  (actually…it’s a ship)

I will be traveling to exotic destinations and living on-board a cruise ship for six months as a shopping host!  Yes…all of my sweat, blood and tears have finally paid off.  My ship has literally sailed in…I scored a dream job!

As a shopping host, I will be helping guests of the cruise, well…shop!   It’ll be sort of like what I was doing on the Indy Visitor’s Channel …except on a watery international scale and with more of a focus on shopping.  I’ll be the host of the shopping channel that plays in the guest rooms… letting people know where to shop and keeping them updated on the best deals!  I’ll also be giving a live presentation on stage at the beginning of each cruise introducing myself and going over basic information to get guests excited about shopping.  Then when we reach the ports of call my job is to simply to mingle and create a fun shopping experience!  I’m the expert for all your port shopping information!  (Oh! … plus I’ll be hosting a diamond and gemstone seminar …so I’ll know all about how to pick out the perfect stone.  Whoever wants to marry me is going to have a time trying to pick out my ring! Haha) 

I am so thrilled to be embarking on this new adventure and traveling to exciting new places!  I’d love to have you along!  I mean…it just wouldn’t be the same without you!

Please follow my new travel adventures on Facebook and Twitter.  Granted I’ll have the time AND internet connection…I’ll be posting photos, videos, updating my travel locations and new discoveries!  Oh…and I’m sure there will be a cocktail or two along the way! (…then maybe I’ll pretend to be a pirate! HA!)

Bon Voyage!  I’m out to Sea!

Xoxo

Amy

Since I was already out in the windy cold waters, I figured I might as well go through with it.  After all, if I would’ve decided to end the shoot, then I would’ve endured the icy coldness for nothing!  I’m going to get at least one good shot out of this damn it!  (Besides, it’s common that most swimwear shoots happen in the spring time – if not earlier – because that’s when all the ads for summer fashions come out.  I seemed to have initially learned that from watching America’s Next Top Model…I believe it was the very first season and they made the models do that swimwear shoot on top of the building in the freezing cold wind!).

So anyway…I shifted into some serious mental focusing and endured the frigid Chicago beach.  So you better frickin’ like these photos! Lol

(I’ll be posting more on my Facebook)

Here are some more we did.  I was wearing a jumpsuit by Nikki Blaine Couture.

Do you like my literal interpretation of modeling a “jumpsuit”? haha

Last set of the day!  It had warmed up a little by then

(photos by Joseph William)

Here’s some we took just goofing around:

FREEZING! (…and so was Sugar Bear!)

“It’s High Fashion”

I’ve had many people ask, “How do I (or get my kids) into the business?”  So, I figured to make this easier for everyone, I’d write a blog series about what I’ve learned in my pursuit of modeling and how to get started.  (Some of what I’ll be covering can also be applied to the acting and entertainment industry). In this article I’ll paint a general picture of what the industry is like to help you decide whether or not it’s for you.

Before you read on, consider the following:

• Can you handle rejection? …I mean a lot of rejection…on a consistent basis?
• Would you be able to accept never knowing the reason you were rejected?
• Are you ready to be judged and rejected solely based on your appearance?
• Are you willing to invest years before you reach the professional level you’d like to achieve?
• Are you willing to invest years with the possibility of never even making it?

This is the toughest industry to break into.  Everyone wants to be a model or an actor …and a lot of those people are beautiful and talented, which makes it a very competitive industry.  You will not realize how difficult it is until you’re on your merry way.  But then it won’t be as merry as you thought…and there will be tears at some point.  I promise.

Growing up people would always tell me I should be a model.  In early 2008, I decided to try out for America’s Next Top Model.  I needed photos to submit. Well…I didn’t have any because I’d never done any modeling before, so I found a photographer to take some pictures of me.  I remember feeling extremely awkward and had no idea what I was doing!  (But that’s beside the point).

So I went to the casting call, did what was required of me and handed off my packet of information with my pictures.  Even though I knew there was a chance I wouldn’t make it (after all, thousands of girls try out for this every year), I left the casting with high hopes.  I felt good about my submission.  And since I was always told I could be a model, I wouldn’t be surprised if they called to tell me I made it.  Well…they never called me.  Apparently…all the other hundreds of girls at the casting were told the same thing at some point in their life, “You could be a model” – and most of them probably could be.

That’s when I learned lesson #1:  You’re not as special as you think.

Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude but that’s just how it is in this industry.  You are replaceable.  For every one model or actor, there are at least hundreds of others that are equally qualified.  If you can’t handle this then don’t waste anymore time reading this article.

Lesson #2:  You will face rejection.

Being rejected doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t qualified to be a model or an actor.  It just means you weren’t right for that job.  You’re just not what the designer or casting directors are looking for.  It could be a variety of factors. Maybe you nailed your runway walk at your go see or performed your audition perfectly.  But even then it doesn’t mean you’ll get the part.  Perhaps it’s simply because you don’t have the right “look”.  I was surprised once to find out I didn’t get a job because my look was “too glamorous”.  Regardless of what people think, modeling isn’t always about “who is the most beautiful”.  Modeling is really only about one thing – selling a product or idea.  It’s a business.  Which brings me to a side note:  leave your ego at the door.  No one wants to work with a diva.  Be professional.

This next piece of advice will save you a lot of heartache.

Lesson #3:  Don’t take it personally.

Save yourself the time and energy.  Don’t try and figure out why you didn’t get the part.  If you are lucky enough to learn why you were rejected, take that information as a learning opportunity and move on.

Lesson #4:  Be persistent.

Some people in the industry were discovered right away.  Others (…others being the majority) had to work at it for years …and years before they got their big break.  Don’t count on being the exception.  As the saying goes, it all comes down to right place, right time.  It usually takes going to hundreds of auditions before a beginning actor is offered a single role.  Just keep at it.  You’ll never have your “right time” moment sitting at home.

I’d like to leave you with a bit of inspiration and something to think about.  Let’s talk about Heidi Klum.  Most people know her from being one of Victoria’s Secret’s most-famous Angels and most recently as the host of Project Runway.  She’s gorgeous, right? … One of the top supermodels of our time.  Designers were knocking down her door at the chance to work with her.  If you thought that statement was true… actually… it was quite the opposite!  In an interview with Allure, she tells the magazine of her early years of modeling, “No one would book me … I was too curvy and too busty and a little too short” (Allure, May 2012).  But she didn’t let that stop her and paved her own way.  “I always wanted first to be a model.  So I had to say, ‘OK, you’re going to find other things to do in this industry, or it’s maybe not my industry.’”

Klum’s modeling career began when she won a modeling contest.  Five years later she debuted on the catwalk for Victoria’s Secret.  A year later she got her big break when she landed the cover of Sports Illustrated.  It took her six years before she earned top model status and 15 years into her modeling career until she was named by Forbes as third on the list of the World’s 15 Top-Earning Supermodels.

After reading this, and you think you have what it takes, read my next article about how to get started in the industry.

In my next So You Want To Be a Model article, I’ll be talking about how to get started in the industry of modeling and acting. Make sure you’re subscribed to my blog to receive a notification by email!

Resources:
http://www.heidiklum.de/Frueher.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidi_Klum
Allure Magazine

Watch my “Official Announcement” and behind-the-scenes video of the photo shoot I did as part of the process in creating my label:

At the very beginning of the year, I stated in another blog post that one of my goals for 2012 was to come out with a line of something.  I always thought someday I’d have my own line of beer…since my last name IS Beers after all!  But…the vodka came first…so we’re just going to go with it!

Here’s the back story of how this came to be (in case you’re curious):

Heartland Distillers is one of the sponsor’s for Nightlights TV (the show I’ve hosted for the past four years).  They supply the limo we take to our shoots with Indiana Vodka…so everyone can have a good time. 

… One casual day I was taking a tour of the distillery and meeting the maker of the vodka, Stuart Hobson, for the first time.   In the back of my mind I always knew I wanted my own line of alcohol (again, it just seemed appropriate).  I did NOT, however, have in mind on this particular day to pitch the idea of creating my own line of vodka, nor did I have any specific ideas simmering on the back burner.  For some reason…perhaps due to some mysterious force… it just struck me like lighting, and I think I literally had a light bulb appear above my head!  “Hey Stuart!  What do you think about this!?”  And then all this sudden energy welling up inside me proceeded to come out in the form of an idea he really liked!

I’m extremely excited to be coming out with my very own line of vodka!  I can’t wait for it to hit the markets!  I think you guys will really like it.  We’re still in the beginning phases.  I’ll be talking with the VP of Sales at Olinger Distributors next week about the direction the label needs to take visually and then I’ll be sending off the photos to the artist who’s going to create a pin-up style illustration of my image.

*Subscribe to my blog if you’d like updates on my vodka’s progress.  You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter!

In all my years of searching and spending money on things that just didn’t seem to work…I finally found a product that I’m absolutely in love with!  After using this product, my hair has never felt so soft!  I wish someone would’ve told me about Keratin Treatment before now!  I suppose that’s why I’m sharing my new-found information with you!

Keratin is the key structural component found in hair (and also skin and nails).   This superior formula by Awesome Classic Care (and it IS awesome!)  is enriched with 5 proteins and 5 natural oils to provide intensive nourishment.  It revives, restores and rejuvenates chemically treated damaged hair through all hair conditions.

Pick up a sample at Bella Beauty Supply on your way home from work and try it for yourself.  You will love it!

Bella Beauty Supply
2472 Lake Circle Drive
Indianapolis, IN
(317) 879-9110

On set at the Vogue in Indy for the VISA Super Bowl Commercial. I was an extra …I don’t think any of what was shot that night made it in!

I began hosting Nightlights and pursuing modeling and acting back in 2008.  One thing I’ve learned is the lesson of not getting your hopes up.  In a recent conversation with my friend Erica (who’s pursuing acting right now out in L.A.) she made a good point; you can’t be excited about landing a role until the actual final product is released.  Just because you get the role doesn’t necessarily mean anything.  (The investors, for one, could pull their money from the budget!)  You could even get booked, do the work but then the director decides to cut your scene in the editing room for whatever reason…maybe it’s just that particular scene just isn’t fitting in and making sense with the rest of the content…or maybe there’s time constraints and that was the first shot or scene to get cut out.   Or…maybe the production decided to go in a whole other direction.  There could be a million different reasons.

The entertainment industry is the most difficult industry to break into.  Everyone it seems wants to be a model or an actor, and a lot of them are very beautiful and talented.  It’s extremely difficult to get that “big break” that EVERYONE is hoping to get and striving for.  Regardless of what the media portrays, no one is “suddenly discovered” and becomes an instant overnight success.  (There are of course always exceptions…but that is very rare).

George Clooney, often thought of as an immediate (and lucky) sensation for example, got his first role as an extra in a TV series in 1978.  He finally took off for L.A. in 1982 and struggled for two years before landing his first major role …which ended up being an unsuccessful, short-lived sitcom.  He’s often quoted for, “having done a lot of terrible TV shows and was really terrible in them, but no one really noticed.”  It wasn’t until 1994 (over ten years after moving to L.A.) that he achieved stardom when he appeared in the hit TV series ER as Dr. Doug Ross.  From there the rest is history.

It takes a lot of persistence and hard work mixed in with right time, right place, right look…and a million other possible factors.  It doesn’t always just come down to simply looks and talent…or even if you’re the best.  (Maybe you’re perfect for the role but you remind the casting director of their ex that they hate!)   It’s those little steps and continual improvements that add up to a successful career.

This industry is riddled with rejection and lost hopes.   It’s definitely easy to get down on one ’s self and if you’re not careful…you can go crazy trying to figure out why you were rejected or why it didn’t turn out like you thought it would.   But focusing on those aspects will do nothing but drag you down.  (And I’m preaching to myself here!)  It’s the ones who want it bad enough and believe enough in themselves to continue being persistent that eventually end up making it.

There’s no business like show business!

*Here’s some screen shots from a movie I was in last year.  It was called Judgement Day and I played the female antagonist (MUAHahahaha).  The movie was for the 48 Hour Film Festival…but it wasn’t finished in time to make it in.  I’m not sure anyone’s even seen it (it’s incomplete anyway…and will probably remain that way.)  It was still a good experience.

____________________________________________________________

Clooney Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Clooney

http://www.thequarterroll.com/Celebrity/george-clooney-career

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/entertainment/film/biography/artist/george-clooney/biography/33?page=1

http://www.gclooney.com/biography.htm

It’s American Craft Beer Week! YAY!  Get out and celebrate the culture and community of craft beer at Rock Bottom’s College Park location!

At Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, they brew all of their beer on premise at their on-site brewery! It goes straight from the brewery to your glass! They use only the highest quality ingredients, selecting only the finest hops in Washington’s Yakima Valley and the highest quality domestic and imported malted barley.

Rock Bottom’s award winning craft beer is fresh from the bottom up! Check out this location on episode 2 of  Nightlights TV…then hurry and get over there before Beer Week ends!

At the brewery talking with Rock Bottom’s Brewmaster, Liz Laughlin, for Nightlights TV

Here’s what’s happening at Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery during American Craft Beer Week (May 14–20, 2012):

1.  Get real human hair!  Wash it…style it… treat it like your own.  (Synthetic hair extensions will melt if you try curling or straightening it.)

2.  There are all different types of human hair that come from different regions of the world.  Make sure you get Remy Human Hair.  It’s the highest grade of real, human hair that is a preferred choice for hair extensions because it achieves the most natural look. The cuticles are kept intact and not stripped, like in most other non-Remy hair extensions. Preserving the hairs’ cuticles and aligning them in a unidirectional fashion creates extensions that are completely natural in appearance. This process ensures that the hair remains super soft, shiny, silky and completely tangle-free throughout its lifetime.

3.  Permanent extensions can be rather pricy and require more upkeep.   And if you don’t want them always in your hair, I would recommend clip-in hair extensions.  They are easy enough to put in yourself and you can take them out whenever you want.  They’re perfect for special occasions!  Not only can extensions add length and volume…but they also give you more hair to play with when creating up-dos!

4.  Lord & Cliff Seven Piece (enough for a full set) clip-in hair extensions are 100% Remy Human Hair.  They come in a variety of colors and lengths and are easy to style, curl and maintain.  They feature one way cuticle, aerosilver lace, and advanced silicon clips.  The gauze absorbs sweat, eliminates smell of sweat and the ventilation goes well.  Take them to your stylist (I recommend Sharyl Hair: 765.425.4639) to get them fitted perfectly to match and blend with your own hair!

*You can find Lord & Cliff 100% Remy Human Hair Extensions, as well as other Remy hair care products for extensions, at Bella Beauty Supply!

I love Chicago!  My heart always skips a beat that moment when I first drive up over the Skyway and catch that first glimpse of the city.  Someday I’d love to have a summer home there (I try to stay clear during the winter months…it gets ridiculously freezing in the Windy City!)

I’m always thrilled when I book jobs in Chicago.  This past week I worked two tradeshows and had three photo shoots.  It was an exhausting five days!  Not to mention the sunrise shoot where I had to get up at 2:00 a.m.!  That was crazy! I will be posting about that experience with photos in an upcoming blog post …so make sure you’re subscribed!

It was a goal of mine at the beginning of the year to get signed with an agency and recently I signed with Heyman Talent.  My first acting gig through them is coming up in June!  It’s a small speaking role in an independent film.  Anyway, my next move is to sign with an agency in Chicago.  It’s a bigger market and would give me more work opportunities.

Kris, one of the photographers I worked with on this trip, was very helpful in giving me some direction on where to focus my modeling career.   Unfortunately, the Midwest isn’t a major market for high fashion work.  It does, however, have a lot of opportunities for commercial and lifestyle.   So part of my goal is to build up more of that style of work in my book (my portfolio that potential clients would look at to help determine if they’d like to hire me).

Kris also used to model and was out in NYC for a year but decided she’d rather create images as a photographer.   She said most high-end clients want to see clean, minimal style images when deciding to book a model.   So…hopefully the shots we did together will not only be helpful in signing with an agency in Chicago but also will be very useful for my book.

By the way…I had a really great conversation with Kris as we were driving back from the last location of our shoot.  Since the beginning of my pursuit of modeling I’ve wanted to do high fashion work.  I’ve learned a lot about the industry since then and one of the things I was disappointed to find out is that most fashion models’ careers are coming to an end at my age.  I’ve always been very strong-willed (just ask my mom haha) and wasn’t about to let the status quo keep me from pursuing my dreams (there are always exceptions, right?)  It was something I really wanted.  I’ve battled for years with this notion and often would find myself feeling depressed with thoughts wondering if I’d ever make it.  It sometimes seems like this impossible thing and maybe I was spinning my wheels.  There have been times where I’ve felt almost panicked because I feel like I’m racing against time.

Upon learning about Kris’s modeling ventures in New York…I wanted to pick her brain.  She said the industry out there is very competitive…and you basically have to be 14 years old and a size 0 (if not 00…and at the height requirements…that’s skinny).  And even then, only the top models really make any money…the other 80% make an average $30,000/year…if you’re lucky and book a campaign.   Plus, she said the agencies pretty much encourage eating disorders.  At one of her modeling gigs in NYC, she said there were girls eating cotton balls!  It can be fun, but it’s not as glamorous as people might think…  It’s not for everyone she explained.

I suddenly felt a ton of weight lift off my shoulders and I could finally breathe easy!  I never thought I would be, but I feel good about the decision to not hold on so tightly to the dream of a career in high fashion.   I’m not “giving up” …I think sometimes as you go along in life, you realize some things are just not realistic or obtainable  and you have to adjust your goals to maintain a sense of sanity (obviously I can’t compete with 14-year-olds who are size 0…I wouldn’t want to anyway…I’m already skinny enough at size 4!).  Just doesn’t seem worth it to me considering the chances of being a top fashion model in NYC.  And besides, I’ve read and heard that there’s more money to be made doing commercial and lifestyle work (and in lifestyle, depending on if the gig is for a vacation magazine for example, they’ll fly you to an exotic resort for the shoot).   So, I’m still pursing modeling…just not in the high fashion realm.  But hey…certainly I wouldn’t turn down a high fashion gig if the opportunity presented itself.