Feelin' Out of This World feat. Jaime Chan and a Model's Guide to Press

Working with your dream photographer, and one of your friends, is always a dream come true...you could even say it makes me feel "out of this world". Sorry, bad dad joke.

But what's no joke is how amazing Jaime is and how dope all of our photos turned out! Can't wait to release more!

Photography: Jaime Chan
Dress: Valentino

A Model’s Guide: How to Handle Press
One of the best ways to book jobs is by appearing in various platforms, including the press. The press can vary from interviews to podcasts to video commentary. Generating news around your brand and you are important as to expand your reach and promote cool projects and photoshoots you are working on. Once you start being interviewed, it’s important to maintain a clear head and decide on what you will focus on for each interview. Here are some tips and tricks as to generating and handling press:

• Only participate in press that will fit with your brand. Getting a few interviews under your belt is important, but never sacrifice the quality of the source of the interview to gain more views and experience. Make sure the company interviewing you fits with who you are as a brand and what you stand for. Go through their previous interviews, research the company and their goals and what they stand for or who they associate with. Does it fit with what you believe in and will you want this company to tell part of your story?
  
• Don’t be afraid to not answer questions. If you don’t feel comfortable answering a question, politely decline. Don’t act offended they would ask you a question, but respond with as much kindness as possible. An example I frequently run into is personal questions about my relationship (or previous high profile relationships), rather than being rude to the interviewer, I simply reply, “I like to keep my private life private as to respect all parties.” If there’s a professional question you don’t feel comfortable answering, or a question you get asked all the time and want to answer something different, you can rephrase the question to fit to what you will answer. For example, I am CONSISTENTLY asked “How do you define success?” As a response I talk about how I’ve gotten to the position I’m currently in, as to partially answer the question but give it a unique flare from other interviews they may have had, as that’s a standard interview question. As long as you’re answering in a respectful manner, you will look better in the interview.
  
• Seek out publications to work with. Reach out to magazines and other press outlets that are highlighting similar projects you’re working on or fit with your brand is always a great option to try to expand your outreach. Having meetings with writers or editors is a great way to get your foot in the door, but also sending polite emails detailing your projects and work (or detailing out your pitch) will get you directly to the point. If you have a manager, they will oftentimes do this work, but when you’re working independently, you will have to do a lot of research and come up with unique pitches to each publication, as to fit with what they write about and look for.
  
• Have a plan before going in. For interviews, panels and podcasts, they’ll usually tell you what types of questions they’ll ask or projects they’ll be focusing on. Have an idea what you’re going to say before you say it. Keep in mind words to stay away from. Go over what you plan on saying a few times before you go in, either asking yourself questions and answering to yourself in the mirror or having your friends ask you questions, this way you’ll be ready for potential questions and you have a base for what you’d like to say. Think of specific things you'd wish to promote and upcoming projects to discuss so you won't be wasting time.
  
• If you’re doing a lot of interviews, get a team! Having a manager and PR person is a perfect way to make sure your interviews will go smoothly. If you’re someone who is in the public eye more, or doing more interviews, assembling a team to help you prepare and seek out publications is a great way to get everything out of interviews and build up your press packet. A manager will help seek out publications, set up interviews and go over topics, while your PR person makes sure the interview went well and promote the platform or make sure it doesn’t appear when you search your name. This, obviously costs money, but is a useful tool if you’re doing a lot of press.
  

Getting comfortable answering questions, especially the tough ones, and getting to know publications and media is key in a time when anyone can search your name for interviews and find out anything you’ve put out there, maintaining your composure online and into these interviews is understated. As long as you’re promoting the work you’d like to promote and the aspects of your career people are interested in, you’ll make the most out of the interview.