Because of the distinctly entrepreneurial nature and direction of this blog,  I have changed its name to The Physique Entrepreneur.

In a few days, I will change the URL for the blog to the following:

thephysiqueentrepreneur.posterous.com.

The blog posts will continued to be autoposted on the Male Fitness Model Success page on Facebook as usual.

If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know.

Sincerely,

Andre

Recently, I received the following inquiry from one of my readers:

“…I'm 44 years old with a body of a 24 year old, literally, is there a decent market for middle aged men such as myself and if so, where would i start?"

On a number of occasions, I have been asked questions similar to this one.  And whenever I have the opportunity, I try to “unpack” the question in order to give a thoughtful response that it deserves.

“Is there a decent market for middle aged men such as myself…?”

When a questioner refers to the “market,” he is usually asking whether or not the market of magazine editors and publishers, and industry advertisers (sports nutrition companies, gyms, clothing manufacturers, etc.) is interested in hiring 40+ men as fitness models to rep their companies and/or products.  

My reply is no. 

Based on my experience as a "fitness" photographer, I have never come across any evidence that these commercial participants in the bodybuilding industry have a strong need or desire for older models in any real way.  My hypothesis is that most of these companies are targeting a different age demographic as their primary customer and therefore do not have a business need for 40+ models in their advertising campaigns.  And if some of these companies are really seeking to sell their goods and services to an older customer segment, then they seem to have discovered that their current imagery of younger models works well enough in attracting buyers across the age spectrum.

This is not to say that one will never see an occasional image of a 40+ model featured in a bodybuilding magazine or even on the cover (I have had the honor of creating some these).  And I am not saying that an image of a 40+ man has never shown up in an advertising campaign in the bodybuilding industry (though I cannot point to any specific examples at the time of this writing).  But I am asserting that when it does happen it is almost always the very rare exception to the otherwise unchanging rule.

Now, let me unpack things a little further:

“…I’m a 44 years old with a body of a 24 year old, literally….”

First, let me say that I saw a small photo on the Web of this reader who made this statement.  As a photographer, I found the reader to be photogenic and, from the little bit I could see, the reader appears to be as he describes.  So, as I make the following statements, I intend no disrespect to him and anyone else who may have feel the same about themselves.

With that out of the way, put yourself in the shoes of a magazine publisher or advertiser and ask the following question:

“Why should I hire a 40+ man with a physique that looks similar to a ‘24 year old’ when I can just as easily hire an actual 24 year old man instead? What is the commercial value of doing the former over the latter?”

There is none.  Why?  Because an over-40 man will never like a man who is actually 24 years old.  And why should he? 

In my opinion, 40+ bodybuilders shouldn’t spend any time comparing their physiques with the physical characteristics of younger bodybuilders.  It is really a worthless endeavor as it distracts them from discovering their own unique potential value in the marketplace.  (Not to mention that to engage in such comparisons can be destructive to one's self-esteem, causing one to overlook his inherent self-worth.)

Instead, I believe over-40 men, who have sculpted healthy-looking, muscular physiques, project an aura of vitality and beauty that others find attractive, and possess the necessary entrepreneurial vision could, in time with innovative business models, create thriving businesses and even disrupt the traditional bodybuilding industry in ways not unlike the way Apple did to the music, telecommunications, and computing industries with the iPod, the iPhone, and iPad.

But more on all of this in Part Two.

During my time as a fitness magazine photographer, I have encountered numerous bodybuilders who were frustrated with their repeated failure to earn a living from the bodybuilding industry. 

After studying this problem for years now, I have concluded the following:

Expecting the bodybuilding industry to provide you with a means of earning a living is like expecting your high school to hire you upon graduation.

INTRODUCTION:

I have dedicated this blog to helping to readers like you build successful businesses centered, in whole or in part, around your physique.  One of the best ways to do this is to point out real world examples of physique entrepreneurs who seem to be doing just that.

I believe one such entrepreneur is Todd Sanfield.

Recently, Todd launched a new fashion underwear line under the company name of Todd Sanfield Underwear.  On the company website, a series of form-flattering briefs and boxer briefs that he designed are available for sale.  Being a very popular model, Todd models all of the garments displayed on the website himself.

After researching information about Todd and his company, there are a number of aspects about his situation that I believe truly exemplify what it means to strategically and creatively leverage one's visual value as a model.  Hopefully after reading this post, you will have a better understanding of the general entrepreneurial principles that I have been advocating and be inspired to explore unique business strategies that might be appropriate for you.

Based on what I learned and deduced about Todd's business, here are a number of important assumptions and facts that I believe may be true about his situation and how they compare with that of a traditional model:

SHARING IN THE COMPANY'S PROFITS:

He has developed a stream of income by creating a product that is designed ONCE and can be sold repeatedly indefinitely.  Once enough garments have been sold to cover the cost of making them, any income over and above the production/marketing expenses is considered the company profits from which he would receive a percentage.  On the other hand, an ordinary model is paid a one-time payment for his work while the individual or company that hired him will use the model's image to sell multiples of whatever it is that is being promoted indefinitely: supplements, gym memberships, soft drinks, equipment, magazines, etc.  The model will not receive any residual income from a share of the company's profits.

ONGOING STREAM OF INCOME:

On a related note, Todd has mostly likely created a favorable situation where he is potentially earning money even when he is hired for a modeling job apart from his company, when he is out with his friends, or even when he is sleeping. How? Because of the online nature of this business, the company can transact sales 24 hours a day/365 days a year from around the world.

ADDITIONAL INCOME: MODELING FEES AND/OR SALARY:

Depending on how he structured his relationship to his company, Todd may also pay himself a fee for his modeling work on top of the profit dividends he receives (assuming his company is well capitalized).  If so, Todd will have created another stream of income for himself and an ongoing one given that he is face and body of Todd Sanfield Underwear. Also, he may have arranged for a recurring salary after the company reached a particular sales goal.  In contrast, a traditional physique model, in almost every case, has no guarantee that he will be hired again to promote a product at a later time, unless he has entered into some longer-term contract (which is be highly unlikely). A traditional model is paid on a per-modeling assignment basis by a client.  Once an assignment is completed and payment is made, the traditional model will not receive any further payments unless he works again to earn more money.

MONETIZING HIS FAN BASE:

Todd is definitely tapping into his substantial tribe of worldwide fans for potential customers. The fact that he had attracted such a large following was probably one of the primary factors that "green-lighted" the start of his company in the first place.  And if he approached investors to financially support the venture, these backers probably did so, in part, based on a belief that a sufficient number of Todd's fans would become customers, buying garments and driving up sales.  On the other hand, some traditional physique models have very large fan followings that are intensely loyal and would probably purchase products from them. BUT almost every one of them offers nothing for their fans to buy, despite their willingness!  So, the 3rd parties that hire these traditional models, de facto, tap into these models' fan base and leverage it their commercial advantage.

BENEFIT OF EQUITY IN HIS COMPANY:

Another major advantage that, as a physique entrepreneur, Todd has over traditional models is the possibility of receiving a considerable payout if his company is ever sold, assuming it is a profitable business one.  Let's assume that his underwear line becomes a strong brand and a 3rd party purchases Todd Sanfield Underwear.  Todd stands to receive a significant percentage of the money paid and, if he structured the sale to his maximum advantage, Todd will receive ongoing payments as a shareholder and as the company's namesake model even though he may no longer design the garments and/or manage the company.  No traditional model could ever hope to maximize his earnings this way because he would have no equity in the company that hired him.

CONCLUSION:

I could list a number of other additional advantages Todd may be enjoying because he has decided to seize this opportunities as an entrepreneur/business owner.  But, I believe it is vital to point that I am not suggesting that one can wake up on a given morning and decide to be a clothing designer and launch a product line.  It takes substantial vision, planning, time, money, energy, creativity, help from others, etc. to build a successful profitable business.

BUT IT CAN BE DONE!!!

I sincerely believe that male physique models--YOU--can follow in Todd's footsteps if you FIRST make the decision to be an entrepreneur as opposed to a model that simply waits for opportunities to be handed to him. (In a future post, I will offer suggestions on how you can acquire business knowledge from traditional and non-traditional sources.

I am currently working on other entrepreneurial spotlights.  In the meantime, if you have a question or comment, please post it below.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: I want to state that this post is not sponsored or endorsed by Todd Sanfield or the Todd Sanfield Underwear company, in any way.  And the statements and/or claims I have made above are based on my research on the company and a general understanding how business organizations can be structured.]

(A part of the ongoing series, Rescuing Models from "Cover Crack" Addiction)

First and foremost, fitness magazine covers are tools to sell magazines.
 
Covers are not merit badges given to models (or photographers) for all of their hard work. They are not rewards, prizes to be won, or school grades that you earn through effort and presistence.  

Editorial staffs and their publishers really do not care if you have won a bunch of contests or if you have “gone pro” or if you look better the model who "got the cover" last time.  This may sound very harsh, but...chances are editors do not even care about you as a person. Their major, no, their ultimate concern, is to select and publish a photograph on the cover that will maintain or increase the sales of a given issue of their magazine. Covers are about making money for the publisher.

So please save yourself a ton of frustration, self-doubt, and even anger by keeping your desire to have your image appear on a cover (or multiple covers) in check.
 
If your image is selected for a cover, savor the moment and...then move on to the more strategic and profitable work that will effectively grow your physique modeling business way more than any cover appearance will.  And remember one simple, humbling fact:  while "your cover" graces newsstands and bookstores and grocery checkout lines, decisions are being made - at that very moment- about the next outstanding physique and handsome face that will replace you on the next issue.

If your image does not appear on a cover, I offer you the same advice, even more so.  MOVE ON and do the real work that will profitably grow your business, by orders of magnitude, beyond what a cover appearance will do.  And do not doubt your unique visual value FOR ONE SECOND because an image of you was not selected for a cover. Instead, rededicate your efforts to identify areas in the marketplace within the fitness industry and, more so, beyond it that have a business need what you have to offer as a physique model.
 
Honestly, covers are not about you.  It is really about sales and a publishing company's bottom line.  This is not a bad thing, just a business thing.

Your turn.  Share your feedback about this post.

[The above is based on my experience of having over 30 published fitness magazine covers and having spent hundreds of hours of listening to the aspirations of so many male models and encouraging them to build successful businesses.]

For those of you who see yourselves as what I call “physique entrepreneurs,” then it is vital for you to know how to determine whether or not your modeling business is succeeding financially.  I define "financial success" as generating sufficient income to cover all of your expenses while enjoying enought profits that you re-invest your business or yourself, or spending on something you have long desired. 

Regrettably, very few male fitness models know how to determine if their businesses are making a profit or just breaking even, or driving them into debt. (Truth be told, very few photographers know how to do so. So don't feel so bad.)

But after reading this post you will know how to do so!

Dig up a pen and some paper (or for the tech-savvy launch your spreadsheet programs on your phones, tablets, or laptops) and put your thinking caps on, and let’s get started:

Step 1:        Determine Your General Living Expenses

Itemize all of your basic living expenses (rent/mortgage, utilities, food, auto payments, mobile phone payments, cable television, entertainment, credit card payments, etc.) You can use “best-guess” estimates for right now.  But I strongly encourage you to get the accurate dollar amounts for each expense item at a later time.  It is very likely that your initial figures, this go-round, will be inaccurate on the low side.

TIP:  Most of your living expenses recur on a monthly basis.  So, calculate your all expenses for a normal month.  Then multiply that total by 12.  Then add in the total amount of any less-frequent recurring or once-a-year expenses (ex. certain insurance payments or taxes) for an average calender year.  Now you have a more or less accurate picture of what your yearly living expenses are.

Step 2:        Determine Your Modeling Business Expenses (Business Overhead)

Itemize all of the costs involved in creating, developing and marketing your modeling business (gym membership, training fees, supplements, tanning/skin care, hair care, special clothing, contest entry fees, travel expenses, web site hosting, business cards/zedcards, photography fees, etc.) on yearly basis. 

Similar to your living costs, a number of these business expenses are monthly in nature.  So calculate a regular month’s business expenses and multiply that amount by 12. 

Identify all of your less-frequent recurring costs (i.e. fitness show entry fees, computer hard- and/or software upgrades, etc.) for a normal year.  Again for the present, “ball park” your expenses but verify your estimates later against your records to ensure the most accurate financial picture.

Step 3:        Calculate Your Break-Even Point

Take your 2 totals, your annual general living costs and your yearly business overhead costs and add them together:

Annual General Living Costs + Annual Business Overhead Costs = Your Annual Break-Even Point

IMPORTANT NOTE:  In order to arrive at a more accurate break-even figure, you would need to calculate the amount of interest you pay, on an annual basis, on your credit cards, student loans, mortgage or the like.  Depending on what area these interest costs fall in (general living costs or business overhead), you would add the respective amounts to the appropriate total above.

So, why is knowing this break-even point important?

With this single number, you can now (and fairly quickly) determine if you are actually earning enough money to meet all of your personal and business obligations with the income generated from your modeling business.  Calculate how much you have earned from your modeling work for a given year and see if that amount is less than, equal to, or more than your break-even amount.

Just as quickly and easily, you can determine whether or not you are making a profit from your modeling income. Remember: profit is the amount left over after ALL of your expenses have been paid.

If you discover that you spend more money than you than you make (which is easy to do if you are placing your some or all of your expenses on a credit card and only paying the minimum due),

OR

If you find that you are covering your expenses but only making a small amount of profit,

But don’t despair!

You are in the perfect spot to take conscious control of your business and grow it to the level and in the direction you want.  

Now having read this far (I am honored if you did), I hope you are now asking yourself, “What if I’m operating in the red? How do I start to grow my business?  What direction do I want to take my business?  How do I grow my profits?”  You are now thinking like a true, blue business owner.  By asking these questions, you are beginning to prime your entrereneurial pump.

Over the course of future posts, I will share ideas that I hope will rev you up!

Has this post been helpful to you?  Either way, pleas let me know by posting a comment below.

[END NOTE:  Many of you who have read this far might be thinking, "Modeling is not my only source of income.  I have a regular job that I rely on financially."  And I say, no problem.  Assuming that your non-modeling income covers all of your general living expenses, then let's compare your modeling business overhead costs with your modeling income.  Is your income less than, equal to, or greater than your overhead?  Are you earning the level of profits that you want?]

It is vital that you see yourself ultimately as a business entity, not as a guy who just models. 

Remember, businesses are designed to fulfill unmet or under-served needs in the marketplace in exchange for payment.  If these businesses do not meet a need, then no payment, no compensation. 

By thinking of yourself as a business, you are less likely to think like an employee - who waits to be told or shown what to do, who rarely demonstrates creative initiative.

Do not succumb to the Cinderella (or Cinder-fella) syndrome in which models rely on photographers, agents, sponsors (private individuals or companies) to do the vital business stuff for them while they simply go to the gym or lap up the glory.  That is a recipe for lingering frustration, for being taken advantage of, and for continual short-lived success, perpetual failure and discouragement.

I believe that if you really want to succeed financially and otherwise, you will need to realize that being the producer of something that is created once and sold many times afterwards is one of your best routes to take. 

There are work opportunities beyond fitness magazine modeling, I believe, few male fitness or physique models know about or have considered. 

One such opportunity is body parts modeling.  Don't get scared...I am not talking about some weird horror movie scenario. What I am referring to is a small niche in the modeling industry where models are hired because they have an exceptionally photogenic or striking body feature that may hold visual value for certain advertisements and/or publishers. 

You may have seen of work of a body parts model when you have seen advertisements in magazines and department store displays, on billboards, and online promoting men's wristwatches, fragrances, cosmetic surgery, exercise equipment, nutritional supplements, and the like.   Body parts models may featured in anatomical textbooks used by art or medical students.

One of the typical ways to access paid assignments is through a modeling agency that has a parts division or that exclusively manages body parts models. An important note to remember is body parts models are many times photographed very close up requiring exceptionally healthy skin, symmetry, or other important bodily characteristics that are regarded as aesthetically pleasing.  Hence, agencies in this specialty area may have very stringent physical standards that must be met before they sign or take on a new model.  So make sure that you read an agency's new model criteria and their guidelines for submitting your photos for evaluation.

For those on the West Coast, check out the site for Body Parts Models Inc.  And for those on the East Coast, visit Parts Models.

Please let me know if you found this post be helpful! [Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with either of the above agencies and cannot vouch for their business practices.  I offer them for informational purposes only.  Please investigate any agency fully before approaching them.  And for models in California, make sure that any agency you approach is licensed with the State of California.  You can do this by visiting the California's Talent Agency License Database and enter the business name of the agency.]

You Are More Than a Set of Abs, Biceps, & Pecs!

Do not get me wrong.  These are absolutely essential aspects of being a fitness model, for sure.  But your muscles are only one part of your visual value as a model. In order to standout in a crowd of other fitness models with great looking "abs, biceps, and pecs", you have to see yourself as more than a collection of muscles.  If you have a clear understanding of what makes up your overall "visual value" , you're able to tap a rich resource that you and the photographers working with you to create exciting images beyond the standard "muscle shots".  

And when you offer attention-grapping images in your physical and online portfolios, you are better able to catch the attention of photographers, editors, modeling scouts, advertisers, and other decision-makers who hire male fitness models.

Visual Value: Defined

I define visual value as your total collection of physical talents, learned skills, and individual life experiences combined with your physical/muscular attributes that you bring to any modeling opportunity. Below, I break apart this definition to give you fuller understanding of what I mean.  

Your Physical Talents These are the abilities that you are more or so born with, the raw potential to excel at a particular activity. Specific examples of physical talents:

1. exceptional climbing ability
2. outstanding flexibility
3. remarkable upper body strength
4. ability to jump long distances and/or great heights
5. eye-hand coordination
6. explosive running speeds

(ABOVE: Fitness model, Alex Hawn, demonstrates his black belt mastery of Tae Kwon Do for an article he authored for Men's Exercise Magazine.)

This is obviously a very partial list of physical abilities that you might have.  But the point I am making is that you may have a number of physical talents are readily observable.   And if they are observable, they can be photographed and videoed. So, you might say, "Yea, I have some or even all of those abilities.  So what?!"  And I would say in return, "Do you have photographs (and/or video) of you demonstrating them?" For the moment, photos are the primary tool used by models to promote themselves.  Imagine having a collection of photos showcasing your talents?  One of the immediate benefits is that these photos will convey is sense of action and movement as well as informing the model scout, photographer, editor, and/or advertising sponsor that you much more to offer than an attractive physique.  

Your Learned Skills: Your learned skills are those abilities that you have actively developed a competency or mastery in using.  In some cases, your learned skills are based on your inborn physical talents.  The two are not, necessarily, mutually exclusive. Specific examples of learned skills:

1. Rock or mountain climbing
2. Gymnastics
3. Dance (ballet, street dance, ballroom dancing)
4. Rowing
5. Hunting
6. Basketball playing
7. Tae Kwon Do

(ABOVE: Experienced hunter, Sean-Patrick, helped to create this dramatc shot of his arms by incorporating his archery experience in the photo shoot.)

Over the years, you have learned how to perform a number of things competently.  Seriously consider integrating the demonstration of your skills into your physical or online modeling portfolio.  Also, see about creating short video clips of yourself using your skills.  You can post these clips on your website or have them available to share with those who might be interested in hiring you.

(ABOVE: Nationally ranked sprinter, Steven Benedict, rockets down the track in this spectacular shot. This image appeared in the same issue of Men's Exercise as the exercise article that he authored based on his track & field experience.) 

Your Life Experiences: Some of your life experiences are physical or active in nature and can be easily translated into action images. While some of your experiences are not directly related to fitness, per se.   But do NOT discount the less physical-/fitness-related ones.  Creating images that reflect your past life experiences may communicate a depth that sets you a part from other models. Take for instance being a parent.   Over the years, you may have developed ways of incorporating your child into your fitness activities so that you can spend time with your little one and maintain your physical fitness.  Work with a photographer to create that reflect this experience of yours.  One such image in your portfolio would immediately standout from the endless muscle and bodybuilder shots and may prompt the person in charge of the shoot (photographer or art director) to take a different slant on the project. Or, if you are committed to preserving wilderness areas, then consider having shots of you engaged in some sort of fitness in an wonderful environment, perhaps even doing your cherished preservation work, if appropriate. Specific examples of other life experiences:

1. military or law enforcement involvement
2. ropes course training
3. bicycle courier experience
4. life with pets
5. skateboarding
6. volunteer service at home or abroad
7. track & field experience
8. EMT or nursing work

As I mentioned at the start of this post, you are MORE than your muscles.  You are whole person with an array of talents, skills, and experiences.  Continuously look for ways of incorporating these aspects in your modeling portfolio, especially when working with a photographer on a TFCD basis.  Share your ideas in advance with him or her, and see if  they get excited about the possibilities.  Let the richness of your life help distinguish you from the crowd and possibly land that coveted modeling assignment.

Editors and publishers (the editorial team) are ultimately concerned with putting out magazine issues that upholds their fitness philosophy and ideals, and with making money.  These two primary concerns directly affect which models are featured in the magazine and, EVEN MORE SO, who will appear on the cover. When the editorial team reviews your photos, they are asking the following questions about you:

• "How well does this model represent the fitness philosophy, ideals and look of our magazine?"
• "Does his look match what our readers and advertisers have come to expect from us?"
• "Will this model's look increases our sales, especially if his image were placed on the cover?"

So,  you should submit photos to help answer these questions.  And here are my suggestions:

HEADSHOTS

Submit photos that:

• Show your face with a relaxed, alert expression.
• Make sure there is "life" in your eyes.
• Project confidence without haughtiness and arrogance
• Show your face evenly illuminated

Avoid photos with:

• Heavy shadows on your face (Editors might wonder if you are attempting to hide an aspect your face.)
• Frowns, grimaces, and other menacing expressions.
• Big, toothy smiles as these can look feral or "beasty".
• Overly retouched images (Editors may doubt that the photos accurately represent you and pass on using you.)

REMEMBER: Your face is equally important to your overall look as your physique when editors are casting fitness models for their magazines.

BODYSHOTS

Submit body shots that immediately answer editors' questions about your:

• Muscular definition

TIP: Light coming from a side (or an acute angle) in relation to your body will enhance your muscular definition in the resulting photo.

• Muscle symmetry and proportion

TIP: Ensure that you include more frontal shots that allow editors to compare one side of your body with the other and to see how you "wear" your muscle mass. I advise that you AVOID:

• Photos with shadows obscuring the view of your body
• Extreme competitive bodybuilder poses (i.e. "most musculars") as these can distort your physique and they do not allow for a full examination of your body
• Grainy or blurred photos produced by camera phones and web cameras
• Overly erotic or intensely sexual images, and/or nude images (There is nothing inherently wrong with such images.  I shoot them myself.   But some editors may be uncomfortable with these photos and be can put off by them.)

PHOTO SIZE and DELIVERY

Since it is likely that you will email the your photos to the editorial team, ensure that you send images that are large enough to be easily reviewed. I recommend that the shortest side of each photo be at least 500 pixels wide. But please do not send extremely large files.  Keep individual photo sizes to under 500 kb. When sending the images, embed them into your email message or attached them. 

Keep in mind that even though you may live on MySpace, Facebook, ModelMayhem, and/or ModelLaunch, do not assume that editors do or that they even have an account.  If an editor has to sign-up for one of these sites just to look at your photos, he or she may be more likely to move on to the next model's photos that are more accessible. PARTING SHOTS... The above info applies when submitting your photos to a photographer who contributes to a fitness magazine, also. 

In many ways, photographers, like myself, are the first line of screening for our editorial team. Make sure your images are current (within 1 months, at most, of your submission date) You do NOT need professional shot images to be considered for a fitness modeling  job. Check to see if a particular magazine has specific photo submission guidelines in the physical copy of their issues or on their related websites.  If an editorial team has published these guidelines, FOLLOW THEM!!  

WHEW!!  This was a long post!  Thanks for hanging in there with me.  I had a lot to share with you!

Did you find this helpful??  Do you have more questions??  LET ME KNOW!! Post your comments and questions below. 

If you have suggestions for future topics, please post them!