Do you have what it takes to be a model?

Do you have what it takes to be a model?
The answer maybe be a little different that you think. Some of the people who think they do, don't-and a lot of people who don't think they could - DO!
Why, you ask? Because we aren't splitting the atom here. We are selling a product and the product is a person SELLING a product. The reason that some people have no success as a model, especially in a relatively small market is they are too busy selling themselves (their pouty lips, their large breasts, their six pack etc etc) and they have taken no time to listen to their agent tell them about the market and what the clients are looking for.
Knowing and understanding the market is paramount to being a successful model.
If you live in NYC, your portfolio has to have a certain look- same with LA or Miami. If you live in Syracuse or Buffalo that portfolio will probably not work no matter how hard you try to cram that square peg into the round hole.
If you just want sexy/pretty/funky/wild photos of yourself to put on Facebook or Instagram I say have a ball. If you want to get modeling work you MUST listen to your agent. Your agent should know the market and be able to look at you and tell you the kind of work they are going to get for you. To do that you need a certain type of photo.
If a 45 year old woman joins my agency I am not putting her in a bustier and black leather pants (no matter how good she may look in them!) to sell her to my upstate NY clients.
Back to my original thought. The people that think they would make good models often think that because they get a lot of LIKES on FB with their selfies. When I try to tell them to stop pouting and start smiling we stop communicating. Its the sharp looking 50 year old guy I meet at Lord and Taylor or the fit 60 year old woman who I bump into at Wegmans, who thinks that they could never be a model (and asks me if I am crazy) that make the best models. They don't know anything about the business so they LISTEN, follow directions and they make GREAT models. Which one are you?