Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
Welcome to the Victory Show.
Hey victors. Welcome to this episode of the Victory Show. This is the first time you're joining us. I'm Travis cody, bestselling author, 19 books and the creator of bestseller By Design. I've had the privilege of helping hundreds of business consultants, founders, entrepreneurs write and publish their own best selling books. And through that journey, I've discovered a really fascinating pattern. Many businesses really struggle to break past that magical seven figure per year mark in revenue. So on this show, I sit down with some of the world's most successful founders, CEOs, leaders and business owners to uncover the strategies they use to scale way past that mark so you can do the same. So get ready for some deep insights and actionable takeaways that you can implement in your life and business. Starting now.
Today's guest is more than just a pretty face. She's a force for empowerment, purpose and next generation impact.
Gene, known to many as Jeannie in a Bottle, is an international, internationally published model with over 15 years in the fashion industry. A model coach and a consultant who helps aspiring talent step into their full potential with confidence and clarity. She's also the founder of maybay, a platform devoted to elevating beauty with purpose, merging style, substance and self worth into a powerful message for women worldwide. She's also a philanthropist and a visionary. She lives to inspire others to walk boldly in their God given purpose. Whether she's mentoring young models, building conscious brands, or sharing her story, her mission is crystal clear.
Empower others to rise. So thank you for being here. Is it Jean or Gian? I always, they forgot to ask before we got started.
[00:01:49] Speaker B: No, it's okay. It's Jeannie. Like Jeannie.
[00:01:51] Speaker A: Jeannie. Okay, so there's a silent I in there.
[00:01:55] Speaker B: Yes, sir.
[00:01:57] Speaker A: So let's talk a little bit about like you've obviously experienced a side of life that I, a layperson like me would be like, oh, the model. And there's the glamoury world of model. Right. We only see on the outside of like what you guys do. How, like, how did that, how did that happen for you? Was that something that you knew at a young age you wanted to do? Did somebody just kind of find you and then you're like, yeah, I'll try.
[00:02:21] Speaker B: This first I just want to say thank you for the intro. That was, that was awesome.
Yeah, so I think every, every girl has this just vision of being a model, right? Like we see all these pretty faces on the COVID of magazines and I remember I was in foster care and I saw a Magazine with this beautiful girl on it. And I was like, oh, I'm going to be her one day.
And lo and behold, a couple years later it actually happened. So it was just kind of, it was always a dream or a fantasy that I never actually thought I would ever achieve. And here I am 30 years old and I've been on the COVID of probably 12 different magazines internationally. So it's been pretty incredible. Wow.
[00:02:59] Speaker A: All right, so how do you go from having the dream to actually getting there? Like what was the, what happened in between there that allowed you to do that?
[00:03:07] Speaker B: Oh, I'm, I'm gonna admit this. It was just luck. 100% just luck. I was walking through the mall with one of my foster sisters and I've always been super tall and slender. I'm 6 foot and I think I was 13 or 14 at the time. And I was like 5 9, 5 10.
[00:03:26] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:03:27] Speaker B: And this guy was following us. And so my foster sister turned around, was like, hey creep, beat it. And he's like, no, I'm sorry, I'm a model scout. And he gave us his card and she thought it was a complete scam.
And so I kept the card, you know, you know, being rebellious and I called the number on it and come to find out it was legit agency, it was imd and he was actual scout with them.
And so I set up a, an intake with them, an interview with them, snuck out of my foster home, went and did the intake and I got accepted and they put me into classes that next month.
[00:04:00] Speaker A: Wow.
So let's talk a little bit because I don't think most people realize that there, there are good aspects of the modeling industry that it's very much just like a skill and there's an education for it. So, so you got into a program, was this like a six month year long program and as you went through that, what were some of the things they were teaching you?
[00:04:20] Speaker B: Yeah, so it was a 12 month program and IMD paid for everything. It was incredible.
Everything from just basic, you know, how to take care of yourself, how to look appeasing to, to photo skills, what posing to do, what lighting techniques work better with certain outfits, what to look for, the do's and don'ts in basic photography.
Because as a model I can honestly say I've gone on many different sets where I've actually helped train the photographer. Because a lot of times anyone with a camera more than, more than welcome to get hired for the job.
And so there's been so many different times where we're in an outdoor setting and. And most photographers don't do that in modeling world. They just do studio work. And so I'm like coaching them on lighting techniques or things like that.
And so in that year program, we went through all different, like photo lessons. We went through how to throw an outfit together with anything like basic essentials on the fly modeling. And then also they do what's called a character modeling. So like they put you through this round of rapid fire photo shoots and you have to change your entire Persona every single photo shoot, so how different you can be. So it was actually, it was a lot of fun. It was like a built in acting class. We did a lot of voiceover stuff. It was pretty cool.
[00:05:43] Speaker A: Wow. Okay, so once you were done, what happened next?
So you got 12 months of a deep dive and then were they just kind of like, cool, good luck and you're on your own or.
[00:05:55] Speaker B: No, no. I had to do my final test. And so that was any voiceover script they gave you. You had 10 minutes to memorize it and then you had to go out and do it.
They gave you just a sheet of just, this is the character we want you to be. This is the setting, make it work. And then you had to kind of put everything together.
It was absolutely hectic. But. But I remember I got done with all my photo shoots, I got done with my voiceover. And then the grand finale was a fashion show mock up fashion show. And that's where they had all of the like big agency directors to like make sure that you passed.
Sitting at the end of the Runway, acting like our prospects. And so we would walk down the end of the Runway and we'd pose and then walk back. And then they would critique us and let us know if we passed or failed. And that was like worse than any test I've ever taken in school.
[00:06:48] Speaker A: Right, so you were just about 15 at this point in time and like, talk about like insane, like head games at that point.
[00:06:56] Speaker B: It was awful. Oh my gosh. It instilled some deep insecurities for sure. I was too tall, I was too skinny, my hair was too dark. I. Yeah, there was a lot of things that they picked apart, but I got the job, so.
[00:07:08] Speaker A: Wow. Okay, so what was that? So got the year training? What was that first year modeling for you? Like, where did you, like, did you get on a magazine that first year or did you have to sort of work your way up to that?
[00:07:22] Speaker B: I had to work my way up to it. I don't think I landed a magazine shoot for probably four years into my modeling career.
The first year was absolutely awful.
I didn't land any casting jobs at all. I almost got cut from the agency because I just got diagnosed with cancer at the same time.
[00:07:39] Speaker A: Wow.
So you told them you had cancer and then they thought about cutting you after you told them that?
[00:07:46] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:07:47] Speaker A: Nice to have support.
[00:07:49] Speaker B: Yeah, it was awful.
And then I remember I was actually coming back for my treatment. I was bald, and someone.
It fit the script of a job somewhere.
And they asked if I would be comfortable doing a photo shoot bald. And I was like, yeah, sure. And then that's actually how I landed. My first job was at the American Cancer Society as a spokesperson for them. And then from there, it just grew as just this inspirational image of a model and what the reality of being a model is could be like. And then I got job after job after that.
[00:08:23] Speaker A: Who would have ever thought that getting cancer and losing all your hair would have launched your modeling career?
[00:08:29] Speaker B: I never would have thought it.
[00:08:31] Speaker A: What a. What a bizarre.
[00:08:34] Speaker B: My first Runway walk was right after I got put in remission. I was bald still, and they had me walk on Runway in LA at a cancer event. So it was pretty cool.
[00:08:47] Speaker A: That was your first Runway.
Professional Runway, I should say.
[00:08:51] Speaker B: Yeah. So it's pretty cool.
[00:08:53] Speaker A: When did you, like, did you do anything international, like go internationally for any shoots or work?
[00:09:00] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, I traveled international quite a bit.
I've gone to Paris a couple of times. I walked in the Milan fashion show, which is like, you know, that's when you made it at the model.
I went to Spain.
Oh, gosh. I know I'm forgetting something, but, yeah, I've gone to a couple different.
[00:09:24] Speaker A: All before you were 20?
[00:09:26] Speaker B: 21? Yeah, up until I was 21. And then that's when I quit traveling.
[00:09:31] Speaker A: Wow. All right, so let's talk a little bit about then. Like, what are some of the, like, the really awesome sides of modeling that most people that you don't know about? Because again. Right. Obviously, all we see is the magazines and the. The Entertainment Tonight, you know, behind the scenes photo shoots. But for you as a model, like, what were some of, like, what, two or three, like, aspects of that that were just absolutely amazing that you loved?
[00:09:56] Speaker B: I.
I just loved, I mean, being the center of attention. I feel like that's every girl's dream. Right. I loved growing up in. In the foster care system. I never really had a family or anyone that believed in me. And being in my model family, I felt like I actually had that. I felt like I had a Support group. I had people that cared about me, that checked in with me, that pushed me to, you know, better myself, Whether it was for their own personal interest in me or whatever. I finally had someone that truly believed in me and pushed me to succeed. And I'd never had that. And so that was really cool.
I also really appreciated the fact that they didn't let me just do the bare minimum. They wanted me to take care of myself. They wanted me to represent myself at the highest level. Everywhere we went, we always dressed up, so I was always dressed to the nines, and I just. I loved that.
[00:10:49] Speaker A: So at what point did you start. Did the industry start to wear on you then, where you were kind of like, okay, I think. I think this has been a good run, but I'm. I'm ready to. To try something else.
[00:11:01] Speaker B: I would say I was probably 20, 21, and I finally was just like, I've been traveling nonstop. I've been on runways every month while going to high school, while battling cancer.
I was just. Finally, just exhausted by the time I was 21. And then I found out I was pregnant with my son. And so I was like, okay, I can't do this anymore. I got it.
[00:11:23] Speaker A: Yeah, that's good. That's good motivation.
So what are. So what are some parts of the modeling industry, then that were, I guess, from. Again, from outsider, that not necessarily dart, say, dark side, but, like, the side that, like, kind of sucked. That, again, we looking on the outside wouldn't like, because we hear the stories about, like, body image stuff, like you just said, right? Oh, you're too tall, you're too fat. You gotta lose 10 pounds when you're already, like, really thin. Right. But were there other aspects beyond that that made it just kind of like, a challenge?
[00:11:58] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely.
Girls are mean. Girls are just absolutely mean every chance they got. It wasn't just competitive. It was to the point of, like, they would just constantly drag you down and tell you how awful you were or how they were gonna get the job because you suck, or it was just a constant mental battle of, like, I'm never gonna be good enough, you know, and we're all there. We're all there doing the same thing, but girls can just get you where you didn't expect it. So. So that was really awful. And then they had us on a very strict diet and workout routine, so we weren't allowed to eat more than 1200 calories a day. We had to really watch our macro intake.
We had to do.
[00:12:40] Speaker A: So you guys were tracking macros before it was fashionable.
[00:12:43] Speaker B: Yeah.
We had to do like an hour of cardio a day.
We had like 4am wake up calls for Runway practice. It was. It was excruciating, especially on top of traveling. It was just a lot.
[00:12:59] Speaker A: And so that was from, like, once you got the job, you would like, they would bring all the models up at 4am to do a run through of the Runway before the actual show.
[00:13:09] Speaker B: Yeah. So three months before any Runway you can count on. 4am Wake up calls, long days, even traveling days, they still expect you when you land to look like you. You slept for eight hours. Like, it was a lot.
Oh, man.
[00:13:24] Speaker A: That's all right. So you had a. You have a good run. It's a good seven, eight years. Obviously, priority shift. You're like, I'm having a family now. I could see why that, that lifestyle then would be it a little challenging. So where did the decision to start coaching other models? Like, was that right around then or was it, you know, did somebody ask you for help and then that somebody else asked you for help and before you knew it, you're kind of like, oh.
[00:13:55] Speaker B: Yeah. I was kind of like the mother hen of the group. I always had been. And so anytime a model was really struggling, I would wake up early or stay up late and help them with Runway or opposing techniques or things like that, because I just wanted to see people succeed.
And it kind of just grew from there. Like, people would bring their friends to me, and then their friends would bring their friends. And so when I decided to get off the Runway, I had a lot of people still reaching out to me, and I was like, I can turn this into a business. And so I did.
[00:14:28] Speaker A: Wow.
So where did you start that? What did that first couple of years look like then making that transition?
[00:14:34] Speaker B: The first year, it was pretty rough, and I just, I felt so guilty asking people for money for what I was doing with them. I don't know what it is, but yeah, I just felt so awful asking them for money. Even though it was taking a lot of my time, I just couldn't, you know, I couldn't do it. And so that first year, I didn't see much money at all. People would, like, donate money because they felt bad. Almost.
The next year, I came up with a website. I met with a.
A mentor who I still work with today, and he was like, no, we need to get you a business model. We need to get an action plan going. We need this, this, and this. And so he helped me kind of develop my business plan and makes it Actionable. And that first year, I think I only made like 500, 000 on just coaching.
[00:15:22] Speaker A: Okay, you said only in your first year business, like most first year businesses would kill to make it make that amount in the first year, right?
[00:15:31] Speaker B: Yeah, I was very fortunate for that model. Models pay a lot of money for first knowledge and for skills and just, I mean, women pay so much money for their hair, their nails, like, things like that. Right. So they pay even more money if you can teach them how to not just look pretty, but act pretty and be pretty.
And so I was charging like my base package was $5,000 just for, you know, headshots, just for portfolio setup, just for things like that. And then from there it doubled and tripled. And so I was making pretty good money pretty easily. Um, and it just took a couple hours of my time here and there. And it was, it was so rewarding. I had so much fun with it.
[00:16:14] Speaker A: So do you still do that? Is that still part of one of your companies and are you involved in that or you have a team that like now manages that?
[00:16:21] Speaker B: Um, I was very involved in it for a long time. I would say probably five years, five to six years.
And then I decided I didn't want to travel as much anymore. I wanted to be home with my son more. And so I actually passed it down to someone else. And so I still help here and there when they get like an influx, models for like fashion weeks or things like that. But yeah, I'm not the, the one that heads that off now. The team, the team of maybe.
[00:16:51] Speaker A: So I just want to get it straight. You built the business and then you just gave it to somebody else. You didn't even bring in a partner to run it for you. You're just like, you can have it.
[00:16:59] Speaker B: She's been my right hand girl for a long time, so I trust her.
Yeah, she's treated it like her babies, so I just kind of let her take it. And then she comes to me once a month and we have a little get together and kind of coaching session. But yeah, she's doing. Wow.
[00:17:15] Speaker A: So. So this is some pretty big pivots for you. Like, you, you kind of hit the. Hit the point where you're like, all right, I'm done with the modeling and you move into a successful thing. But then you're like, okay, I've had enough of that. So where did you pivot from? From Once you kind of started winding things down with the. The modeling, how did you know which direction to go at that point?
[00:17:34] Speaker B: I didn't I had no idea.
God definitely brought my clients to me.
I, as I was telling you a little bit, when I was modeling heavily, I started public speaking also just about life with cancer and like, being very open about my struggles with it and kind of what I faced and how it's affected my family.
And so while I was modeling, I was doing that also.
And then through that, I met a lot of just wonderful, encouraging people and business women and men and. And then I used the Rogue Valley Women in Business Group as like a networking opportunity to help land me some speaking jobs and just clients and kind of just see what's out there.
And I had in these group discussions, I learned so much about the business, the different businesses in the Rogue Valley and what they were struggling with. And it was all pretty common throughout the over the boards. But I would just sit there and I'd offer advice and I'd offer strategic planning, and I'd offer this and I'd offer that, and I'd be like, hey, you should probably watch for this.
And then they would go and do what I suggested. And then it, it worked, you know, it done thousands of millions of dollars. And then I was talking to my business mentor about it and he was like, no, you have a knack for that. Like, I don't know if it's natural or what, but you're just so smart with that and so articulate about it. And so then I was like, okay, well, I should turn that into a business. And so as my model coaching kind of started pivoting for me, I started consulting a lot more. At first it was just volunteer work, essentially. And then people would give me money to come. Come to their place of business and just look over their financial records or their business model or whatever.
And then as my success rate grew, my revenue started to grow. And so they just kept sending me clients and friends of friends and friends of friends of friends. And then before I knew it, before I was done model coaching, I already had like 50 clients that I was consulting.
[00:19:37] Speaker A: Wow. And so is that your core business now? And that's where you are. Do you think you're going to head in that way, just continuing this consulting? And are you going to continue to do it as a solo or have you already started building a team around that?
[00:19:51] Speaker B: I think I'm going to keep it solo for a while.
To answer your first question, yeah, my main focus is the Maybay consulting.
I think I'm going to keep it solo for a while and then just if God wants it to grow, It'll grow and I'll build a team. If not, then I'll figure out whatever else he wants me to do.
[00:20:11] Speaker A: Is there significance behind the brand of Maybay?
[00:20:16] Speaker B: No.
Funny story.
One of the mean girls, the model girls, my name is Jeannie May. And everyone used to say like, well, she used to say, mayday, mayday, we're going down. Because like I tripped on runways. I was just a total. I was awful.
And I thought she said mayday one time. And I was like, oh, wait, what'd you call me? And she's like, mayday, Mayday, we're going down. And I was like, oh. And that maybe always stuck in my head. So even though she was picking on me, I was like, you know what, that's a great name. And so I named my.
[00:20:47] Speaker A: That's funny. That becomes your consulting company. I love it.
So let's talk a little bit about then. So obviously like this project and the book and the podcast, you know, I'm always talking to people about how do they get past the seven figure mark. So let's talk about a little bit about what you see in the consulting. Like what are some of the, I guess immediate. Well, not. Are there common mistakes that business owners are making with when it comes to running their businesses?
[00:21:17] Speaker B: Yeah. Yes.
The biggest mistake I see is people aren't getting paid for the work that they're doing. And by that I mean like a lot of people have like this promise to pay model set up, especially in construction, where they'll do the work and then they'll invoice for it and then it takes like 90 days to get your money back. Well, a lot can change in that 90 days. And if you're working with bigger companies, it's a lot of bigger numbers. Right. And so it's super easy to get belly up super fast.
With smaller companies, I would just say the same thing. Invoices go out but the money's not coming in.
[00:21:54] Speaker A: And so we don't have a follow up process to kind of bug them to get it to.
[00:21:58] Speaker B: Yeah. And they don't have like a bird report or anything like that to kind of see like where their numbers are at or anything. And so I've just sat through a lot of financial plannings and just coached them through kind of what to look for and how to stay on top of that without it getting so far out that you forget that they owe you money. Because that has happened a lot of times too.
[00:22:22] Speaker A: Isn't that funny, even with normal businesses that people still sometimes have a hard Time asking for money?
[00:22:30] Speaker B: Yeah, I think a lot of it just, we don't feel val. Validated or we don't feel like our value is there. Right. But if you can talk people up about the value of your company, then they're more than willing to pay it. But if your value is down here and your prices are way up here, then it's kind of hard for them to justify paying that.
[00:22:47] Speaker A: So, like, who's, who's an ideal, like, client for you? And, and like, what's the, like your sweet spot? Like, somebody comes to you and they talk to you and you're like, oh my God. I, like, I can come in and I'm going to, I'm going to completely change your business. What does that scenario look like?
[00:23:00] Speaker B: I never promised that.
[00:23:02] Speaker A: I know, but in your mind, I know you're thinking it. You're like, you secretly, you're like, oh, these guys, I'm gonna, I'm really gonna help them.
[00:23:10] Speaker B: I, I really appreciate working with non profit organizations or a lot of churches, as funny as that sounds. I've gone into a lot of different companies that are nonprofit where they're having such a hard time. Like, they get a lot of grants and stuff, but they can't distribute the money properly. And so before the end of the year, the money's all gone.
And so going in and setting up like an action plan of we're only going to release this much money this quarter, this much money this quarter, we're going to send money to this place. If it's not being used appropriately, we're going to withdraw it and put it into this place. And so just being able to like look at their whole plan of action, you know, 90% of it, it's so funny to me because 90% of it, when they write the grant, when they're asking for the grant, they're laying out their whole business model. But as soon as they get the money, they get so excited they just completely throw it out the window. And I'm like, you guys already have a whole plan of action right here. Why aren't you following it?
And so just teaching them, filling in that gap from, you know, the planning to the actual action and implementation.
I just love that part. So.
[00:24:22] Speaker A: Oh, that's fantastic. Well, this has been like, what a fascinating journey. So if somebody's listening to this interview or they're reading this chapter in the book and they want to work with Maybay Consulting, how do they find you? Like, how do they track you down?
[00:24:36] Speaker B: Yeah, I would probably say my easiest would be just LinkedIn. I'm pretty active on there. My name's just Jeannie May.
[00:24:45] Speaker A: That would probably, I want to say Jeanne. M A E. Right? Not M a Y.
J E A.
[00:24:50] Speaker B: N N E. M A E.
All right.
[00:24:53] Speaker A: Any, any, any final words of advice to business owners that, that, you know, may be struggling with some of these things you've talked about?
[00:25:01] Speaker B: My first and foremost, absolute go to every single time is just lead with your heart. If, if your whole company is really pushing you to do something, but your heart is telling you to do something else, follow your heart because you will never fail as long as you follow your heart.
[00:25:17] Speaker A: Good advice for whatever industry you are in.
Jeannie, thank you so much for taking time out of your day to be here.
[00:25:24] Speaker B: Yeah, thank you, Travis. I appreciate you having me as a guest.
