I’m back.
And here is where I share with you that second conversation from London–with Nikki.
I knew Nikki from before. I’d scouted her in London about 3 years ago. I remember her as being extremely photogenic but also a little quiet and needing to lose a few pounds. She came over to Paris at that time and stayed a short while. I don’t remember anything very spectacular happening for her while she was with us. Despite being photogenic and quietly pleasant, the clients just didn’t seem to pick up on her.
While I was in London one of the bookers from the agency called me to say that they had received some photos by e-mail from Nikki and that it would be good if I could meet her in person while I was in London. Talk about timing! I got in touch with Nikki and we set up an appointment for 9.30 the next morning in my hotel. I came to find out later that she lived far enough out of the city that she needed to leave two hours before our appointment in order to reach me by train on time. I appreciated her dedication.
When I came down to the lobby for our meeting, I didn’t recognize her at first. The last time I saw Nikki she had long dark hair. The young woman waiting on the couch had short blond hair. But she was also about 15 pounds lighter than the Nikki I’d last seen. And she had such an air of smiling enthusiasm and confidence about her, it was amazing.
“Nikki! How are you? You look great!” I told her.
She thanked me and said that she’d been busy…having two baby girls over the last three years!
I congratulated her and told her that motherhood obviously suited her–she never looked better. Nikki told me that she had changed a lot because of it. That before she used to worry about whether people liked her or not, agents and clients in particular. Now, she said, she’s her own source of approval. And as a result, by not caring whether or not the client ‘likes’ her, she gets more bookings than ever. “You know,” she told me, “it’s no good when you try too hard.”
Well said, Nikki. How right you are.
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