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In this solo episode, Rian discusses how her company got started, as well as the upcoming Talent Book Masterclass and what you can expect from it. Talent Book Masterclass--Find Rian:https://linktr.ee/riandonatelliInstagram: @riandonatelliWebsite: riandonatelli.comFollow the Podcast, Modeling Success:Rate, Review, Subscribe & Share on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
In this solo episode, Rian discusses how her company got started, as well as the upcoming Talent Book Masterclass and what you can expect from it.
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Find Rian:
https://linktr.ee/riandonatelli
Instagram: @riandonatelli
Website: riandonatelli.com
Follow the Podcast, Modeling Success:
Rate, Review, Subscribe & Share on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
Modeling Success is created to bridge the gap between talent and brand. Putting everything out on the table, addressing current situations and hot unspoken topics that are happening in the industry that need to change. We will address topics such as the models and brand's point of view on industry topics. As well as discussing success in the industry, what it is to be a model and what agencies and brands are looking for when seeking talent. Just because you get paid for pictures does not make you a model. A model is "a system or thing used as an example to follow or imitate". A model is someone or something one aspires to become, someone who works their butt off and is someone people can look up to. This podcast is here to assist Talent in learning pride and true tactics for success in the industry.
I, Rian Donatelli, will use my 25+ years experience within this industry to discuss all these topics and more through conversions and panels with other people in the industry from talent to brand executives to the venues and establishments that we are operating in. We are going to find some hard truths that need to be heard on all fronts.
Listen up. Just because you get paid for pictures does not make you a model. A model is a system or thing used as an example to follow.
Speaker 2:A model is someone or something one aspires to become. It's an example. Modeling success is here to assist talent in learning, pride, and true tactics for success in the industry. Hello, and welcome back to modeling success. Again, my name is Ryan Donatelli.
Speaker 2:And today, it is just me on today's podcast because I wanna come to you and talk about how I started my company and how this entire thing came about. So the story of Talent Booking Experts is, 25 years ago, I worked for Jim Beam, which is a supplier. And the models we received did not look like their photos. Therefore, they did not fit in their uniform, and we could not use them at the event because they weren't even trained on, the product. They didn't know the difference between bourbon and whiskey, and so here we are.
Speaker 2:And I am stuck with a situation where we just couldn't do anything with them. I mean, I can get anyone to hand out key chains. So I ended up, leaving that event and hiring my girlfriends and training them on all whiskeys and all bourbons and the difference between the 2, and that is how my company started. So that is how the 25 years ago, the company came about. And what a real brand ambassador is is an extension of someone's Salesforce.
Speaker 2:And I think it's important to explain to people that you're out there to exude a brand message. You're out there to exude, you know, the culture of the brand. And what people are missing is what the actual job is. So a true brand ambassador is someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes the brand that could, in return, just create sales. So, you know, a prime example is my favorite story.
Speaker 2:We were at a NASCAR race and we were setting up and we started the activation for Jim Beam. And a gentleman was walking by with a Crown Royal shirt and hat on, and he had a crown in his drink or a crown drink. And Jody, one of our models, tried to get him into our chiming footprint. He said, no, ma'am. Crown is my drink.
Speaker 2:And so we brought him into the footprint, and Jody educated him on the difference between bourbon and whiskey, educated him on the difference between Beam and Crown, and this gentleman left 5 hours later. Jody's my girl. Beam is my drink, and he was wearing a Jim Beam t shirt, a Jim Beam hat. And the one thing I do know is that man is probably sitting around every campfire, every family event, and he's telling the story about how Jodi is his girl, Bemis' drink, and that is a true brand ambassador. So what she did was she created a ambassador by educating him, telling him the difference between bourbon and whiskey, letting him know, yes, Crown can be his whiskey of choice, but Beam can be his bourbon.
Speaker 2:So that is what creates a true brand ambassador. And over the years, I have always interviewed and trained every single one of my models, and I never realized that other agencies weren't doing this. And before we had virtual platforms, I would fly around in every hotel lobby. I would meet models. I would interview them, and then I would train them as a team.
Speaker 2:Then I would educate them on the products before we went to work. And here we are, 22 years later, and every time I speak to brand ambassadors, I'm told that they never have to meet anyone at an agency. They've never had to interview before. The most common things that I hear are those 2 and that they've never been really trained prior to going to activations. So, along that journey, I've also learned that there's zero training out there for Brand Ambassadors.
Speaker 2:And all the other roles, influencers, sales specialists, product specialists, demonstrators, emcees, hosts, So all of these roles exist. And it's kind of just you either wing it. You learn from someone else. There's no actual training. So what, talent team members typically love about our process at Talent Booking Experts is that they love how we meet them and get to know them.
Speaker 2:They love how I desire to support their growth. So in that interview process and learning about their skill sets and pulling other things out of them that typical agencies don't ask. So whether they come to us as a brand ambassador or as an emcee, we also educate them that they could become a brand ambassador from an emcee. They could go from a brand ambassador to a host, to a product specialist, to a sales specialist, maybe aerial artists that come to us or performance arts. And then we let them know about what a brand ambassador is.
Speaker 2:So it opens our eyes to all these opportunities and additional revenue streams, which is really amazing. So I truly loved how I want to develop their growth. And I try to find those things in people. And I find that other people I interview and the talent that I interview, they also feel appreciative of that. And typical agencies are not doing that.
Speaker 2:So that's what the difference is between my agency Talent Booking Experts and other companies. Not all, but just definitely a large majority. So, something else we do is we train every single team member on brands before they go execute any activations for us. So we take the time to educate them versus them learning on spot or potentially having to do it on their own, and that seems to be a drastic difference in the industry. So these are things that we just love to do, we take pride in our work.
Speaker 2:So what I've now developed is I'm taking my 25 years of experience and I am bundling it into easy to learn courses. So TalentBook is now out there. TalentBookmasterclass.com is live, and it's easy to learn trainings for by someone who's qualified to give it. So, again, 25 years of my experience in bundling into easy to learn courses that teach people how to become brand ambassadors in this world, that teach people how to execute activations effectively, how to become influencers, how to become team leads, and an actual training and certification out there that will renew yearly, that we will teach people the different laws, the different changes what you need to know how you get started how you excel how you can use this as a foundation to grow additional revenue streams and this is created for individuals who are looking to excel in the industry, maybe that want to have their own business, maybe don't wanna grow, their own business and how they can do that effectively and again create additional revenue streams. So the first course is brand ambassador certification.
Speaker 2:Again, for those looking to excel as a brand ambassador in the experiential marketing space, what why you want this course is, again, 25 years of my experience. I've been a brand ambassador in the industry of spirits, wine, and beer, other brands, nonalcoholic brands, beverages. And I am a branding expert. So over two and a half decades, I know the ins and outs, like, back of my hand. I know what brands want.
Speaker 2:I know what talent booking agents want. I know how to leverage the trust of large companies, and you can truly become a true brand ambassador and then grow within the industry. So if you're interested in sales, if you're interested in marketing, if you're interested in growing just as a public figure, I can help you learn how to do that. And then you can understand that brands trust me. And they know that I'm good for them and that they're good in our hands.
Speaker 2:So over the past 25 years, I've worked on over a 100 brands in the beverage experience marketing and spirit space. A couple of the things you'll learn is how to get, to learn how booking agents think. So know what the talent agent is looking for beforehand. So you're the top choice, and they choose you as the perfect candidate. So you get to essentially skip the line.
Speaker 2:Imagine being able to virtually pick the brain of 1 of the industry leaders. This type of access will allow you to skip the trial and error and stage altogether. So there's so much more in these courses. If you want to make money and you want to have additional revenue streams outside, think outside the box and learn what's truly good for you, how you can explore, within your skill set, how you can become better in your space, you know, think outside the box, learn about additional opportunities that maybe you didn't know about. You know, what you don't know, you don't know.
Speaker 2:So learning from the experts, learning from people that are in the business that are qualified to give advice, being in the right room, these things are all very important to you. So in this master class, what you will learn is about activation, starting an activation, getting booked for the activation, activation, getting booked for the activation, executing the activation, what brands are looking for, what talent agents are looking for, how to execute your activations effectively, how to know what your goals are, how to surpass your goals, closing a promotion, completing your recap, and wanting to just rise in how to go about it. All of these things are super important in your growth game. And so I will teach you all of these in TalentBook Masterclasses. You will learn the do's and don'ts in the industry.
Speaker 2:You will learn about legal laws. You will learn that it's not about you and it's about the brand and how to fully execute and get picked for the next position. How to get picked for your next activation, how to be in demand by the brands. All of these things are super, super valuable, and we will teach you in these master classes again. It's TalentBook Masterclass, and all of these will be available to you starting now.
Speaker 2:So check it out. We'll follow-up with a team lead master class, a CBD master class, influencer master class, and it will go on and on and on. So just know that I'm taking these 25 years of my experience, bundling it into these easy and simple to use courses. We're getting all of these brands from the past to sign on with us and support this certification, And we just plan to help the industry, teach people how to get in the industry, stay in the industry, grow in the industry. And that is the main main priority, is just to help all of these brand ambassadors, self employed individuals looking to improve their growth gains.
Speaker 2:So if you have any questions, please DM me on social media. Ask me anything you wanna know. You can join our community as well once you, sign on with Talent Masterclass where we will be giving freebies, tutorials, articles, you know, occasional chats, all the things accessible to you. I am open to you as well with an open book. So anything you have to ask, you can.
Speaker 2:And I just encourage you as a brand ambassador, influencer, anyone in the talent space to just join us on talentbookmasterclass.com. Join the community, check us out, and definitely learn how to improve your growth game. Additional revenue streams, you can learn how to grow your business, scale your business, run your business, work on your business, in the business, all the do's and don'ts of the industry, and openly talk about what is truly happening out there and how we can help. So join us today. Quick brief chat, but thank you for your time.
Speaker 2:And, again, find me on social media, Ryan Donatelli. Ryan donatelli.com, and all social media platforms as my name, ryan Donatelli. That's it for today. Thanks so much. Thank you for joining us at the table of modeling success.
Speaker 2:I am your host, Ryan Donatelli, and you can find me on all social channels, mainly Instagram, LinkedIn, and ryandonatelli.com. Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And meet us here every week where we will be discussing the actual happenings that no one wants to openly talk about in talent and entertainment industry.