The Holiday Hangover @ The Underground - Chicago

Thursday, January 13, 2011:

As the Director of Runway at Agency Galatea, I have the honor of representing so many talented fashion/runway models, (as well as working with stellar hair/makeup artists and wardrobe stylists.)  What you may not know, is that Agency Galatea is located inside of a very successful on-camera and voice-over agency called Grossman & Jack Talent that has been representing some of the best actors in Chicago for over 18 years.  To confuse things even more, there is another brand under our roof called G&J Models, which represents lifestyle/commercial models for advertising clients (as oppose to fashion or runway, like Galatea.)  Got all that?

In celebration of the New Year and the hard work that each and every one of our models and actors perform every day, we wanted to throw them a little soiree.  So - we did just that.  Lindsay Glickstein (On-Camera Agent - Grossman & Jack Talent) and myself worked our little butts off to plan a winter event that was both tons of fun and philanthropic.  To get the party started, we joined forces with Mr. Jon Landan (Director of Marketing - Rockit Ranch Productions) and Sofia Cristina (Marketing/Special Events Intern - Rockit Ranch Productions) and decided that The Underground - Chicago was going to be the place to host the event.  Lindsay decided that we would partner with a charity close to her and her family's heart called Becca's LEGacy to create a toy drive for the event.  Becca's LEGacy is a charity that fights to raise awareness about childhood cancer, raise funds for research to cure childhood cancer and collect new toys to give to hospitalized children with cancer.  We couldn't have been more thrilled to help.

(L): Lindasy Glickstein & Jeff Schroeder | (R): Jon Landan, Ryan M. Beshel & Andrew Landan

Once we had our venue and charity in place, it was time to find our liquor sponsor to really get the party going.  Enter:  Annie Skourup and Jim O'Connor - my friends from Apostrophe Brands.  Their generosity must be noted, as they hooked us up with a great spiced rum called Kilo Kai - which went over really well.  (Thank you, both!)  Once all that was squared away, it was time to complete the final aspect of our event:  the guest list.  With such a pool of beautiful talent, it was easy to fill the room with notable guests and stunning beauties.  One by one, the RSVP's came back - and before Lindsay and I knew it - we were decked out and ready to rock.

(L): Saba Solomon & Ryan M. Beshel | (M): Marie P. Anderson & Billy Dec

(R): Ryan M. Beshel, Todd Starr & Samantha Hicks

Finally, on the evening of Thursday, January 13 - the doors to The Underground opened at 8p.m. and the guests began to arrive, quickly filling the place up with contagious energy.  From wall to wall, the room was packed with friends and family of the agency.  Everywhere I looked, I saw smiling faces, people swapping smooches and hugs all around.  What can I say?  We had created a love fest.  The night rolled on and the Kilo Kai flowed and the dancing began.  Melissa Gonzalez, (Receptionist/Actress - Grossman & Jack Talent) was spotted juking her way across the dance floor (as usual.)  Katie Gallagher, Callie Greenwood, Heather Newman, Samantha Hicks and a few of my other best girls were spotted dancing on their seats and stirring things up.  Joshua Alexandre Haines (Alexandre Industries) was the tease of the night - flashing his tank top at me from across the bar (yeah - I'm calling you out, Haines!)  You getting the point yet?  We had a total, utter, complete blast.  

(L): Ryan M. Beshel & Melissa Gonzalez | (M): The Ladies on the Ledge 

(R): Joshua Alexandre Haines & Kilo Kai

When the party settled down, it was well after 1a.m. and we had collected nine huge bags of toys for Becca's LEGacy.  The event was one of the best we have thrown yet for the agency and we can't wait to do it again.  As someone who is new to the modeling industry, I am overwhelmed with the amount of love and support that each and every person who enters our office shares with me and one another.  It truly is a family and we stick together.  Thank you to everyone who was able to make it out that night to share a drink, have a laugh and give back to children with cancer.  It's each and every one of you that make me jump out of bed, excited to go to work every day.

Can't wait for the next one...

Truly,

R.M.B.

Thank you to everyone who brought a toy to support Becca's LEGacy!

For more information, please visit:  www.beccaslergacy.org

SPECIAL THANKS:

Kate Jacobsen (Intern - Agency Galatea) - for her constant hard work and guest list savvy.

'Ant Muggz' & SunnyLou Notario - for volunteering to work at our event with bright smiles and positive attitudes.

Dean Paul (Dean Paul Creative) & Vanessa Valdovinos (Vanessa V Photography) - for their amazing camera skills during our event and their quick turn-around post-party.  Thank you both x 1,000,000!

To see all of the photos from 'The Holiday Hangover', please join the Agency Galatea fan page by clicking HERE.

See you next year, Chicago!

The Bowtie is Back!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010:
Hello again to you all! First, let me apologize for neglecting you and my beloved Bowtie Memoirs for so long. Things have been quite busy in my world, which is why I'd like to take a minute today and fill you in on all the happenings this past month or so. As you may know, I have been on the job search since I completed college in December. This journey has kept me quite busy and blogging, as well as attending events, had unfortunately taken a back seat during this process.

In April, I took a great internship at The 900 Shops to gain experience in marketing and broaden my skills. I worked under the amazing Sarah Burrows, Marketing Manager, assisting her in daily tasks and promotions, as well as handling the social media for The Shops. I worked the internship until the end of May, when a great opportunity came my way...

My dear friend and mentor, Julie Darling, passed along a job lead to me just before I left my internship. The position was to assist the Fashion & Beauty Director, Marie P. Anderson, at a modeling agency called Agency Galatea. I met with Marie, Alexis McGraw (Marie's assistant/fashion booker) and Katherine Tenerowicz (the Director of G&J Models), and knew right away that I could fit right in. A few days later (and some relevant negotiations), I got 'the call' and was offered the position!

I now officially work for Marie P. Anderson, an International Model Agent and Scout, former fashion model, modeling industry expert, public speaker and educator with over 30 years of professional experience - (not to mention, she discovered THE Cindy Crawford). In my new position, I assist in the daily management of models, their marketing materials such as comps/portfolios, help coordinate photo shoots and runway shows, and procure print work for any given talent. I also manage the website updates and online portfolios, while working to establish a strong presence for the brand using social media. My focus for the future is to assist in increasing business and to grow with the company as they forge ahead.

To get you up to speed: Agency Galatea is a division of Grossman & Jack Talent, an agency that has represented actors and voice-over talent in Chicago for many years now. Katherine Tenerowicz, whom I mentioned above, runs G&J Models, a division that represents commercial and lifestyle models. These three entities all work together, as well as individually, all under one roof. Needless to say, there is never a lack of creativity and controlled chaos in the office - which is perfect for me! I already feel right at home with the team and can't wait to learn more about the industry as I move forward with the agency. The office is moving to a new location in July, which will make for an exciting new beginning for the entire team.

So, my friends - that is what I have been up to all this time! Moving forward, I already have collected some photos for some great posts coming up. Also, keep an eye out for a fantastic feature and photoshoot on me and my blog, which will be posted on the Chicago style site, Style Admirer. Many thanks to Meghan Turner, the editor-in-chief of Style Admirer, who reached out to me to be included. It's truly an honor. I hope all is well with you, my friends and readers. Looks like summer in the city has begun - and it's looking to be the perfect time for new beginnings!

Thank you for reading, and keep an eye out for more very soon!
(I promise.)

Truly and gratefully,

R.M.B.