Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Lynn.
Jennifer, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was going to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for civil engineering and needed a way to pay for school so I started working trade shows through agencies on the weekends back in the city. I leveraged my tech education to become an in-demand asset for medical and technology companies that wanted to generate leads at the conventions.
Then, around the time I left UIUC, the economy tanked, the construction market bubble burst and I needed to pivot. Salaries dropped for civil engineers, job security was gone, and there wasn’t light at the end of the tunnel. To top it all off my father was sick and commuting 2 hours a day, working 50+ hour weeks, and making half what I thought I would be making in an industry struggling for building projects was not worth it.
The ah-ha moment came when I realized a lot of well-educated people were having issues finding work across all industries. Just like that, I set out to create a trade show agency that connected college-educated talent with trade show exhibitors looked for knowledgeable, hardworking talent to generate leads — Motivated Models. By moonlighting at night I managed to make the website, collateral, content, and graphics myself from scratch. This was before the internet was as competitive and savvy as it is now. When everything was in place and ready to go, I made that my full-time job and haven’t looked back.
Motivated Models has grown leaps and bounds above what I could have initially imagined. Our list of clients and talent are constantly growing and the areas we serve are expanding. We have provided models, artists, and staff for household brands and fortune 500 companies all the way down to representing mom and pop shops as well as startups.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Growth comes from struggles and challenges and we had our fair share. One particular experience that comes to mind is a well-known gaming brand. They used our services for the launch of their new product. This meant branding, onsite talent for a week-long event, custom wardrobe, collateral development, training, etc. We made sure everything was perfect, the event went off without a hitch, and the client was blown away.
But, then the credit card they left on file no longer worked and they didn’t pay their outstanding invoice. We soon found out they filed chapter 11 and we were out of luck. We made sure to pay everyone we utilized for the project in full even though we were going to be financially set back. Understanding the importance of reputation came quickly, we wanted to be known for taking care of our own. We continued making changes in our business model to ensure both the client and our talent have the best experience, and it has paid off dividends.
Please tell us about Motivated Models.
Motivated Models is a model staffing agency that focuses on providing well-educated talent for trade shows, live events, print, and on-camera work.
Providing lead generators that can quickly learn about a company and industry in a way to best attract, engage, and educate attendees is our niche. Technology and medical companies seem to find the most value in our lead generating talent, they like measuring their return on investment through quality and quantity of leads. We also have an artist and specialty talent division that services clients with additional needs.
Over the lifespan of the agency, we have grown into a company that successfully develops, organizes, staffs, and executes events in multiple countries and continents. At our core, we try to be hungry, humble, and honest. Our time is spent understanding our client’s pain points, needs, and how they measure success then delivering to make sure they meet their goals. The result is repeat, reliable business — a win-win for everyone involved.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I grew up with a shallow yet huge field and forest in my front yard that seemed to stretch for miles in either direction. I didn’t realize until later in life how much of my creativity and inspiration was derived from the endless possibilities it provided. I would follow animal tracks, dig holes, search for fossils, capture bugs, classify animal bones, look up at the bright stars, and do just about anything else that involved being out in mother nature. It didn’t matter if I was by myself or had friends with me – I just wanted to explore and learn.
Luckily my parents encouraged my behavior even though I was somewhat of an anomaly according to society. I didn’t like Barbies, I didn’t want toys. I wanted books, science kits, computers, and art supplies. So my fondest memory is when I found a pack of skunks trotting past our house. Being the nature lover I was, I followed close behind. As I crept up on them as well as a 7-year-old could do, they all at once turned. I stopped in my tracks. No one moved. It was as if they didn’t notice me in my stealthy pose, frozen in place with one leg hovering over the ground.
Soon, losing interest, they continued on their way and I followed shortly after. As I caught up, they would turn, I would freeze, they would eventually go back to meandering. This repeated for a mile or two. I followed them across the field, into another subdivision, and we snaked through fences. Needless to say, I went home with a smile on my face and looking back the big win is successfully avoiding being skunked. As a kid, in my mind, I was one with their pack. I would love to revisit that experience as an adult, if only digital cameras were a thing back then!
Contact Info:
- Address: 770 N Halsted Street #156
Chicago, IL 60642 - Website: www.MotivatedModels.com
- Phone: 7079687536
- Email: info@MotivatedModels.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motivatedmodels/
- Facebook: facebook.com/motivatedmodels/
- Twitter: @motivatedmodels
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/motivated-models
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