Brady Quinn

   

  I must say, networking is the key in any business.  Facebook has had such an impact on us as a society.  I can even Like my grocery store to see their ads on my Facebook page.  Women in their 80’s are at lunch talking about seeing pictures their family posted in albums.  Facebook is like Mc Donald’s, iconic.  I was encouraged to join Facebook a few years back to get my name out and drum up business.  To be honest, it has worked.  Social networking is here to stay.  My FB Friends List is very select: I have known you for awhile, had to have met you recently, or want to do business with you in order for you to be added.

This Facebook story always gives me a laugh…  I was on set for a Cleveland Magazine shoot at Crocker Park in Westlake, Ohio. The subjects were Joe Thomas and Brady Quinn of the Cleveland Browns. I was excited to be there.  Many friends asked if I could get autographs for them, but when I am on set this is one thing I don’t ask for because it is frowned upon.

          My introduction to them was pretty cut and dry, and I read nothing into it. As I was building my friends list, I requested many of my media connections and decided to make a friend request to Brady Quinn.  He did accept me, became a part of my network, and blended in with my other friends or so I thought.  One day, I received a call from my boyfriend.  He said, “What’s up with Brady?  He gave you a wink smile and wrote ‘Hi’ on your wall.” I was shocked hearing this news. I said, “WHAT?” and started to laugh.  In my head, I knew when Brady and I met there was NOTHING there.  At that time, he was dating a gal and I was nearly 15 years older than he as well as divorced with three kids.  By all means, this didn’t seem to mesh.  I told my boyfriend, “Hmm I don’t know.  I will check on it later today.”

Even though it didn’t make sense, it turned out it WAS Brady Quinn! (LOL)  I wasn’t in any hurry, so I went on through the better part of the day before attending to this matter.  Once I logged on, there was a message from Brady.  It read, “To all my friends that received a wink smile and ‘Hi’ message, please disregard. I have a Facebook virus.”  At that, I knew I had to erase my wall post.

  Some of my friends said I should have left it up a few days no matter what it was, but he claimed he really didn’t send it and I am in a relationship.  It was best to remove it.  Once Brady was traded, he deleted his account and I can no longer get posts by accident anymore. 

From finding an old friend, a new lead for a job, or just reading something funny in someone’s post, Facebook makes me smile.  It is a way to connect or reconnect and escape for just a bit. 

The Call

I remember going to concerts while growing up and thinking, “I would love to do the makeup for the performers.  How could I get that job?”  Fast forward to present times, I got THE call.  I was out to lunch with a dear friend last year when I let a call go to voicemail.  Upon leaving the restaurant, I listened to the message.  I about freaked.  I said to my friend, “That was MTV!”  She said, “THE MTV?” I said, “YES, I have to call them right away.  They want to hire me for a show at Kent State University.”  With that one phone call, I was going to be doing concert makeup.  WAY COOL!

The job was to do makeup on V.J. Erinn Westbrook and the band Cobra Starship.  The only problem was that the band’s bus broke down in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and they were now taking a flight into Akron, Ohio.  Then they had to drive to Kent, Ohio, so this delayed the schedule for the whole night.  I thought the show must go on, even if it was delayed.  The band was tired, but very nice and the job went flawlessly.  I left with my stage pass and headed home away from all the rock star glam to my little place with my three daughters and dog. It is fun to have this other side to my life; I do like the mix of it.

In Cleveland, we tend to have sports moments we would rather forget about; although, sometimes there are ones we wish we could freeze frame.  In 2007, the Cleveland Cavs were in the championship game against the San Antonio Spurs.  I received a call from ABC/ ESPN to be the makeup artist for the crew of Sports Center.  This was great for two reasons; I was doing a job while sitting in the best seat in the house, ESPN’s sports booth, and I was there for two games. Meeting Dan Patrick was ironic because, at past photo shoots, I would say to men shy of makeup, “If Dan Patrick can wear makeup on Sports Center, you can wear it for a 20 minute photo shoot.”  Now Dan Patrick was in my chair… AMAZING!  Those two nights were so much fun!  I saw Usher, Eva Longoria, Taylor Hicks, and Drew Carey. Cleveland did lose the championship, but I did get to touch the trophy before it was presented to the Spurs. So, for me, it was a “Win! Win!”

My kids are funny.  I had a call in 2008 from a media company.   They had a client in need of my services.  They wanted to hire me to do makeup for well-known political candidate, now President Barack Obama.  When I was told for whom the job was, I literally jumped up and down when I got off the phone.  My daughter said, “Are you doing Miley Cyrus’ makeup?” I started to laugh and said, “No, I can’t tell you yet who I am taking care of but I have a feeling this client is going to be so much bigger than Miley!”  My instinct was right on.  The day I was hired to be Mr. Obama’s stylist is one of my greatest makeup moments.   He was very kind, funny, and friendly.  I know some of you may not be fans, but to have had the chance to spend an hour with the man that would become our first African American President is pretty darn cool, even historical.  

My job is exciting, sometimes challenging, and not always glamorous. I am happy to  have come this far in my career with my resume and portfolio I am able to obtain these jobs.  I might think I have an ordinary week ahead of me, when something comes along to shake it up.  One thing I do know is that I use to dream big, but worried that the odds were against me and that “IT” might not happen.  Now I dream big, knowing “IT” can happen!

 http://www.mtvu.com/music/movies-and-music-festival/2010-movies-and-music-festival/cobra-starship-good-girls-go-bad/