Once They’ve Won Where Do They Go?
Meet Teddy (our cover star) and Ivana. Both of these gorgeous kids have entered and won a talent search. While winning these competitions doesn’t always lead to success, these two are some of the lucky ones. We were fortunate enough to be able to talk to their mums to discuss the ins and outs of winning a talent search and what they think about the opportunities their children have had since. Teddy Our gorgeous cover star Teddy was lucky enough to be the winner of a 2019 talent search, when he was only 1! Teddy’s mum, Michelle, saw the advertisement for the competition and thought why not, without thinking that anything would come from it. She had previously seen her friend’s little girl, who had an agent, in all sorts of advertisements, which piqued her interest in entering Teddy in the competition. Teddy’s parents were both thrilled when they found out that he had won the competition. While they had no expectations, just like many parents they had hoped that Teddy would receive a job opportunity. Only a couple of months into Teddy’s representation he was given the chance to do a photoshoot for kids clothing packaging with Aldi. This exceeded the expectations that Michelle had, and they were so extremely happy. Michelle told us that the shoot was such a great experience and that Teddy really enjoyed himself on the day, having loads of fun on set. While their journey in the industry is only just beginning, Michelle has expressed that so far it has been great. She compliments their agency for being ‘very professional to deal with, and all the staff have been helpful and friendly’. Michelle is excited to see where Teddy’s journey in the industry will take him and if Teddy continues to have fun, she will continue to keep him in the industry for years to come!
When asked if she had any advice for parents who are wanting to enter their kids in talent searches or explore an agent, Michelle emphasised for parents to ‘Definitely give it a go. It’s such a fun experience for both parents and kids.’ Ivana
Ivana was only 2 and a half in 2016 when she won the Face of Bettina talent search competition. Ivana’s parents were trying to explore the interest of their curious little girl and happened to come across this incredible opportunity. Her Mum recalls her win as ‘A really good surprise, it was totally unexpected’. Never in their wildest dreams did they think this would happen to their daughter. While her parents entered into the industry with the expectation that Ivana would hopefully get to participate in some work, they were amazed at how many opportunities she got. Ivana was lucky enough to land her first job with Australian Country Spinners, around 3 months after winning the competition. From there Ivana got the chance to work for many amazing companies and brands including Myer, Peter Alexander, Britax, Cengage Learning and Cotton On Kids. Over the past year Ivana has been working consistently for the Cotton On Kids team and it is definitely one of her favourite jobs. Her mum, Ingrid, says ‘the team at Cotton On are amazing and make us feel welcome every time we are there’.
Four years later Ivana is still with her agency and has undertaken a lifetime worth of incredible opportunities, all before her 8th birthday. Now that Ivana is a seasoned professional, Ingrid says that as long as she continues enjoying the jobs, they will keep her in the industry. When asked if she had any advice for parents who are wanting to enter their kids in a talent search or explore an agent, Ingrid had some great advice to pass on ‘Just give it a go, you never know what the future holds. It’s a really good opportunity to explore, especially with Bettina Management, who have been in the industry for years.’
Talent and Model searches can open up incredible opportunities for some children who may not be able to enter into the industry any other way. Opportunities within the entertainment industry build confidence and a range of social skills in children that attribute to positive growth and high self- esteem as they get older. Just like the parents whose children have won talent searches have expressed to us, there really is nothing to lose when entering and so many positives that come along if they do win. Remember that even if you enter a talent search for your child and they don’t win, it is never a reflection on the child or yourself. Many talent agencies need to fill certain areas within their agency and will choose based on the needs of their clients and what children are most requested during that time. However, if they do happen to win, they will be able to undertake some great opportunities and, in the end, they’ll have an incredible journey to reflect upon in the future.
