We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Taylore Simone. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Taylore below.

Taylore, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you have an agent or someone (or a team) that helps you secure opportunities and compensation for your creative work? How did you meet you, why did you decide to work with them, why do you think they decided to work with you?

OK, so what talent, particularly newer talent, needs to understand is that an agent is not responsible for building your portfolio to get you work. You have to already come with your package being tight-knit. For actors, that includes your headshots, résumé, demo reels and clips, and social media presence. Why should the agent be a part of your team? Just like you have to make a living, they have to make a living too. You have to give them something to work with. Their job is only to get you bookings.

Another thing talent has to understand is that you should never, and I emphasize NEVER, put your total career in the hands of your agent. They are a part of your team, and you are bringing them on as a member to help further your career. It is still your responsibility to actively seek out castings to submit, to hone in on your craft, and to constantly update your package. A person should not put their lives in another person’s hands. So if a person wouldn’t put their lives in another person’s hands, why would you put your career in the hands of another person? You are the one who knows your goals. You are the one who knows what you want out of this career journey that you are on. You are the boss, but of course, God is over you. Like I like to say, “God is my employer”. I heard that from a fellow actor, and I just adopted that myself. Since I started acting and modeling full-time, I’ve been doing self-submissions, and it was not until last year that I received an industry referral to sign with my current agent that I am signed with. I didn’t look at my agent as someone who would solely book me castings. I just looked at her as another team member who is going along with me in the same direction of where I am wanting to head in my career.

Also, something that talent need to keep in mind before signing with an agent is that you have a right to interview them, just as they have a right to interview you. You both need to know that you are a great fit for each other in this industry. Check out their track record, go ask their current roster of talent how their experience is, and see if they are a boutique agency or if they are representing hundreds and hundreds of other talent who look just like you. These are important things for you to know when meeting with an agent, and these are just a few things. Remember, do your due diligence and research, research, research. I remember being offered representation from another agency in the market that I wanted. She was located in Atlanta, and she was also a part of the union list of agencies. They checked off a few of my boxes that I wanted in an agency, but when I did my research on their social media and IMDb page, it just didn’t meet my criteria of what I was wanting in bookings. These things are important. If I had been so impatient because I wanted to go ahead and sign with an agency, I would have never connected with the agent that I am with now.

Remember, patience is key. You don’t need to feel as if you have to sign with any agent to get bookings. You don’t want to just sign with any agent. You need to connect with an agent who is right for you and who understands and believes in the vision that you have for your career. I have way more gems to drop, so if anyone would like to book a consultation with me, you can reach me via email at [email protected].

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a full-time professional model, actress, and entreprenher who uses her platform to inspire others with a foundational theme of not compromising. I studied theater as a minor at the University of South Carolina, so I am professionally trained. Throughout my career, I have worked on major television networks, such as TV One’s Fatal Attraction. I can also be seen in commercials for brands such as Hilton, Lowe’s, and Nissan, to name a few. I am also known as a print model for brands such as PGA Tour Superstore and L’Oréal. Other networks and brands I have partnered with include Chick-fil-A, Marriott, Netflix, Hallmark, and Disney. Overall, to date, I have about 10 films, 3 television series, and at least 20 commercials under my belt.

It just came naturally to me. When I was a child, every time I saw a camera, no matter what I was doing, I would just instantly stop and pose. My mom even said when I was in her womb that I would move around in response to music and movies, indicating that I had an interest in acting or some creative field even before I was born. I was also considered tall for my age, so it was either modeling or sports, and you know the rest.

What sets me apart and what I am most proud of is not compromising my values and morals in this industry just to make a name for myself. I place my trust in The Lord. The Lord will lift me up if he decides. God has blessed me time and time again with gigs that have blown my mind. I still can’t believe that I have set foot in major studios and worked alongside household names. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

When it comes to a struggle, it can always change. And when it comes to a struggle as far as understanding, all you have to do is enlighten a person. So what I think non-creatives may struggle with is that they may see the glitz and glamour of this career and treat you like you are better than them and not even human or something. I would need for them to understand that I am human just like they are. I have just been blessed to do a career that I love to do for a living.

Also, people may not understand that with this career, sometimes you do not see the money you make for months on end. Let me tell you, but I thank God for taking care of me this far. Yes, it’s a beautiful thing to create art, but my pay periods are different than those who have 9 to 5 jobs. Sometimes, I may get paid a week after I work. Sometimes, I may get paid up to three months after I work. So you really have to have the tenacity to keep going in this career.

Another thing I think some people may struggle with understanding is our passion for this field. Especially if you are doing this full-time, you are putting in hours, if you are actively involved in your career, seeking castings you can submit to, you are updating your headshots, your demo reel, and your clips. These are things you are investing your money in that you haven’t even seen yet from the work you’ve already done. It’s because we have a passion for what we are doing and believe in what we are doing. Even as an actor, to get into the role of your character, it will take extensive amounts of time to really study and break down the script, to learn the psychology of the character, and to actually live out that character by applying their lives to yours. This takes time, so sometimes you can’t always be on the phone to have those regular personal phone calls, go out and shop, or do what others do on a daily basis. What you see on the screen for maybe a couple of minutes or an hour, there have been days, weeks, or months of time put in beforehand.

Some people may think that being a model or actress is not an actual profession, that it is just a hobby or something you do on the side. You know, sometimes I’m even hesitant when people ask me what I do for a living. I tell them I am a model, an actress, and a talent consultant. But from now on, I’m going to be fully proud of what I do because I am taking this seriously and I am actually making a living from it. I am an entrepreneur in the creative field, actually doing it by the grace of God. This is an actual career when you turn on your TV. You are seeing people do a career. This career may be to entertain, but it is also being taken seriously by the creative, hopefully. Just like an actor needs to take this seriously, the audience that is watching needs to take their craft seriously as well. This is a brand. This is a business. My name is my brand. I am a business. I think that is something non-creatives need to understand, as well as the creative themselves.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Yes, I have particular goals and missions I want to accomplish in my creative career. One of the main missions I have when it comes to my career is that I want to show people, as a model and as an actress, that you do not have to compromise your morals and values. You can and should please God in all that you do, including your career. You do not have to be naked, you do not have to use profanity, and you do not have to do sexual things to put your name on a map. The earth is The Lord’s and the fullness thereof, and they that dwell therein. And since the earth is The Lord’s, He can bring my name to high places within the earth. At the end of the day, I have to answer to God. You have to answer to God. We have to answer for what we do. And if I do say so myself, God has blessed me with a successful career without my having to compromise.

I recently had to turn down a co-lead role that I was offered, that I didn’t even have to audition for, because there was a sexual scene in there that I wasn’t comfortable doing. Production stated that there would be a body double performing that scene, but I still didn’t want to insinuate that that was me performing that act. Just remember, God has bigger and greater plans for you. There is nothing wrong with saying NO.

Another goal of mine that drives my creative journey is building generational wealth. A wise man leaves an inheritance for his children and his children’s children. The Bible talks about this. I want to put in the work now so that those who are connected to me do not have to worry about anything. They will be securely taken care of for the rest of their lives. I want to be able to put in the work now so that I can enjoy the fruits of my labor even now and then. I don’t want to have to work until—who knows when—just to make ends meet. I will not. I refuse. It’s called putting God first, being wise, being strategic, and doing good planning that is aligned with the will of God.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/misstayloresimone
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/misstayloresimone
• Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Jason of River Light Photo, Forrest Clonts, and Kalyn Barbary