AleanElston.com

Category: Interviews

Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show…Did you see me on CBS?

If you are in Philadelphia Area and stayed up to watch the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, I hope you stayed up a bit longer and watched the news to see me giving you my runway and smizing tips!

Special thanks to CBS 3 and Tori Woodill for having me! I hope to come back for the 2018 show!

Just in case you missed it click here to watch!

If you learned anything from it, be sure to comment below and let me know what you think.

And if you are looking for my tips on what you should wear on a casting click here!

November 27, 2017
The Real Truth About How My Modeling Career Inspired My Business Idea [VIDEO]

Hey all!

It has been since about January since I have blogged but I am back and I have been working hard in that in between time. I PROMISE YOU!!!

Since I have posted the previous post I was invited to be on TV!

Thats right!!! I was recently featured on a TV show called Whats on Tap hosted by beer expert extraordinaire, Gary Monterosso and the lovely Kimmy Kocktail. In this episode I talk about how I started my business and how my life as a model was the basis for starting it. I also talk about how my business works and make one of my favorite cocktails, the Remy Marin 1738 Sidecar.

Please check it out and let me know what you think.

Don’t forget to leave a thumbs up and share with your friends on social media!

Until my next post!

Alean xoxo

May 11, 2016
[VIDEO] Dude from the NY Subway Video singing “N*ggaz in Paris” Speaks out! #hilarious

Terrane Hicks, Self proclaimed “Spokesperson of the CRAY movement, #TEAMCRAY!” Claims Jay-Z and Kanye owe him money for making the song HOT!!! 50 Grand to be exact…

…and yes this dude is serious. I couldn’t stop laughing when I watched this video. Listen to the interviewer hold back her laughs from this fool! lol NY dudes, I love ya’ll and but he is definitely CRAY!! Check out the interview with DJ Vlad TV:

Here’s his claim to the “50 grand” that Jay and Yeezy need to pay him…

If you were Jay and Yeezy would you say to this dude?!

January 12, 2012
[Throwback Interview] Ms. Lola, Kimberly Lola that is…

This is a re-post of an interview that I did with singer Kimberly Lola (based in Cali) for Vehem Magazine. Enjoy! 🙂

I was able to catch up with the talented Miss Kimberly Lola after her performance this weekend to see what the songstress would like to share with Vehem Magazine. She’s so bright, ambitious, and full of life, I got a boost of inspiration and motivation just speaking with her. See exactly what it is that she had to say…

Vehem Mag: So in your own words, who is Kimberly Lola?

Kimberly Lola: Ha! That’s actually a good question! Well, I’m a lot of different things. I’m a model, a

dancer, an artist, and a business woman, I do a lot! I was brought up on old school R&B but in the future

I intend to diversify with a little bit of pop.

I see! You seem to keep very busy! How long have you been singing professionally?

I began singing since I was a child. My first paying gig was at 2 years old.

WOW! 2 years old?! That is amazing!

Being that you have been singing for so long, are you signed with a label or are you an independent

artist?

I’m an INDIE! I write my own material, get the producers together, photo shoots together, and book gigs

all without the backing of a label.

Is your goal to be signed to a label or would you rather stay independent?

Being with a label would be nice, especially to have that financial backing and other support that comes

along with it, but I feel like sometimes the labels try to control what is put out and I wouldn’t want to

have to choose between my music and the label if it came down to it. But if a label was interested I

wouldn’t be objected to it, it depends on the label and how they are willing to work with me.

Being that you are in different aspects of entertainment with your music, dancing, and modeling, have

you met any people along the way who have assisted in your music career? And what lessons have

you learned along the journey?

Well, I’ve learned a lot along my journey. I’ve met and learned from a lot of different industry insiders.

Most important thing I’ve learned is quality over quantity. It used to be that I would work on a bunch

of songs and have a lot of songs ready to go but they weren’t all of the best of quality. I’ve learned to

take my time crafting my music and working with people who will help me to produce the best quality.

Currently I am working with a producer who is more like my mentor now, and I’m creating some really

great work.

I’ve listened to “Like This” on your website and I read in your bio that your music is inspired by life

lessons, be it lessons learned by you or people you know. For anyone listening to your music for the

first time, or just learning about you, what would be your advice or key life lesson that you want

people to get from your music?

I would want them to learn the number one thing that I have learned, throughout all of my

relationships, good or bad, I’ve learned that you have to be happy with yourself first, because then you’ll

attract happiness. It’s like negative attracts negativity ya know, it best to stay happy then good will come

to you.

That is excellent advice. With that, I wanna know when the album is coming out! Do you have a date

set?

At the moment there is no set date, but it will be out in 2011. My reason for that is I am making sure I

put out only my best work and I want it to be well received so I have to keep the fans on edge for a little

longer. But once I have a date I will be sure to make it known!

Ok, I’ll definitely be on the watch for it! In the meantime, let’s dig into a little about Kimberly Lola.

What do you like to do to relax?

I used to pride myself on not watching TV, but lately I find myself up late watching comedies like “The

Office” on my laptop as I wind down. I know comedies wouldn’t seem like something to watch when

going to bed but it’s relaxing for me!

When you’re not relaxing, what is your work ethic like? Are you the work-a-holic or are you the type

that needs to be motivated to get things done?

I’m definitely the work-a-holic! Once I start something, I don’t finish until it’s done. I start writing a song;

I don’t stop until it’s to perfection. Everything I have produced is a result of my work, my website, my

calendar, everything!

Wait you did your website too?! It looks great!

Yes, I do a lot of things on my own, not necessarily because I want to, but because it has to be done and

I’m not wealthy so I can’t afford to pay for everything, so I make it a point to get it done. Plus with all the

design skills that I have learned through doing it myself, it just adds to my assets and my professional

value!

That is so true! You are truly a renaissance woman! I hope you continue with your drive and

persistence to be successful! Before we finish, is there anything that you want readers to know that

we haven’t talked about?

They can definitely check me out on www.KimberlyLola.com and follow me on twitter @KimberlyLola

and they can like me on Facebook by searching Kimberly Lola. My 2011 calendar will be coming out in

January and right now they can still get the 2010 calendar at a discounted price, aaaand I am working on putting together a few pop and acoustic selections of my current music they should be on the lookout for.

August 23, 2011
A Conversation with Mr. Over Time Grind

It’s funny how social media can put you in contact with people you would least expect to meet. The connections that you can make, the things that you can get done in business and in life can all come about within the instance of a tweet or a Facebook comment on a post. That’s exactly how it came about that I met Mr. Over Time Grind, Mr. OTG if you will. When I came across his Twitter account I checked out his website and saw that he was a producer and fell in love with the grind and the business model of his site http://www.idoublel.com/. (Check it out you’ll see what I’m talking about) I thought why aren’t all producers/artists doing something like this and being about the business of music instead of expecting everything to be for free? I reached out to him and asked if I would pick his brain with an interview for the site and he agreed and below is a synopsis of what we talked about as, he had a lot of knowledge and experience to give. I decided to share with you all of the note worthy information, especially what is most useful for all of us who are looking to get up and get out there and make it.

For this interview, I started it out a little differently. Instead of diving into my questions I decided to start out with questions that I had asked my Facebook friends to give me for Mr. OTG and this was his response.

Steph W. Asks the following questions:

What are the top 3 adversities that you have had to face in order to get to where you are today?

Go Crazy Remix

Well the top 3, I’d have to say would be Confidence, you know getting my confidence up in order to take some of the feedback that the industry can bring your way. As an artist you wear your creativity and your heart on your sleeve and you have to be strong to be able to accept that people may not like everything that you put out. With that I’d say that my second one is learning how to take criticism. I’ve had to come to understand that the things that people say aren’t because they don’t like what you do, it’s because they have their opinion and they just want to help to make what you are doing better. The last thing that I’ve had to overcome is learning not to dis-count anyone. I’ve learned that just because someone doesn’t have the money or connections that you are looking for doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give then a listen or a chance to hear what they have got to say. I’ve looked over a lot of quality people in the beginning who are not doing it big in the industry and realized that I’ve missed out on making a connection with them when I had the chance. So if there is anything that I really want people to know is that I’m open to talking with people and hearing what they have, you never know where it may go.

The saying goes, “It’s not what you know it’s who you know.” Does that account for the minority or majority of your success in the industry?

Crown +Dro

I would say it’s definitely what you know. There are things that I didn’t know and in the industry a lot of people aren’t willing to share information about how to protect themselves and how to really make money and to continue to be a success in this industry. When I first started, I didn’t know too much about copyrighting my music, and joining ASCAP and all of that stuff on how to protect yourself and really profit from your music. There are still things I’m still learning about the business like the promotional photos, and things like that, that artists and producers need to promote themselves.

After all you have achieved…What is your primary inspiration that allows you to continue what you do and come up with fresh concepts?

Postman (Dirty)

My primary inspiration comes from life. I’m a regular blue collar dude, I work with my hands and working with my music for me it’s a release. I draw inspiration from things that are going on in life around me. Like the other day I was walking towards South St. and I saw the bums on the street and I went home and worked on a song about that and how they looked to me and the struggles and the life they must go through. I’m not the type of artist that raps about the 8 cars or the huge mansion that I don’t have, that’s not who I am and that’s not what I aspire to be, I just want a good car, place to live and the things that I need to take care of, to be taken care of, and I don’t have problem working in order to get that.

What was your most rewarding experience as a producer?

I 2 L’s

My most rewarding experience would have to be when my girlfriend at the time told me that she just heard one of my beats on TV, on a promo for the Tiny and Toya 2 show. I didn’t believe her when she said it then I told her to rewind it, and then I heard it! I was like WOW, and I wasn’t excited because it was playing on TV I was happy because the feedback I got from my friends and family was so positive and it was rewarding to me that people would be able to share in my music.

Luis Y. asks:

If the eight year old version of him was to walk up to you today, what would the eight year old version of you have to say to you today?

84 More

Well the 8 year old me, would probably be like, why didn’t I end up like the dudes in Hoop Dreams lol! But based on how I grew up it was kinda like that, except I got hurt and it ended my ball playing. As it turned out I had to find something else that I was good at to occupy my time and eventually it brings me to where I am today. But I think the 8 year old me would be proud of me.

After we finished the Facebook questions I asked a few of my own, mainly about the business of his music. I started off asking how he got the name Mr. Over Time Grind.

SO when I checked out your website, I was thoroughly impressed how you have your beats up and ready to go either for sale or for lease and you even give bundle details on the beats! When I saw that I was like he truly is Mr. OTG, this dude is not playin! [laughs] Where does that name come from and where did you get the concept for that site?!

Novacane Remix

Well I used to work my job all day and spend all night at home working on my website and my music to the point where when I would come into work I would have bags under my eyes and be super tired and people stated calling me Mr. Over Time Grind and the name just stuck and if been focused ever since. For the site the site came about as a way for me to promote my music and have it available for anyone who was interested. Similar to the blogs that I have, that is more about the promotional aspect and networking for my music and to give others a way to have their work out there and get attention to their music.

What kind of success have you seen with your music being on those sites?

Well I have been fortunate enough to now be working with Philly artist Tone Trump, I’ve had my site talked about on the Star and Buckwild show and with my own music I’ve had over 55,000 downloads of my mixtape.

I think that I have covered everything; I know that we have covered a lot! Is there anything that you would like to mention that I may have missed?

To Buy beats my website is www.Idoublel.com Check out my music company is www.over-time-grind.com where We do a lot of things, from Television Composition, Promotion for Tone Trump (Philly artist), Production, music, and out 3 blogs http://www.So-Stadium-Status.com, http://www.Indytrackhustle.com, and http://www.Gimmie-dat.com. And follow on twitter at @MrOTG and @idubl

June 4, 2011
Introducing the Music of Andrew Cunningham

In my search of music to share with you all that doesn’t compare to what the other blogs are sharing I finally found some NEW music. I had to reach across “the pond” to get it but none the less its here! I would like to introduce to you the music of Andrew Cunningham!

Photo Credit: James Kilcoin – www.northnorfolkphotography.co.uk

Andrew was gracious enough to do a brief interview with AleanElston.com and I am soo grateful! Check out what he had to say about his music:

Where are you from and what is your music background?

I was born in South Shields which is a small town in the north-east of England up near the border. I’ve moved around a lot though, so wherever I happen to be at that moment is my home I guess. At the moment it’s London. I started playing guitar when I was 12 though I had been singing and tapping on school desks from an early age. It often resulted in me getting sent out of the classroom, which I was happy with as it meant there were no distractions from the music in my head lol

What are your songs about?

My songs cover a variety of different themes. Some are the old classic themes such as love lost, love gained, feeling alone or whatever. Some are about life, some are political and some have other meanings. Over and Over’s instrumental intro is a dedication to two people who killed themselves a few years ago (they didn’t know each other, but the second happened not long after the first and it was pretty upsetting). Another of my songs is about me getting struck by lightning when I was 17 and as a result suffering from Epilepsy which has been the cause of many injuries (some quite severe) for me. So, lots of topics. I write about what I know.

Do you write your own songs?

I write all of my own songs. I don’t tend to write with others, but I have done so a couple of times in previous bands. Process? There is none. Sometimes I will write an entire song in my head and it will be just a case of working it out on guitar and finalising lyrics. Other times it might be me playing guitar and I have a melody but no words, so I’ll bumble some inane drivel down the mic until I come up with something better. Then there are the times when I get a plethora of lyrics bombarded from my brain to notepad and I have to try and make sense of them to sculpt a song. It depends on what I’m doing I guess! In bands I find that jamming is a good way to start the writing process though.

Who are your musical influences?

My musical influences are so broad that I could literally be here all day! I guess my earliest influences come from my parents. They listened to The Beatles, Motown, Bob Dylan, Smallfaces, Cat Stevens, Neil Young, Marmalade, Steeler’s Wheel, Bowie and that sort of thing. When I got to about the age of 8-9 I started to discover heavy metal and rock through my older brother. So I got into Iron Maiden (the first album I ever bought was ‘Live After Death’. I was also really into Marillion who were a local band back then for us. From there I’ve just tried to listen to everything I can. Some I will dismiss as tripe, but most I take on board in some form or another. Recently I’ve really been enjoying playing afrobeat!

What image do you think your music conveys?

I’d like to think that my music ignores image to a certain extent. Music is too deep to be easily portrayed as a fixed image. I guess there is a certain amount of independence and solidarity in it though. Call me pretentious, but it really doesn’t mean that much to me, though I do recognise it’s importance with certain styles of music and in certain walks of life.

Name 3 artists you’d like to be compared to.

I wouldn’t really want to be compared to anyone as I’m not them. I guess if there are three writers/bands that I would have loved to have been or been part of it would be The Beatles, Bowie and Bon Jovi (yes I know! – like I said… I got into rock when I was young lol)

What are your immediate music career goals?

Worldwide domination of the music market? Nah. I’d like to be touring the globe, and able to earn a decent enough living that I can buy a house and all that palava. So long as I’m doing what I love doing I will be happy!

Photo Credit: James Kilcoin – www.northnorfolkphotography.co.uk

How would you define the word “success”?

Doing what you want to do, and doing it well.

Are you looking for an independent label deal or a major label deal?

I’m self-releasing my first album because I don’t feel the need for any backing at this moment. If it does well enough I will license it out to the best bidder. I’ve had lots of offers coming through recently so we shall see what happens. I’m not ruling out anything, nor am I kidding myself that I will become an overnight star. Either way I’m prepared to work my arse off to achieve what I want to achieve.

Where can people by your music?

At the moment, the only places to buy my music are iTunes and Amazon (digital downloads). You can buy my single ‘Dignity’ through those:
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/dignity-single/id434279766?uo=4
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dignity-Single/dp/B004Y2B1O4/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305375811&sr=301-1
Also, you can buy the album previews from http://andrewcunningham.bandcamp.com , but as they are previews I’ve allowed a free stream of those for now. Once the album is finished it will be available on limited press cd’s through my main domain which is under construction (www.andrewcunningham.me).
Coming soon is another digital release under the name Andrew Cunningham & MotherBlackCap which is of material I wrote and recorded with a full band rather than me playing as much as I can myself (which is how I’ve done my debut album).

Where can people find out more about you?

Well, I’m on:
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/glam_andy
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andrew-Cunningham/135796893119136
Myspace – http://www.myspace.com/acunninghammusic
Youtube – http://www.youtube.com/glamandy

Facebook is currently the best place to keep up tabs on what I’m upto. Once the main site goes live that will be the best source of information and snippets etc.

Thank you so much Andrew for your time, I wish you much success! ~Alean

May 25, 2011
Ask an Entrepreneur: Lara Georgine on How to Obtain GOOD Clients

Throughout the start of my blog, one of my main missions is to share information about the business of business so that others may gain knowledge and insight on how I do things. Recently, I thought it would be interesting to gain the insight of other entrepreneurs like myself who would be willing to share their insight on business as well. Throughout my search I have found Lara Georgine through the popular networking site LinkedIN. I asked her if she could share how she obtains good clients and avoids the problem clients. Check out her response below and be sure to check out her blog, www.larageorgine.com/blog for even more insight on Lara and her business!

As an entrepreneur, I gain the most customers through LinkedIn. I have joined many different groups and I post my different websites as well as my blog (which I try to keep updated weekly). I also do artwork specifically to post on other blogs to receive ping backs and/or as trade for a listing on their site(s).

I also attend trade shows that are of interest to me and I place advertisements with Google ads, which can be great as I have received a good amount of free advertising dollars by searching the internet. I have joined some local groups which offer a link to my blog, and I respond to ads from different listing sites.

I have been very fortunate with my clients so far, and have had few problems (knock on wood!) but I make sure that all parties are comfortable with the contract I provide. I did have to learn the hard way to make sure to have the contract there in the first place, as I had sent art work without more than a vague email, which does not hold up as a contract. I lost both my art and my client on that one.

I have found that the most important thing is to be up front and to make sure that the client is aware of when I am available and when I am away. Not that I need to tweet them my working hours, but if there is a holiday or a long break, they must be aware as early as possible.

Best of luck to all who are out there!

Website: www.larageorgine.com

Blog: www.larageorgine.com/blog

Contact Lara via email at: lara@larageorgine.com

LaraGeorgine is a Philadelphia and New York City-based fine arts professional with more than a decade of experience in art direction, graphic and textile design, illustration, and corporate identity management. Her work has been lauded by major apparel and design firms around the country, and her creative, solutions-based approach has built LaraGeorgine’s reputation as a leading independent creative professional in a diverse scope of capabilities. In addition to her portfolio at www.larageorgine.com, and her fabric line at www.spoonflower/larageorgine.com, her designs have appeared on the sales floors of some of the world’s major retailers, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Target, Sears, Walmart, Kohl’s and others. (Taken from http://larageorgine.com)

May 22, 2011