What is your position at VIP Talent Connect and The IT Factor?

I am the President of Social Media. I update all the blogs and maintain the Facebook and Twitter accounts for all our brands, as well as manage other digital media outlets.  

How long have you been working here?

Yesterday was actually the one year anniversary of my first day of training as a Talent Scout for Philadelphia with Vip Talent Connect & Alycia Kaback.  I really enjoyed scouting and I scouted a lot of people who are now successful models with KMM, like Jackie Curry.  

My advice to new scouts would be to stop making excuses.  If you really want something you will make it happen.

What do you like about working here?

I love working for a small company. I am young– I am 23 and I feel that at a bigger company I wouldn’t have been given the opportunities that Alycia Kaback has given me.  She allowed me to prove myself and gave me responsibilities in accordance with my potential, not my experience.   Here I have been held accountable and have been pushed to accomplish things I never thought I would have been capable of a year ago.

What are your thoughts on company and what it does?

I love the company and what we do for people here.  It’s really about helping people; it’s not about money—we could charge a lot more for the VIP Talent Connect Summits and I could charge a consultation fee every time I help a talent write his or her bio before the Summit, but I don’t. I just want to help in the best way I can.  There are a million examples like that every day.

Who is the most interesting person you’ve met so far?

The most interesting person I have met so far would be Michael who works behinds the scenes to make all this happen.  He is an amazing entrepreneur and working so closely with him I feel I have been given a priceless education that I couldn’t have paid for in graduate school.

Who do you hope to one day meet?

I am not one to go crazy over celebrities, but I would like to meet Lady Gaga.  I think she is a fascinating cultural phenomenon and we would have a lot to talk about.

What do you like to do outside of working? 

I don’t have a lot of time outside of working, but when I do have time, I like to spend it with my family.

Melissa Jester at her very 1st VIP Summit with Lilian, one of the talent she scouted!

What do you think of the VIP Talent Connect Summits and what they offer to people?

I think it is a very powerful experience; it changes lives.  There is a lot of work that goes into pulling it off, but it is so totally worth it once you see the talent realizing their potential.  The energy of that day puts you on a whole new level. 

 What type of music do you like to listen to?

 I need a good bass line so I like electronic music, especially dub step with strong hip hop influences.  I love the lyricism of rap.

Do you have a motto you live by?

 Work will set you free.

Who is your inspiration and why? 

 I aspire to be a great entrepreneur and truly help people– Alycia Kaback and Michael are my inspiration.

What do you hope to take away from working here?

Working with Alycia Kaback and The IT Factor is the perfect environment for me to gain knowledge and experience.   Since this is a small company I have developed a relationship with Alycia and she trusts me enough to put me in charge of major projects like The 1^st Annual NYC Women’s Empowerment Summit.  I have never done anything like that before, but Alycia knew I could do it and allowed me the opportunity to learn how by just doing it.   

Most of all, I feel that The IT Factor is my family. Working here has made me who I am today and I know I have gained some life long friends.