FRONTIER SOCIETY MEMBER C. A. PASSINAULT

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Thursday, December 6, 2007 - 5:14 AM - C. A. Passinault Official Blog Entry

Growing Into Business

I must say that, after spending the wee hours of this early morning going over contracts and my business agenda, that I feel very good about what is going to happen in 2008.
I've spent the past month wrestling with Florida State Statutes governing regulated professions preparing for a massive business agenda which I've been planning since 2003. I'm meeting with my attorney to cover some details and have to make a few calls to Tallahassee to reveal my plans and have the Florida department of business and professional regulation send me an official letter stating that my business plans don't violate any laws. So, is my plan so crafty and diabolical that it is shady in some way? Absolutely not. It's just that there are laws on the books that make my next moves worthy of a lot of research. I am a businessman and I have the right to make a living in my businesses. I'm good at what I do, too. I have also determined that the best way to take down unethical photographers, shady entertainment people, and talent scams is to take their business away from them. A whole new era is about to come to light.
While on the subject of my favorite past time, which is slamming talent scams, that is going to take on another chapter, too. I have determined that, while the Independent Talent movement is alive and well, that there is a place for model and talent agencies after all. It's just that agencies are no longer the only way of having a professional career, and that is a good thing.
I admit it. I have made some enemies in the industry. Not that it really hurts me in any way, but being diplomatic and coexisting with some of the industry players isn't such a bad idea, especially since I am operating from a position of strength and my position will only grow stronger in the next year. I intend to make amends with the reputable model and talent agencies which I have been at odds with and restore relations with them, and this will prove to be interesting as it has been determined that the agencies will actually benefit from what I will be doing in 2008. In retrospect, they have actually benefitted from my scam-busting efforts in the past, but few see it that way. Alas, a professional environment of peaceful symbiosis is in sight, and will be realized in the near future. That's not to say that I will ever have to compromise my values or professional integrity, either, since I have already stated that I operate from a position of strength, which means that I will never be dependent upon agencies, and that their opinions about me or what I do will not have much of a bearing on my career. If I cannot be friend with any of them, then at least we can all have a healthy measure of respect for each other. This will be especially true after the agencies notice a dramatic increase of my company's modeling composite cards and talent head shots showing up on their desks.
There was a time that certain agency bookers decided that they didn't like me and told people that I was "not a photographer". Once they realized that I was quite successful at the business and many models and actors benefitted from my work, however, that changed. It turned to "he is an excellent photographer, but he is in trouble with the law because (insert slanderous statement here)". Well, that's fine if they share an opinion that they don't like me or they cannot recommend me, but let it be known that I have never been in trouble with the law. I have never been arrested, charged for any crime, I haven't been in a fistfight since grade school, and I've never been in any trouble. I don't drink, and I don't do drugs. I don't sleep around with a lot of women, I don't have any diseases, and as far as I know I do everything legally. If anything, I have been the victim of slander and people stealing ideas from me over the years because of their insecurities and unethical conduct.
So, I will try to have some sort of professional relationship with the agencies. The beauty of this is that, if I ever have to take legal action against anyone, that they will find out that they are accountable for what the people in their employ say and do. It should never have to come to that, however.
The agencies have simply never liked me for a number of silly reasons. They don't really know me. They don't comprehend what I do. They don't attempt to understand me. They make compromises and are worried that I will find out about it. They feel threatened by my efforts in the Independent Talent movement and are worried by my efforts to "unite the models". They also do not like my modeling sites because they mistakenly believe that they are anti agency and all that they do is bash model and talent agencies.
Well, their eyes will soon be open. They will realize that I am one of the good guys and that I am not out to destroy their business. Some agencies may even come to love me, as some of the things that I am working on will make their jobs easier. Other things that I am working on will make things difficult on model scams, and we all know that these model scams are not good for anyone or the industry as a whole.
Actually, the owner of Tampa's largest model agency once told me that they've always liked me and that we should do lunch sometime. Perhaps that could be arranged.
So, what do I have planned? Am I going to open up my own model and talent agency? Of course not! I have no interest on opening up my own agency, and feel that model and talent agencies are not the best business to get into. I am, however, licensed for an advertising agency (a much better business model), and although that will give me leverage in dealing with model agencies, as I would be a potential client, this isn't it, either.
What's the deal, then? I will say this much. I will say that the main reason that agencies may come to love me is that my top modeling resource web site, Independent Modeling, will soon have a busy job board with the jobs that agency bookers are looking for to refer the models who they represent to. The smart agencies and bookers will realize that Independent Modeling is a good source of job leads and a great resource for them, too, especially with the realization that many models are going to get the jobs without them unless they pitch the same jobs to the ones who they represent.
Some of you may be wondering about how Independent Modeling is going to do all of this, especially if the look at it right now. Well, it is true that Independent Modeling has been largely idling online since the new format launched in 2005. A lot of people have been watching it for all these years and haven't notice much of anything going on. Well, that will soon change. Much of the work done in that time was on Tampa Bay Modeling, and now that work has dropped off on that site, and it is where they want it to be, resources are freed for Independent Modeling and the Independent Sites. This site, Frontier Society, is heavily intertwined with the Independent Sites, too, as it is a part of the Independent Site network, and it launched in early October 2007. The foundation is complete. Things are about to start happening.
This is especially true when you take into account that Independent Modeling and the Independent Site Network are an integral part of my business plan. I can't reveal everything, and most of you won't ever know everything about the scope of what is being worked on (you could earn a PHD and spend years trying to study what I have developed, and the average person, quite frankly, would find it difficult to comprehend). These things take a lot of time, and time is almost up. I will tell you this much.
Independent Modeling and the Independent Site Network will be used to promote and support my clients, especially the clients of Aurora PhotoArts Tampa Bay Photography and Design, Tampa Bay advertising agency Eos MediaArts, and Tampa Bay event planning company Eventi Events.
I'll tell to a bit more. In 2008, 95% of my efforts will focus on Aurora PhotoArts. It has been a successful photography company and is the photography services market leader in Tampa Bay (and our aspiring competitors realize this, too, as their actions show this; they keep trying to steal from Aurora and implementing my ideas for their photography companies does them little good because they do not understand how to properly use what they steal). Aurora PhotoArts business will serve to drive Independent Modeling and it's sister sites as market leadership becomes market domination and conquest. That's only a small part of it, however. Once I get Aurora to where it needs to be, and this will be in 2008, I can then delegate and "grow into" my other companies.
I suppose that one is stretched thin when they try to do everything at once, and things take far longer than they should. Well, my new strategy, one that will work, is to grow into things. I have no shortage of ideas, and the foundation of my work and professional career for the next thirty years is well set. With Aurora in the past few years, I have simply sat back and took jobs as they came from people calling me. While 2007 has been a record-setting year, it's about to get a whole lot busier.
Starting in January 2008, everything changes. Everything else will change as a result of what is about to start, too, and it is about time.
With that said, it's time to get ready to go to the tax collectors office and write them a check, go to the store and stock up on food, watch Super Bad and Battlestar Galactica: Razor, send out a consultation verification E-mail to a client, prepare for some shoots this weekend, and then go pick up some client checks. Oh, and tonight, I have more contract work to pave the way for the Eos MediaArts advertising agency web site launch next week. Business is never done!

120607 0626hrs

Monday, December 3, 2007 - 11:34 PM - C. A. Passinault Official Blog Entry

Working

It's been a busy week. Local television station FOX 13 aired a story on refurbished gadgets with me on November 28 ( Tampa Refurbished Gadgets ). They aired it over and over again, which was interesting - especially when they included sound bites of me candidly saying that online joystick products were "crap"; taped when I forget that the camera man was still rolling. It's all good, though, as the interview made me look good, and they showed me playing Soul Caliber on my mint-condition Dreamcast, Zelda: Phantom Hourglass on my Nintendo DS Lite, my blue Gameboy Advance Lite, and Tekken: Dark Resurrection on my PSP. Nice, as the FOX producers found me through Myspace, but what I really would like them to do is to have me come in as a resident video game expert the next time that they have a live discussion where so-called professionals and parents are bashing video games. I'll give them a debate that they will never forget.
My shoots have been up, and I have been spending a lot of time with models. This record-setting year, of course, is nothing for what is coming in 2008. Starting in January, we will be hitting the Tampa Bay photography services and design services market hard, and our so-called "competitors" will never know what will hit them. Already a leader in the Tampa Bay market, my company, Aurora PhotoArts Tampa Bay photography and design, will do more work next year than in the past 14 years it has been in business. How is this so? I can't say right now, and I doubt that I will ever be able to disclose how in the future, but I have been working on some new business plans in the past four years, and in January the plan will be in play. Why so much secrecy? Because there are a bunch of no-talent, Jackals out there trying to be photographers who think it is all right to rip off my ideas and Aurora PhotoArts whenever they feel that it will benefit them. They know that I am better, and this makes me a target. Thieves! A so-called photographer named Rick did this back in 2003, and another "photographer" named Jason just did it a few weeks ago when he stole the code from one of my ads and redid it for his pathetic photography "business". God only knows how many more do this and are never caught. It's done to my other businesses, too, like the time where "Pete" stole some of my web site design ideas and then helped his clique slander me because they were afraid of me competing with them. So, why haven't I taken legal action (yet)? Because I am waiting for the right time and conditions to present themselves. Additionally, none of these idiots know how to properly utilize what they steal, so they are far less effective with them than they could be because they cannot comprehend the reasoning behind many of my ideas.
I'm done dealing with morons. I am finished dealing with unprofessionals masquerading as something that they are not. Many people have failed their interviews, and have no idea what is going to come.
In other news, I set up two more fish tanks this past week, I am prepping a 55 gallon floor tank, and have it filled with water and one male Betta. I also set up one of my old 10 gallon tanks, have started cycling it, and have placed a female Betta into it. I intend to set up the 55 Gallon aquarium for my Brichardi's, but am also toying with breeding Betta's. First, however, I really need to set up some live food cultures so my Betta fry (babies) won't die off like they did last time. Like business, you must first set up support infrastructure. That is when you will succeed.
Well, I have to go. Time for some Choco Milk!

Sunday, November 25, 2007 - 12:45 PM - C. A. Passinault Official Blog Entry

Independent Modeling Issue

I spent the morning watching a Stargate SG1 Season 2 DVD and updating web sites. It has been very quiet around here since Thanksgiving, and I have a feeling that business will pour in again starting tomorrow (it is like this every year, with clients being distracted by Black Friday and holiday shopping). I have to pick up some client checks tonight in the mail and do banking in the morning. Ah, anyway, I discovered an issue with Independent Modeling and the other Independent Talent sites this morning. It seems that all of the job / audition boards have incorrect email addresses, which explains why I haven't been receiving job posts. This has been corrected. I also made the blue colors on the Independent Modeling web site darker, so the visitors will not confuse them with the color of my links. As of this week, the Independent Sites go active, as well. Well, I have to run. It's time to go write.

Friday, November 23, 2007 - 5:53 PM - C. A. Passinault Official Blog Entry

Adding Content: The Point

I just added my short psychological / horror thriller story, The Point, which I wrote back in 2002. I am still working on the article for FOX 13, so it will be a few hours before I can proof the short and make adjustments. I am tweaking the site format, too, and should have the time to add a ton of original content to my Frontier Society section this weekend. Ugh. I am tired, as I didn't get much sleep today, but I dare not go back to sleep because of these deadlines AND because I need to get to sleep around 7AM tomorrow. I am very much looking forward to Saturday night, however, since I will be finally able to sleep the sleep of a thousand sleeps. Oh- Stargate Atlantis is on midnight tonight on the Sci Fi channel. It's been an ok season so far, but I really wish that a new Star Trek series (post Voyager and Deep Space Nine) would emerge. Er..... Lightning Game at the St Pete Times Forum (the Ice Palace) tomorrow night. I may have to avoid going through downtown Tampa and take the Interstate back to Brandon. I don't like events down there much because I never go to them and the traffic gridlock sucks - Anyone ever notice that the timing of the traffic lights is altered every time a game lets out? I know this because I have every light on my regular routes timed. This said, I wonder if my good friend, Tampa model and singer Ann Poonkasem, will be singing the anthem again? Actually, now that I remember, she won't, as she told me yesterday that she is singing at a festival / pageant, and that she wanted me to go. I won't, simply because of my schedule and because my route will take me away from her location.

Friday, November 23, 2007 - 2:00 AM - C. A. Passinault Official Blog Entry

Settling In On Frontier Society

This is my first Blog entry on Frontier Society, and it has been an interesting move from my Myspace profile (Myspace.Com/TampaPolymath) Blog. I've been very, very busy getting content prepared for my new Frontier Society site, did a feature story interview on FOX 13 a few weeks ago about buying refurbished electronics and video games, and have been doing a lot of bookings with my photography career. The FOX 13 story is going to air during the 10PM newscast on November 28, so I am working overtime trying to get this site up to speed; I am hoping that the producers will place a link to Frontier Society from their MyFoxTampaBay.Com site so my online article can support the story. This should help a lot of people, and I am even planning to put together an article about Video Game Picks For Parents And Gamers to help even more.

I had a nice Thanksgiving with my family yesterday. The food was great, but I made the mistake of putting gravy on the potato salad which I had thought were mash potatoes- Interesting flavor. My nieces and nephews wanted to ride in my car, and I gave them a good cruise. Funny- Kids see a sportscar, and all they think is "thrill ride". After almost a year of owning my car, however, I have to say that I still love it. It's fast and it looks good.

Ah, a few things on my mind. Meeting with my attorney about some ongoing issues. I did some things on the Internet yesterday which should have interesting results, besides pissing off a few people. Anyway, I am thinking of events to work on in 2008. Should I do my Tampa Film Showcase monthly film festival and talent networking series or work on a video game event? I am leaning toward video games, as the indie film festival market is glutted with crappy film festivals and there is not a single video game festival / event in either Tampa Bay or Florida. Additionally, I really don't want to do a film festival until I have some films of my own to show, and there are very few genuine professionals involved in the self-proclaimed "Tampa Indie Film Community". I am not sure if those people deserve a decent film festival, so I may take my time as I work on other things.

I archived my old Myspace Blog below. It is the 233 page one, and I have been unable to format it properly. Dreamweaver, the program which I use for web design, chokes on the large page, and it crashed a few minutes ago when I tried to adjust it. I'll just leave it as-is for you all to read, and I will focus on this new Blog and a wordpress mirror. Well, I have to go. I need to get that article done. Enjoy!

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MYSPACE PROFILE BLOG ARCHIVES

C. A. Passinault Blog
This blog archive began on C. A. Passinault's Myspace profile in March of 2004. On October 27, 2007, it was moved to his blog profile on the Frontier Society web site, and will continue here, as well as have a mirror with wordpress. When this blog was moved here, it was quite large, weighing in at over 233 pages and 71,695 words of text- not bad for over 3 1/2 years of casual updates.

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