You must do it now or your a loser! Not the exact words but the feeling is the same in the room. WOW! There is a sucker born everyday and the younger you are the more you get taken.
Okay, so the other day I tried my hand at being a Talent Scout for a local Philadelphia company. I had lived around South Street area for years and noticed a small weird type office about 2 years ago. Years ago it reminded me of a black Baptist church or something, always suited up people going in or out. At any rate I didn’t care back then to care.
Some years later I crawled around Craigslist for some sales jobs in the Philly area. VIP had a ad running and I responded and got a email back telling me to come in. I read the email wrong as the person, Lisa Harris or Morris, had two different times on it. At any rate I took another interview at the same time so I called to redo it later with VIP. Turns out the interview was AWFUL! 12 grown men being presented with being bill collectors working only commission, YIKES.
Anyway, after many telephone calls I kept trying to land the wonderful Lisa and nothing happened for weeks, no email nor calls back. So I went to the office itself as I really wanted to help people, get paid and have a great job. Once in the office I was greeted with the meanest looking sour face that someone could have. I guess being a cute female around 20ish and working a desk is hard work just to greet someone with a smile. I made her groan though and want to punch me…..CRASH! I put my notebook down on the top of her desk on a small shelf and apparently the shelf wasn’t screwed in. So pens and papers went flying over the floor. Embarrassed and like a moron I left my name and number for Lisa.
VIP Connect Talent at 125 South Street
At any rate I was sure I would be talked about by grumpy and the wonderful Lisa would break her silence. I do not suggest just showing up to a company, but then again if you really want something you MUST GO FOR IT! Nothing…..
So fast forward a few months I saw the ad again and figured they hired and fired a person and it was my shot again. I sent the resume and a slew of other marketing gimmicks. I got another email back from the busy Lisa will barely a 24 hour notice to come in. So I suited up and showed up excited to state my experiences (past work dealing with talent…..so another blog post) and get the ball rolling.
So in the door and into a CATTLE CALL. Yikes, I’m not the talent….I’m the scout….but I guess it works both ways. Okay, so the talent field is busy I get it but cmon. The brakes and flashers went off on my head but I my suit on and no appointments at the time so I grinned and bared it. After filling in a application and attaching my resume I was ushered into a large meeting room with the others, about 12-15 showed up. The odd, but nice for the younger folks, is they were playing a movie, ELF of all things. Call me crazy but why wouldn’t they take the time to run some of their ads or something. Out of the dozen or so only two of us looked thru our phones while waiting, like tv junkies the rest was content with waiting for the “meeting” to start 13 minutes late.
So some guy filled in for Aly Kaback as she was busy and I don’t remember his name. The job entails just going up to people and peppering them up and inviting them to a event. At this event it is a networking function with people in the business, I guess they are important 
Anyway as a talent scout you:
$75 each person (1-3 enrollments) Which means 1-3 must signup for the $900-1600 package.
$150 each person (4-9 enrollments)
etc
They had some 30 day training period that you must produce at least 25 people and have them enroll. Nice money and I guess a nice service….however here is the “dark side”.
Google VIP Connect Talent or whatever and a few scam reports come up. Ouch, and I’m not saying their true or gospel but it’s a hard pill to swallow. I mean people could say I’m the best looking guy in the Philly area….I like to think so….but that’s perhaps not true. At any rate the kicker is the smoke and mirrors. The ad said $46k as well as $76k per year SALARY! As the wonderful women behind kept stating, “it’s not right to run a job posting with mis-leading facts”.AMEN. By the way, for anyone that will attack this blog, I can work at commission only but state your job correctly, no BS!
So the moral of the story is this Talent Scout job might really help people and Aly might be doing some good, google her…..deeply. However when you show up to a company and they mislead you to get you to come then that’s when it’s time to chalk it up as a loss. Honest approaches in sales is the best, avoid games for the new casinos.
Best of luck with your interviews……love to hear some comments!
I don’t know if you can help but I signed with VIP and gave them around $1000. I went to a event and passed around my headshot and resume. It has been 3 months now and I never get the right people on the phone, just emails saying basically nothing.
Do you have any inside telephone number? I need help, they took my money and didn’t do anything really for me.
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Im currently working for VIP Connect and have been doin so for the last 3 weeks, and I have my doubts and worries as well. Everything u have said about the interview is so tru, except for me I went in thinking that I was interviewing for an office admin postion… so imagine my surprise when Im being told im now a talent scout and that i have to start training the next day. They are always saying that they move so fast because the industry moves fast. but u are pressured to bring people in, and they will hire u full time if you just stick around, that there are so many more offices that they are opening that they will hire you if you just bring in alot of people, and yea ur right, the casting interviews are like cattle calls, and the job interview is like cattle, and you dont a str8 answer for shit. ive been there for 3 weeks and i still dont know who Lisa Morris the hell is!! I feel like i was suckered in do the job. i have soooo many doubts… HOWEVER I can say Ive met Alycia Kaback, and ive spoken to the models, and people who have gotten work, and I believe that, that part is real, They honestly are getting people these gigs with top shows, and they do make these connections, I just feel like they sucker the workers in….. Now they are saying ur more of an intern though… its like they are telling you that its ok to spend ur money on carfare, and lunch and spend ur whole ‘scouting’ because your an intern and interns work for free. i agree with you, they need to be more up front and thats what bothers me, If they were more upfront people wouldnt have so many worries…. Also its very weird that the employees dont stick around long at all….
Hey my name is sincere.I’m a rnb singer. I write my own music.my music is very hot.I know I will be the next best thing if I have a chance.look me up on facebook to get a look at me.my cell # is 2153030132
A scout brought my daughter in for an interview. Daughter found out had to pay 500 bucks plus the price of ticket to an “event.” When I e-mailed office next day about what the 500 covers and asked whether they were a licenced agency, the office worker answered neither question. She said it was a technology fee and sounded irritated that I asked. I then asked what the technology fee covered and what were those costs. The next day I get a message from her Blackberry that she mistakenly sent to me. It said “omg Mike deal with this f—–lady” I later hear from Mike, also insanely rude who tells me that “this isn’t a restaurant and you can’t order a Grammy with a side of model.” What??? These people plucked my daughter off the street and then they get agitated when you ask them questions about their policies and fees–which really are quite high. They don’t even have the intelligence to be nice to the people they want to rob. I have never encountered such outright hostility and arrogance in this type of situation where simple answers to simple questions whould have sufficed. This business is most likely a big scam. Thank goodness my daughter walked out, bank account intact. Someone should probably investigate this place.
I fel they should be investigated. I was told that Mike guy was a former fraud and ran a scam that was on dateline NBC. Wilhemina Scouting Guys I think it was and impact210. Look we in Philadelphia need to watch out for our children and protect their talent from these people. No where in the industry are people so sour and two faced. They never think about the time and transportation money the hard slave workers put in. How many people who are scouts get paid, is it a color thing?
@ Nicki, I have also worked for this place briefly, I left because that enviroment was not great. You never get a straight answer, you are not sure you will be paid. I too thought is was an admin job but it then turned out to be a talent scout. The interview is a joke, I’m thinking that I am personally going in for an interview and I see all these people. I even asked the grouchy chick at the front desk for Lisa Morris, boy did I feel like an ass when other people where asking for her as well. I don’t know what was up with this girl but looked so bored all the time, I mean she seemed like she was getting paid to do absolutely nothing. I remember when I would leave the office and said have a good night, she barely responded and she had this fake smile on her face. I think Lisa Morris is a fictious person they use, why I don’t know. I was only there for about two week and I just didn’t feel like wasting my time. This whole operation is very suspect but I did see models and child models coming in an getting work so somehow they are functioning. I personally don’t like what they do but if you are willing to go through all the stuff they are going to put you through then I wish you luck. But if an organization can’t put everything on the table and lay it out for you to clearly understand you should think about it carefully before you jump in to their opportunity.
Something is definitely OFF about this place. I went in for an interview today. Not sure how they got my contact info but I gave the thing a shot. They keep stressing their reality TV shows. Awesome, but I tried to ask about the position of talent scout and can’t get a straight answer. They also want me to start immediately without the option of giving my employer 2 weeks notice. They say they are going to pay me 900 per week base pay but when I asked when will we start getting payed she avoided the question. Why they would play movies before the interview and right after as they call people back one by one? Simple, they want you to be distracted and then make a quick decission. They really didn’t explain the responsibilities of the job at all either. There is just something off. The girl who scheduled my training for the next day also seemed weird. She said she went to NY fashion week and dropped out of med school during her finals for this job, but she only works in the office. She also said Alisha K. stayed at the office to run it while she was at fashion week. The building I interviewed was at 125 south st. but they said they have 3 other offices and that they are opening one in Miami, and also that their New York office isn’t open yet. It just seems so sketchy. They are pretty damn convincing but if you listen closely you can hear the gaps in the information. There is definitely something dishonest going on.
I have an interview tomorrow in their Feasterville office….Is this a scam or worth it? I have experience in scouting but I am not dealing with scams. I have a desire and passion for this industry and I want a career in this field, but not if it is shady.
How are you paid? Are you paid? Is their a base? I don’t have time for games. Are you a scout there now, or previous employer? Where are the legit agencies I can work for? Any advice?
I love what you guys are up too. This sort of clever work and reporting! Keep up the fantastic works guys I’ve included you guys to our blogroll.
I went to the interview too on south street and they had the tv on. They run you thru a quick interview and say all your questions will be answer later. I was supposed to come back the next day at 9am to start training and they wouldn’t tell me what I would be making, “it’s all up to you”. A woman and her child were in the lobby asking for a refund to the worse front desk person. I didn’t want to go back nor did I.
I went there for a interview also and the place is disgusting – dirty and filthy – I asked to use the women’s room and was laughed at by the girl at the front desk. She said good luck and pointed to walk to the back and I would see it. I found it fairly quickly and when I opened the door a mouse ran out. I screamed and that was when I saw Alycia Kaback marching up the hall with what looked like fangs glaring- who screamed in my house she bellowed. I was almost terrified and meekly replied me. What are you here for she demanded – I told her a job interview. She asked me if I wanted a job screaming for a living and laughed at me. I told her no and she told me to get out. I never ran so fast I almost tripped going out the front door. I felt like the people in their were possessed. Why would someone advertise a job and then tell me to get out. I am on unemployment and it is about to run out and just need something to feed my family and that made me feel like a animal. I am never going back.
I join Sincere on facebook….she’s actually pretty good
They hit my daughters and a friend up on South Street yesterday. Five minutes of googling showed it was not what it claimed to be – what a disappointment for them. Even worse, they called me and left a message expressing interest in only one of my girls (who actually could model) and so the other daughter got a double dip of hurt. It’s such a shame that young girls are served up this kind of disappointment. They may not be a straight up scam but they certainly don’t seem to be truly legit either.
Wow. I just got asked to an interview with these folks, and was thinking of going. Now I don’t think it is even worth getting out of bed for! Thanks for the details, people. Seems weird that this lady is actually well respected or connected…..or at least presents as such.
This will be a great web page, will you be interested in doing an interview about just how you designed it? If so e-mail me!
THEY ARE A SCAM . TODAY WAS MY SECOND DAY OF TRAINING . I MISSED WORK FOR THIS BS . WE WORKED FOR FREE THEY BASICALLY HAVE THE TRAINEES RUN THE DARN OPENCALL I MEAN WE GREETED THE PPL , GAVE THEM THE FORMS TO FILL OUT , TAKE THE FORMS BACK , USHER THEM IN USHER THEM OUT ALL WHILE THEY DID NOTHING I THINK THE STAFF IS A SCAM TOO THEY’RE ALWAYS ASKING THE SECRETARY, ARE YOU DONE THAT YET? DONE WHAT ? SHE WAS JUST ON FACEBOOK NONE OF THE OFFICES ARE PRIVATE SO U CAN SEE AND HEAR EVERYTHING LEAST THEY FED US PIZZA ITS REALLY SAD THAT THEY ARE USING PEOPLE TO GET AHEAD I THINK THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL ARE THE ONES THAT SIGN WITH COLBY MODELS BUT THINK I MARY WALKING OUT ON THE STREET OMG THE NEXT GISELLE SHE SHOWS UP SHE GETS SIGNED WHAT DO I GET $100 CAUSE THE CHANCES OF GETTING 5 PPL TO GET SIGNED IN A WEEK ARE SLIM THEY MAKE OUT WITH THE PRIZE 20% OF THAT NEW MODELS EARNINGS WHICH CAN BE $3,000 TO ANYTHING THAT U WONT BE GETTING ANY PROFIT OF … ALYCIA IS A CON ARTIST BUT I THINK COLBY IS THE REAL CON ARTIST … http://www.ripoffreport.com/modeling-agencies/model-411-management/model-411-management-modeling-dwcd7.htm
I’ll right away grab your rss as I can not find your email subscription link or e-newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly let me know in order that I could subscribe. Thanks.
Is there a problem with the RSS feed here. Might appear to be a missing link to me?
Thanks amigo! Where can I see company information about her or on this topic?
Good review, helpful. They responded back, and it just didn’t seem right. So I did my research. Too many scam reviews. RED FLAG. I am a professional, and I am glad I am not going to waste my time. I didn’t even apply to become a scout! WTF. For all, anyone that tells you… “if this date or time is not convenient, I might not be able to reschedule you for quite some time due to the radio show and other conflicts in our schedule….”, then they are a scam. That is scam talk! The only reason I was considering it was that there was a “Salary.” You debunked that! Thanks!