Your Iconic Image Marlana Semenza

“We teach people how to think of us.”
Are you ready to steer your reputation? Are you ready to up-level your brand? Are you ready to connect with your audience and show them who you really are? Are you ready to create visual assets that frame the way you are seen and understood? And, most importantly….are you ready to show up on purpose?
My name is Marlana and I am an international photographer and visual strategist. My client base has included athletes, celebrities, WWE Superstars and public figures including Miss North Carolina.
My experience includes storytelling, advertising, location scouting and set styling and design. My work has been featured on magazine covers and in NY Times ads.
I have been hosting Your Iconic Image for 100 episodes now and for episode 100, my first guest, John Dalrymple is going to turn things around and interview me.
www.marlanasemenza.com
IG: marlana.semenza.photo
Transcription : Vision In Word
Marlana


Well, welcome to the 100th episode of Your Iconic Image. And today, you are actually going to get a little insight on me, and what we're going to do is, we're going to bring this whole thing full circle. My very first guest is going to do the interview. If you missed his episode, please go back and watch it. It is called What Makes An Icon? John, the show’s yours. 






John


Well, hello, Marlana. How are you? 






Marlana  


I'm well. 






John  


Well, it's an honor to talk with you today. You know, you are a genuine and authentic person, incredibly talented. And I would even say gifted in your ability to bring out the best in people. You've reached this milestone 100 podcast. And today, we get the chance to get to know you. Even though you've done 100 podcasts, many people really don't know what you do. So, first question, tell us about what you do.






Marlana


I am a photographer and visual strategist. So, what that means is, I take all the things that make you unique, and I bridge the gap between that and what your audience or clients need to know. I do that in images, and that's in a nutshell, that is that.






John


Okay, you're in a crowded field, as we all are. Tell us what makes you different than other photographers.






Marlana


I think part of it is my background. But also, at its core, I'm really not in the photography business. Photography is the vessel that I used, and the means of communication that I use. But really, I'm in the reputation business. And so, I think that's the biggest difference.






John


Wow, I love that. I absolutely love that. So, tell us a little bit about your creative process. Walk us kind of through that. How do you get to know someone?






Marlana


It's a busy world in my brain, John. When somebody comes to me, and they want to collaborate, because I don't look at it, as you know, I'm doing this for you, I do look at us as a collaboration because I very much go off of their input also, and you know, their suggestions, all that kind of thing. So, it's not just me, it's us. That said, there is a questionnaire that I have people initially fill out and I have worked with somebody who is in the psychology realm to help me word the questions in a way that will make you dig a little deeper. And when I get that back, then what happens from there is we go over it. Often I have found that the answers that people write down really aren't the answer. It's about three answers deeper than that. So usually, that comes from the conversations and evoking those.






John


Nice replies. Yeah, that's absolutely awesome. Now, you know, personal branding is become such a huge, dynamic, fluid issue and an important one. So walk us through how can someone be best prepared to work with you and make the most out of a session with you? Are there some tips and things that you would share with people about how they can work with you or make the most out of their time with you? 

Model Makers Group






Model Makers Group is not a mother agency or management company, but rather trusted, industry modeling industry consultants. Over the past 13 years they have successfully placed models and actors with top agencies around the country. Together, co-owners Cristina Buehrer and Tara Rasheta have over 50 years of experience in the entertainment industry. They use that knowledge and insight to empower their clients with the practical knowledge and personalized guidance needed to get started in the business.






https://www.modelmakersgroup.com/


https://www.instagram.com/modelmakersgroup/


https://www.facebook.com/modelmakersgroup


our sister non-profit: https://www.amodelpatient.org/


www.marlanasemenza.com
Audio : Ariza Music Productions
Transcription : Vision In Word
Marlana:


Model Maker's Group places models and actors with top agencies around the country. Owners, Christina and Tara have over 50 years of experience in the entertainment industry. They use that knowledge and insight to empower their clients with practical knowledge and personalized guidance needed to get started in the business. Welcome Tara.


Tara:


Hi. Thank you so much for having me.


Marlana:


So, first go into a little bit of detail. What exactly does Model Maker's Group do?


Tara:


Sure. So, our specialty is agency placement. We consult with models and if they're under 18, we're also often working with their parents and we're helping them navigate the industry. Right. We are primarily working with models, hence the name model makers, but we also have clients who are our in entertainment, maybe as a TV host or an actor. So, we also work with other specialties under that entertainment umbrella. But our specialty is helping those clients sign to reputable agencies around the country. And though I am now based in Dallas and my partner Christina is on the East coast, we work with clients every day all across the country. We accomplish a lot of that through Zoom sessions. And of course, we love to work with our clients in person. So, I have a great office here in Dallas where I meet with clients. We also anytime we're traveling, we make an announcement to our clients so that we can hopefully connect face-to-face. Cuz as you know, nothing beats face-to-face, but our success rate is really the same whether we're meeting with our clients in person or online.


Marlana:


So, what is the benefit of having an agency like yours versus trying to go direct to various agencies, modeling agencies?


Tara:


Sure. That's a question that we get a lot. And you know, agencies are flooded with new model, new talent submissions every day and it is the snap of a finger for them to say no. In fact, most of their submissions will instantly go into the no pile. And so, what we found is that, you know, you don't know what you don't know until you figure out you don't know it. And so that's where our models and clients are. They don't know what they don't know, but what we offer is practical guidance to get them where they need to go. So, it often starts with like reviewing imagery and as you know, as a photographer, imagery is so impactful, but a lot of times these models are applying to agencies on their own not knowing what the agents want. So, they're sending in the wrong types of pictures.


Maybe they have incomplete applications. They don't know what a talent resume should look like. They don't know what a slate video should comprise of, they don't have their measurements correct. I mean something so simple as taking your body measurements. I measure models all the time and I usually want to test them like, Hey, take these at home and when we meet in person, if we have the opportunity to, I'm gonna test your measuring skills. And a lot of times those are off and you know, this is an image-based business so a few inches off can make a big difference on an application. And so, we're looking at all

Zika Metaxa
writer


Zika Metaxa grew up in an internationally known family spirits business, founded by her ancestors in 1888. As a marketer, she traveled the world promoting the family spirit, as a member of the family business and then, for the multinational company that acquired the Metaxa brand. 






After becoming a mom Zika left a career in marketing, advertising, and retail and turned her attention to more intimate, creative pursuits. She first penned a children’s book in her native Greek language. Her new book, an English language memoir, “Metaxa Stars: The Evolution of a Greek Spirit Within Generations,” shares stories and lessons growing up Metaxa. She is currently developing her third book.






Metaxastars.com


https://www.amazon.com/Metaxa-Stars-Evolution-Spirit-Generations-ebook/dp/B0BJCDHCSX


www.marlanasemenza.com
Audio : Ariza Music Productions
Transcription : Vision In Word
Marlana  


Metaxa, the name is iconic. Founded in 1888, the spirits brand spanned generations as to the stories and lessons shared. Today, we had the honor of speaking with Zika, daughter, marketer and author, as she says a bit of what it was like growing up as part of the family behind the brand. Welcome, Zika. 






Zika  


Hello, very nice to see you. Hardly, I'm very happy to be here with you.






Marlana  


So, you know, as I read your memoir, I thought there are a lot of different ways we could take this conversation. But what I'd like to do is I'd like to actually start with the women because I feel that in society, and also in certain cultures, that it's very difficult for women to find their way, you know, find their voice, all of these things, but you come from a long line of very strong women. And sometimes that strength was a good thing, and sometimes not such a good thing. But tell us a little bit about your mother and your grandmother, who you are named after.






Zika  


Yes, thank you very much indeed. Basically, it all started of the woman of the family, my great grandmother, she was really, really a very dynamic personality. Now we are talking in the 88 is of course, that was a thinkable of woman to have to speak their mind at the time, especially in Greece, which I'll come to that later on. So, she was very dynamic she was working in. It was not a factory yet in the business, whatever business it was, at the time, it was at the very beginning. She raised her children, she had nine children single handedly with her husband, but she was in care of everything. And she even had a say in politics, and was able to issue a law. She was also a great philanthropist. She lived in a house, in the suburbs in Paris, airport, very well-known port in Greece. And every day she would have, she would give up free food in big plates for the people who did not have money to buy food for the poor. And there were queues and queues of people waiting for the food. Despina, that was her name, was giving out. So that was my great grandmother. 


Then my grandmother Zika, whom I am named after, because this is the family tradition. We are named after the father's usually parents. She was also extremely dynamic. She had a very, very strong personality. People in at the time we had the factory so she was coming to the factory every day, people the factory, the employees were always almost scared of her because she was always walking around looking around poking her nose, everywhere, literally. And she has a big nose. And obviously she was not working with finances or the marketing's but she was taking care of the other house. Can I say this The other aspect of the business she was going around making sure the gardens work, yay. We had chicken at the time in that factory that Hans had laid the chickens. She was always around, she knew who was working were in one place. She was walking up and down all day. Like a surgeon that would say, so she was very, very dynamic. 


Now my m

Michael (Mike) Hingson. I am president of The Michael Hingson Group, Inc. and the chief vision officer for accessiBe
Blind since birth, Michael Hingson was born to sighted parents who raised him with a can-do attitude. Always a high achiever, Michael learned how to ride a bike, and was able to do advanced math in his head! He received a Master’s Degree in Physics, and a Secondary Teaching Credential. 
Michael worked for high-tech companies in management until September 11, 2001 when he and his guide dog Roselle escaped from the 78th floor of Tower One in the WTC. Thrust into the international limelight, Michael began to share lessons of trust, courage, and teamwork based on this experience. 
Mike is the author of the #1 NY Times Bestseller “Thunder dog,” selling over 2.5 million copies, and his 2nd book “Running with Roselle, A story for Our Youth.” 
An international public speaker, Mike delivers inspiring and thought-provoking messages to the world’s elite, including President George W. Bush, and has appeared on hundreds of TV and Radio programs, including Larry King. Hired by major organizations, Michael speaks on perseverance, the importance of trust and teamwork, and moving from diversity to inclusion. 
www.michaelhingson.com
www.marlanasemenza.com
Audio : Ariza Music Productions
Transcription : Vision In Word
Marlana:


Blind since birth, Michael Hingson is a high achiever whose parents raised him with a can-do attitude. He worked for high-tech companies and management until September 11th, 2001, when he and his guide dog Roselle escaped from the 78th floor of Tower one of the World Trade Center thrust into the international limelight, Michael began to share lessons of trust, courage, and teamwork based on his experience. Welcome Michael.


Michael:


Thank you. Good to be here.


Marlana:


So, I know that the events of 9/11 were a little bit ago. However, I know that any one of us that is old enough to remember them, they will be forever etched in our memory. So, walk us through a little bit of what it was like from your perspective.


Michael:


It's really interesting the way you phrased that because one of the things that we have experienced for me is that, as you say, we all remember it. And over the past 10 years especially, I've realized that we now have a whole generation of children now going into young adults who have no personal knowledge of September 11th at all. So, I think that it is absolutely important that we remember it. We still remember Pearl Harbor and rightly so. Some of us remember when JFK was shot, and all the things around that. I think it's important that we remember September 11th because there were a lot of lessons to be taken from that. Again, actually since September 11th, people have asked me if I will come and talk about September 11th, my experience and the lessons that we should learn.


I hope that continues cuz I'm glad to travel and speak and be keynote speakers and all that stuff. So anyway, for me, it was a day of validation because as a person who happens to be blind, the typical response for me and for other blind people who try to get a job is, well, you're blind. How could you do this job? Or you're blind, how could you get to work? I could go to a job interview and clearly get there on my own. And somebody says, well how you gonna get to work? Well, I got here, didn't I? Right. And you said you were interested in my resume. My resume demonstrates that I constantly overachieved goals and so on. What's the issue? The problem is we haven't taught people that blindness isn't the problem. It's our attitudes about blindness. 


And the reason I say that is because in reality I was very fortunate in one way because what I was fortunate to be able to do is to get a job out of college and went from one job to another. At one point when I couldn't get a job, when a company was acquired by Xerox and phased all of us out, I had to start my ow

Danny Rosin
Brand Fuel for profit
Band Together nonprofit




Danny Rosin, is co-owner of Brand Fuel, a brand merchandising agency, that is a B Corp. He is also the co-founder of the nonprofits PromoKitchen, PromoCares, Reciprocity Road and Operation Smile’s International Student Groups. He serves on the board of A Place at The Table, Raleigh’s mighty “pay what you can” café. 






Rosin is the active co-founder of Band Together, a nonprofit that has donated over $12 million to 31 nonprofits in the Triangle through live concert experiences. 






Danny is a tireless community builder who likes starting organizations doing things that matter. He is happiest when there is a mix of philanthropy, music, marketing and “familying.”






He is married to Niccole, and they have two teenage daughters. He has come to grips with the idea that well-behaved women rarely make history.






https://www.brandfuel.com/big-change-were-proud-to-be-a-b-corporation/


www.brandfuel.com


www.bandtogethernc.org 


https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/


www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrosin
www.marlanasemenza.com
Audio : Ariza Music Productions
Transcription : Vision In Word
Marlana:


Danny Rosin is a timeless community builder who likes doing things that matter. He's co-founder of the company, brand Fuel, but also has a hand in promo, kitchen promo cares, reciprocity, road operations, smile, A Place At The Table and Band Together. He's happiest when there is a mix of philanthropy, music, marketing, and family. Inc. As a married father of two teenage daughters, he has come to grips with the idea that will behave, women rarely make history, but they learned that from him, along with how to lead a life of purpose. Welcome, Danny.


Danny:


Oh, thanks for having me. I'm, that's, it's nice to hear that the word,   family yang is not a real word, but I want it to be. I want it to be a verb family. 


Marlana:


I think you have made it one. I really do. And knowing the things that you have done and put together,


Danny:


That's nice, that's the one thing that I hope. You know, you think about legacy,   I think Ban Together, the work that I've been involved in with that organization is definitely the stuff of legacy. But the family, I just hope our kids look back one day and all the trials and tribulations of parenting and being invested in that, shines a light on these girls and they say their dad and mom did a good job. That's all I'm looking for. 


Marlana:


Well, it's actually kind of funny to watch you on this journey with them, because I feel like sometimes it's kind of like you've been on a wild bucking horse and you're just trying to hold on and keep the reins in your hand.


Danny:


Yeah, so true. I've got a wild bucking horse as an older daughter and a little bit more calm daughter as a younger daughter. They're 15 and 18, so they're complete opposites. I am more like my oldest daughter, the wild bucking horse. So, I think we relate to each other a lot more, which allows my relationship with my wife to either flourish because I can step in and say, I know what Brooke is going through, or there's just a lot more tension there because,   we don't see eye to eye and my wife doesn't understand, because that's not who she ever was.   she's got a little wild side, but not like Brooke or me. .


Marlana:


And, you know, it's interesting to me because you have taken that wild side and anybody that reads any of your history or even some of the things that you have real and posts that you do, you've taken it and put the reins on it to a large degree and directed it in ways that matter. So how is that a struggle for you to do, or do you


Danny:


? It's not a struggle for me. It's a struggle for my wife and sometimes my daughters. Just for example, I posted this great video of my youngest daughter. I took her to where I went to college at UNC Chapel Hill. A band

Joe ‘Road Warrior Animal’ Laurinaitis was half of arguably the greatest tag team in wrestling history.  Together with Mike ‘Hawk’ Hegstrand, they were the perfect mix of intimidation, artistry and skill.  They continue to be legendary and you can search the internet and find countless hours of matches and interviews. But, today we are going to learn about Joe, the man behind the face paint and what life with this icon was like. 
FB: https://www.facebook.com/kim.turmanlaurinaitis
IG: https://www.instagram.com/kimlaurinaitis_/
www.prowrestlingtees.com
www.powerbombpizza.com


Wrestlemerch.com


www.theasylum.com


www.marlanasemenza.com
Audio : Ariza Music Productions
Transcription : Vision In Word
Marlana:


Joe Road Warrior Animal Laurinaitis was half of arguably the greatest tag team in wrestling history together with Mike Hawk Hegstrand. They were the perfect mix of intimidation, artistry, and skill. They continued to be legendary and you can search the internet and find countless hours of matches and interviews. But today we're gonna learn about Joe, the man behind the face paint, and what life with this icon was like. Please help me welcome Joe's Other Half the love of his life and my dear friend Kim Laurinaitis.


Kim:


Aw! Thank you. That was so sweet.


Marlana:


. So you know, anybody that saw you and Joe in a later years,  would not have guessed that Y'all didn't like each other much at first.


Kim:


No, not at all. , that was the going talk like once we finally reconnected because we did not connect at the beginning at all. A lot of people knew that Hawk and I, Mike and I were much closer friends. He was like a brother to me for many, many years. And I always used to ask him what was wrong with his partner. Like what crawled up his button died basically, because he was always so it came off as rude, but he really wasn't rude. He was more the business guy. He was always taking care of business. You know how it was in the back, you know, when you have things to do, timelines to meet deadlines, that's how he was. Me being 17 , you know, going back there and first getting backstage and around all those guys, you're looking going, God! He's rude because he, compared to Mike, the life of the party, was two totally different people.


And so that's what I was accustomed to, I guess. And then some of the other guys, you got Owen Hart who was the ultimate prankster, you know, and who never had an enemy at all and who was always happy. And you had other people too that were kind of like that. And so, coming across Joe and you know, his exterior, his face, everything kind of come off as very hard when you're like, oh my God, oh, sorry, I walked past you, you know, some days. And one day he asked me, I was outside walking Davies's dog, I think we were in Pensacola or something, . And he was like, what are you doing out here walking the dog? I'm like,  because I was told to . Yeah. I was just scared to even answer him. And then I told Mike, I was like, oh my God, can you tell him not to be so mean to me?


He wasn't mean, he just asked me a question, but I took it as being mean. And he has never forgot that. Like he was like, I just thought what mom would let their daughter come and be doing shows and vignettes and stuff like that here by themselves and you're not even 18 and having to get your contract signed, blah, blah, blah. I'm like, oh my God! So that's why you were rude to me, . And so, we talked about it later. He goes, no, I was just worried about you. I was protective of you in a sense, but you just didn't know it. I said, no, I thought you hated me. And he goes, why wasn't a fan ? 


Marlana:


So, when did that change? How did he become a fan? 


Kim:


When we reconnected, I actually convinced Mike McGuirk, our mutual friend to,  she had recently lost her husband a few months prior to us going to WrestleMania or Wrestle Con that event in 2012. And so, I co