By now I’m sure most of you have checked out the premiere episode of “Blood, Sweat & Heels” which debuted last night on Bravo. In a recent interview with iAmJasonLee.com Melyssa Ford, one of the show’s stars, discussed branding herself, her new career in real estate, working as a sports journalist and not getting famous off of her past relationships.
On Her Modeling Career & Branding Herself
“I kind of really separate the time in which I was a music video model, which was December 1999 to January 2004, and I didn’t do many music videos. The ones that I did were very big budget, huge production, huge stars — Jay Z, Alicia Keys, Usher, Sisqo and the like. Basically I just kind of took a pretty standard business model and I leveraged my popularity from one to the next. From video modeling to calendar and magazine modeling. Then I was like ‘Hey, I can do this sh*t myself’ so I started to brand myself and market my own product through calendars, behind the scenes DVDs, you name it I through my image on it — shot glasses, posters, coasters, playing cards. Once I accumulated a certain fan base I leveraged that and started to solicit television opportunities.
One of the first big television opportunities I had come my way was to work for BET. They hired me in October 2004 to work on a show with Big Tigger called BET Style. It was a lifestyle entertainment show and then other opportunities followed. I worked with ESPN, Sports corespondent, and then you know TV and movie roles followed. You know then I also dipped my toe into the realm of philanthropy. You know, it’s a roller-coaster ride but it’s been interesting and it’s all lead up to where I am now.”
On Working In Sports Journalism
“One of my favorite moments that comes to mind was Superbowl in 2006, it was in Detroit and it was media day at Ford Field. It was the Pittsburgh Steelers playing the Seattle Seahawks. I had never been to media day in my life. Media day is when all of the media from all over the world descend upon the football field and interview the football players. The first half of the day is one team and the second half of the day you interview the other team. I took one look at that field, and I was working with a new producer who was a self proclaimed Melyssa fan — she was amazing, and I looked at that field and I was like ‘I can’t do this! I CAN’T do this!’ I was so intimidated by the amount of people on the field and the amount of experience. I’m looking on the field and I see Stuart Scott, I see Scoop Jackson, I’m seeing people who I’ve watched on TV for years and I’m going to try and do what they do. I was terrified. I looked at [the producer] and said ‘I don’t want to do this, let’s turn around’ and she looked at me and said ‘Oh, hell no! You can do it! I’ve seen you and you’re amazing!’ Just her vote of confidence in me…and I said to myself, ‘You know what? The only person standing in my way is me, you are motherf*cking right, I CAN do this!’
I went and wrecked shop on that field to the point the players were leaving other interviews to come do interviews with me. I got written up by six publications, USA Today, ESPN.com and that kind of let ESPN know who I was. That was one of my greatest moments and it lead to me doing the ESPY Award nominations and the Pre-Award show red carpet for the ESPY Awards. It was like a trifecta. It was amazing.”
On Her Career Switch To Real Estate
“The entertainment industry is very fickle. You are hot today and you are ice cold tomorrow. Your relevance and your popularity sometimes depend on you compromising things about yourself and I just wasn’t prepared to do something like that. I had become exhausted by the whole process and I was looking for a way to create a stream of revenue for myself that A) Did not depend solely on my looks or my popularity but depended on my hard work and dedication. I also was trying to find a possible exit ramp. If I chose to completely exit and leave the entertainment industry behind I needed to find something that I could do for a long time. Something that was not only going to help me survive but something I could thrive in. I have a pretty healthy rolodex that I have accumulated over the past 13 years in the business so I figured this would be one way to utilize that rolodex. Real estate just seemed to make a lot of sense. I’m obviously very good at presentation, I’m a former model so I do know how to present myself very well. I know how to speak to people from all different walks of life. I’m very tenacious and I’m a very hard worker. It just seems like it was a good pick for me so I decided to go into real estate. Then after I went into real estate and was ready to go Bravo comes knocking. I was like Wow!“
On Becoming Successful Independently
“We are very independent women. None of us are married, none of us have children. One of us is engaged and one has a live-in boyfriend but the other four, we’re still trying to figure it out. We just represent that demographic of women who have unapologetically pursued their ambitions and their career goals. These careers aren’t the result of a man funding a hobby for us. We’re self starters and even though we’ve dated men with means in the past, in my case, I’ve never looked at what he had as what belongs to me. That’s your sh*t. I want my own sh*t. I don’t want what I eat to only be what he brought to the table. I have got to be able to take care of myself because you can’t guarantee anything is going to last. So, that’s who we are. We’re six independent, ambitions, career girls making it hot for ourselves in New York City.”
Read more at iAmJasonLee.com . What did you guys think of Blood, Sweat & Heels?