You get that aptitude after you’ve lived here for a while, especially when you’re lucky enough to be able to potchki around the hood during the week. The other day, I discovered a lot that is new about Alice Barden, who’s been living on Bleecker Street for seventeen years and could be the poster child for the bygone Village, the one that drew artists and freethinkers. When you pass Alice on the street, even if you don’t know her, you think you do. That’s because you’ve seen her on Law and Order and a host of other TV shows. Alice has also worked as an acting coach and in real estate, which are the types of careers actors may find themselves pursuing when the goal is to keep those rent-stabilized West Village roofs over their heads. Alice has done a lot of things, but most recently, she’s come up with something really big. Our local girl may be on the verge of making it, thanks to her new idea, one that seems so simple and timely, it’s a wonder it hasn’t been thought of before, but Alice is the one who came up with it, and it’s about to launch everywhere.
As she was editing her yearly “acting reel”, a one-minute edited video of her most recent screen jobs, Alice realized, quite suddenly, that everyone could use a reel of themselves, particularly in an uncertain economy. However, she believed it had to be even shorter – thirty seconds – to deal with the speed at which people work on the Internet. She spoke to her college roommate and quickly hooked up with an angel investor to get started. She has been building reelexecutives.com now for about ten months, working with a great editor who knows how to direct, several camera people and the best makeup artists she could find. Finally, after assembling her masterful crew, she shot a bunch of reels of her friends and associates. Having worked in sales for many years, Alice used her people skills to get these non-actors to reveal who they are. Some talk about their work – but many clients talk about how they approach life – which can be a lot more telling than simply stating that they are a “team player” or “can work independently.” The appointment is only one hour, which includes thirty minutes of prep and make-up and thirty minutes of shooting. The “stars” of the videos are coached and questioned by trained directors who know how to bring out the best in people. Alice and her team have developed a system that makes the subjects of her videos feel like a million dollars.
You will be able to link Reel Executive reels to your online resumes on LinkedIn, websites or anywhere your profile appears. The reels include a full “branding page” that shows other aspects of your life (articles, interests, etc.) along with your resume and social media links. Really, anything you want to tell about yourself to give a fuller picture. You can also privatize the reel and branding page so that only employers and recruiters know you are in the market for a job.
The implications of this model are endless. In addition to recruiting and selling websites, you can also use it for networking, meeting people (before you meet them!) and even dating (at some point.)
Alice is certain that this is going to happen anyway and wants to be the first and best resource available. So look for Reel Executives—it’s the future of resumes, and it started right here. For more information, go to: Reelexecutives.com and become the star of your own life. I can’t wait to do it. That’s the beauty of living this small town: when you walk down the street, anything can happen!
