We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Julia Samersova a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Julia, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
My work ethic is a combination of a few things.
First, I am an immigrant who came to the US in1980 from the former Soviet Union. We came here with absolutely nothing, like a lot of other immigrants. My mom was a single mom and she worked 7 days a week to support us. She is my inspiration. Work hard, get results, feel pride in your productivity. She made sure I always felt proud and held my head high.
Secondly, because I chose to open my own business in 2004, I had no one but myself to depend on.
I learned quickly that discipline and flawless time management were essential to success, in any field.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other question we had for you?
My story started out in Brooklyn, NY in 1993 when my high school guidance counselor offered me an internship my senior year. That internship was a life changing moment in the course of my life. I started as an intern at a high end modeling agency in SoHo, NY and went on to work there for 7 years, climbing the proverbial ladder and soaking up as much knowledge as possible along the way.
After 7 amazing years at that agency, I went on to work for NEXT Models, FORD Models, and finally ELITE Models.
12 years after starting my internship and working my way up, I decided to switch gears,
I wanted to be a casting director. One day I bought my first laptop and I reached out to all the contacts and relationships I had cultivated over the 12 years I was a model agent. One job led to another, and as they say, the rest is history! This is not to make it sound like it was all rainbows and butterflies. It was, at times, an excruciating amount of work and I had a lot of moments of doubt, insecurities and pure exhaustion. You have to let yourself feel all the highs and lows along the way, and then decide what is truly important to your well being and ultimately your happiness.
It’s now 2024 and I started my business in 2004. 20 years of blood, sweat and tears, and also the highest of highs and a feeling of incredible achievement.
I have been fortunate enough to work with almost every major global brand in the world.
We work with adult models, babies, children, teens and tweens. We work with agencies and we are also know for our “street casting” prowess. Social Media has enabled us to cast a truly wide net and find some incredible talent.
Casting “real people” is so fulfilling because it’s like finding a hidden treasure. The best part is discovering young talent who had no idea that their “look” was something a brand would consider special. I love to make other humans feel special and seen. Especially, if they are being seen for the first time. Through my eyes, I can see a gem where most would see a rock.
Recently, I took my 30+years of knowledge and experience in the world of fashion and launched a new venture called Inside Scoop with Julia Samersova. This is a service that provides private, one-on-one 30 Minute FaceTime consultations with parents of kids who want to break into the world of modeling. This is geared towards being as customized as possible for each client. That is the ultimate goal!
No questions you can’t ask, and everything stays confidential between us.Whether you are just starting out, or are a seasoned pro, Inside Scoop brings you even closer to the real truth of this multi- billion dollar industry. We have had an overwhelming response so far and I am humbled and beyond grateful.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The most impactful qualities, in my opinion, are:
1- Curiosity. Ask as many questions as possible. Keep learning. Never stop being inquisitive. Never think you are beyond learning, no matter how successful you become.
2- Self discipline and time management are KEY.
You have to be accountable for yourself and your time.
Learn to prioritize the things that will move you closer to your goals.
Keep a tight schedule. Get hyper organized. Figure out what deserves your time, attention and energy the most, and focus on that.
3- Learn to take hits gracefully and know how to pivot.
For example, when the adult casting jobs slowed down for us during the crash of 2008, I quickly realized I should pivot to casting children, because the adult casting arena was very saturated, but the kids casting sector was wide open for opportunity. We hit the jackpot on that turning point.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
This is a great question.
I feel overwhelmed almost daily. I am a single mom with 3 kids and I own my own business, so overwhelm is bound to happen.
My advice is to use the feeling of being overwhelmed to find a path towards a productive flow.
My strategy has always been all about avoiding procrastination at all costs.
I find that procrastination is seeped in anxiety. The task I am most trying to avoid is never as difficult as it it seems once you actually get to it! I hate to say it, but JUST DO IT and MOVE ON.
Managing your time and having an organized schedule is the gold standard.
Keep you appointments, especially with yourself!
No one wants to be an overwhelmed, stressed out, messy burn out. However, this too will happen to all of us and it is important to remember we are just human, embrace the mess, and give yourself some grace.
Make an appointment with yourself a few times a week to do something that brings you pure joy.
Whether its exercise, taking a walk in nature, going for a bike ride, catching up with your bestie, or even baking a pie. Whatever is, do it and do not cancel on yourself. Real bosses don’t cancel appointments with themselves.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cast_inc_nyc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/castincnyc/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-samersova-65712026/
