A comp card, also called a composite card, is an essential portfolio piece for any serious model. High-quality photos and a clean, sleek design will announce you as a professional and experienced model. Not every casting call will request a comp card, but better safe than sorry to have one ready to go in your portfolio! You may even have multiple comp cards that illustrate specific parts of the modeling or acting industry that you are interested in. If you are seeking agency representation, you need to have a professional and up-to-date comp card.
I did some Pinterest searches to check out the different layouts and required components before I designed my own in Adobe InDesign, and I'm attaching my blank design in this post if you want to make your own. If you'd like to download my InDesign template, scroll down to the link at the bottom of this post!

The most common card I saw is two-sided 8.5" x 5.5" card stock, with a great headshot on the front, your name, your agency, and then at least 4 other photos on the back and your measurements and statistics.

   

Your headshot is the most important photo on the card and should be your very best. Pick one that will make a great impression, is a high-res photo that will print well, and that doesn't involve a lot of editing. Think "natural;" it should show your look with very little makeup and styling.

Your next 4 photos should be striking and strong shots that show your experience, versatility, and the type of work you are seeking. Since I'm not seeking acting gigs, I selected photos that showed off my product modeling and my runway experience instead of lifestyle shots.

Statistics you should include on your model comp card:

• Height
• Bust (Chest for men)
• Waist
• Hips
• Inseam (men)
• Shoe Size
• Hair Color
• Eye Color

Want to make your own using the template?
8.5" x 11": Download InDesign File
8.5" x 5.5" 2up: Download Indesign File

It's one of my favorite weeks again - and it only happens twice a year -- Kansas City Fashion Week!

This season, I'm walking for Mikayla Tjeerdsma wearing her Kalon by Kayla collection. I've already seen the pieces and have had my initial fitting and let me tell you this collection is stunning. The colors, the textures, the fabrics, ALL OF IT! You'll have to wait for after the show for photos from the runway, but what I can share right now is how I prep for the KCFW runway.

Meet the Designer: Kalon by Kayla! Mikayla Tjeerdsma learned to sew at age 9, while being mentored by both a local...
Posted by Kansas City Fashion Week, LLC on Wednesday, August 15, 2018

These are the two "duhs" of the health world: are you drinking enough water? and are you getting enough sleep? But these two are so important for both your physical and mental wellbeing. And there are so many additional cosmetic benefits, like clearer skin and better breath.

Months Before:

• Yes, you've made the roster but now is not the time to get complacent! Keep to a regular workout schedule that keeps your motivated and fit. I like my barre class, barbell class, and yoga class at the local gym to make sure I'm focusing on both strength and length in my workouts.
• Practice, practice, practice! You've already developed your walk, but can it be improved? Have your friend video your walk so that you can critique yourself.
• Look into coaching or lessons with some KC runway pros, like Ciara's Coach the Runway or The Model Board's Fashion Show 101 workshop. There are so many amazing local resources in Kansas City; take advantage of them! 

Weeks Before:

• Break in your shoes. If you're bringing your own shoes for the runway, make sure they're a pair you know you can strut your stuff in without worrying about painful blisters or wobbly ankles. It's always good to have two good pairs of strappy nude heels and strappy black heels - keep them both in your model bag!

• Hair health. Do you need a slight trim? A conditioning mask? Invest in yourself and take the time to get used to your new 'do - but don't stray too far from what your designer saw when they booked you!
• How are you feeling in the gym? If you've kept to your routine and are happy with your overall fitness, are there specific areas you'd like to focus on? For me, my upper arms and posture are super important to have as close to "perfect" as I can get them because that's what I'll see in my photos after the shows, so I'll do more upper back and shoulder work to really hone in on those areas.
• Whiten that smile!

Days Before:

• Hair removal! If you wax, take care of that at least two days before the show to give time for any redness or bumps to go away.
• Get those zzzzz's. Sleep is so important! You'll feel better and look better if you keep your stress level low and your eyelids closed.
• Plan your day. Do you know how long it will take for you to get to the venue? Are you driving, ubering, or having a friend chauffer you? Plan it in advance!

Day Before:

• Nails. Your designer will specify natural nails, manicured nails, or a specific color (which they will likely supply themselves the day-of). Keep your nails trimmed and your cuticles neat.
• Wash your hair. Day 2 hair is best for styling & your stylist will thank you for it!
• If you already have a go-to moisturizing mask, pile that on and put in a movie! Glowy skin will make your MUA artist happier with your skin and you happier with your photos from the runway. That extra bit of confidence will translate to your walk.
• Today is not the day to try a new skincare product or hair styling tool! Stick with what you and your skin already know.
• Pack your model bag! You can read my must-haves for back-stage in this post.

B and I are no stranger to long-distance. When we started dating I was 19 and we lived in two different central Texas cities. It wasn't until 3 years later and within the 6 weeks in which we planned our wedding that we even lived in the same city. You can read more about our wedding planning in this post.



Now that we're 100% pursuing moving back to Texas, he's spent the majority of the past month in Austin & San Antonio while I've stayed in Kansas City to organize our belongings, walk once more in Kansas City Fashion Week, and hammer out the logistics of working remotely for my current company.

3 weeks apart from him in August was hard. Here's the real kicker: this time, it's 5 weeks before I'll see him in person again. October 5th can not get here fast enough!

If you saw my latest insta, I listed a few things that have been keeping me going through this final (fingers crossed! 🤞🏼) stretch of separation.

View this post on Instagram

It's Thursday! That means Brian has already been gone an entire week (trust me, I'm counting) and there's only a month to go before I'll join him in our new home! Right now, this period of waiting and distance absolutely and utterly sucks. And it's my fault! Someone just had to stay for her final season of @kc_fashionweek and walk for @kalon_by_kayla... Priorities, am I right? So what's keeping me encouraged? Aside from the photo dump of my favorite person hitting my stories later today... This verse 👉🏻 "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." ~Romans 12:12 🎨Friend dates + craft nights. Give me nachos and scrapbook paper and I'm good to go! 🍦 @bettyraes new location just down the street. More specifically, the Blueberry & Corn flavor on waffle cone. 📚Regular trips to the library. My current read is The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn 📦Minimizing + sorting. Deciding what to keep - and move 💪🏻 - what to sell and what to donate is both stressful and therapeutic. Trying to sell clothes @platosclosetstyle regularly backfires. Wearing @heartandhips jumpsuit (it has POCKETS!) And a vintage head band courtesy of @battlemom7 #kcmo #jowlercreekwinery #kansascity #visitkansascity #howwedokc #localkc #rivermarket #kcfw #travelmodel #runwaymodel #winery #tlpicks #ShopStyle #shopthelook #TravelOutfit #OOTD #MyShopStyle #SummerStyle

A post shared by Morgan May Pashen (@morgan.ma.belle) on Sep 6, 2018 at 8:56am PDT

Here are a few more to add to the list.

1. Stock up on your favorite movies and books. 

That meant a trip to Half Price Books for me to pick up some childhood favorites by Tamora Pierce and Shannon Hale that weren't available at the library,  and of course The Mummy (yes, that one with Brendan Frasier).

2. Watch movies or TV shows simultaneously together.

Before B left, we had been working through the Murdoch Mysteries TV series. Since Hulu doesn't take us all the way up the latest seasons, we've had to rewatch old episodes. We even tried to Netflix Party a random movie, but experienced some technical glitches. We're trying out Sync Video next.

3. Leave behind a love note scavenger hunt

B left notecards for me to find in places he knew I'd seek out. On top of the cereal box, inside my Pride and Prejudice DVD, on top of my Anne of Green Gables books, inside one of my Harry Potter books, stuck to my mirror in the bedroom, and elsewhere. Each had a cute note or memory or instruction from him to keep me from moping while he's away.

4. Snapchat lets you video call!

Take advantage of it. 😉

5. Learn a language together.

We started using Duolingo when we were preparing for our Italy vacation last summer. We've continued to compete with each other as we learn Spanish. I'm still winning.

6. Start a private book club

One of our wedding presents was the 5 Love Languages Bible. We only recently started reading through it together and participating in the daily devotionals. Because our spiritual wellbeing as a couple and as a family is very important to us when we're near or far, we want to continue growing in our faith even at a distance. It's easy for me to send him a quick text with the verses for the day, and then we can discuss on the phone in the evening.

7. Nothing beats a handwritten letter.

Become penpals. It's so easy to take advantage of all the technology we have - Snapchat, Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, cell phones - and you should take advantage of all of it! But there is something deeply romantic about a handwritten letter written by your love. Buy yourself some pretty stationary, stock up on stamps, and keep that perfume handy.

8. Lean on your friends.

Plan a girls' night, meet up for lunch, send each other stupid memes. Sure, going out as the third-wheel or in a big group can feel strange if your S/O is normally right alongside you, but guess what? It's kinda fun. Don't let yourself sit alone at home if what will make you feel better is going out to the dog park or meeting up for coffee with your bestie.

I'll add this here - I have no idea how to survive living alone and getting sick. If one of my best friends hadn't been able to come by with Nyqil, homemade chicken noodle soup, and a book to read when I got sick the very first night after B left, I would have been in trouble. 

9. Don't be afraid to ask for what you need.

Is one phone call a day just not cutting it? Does it drive you crazy if your S/O doesn't respond to a text until hours later? Do you want more goofy snaps and selfies as you go about your day? Communication is key, even in established relationships. Is requesting your S/O create a bitmoji a little ridiculous? Maybe! But does it make you feel better and is it not a huge imposition on him? Then go for it!

10. Plan your reunion

B has already told me about all of the new recipes he can't wait to make for me. Trust me, I've missed his cooking and can't wait for some yummy new meals that we can share together. We've also started a list of must-sees in Austin, and I've started a Pinterest board for how we (in all seriousness, how I) want to decorate our new apartment. It's nice to look forward to the future with excitement and a goal, instead of focusing on how hard the right now is.

The first half of 2018 hasn't been very travel-heavy for us -- which has been refreshing! I've been able to focus on decorating our apartment, working on business plans & budgets with B, and start recording what I enjoyed or disliked about our previous trips as I started our new joint Instagram account - @thepashenpassport.

1. Phone charger

So this one is a bit of a no-brainer, but I figured it's a must on the list! Both our phones take the same charger, and since they are our main (only) camera, having them nice and charged up while we travel is muy importante. An external battery may be worth looking into as well.

2. Make-up Bag

What’s something you always pack in your carry on?

It's kinda crazy how much emphasis we place on our social media presence. Bloggers, models, public figures, entrepreneurs, everyone puts so much pressure on ourselves to have that ideal feed, the one that shows off all of the cool places we've traveled to, the photo-worthy food we've eaten, and the perfect "candid" that you know was posed. It can get ridiculous!

So even as I share one of my favorite tools for managing my Instagram schedule, please keep in mind that being real is so much easier, authentic, and engaging than curating the perfect scroll-stopping Instagram feed.

I've been taking a social media hiatus for the past week or so (and a blogging hiatus for even longer) as B and I savored our time together with our families before he heads back to Texas for the next month. So if you're checking out my @morgan.ma.belle Instagram feed for best-practices, please don't 😅. I may be an award-winning digital marketer, but it's kind of like the cobbler's kids scenario....

So what's so great about Preppr that I actually took the time to film a video (my FIRST YouTube video on my all-new channel!) and write a blog post? Let me tell you!

• I can visually plan my Instagram feed by dragging, dropping, and rearranging my images so that I know exactly how it will look when I hit 'post.'
• Filterable media storage helps me keep track of which photos and videos I've already used and which haven't yet graced my feed.
• Queue view or calendar view of the scheduled posts - whichever works for me! I favor the calendar view.
• Save posts as drafts if I've written the perfect caption but I'm not sure where it fits yet.
• At the Duo level and higher, I can manage multiple accounts with my single login. This is great for managing my two personal accounts, and I could up to the next level if I also want to handle client accounts.
• I can get a notification reminder that it's time to post a scheduled gram or I can let Preppr post automatically to my account for me.

Do yourself a favor and take advantage of the FREE 10-Day Trial (Trust me, you won't regret it! And no, that's not an affiliate link). Ready to learn more? My video below will walk you through how I use Preppr to plan my Instagram feed, write my captions, select my hashtags, and schedule my posts. You're welcome!

Other tools I use & recommend for Instagram

Preview App - Preppr is only available for desktop and iPhone. So I'll have to stick with my Android-friendly Preview app to do feed planning without my laptop. free with paid options
Grids App for Desktop - Interact with your feed and followers all from your desktop. This is one of my favorite tools EVER. paid
Unfold Stories - The most beautiful app for creating stunning stories. Shoutout to Mr. Dan Doelling for turning me on to it! Make stories for yourself, or share them with the world on Instagram stories. Check out Dan's stunning stories. free with paid options

This past Kansas City Fashion Week - yes, the one back in March that I never wrote a post about - I had the privelege of walking for one of our sponsors, Dillards at Oak Park Mall, on Saturday Night at the Grand Hall at Power & Light. Union Station, where Fashion Week is held in the fall, is much larger venu but there's something about the European-style runway and the details of the Grand Hall that makes it my favorite venue for KCFW.

Photos by Tou Yang

Because it was Easter Weekend, a local church made Easter baskets for all of the models with snacks and games to keep us busy backstage while we waited for hair & makeup. You can see how exciting backstage can get :P It's really a lot of hurry up and wait most of the time, so I always go prepared for the wait.

What's always in my bag:

• book to read
• logic puzzles
• phone charger
• headphones
• a blanket
• a toothbrush and toothpaste
• snacks (and sometimes B will bring me lunch or dinner)
• my own water bottle, though there's almost always water available
• slippers or flip-flops; I love my Mahabis because they can be worn inside or outside if you add the sole. I have the light grey + yellow and get asked backstage at every show about them. You can get your own pair from Nordstrom here.
• extra shoes for the runway - sometimes a model you're walking with will need another pair or your designer may want to see some options

Photo by Simon Kuo Westside Studio

Photo by Hananiah Aldrich

    

Photo by Dani Michael

Finale. Photo by Ryan Swartzlander.

100% yes.

Apparently, I’ve got the blues this rainy Monday (in the best way possible). Favorites this week are full of blue hues, pretty walls, and the cutest manicure inspo you won’t want to miss.

Blue and white was a color scheme B and I decided would work for both of us when we got married and began decorating our first apartment. In the two and a half years we've been married, we haven't added much to our collection that fits that scheme, but I keep my eyes open for any must-have pieces!  This is what I'm currently envying this week, and one piece that's already in our home.

1. These gorgeous cereal bowls. I love the dish set we put on our registry (similar to this one on Amazon), but the bowls are square which just really isn't the most efficient bowl shape ever.


2. This elegant accent wallpaper from FabricsandPapers.com.  If I could find a similar temporary paper, I'd already have B installing it!



3. This chandelier from World Market



4. These curtains that have been hanging various locations in our apartments and I still absolutely LOVE (affiliate link).



5. This amazing cake


6. This amazing manicure

I caught a few screenshots from a variety of insta stories throughout the rehearsal and time spent "backstage." This was the first show I've done that I was responsible for my own hair and makeup, and I'm pretty pleased with how everything looked. Pro-Tip: invest in hairspray! If you have any hairspray recommendations, I'd love to hear them!

This is the line up before the walk....

Congratulations to @rogerfigueroa_designs for winning the #MakeItYours Designer Challenge! You can see more of Roger’s designs on the @kc_fashionweek runway in September! @oakparkmall

A post shared by KC Fashion Council (@kcfashioncouncil) on Jun 16, 2018 at 7:20pm PDT

The other lovely models in the above photo from left to right are April,  Jazlyne, Oakley, and Sarah. Click their names to visit their Instagrams!

If you're looking to get involved in the local Kansas City fashion community, I highly recommend attending the casting calls, applying to volunteer at events throughout the year, and maybe check out this post I wrote with some other portfolio and network building tips.

And I'll round off the post with two photos of yours truly on the runway!

Sometimes writing is therapeutic. I'm putting this list together a week after Mother's Day because I know I'm not the only one struggling with this holiday in particular. Maybe you're coping with a recent miscarriage, with infertility, with fertility treatments, with pregnancy jealousy, with the concept of motherhood.

B and I are excited for his cousin's upcoming beer-themed Baby shower (even though babies are still a bit of a sore spot for us right now)! She's been married for almost as long as B can remember her (there's a bit of an age gap) and this baby was one amazing Christmas surprise.  She and her husband have been our brewery and beer tour buddies since Day 1 of moving to KC, and even their baby shower is beer-themed - "A Baby is Brewing!" It was too easy to pick some awesome gifts for the beer-loving parents that are still baby friendly.

Here are our favorite picks for baby and parents, including beer t-shirts, beer baby bottles, classic children's books with a slight twist, and a few items that are just plain useful for new parents and baby alike!





What did I miss? Leave your baby shower recommendations below!