Physique Entrepreneur Spotlight: Todd Sanfield and Todd Sanfield Underwear

INTRODUCTION:

I have dedicated this blog to helping to readers like you build successful businesses centered, in whole or in part, around your physique.  One of the best ways to do this is to point out real world examples of physique entrepreneurs who seem to be doing just that.

I believe one such entrepreneur is Todd Sanfield.

Recently, Todd launched a new fashion underwear line under the company name of Todd Sanfield Underwear.  On the company website, a series of form-flattering briefs and boxer briefs that he designed are available for sale.  Being a very popular model, Todd models all of the garments displayed on the website himself.

After researching information about Todd and his company, there are a number of aspects about his situation that I believe truly exemplify what it means to strategically and creatively leverage one’s visual value as a model.  Hopefully after reading this post, you will have a better understanding of the general entrepreneurial principles that I have been advocating and be inspired to explore unique business strategies that might be appropriate for you.

Based on what I learned and deduced about Todd’s business, here are a number of important assumptions and facts that I believe may be true about his situation and how they compare with that of a traditional model:

SHARING IN THE COMPANY’S PROFITS:

He has developed a stream of income by creating a product that is designed ONCE and can be sold repeatedly indefinitely.  Once enough garments have been sold to cover the cost of making them, any income over and above the production/marketing expenses is considered the company profits from which he would receive a percentage.  On the other hand, an ordinary model is paid a one-time payment for his work while the individual or company that hired him will use the model’s image to sell multiples of whatever it is that is being promoted indefinitely: supplements, gym memberships, soft drinks, equipment, magazines, etc.  The model will not receive any residual income from a share of the company’s profits.

ONGOING STREAM OF INCOME:

On a related note, Todd has mostly likely created a favorable situation where he is potentially earning money even when he is hired for a modeling job apart from his company, when he is out with his friends, or even when he is sleeping. How? Because of the online nature of this business, the company can transact sales 24 hours a day/365 days a year from around the world.

ADDITIONAL INCOME: MODELING FEES AND/OR SALARY:

Depending on how he structured his relationship to his company, Todd may also pay himself a fee for his modeling work on top of the profit dividends he receives (assuming his company is well capitalized).  If so, Todd will have created another stream of income for himself and an ongoing one given that he is face and body of Todd Sanfield Underwear. Also, he may have arranged for a recurring salary after the company reached a particular sales goal.  In contrast, a traditional physique model, in almost every case, has no guarantee that he will be hired again to promote a product at a later time, unless he has entered into some longer-term contract (which is be highly unlikely). A traditional model is paid on a per-modeling assignment basis by a client.  Once an assignment is completed and payment is made, the traditional model will not receive any further payments unless he works again to earn more money.

MONETIZING HIS FAN BASE:

Todd is definitely tapping into his substantial tribe of worldwide fans for potential customers. The fact that he had attracted such a large following was probably one of the primary factors that “green-lighted” the start of his company in the first place.  And if he approached investors to financially support the venture, these backers probably did so, in part, based on a belief that a sufficient number of Todd’s fans would become customers, buying garments and driving up sales.  On the other hand, some traditional physique models have very large fan followings that are intensely loyal and would probably purchase products from them. BUT almost every one of them offers nothing for their fans to buy, despite their willingness!  So, the 3rd parties that hire these traditional models, de facto, tap into these models’ fan base and leverage it their commercial advantage.

BENEFIT OF EQUITY IN HIS COMPANY:

Another major advantage that, as a physique entrepreneur, Todd has over traditional models is the possibility of receiving a considerable payout if his company is ever sold, assuming it is a profitable business one.  Let’s assume that his underwear line becomes a strong brand and a 3rd party purchases Todd Sanfield Underwear.  Todd stands to receive a significant percentage of the money paid and, if he structured the sale to his maximum advantage, Todd will receive ongoing payments as a shareholder and as the company’s namesake model even though he may no longer design the garments and/or manage the company.  No traditional model could ever hope to maximize his earnings this way because he would have no equity in the company that hired him.

CONCLUSION:

I could list a number of other additional advantages Todd may be enjoying because he has decided to seize this opportunities as an entrepreneur/business owner.  But, I believe it is vital to point that I am not suggesting that one can wake up on a given morning and decide to be a clothing designer and launch a product line.  It takes substantial vision, planning, time, money, energy, creativity, help from others, etc. to build a successful profitable business.

BUT IT CAN BE DONE!!!

I sincerely believe that male physique models–YOU–can follow in Todd’s footsteps if you FIRST make the decision to be an entrepreneur as opposed to a model that simply waits for opportunities to be handed to him. (In a future post, I will offer suggestions on how you can acquire business knowledge from traditional and non-traditional sources.

I am currently working on other entrepreneurial spotlights.  In the meantime, if you have a question or comment, please post it below.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: I want to state that this post is not sponsored or endorsed by Todd Sanfield or the Todd Sanfield Underwear company, in any way.  And the statements and/or claims I have made above are based on my research on the company and a general understanding how business organizations can be structured.]

Fitness Mag Cover are NOT about you!

(A part of the ongoing series, Rescuing Models from “Cover Crack” Addiction)

First and foremost, fitness magazine covers are tools to sell magazines.
 
Covers are not merit badges given to models (or photographers) for all of their hard work. They are not rewards, prizes to be won, or school grades that you earn through effort and presistence.  

Editorial staffs and their publishers really do not care if you have won a bunch of contests or if you have “gone pro” or if you look better the model who “got the cover” last time.  This may sound very harsh, but…chances are editors do not even care about you as a person. Their major, no, their ultimate concern, is to select and publish a photograph on the cover that will maintain or increase the sales of a given issue of their magazine. Covers are about making money for the publisher.

So please save yourself a ton of frustration, self-doubt, and even anger by keeping your desire to have your image appear on a cover (or multiple covers) in check.
 
If your image is selected for a cover, savor the moment and…then move on to the more strategic and profitable work that will effectively grow your physique modeling business way more than any cover appearance will.  And remember one simple, humbling fact:  while “your cover” graces newsstands and bookstores and grocery checkout lines, decisions are being made – at that very moment- about the next outstanding physique and handsome face that will replace you on the next issue.

If your image does not appear on a cover, I offer you the same advice, even more so.  MOVE ON and do the real work that will profitably grow your business, by orders of magnitude, beyond what a cover appearance will do.  And do not doubt your unique visual value FOR ONE SECOND because an image of you was not selected for a cover. Instead, rededicate your efforts to identify areas in the marketplace within the fitness industry and, more so, beyond it that have a business need what you have to offer as a physique model.
 
Honestly, covers are not about you.  It is really about sales and a publishing company’s bottom line.  This is not a bad thing, just a business thing.

Your turn.  Share your feedback about this post.

[The above is based on my experience of having over 30 published fitness magazine covers and having spent hundreds of hours of listening to the aspirations of so many male models and encouraging them to build successful businesses.]