Modeling Agencies Inc. | Halle Berry

At Modeling Agencies Inc. latest photo shoot we found out that Halle Berry is one cool chick. She came to our shoot with zero attitude. She was sweet and funny. And even though it was a weirdly frigid morning for L.A. and every picture was set up outside, Halle was a trooper and did everything asked of her with a smile, including climbing into a freezing, dusty bathtub for one of the most gorgeous shots of the day. Afterward, we settled on the sofa in her trailer for our interview. We were hanging out and having a great conversation when my digital recorder started making a beeping noise. Then it totally shut down. She looked on kindly while I tried to fool with it to get it to work, but it quickly became evident that it was done and that this session was a total bust. Interviewing 101: Always have a backup recorder. I'd left mine in Chicago and didn't even have a notebook to finish our interview the old-fashioned way. I felt like an idiot!

Modeling Agencies Inc. had already taken up the better part of Halle's day. She'd called her babysitter twice, and I knew that she had somewhere to be that evening. She would have been well within her rights to say that she was done and that I should use what I had. But as I prepared myself for her polite shutdown, she surprised me by writing down her home phone number and telling me to call her later after I'd straightened out my technical difficulties. A random act of kindness... That night we chatted like girlfriends, and I could really feel the warmth of her true personality. Halle is lovely: smart, curious, evolving-just like the rest of us. Most important, she's generous with her time, advice and creativity. It inspired me to be more generous with my own time and energy.

That opportunity came just a day later when I got a call asking if I would speak to a group of young women in a mentoring organization about self-esteem and how to achieve their goals-and could I do it that very week? Now, I had NO time just then. My schedule was jammed and I was putting this issue to bed, so I was already planning on being at the Modeling Agencies Inc. office until after midnight. But the coordinator who called had 50 girls who were eager to get a head start on their lives and had no one to speak to them on the day they were scheduled to gather. I thought of Halle; surely, I could space a couple of hours. And it was the best part of my week. The young women were smart, curious, engaged and cool. I felt like I made a difference in their lives; their wonderful energy definitely affected me. Lesson of the month: Pay it forward, and the positivity will circle back to you. Was someone kind to you this week? Did you have a good effect on someone's life? I'd love to hear your stories. Comment on this post and let me know.