Business ProfileforVIP Talent Connect

I saw an ad on IG for a free intro zoom call to VIP Ignite, a program to help aspiring actors and models. The first red flag? The entire intro call dedicated to assuring us it's "not a scam." That should have been the end, but I wanted to assume the best. I booked an “audition” call with one of the head workers, Denine White. She never auditioned me, and instead ran me through a subtle and manipulative sales pitch. She avoided discussing the program details, instead asking whether my husband was supportive, if I could pay $3,000 for an upcoming trip (with no refunds), and quickly read through a form, locking me in with my initials by the end of the call. The next few weeks involved several acting/modeling workshops. I got suspicious when they got upset at me for doing photoshoots independent of them. They insisted (somewhat rudely) that we use all of our social media profiles to direct bookings to Truth MGMT (VIP’s “agency”), even though I wasn’t signed to their agency. Exploitation much? Adding to the deception, VIP Ignite took credit for my work in a social media post, falsely claiming to be my "trusted talent guide" in writing a play they had nothing to do with. Their social media pages are full of fake, misleading posts like this, highlighting other people’s work and taking credit for it (with very minimal engagement, I would add). The classes themselves SEEMED challenging but were disappointingly basic in reality, especially for the expense. As for the promised opportunities, their biggest connections were with less-renowned acting coaches, screenwriters, and agents, letting us down time after time. In summary, if you want to help a scammy organization get exposure while wasting a lot of time and effort and burn $3000+ in the process, here you go. You also may get mediocre acting classes, fake connections, stolen opportunities, and advice you could just as easily get from a YouTube video.