Celebrating 25 years of Excellence!
Excel's Accomplishments
• Excel has been in business for 25 years in the same location at the lovely Pavilion in the Park in Little Rock, Arkansas.
• Excel now enjoys training second generations! Many of our current students are children of former students!
• The Director of EXCEL, Melissa Moody has traveled to New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Paris annually for 25 years to nurture positive relationships with national and international agents, to further the successes of our students who desire to work on a national or international level, and to stay informed on changes in the industry to keep the curriculum up to date and accurate.
• EXCEL is licensed by the Arkansas State Board of Private Career Education and is a member in good standing of the Better Business Bureau of Little Rock as well as a member of the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce.
• EXCEL is a member of the International Modeling and Talent Association and PRIMA Models and Talent International.
• EXCEL’s models have appeared in major publications such as Italian Vogue, Elle, Women’s Health, Bride, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, GQ, Fitness, and W, and walked runways in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Paris, Egypt, Japan, and Milan.
• Our actors have appeared on Broadway, national television and in major films.
• Our singers and dancers have won top international awards including the prestigious Grammy Award, American Music Award, and Teen Choice Award!
• Our students have won over 2700 top international awards.
• EXCEL has received the International Educational Excellence Award in New York City four times for the quality of our curriculum, our reputation, our unique vision and the successes of our students. We travel to NY, LA, Paris, and Miami annually to study under top industry professionals and update the curriculum at EXCEL to bring you the most current cutting edge information in the industry.
• EXCEL was honored to receive the International School of the Year Award three times in New York City.
• EXCEL Models and Talent is thrilled to be awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for our accomplishments in the industry.
• Director of the Year Award, Los Angeles
• Our Director Melissa Moody has been nominated by the Who’s Who of America’s Teachers four years in a row and was a professional model for over 14 years.
• All instructors have actual experience in the industry.
EXCEL was dedicated to the Lord at its conception. The name EXCEL was taken from Proverbs 31:29-30.
We give God the glory for what He has done and what He will do in the future. Without the mercy, grace, power, and
favor of God EXCEL would not have come this far.
“Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established and succeed.” Proverbs 16:3
“Many daughters have done nobly but you EXCEL them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman who fears the Lord, she will be praised.” Proverbs 31:29-30
We give God the glory for what He has done and what He will do in the future. Without the mercy, grace, power, and
favor of God EXCEL would not have come this far.
“Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established and succeed.” Proverbs 16:3
“Many daughters have done nobly but you EXCEL them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman who fears the Lord, she will be praised.” Proverbs 31:29-30
ABOUT THE OWNER
Melissa Moody
40 Years of Experience in the Modeling and Talent Industry:
Melissa Moody, founder, director, and primary instructor at Excel Models and Talent has over 14 years of experience as a model and actor and over 25 additional years as a trainer and manager in the entertainment industry. Melissa has worked extensively in related fields such as fashion show coordination, catalog wardrobe stylist, public speaking, and talent management. Melissa was a founding member of the Professional Models Association of Arkansas (PMA) and the Christian Model and Talent Association, and Excel Models and Talent International, the only licensed international management company in Arkansas.
Melissa Moody, founder, director, and primary instructor at Excel Models and Talent has over 14 years of experience as a model and actor and over 25 additional years as a trainer and manager in the entertainment industry. Melissa has worked extensively in related fields such as fashion show coordination, catalog wardrobe stylist, public speaking, and talent management. Melissa was a founding member of the Professional Models Association of Arkansas (PMA) and the Christian Model and Talent Association, and Excel Models and Talent International, the only licensed international management company in Arkansas.
National/ International Awards:
Melissa received awards for her own commercial and fashion print modeling in New York and has guided her students to receive over twenty seven hundred awards over the past twenty-five years. She has placed models and actors in every major market world wide.
For over 25 years, Melissa has traveled to New York, LA, Paris, and Miami annually to build positive relationships with agents, managers, casting directors, and film industry professionals. She founded the only Academy for Film and Television in the state of Arkansas. Melissa has dedicated a large portion of her career to the study of television and film acting and has worked with some of the most respected acting schools and coaches and casting directors in the country. The combination of these studies has made her curriculum unparalleled in the industry. Excel’s Modeling curriculum (also written by Melissa) is based on her personal experience as a model, as well as information gathered from her interactions with the top modeling agencies in the world .
Under Melissa’s direction, Excel Models and Talent is the recipient of four International Educational Excellence Awards and three International School of the Year Awards. Melissa has also been awarded five Director of the Year Awards and is recognized by the Who’s Who of America’s Teachers four years running. Melissa was honored with the prestigious Life Time Achievement Award by the International Modeling and Talent Association in New York, New York for her reputation in the industry, the quality of her curriculum and the success of her graduates.
Published Writer/ Motivational Speaker/ Career
Counselor/ Life Coach
Melissa is a published writer and motivational speaker and is a noted career counselor and life coach. She has written the curriculum for fourteen courses as well as poetry, inspirational material and is currently writing a novel and the story of EXCEL.
Family deeply rooted in the industry:
Melissa has four children, three grandchildren, and has been married to her husband Ben Moody, Sr. for 33 years. Ben is an international award winning commercial and fashion photographer. You can see his work at http://benmoody.smugmug.com. Melissa’s two daughters Brooke and Summer Moody are both actively involved with Excel Models and Talent. Her two sons, Ben and Daniel Moody are both living in LA working in the music industry. Her oldest son, Ben Moody II is the founder of the Grammy Award Winning rock band Evanescence. Ben wrote the song “My Immortal” at the age of fourteen and co-wrote the Evanescence hit album ”The Fallen” and has since gone on to write multi-platinum songs with top artists such as Avril Lavine, Chris Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson, and Celine Dion. His latest work, the rock band, We Are The Fallen, including all the original members of Evanescence and American Idol finalist,Carly Smithson as lead singer. Daniel Moody has is a talented songwriter, singer, musician, and recording artist. He co writes with Ben for many different artists and is also an international award-winning photographer. He travels back to Arkansas three times a tear to shoot photos for models and actors preparing for NY ,LA, and Paris. See his work at www.danielmoodyphotos.com.
The Heart of EXCEL:
Melissa’s obvious love for her students and friendly, personal approach to teaching makes every students experience at Excel a meaningful one. Of all EXCEL’s many accomplishments Melissa is most proud of teaching second generations, knowing that the positive impact EXCEL has on their students is the motivation behind them bringing their own children to EXCEL years later. It is her sincere goal that you will experience a very real personal gain as well as professional success
Melissa received awards for her own commercial and fashion print modeling in New York and has guided her students to receive over twenty seven hundred awards over the past twenty-five years. She has placed models and actors in every major market world wide.
For over 25 years, Melissa has traveled to New York, LA, Paris, and Miami annually to build positive relationships with agents, managers, casting directors, and film industry professionals. She founded the only Academy for Film and Television in the state of Arkansas. Melissa has dedicated a large portion of her career to the study of television and film acting and has worked with some of the most respected acting schools and coaches and casting directors in the country. The combination of these studies has made her curriculum unparalleled in the industry. Excel’s Modeling curriculum (also written by Melissa) is based on her personal experience as a model, as well as information gathered from her interactions with the top modeling agencies in the world .
Under Melissa’s direction, Excel Models and Talent is the recipient of four International Educational Excellence Awards and three International School of the Year Awards. Melissa has also been awarded five Director of the Year Awards and is recognized by the Who’s Who of America’s Teachers four years running. Melissa was honored with the prestigious Life Time Achievement Award by the International Modeling and Talent Association in New York, New York for her reputation in the industry, the quality of her curriculum and the success of her graduates.
Published Writer/ Motivational Speaker/ Career
Counselor/ Life Coach
Melissa is a published writer and motivational speaker and is a noted career counselor and life coach. She has written the curriculum for fourteen courses as well as poetry, inspirational material and is currently writing a novel and the story of EXCEL.
Family deeply rooted in the industry:
Melissa has four children, three grandchildren, and has been married to her husband Ben Moody, Sr. for 33 years. Ben is an international award winning commercial and fashion photographer. You can see his work at http://benmoody.smugmug.com. Melissa’s two daughters Brooke and Summer Moody are both actively involved with Excel Models and Talent. Her two sons, Ben and Daniel Moody are both living in LA working in the music industry. Her oldest son, Ben Moody II is the founder of the Grammy Award Winning rock band Evanescence. Ben wrote the song “My Immortal” at the age of fourteen and co-wrote the Evanescence hit album ”The Fallen” and has since gone on to write multi-platinum songs with top artists such as Avril Lavine, Chris Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson, and Celine Dion. His latest work, the rock band, We Are The Fallen, including all the original members of Evanescence and American Idol finalist,Carly Smithson as lead singer. Daniel Moody has is a talented songwriter, singer, musician, and recording artist. He co writes with Ben for many different artists and is also an international award-winning photographer. He travels back to Arkansas three times a tear to shoot photos for models and actors preparing for NY ,LA, and Paris. See his work at www.danielmoodyphotos.com.
The Heart of EXCEL:
Melissa’s obvious love for her students and friendly, personal approach to teaching makes every students experience at Excel a meaningful one. Of all EXCEL’s many accomplishments Melissa is most proud of teaching second generations, knowing that the positive impact EXCEL has on their students is the motivation behind them bringing their own children to EXCEL years later. It is her sincere goal that you will experience a very real personal gain as well as professional success