Marisol Ochoa, Head Booker & Scout at Miah Management

0:00Welcome to the Business of Modelling. I'm Tessa Dewing, Managing Director of Sandra Reynolds, a family-run commercial model and talent agency established in 1975. In this podcast, I sit down with models, agents, brands, creatives and industry experts to talk about their careers, their experiences and the future of our industry. Today, we're recording in Barcelona with Marisol Ochoa, head booker and scout at MIA Model Management. We'll be talking about Marisol's career, her work at Maya, curve models, model well-being and what the industry still needs to improve. Welcome to the podcast, Marisol.

0:42It's lovely to have you here. Buenas tardes. Thank you very much. So let's start at the beginning. Tell me where you grew up and what your childhood was like. Well, I was born and raised in Barcelona, which is for me my favorite place in the world. I am so lucky. I always say that I have a kind of relationship with my city. Barcelona has everything. We have the sea. We have the mountain. People from all around the world. And you can be free to be wherever you want to be. Here after, let's say, college, we go directly to university and I study tourism. I'm super bad at math. So I was focusing in everything that was regarding public relations and languages.

1:24And on that time, on my time, everything was on that time starting to keep in space with tourism. So I think maybe this is my future. Okay. And when did modeling come into your life? What was your first introduction? Well, you know, I'm from this generation that grew up with top models from the 90s. And, well, this is obviously something that is inside. Enigra from the 90s. But as everything in my life, by, you know, casualty, serendipity, let's say, I left in one period of my life everything behind. Everything. Job. Boyfriend. Everything. And, well, I say, if I have to remain in Barcelona, for sure something will happen.

2:10And one of my closest friends, like 26 years ago, called me and said, do you want to come to have a lunch with me and my head booker? I didn't know at that time who was a head booker. And my director said, okay, why not? And they were looking for an assistant to the booker. And I said, well, why not? Let's try. I have to learn step by step everything because I came first from tourism. And then I was secretary of one of the most important lawyers here in Spain. So opposite to my previous job, from very serious people, you know, these lawyers, and to the crazy world of fashion and publicity. But you had a good background in an office.

2:56Of course. Because obviously that's very important. Of course. I work always very, very good with under pressure. Yeah, yeah. Which is so necessary for this business. So tell me what kind of roles you were doing. What did your day-to-day look like and what did that teach you? Everything was brand new. I have to start, for example, to learn how to make a book, to choose the pictures, and to understand what is the difference between a beautiful person and a model. It was so difficult for me. Yeah, it didn't come naturally. No, because I say, well, this girl is beautiful. No, that is not beautiful for fashion.

3:34It was hard for me, but very interesting. It was a challenge. Were there sort of people early on in your life that shaped the way you work now? Did you have any mentors? Of course. It's like my second mother. Her name is Alicia Marin. She was one of the first bookers in Spain. She was and is everything to me. She showed me everything, step by step, like a mom. And not only about the industry, but also how to be a good person in this crazy world of us. And she's still in my life. And, well, it's my second mom. So was Maya the first agency you went to? No. Oh, okay. I was first in one agency called La Agencia, the agency.

4:21Oh, yes, yes. La Agencia for 12 years. Then, you know, with one of the thousand crises in Spain, unfortunately, the agency closed in 2012 and I lost. My feeling was that I lost my family. I feel so sad. Because we are agencies are small, aren't they? Exactly. And you get to know everybody really well. And 12 years of my life, very happy, very happy there. And it was so sad. The end was, you know, like a bitter end. Because they were a very good old agency, weren't they? Yeah. One of the biggest ones. Yeah, absolutely. It was very sad. What happened when you left the agency? No, then, well, I had a terrible period of my life.

5:04I lost my job. My mom gets, my mom gets sick. I lost everything, everything. And, you know, I was thinking where I have to go that feels the same that's in La Agencia. And, well, I started for only one year in one actors agency in Madrid, between Madrid and Barcelona. They were very nice, but, you know, it was very new. And then I found my actual boss. She used to be a model. She was a friend of all of my models. And, well, she proposed me to join her at MIA. And, you know, my mom was illness. And I said, mom, I have a lot of offers. But with Maria Jose, my boss, I felt something as well that she was very brave.

5:51And my mom says, go with Maria Jose. I promise that in five years, you and your new boss, you will build something bigger. And mom is like a witch, you know.

6:09What was Mia like when you first joined? It was small, Oli, Maria Jose and one assistant, but I saw immediately the potential. Because this woman is a warrior and she has like 1 ,000 ideas per day. And, well, it was a lot of job to do on that time, but step by step we are all women there. And nothing, it was everything to build. Well, again, it was a challenge for me and I love that. So what does your day-to-day look like now? Oh, it's crazy. Because, Mia, we are a boutique agency because we love to be, as you said, small. But that means not small, but big with clients. Yeah. And we have everything.

7:03We have a commercial department, fashion department, men, women, timeless, curve models, publicity department, influencers, artists. And also my boss has now a film producer company and a distribution film company. So two months ago, we went to Cannes. Now in September, we go to Venice to the film festival. So it's busy. We never know. We never know. And what was the vision behind Mia? Yeah. What was her vision when she started? Because she started in 2008, didn't she? She came from Milano. Yeah. She was modeling there from 13 years and due to family reasons, she has to come back and she wants more or less like me to start something small that we know each other, we know the models and we try everything, everything.

7:57And she's so visionary, Maria Jose. Now she's focusing in artificial intelligence and the Asia market and she never stops. Now, you are widely recognized for helping to open the market for curve models in Spain. How did that start? Again, because my CEO... Had an idea. Yeah, had an idea. In my previous agency, we tried to start with plus size models, but it was not the perfect time on that time. And I remember perfectly the first day at MIA that Maria Jose said, you know what? I think that something is changing in the market. We have to try this with no regular sizes. And I say, listen, I came from this agency, blah, blah, blah.

8:46It was another one in Barcelona that, you know, believe me, this is the future. Trust in me, we have to start this. And it was like that. What was the Spanish market like before you started to push for more size diversity? Well, as the rest of the world, I said, super skinny girls. And well, something has started to change, not only regarding sizes, but also ethnicities and, you know, non-binary and all the stuff. But you know what? I never dreamed when I started 26 years ago that this time of fashion will arrive, that fashion embraces everything. Yeah. It's super excited. I'm so happy, finally.

9:29Did you have to educate clients at the start? Of course. Of course. Yeah. Yeah. And when did you first start to feel that clients were authentically looking for, you know, models of different sizes? Can I be honest? money. They saw the money behind this. They could see that it worked. And also I think that the clients start to listen to them, to the people. Yeah. To the woman that says that enough is enough. People want to see as a consumer, you want to see people that are more real and relatable, I think, don't you? Exactly. Yeah. Are you seeing models with disabilities and things now being used?

10:11Yeah. Also, we have everything at Mia as well. Yeah. And if not, we search for it. Yes. So if you haven't got what the client wants, you can find them. I go to the street, to the supermarket and search for everything. I always say that it's not the same to look at that to have the booker site. I have a friend that always say, I know perfectly when you are working because I saw this, you know, looking at someone that on the booker site. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, I see. Yeah. Like, you know, Terminator, Scarda people. This one is for publicity. This one is for the bi-fascial. It's like this. And it's so funny because friends and family say, what are you doing?

10:53Please relax. You are not at the agency. You're suddenly running across the road with the car. Sorry to interrupt, but I'm working in a model agency. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, yeah. And where do you think that the Spanish market is heading over the next few years? Oof, I don't know. We are a little bit afraid about artificial intelligence. Yeah, tell me. So I'm sure Maria Jose has had lots of ideas. A lot. Yeah. What are her ideas? A lot. Two years ago, Maria Jose has started to say, we have to think about this artificial intelligence because I think it's the future. Before this, it has, we have to eat the program.

11:35No, no, like this. And I say, well, if Maria Jose says so, For sure he's right. He's right. So what are you sort of doing around that? Are you using it? I think that we have to find the balance. We are in the very beginning, but it's going so fast. But I'm a little bit afraid of, because human beings, if we have the opportunity to do good or bad, we always choose bad. So we have to put laws and find the balance. because this is coming to stay with us forever and we have to do things properly. I'm a friend and not. I'm also fascinated because I love science fiction. So for me, it's wow, finally.

12:22Are you starting to get a client sending you contracts with AI clauses that you're having to... But here in Spain, we are associated to the AMAI, which is a Spanish agency model association. and we are meeting almost once a month. We are putting some rules in the contracts, in the order sheets, everything. Well, step by step. But they're being good, yeah, with that. I don't know what is the future, maybe, to make clones of the models, asking for all the image rights. We have to, you know, it's like a laboratory. You have to... I think we have to work together, don't we, on it, to try and work a way forward, the agencies.

13:05My heart is divided. Yeah.

13:13Tell me about Curvy Fashion Model, because you launched something, didn't you, in 2016? You know, on that time, girls are so shy to come to an agency with their no common sizes, okay? So we think, why don't we make like a super casting, And then with the finalists, we make a big presentation with clients, with photographers, with media. And that's the way we started with the Curvy Fashion Model, with the castings all around Spain. It was so hard because we have to continue working day by day. But for me, it was still super nice. And to travel to all the beautiful cities in Spain, obviously, the good food.

14:01and to meet these wonderful persons that come to the castings and finally this presentation. So is it like you have heats around each city and then you have a final? Yeah, then we choose from each city, some girls and boys, by the way, because we have also cute boys. Do you find it harder to find curved men? A lot. Yeah. Because if girls are shy, you can imagine, they always say, you know, because my friends will laugh and I say, well, And so, but, you know, boys are boys. Yeah, yeah. And then when we found, let's say, 12 boys and girls, we trained them. We shoot some tests, something that we can present to the world.

14:49And then we make this final. We did it in, well, in Barcelona, obviously Madrid, in Sevilla, in Valencia once. and is super excited and well, it's a hard work, but wow, it's worth it. I guess the models that were coming in are people that didn't think that they can be models, like they didn't have the confidence maybe. I have heard a lot of sad stories behind these girls. Okay. And you know, I think that human beings are so cruel, so cruel. No, for example, that you know this super, let's say, indie text group or mango, when these girls go with the rest of the friends and cannot dress as the other ones and and at the school that you know this kind of bad words and you know how excited is to say you are one of the finalists and your dream will come true even with your size that for me is a normal size yes yeah the word curvy I think can mean different things to different people you know there's lots of different, do you think labels like plus size, mid-size and in between are useful from a booking point of view or do you think they hold the industry back?

16:01It's useful for the people that we work in the industry because it's easy if you have to send a casting that the client say, I need cure for plus size, mid-size, regular size. For us, honestly, it's easy. But for the rest of the world, labels are not useful. I prefer to say I want this size or the other size and that's it. And my fight day by day is to explain to family, friends, blah, blah, blah, to the rest of the people that curve model is not a plus size. It's not necessary. It's the same word I described. It's more of a body shape. Exactly. For example, we Mediterranean women, 90 % we are curve models.

16:47Do you think we'll ever get to the point where models are simply models without having to categorise them? I hope so. I really hope so. But as I said, it's more easy for the castings to have these levels. Yes. So, yeah, to be able to categorise. Absolutely. Where do you think Spain is when it comes to body diversity now? We are very, you know, passionate and we are warriors and we like people that looks natural and, you know, the food is incredible. So we like to eat. So for us, a super skinny girl is not our thing. Not attractive. No, no. And do you think the market's genuinely changed or do you think clients are still sometimes ticking a box?

17:33I have my heart divided. Yeah. Yeah, sometimes I feel like it's moved on and then it goes back again. I have clients that truly believe in that. And when they call me for a casting, they choose the same portion of skinny girl that curbed the middle size. But there's the other ones that, you know, when you see, for example, on a show, there was 10 regular sizes, one curvy, one timeless. Come on. Yeah, yeah. Come on. This episode is brought to you by Digital Twinsets. Digital Twinsets provides professionally created digital asset packs of real models and actors for responsible AI-assisted production.

18:19Every Twinset represents a real person created with consent, approval and control over how their likeness is used. To find out more, head over to Instagram at Digital Twinsets. So can you talk us through the types of clients that Mia works with? we have everything and we search for it we have we work a lot with spanish brands but also we work internationally in fact i love international clients because they are less than spanish ones and it's not everything in that last minute that is in spain so fortunately we work with all around the world and we live in barcelona everyone wants to come to barcelona because we have everything.

19:03We have the sea, we have the mountains, we have beautiful buildings and new ones and we have everything and people from all around the world. So it's not necessary to go to a thousand countries to shoot because everything is here. Yeah, yeah. And you have a lot of international clients coming and shooting here. Yeah, yeah. And which are your strongest sectors, would you say? Well, I think that Spain is not a very fashion country. We are not Milano or Paris or New York. But still, we have good brands and we have wonderful locations. We are, you know, very friendly people and hard workers. So this is our thing.

19:43Yeah. Is it easy to shoot in Spain? It depends on the crew. Yeah. Okay. But I think it's not. Spain, as I said, everything is last minute, chaotic, improvisation to the power. So if you, for example, are from the north, German people or they go mad, cute in Spain. But we are like this. And at the end, when you finish, everything is perfect. We don't know how, but it all just falls into place. Yeah, it all works out in the end. Yeah. I think the job is a bit like that though, isn't it? It could be a bit chaotic. You have to have that mind where you're okay with that. You know, if you're somebody that wants to work through a list one by one thing every day.

20:25No. It's not for you, no. Any campaigns and projects that you're especially proud of? Talk me through some of those. Well, we are proud to say that we have the first curve model who shoot for the Victoria's Secret catalogue. That for me was incredible. Also, when we... Who was that? Lorena Duran. And how did that happen? Because, well, we started with Lorena when she was only 19. Now she's 33. and it was a hard work between me and her, step by step, believing in each other. And we have the help of a wonderful agency in New York who helped us a lot. And, well, everything comes out, like, naturally.

21:13And also we did L 'Oreal campaign and Intimisimi show. It was incredible. Good memories. You've worked with companies you have here like Mango, Zalando, Stradivarius, Pronovius. You've obviously got Zara here as well, haven't you? They don't use very curvy models, do they, Zara? Are they starting to? They have like a line like 10 years, no, more than 10 years ago called Violeta by Mango. Now, no, because as you say, no lovers at all. and Pronovias they have yes big sizes and Zalando as well all these clients. Woman's Secret and Oysio work a lot with in-between models which is perfect. Yeah. Because I think they are the few that work with size length Spanish size 38 40 42.

22:12Yeah real sizes. Real sizes. Yeah. Do you see more demand for older models like classic models as well here? Do you represent classic? Yeah. We are starting now with this fight. First the sizes, now the age, because I'm 53 and I'm recovering my models that now you know that kids are grew up and now they have more time. And I call them to say, listen, you won't believe it, but you have another opportunity. No, no, no. Yes, trust me. You have another opportunity. You are still so beautiful. you have you know class and style come with me again and well we are now starting with that but it's pretty good you're finding that spanish brands are definitely now asking for more you know relatable people so with your models like how important is social media following now do you think yeah when instagram start i was again i say okay models are not influencers but i have to close my mouth because Instagram at least gives us money.

23:16It's a good business. And you have also to teach the models to do a good content for the brands and the brands ask for this content as well. So I think it's another tool. We have the books, we have the polas, we have the video and we have Instagram. And I think, yeah, I think clients will go on and look on Instagram, won't they, before they book someone. So it's important that they look, you know, they need to be authentic but but not post anything silly or with the teenagers and feel all the time like a like if i have 100 sons and daughters know that listen be careful because a client can go through your instagram and they can see something that is not appropriate for the brand blah blah blah and you know it's but i post whatever i want well you have to be a little yeah clever and it's about educating them isn't it and they yeah yeah absolutely absolutely and and you know everything stays online forever now doesn't it so it's really difficult it's yeah it's difficult

24:22what kind of model tends to do well in spain the natural ones and the ones who are very you know smiling people because here we don't like divas at all sometimes i had in the past super beautiful models but here nothing because you know and when they enter to a room with this hello what's your name like this nothing spanish clients like professional ones but also someone i always tell to my mothers when sometimes when you arrive to to a shooting maybe the photographer is super nervous, the client doesn't like, I don't know, the stylist and everything is a chaos. Your job is to relax everyone, to say, I'm here, I do whatever you want, no problem.

25:09And this is also a mother's job if they are good. Yeah, yeah. And international models coming to Spain, what do they need to know? The cows. That, well, we don't have like a thousand castings per days, everything is last minute. For example, at Mia, we recommend to come with a direct booking and then tell to the model to stay for like a couple of weeks. Because they are more relaxed, because they have already the money, they have covered all the expenses. If castings come, okay. If not, they are in Barcelona and we have the beach. Yeah, they can have a nice time. Exactly. But do you get many in face-to-face castings now?

25:55I know in the UK, they kind of went with COVID. You know, they're still doing self-tapes. I'm saying 90 % of the castings are online, which is very useful because we can propose to the mothers from all around the world. Yeah, yeah. So it's better. But I always think for the new faces, it's harder, isn't it? If they're not comfortable doing self-tapes. I love, for example, Zoom or Google Meets that we can, you know, pause a little bit. No, no, you are closer more, you're one eye than the other one. No, don't do that with the hand. No, it's nice. This is the future.

26:32What do you look for when you're scouting a new face? Something beyond the beauty. And I say this from the bottom of my heart. And I feel it. So intuitive. Someone that has the mere stamp. You know what I mean? that they can go to a client and they can see something beyond this beauty. And for me, this is perfect. And we have only a few models, but that we trust in them. And clients know that we are excellent on this. We are famous for that, that our models, clients always call me after the shooting. I'm a proud mom. or your boy or your girl, so not only beautiful, but super intelligent and very polite and everything is so easy.

27:26Yeah. And do you develop someone, you know, who they might have the look, but they need experience and confidence? You know, this generation is a little bit fragile. Yes. I can perfectly understand because all these things of the social media and the future, they feel that they have no future and it's hard to hear that from young people. And if you're a good booker, you have to sit, even that you are tired, even that you have your own problems, because you are working with human beings, very young ones, very fragile ones, and you have to step by step try to educate them to face the no's. Yeah, and to understand how rejection works.

28:09Exactly, I always say. A model is one of my sentences. A model will get more no in one year than a normal person in that whole life. And you have to be prepared for that. And do you encourage them to finish their education? Absolutely. Because I grew up in a family that I'm the first woman of my family that went to school. Really? Yeah. Because, you know, we have here the civil war. And after that, it was so hard for Spain. so my mom and my dad and my grandmother you have to study you have to we cannot give you money for the future but you will have the best education in life and for me was everything so that's what I always say to my models modeling is fantastic but you have to know everything about the world and this is important and I'm proud to say that my models well I have a future doctors architects engineers.

29:07Yeah. Wow. It's important. It's really important. Important that they have something else as well, so that they're not putting everything on a job that is just about how they look. Exactly. I think it makes them much better and healthier. In the past, models can live only doing modeling, but not now. No. Maybe one or two, but the rest, they have to have a plan B. But now I think what is good that's different is they can model for years, can't they now? whereas their career used to be over by the time they were 30, whereas now it kind of just starts mid-20s for commercial. I have models of 70 years.

29:49How important are natural digitals? No. In Spain, sometimes if they have to choose between one model or another, it's because of the Polaroids. Mm-hmm. because everyone more or less looks nice in a book. And also the video presentation, how they talk, how they express, blah, blah, blah, this thing. So as I said, book, poll, and video at Instagram. These are the tools. And more important, really, than the portfolio. And what do you think, what mistakes do new models make when they're approaching agencies for the first time? To think that this is easy and they get bored very fast. I say always you have to do like 1 ,000 castings and maybe you won't get anything but you have to try you have to try you cannot call me at your third casting and say I'm sick of it because no this is your job because I think the only stories they hear are the ones where oh so and so got signed by her agency and then she worked the next day and got a big campaign I mean that's like one in a million Yeah, one in a million.

31:00Most working models don't work. You know, models, even models that have done well, you know, you hear them saying, but they worked for three years before they really got anything that was of note. We signed a contract for two years because it's what it takes more or less to start. Yeah, and they have to be available and they have to be, they have to get back to emails quickly and messages. And WhatsApps and well. Yeah, absolutely. And be ready to go. You have to love modeling. Yeah. Yes. Because it's not, it's exhausted. Yeah, absolutely. It's not easy to be a model. I always say that. But you, I mean, it's funny when people apply the pictures they send.

31:41Oh my God. Sunglasses or the backs of the head. In the bathroom. Yeah. With mom behind and strange places with no lights or with hands in front of the faces. I can see nothing. Or so much makeup, you can't tell what they look like. Well, we always say, please, can you send us something with no filters? I have no filters. Come on. Yeah, it's got FaceTune or something on the picture. Exactly. So what should a model send in if they want to apply to Mia? Natural pictures. One headshot, full body, and a little bit of introduction will be great for us with a little bit of information, name, age, CT measurements, and that's it.

32:29And with model well-being, you've spoken before about the pressures models face around their bodies. How do you protect them from that? It's difficult, but I say to my models, you have to be healthy, not because you are a model, because you have to be healthy. You have to eat well, do some sport and have a little peace of mind. And if you have this, you will probably success. If not, you will fail. Yeah. What responsibility do you think we have as agencies to sort of look after models' confidence and their mental health? We have to break the myth that the agencies are bad people. Yeah. Because we are not.

33:15Obviously, there's bad people in this. world of us. But trust me, I work with lovely people all around the world. I have models that unfortunately get sick, for example, with some, you know, big issues. And the booker from, that have placed a model in Germany or in UK, no problem, we will wear, people are so nice. Well, they are the other hands. But I think, for example, that TV series and films, well, they don't treat us very well. No, and I actually think it's not the agent. I think the agencies get all the stick about it. But actually, I agree with you. Every agency I know is lovely and takes it really seriously.

34:01Maybe that wasn't the case in the past, but I think it genuinely is now. Any complaint I hear, it's the client, actually. It's a client on set or someone that's on set. Yes, maybe as you said in the past, yes, there were some agencies that, well, but now the problem comes from the clients normally. Yeah. Or from the photographer sometimes or the stylist or the makeup artist. But, well, maybe I'm so lucky, but I have only a few problems through the years. But I also choose very well my clients. Yes, absolutely. I don't want to have problems. You only work with nice people. Yeah, yeah. Of course.

34:40Yeah. Have you ever had to push back on a client brief? No, because, well, I'm a very polite person and diplomatic person, but I'm really, you know, I say what I want to say. Yeah. But, you know, in a strong way, not losing my diplomacy. But when I have to call a client, trust me, also if I have to call a model. But fortunately, as I said, all my clients were very nice. Maybe one day everything, you know, someone was very nervous. Well, relax, everyone. Everyone can have a bad day. That's it. Yeah. You don't have to put, as we say in Spain, good to the fire. No. Peace. And yeah, we are not saving lives.

35:25We are shooting. Yes, that's what we say. We say, yeah, we're not saving lives. Just, yeah. Yeah, because I think, you know, booking can be a very stressful job. Yeah, it's very stressful. You know, you're taking a lot on. There's a lot going on. Jobs don't get confirmed till the last minute. You have options and yeah. And I think that Booker's position is not easy. You are in the middle of everyone. In the middle of the model, the client, your boss as well. Sometimes he's exhausted and you have your problems outside in your life. Only fun, well, me or not, but you know, are only les mothers that ask you when you call them, how are you, Marisol?

36:06How is your family? Are you okay? Only a few. Because they don't see the human behind the booker. Yeah. And that makes it really nice when you realize that they do. I love it. Yeah, you love those. Because I'm so sensitive. Yeah. Yeah. What do you think makes a good booker? Humanity. and passion and love what you do. If not, you can't stand in these crazy days with thousands of hours. Yeah, not a nine-to-five job. No, no, no. You have to absolutely love it. If not, give it up. And what do clients most value in an agency, do you think? Professionality, that you are fast, because the spending of people are so slow.

36:56But for example, Marina, my colleague and me, we are super fast and clients always say, you don't look like Spanish when I work with Germans. And to be honest, if something is wrong or there's a problem, always stay the truth and say, we have a problem, but don't worry. We will figure it out. Absolutely. Yeah. Rather than try to hide it. No, never. I agree. Well, yeah. It's the worst thing that you can do. What do you think is the part of the job that people outside the industry probably don't understand? That is a hard job because my family still don't know what I'm doing. What do your family think you do?

37:38That I'm crazy. Because my family is so classic. My brother is an engineer. And when I left everything behind, as I said, and say, listen, I'm starting to work for not very good money in a model agency, it was like, what? Yeah. But they say, okay. Okay, no problem. But you've had a great career. Yeah. And they are very happy. That you love. But they don't quite understand. I think people think it's glamorous as well, don't they? Yeah, people think we're out on shoots and traveling all the time. And meeting famous people. No. No. So we're just in the office organizing it all. How's booking changed since you first started?

38:23Well, among everything, the technology. Yeah. Did you have computers when you first went in? We only have one computer for three bookers. And I don't know if you remember that we have this kind of circle in the middle of the table with all the diaries. Exactly. And we have castings came through a fax. Yeah. Yes. And now everything is on the ground. And we had to write all the invoices and post them. And post cards and books and buy courier books around. We have a courier with a driver ready to send the books. And I remember when I started as assistant to call, like, I don't know, 1 ,000 million people to give the castings.

39:10And now it's super fast.

39:17What advice would you give models at the moment about protecting their image and understanding concerns? Find a good agency and a good booker that trusts in us because we know what we are doing. Do you think that the rise of AI could make real people and real stories and authentic representation more valuable? Of course, but not now. People are fascinated and clients are They will want to try. It's cheaper. They want to try it. But at least you will see. Yeah. You will see that we will find the balance. And also with Instagram, you know that I say, first, I hate Instagram. Now I love Instagram.

39:56Yeah. This balance. So what do you love most about your job? That every day is different. For good or for bad, you never know what is going to happen in your life. No. you are not worried at all never and what keeps you motivated my boys and girls yeah yeah they are super cute and you know i now i have only a few but it's like family and also with my boss and my colleague marina this uh don't lose the the feeling of to try to find something new for the industry or for ourselves. And this is really important for me. Yeah. And what's been your proudest moment since you've been at MIR? When we start to do the Curvy Fashion Model.

40:49Yeah. These castings, the finals, you know, hard work because we are a small agency with not a lot of money and at least everything went well. And this final with the bookers from all around the world and the clients and the models preparing. I don't know. I always look at my team and I say, I don't know how, but everything went well. And is there a model whose journey has particularly stayed with you? Yes, Lorena Duran. Yeah. Is she still with you? Not now, but because now she's, well, getting older and she has to try and other things. But we are still very close. last week in Madrid, I was with her shooting for El Coro de Inglés, you know, this big brand in Spain.

41:38All together, I mean, she's part of my life and part of my journey as a booker. When she finds another model, you have to go with Marisol to Mia. And that's so important and so valuable, isn't it? I think those referrals you get through word of mouth are just... And she say, you know, I'm sure that we will find on the road again. And I say, for sure. So what advice would you give to someone who wants to become a model booker? They have to forget about everything that they have learned before. Everything is chaotic and you have to, it's like a fireman, no? Do you have to keep the fire? And it's very difficult to split what we are doing.

42:23Very difficult. I mean, finally, what do you hope that the model agency or the modelling industry looks like in the future? I hope that for once in human history, we can find this balance between the artificial intelligence and also the human creative ones. We can still make some nice things and keep this passion. Because when you say that you are working in fashion, everything is not a real world. Well, it's art. For me, designers, they are artists. I think I worry more for, you know, the makeup artists and the stylists. Exactly, and the stylists. Yeah. They are artists. Yeah. So we have to respect all this kind of job.

43:14Marisol, thank you so much. No, on the contrary. Thanks to you. It was a pleasure. I had so much fun. That brings us to the end of another episode of The Business of Modelling. please subscribe share and leave us a review it really does help us reach more people who want to understand the many different sides to the modeling industry until next time i'm tessa and thank you for joining me on the business of modeling