For models and actors, understanding the financial side of a freelance career is just as important as understanding castings, bookings and contracts. In this episode, Robert Green and Ben Price from Green & Peter Accountants break down the areas of tax and accounting that talent often find confusing and explain why getting organised early can prevent much bigger problems later on.

The conversation starts with the basics of being self-employed as a model or actor, including when you may need to register with HMRC, completing a Self-Assessment tax return and keeping accurate records of income and expenses. Robert and Ben also address some of the misconceptions that can leave people unsure of their responsibilities or putting off dealing with their tax altogether.

They look closely at allowable expenses for models and actors, explaining why not everything spent on a career can automatically be claimed against tax. From agency commission and professional costs to expenses that may also have personal use, they discuss the importance of understanding what should be recorded and seeking advice when the position is unclear.

As a modelling career develops, finances can quickly become more complicated. Robert and Ben explore earning through several agencies, combining self-employed and PAYE income, VAT, sole trader and limited company structures, and the additional considerations that can arise when models work internationally and earn money in different countries. 

The episode also looks beyond the next tax return. From putting money aside when fees are paid to preparing for quieter periods and thinking about longer-term financial planning, Robert and Ben explain why models and talent should treat their career as a business and take an active role in understanding the money they earn. 

Above all, it is an important reminder that tax and finances should not be something models and actors only think about when there is a problem. Building good financial habits from the beginning can make managing a freelance career considerably clearer and less daunting.

www.businessofmodelling.co.uk

www.greenandpeter.co.uk

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Xenia Kontou joins us to discuss her journey through the modelling industry, from beginning as a model at 17 to moving behind the scenes and building her career as a scout, booker, manager and mother agent. 

She explains why modelling was not the right path for her personally, but how the experience helped lead her towards the agency side of the industry. Xenia reflects on the different skills required to recognise potential, develop new faces and represent models professionally to clients. 

The conversation explores the founding of Agencia Model Management in Athens and the realities of launching a model agency during Greece’s economic crisis. Xenia talks about the importance of understanding the market in which you work, rather than relying only on international trends, and why successful scouting requires knowledge of local clients, photographers and casting preferences. 

Xenia also shares her approach to developing Greek models for international careers. She explains the role of a mother agency, the importance of choosing the right markets for each individual and why models benefit from building interests, education and experience outside the modelling industry. 

She offers an honest view of the agent–model relationship, describing the many supportive roles an agent can play while emphasising the need for clear professional boundaries. Xenia also discusses fair rates, protecting where a model’s image is used and why accepting unpaid or underpaid work can affect the value of the wider modelling industry. 

www.businessofmodelling.co.uk 

www.agencia.gr/home/  

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Erwan Moreau joins us to discuss his journey through the modelling industry, from being introduced to the business through his family's restaurant in Barcelona and working as a model with Traffic to becoming Senior Agent at View Management.

Drawing on his own experience as a model, Erwan explains how the job helped him understand the pressure, uncertainty and emotional highs and lows models can face. He reflects on why empathy matters in agency work and why the relationship between a model and their agency should be a genuine partnership.

Erwan also talks about what model scouts look for when searching for new faces. From scouting through crowds at Barcelona music festivals including Primavera Sound and Sónar to recognising the rare “wow moment” when someone immediately stands out, he explains why successful modelling requires much more than simply being attractive. 

The conversation explores the rise of Spanish male models, the strength of Barcelona as a modelling market and the importance of travelling and gaining experience in different countries when building an international career. 

Erwan also offers an honest view of the difference between a model booker and a model agent. He talks about developing careers, making decisions alongside models, supporting their wellbeing and remembering that the agency works for the people it represents. 

www.businessofmodelling.co.uk 

www.viewmanagement.com

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Marisol Ochoa joins us to share her career behind the scenes of the modelling industry and her work as Head Booker and Scout at Miah Management in Barcelona. In this episode, she reflects on finding her way into model management, learning the business from the ground up, and the people who helped shape the way she works today. 

She talks about what it really takes to recognise potential, explaining the difference between someone beautiful and someone who can build a career as a model. Marisol also shares the responsibility that comes with representing people in such a competitive industry, particularly when models are young and facing regular rejection. 

The conversation explores Marisol’s role in helping to create more opportunities for curve models in Spain and how the market has gradually become more open to different sizes, backgrounds and forms of beauty. She discusses the need to move away from unnecessary labels, the importance of clients reflecting real people and why there is still more progress to be made. 

Marisol also offers an honest look at the relationship between models and their agents, from building trust and confidence to supporting wellbeing and making careful decisions about the direction of a career. 

www.businessofmodelling.co.uk 

www.miahmanagement.com 

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Marouso Tzaneti joins us to share her journey from being discovered in Greece at 16 years old to building an international modelling career. In this episode, she reflects on her first steps into the industry, adapting to different markets and the experiences that have shaped her both personally and professionally. 

She talks about navigating the reality of life as a model, from the excitement of new opportunities to the challenges that come with building a long-term career. Marouso also discusses balancing modelling alongside studying chemistry and the importance of education. 

This conversation also explores the changing role of social media in modelling, the pressure to build a personal brand, and why authenticity and personality are becoming increasingly important alongside the image. Marouso shares her advice for young models starting out, the importance of patience and resilience, and why having a wider perspective is so valuable in an unpredictable industry. 

A conversation about the person behind the images, the realities of international modelling and what it takes to build a career that lasts. 

www.businessofmodelling.co.uk 

https://agencia.gr/  

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Ellen Burton is an international beauty and fashion model whose career has taken her across major markets including Milan, Paris, LA and Australia. In this episode, she reflects on starting out as a teenager in Norfolk, the early experiences that helped build her confidence, and how a dramatic haircut became a turning point in her career. 

She talks about being introduced to top photographer Rankin, shooting for Hunger magazine, working on a Prada story, and how those opportunities helped open doors internationally. Ellen also discusses the different sides of modelling, including beauty, editorial and commercial work, and what it takes to adapt across markets, clients and creative teams. 

This conversation also touches on what she believes makes a good model, why ego has to be left at the door, the importance of trusting your agent, and how the industry continues to change with social media, longer model careers and the growing conversation around AI. 

www.businessofmodelling.co.uk 

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Dean Cleary Patterson is the founder of D1 Model Management, an agency that he launched in London in 2006 after working across in the industry in Glasgow, Miami, Paris and London. In this episode, he reflects on how his early love of fashion, his first agency roles and his time working with major agencies shaped the way he came to understand models, clients and business behind the industry. 

He talks about creating D1 with a clear identity, backing models who did not always fit the obvious mould and developing an eye for talent that was with instinct and market understanding. Dean also discusses diversity and representation in fashion, the changing role of casting directors, expanding D1 Model Management into New York and Los Angeles, and the responsibility agencies have when developing and supporting models. 

This conversation also touches on what he believes makes a model stand out and why respect, relationships and proper management are so important in this industry. 

www.businessofmodelling.co.uk 

www.d1models.com  

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Antony Fitzgerald is a classic model and the founder of New Silver Generation, a community he created to champion older models and talent, particularly older people of colour. In this episode, he reflects on coming into modelling at 50 years old, after earlier careers in PR and teaching and he speaks about his view of how the industry was shaped by his father and sister who had both modelled before him. 

He talks about the lack of visibility he noticed when he first started for older models of colour who did not fit a narrow commercial stereotype. Antony explains why New Silver Generation was created, not as an agency, but as a space to be seen in a more individual and expressive way. 

This conversation also looks at how older models are often boxed into limited roles, and why age should not be treated as a restriction in casting. Antony speaks about confidence, personal style, personality and life experience, and challenges the assumption that older talent should only be shown in quiet, grey or “grandparent” roles. He also discusses the importance of international visibility, how working in different markets helped shift how he was seen, and what agencies, brands and clients may be missing when they fail to look beyond age, statistics or stereotypes. 

www.businessofmodelling.co.uk 

www.newsilvergeneration.co.uk  

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Ines Celine Le Gousse is a model and journalist who writes about her realities of the modelling and fashion industry. In this episode, she reflects on her own experience as a model, from being scouted in London to working across Paris, Milan, Athens and London, and speaks honestly about what the job can involve beyond the image people often see from the outside. 

She talks through the pressures that can come with high fashion modelling, particularly around body standards, sample sizes and the lack of control models can feel when so much depends on being chosen. Ines also discusses the contrast between the public perception of modelling and the reality of the work, including the long hours, constant judgement and the impact this can have on confidence, health and self-image. 

Alongside this, Ines speaks about her move into journalism and why writing has become an important way for her to examine the industry with more distance and honesty. She reflects on the importance of education, support systems and having something outside modelling that gives models a sense of identity and worth beyond appearance. The conversation also looks at what still needs to change, the role agencies can play in supporting talent, and why models should be treated as people first, not just as part of the final image. 

www.businessofmodelling.co.uk

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Jody Furlong is the founder of The Eye Casting, working across fashion, advertising and commercial campaigns, with a focus on casting that feels current and grounded in relatable people. In this episode, he reflects on how he built his career in casting - from early work in the industry to establishing an agency and developing a clear approach to finding the right talent for each brief. 

He talks through what casting involves day to day, from interpreting briefs to managing clients’ expectations, and explains why understanding what a brand is really asking for is often more important than what is written down. He also shares the realities behind casting decisions, the challenges that can come with unclear direction, and the importance of communication, organisation and experience in delivering a job properly. 

Alongside this, Jody discusses how the industry has evolved over time, including the shift towards more inclusive and real people casting, changes in how briefs are written, and the growing need to balance creative ideas with what is achievable in practice. He reflects on working closely with agents and production teams, the pressures of delivering at pace, and why getting the right fit remains central to any successful campaign. 

www.businessofmodelling.co.uk 

www.theeyecasting.co.uk  

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