We were lucky to catch up with Tara Rasheta recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Tara, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Entering the modeling industry can be daunting for aspiring models and talent. I met my business partner, Cristina Buehrer, at an audition in Beverly Hills, CA in 2009. We had both worked as professional models and tv hosts for a few years and were constantly fielding questions from other people about how to break into the business. Over a plate of pasta in Santa Monica, we brainstormed our business idea, and Model Makers Group was officially formed.

We created a pathway for models and actors to enter the industry safely. Through our expertise, industry connections, and mentorship, we’ve been placing our clients with reputable agencies for the past 16 years. It’s fulfilling to watch our signed clients go on to book exciting gigs, experience personal and professional growth, and take on unique opportunities within the entertainment and fashion industries. We work with models and actors of all ages and experience levels across the country. I am now based in Dallas, TX, and Cristina is based in Providence, RI.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Cristina and I both started modeling in our early teen years. We didn’t have the roadmap that we now provide to our clientele, so there was a lot of trial and error along the way. We aim to provide a more seamless entry into the industry for our models and actors. Getting signed to a reputable agency is the best way for a model or actor to expand their opportunities, which is precisely why we specialize in agency placement. We first work on developing our clients’ skills like runway walking, commercial acting, and self-taping technique. We also review our clients’ imagery and assist them in building their portfolios. Once we have positioned our clients from a point of strength, we move into the application phase. We only guide our models and actors toward professional agencies. Once we have reviewed contracts and our client is successfully placed, then we enter an ongoing support phase. We love to continue to be a part of our clients’ journeys, and we want them to continue to feel supported and encouraged along the way. We work with models in person at our Dallas and Providence offices, as well as over Zoom meetings with out-of-town talent.

Have you ever had to pivot?

For many years, we only worked one-on-one with our models and actors. Before 2020, it was much easier for us to get our talent right in front of our agency partners for in-person interviews or open calls. In a post-COVID industry, things have certainly shifted. We have experienced that while agents must always be scouting new talent, they like to attend group agency interview events, which helps make their scouting processes more efficient. We still love working with our clients in the traditional consulting and application capacity, but we now also take models to agency events across the country in markets like NY, LA, Miami, Chicago, Atlanta, and here in Dallas. We even make a yearly trip to Paris for our high fashion models to meet with agents from European and Asian markets. These agency interview events have proven successful for our models and actors. At the end of the day, nothing beats an upfront, in-person agency interview.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In 2018, I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of thirty-five. It was a devastating diagnosis, and it also changed the way that I viewed beauty as my body changed with the disease. My model and actor clients were incredibly supportive to me during my darkest days and as I was wrapping up my treatment, I was compelled to find a way to pay forward the kindness that was shown to me.

As you might imagine, the modeling industry is very focused on outward appearances, but Cristina and I have always known that it takes much more than good looks to thrive in this business. We have always tried to instill the value of hard work within our clientele. When I founded A Model Patient 501c3 in 2019, it not only served the cancer patients who receive the care packages we ship out, but it also provided a platform from which our models could use their beauty and voices for a higher purpose. Together, with the support and vision of award-winning Dallas photographer, Radz Daswani, we created a movement called Model with a Purpose. We host events that blend our modeling business with our charity each year. It allows our models to use their beauty for something bigger and has also made our company stronger.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.modelmakersgroup.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modelmakersgroup/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/modelmakersgroup/
• Other: https://learnmore.modelmakersgroup.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaf_JjoyX2WFRilJA512zPW5occEiLVvOZmtEDvMqPjTLvi5PN5yqNExCghnTw_aem_jXfPmCHFOsf20pEU2G1Q9w

Image Credits

Jeff Simbro
Allison Faunce
Radz Daswani