Episode 62

This week, Tessa is joined by Marisol Ochoa, Head Booker and Scout at Miah Management in Barcelona, to hear about her career behind the scenes of the modelling industry and the experience she has built working closely with models over many years. 

Marisol shares what goes into scouting and developing talent, from recognising that special quality in a new face to helping models navigate rejection, pressure and the uncertainty that can come with the job. She also talks about the responsibility agents have when supporting young people and why trust, honesty and understanding matter so much. 

The conversation explores representation within the industry, including the progress made for curve models in Spain and the need to create space for a wider range of people, sizes and forms of beauty. Marisol also shares her thoughts on what makes a strong agent, how the relationship between models and bookers has changed, and what still needs to improve. 

Marisol Ochoa on Scouting Talent, Supporting Models and Creating More Opportunities in the Industry 

Interview by Tessa Dewing for The Business of Modelling Podcast 

Marisol Ochoa is Head Booker and Scout at Miah Management in Barcelona, with more than 25 years of experience working in the modelling industry. Over the course of her career, she has helped discover, develop and guide models across different stages of their careers, while also playing an important part in creating more opportunities for curve models within the Spanish market. 

In this episode, Marisol shares how she found her way into model management, what she looks for when scouting new talent and the responsibility that comes with supporting people through the uncertainty and rejection that can be part of the job. She also talks about representation, education, age within the industry and why a good agent needs to understand the person behind the portfolio. 

Starting Out 

Marisol’s route into the modelling industry was unexpected. Before becoming a booker, she had studied tourism and worked in a very different professional environment. Her introduction to model management came through a friend, who arranged for her to meet a head booker and agency director looking for an assistant. 

“I didn’t know at that time what a head booker was,” she explains. “They were looking for an assistant to the booker, and I said, ‘Why not? Let’s try.’” 

Starting from the beginning, Marisol learned how to create portfolios, choose the right photographs, communicate with clients and understand how an agency works behind the scenes. She describes those early years as challenging but exciting, and credits one of her first mentors, Alicia Marín, with helping shape both her career and the way she treats people. “She showed me everything, step by step, like a mum, and not only about the industry, but also how to be a good person in this crazy world of ours.” 

After spending 12 years at La Agencia, Marisol later joined Miah Management, where she saw the opportunity to help build and develop the agency further.“I saw the potential immediately,” she says. “Everything was to build. Again, it was a challenge for me, and I love that.” 

Scouting More Than Beauty 

A large part of Marisol’s role is scouting new talent, but she is clear that appearance alone is never enough. “When I’m scouting a new face, I look for something beyond beauty,” she explains. 

For Marisol, a successful model needs personality, professionalism, intelligence and the ability to connect with people. A model may have a strong look, but they also need to understand how to behave on set, respond to direction and contribute positively to the working environment. 

She explains that clients often contact her after shoots to comment not only on how a model looked, but on how easy and enjoyable they were to work with. “I’m like a proud mum when they tell me the model was not only beautiful, but intelligent, polite and made everything easy.” 

Marisol believes that a model’s attitude can make a real difference, especially on difficult or high-pressure shoots. The job is not only about appearing in front of the camera, but also about staying calm, being adaptable and helping the wider team get the result they need. 

Creating More Opportunities 

The conversation also explores Marisol’s work in helping to open up opportunities for curve models in Spain. Earlier in her career, she had tried to develop a plus-size division, but at the time the market was not ready. 

When she joined Miah, the agency recognised that attitudes were beginning to change and made the decision to build a board that reflected a broader range of sizes. “She said, ‘Something is changing in the market. Believe me, this is the future. Trust me, we have to start this.’ And it was like that.” 

Marisol reflects on how limited the industry once was, with a very narrow idea of what a model should look like. Over time, she has seen fashion and commercial clients begin to embrace a wider range of people, sizes, ages and backgrounds. 

“I never dreamed when I started 26 years ago that this time in fashion would arrive, when fashion embraces everything,” she says. However, she also acknowledges that some of this change happened because brands began to recognise the commercial value of representing real customers more accurately. “They saw the money behind it,” she says. “Clients also started listening to women who were saying, ‘Enough is enough.’” 

Moving Beyond Labels 

Marisol also discusses the language used within the industry, including terms such as curve, plus-size and mid-size. She understands why agencies and clients sometimes use these categories when communicating a specific casting brief, but she does not believe labels should define the person. 

“For those of us working in the industry, it can be useful because it makes casting easier,” she explains. “But for the rest of the world, labels are not useful. I prefer to say, ‘I want this size or that size,’ and that’s it.” 

For Marisol, the goal is to reach a point where talent can simply be treated as models, without their size becoming the most important part of how they are presented. 

Supporting Models Through Rejection 

One of the strongest themes in the episode is the emotional responsibility of being a booker. Marisol talks honestly about how frequently models hear no, often for reasons that have very little to do with their ability. A client may be searching for a very particular look, age, size or energy, but repeated rejection can still have a lasting effect. 

“A model will get more ‘nos’ in one year than a normal person will get in their whole life, and you have to be prepared for that.” She believes a good booker needs to take the time to explain these decisions and help models understand that rejection should not always be taken personally. 

“If you are a good booker, you have to sit with them, even when you are tired and have your own problems, because you are working with human beings, very young ones and very fragile ones.” For Marisol, model management is not simply about filling jobs. It is about building trust, understanding each person and knowing when they need encouragement, honesty or a change in direction. 

Education and a Wider Perspective 

Education is another subject Marisol feels strongly about. She explains that she was the first woman in her family to attend school and that her family placed great importance on learning and independence. 

“They told me, ‘We cannot give you money for the future, but you will have the best education in life.’ For me, that was everything.” She now encourages the models she works with to continue studying and develop interests outside the industry. “Modelling is fantastic, but you have to know everything about the world,” she says. 

Marisol is proud that some of the models represented by Miah are also studying to become doctors, engineers and architects. She believes that having another focus can help models maintain perspective in an industry where work can be unpredictable. “In the past, models could live only by modelling, but not now. Maybe one or two can, but they have to have a Plan B.” 

Age and Career Longevity 

After helping push for greater size representation, Marisol says the next challenge is creating more opportunities for older models. “We are starting now with this fight. First the sizes, now the age.” 

She talks about reconnecting with models she represented earlier in their careers and encouraging them to return to the industry. Some had stepped away to raise families or pursue other parts of their lives, but now have the chance to work again. “I call them and say, ‘You won’t believe it, but you have another opportunity. You are still so beautiful. You have class and style. Come with me again.’” 

What Comes Through 

What comes through clearly in this conversation is Marisol’s care for the people she represents and her belief that model management is built on trust, patience and responsibility. 

Her career has involved much more than scouting faces or securing bookings. It has been about recognising potential, helping people build confidence and creating opportunities where the industry may not have offered them before. 

Marisol’s story offers an honest look at the work that happens behind the scenes of a model agency and the difference a thoughtful, experienced booker can make to someone’s career.