Beka
Agencies
Mother Agency (MA): CIOTTI Models
Answers to Q&A
What INSPIRED you to become a model?
I wish I had a very inspirational story about always dreaming of becoming a model, but honestly, modeling found me pretty unexpectedly.
When I was still living in Uzbekistan, a few of my friends jokingly told me that I should try modeling. I thought, “Why not?” and started looking into it just out of curiosity. I found a modeling school, applied, got accepted, and trained there for about two months. The school also had its own modeling agency, and after I finished the program, they offered to keep me on as one of their models.
That’s when I started doing my first shows and shoots and actually learning how the industry works. What began almost as a joke slowly became something I genuinely enjoyed.
Later, I moved to Canada for university. After about four months here, I started wondering whether I could continue modeling in a completely new market, so I began applying to agencies while studying. Eventually, I received a few opportunities and chose the agency that felt like the best fit for me.
So somehow, a random suggestion from my friends turned into something I’ve now carried with me across two countries.
What are you most excited about when it comes to modeling?
Probably the unpredictability of it.
I like that you can walk into a shoot looking completely normal and, a few hours later, see a version of yourself that you would never have imagined on your own. Different clothes, lighting, styling, photographers and ideas can completely change the way you come across.
And I find the process itself funny sometimes, a pose can feel completely ridiculous while you’re doing it, and then you see the final photo and somehow it looks amazing.
That contrast is probably one of my favourite things about modelling. You get to experiment, meet creative people, and see how all these small and sometimes strange decisions eventually come together into one image.
Can you share with us some advice you have for models wanting to get into the industry?
I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that you can’t build your confidence around whether you get booked.
There will be periods when things are going really well, and there will be periods when you hear “no” again and again or hear nothing at all. It’s very easy during those moments to start thinking that you’re doing something wrong or that maybe you’re simply not good enough.
But this industry is extremely subjective. Sometimes rejection says very little about you and a lot about what someone happens to be looking for that day.
So my advice would be to keep moving even when you don’t feel particularly motivated or confident. Keep applying, keep learning, keep taking care of yourself and keep improving. You don’t have to feel like a winner every day to be making progress.
For me, consistency matters more than confidence. Confidence comes and goes. You just have to make sure you don’t disappear with it.
share a fun fact about yourself!
Before modeling, I somehow managed to collect a very random résumé.
I grew up in Uzbekistan and worked as a TV presenter, did journalism and media production, worked with marketing agencies, and hosted events before eventually moving to Canada.
So apparently I’ve spent a suspicious amount of my life either in front of a camera, behind one, or holding a microphone.
Maybe modeling was less unexpected than I thought.