From Model To Role Model

Taryn Williams first made a name for herself as a model, beginning her career at the tender age of 15. Whether it was because of this early taste of professional success, or she was always destined to triumph in her career, it was only a few years later that Williams began to establish herself as a disruptive entrepreneurial icon in the talent industry and beyond.

At the age of 21, Williams turned her sights to the business side of the talent industry, impressively setting up her own modelling agency. Wink Models was inherently contemporary in its approach, focusing on quality and fair play for models, a testament to Williams’ desire to affect positive change.

And yet, despite her evident success and goodwill, Williams experienced time and time again that she was not being taken seriously by her industry peers. It’s up for debate whether this can be put down to her being young, female, or a model – or perhaps a young, female model – but WINK’s credibility was scarcely attributed to the Williams’ sharp business acumen, determination to succeed or killer instinct.

Williams made a quick decision to take control of her business narrative and let her voice be heard above the speculative noise, an act that gave her the confidence to grow her modelling agency and branch out with her second venture, The Right Fit. Disrupting the talent industry with her innovative digital marketplace, which connects creative talent directly with clients, Williams solidified her status as an entrepreneurial force to be reckoned with, silencing the doubters once and for all.

Today, the 31-year-old is a multi-millionaire, remains CEO of both companies, and is widely recognised as an influential figure in the talent, business and tech spaces. Williams has won a host of accolades, such as the B&T VIM Tech Award 2017, and a place on prestigious boards, including that of the Digital + Technology Collective.

Despite frustrations felt in her early career and speculations around her story of business success, Williams persisted with her plan to disrupt the modelling world until she was in a such a powerful position she could tell the story herself.