Notes on being a mother agent, with Christopher Massardo

Have you ever asked yourself, ‘What do you think people assume your job involves?’ Of course, it doesn’t matter what people think of us and what we do, but for the sake of honesty, we’ve all asked ourselves the same thing. Those questions come up a lot in fashion, modeling, and agency work, and people outside the industry make up their minds quickly. The bed is often made early, without checking whether the sheets are clean or dirty, or considering who’s left under the covers. Because of that, we ask:

Are we really that bad? What will people think if I repost the H&M campaign I worked on? Why don’t people care to know what I really do?

Christopher Massardo has been a mother agent since 2017 and has done a great deal of work. His base is Toronto, but he manages models from around the globe. He began in fashion 15 years ago, in his early 20s, while studying library science. One day, he met an editor at a social function. They got along, talked about fashion, and by the end of the conversation, the editor asked him to write for him. Massardo thought he was joking, but a week later, the editor followed up. Massardo started writing about fashion, then moved into styling and creating editorials. Some years later, he opened a print publication that circulated for four years. As he approached 30, he left the magazine behind, yearning for more security, something long-term. 

“I figured that over the years, the common denominator of my work was the models. I enjoyed working with them, getting to know the talent and watching their careers grow. It was something fascinating to me.”

Soon, Massardo returned to assisting roles, this time with different casting directors in Canada. After building his reputation in the industry, he became a mother agent. Starting in late 2017, he had about five models on his roster. Now, including those in development, he has 32.

“But you didn’t work as a booker?” I asked.

“No,” he said, “I went straight to being a mother agent. I’m hitting eight years at the end of 2025, but I know I’m still very new to the game.” That said, he now works with some of the people he used to watch on America’s Next Top Model and Canada’s Next Top Model. “I grew up in a small town, and that was really one of my only accesses to that world. I genuinely looked up to them, and to work alongside them is very surreal.”

Building his place as a mother agent took time. Contacts and expertees are essential in the business, and his involvement with fashion magazines gave him strong working relationships with people on creative teams, especially photographers. “When you're developing models, having access to good photographers is very important. Some of them are still shooting my models to this day. Trust definitely comes into play because I can assure my models that I know the people they are working with.”

“This is a community,” he emphasizes, “and the more we treat ourselves like a community and work together, the better our industry is going to become.”

Assurances are essential and happen often. “On Sunday, one of my models asked me, ‘How well do you know this photographer?’ and I explained how I had known them for 15 years. That was all they needed to hear — they knew they were in good hands. Within minutes, I could see them relax.”  Massardo believes trust and communication are the biggest parts of the job. Without them? “The model struggles to succeed, and you have a hard time helping their career,” he says firmly.

Trust and communication aren’t just between model and agent—having a strong booking team is just as crucial. “An agency is only as strong as its booking team. A good booker who believes in you and your model can take them far. There are no guarantees in this industry, but if a booker is hustling and getting your model in front of the right people, whether the answer is yes or no, that’s their job.”

And after that? 

“Then it’s really up to the model.”

When a mother agent and a model work together, they do so as a team. Once the agent gets the model to a certain level, they feel the same excitement. “I get a rush off of it. That’s what makes this job exciting — seeing your models walk for Comme des Garçons, Dior, or Armani, or even just when they can walk.” The proudest moments don’t require a billboard, as he has full confidence in the people he sends to castings. 

“As long as they are ready.” 

For Massardo, readiness means more than just showing up. Sometimes, it takes months of preparation. It’s about truly wanting the job and being prepared physically (skin, smile, hair), having an organized book, and walking into a room presenting the right energy. The best models aren’t just ‘models’ — they need depth, adaptability, and presence, because even walking into a room with the right energy matters. “Shyness can be a career killer,” says Massardo. “You have to be memorable. You don't have your agents there selling you in person, so you have to walk in there — often alone — possibly after waiting in line with 80 other girls, and then do it.” Many of Massardo’s models have diverse talents — dentists, dancers, tattoo artists, actors, and environmental advocates.

This balance, he feels, creates the best models. “A healthy model is a happy model,” he says. “And if a model needs to adjust their measurements for a specific season, it must be done in a sustainable, healthy way to ensure long-term success. Sustainability in health is crucial. Models need to approach their bodies responsibly because if they push themselves too hard, they won’t want to continue in the industry”.

Ensuring his models remain healthy requires patience and creating an environment of patience. Fashion is fast-paced, but there is also a lot of waiting. Massardo wants his models to be level-headed and professional as “one day, you’re rushing to castings, then waiting weeks for a response.” Social media plays a role in a model’s professionalism, but also helps clients understand a model’s versatility. “I had a male model whose agency presented him in a high-fashion way, but his Instagram showcased his natural smile and charisma. A casting director booked him specifically because of that, proving that social media can sometimes reveal what agencies overlook. I took that feedback straight to his agency, pushing for more variety in his portfolio. Even one or two candid shots can make a difference.”

Success in modeling takes time, and even top models don’t book every job. Those who treat it as a long-term business rather than a get-rich-quick scheme set themselves up for real careers. And these new models, what do they do? I ask. Massardo immediately responds, “They listen. They understand the process. They have patience. I'm lucky that I have a lot of models on my roster who get it.” Some of his original models from 2017 are still with him and are working. 

“That says a lot,” I say.

“It makes sense,” he says. “A model won’t stick around if they are not happy with their agent.”

True — there's a big enough pool to swim into another lane.

“And even in Canada, where we have a strong reputation for being polite, hardworking, and level-headed, models still need to be reminded to be professional, focused, reliable, and ready. They can explore and enjoy their time abroad, but ultimately, they are there to work.”

Massardo encourages his models to be outgoing and present since Canadians, especially those from small towns, can be reserved. City-raised models may adapt more easily, but those from quieter backgrounds often need to push themselves to stand out in larger markets. Social media, despite its downsides, has helped models by giving them a space to showcase not just their work but also their personalities and interests. They are human, after all. 

“And if they don’t get the gig, is it a big deal for you?”

“Of course not. I have heard about mother agents that, hearing their model doesn't book certain shows at Fashion Week, get on the phone and basically give them shit for it. And it's like, but did they go to the casting? Did they do their best? Did they do everything they could? If the answer is yes, there's nothing else they can do. No agent, no matter how big or small the agency is, can force a designer to book a model. We can pitch to them, promote them, and hype them up as much as we can. But at the end of the day, the casting director, the designer, the client — they're going to pick who they want.”

He sees the ‘annoying’ part of the agent as something done for their due diligence. “I don’t know if it’s me being old-fashioned,” he noted, but sometimes, being ‘annoying’ is part of the job. “If you make someone else's job easier, they will remember you in a positive way.”

Mother agents do a huge amount of work, from scouting and developing talent to educating models about how things work and how to book jobs.  Yet their role often goes unrecognized. “It’s a tough job, but so is modeling—imagine being 20, dropped in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, and expected to navigate castings while looking flawless.”

Massardo has always been comfortable with models. “I like taking somebody who is brand new and has never done this in their life and then within a year they're off working in an international market and kicking ass. That's what I love, and I get such a thrill and a joy out of that because for some of the people who are coming into this industry, this is genuinely their dream, so to watch somebody go and be able to realize their dream into something real and tangible? That doesn't compare to much.

“That's the easiest way to kind of sum things up,” he reflects. “I genuinely love my job: I enjoy the models I work with and I'm trying to not just bring good models into the industry, but bring in good human beings.