The Sculp Agency Targets Talent

If you’re “attractive, but not distractingly attractive,” Kelsey Winchester might have just the job for you.

Winchester, most recently director of market insights and product strategy at Acumen Holdings, recently launched The Sculp Agency along with veteran commercial photographer Dero Sanford of Little Rock. Winchester, who attended the same North Little Rock church as Sanford before moving to Fayetteville, has been helping him find models for commercial shoots in the area for about a year.

“It got to be so frequent that we said, ‘We should just start an agency,’” Winchester said.

The two have been working on the launch of TSA since May, and have produced work for clients like ABC Financial and Arvest Bank. Winchester only recently left Acumen to work full time at TSA, however, and currently is leading the charge to build a talent roster.

Less than a month after officially opening, Winchester said TSA’s roster stands at “a very picky 54.”

“It’s not just about signing people that are pretty,” she added, “but finding people that fill a particular need.”

Sanford has worked for companies like Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Sodexo and UPS, but said it’s become increasingly hard to find local talent for in-state clients. Thus, he and Winchester formed TSA with an eye on stocking it with talent, offering free training seminars and eventually landing larger clients like Wal-Mart and Dillard’s Inc.

Sanford and Winchester also want to streamline the process of matching clients with models. While prospective models submit photos and other information online, TSA also offers prospective clients searchable filters that narrow the field to the desired demographics.

Winchester said TSA will keep about 20 percent of the models’ fees. A common rate for models, she said, is about $120 an hour.