It's not easy to recognise Cara Grogan when she's taking time out from modelling to clock-in at her newly opened juice bar, Genie Concepts. You could easily mistake the petite beauty for a waitress. Wrapped in a black dress, matching apron and flat ankle boots, her hair neatly tied-up, Grogan works diligently behind the bar with her business partner Melanie White.
'Guys, we have to finish this quickly. I'm literally doing everything at the moment,' she says to us then turning to White, who's making a batch of 'sweet dreams' - cashew, cacao and cinnamon milk - 'Wait, did you put honey in that milk?' Grogan keeps a keen eye on the bar during the interview.
Since the model launched her detox cleansing juice bar last month, she's been hands-on in all aspects of the business. 'I wake up at seven, walk my dog and I get here before the work kicks in. It's madness in the kitchen all day long and I have to glam up for modelling jobs in the evening. We did a fashion shoot last night at 10pm,' she says.
As hectic as it is, Grogan is thrilled to have her own business. 'I'm still quite new to modelling, but I know it's not forever. Working as a stylist, a TV host, or an actress might be an easier transition to a different career. But I'm looking for something more stable,' she says.
She went into the juice business because she's a fan of detox cleanses and couldn't find a juice bar in the city that provided that kind of service. Her clients go on a fast, taking only house recipe juices for one to five days, all prepared and delivered to their door by Grogan and White.
Grogan isn't the only model using her celebrity status as the foundation for an enterprise. The past few months have seen a veritable constellation of stars launching their own companies.
Singer and party regular Adrienne Lau paired up with models-cum-socialites sisters Jacqueline, Lisa and Mona Ch'ng to start a fashion boutique on Hollywood Road called Tinseltown. Model and TV host Lisa Selesner launched her web-based beauty and styling company, Glamabox, in November, while model couple Jocelyn Luko and her hubby Anthony Sandstrom launched their integrated health and vitality centre, Life Clinic, in September.