Cleo Rocos: 'I went on Big Brother to pay my tax bill' Do you remember your first paid job? When I was 13 and attending stage school, I did a voice-over for an advert. I'm not sure what the product was, it just involved a chocolate bar and a squirrel running up a tree. I can't remember how much I got paid, but do recall the magical warm feeling inside when I opened the envelope and removed my first pay cheque. As a teenager, weren't you a professional skateboarder? Yes, when I was about 13. Growing up in the US meant I used to skateboard a lot. But when I came to England, it was still in its infancy. I could do all the tricks and subsequently joined a team in London called The Alley Cats. We competed at competitions and were paid lots of money, around £500 per session. One thing I'll never forget is that before each competition the manager sent me and two other girls to a branch of Vidal Sassoon for a haircut - he wanted us looking glamorous for the competition. Are you interested in pensions? No, partly because my business is so unpredictable that I don't want a rigid saving plan where I'm paying out a certain amount each month. Plus, you hear of so many people with personal pensions which are performing poorly that there doesn't seem much incentive at the moment to use them. What about shares? They're not for me either, because I like keeping things tangible. It suits my life and is the way I prefer to work. How do you invest? Any spare money is invested into my business, of which I'm the sole owner. Property is a good method of investing and one of my goals is to buy a large estate with a huge old, stone-built property in Majorca. Currently, I rent a lovely two-bedroom flat in London with my mother. It overlooks the Thames, close to the Canary Wharf tower. If you close your eyes and listen to the sound of the water with boats sailing by, it's as if you're by the sea. I love living here and don't intend moving any time soon. Has there been any point when you were worried about money? In 2007 I accepted the chance to join Celebrity Big Brother to pay that year's tax bill. I was furious with myself for having to go on it, but ultimately I enjoyed the experience. When you're working freelance and creating your own business opportunities, you have to accept there will be ups and downs - that's part of life. Did you get pocket money as a child? I'm not sure how much I started on but by 10 it was around 25p a week; in those days, money seemed to go further. Among the first things I bought was a bottle of Opies Maraschino cocktail cherries. I regarded myself as terribly sophisticated and must have been expecting lots of parties at home! What has been your best financial decision? Setting up my tequila company. And the best thing I've bought is the firm's trademark in 2011. It would have cost around £2,000 if I'd hired a trademark lawyer to do the job so I did it myself online for £300. I'd suffered the same negative experience as most people in terms of tequila. Cheap versions are marketed to drink quickly with lime and salt, but that's purely to take the horrible taste away. I wasn't going to go near the drink again until I tried a good-quality version, made entirely from agave (the plant used to make tequila). Then I had the idea of making high-quality tequila at an affordable price. I spoke to tequila makers in Guadalajara, travelled to Mexico and worked with a master blender before starting my company; I spent 10 months creating AquaRiva. The biggest breakthrough for my business was Virgin Atlantic taking it into their Clubhouses [first-class departure lounges]. Now it's stocked in Harvey Nichols, Sainsbury's and Waitrose. The supermarkets sell my Reposado, one of three profiles I produce, for £23 a bottle. It's starting to become lucrative (I'm expanding into the US and China), but, as I say, any profits are ploughed straight back into the company. It's an exciting time. What's been your worst financial decision? Co-producing the West End theatre show The Seven-Year Itch at the Queen's Theatre. It cost a lot on all levels, especially in time, which, of course, is ultimately money. It's not something I'd do again lightly. How do you prefer to pay: card, cash or cheque? Cash, if possible, but usually by Visa. Not only do you have a certain amount of protection but receiving a statement each month is useful when controlling your finances. I keep saying I should get an Amex card to build up air miles, especially as I travel a lot for business. How do you tip? I'm always appreciative of people's efforts and tip accordingly, usually 10pc-15pc. Do you bank online? Yes, it's necessary because I haven't got time to keep popping to my local branch. It's easier running my business that way, especially when dealing internationally. I bank with HSBC and appreciate its worldwide presence. Whenever I visit Guadalajara, Mexico, where the tequila is made, I venture out to villages in the middle of nowhere but still find a HSBC in the high street. It's always been a good bank to me. Do you worry about online security? A bit. I feel as confident as I can about it. Besides, the things that worry me are disasters like Fukushima and radiation leaking into the Pacific. I can't worry about things like online security until I have to. That's not being flippant, though, because I'm aware of the dangers and have nearly been the victim of online fraud twice. Once, the card company phoned asking if I was trying to buy a motor engine in Manchester. Fortunately, they were quick to alert me to the danger and the matter was resolved. What has been your most extravagant purchase? It's an ongoing extravagance which I thoroughly enjoy and that's my monthly visits to the Richard Ward hair salon in London's Duke of York Square. I can't say how much I spend, but they have an incredible array of VIP clients, all beauty treatments and even a divine bar; it's like going on a mini-holiday and I absolutely love it. Do you use a financial adviser? Having four brothers, all working in finance, means I take their advice. If I can't get hold of them, I'll turn to my great friend Emma Sinclair. She owns Target Parking and has become a great success and inspiration. There are a lot of things I couldn't have achieved in my professional life without her help and support. Is there anything you don't like about money? When I don't have enough of it! Saying that, I was brought up not to get obsessed by it. It was also a time when any conversation about money, including discussing what each other earned, was considered rude. Cleo's latest book, 'The Power of Positive Drinking', is published by Square Peg. For further information about Cleo and AquaRiva visit cleorocos.com