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00:00Hello, hello. Welcome. How's the day been? Good? It's about to get better.
00:09Hi, everyone. I am Liz. I am the Chief of Staff and Strategy at Kensington Gray.
00:14I'm only about five months in, so working at the agency has been a privilege over the last five
00:19months, but I've been in the industry about 20 years, so I'm really excited to bring my
00:24experience to Kensington Gray and talk through the panel. So I'll have the panelists introduce
00:28themselves. Hi, everyone. My name is Nicole. I'm one of the directors here at Kensington Gray.
00:35I have been at the agency for five years, so I've been able to see it grow.
00:42Hi, everyone. My name is Shay Nicole. I'm a former high school counselor turned full-time content
00:47creator. I'm based in Houston, but I'm originally from Virginia, and I'm so excited to be here
00:51to talk to you all today. Hi, guys. My name is Natasha Mathlin. I'm based in Toronto. I went
00:57to school, but then I decided to be a creator. I have a nursing degree, a biomedical degree,
01:02so she's a woman in STEM, but loves her creative side.
01:06How are you guys doing? Let's pick up the energy a little bit, please. How are you feeling?
01:11Are you feeling good? Well, I'm Erin, everyone. Erin Garns is my name. I'm the Esperanza Maria
01:16on social media, but that might change soon. We'll see. We're talking about a rebrand here.
01:21I've been in the creative space for about 10 years. I focus on lifestyle, fashion, beauty,
01:27travel, and LGBTQA advocacy content. So yeah, I'm happy to be here. I'm super excited. I'm
01:33from the DMV, and I'm Pisces gang. I heard a little Pisces slander somewhere. Where was
01:37that? Hi. Love you. February 19th. Yeah. Yeah. I'm a February Pisces. February Pisces gang.
01:46But yeah, happy to be here. Yes. Love it. Amazing. So we have a packed agenda. We will
01:56go through some of the questions, but I know there's time for Q&A as well. So we'll spend
01:59some time going and jumping right into it. So I'll start with Nicole and getting into the
02:03agency side of things. Beyond follower count, what makes a creator stand out to you and the
02:09kinds of people? Yeah, I think there's definitely multiple things that we look at, obviously,
02:15but the top three that always comes to mind when I ask this question. First of all, all
02:20the quality of content. I think that's obvious, but just beyond like, yes, the videography and
02:25photography, but also quality of content in context of the industry right now. So like
02:30if I go to your page and it's still giving 20, 15 vibes, what's happening? So that's definitely
02:38something we look at. Also X factor. So as we know, there are many creators, new creators
02:45all the time. It's an ever growing industry, but what makes you not necessarily irreplaceable,
02:50but hard to replicate. So from a marketing perspective, when we're pitching and all of those
02:56things to different brands, we want to be able to go in strong and say, you know, there's
03:00no one else like Aaron, there's no one else like Natasha, et cetera. So that's something
03:04we look for as well. Um, and then thirdly, which I hold, I want to say to the highest
03:10value. Um, it's value proposition. So what is your audience going to get from you? And
03:18that could be something like education. So you are providing tutorials for makeup tips
03:22and people are learning that way. It could also be something like entertainment. That is
03:27a value proposition as well. Is that entertainment in your intention to be entertaining, resonating
03:33with your audience? Um, relatability, that's also a value proposition. So it runs the gamut,
03:38but really looking to make sure that that is resonating with the audience. Um, and yeah,
03:44that's really important.
03:47One of the things that we often say, um, is like one of one. So I think that relates to
03:53like, what's the value proposition and making sure that you're authentic and you not really
03:56have something to give. Um, so I think that's something to take away for our creators on stage.
04:02What are the key advantages of having a manager or being signed that creators can often underestimate?
04:10I think it's really good to have an agency who first of all, can advocate for you.
04:14Being a black creator in this space can be a lot as we all know. Um, so having a team and
04:20a partnership where they really see you, they understand you and they can go on your behalf
04:23and standing in the gap for you is so invaluable. Um, but also making sure that you're not fumbling
04:28your own bag on accident. Like sometimes we might be trying to negotiate with a brand or
04:32go over a contract, you try GBT, you know, we're trying to finesse it ourselves, but you,
04:37you didn't go to school for that baby. You know, this is not your forte. So having a professional
04:40look over it, understanding what you're assigning, you don't want to end up in a 360 deal on Defo
04:44Records. It happens every day. So you want to make sure that you're protecting yourself and your
04:48business. So it's a huge advantage to have a reputable, um, agency who will not only advocate for you,
04:54but understands the lane that you're trying to excel in. Yeah, that's great. Like you say,
04:59like doctors don't practice on themselves, right? Natasha?
05:02I would definitely say the network, you know, you're, you're creative. That's your job, you know,
05:07to bring value and do all these things. But with such an established agency and things around
05:12person, your thing took time to foster this relationship and you're not going to go into
05:16this phase knowing everyone and you know, who you should know. I feel like half that is talent
05:20and the other half is who you know to get you in those doors, to get you the opportunities that
05:24you want. So if you have an agency that does that, then you're able to get put into it here.
05:30Absolutely. Just to piggyback all of that, like the,
05:33the connection that I feel like you get when working with an agency, not only just with the
05:41brands, but with other creators, you know, I mean, within the creator community, having someone who
05:46can be like, I know exactly what you're going through. I see you. I feel you. I literally just had a
05:50conversation with Shay in the car where she, where she had, we had that conversation. And there are
05:54times when we go to Kansas City Gray events where it's like, you see these people on online, but
06:00being able to, to chat with them in person and, and being, being brought together by an amazing agency
06:06is such a beautiful thing, especially like with the black community, you know, being underrepresented
06:11and, and Kansas City Gray really stepping forward and being able to put black women at the forefront
06:16is so special. But aside of that, one of the really amazing things is also like,
06:21you really get to focus on being creative. You know, you can really invest your energy into
06:26your daily videos, your photos and things like that, and have your management handle the back
06:31end of things. So you can really focus on putting out the best content possible to help you grow.
06:36Cause listen, we all want to grow. We all want to do our things, but at the end of the day,
06:40like we want, we want to get this money. Okay. Okay. So like that, that's like a really big thing.
06:45And they help you foster those relationships and be able to handle those more professional
06:49moments that you may just need a little bit, a little bit of assistance with. Yeah.
06:53Nicole, it wasn't intended for you, but I'm curious your perspective on the same thing.
06:57Like whether, what does talent underestimate when it's getting started?
07:01That's a good question. Um, to piggyback, I guess, off of what you were talking about,
07:06really the business ends, I think. And also the extent that we can push your career with these,
07:13um, with these relationships that we fostered. I think a lot of the times, um, also creators don't
07:19really realize how much they were doing on their own previously until they have it, um, taken off
07:24of their, their workload. And then they're like, Oh my gosh, thank you so much. Like I'm so relieved.
07:28I can have a life. I can like see my friends and family. So I think, um, especially at Concee
07:32and Gray, we're really full service and our goal is really to take everything business-wise off of
07:38your plate so you can strictly focus on being a creator. Like that's something we, we push into
07:42their talent. Um, so yeah. I think something so simple that I'm learning in my first five months
07:48is the emails alone that you guys get and just having support of a manager that knows how to
07:53filter through those emails, what spam, what's something that we can convert into a bigger
07:57partnership, what's a one-off and being able to take that off of your plate. That alone,
08:01we try to encourage creators to like let your manager handle it for you. We are here. If
08:06there's one thing that you need to let go of in the beginning, let go of that.
08:11I will say just to quickly notate that, uh, anybody who is here, who is a creator, a spying
08:16creator or the above, like being able to filter through those things. Like if you get an email
08:22that has Gmail attached to it and it's saying like, it's, you know, like from Google or whatever,
08:27it's Google at gmail.com, like, or that wasn't really good if you consider it Google.com. But
08:31anyway, you know what I'm saying? Like a bigger brand where it's like at gmail.com, like your
08:36brain might be like, oh my gosh, this big brand is reaching out to me, but it could be like
08:40a pathway to being scammed, you know? So like those types of things are really, really valuable
08:43for if you're stepping into this space for the very first time and you're not really sure
08:47of how to handle those types of things. So yeah. So a little bit further on that, what do you think
08:53a creator should ask for or look for when they're selecting an agency or a manager? I'm going to
08:57start with you again and come back with me. So I've actually been with Kensington Great pretty
09:01much since the beginning. I've been with Kensington Great for about five years now. And honestly,
09:06I was torn when I first like started. So I was like, do you really need management? Is this something
09:11that like I should really, um, step into? But honestly, I asked myself what they would be able
09:17to provide. And then I was speaking with Sinead personally when I was starting out and she went
09:22through the list of, we want to be able to do this and we want to be able to pitch you. And we want to
09:26be able to create a plan for you and a strategy for you to be able to grow and to foster those
09:30relationships. And that's really what changed the game for me because my content speaks for itself.
09:35And I, you know, will stand in that and confidently say that, but being able to have someone speak,
09:40advocate for me and really put me in a position to grow has been so valuable. And honestly, like,
09:47Kensington Great has grown so much while I've seen the growth in real time. And I'm, I'm just so
09:52grateful. My answer is a little bit more on the emotional side. I feel like when you're shopping
09:58around for agencies, see how you connect with the people that are going to be working with you.
10:03I pop on calls with other agencies and it's very stone cold, very business transactional. I mean,
10:08at the end of the day, we're here to get our money, our coin. But if it feels like like these
10:13are the people that you're going to be working with day in and day out. And if you don't feel
10:15that connection, don't feel like they're going to advocate for you in the most important parts
10:19when it comes to the contract negotiation, then I feel like you either, they're not the manager
10:23for you. It's not the agents for you. Not every agency is going to work for that person. It might
10:27be like a big name to your dream. But then when you get to talk to them, you're like, Oh,
10:32no, thank you. Yeah.
10:35I, I've just got signed to KG about like four or five months ago. It's been amazing.
10:40But I had two, two managers in the past before KG. And one thing I know for sure is that you all
10:45have to ask for some case studies. It's not good enough for someone to come and say, Oh,
10:49I can do this for you. I can do that for you. Where are the case studies? Show me content creators
10:53in your similar realm as myself that you have done things for. Where do you see the growth
10:58trajectory going? What have you done for people in my genre? Because if they all have like beauty
11:03and hair and makeup, but you do fashion, there are no case studies that they can align with you. So
11:07you need to make sure that they already have experience working with creators like you or
11:11that they do have some type of plan strategy or a pipeline for you. Or else you might be on a
11:15one man island. Like I have a close friend. She's, you know, all about fragrance perfume. That's her
11:19niche. And she signed to an agency. She did a trial run, but they didn't have any
11:23fragrance content creators, but they just liked her. They liked the engagement. They liked that
11:26she was already working. And sometimes there are agencies that just see you as a number,
11:30see you as a coin, and they just want to percentage of your business. You want to make sure that they
11:33have a strategy for you. And also think about your exit plan. Like I always tell my girls,
11:37my friends, I don't want to be doing getting ready with me when I'm 70. Like, you know, not that 70 is
11:41old, but I don't want to like, you know, I want to age gracefully and I always have to be in front of the
11:44camera. So one of the things I loved about my manager at KG and just my team in general is we talked about
11:50like, well, what will retirement look like? Like, what am I going to be doing, you know, for the next
11:5310, 20 years, it can't be this. This ain't it. You know what I'm saying? So I just want to encourage
11:57y'all, ask for case studies, make sure that they have, you know, real tangible people that they can
12:01show that are in your genre. And if not, some type of pipeline that they know they can get you through
12:06to your retirement plan. And remember, it's a symbiotic relationship. They're not there to bring
12:10you all this money. You do have to bring something to the table, but it is a partnership at the end of
12:14the day. Yeah. And one thing I will add to that is making sure that those case studies not only apply to your
12:19genre, but to your following size. If they're trying to sell you case studies for the person
12:24that has 10 million followers and you're still at the 50,000 mark, it's not going to apply. There is
12:30a road to get there. And there's a lot of agencies that are trying to sell on the big things right
12:35away. And like at KG, we've had our thousand likes to do the realistic steps to get you to that big stage.
12:41So for everyone, what does a successful creator agency relationship look like in both day-to-day
12:48collaboration and long-term impact? So for day-to-day, like I love that my team understands,
12:56first of all, I'm a mother. Okay. So I'm a toddler mom. Toddlerhood is very ghetto. And they know I
13:02have a crazy sleep schedule. I might be up at like two in the morning texting or, you know, in Slack.
13:06That's our messaging system. So I love that they understand my lifestyle. So whether you are a parent,
13:11a plant mom, a dog mom, nobody's mom, it don't matter. Just make sure that you want your team
13:15to understand how your workflow is. At the end of the day, yes, you all work together,
13:19but they also work for you. They're a service of yours. It's, you know, it's something that you
13:22want to consider. So the perfect relationship for me is they understand my workflow and they also
13:28encourage me and hold me accountable at the same time, but they also have empathy. So not too long
13:33ago, my husband was in a very bad car accident and it was just horrifying. Pulled out our car. I mean,
13:37we were in our rental. We, I was on the phone with like attorneys and insurance. It was just chaos.
13:42And they just understood and they immediately jumped into action for me. And they were able
13:46to contact brands and say, Hey, can we get these deadlines pushed back? Like they just, they just
13:49have so much empathy. And I don't think I would have felt that if I wasn't at KG. I think that a lot
13:53of, like I said before, a lot of agencies look at you as a number. They look at your deadlines,
13:57like, well, girl, I know you have this family issue, but we got to get the, you know, the content in.
14:01So making sure that they have empathy for you, they understand your lifestyle and also that they
14:05know that you're human, you're not a machine. And at the end of the day, like I always tell our
14:09team, like we're not saving lives. Like we're, and I know the deadlines are important, but like,
14:13we're not doctors. We're not lawyers. No one's like depending on us. No one's going to die if we
14:17don't get the content in. We are not robots. We're human. So that's, what's really important to me.
14:22And it might change for you, like different phases of your life. If you become a parent,
14:25it might change. If you get married, it might change. If you decide to travel the world,
14:28it might change. So finding an agency that can grow with you in different phases of your life
14:32is extremely important. I think two things kind of related to what you're saying. One,
14:37over communication. I'm type A adjacent. You know, I like having some sort of structure and
14:43having a structured workflow that works both for their working style and yours as well.
14:48I get a little anxious if I don't know what's going on. So being able to know exactly what's going
14:53on, having different systems to check, even if I don't have to contact my manager directly,
14:57but there's a place that I can see to see the progress of said campaign, said project. So
15:01I know everything's like working well and I don't have to be constantly be like paying you.
15:05Because in past agencies that I've worked with, there's under communication. So I'm kind
15:09of like, okay, like what's the process on this project? Has payment been made? Like,
15:14is there anywhere I can track that? And I felt kind of like I was nagging my manager all the
15:17time, like bothering them. So having these set workflows, places that I can check. And also,
15:22I mean, you can never communicate too much because then everything's crystal clear.
15:26There's no room for error and everything's in writing. So, you know, oh, I said this at
15:31this time, this is what I agreed to. And let me just like go back, get this project done.
15:34Yeah. That's something I don't think it's talked about enough. It's just like the system to help
15:38you get going and keep on track because that's a big part of the change to bring by yourself
15:43to working with an agency and a manager that's going to take it on. I think my perspective of
15:53this is very interesting because like I said, I've been with Kensington Gray since the beginning.
15:57And so I've had different managers. As people have been promoted and have taken on new roles within
16:05the company, I have, you know, switched managers a couple of times and it's because they're elevating
16:11and doing amazing work. And they're taking on roles where they don't necessarily maybe have a
16:16roster, you know, that kind of thing. But what I will say, and it speaks to how detail oriented
16:21Kensington Gray is, is every single manager that I have had. And luckily, like my team as of recently
16:28has been like, we've been together for almost two years now. And like every single like manager that
16:33I've had, we've had such good synergy, you know, and like even coming on new, they've audited my page.
16:39They've looked over everything. They're like, this is what we want to do. That's new and fresh that
16:42maybe the, the, the, the last manager you had didn't think about, like they always come in with
16:47a plan, which I think is such a wonderful thing. And like I said, it speaks so beautifully to Kensington
16:52Gray, but also in the day-to-day successful relationship, like all of my managers, I'm like,
16:57girl, give me your number. Cause sometimes like Slack, I have my notifications turned off and they're
17:01always willing to work with your communication style and like tailor how you guys communicate and how you
17:07get your information to whatever you need to do. I think like, if you have a manager who is very
17:12like, no, you need to stick to this. I think that that can sometimes be a little off-putting.
17:17And I think it's a really beautiful relationship when you can not only like have that connection
17:22of like, yes, we want to get this, we want to get that, but also like, girl, how's your day?
17:24How are you feeling? You know what I mean? And I think that they're, they're so detail oriented
17:28in that way because I'm a Pisces, like I said, and I am very much like, I get overwhelmed easily
17:34and they're so good about, do you need a minute? You know, because like she said, this is not brain
17:39surgery. We're not going to space, you know? So like, if you need a minute, they will always give
17:46the brands that pushback and say, Hey, like, you know, this is a human, this is not a machine,
17:51like Shay said. And, and they just do a great job of doing that. And from top to bottom, truly,
17:57they have thought of everything.
17:58And if I can just add to that from the other spectrum, I'm just underlying that piece of
18:03communication. That's so, so important at KG. We always say any like introductory call you'll
18:08have with us. We are over communicators. We fear you will get tired of us, but it's great to hear
18:13that's not necessarily the case. But that communication breeds trust, which is the other
18:17part I really want to stress. I think it's really important in that relationship between manager
18:22and talent and that it goes both ways. So it's imperative that our talent trusts us with their
18:27business. And like I said, that communication, that transparency that we offer leads to that
18:33trust. And we're able to use that in the day to day to, you know, have smooth execution and
18:38everything like that. But that builds in how we're able to know you more, how we're able to
18:43strategize in the longterm. That's how we're able to know like, okay, this creator loves green juice
18:50every morning. Okay. Let's like, see how we can turn that into some kind of long-term partnership.
18:54Let's reach out to the X, Y, Z and like curate something. So yeah, definitely that communication
18:59piece, but bringing that leads to that trust, which like I said, it's very important both ways.
19:04And we're able to trust our creators with connecting them with our clients and the relationships that
19:09we've been able to foster and know that they're going to execute beautifully, which they always do.
19:14Before we get into questions, we'll end with one more for the panelists. If you can give one piece
19:20of advice for the creators that are in our audience, that are looking for representation,
19:24what's their immediate next step? Let's start with the poll.
19:27I know, I'm on the spot.
19:32Going back to the earlier question, I think really locking down and understanding what your value
19:37proposition is, being able to speak to that when you are going into meetings with any management firm
19:44or whatever the case is really important. And then also having line of sight on what your why is,
19:51like, why are you doing this? What are you hoping to achieve? Like full scope, whether that is
19:56eventually to develop your own brand, whether that is to truly be an inspiration to young women,
20:02like whatever that is, really be able to narrow down on that and use that as your North Star. And that
20:08will really drive your your strategy and how you form your career. I want you to think about
20:16the long term game and what you will bring to the table. And I always tell content creators that
20:21having an agency is like a luxury service. So it's kind of the equivalent to I can learn how to change
20:27my own oil or I can pay and go to Jiffy Woods. You are paying a part, a percentage of your business
20:31for the service. So if you don't plan to really be consistent, if you don't really plan to give it your
20:35all and grow your brand, you don't need representation. You're not ready for representation.
20:40So make sure that you're ready. Make sure that you're ready to work because the brand agency is
20:44not there to just make you rich. I know it looks glamorous, looks amazing. We're all on stage, but
20:48we put in the work long before we had management and we came to the table with something for them
20:53to pitch for something for them to get us partnerships and collaborations. So I just want to make sure I
20:57deconstruct that, deconstruct that myth that an agency is going to like make you blow up. You already need
21:03that be on your own trajectory. You already have to have your own. What do the kids say now? Your
21:07ribs? What do the kids say? Auntie don't know. Auntie don't know. Whatever they be saying, you already
21:12have to have your own. We would say, all right, here we go. Thank you. Help auntie out. Your own momentum.
21:19That's what my generation would say. You need to have your own thing going on so that way they have
21:24something to bring to these brands and you are not solely depending on them to just make you blow up and
21:28make you rich because it doesn't look like that. So bring your own table. I think you have to be for
21:34real with yourself. Like look at yourself and make sure you're only looking at what you're doing and
21:40not what other creators are doing. Like, oh, your friend got management, so you have to get management.
21:45No, look at where you are in your journey, what your content looks like, the impact that you're
21:50creating and see, is this time for me to bring it on? Because if you bring it on too early, like you
21:54said, it's a luxury service for taking a percentage of your income. If it's too early and it's not going
21:59to make sense for you to lose all this part of your income, maybe stay on your own just a little
22:03while longer, build that momentum, build that audience, build that connection with the people
22:08that you're sharing your information and then decide to bring in management. Like you said, I feel
22:12like a lot of people think, oh, I get management, I blow up. It's like not an equivalent. You have to
22:17have something going already for them to kind of help you with the resources that they have to push you in
22:23the right direction to make an even bigger impact for yourself. Because if you don't have that, then
22:27you're going to get management, you're going to get that pay cut, and you're kind of going to stay
22:31the same. You're like, oh, management's not working. I think we have to reevaluate what we have in front
22:35of us. Yeah, truly. What, Natasha, that last part is so real, because it's so easy to place blame on
22:43someone else if, you know, things aren't, the needle is not moving. You know, it's so easy to be like,
22:49oh, it's their fault. You know, they're not doing this, that, and the other. But if you are not
22:54prepared, truly, like, the definition of success is, you know, the two things coming together. You
23:01have to, like, prepare for the moment, you know, for you to take on this, like you said, luxury service.
23:10Because with management, it's not just like, oh, okay, they're going to handle everything. Like,
23:15I'll be fine. You still need to show up to work every single day, because that slack is going to
23:19be ding, ding, dinging right at nine o'clock in the morning. And they still have to come to you.
23:24They still have to ask you questions. Hey, do you want to do this? Do you want to operate this way?
23:27Like, you're still running the business. You are the boss. So it's very much like you have to come
23:33with it, like, ready to go. You need to make sure that you are on top of your game so that all they're
23:38doing is elevating you. You're starting here. They're just taking you here. But you're not, you're not
23:43starting here. And they're taking you here. That's not, the jump doesn't work like that. So
23:46just really making sure that you are on top of your game. You're prepared so that they can help
23:50you reach that success that you're looking for. Just one more thing. I feel like you have to come
23:55in with your own systems in place. You're not going to get into management and they're going to build
23:59you up. They're going to tell you what to do and how to do it. You're going to have to have your own
24:03flow. And then they can push you forward, again, with the resources that they have. They're not
24:08going to, you're not going to partner up and then wait, like, okay, so what do I do now? You know,
24:12you have to come with that work already done. Yeah. And at Kensington Gray, so on our website,
24:17we have a link for anyone who's looking to apply to the agency. And I think most agencies have
24:22similar. And we ask questions and we kind of focus through people that, do you know your
24:26business? Like, what is your revenue? What are you, the amount of emails you're getting? What's your
24:30last brand partnership? And you'd be surprised how many people actually don't know those things
24:35about themselves. So I think just knowing the core of your business is just a really important
24:40thing to get a handle of as a creator before you jump into anything. Thank you so much,
24:47ladies. I think we are now opening the floor to the audience for questions.
24:51All right. So we're just going to do some questions. So I'm going to pass the mic to whoever has
25:03the question. And then the wonderful team up here will answer. So this is amazing because
25:09you get kind of that firsthand advice from the Kensington Gray team. So feel free to ask us
25:15anything, honestly. Obviously pertaining to management, of course, but creators, anybody,
25:21if you have questions about really anything, we're here at your disposal.
25:25All right. So say your name, where you're from, and then your question is.
25:32Hi, I'm Coco. I'm from Boston. And my question is, well, it's not really, I guess, I struggle with
25:40pitching myself. Like, I don't like talking about myself. I think that's just like a thing. I don't
25:46like to, I feel like I'm, I don't know, being confused or something. And I know that, I feel
25:51like I don't have to feel like that you have to be confused. But what is a tip that you can
25:56give someone who's, like, is there something like a workflow that for someone like me who
26:02struggled to, like, have some social? But I know, I know I got it. Like, I could do it,
26:07but I just struggle in terms of writing. I think, I'm just going to jump in super quick. But I think
26:12when it comes to that, reframe your mindset around feeling conceited. It's confidence,
26:19having confidence in yourself. You know, you are that girl. You know, you have it. You know,
26:22you have, like Nicole said, your X factor. So I think reframing your mindset around, like,
26:27it's your resume. You're putting forth your resume. You're applying to, you know, not a job,
26:32but like, you're applying to have that resource to, again, elevate you to the next level. So
26:37reframe your mindset a little bit and think of it more so as, like, this is, these are all the
26:42things that I've done. And, you know, I'm not necessarily, like, just hyping myself up. I'm
26:46doing this because I can bring value to this space. And I think that that should be elevated even
26:52more. And I want to piggyback on what Erin said. I want you to, it sounds odd to say this, but do you
26:59sit to yourself from your brand? Because it's not about you. It's about your service and your gift.
27:03You know, you have God's gift that you've been able to touch people. I don't, like, what is your
27:06content? Do you mind me asking? Okay, awesome. So that's a part of my business. My brand is to
27:11help elevate women's confidence through self-care and style and, like, motherhood, marriage, all the
27:15things. So it's less about me and more of what I want to offer my audience, how I build women's
27:19self-esteem, how I remind them of themselves, how I remind them they are that girl, like Erin said.
27:23So when you're pitching to brands, picture it, like, I'm not talking about myself. I'm talking about
27:27how I have impacted my audience and how I can use your brand to help elevate my message.
27:32And then back to those case studies, here's how. This could be, like, you screenshotting some DMs
27:36of girls asking, oh, where'd you get that? You know, this talks about, like, your affiliate
27:40linking. I don't know if you use the affiliate linking platforms like Amazon or LCK, but you
27:45can show when girls are asking, like, you know, where'd you get that from? Or link clicks, you
27:48know, include some evidence to back up your pitch. Because it's not good enough just to say,
27:52like, oh, I have these followers and I have this style. But have people been shopping from you?
27:56Have people been inquiring about you? Have people been, you know, asking where you've got things?
28:00Because people want to see that they can convert. Because at the end of the day, it's a business.
28:03So if a brand can picture you, you know, like, promoting their product, then you're going
28:07to win every time. So make sure you be sensitive yourself and make it more about your service
28:10for that brand to connect with their audience.
28:13And I would just add to that. That was a perfect segue. Like, a trick to kind of get out of
28:16your mind is actually reach out to your community. Like, reach out to your friends or your fellow
28:21content creators that know you and believe in you and get them to actually, like, pitch you to you.
28:26And that will be helpful to kind of get out of that, like, oh, I don't want to feel egotistical.
28:32Because I understand that. But, you know, in the corporate world, there's something called
28:35manage up. And you kind of just have to, like she was saying, switch your mindset, but use
28:40others around you who believe in you and know what you can do to help you do that.
28:45Just one more thing. I'm kind of picking back up, everyone ping pong. I think the restructuring
28:51is really important. And when you said earlier about knowing your why, because if you know your
28:55why, now you're just stating facts. You know, like, you're removing yourself. Like, it's
28:59not like, oh, this is who I am. And, like, I'm kind of scared. But, like, I like passion.
29:02No. The fact is that I can do this and that. Here you go.
29:06No. All right. Next question.
29:19Oh, there's one on the left.
29:26My question is for Nicole. I would love to know what managers do behind the scenes.
29:31I would love to know what managers are going to do behind the scenes to make our
29:38influences so great online.
29:40Thanks for your question, Jackie.
29:43If everyone was not aware, that's Jackie, my co-director. She's also at KG.
29:48What do we do behind the scenes? Wow. There's a lot. I know there was some mention of, like,
29:53even auditing pages. We do that often with our talent. Again, just to see where there are
29:58errors of opportunities that we can strike that maybe we haven't considered before.
30:02We're also, as we talked about, navigating your inboxes and doing that filtering, you
30:07know, so you don't have to see Google at gmail.com or whatever the case. You don't have to deal
30:12with that. So we are dealing with all of that and identifying what opportunities are worth
30:16it to bring to you. And then also using our negotiation skills to maximize those opportunities
30:21before it's even brought to your attention. So what we're bringing is the best that's available.
30:27We're strategizing for you constantly. We are advocating for you constantly, always meeting
30:33with different clients and brands and agencies that represent them. So we are always having,
30:38you know, our creators' names in our mouths at all times in all rooms. And that is really
30:43how we've been able to foster the Rolodex that we have now and been able to get our creators
30:49into these amazing opportunities. So...
30:51I know the question wasn't for me, but I just want to say also, my manager, we were at an event
30:58here yesterday and my manager is on top of it. She was like, you need to go here. You need it. So
31:03it's not just like answering emails. It's down to like making sure that you are in front of the
31:07camera, getting the Giddy images or like, you know, making sure that you're getting these
31:11opportunities to be seen, to be elevated, to be put in front of an even larger platform as well.
31:17And she literally helped me put on my shoes. You know what I mean? Like, it's like, it's those
31:21things that managers are doing behind the scenes that you don't even know. You think it's just,
31:24oh, this prayer. No, there's a full team behind us. And Kensington Gray makes sure that
31:29they pick the right people to do it.
31:31I do have one more question. It's for the creators. For those that do not have managers,
31:36how can they ensure that they're being advocated? Or how can you ensure they're advocating themselves
31:40for themselves getting what they're doing?
31:42Redlining your contracts is one really big way to do that. And if you don't know what
31:53that means, essentially, when a brand reaches out to you and they want to work with you and
31:59they say, hey, you know, we want you to do stories in a reel and we want to pay you this
32:04amount of money. And then you go through the contract and, oh, okay, I don't really know
32:08with this. Put it in chat GBT, first and foremost. Like, make sure that you don't know the words
32:13put it in chat GBT because a lot of brands will sneak in what's called in perpetuity,
32:18which means they own your content forever. You could be at 5,000 followers one day and
32:24then you blow up and you have 500,000. And if you sign that contract that says in perpetuity,
32:30they will put your face on a billboard and not pay you. So the main thing is just like making sure
32:35that when advocating yourself, you know exactly what you're talking about. So learning the vernacular
32:41of the industry, make sure you know what white listing is, make sure you know what in perpetuity
32:45means, make sure you know what those mean because that's the best way that you're going to be able
32:47to advocate for yourself when you know exactly what those things mean. And you're not just like,
32:53okay, sure, I'll just sign this because it's like a good amount of money. You want to make sure that
32:56you really, really know what you're signing and that is going to be the best way that you're going to be
33:00able to advocate for yourself. Yeah. Like knowledge is power, especially if you are just on your own.
33:07Yes, you're doing the creative side, but if you're doing the creative side and doing the business side
33:11because you're not signed yet, take time out of your week just to sit down and really just look at
33:16the keywords, look at what you need to know because a brand is not going to give you a contract and
33:22have your best interest in mind. You have to have your best interest in mind. So really take that time.
33:27Yes, a contract might seem long, but if you just take those extra 30 minutes, an hour to take time
33:33and read it through, you're going to be so happy years down the line if you're signing for something
33:37that you don't even know what you're signing for just because you got a little bit lazy and you
33:41didn't really know what you're talking about. Oh, it's going to be fine. It's just words. No, but
33:43you're signing the paper. It was your responsibility to read it. So take time to read it and really
33:48understand what you're agreeing to. And also it's okay to say no to things sometimes just because a big
33:53brand is saying like, oh, we're going to give you all this. And I'm like, oh, I've been dreaming to work
33:57with, I don't know, for a long time. And I know they're asking for 10,000 things, but I just want
34:01to work with them. It's okay to move past that because the things that they're putting in the
34:06contract is just not going to work for you in the long run. And also don't be afraid to invest in
34:11your brand. I have some content creator friends that are not interested in signing to the agency.
34:15They'd rather do the work themselves, but they do have a lawyer on standby where they pay a retainer.
34:19And if you're not at the point where your business can afford that retainer fee, there's websites like
34:23LegalZoom where you can do a $49 subscription a month and you have unlimited access to 30-minute
34:28consultations with a lawyer all month long, every month for as long as you keep your subscription.
34:33So you'd be able to talk back and forth with a lawyer. You can send over documents to have them
34:36look it over. I think that's an amazing option just for the short term until you are at the point
34:40where you can either afford a real lawyer, well, they're real lawyers, but afford a personal lawyer
34:45on retainer for you who's on standby or to the point where you get signed to KG one day.
34:49Okay. Cause I know y'all manifesting that. So again, don't be afraid to invest in your business
34:53at the end of the day. Like they said, you don't want to end up giving up a part of your business
34:57or getting some type of long-term property, property. You see your face on a billboard.
35:00You're not getting paid. So make sure that yes. And everything, like my husband said,
35:04everything's negotiable. Don't think that you have to sign, know your boundaries. And also when it comes
35:09to advocating for yourself, it goes back to what they were saying to the young lady here about knowing
35:13your brand, knowing yourself, don't put your name on everything. Just because a brand wants you to promote
35:17Black History Month, honey, make sure you read through that brief and make sure they don't have
35:20you. Like I had a, an insane deal last year where they were like, we want you to, you know,
35:25go through the history of the bonnet and why it's just a part of the black community. I'm like, what?
35:28Who wrote this? Like, you know, it did not align at all with anything that I would ever post and
35:32promote. And they were offering a big bag, but I turned it down because I know I have boundaries.
35:36I know myself. I know my brand, know my audience and all money is not good money. So again,
35:40make sure you're willing to say no, like they said, and invest in your business. Because if you want to be
35:45up here one day or with KG one day, you will be a big brand. So don't be afraid to spend some money
35:48now because it's going to help you in the long run. And I would add like, know your worth.
35:53And that is an ad tax. But truly know your worth. Like if you are starting out and you think that
36:02you're going to get 20,000 for your first brand deal, it's probably not going to happen. Like know
36:08how you need to actually price yourself. So like, I think that there are some times where people are
36:12adding too much tax. And then there's times where people are not adding enough tax. So truly know
36:16where you're at. And more deals are going to come because you don't want to over price yourself.
36:22And then the brand disappears. But you also don't want to under price yourself. So you're only at
36:26the $200 brand deals. All right, we'll do last question.
36:37Hello, my name is Rose Janae. I'm a fashion, beauty, lifestyle content creator. And I'm struggling with
36:44engagement and reach in order to get the following, in order to get representation. So I was wondering if
36:50y'all could give me some advice about that. What kind of content do you do?
36:53I do the writer with me. I do a lot of the kind of scenes of like photo shoots that I do,
37:02like from start to finish, like building a look, and also blogging as well.
37:07Okay. I would definitely say like the main thing is catching people's attention. Having a really great
37:15hook is the perfect way to get people interested in your content. And when it comes to reach, you know,
37:22people say left and right. It's not about the numbers. Do it because you love it. And you should
37:27100%. But at the end of the day, you know, we're here because we want to grow and we want to have
37:31that engagement. So you can get representation. And so I think that having a diverse amount of content
37:37is really important. And making sure that you have things that maybe are a little bit quicker.
37:43And, you know, just grab attention for like 10 seconds. But then if you want to have something
37:47that's a little bit longer, like your blogs or things like that, just have like a diversified
37:51type of content that still obviously stays within your niche so that you can provide that like,
37:57oh, she's doing this and this is really cool. And then, oh, like this is a little bit longer and
38:02I want to invest more. So you have it like, like give like a teaser of like, oh, this is like maybe
38:0610 seconds and then have like a little bit of a longer version of it so that you can
38:09like have that because people are going to come to your content maybe for different reasons.
38:12Maybe somebody really likes your outfit and they just want to see your outfit things.
38:15Or maybe someone's really interested in what you're doing behind the scenes and they really
38:17want to see that. So it's just like making sure that you're diversifying your content and having
38:21a really, really strong hook to grab people's attention.
38:23I think it's also good to audit yourself and the things that you're doing because a lot of people
38:28are doing get ready things. A lot of people are doing blogs, but auditing yourself to know what
38:33makes you unique and what, how you can use that to your advantage and reframe the same concept
38:38your way. People like you can do get ready with me in 10 different ways and people are going to
38:43go to one versus the other because the way that they reframed it, the way that they show up as
38:47themselves and no one's going to be you. No one's going to have the same perspective as you,
38:51like experience. And so that already makes you unique and to be different than what anyone else
38:54is doing. But it's really important to reframe, to change it up a little bit. So people are not
38:59scrolling. They're like, Oh, get rid of me. Oh, scroll. You know, like change it up a little bit.
39:03So when your video comes up, like, Oh, this is, I know it's like the same thing, like at the end of
39:08the day, but it's different because it's you and it's your unique perspective.
39:12How often do you look at your analytics?
39:15Your data?
39:18Okay, I figured. And that's for everybody in this room.
39:20Y'all have to get out your feelings and get into these numbers. Okay? Because feelings up and down,
39:24like one day we feel like this, one day we feel like that. No, your engagement doesn't lie. Your
39:28data does not lie. You got to get into your insights. It's free information. I don't care
39:31if you're on TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok. It doesn't matter. They all have free data.
39:35Go into your analytics and pull your last 90 days and reorder your content from top to bottom.
39:39Look at the highest performing and the lowest performing and you're going to notice a difference. Your
39:43highest performing videos, I'm going to tell you right now, they're probably the ones where you're talking on camera.
39:47They're probably the ones where you're answering questions with your content. Remember, your content
39:51is there to serve. Your content is there to answer and help people. So instead of just doing a get ready
39:56for me to go run errands, it's girls, this is how I look cute and not homeless when I run errands,
40:00because you're helping people. You know what I'm saying? So think about your content as a way to
40:03serve. And like I told her earlier, do you center yourself in your content? This is your gift. This is
40:07your product and your brand. And you're literally there to use your content to answer questions. And also go through
40:12your comments. Somebody might say, oh my god, I love your glasses. You can literally reply to that
40:17comment and make a whole video just about your glasses. So try to engage based on the comments,
40:21because those are the people who show up. People may view it and forget the double tab. They might
40:24like it. They might not. But if someone stops and takes a moment to leave a comment, they are really
40:29invested in you. So capitalize off of that for sure. And look at your analytics every day.
40:33I would also quickly add, using or finding a series or some kind of sharing a specific journey
40:40that you're going through. Like if it's like, I'm buying a new car or something, and you're taking
40:44them along on that journey. And that could span a few weeks. A lot of viewers value knowing what
40:51they're going to see in some way, shape, or form. So that stability, knowing what to expect. Or if it's a
40:57series that you find really performs well with your audience, make that a reoccurring thing. Stick to that.
41:03Find what that series is. And you can find a lot of longevity in returning viewers. And, you know,
41:09that translates into subscribers, followers, whatever you want to call it. And now you're
41:12growing your audience base as well as the engagement, because they're locked into whatever
41:16this specific journey series is. And you'll see an increase in engagement there as well.
41:26All right. That was our last question. So I'm going to throw it back to our panelists.
41:30Amazing. So to end, I mean, I feel like we've covered so much. So I'm going to say,
41:35do you want to end with anything? But I do, I truly do feel like we've covered
41:38a lot. So I will just say, thank you to everyone. Thank you for joining to the audience.
41:43And that is it.
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