When Lulu Cockayne launched Lulu’s Talent Management twelve months ago, she didn’t just start a business, she made a clear decision to pursue what she loved most and build it on her own terms. Now, a year in, that bet has paid off in headline-grabbing wins, hard-earned lessons, and a clear sense of where she’s heading next.
From Travelling to Talent
Lulu’s path into agency ownership wasn’t a straight line. Before founding her own company, she worked across both brand and event campaigns before moving into talent management, giving her, as she puts it, experience of “both sides of the email chain.” That dual perspective shaped how she now operates as the connector between talent and brands.
It was a period of travel through Asia that brought everything into focus. Stepping away from the day-to-day reminded her how much she missed “the feeling of landing opportunities and experiencing those wins” with clients, and crystallised exactly what kind of manager she wanted to be.
“I wanted to build long-standing relationships, be hands-on, give talent the time and attention they need and create a management style that felt personal rather than transactional,” Lulu explains. That vision became Lulu’s Talent Management, and a year on, she says she’s so proud to reflect on what she’s built.
The Steep Learning Curve of Founding an Agency
Ask any founder about the early days, and they’ll tell you it’s rarely just about the day job, and Lulu’s experience was no different. One of her biggest early challenges wasn’t talent strategy at all, but recognising the limits of her own expertise.
“I quickly realised that running a business involves far more than negotiating deals and managing talent,” she says. Legal and financial responsibilities needed proper attention, and bringing in a strong accountant turned out to be one of her smartest early calls, freeing her up to focus on what she does best.
There was also the question of age. As one of the industry’s youngest agency founders, Lulu admits she was conscious of how that might be perceived. But the industry, she found, cares about one thing above all: results. Through consistent delivery and quick communication, she’s built a reputation, and a level of respect, that speaks for itself, she now feels her age is a strength of her image, not a limitation
The Headlines: A Year of Standout Wins
Some moments from the past twelve months stand out as career highlights for Lulu and her clients.
Working alongside Shona McGarty during her run on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! was, in Lulu’s words, “a huge pinch me moment”, watching engagement and growth unfold in real time during one of TV’s biggest annual moments.
Another major milestone: securing Mathilde Barker as ITV’s first-ever Britain’s Got Talent backstage reporter, a role that didn’t just create a moment, but visibly shifted a client’s career trajectory. “Working on opportunities that visibly shift a client’s career forward is what it’s all about for me,” Lulu says.
But it’s not just the big wins that matter to her. Lulu is quick to highlight the value of smaller wins too, glowing brand feedback, a well-negotiated deal, a piece of content that over-performs, or simply a client feeling more confident in their career. In an industry that moves fast, she’s deliberate about pausing to acknowledge progress.
The Reality Behind the Glamour
If there’s one thing Lulu wants people to understand about running a talent agency, it’s this: the glossy outside doesn’t tell the whole story.
“They don’t tell you just how much of a graft it is!!” she says. “Running a talent agency isn’t a 9-5 job, it requires a huge amount of commitment and passion. My brain is ‘always on’ and constantly thinking about my clients and what’s next.”
Behind every campaign, she explains, sit countless emails, negotiations, strategy calls and late nights. But for Lulu, that relentlessness comes with a silver lining, when you love the work, “it almost feels like a hobby.”
Advice to Her Past Self
Looking back at the version of herself who was still deciding whether to take the leap, Lulu’s message is simple: don’t let fear win.
She recalls a quote that stuck with her while travelling, one about the fear of waking up years from now, still in the same place, simply because change felt too risky. It’s a sentiment that clearly shaped her decision-making.
“What I’ve learned is that if you have the passion and the willingness to keep going when things get tough, you’ll find a way,” she says. “Will it be challenging? Absolutely. But if you don’t try, you’ll never know.” Looking back, she’s certain: founding Lulu’s Talent Management was “the best professional decision I’ve ever made.”
What’s Next for Lulu’s Talent Management
A year in, Lulu shows no signs of slowing down. Her focus remains firmly on her clients, helping each of them work towards their own, individual goals.
One area she’s particularly excited about is the growing overlap between the creator economy and television. Having seen first-hand how creators can elevate shows through social media, Lulu believes the industry is “only scratching the surface of what’s possible” in that space.
And there’s more on the horizon: Lulu has teased an upcoming collaboration she describes as something the industry is currently missing, one designed to support brands and agencies alike. Details are under wraps for now, but as Lulu says: watch this space: https://www.instagram.com/lulustalent/
Here’s to Year One, Lulu, and to everything still to come.
