It’s a question we’re hearing more often as the creator economy continues to mature – and it’s a fair one. For experienced talent managers, launching an agency can feel like a natural progression. You’ve spent years building relationships, developing talent and understanding what creators actually need.
But the reality is often more complex than it appears from the outside.
The first thing worth saying is this – representing talent successfully and running a successful agency are, clearly, not always the same thing.
Many exceptional managers underestimate how much of their time shifts away from the creative work they love and towards operations, finance, compliance and business development. Once you’re responsible for the whole business, those things don’t just sit alongside the job. They become the job.
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Are you building a business or a book of contacts?
Before making the move, it’s worth asking yourself an honest question – are you building an agency around a handful of relationships or around a genuine business proposition?
The two can look identical from the outside in Year One. By Year Three, the difference is everything.
The agencies that tend to succeed usually have a clear point of difference – whether that’s a specific creator vertical, a unique service offering or a distinctive approach to talent development. Clarity of positioning is often one of the biggest differentiators.
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Get the commercial foundations right before you need them
The commercial side of running an agency deserves more attention than most founders give it up front.
Do you have the financial runway to navigate slower months? Deals often take longer to close than expected and payments rarely arrive as quickly as you’d like. A realistic financial plan from Day One isn’t optional, it’s what keeps the business alive long enough to find its footing.
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Don’t underestimate the shift from colleague to founder
We often hear from some agency founders that they underestimated how different the role felt once they were doing it alone.
As a manager, you’re often surrounded by colleagues who can sense-check ideas, share opportunities, troubleshoot challenges and, most importantly, celebrate the wins. As a founder many of those conversations can disappear overnight.
The freedom of running your own agency can be hugely rewarding, but it can also be isolating. Having a trusted network of mentors, advisors, industry peers and partners around you becomes increasingly important as the business grows.
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Think beyond the brand deal
This is where some of the most interesting opportunities are emerging.
Of course, brand partnerships remain a hugely important part of the creator economy, but the agencies creating the most long-term value are increasingly helping talent build diversified careers. Think podcasting, broadcast, live events, IP development, publishing…
It’s not just about protecting talent from changes in platforms or algorithms. It’s about helping creators build sustainable careers with long-term value.
Agencies that can support talent beyond traditional brand partnerships are best positioned for what comes next.
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The bottom line
Launching an agency can be a hugely exciting & rewarding opportunity. The strongest foundations are usually built through careful planning, realistic expectations and a clear vision for where you can genuinely add value.
However, for some, the better path isn’t building an agency from scratch but finding the right one to join – surrounding yourself with like-minded people already doing the work you want to do, with the infrastructure already built.
The talent managers who make the transition most successfully tend to be those who go in knowing exactly what kind of business they’re building – and why they’re the right people to build it.
Hope this helps x
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