Welcome back to Unmuted – The Talent Times’ series shining a light on the talent managers behind some of the biggest names in the creator space.
Each week we sit down with the people working behind the scenes to get their honest takes on everything from deal-making and signings to the everyday realities of a job most people still don’t quite understand.
This week we spoke with Tom Rowlands, Talent Manager, Publicist & Growth Lead at IP Agency.
Let’s get into it!
One thing you can’t get through a day without?
A 3pm Diet Coke — always. Nothing beats a 3pm inbox sweep with a Diet Coke in hand!
Green flags when signing a talent?
Clear evidence of a genuine community. It’s all well and good having millions of followers, but if nobody’s buying the book, listening to the podcast or turning up to the live show, it’s much harder to build a long-term career. The talent I get excited about are the ones whose audiences really care what they have to say.
The biggest ick when negotiating brand deals?
Beyond every manager’s nightmare of usage in perpetuity, I’d say rigid approval processes. More than two rounds of amends can leave talent deflated and strip content of the personality that made a brand want to book them in the first place. If the brief is clear, trust the creator. The best-performing campaigns are usually the ones that feel most authentic to their audience.
A talent you think is going to blow up in the next 12 months?
Rather than one specific name, I’m really excited by the rise of creators and talent aged 50+. They often have incredibly loyal audiences, huge credibility and, importantly, communities that genuinely convert. Brands are finally waking up to the fact that influence doesn’t have an age limit.
What does your FYP look like?
My FYP is a real mix of comedy, K-beauty and fashion. Admittedly, there’s a LOT of Love Island discourse too — it’s hard not to be obsessed given how well they’ve cast this season!
Right now I’m obsessed with…
Brands giving creators autonomy over their briefs and treatments. REFY have done this incredibly well, and a creator I’m just obsessed with is Farron Clark. I really think she’s played a role in educating brands on how they can give creators free rein — within reason — to create content that genuinely resonates with their audience. You’ve booked the talent to introduce your product or brand to their community, and they, of all people, know how to deliver that best.
The biggest misconception my family/friends have about my job is…
I think just the classic for all of us — that I spend my life at lunches and events. Nothing beats a work lunch meeting some of our fab brand partners new and existing, but I do come back to a full inbox and a lot of WhatsApps. All part of the fun!
Something everyone working in this industry needs to hear…
It’s PR not ER. Yes, every deal counts — but we are all human and it’s not life or death. All it takes is a little transparency and understanding, be it from managers, talent, brands or agencies. We’re all working to the same goal — let’s avoid raising each other’s cortisol.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is…
Pick. Up. The. Phone.
Honestly, I think we’ve forgotten how much easier life is when you just call someone. We’re all firing off emails, WhatsApps and voice notes at a million miles an hour, but if something feels a bit tense, confusing or like it’s going round in circles, a quick phone call usually sorts it. More often than not, nobody’s annoyed, nobody’s being difficult and nobody’s trying to make your life harder. They’re just busy. I’ve lost count of the number of times a five-minute call has solved something that would’ve taken 25 emails.
If Tom’s Unmuted taught us anything, it’s that the best talent managers know the real currency in this industry isn’t follower counts — it’s community, creative trust, and knowing when to stop emailing and just pick up the phone.
You can find out more about Tom and the team at IP Agency.
Do you want to nominate a talent manager to take part in Unmuted?
Get in touch with us at hello@ttt-news.com.
