True masterminds are always on a mission; Tamara Taylor is no different.
On September 3rd, she’ll be hosting her “10 Years of Mastermind” star-studded beauty brunch to celebrate the anniversary of Mastermind MGMT–the elite management firm she started after a chance encounter on a plane to Orange County, CA while seated next to marquee image architect, Law Roach.
Mastermind MGMT advocates for their creative artists. They believe in equity and inclusion in the luxury space, and Tamara Taylor is the business’ most dedicated general. In an exclusive interview with SHEEN, she talks about earning the trust of her artists, the difference between management and agency, and the company’s new non-profit, Mastermind Matters, aimed at financial literacy.
You have a creative management company. What’s the difference between your company and a creative agency?
There is a small niche for management and that’s why at Mastermind MGMT, we consider ourselves an artist management company, and that is a little bit different from an agency. As an artist manager, some of the day-to-day things that we do sometimes overlap like an agency such as negotiating deals and everything. Overall, we like to focus on operational management for our artists. We not only negotiate their deals, but we also coordinate their calendars, we do their travel coordination, and essentially they don’t even have to hire an administrative assistant, because they have us.
Why management and not creative agency?
I started with one artist—Law Roach. He needed to figure out where his money was coming from and where it was going. I realized at the time that he didn’t have anyone to speak on his behalf but the talent he was working with did. From there, some of the people I was working with would ask if I had other artists. I asked my artists what others they enjoyed working with. From there, I grew a roster and considered myself an agency. But what I didn’t like about it though, is that I didn’t have the relationships at the time that other agencies had. Because I didn’t have that background, it wasn’t fair that I wasn’t in a position to bring artists a ton of opportunities. At the same time, this was right at the brink of social media when Instagram became a thing, so I had to really sit down and really figure out what do the artists that I work with really need, and what is it that they can’t get from anywhere else. I realized that elite artists needed help with their operations and someone to advocate for them to receive the best rates…That is my vein, and it was then that I transitioned from agency to management.
How do you deal with preconceived notions that exist with stereotypes of Black women in business?
I deal with it a little more frequently than I’d like to admit. I have to make sure my artists get what they deserve. From the talent perspective, we’ve had to get into connecting the talent with brands, and realizing that they weren’t offering the creative talent the same accommodations they were offering some of the other talent. As far as being deemed the angry black woman or anything like that, I have not had a ton of run-ins. But the run-ins that I have had, my artists are privy to it, and if there is ever a situation where I have felt disrespected, there has never been one artist that has not stood up for me to go over the person that I am dealing with to let the talent know that it was inappropriate. I am very fortunate in that regard, that the artists that I work with–we all stand for the same things and have the same values as far as representation, inclusion, and respect.
As a management company, how did you become familiar with some of your bigger clients?
Honestly, it was all word of mouth. My first client, Law Roach, and I randomly met on a plane. I had just been laid off from a corporate job and I was in a very emotional and vulnerable state. I took my seat and I just assumed that he would not talk to me. (Laughs) As fate would have it, we built a relationship. Our first big job together was fashion week in February of 2014, and it just took off from there. One of Law’s hair stylist counterparts said to him ‘well, how are you handling all this during New York Fashion Week and not stressed?’ Law said, ‘I have Tam, she is my guardian angel.’ That hair stylist was none other than celebrity hairstylist, Tym Wallace, and he said: ‘Who is she, and how can I get me one?” From there, Tym and I started working together, and other elite artists started reaching out to work with me too, just based on word of mouth. Many of the artists never even met me in person, but went off what they heard from my other signed artists, and trusted me to represent them, handle their lives, and their day-to-day operations under Mastermind MGMT. It really has been an incredible journey so far.
I heard you are having a lavish event on September 3rd in LA, tell us more.
‘10 Years of Mastermind’ will be a celebration of the growth of the company and honoring the artists who have been along for the journey. Most of them rarely have a day off. At the brunch, we will also announce the inception of Mastermind Matters which is our nonprofit. Many creatives oftentimes are not set up with skills to handle what happens after the business, retirement, and 401ks, so that’s where Mastermind Matters’ our 501(c)(3) non-profit comes in. It will also be dedicated to developing and assisting young creative entrepreneurs on foundational business principles through a 12-week program.
Keep Up with Mastermind MGMT:
@mastermind_mgmt @thee.mastermind
Photo Credit: Shaun Andru
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