9 Managers Reveal Why Their Creators Can’t Live Without Them
We all know and are aware of how the creator economy has risen in the country. This mostly happened during the lockdown when many individuals took to Instagram and YouTube to channel their creativity and gain a loyal audience.
I interviewed over 100 creators during the pandemic and what I understood (also with personal experience) is that most creators are great at creating but not so good at managing. Their work, their time and their finances.
Enter, the world of digital celebrity managers. Yup, that’s quite different from celebrity managers. The kind of work, the level of management—it all depends on social media after all. Now, while we’re all used to the offline world, it had become necessary to do the same online. That’s when some extraordinary talent management agencies paved their way into the market. Agencies like Pocket Aces, No Filtr, Qyuki, One Digital, Big Bang Social and more really had a huge part to play in enhancing the creator economy to where it is today.
I can go on and on about how important it is to find representation for a creator, whether it is for something as straightforward as getting more work, or to gain the right PR and collabs with other creators. But instead, I asked all my friends who manage creators personally to tell me why the creators they manage absolutely cannot do without them, and while ALL of them were super hesitant to blow their own horns, I forced them to give us the deets and here’s what they said:
1. Khushi Govil – Co-Founder & Manager, Rohit Zinjurke (Click Media)
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“It’s hard to answer this myself, but from my POV, I can safely say that I’m like a mirror in his life. I show what he needs to see, not what he wants to. Rohit is creative and fierce, but he’s also kind. I think we work well together because I try to recognise and play by his strengths.”
No cap on this. I’ve seen this with my very own eyes. Rohit is so free-spirited and kind that he needs Khushi to be that filter in his life to reflect on the best course of action for Rohit in a particular situation. They’re like the siblings we can watch banter 24/7. It’s a reality show waiting to happen, IMHO.
2. Vivek Ahuja – Manager, Mayur Jumani (independant)
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“Haha lol. Missed deadlines, payments, calling back people and telling him who’s who at events.”
I can relate, TBH. I know how hard it could be following deadlines as a creator would always focus on their content as opposed to the deadline. I’ve watched Vivek in his elements and I can vouch for the fact that Mayur might not be half as productive and creative as he is if Vivek wouldn’t be there to help out with the above tasks.
3. Palomi Soni – Manager, Awez Darbar & Nagma Mirajkar (No Filtr Group)
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“I think one thing my creators cannot do without me is scheduling/planning their day. If they don’t involve me in this process, I will ruin their plans 😝 Even if it’s just about some personal time off, I gotta know where they are all times.”
This is something I have witnessed. While Palomi is the life of the party and a complete sweetheart, she can turn that switch into that badass boss lady in seconds. Just rub her the wrong way and see if you survive. The risk is absolutely yours. JK, but seriously… She’s a force to reckon with, FR.
4. Atusha Anand – Manager, Neha Doodles (IPLIX Media)
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“So Neha can manage her life just fine without me, but yes I do help manage the growth and business side of things. One thing you need to know about Neha is that she is a free-spirited artist and always up for a new experiment.
This quality of her’s has pushed me to be the most passionate version of myself to the point where we have collaborated over business ideas, developed new content strategies, and talked about our lives even, sometimes till 2am in the night. It’s been about a year and a half since we’ve been working together and we have manifested top notch campaigns with brands like Google, Costa Coffee, Microsoft, Reliance while delivering happiness and laughs through our content.
After having to, I wouldn’t say manage, but partner with Neha in her journey I feel very strongly that somewhere on the way my ideas and friendship became indispensable to her. That could maybe be 1 reason.” I know Neha for sometime now and I can say she’s one of the most sweetest and most understanding managers I’ve come across. It’s no wonder Neha can’t do without this cutie in her life.
5. Nitin Menghani – Manager, Munawar Faruqui (independant)
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“Talent Management is one of the most difficult roles in the media space. Now, imagine doing that for an artist like Munawar Faruqui who juggles between being a top stand-up comedian of the country, a promising rapper & successful content creator. It gets super difficult for him to balance between art and business with his involvement in such different avenues and that is when I come in with my expertise in business acumen.
So this is where we compliment each other in terms of he just focusing on the art and me digging into business side of things, day to day operations and team building. As they say you can’t be a great talent manager without a great artist so this is where we harmonise with each other. One thing I have consistently learned from Munawar is his exceptional ability to rebound with even greater intensity the next day, regardless of any setbacks or challenges that may have occurred the previous day.”
I’ve watched Nitin seamlessly manage Munawar and everything that comes with. And he does it with such ease and empathy. It’s truly a pleasure watching the two of them bromance every time they’re together.
6. Samkit Shah – Manager, Kushal Mistry (independant)
“Working as a manager with a creator has a lot to do with likenesses of thoughts. On a lighter note, we both share a Gujarati background so that similarity is there already. I am that friend to Kushal who will get back his window seat occupied by some stranger on a flight or will ask for that extra sugar at a coffee shop on his behalf because I know he is a bit shy to get into that awkward discussion. Kushal and I have this evenly matched approach towards his ideas and career plans, so basically we complement each other in the achievement of his aspirations and that is why we keep growing ahead, so that parallel mindset would be the one reason Kushal can’t manage his life without me.”
The super humble Samkit, who btw is one of the smoothest managers I’ve met, is being his sweetest self in this quote, no? Kushal is incredibly talented, but also incredibly busy. I can see how Samkit manages his life so well so Kushal can continue to make us ROTFL!
7. Clyde Fernandes – Manager, DamnFam (No Filtr Group)
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“Dealing with clients for reshoot and negotiating for better commercials and getting them to inspire more people to chase their dreams of becoming artists”
Clyde is not only an amazing manager, but also a hoot to hang out with. I can see why the DamFam loves him and his quirks!
8. Chelsea – Manager, Viraj Ghelani (Pocket Aces)
“I would like to believe I am Viraj’s one-stop shop—from managing, negotiating and coordinating for all his branded and casting deals, to coordinating with production, PR and just being his representation so that he can have his piece of mind and actually focus on his art since at the end of the day, he is the artist.”
This is legit, because I’m aware of how hectic Viraj’s schedule and overall life is, so he definitely must need Chelsea to manage all of the other tasks so he can give us all that amazing and funny content we die for.
9. Sahil – Manager, RJ Karishma (Pocket Aces)
“If I vanish from Karishma’s life, who will she dance with on her favourite Bollywood songs? Duh! I’m her true partner in crime and we share a super ‘pro-friend-ssional’ bond. Whether to bail out or in self-doubt, I’m the cushion Karishma falls back upon! A friend in need and a manager in deed! 😉”
Can I just say, this was my favourite answer… And I guess this is why their bond is so special, because Karishma and Sahil both are just two bright rays of sunshine and it totally shows, amirite?
In my experience, here’s the formula to achieving success in this field:
Sass + business and creative sensibility + boss vibes + negotiation skills + patience = talented talent managers
If you know any more managers we should highlight and feature, do let us know as we’re on the look out for part two of this article.
Drop their names and Instagram handles in the comments below!
