The Price of Premium Talent with Christina Jones of Digital Brand Architects

Today we’re speaking with Christina Jones of DBA Media LLC. Christina Jones is the Senior Vice President of Talent at Digital Brand Architects. In her role as SVP, Jones has led and built an additional management sector at DBA that continues to lead DBA's mission to amplify strong multi-hyphenated voices in the digital space. Jones began her career in the space eight years ago, quickly garnering wide acknowledgment and credibility for representing and building pathways for talent who push against traditional societal standards. During her time at DBA, Jones' clients' careers have sky-rocketed. In 2018, it was announced that Jones' client Patrick Starrr in partnership with Digital Brand Products, secured a $10M investment to begin his own makeup brand One/Size Beauty. In total, Jones' management team has secured over 20+ high-value business opportunities with DBP, garnering multi-million dollars of revenue through these partnerships. Additionally, Jones' clients like Kier Gaines, Achieng Agutu, Terrell and Jarius, and Yasmin Maya have been recognized by the likes of Oprah Winfrey, The White House, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Michelle Obama, and more for their advocacy around Black rights, LGBTQ+ and US citizenship. Prior to DBA, Jones' career started as a manager at The Collective (Studio71), and later, at 21 years old, she became one of the youngest agents in history when she was announced as an Endorsement Agent at APA, securing eight figures in partnerships during her tenure for clients of the agency. She was also a part of UTA's acquisition of Digital Brand Architects in 2019 and has grown from a Director to Senior Vice President of the company within four years of joining DBA. Jones resides in Los Angeles and has a Bachelor's Degree in Television Production with a minor in Digital Strategic Communications and Film. TIMESTAMPS [10:42] Christina's background [18:07] Christina's talent management introduction [22:31] Identifying the right talent to represent [25:52] How to retain a talent [28:00] How to retain your talent manager [30:36] Barriers in the talent management industry & solutions [35:28] Christina's advice on working with marketing agencies [38:00] Christina's advice to managers on how to negotiate pricing for their talents [40:57] Tips on how to pick the right talent for marketing opportunity [46:00] Growth opportunities for Influencers [49:08] Guide on how to pick additional revenue streams for influencer [42:07] Advice to Influencers who don't have capital to hire a talent manager [51:49] Christina's thoughts on trends in the industry [57:21] Christina: What other career opportunities would you have pursued aside from being a talent manager? [59:19] False misconceptions about DBA [01:01:45] True misconceptions about DBA Connect with her: LinkedIn Want to join WIIM's Membership? Check out our websiteDon't forget to follow us on Instagram